If you’re thinking about joining India, you’ve already started making a list of pros and cons. After all, heading 7,000 kilometres away from the United Kingdom is a huge move.

Be assured that 32,000 Britons have already taken the plunge and left the UK’s cold, grey winters to spend the year in India’s tropical skies.

But it is not just the atmosphere that has drawn so many professionals to the land of Thumbs Up and Bollywood.

High-stakes corporations have settled in India, and are willing to pay top Sterling for qualified candidates coming from the UK, as the nation has risen to be the world’s third economic force after China and the UK. Technology, accounting, marketing, and manufacturing are only a few of the fields that are often on the lookout for new employees.

Money is one of the most common reasons and benefits cited by ex-pats in India. By Western standards, the cost of living in India remains very low; most ex-pats can live comfortably even in the city centers of Mumbai and New Delhi.

Travelling is another compelling excuse to relocate to India. Living in India means that you can fly directly to London from either Mumbai or Delhi, as well as most European cities, Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Beijing, Bali, or Seoul.

Another reason is the availability of food. Curries, samosas, tandoori, and naan bread abound in Indian cuisine. That should be enough to persuade you to relocate to Bharata, which is another name for India.

Food is abundant and tasty, which is possibly one of the best aspects of living in India.

Each street corner is lined with street food stalls, eateries, and restaurants. If you want to remain lean, you’ll have to up your weekly workout session.

You won’t go more than five minutes without seeing a chai-walla while walking through Mumbai’s busy, crowded, and incredibly noisy streets.

These guys are selling some delicious hot milk tea (chai in Hindi means tea, so saying “Chai tea” would suggest that you’re a tourist; instead, say “Krpaya Ek chai,” which means “One tea please”).

Mumbai is known for its street food culture, and locals eat out at all hours of the day there more than anywhere else in India. Savouring some Bhel Puri while walking along Chowpatty beach, overlooking Back Bay, is the way to go. Alternatively, go to Colaba’s buzzy Colaba neighbourhood for some Olympia Coffee House’s Egg Spicy Masala or Bademiya’s tasty and perfectly grilled tandoori.

Don’t forget that India is a huge nation, 13 times the size of the United Kingdom. Because of its long history, during which much of India’s territory was divided into various empires and kingdoms, the Indian subcontinent developed a wide range of cuisines.

India was split into over 600 princely states when it gained independence from the British crown more than 70 years ago.

When it came to food, such a division resulted in a great deal of variety. You may be eating a delicious prawn curry in Goa and drive less than 400 kilometres to taste Bisi Bele Bath (spicy rice and saucy lentil dish) in Karnataka, where it is extremely common.

The succession of Hindu and Muslim kings, as well as the presence of European merchants, have influenced Indian cuisine. For more than three centuries, Goa was a Portuguese colony, Pondicherry, Chandannagar, and Yanmar were French, and the rest of India was under direct or indirect British rule.

In most Indian cities, street food and small eateries dominate the food scene, but that doesn’t mean that high-end gastronomy isn’t available.

In Mumbai, Delhi, and Chennai, more and more incredible high-end restaurants are springing up, especially in posh hotels catering to wealthy tourists.

India is nearly as large as continental Europe, which means you’ll have an almost endless list of places to visit on long weekends or regions to discover during your vacation.

India’s culture dates back thousands of years, and exploring what the country has to offer will require years of travel and hundreds of thousands of miles.

If you visit the southern Indian states of Goa and Kerala, you will almost certainly run into a large number of other westerners who are enjoying the states’ stunning white sand beaches and seafood specialities.

If you prefer to learn to tan, India has more history and heritage than you can consume: visit Agra and contemplate the wonders of the Taj Mahal, or travel to Jaipur, Rajasthan’s capital city, and get lost in its century-old forts and palaces, or visit the many craft shops that specialize in fabric and tapestry making.

Hinduism, Sikhism, and Jainism are all religions that originated in India. Each of them has a large number of temples scattered across the region. The Jagdish Temple in Udaipur is one of the most beautiful of them all.

If you’re more of a thrill-seeker and adrenaline junkie, head to Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, where you can whitewater raft down Grade 4 rapids. Rishikesh is where the Ganges River emerges from the mountain, creating a 2,525-kilometer river. When it’s time to unwind, the city is host to a slew of yoga retreats that draw international groups.

If you choose “on-land adventure,” India is also one of the best trekking destinations in the world. Hike along the Frozen Zanskar River in Ladakh and climb up 3390 meters, or climb the Stok Kangri summit in the Himalayans to conquer India’s highest peak.

India is bordered by Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, and Myanmar, making it an ideal starting point for exploring the Himalayan mountains and visiting the rest of Asia. Singapore is just about 5 hours away from Mumbai, and Colombo, Sri Lanka, is less than 4 hours away from New Delhi.

To summaries, if you enjoy dining out and travelling while getting a reasonable amount of disposable income, India is the place for you.