Is there another place in the world that can overwhelm your senses like India? (Marigold Hotel)
India hurt you, overwhelms you, takes you by the throat, teases you, the only thing you will not allow is to remain indifferent. “(Tiziano Terzani)
India overwhelms you, in every sense. Sometimes it crushes you, it stuns you, it exhausts you with the dumb noise of the tuk-tuk, chaos, crowded trains and buses, the total absence of rules, the degradation, the poverty that punches you in your stomach when you least aspects it.
But it is incalculable what it gives and your senses will always be on the alert, always in continuous reception. Because in this chaos, there is also beauty, there is poetry, the beauty of fruit colors, flowers, women’s and girls’ clothes, smells of cooked food on the street, flowers or incense especially in the proximity of temples, the sound of Hindu or Muslim cantilenas, religious rituals, Bollywood music.
In India there is often no room for nuances, wealth is opposed to extreme poverty, without warning, without any comfort. This Country shows itself exactly what it is, even in the most touristic places there are no specially glazed streets for tourists who then contrast to real, no-frills life. Of course, the sites you visit and for which you pay entrance tickets are kept very well, but the roads surrounding these places are full of real life. Some examples? The Taj Mahal, which on the adjacent streets to the entrances, is surrounded by rural areas with cows, goats, and poor people, or Hampi, where, even if there are many tourist facilities or business outlets for tourists, it’s not uncommon to come across groups of goats, and animals of all kinds. ‘Cause this is India, so take or leave.
And so, after an initial disorientation, that’s what happens unexpectedly, you are overwhelmed by this Country, like a wave that overwhelms you unexpectedly while you look at it and you think it’s not that big.
Yes, India overwhelms all your senses if you are ready and prepared to be overwhelmed because the best way to travel and to take the best out of a journey is to open our minds and hearts to the places you are visiting and people who populate them.
6000 km of travel on local buses and trains. A bus trip and trains often crowded with people, buses that maybe break the front glass in the middle of nowhere, broken but sometimes surprisingly comfortable buses. Trains and buses running this huge Subcontinent long and wide, with a capillarity of full respect and that as far as I am concerned is the better and most authentic way to visit and live this Country.
As you can imagine, it has been one of the most tiring, adventurous and harder trips I have ever made as a traveler but also as a human being because you can never be ready for what you will see, smell and feel in this Country full of people, contradictions, religions, spirituality, smells (and even puffs), colors, etc.
But at the same time, it was one of the most amazing and exciting for many reasons. First of all, for the amazing travelers I met, because, ever like during this trip, it was so easy to meet so many backpackers. But it was really interesting to meet a lot of solitary, crazy and courageous solo female travelers like me, and it was great to share with them part of the trip because we know that as women, traveling in this Country is not easy.
I’m grateful to have met a lot of Indians who on more than one occasion have tried to help me even if they couldn’t speak English. Men, but also women, who sometimes looked at me like a crazy person, but most of them as a heroine. And it was amazing to meet Indian women who are against the rules and are fighting against gender discrimination!
The world is not a dangerous and bad place, as many people would have believed us. And, above all, it is full of wonderful people and beauty!
My trip to India between Rajasthan, Agra, Delhi, Varanasi, and Kerala
Rajasthan is perhaps the most touristic part of India, but it certainly represents that India dreamed and imagined, the India of “a thousand and one night”, the one of the Maharaja with their palaces, elephants, camels, artisan, color, and music that recall past but still alive in the life of Rajasthani.
In Rajasthan I spent most of my Indian period, having stopped for a while in Jaisalmer where I worked at Mystic Jaisalmer Hotel and Mystic Derwish Hostel and where I found my home thank to Ashraf, the owner of this place, a unique person, and his staff. Here I have overcome my fears and have come into contact with an authentic India, because in this desert city, despite its sites of interest, you can still breathe an authentic, true-life atmosphere (read the article “Jaisalmer, the desert city“).
Almost all the cities of Rajasthan have a fort, and so, in the nearby Jodhpur, you can admire one, much larger but at the same time for the exclusive use of the tourist. Unlike Jaisalmer, the Jodhpur fort is open and accessible only by paying an entrance ticket and is not inhabited.
From the fort you can also enjoy a beautiful view of the city, the blue town, so called for the color of its blue houses. It is in the streets of this city that Steve Mc Curry, famous photographer of National Geographic, has taken some of his famous photographs.
Udaipur is undoubtedly one of the most impressive cities I’ve ever fallen in love with. The city is famous for its somewhat European atmosphere due to the sewage of lakes and rivers that overlook historic buildings. For this reason, has been defined, the Venice of India.
Udaipur, however, remains a romantic city, but it doesn’t let forget the traveler where he/she is, ’cause India is everywhere but in a completely different way from other cities.
My advice is to stay in a palace near the lake from the opportunity to enjoy the city view from a terrace. In fact, there are many hotels and restaurants offering panoramic views. I got off at the Zostel Udaipur, wonderful!
In addition to visiting the low city, you can go hiking on the adjacent hills in order to see the city from above in all its splendor.
A town where you can get in touch with Hinduism is Pushkar, situated between verdant fields, this city strikes for silence and peace, where you can walk around roads surrounded by fields, from growers where you obviously encounter cows but also monkeys.
The vital fulcrum of this holy city, very important for the Hindus, is beside the lake where rituals are held and where it is possible to watch the women immerging and undressing in part from the their colorful sari to wash themselves.
At Pushkar, you breathe a magical air entangled in spirituality, and it is wonderful to simply stop to enjoy all this. The blue lake with the colorful houses reflected in it, the sounds and rituals of ancient Hindus, the trees decorated with colorful bands waving, all give a sense of peace and serenity.
If you are traveling to this part of India, you cannot miss a visit to the Taj Mahal, in Agra. This site of humanity, acclaimed and loved by visitors all over the world will not disappoint you. Although unfortunately it is often frequented by besieged and fleeing tourists, that go to Agra for only a handful of hours and only to visit the mausoleum.
The advice is to stay a couple of days so you will have lunch in a Taj Mahal restaurant (like the Hotel Saniya Palace), see the mausoleum at sunset, maybe on board of a boat, and in the morning at dawn.
In addition, if you stay in Agra for a couple of days, you can walk through the streets of the city and get in touch with the local people, who will welcome you with an amazed smile because you decide to walk in a place not frequented by tourists.
On a trip to India, you can not miss a visit to the city of Benares, better known as Varanasi.
It is ridiculous to define it as a city, but in fact, it is one of the oldest inhabited settlements in the world. Here life and death are placed on the same level, they coexist.
We are often accustomed to avoid the thought of death, not to mention it why it scares us. But here, life and death are shown in all their nature. For Hinduists to be cremated on the banks of the Ganga is the most beautiful thing they may want. People from all over India come here to cremate their loved ones. It is possible to witness the cremations, both from the ground and from the water from one of the many boats that cross the Ganges long and wide, ghat burn bodies 24 hours a day, but it is good to know that it is strictly forbidden to film or photograph in these places, failing the punishement by death or imprisonment.
But the Ganges and Varanasi are not only death, but also life, and life, following the hindrances of Hindu credo, an important aspect is Karma.
The Ganges is a pilgrimage destination for millions of years, here, in its turbulent waters, the faithful, and now some Westerners, they bathe into its waters to purify themselves, to purify their karma, to hope for a better and happier life.
For those who do not intend to immerse themselves in the waters of this river, or rather for non-Hindus, for visitors who believe in karma or in these spiritual gestures/rituals, you have the opportunity to buy candles flush with flowers that will light up and will lay in the water at will. I decided to turn them on at the time of sunset, and the vision of these candles with flowers in the water, the boats, the cantilenas, all gave the place a magic surrealistic atmosphere.
Benares is not just the Gange, and walking through adjacent streets it will be possible to visit temples stop at retreat places with all kinds of saints.
Varanasi remains one of the most spiritual places I have ever seen, I think it is impossible to remain indifferent to such a place. Mark Twain said:
“Varanasi” is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together”
Getting to Khajuraho by trains/buses is not that simple, especially if you miss the only direct train to the city’s sex temples and you do not have many other options to choose from.
Khajuraho has become famous for the Kamasutra temples, temples immersed in greenery, meadows and English gardens, where scenes of very explicit sex scenes are carved, but in fact, these temples represent only 10% of the other temples present where scenes are represented of daily life. But after Varanasi, this small city represent a good place if you need to be in a quiet and relaxing place and you need to take a rest.
When I imagined my trip to India, Kerala has turned into one of the destinations to don’t miss. Immense tropical beaches, backwaters and of course tea plantations. This part of India will not disappoint you and get here after the chaos of Rajasthan, Agra and Varanasi have been like a dip in peace and tranquility, in one word, relax.
The journey here will seem to capture completely different, much slower rhythms and it’s amazing the difference compared to India visited and experienced before. I still remember coming to Trivandrum, it was like getting to another country, with more gentle and less cuddling people, including tuk-tuks who do not chase or who do not play the horn continuously, begging and garbage almost absent. A much quieter place, much like Southeast Asia for vegetation and atmosphere. In this part of India, the quality of life is very high, as the level of education and the illiteracy whose rate is low.
In this part of India, women get the warmest and tropical temperatures, they wear sari and curves much lighter in style than in the North and Rajasthan.
The only less positive note is due to the accommodation, if in the north it is very easy to find hostel, there are all kinds and all the pockets because it has been the destination for many backpackers for years, in the south more than vacationers and less than backpackers, there are no hostels, but if you want to find cheaper options to know people, you can stay in guesthouse or ashram.
Arriving in Kerala, convinced by a Greek girl whom I asked for information, I found myself in an event of Amma, a famous santon for her hugs. And so I participated in this great event attended by followers and fans, all strictly dressed in white, the color of purity.
My first goal in Kerala was to rest and relax on a tropical beach and thanks to the advice of a yoga teacher known months earlier in Jaisalmer, I headed to Varkala. Varkala’s cliff is unfortunately disseminated by restaurants and tourist shops that have little to do with the culture of the place. But fortunately, it’s enough to walk inland to find small markets or small family-run little restaurants. Immense beach, fishermen, typical boats, silence, quiet and wonderful sunsets, all this is Black Beach, just 20 minutes walk to the North Cliff. This is for sure one of my favorite place in this area!
Kerala is synonymous with backwaters, water channels surrounded by rich and dense vegetation traversed by typical wooden boats, or by simply ferrying for tourists or fishermen.
Crossing backwaters is one of the most relaxing things you can do, as well as the best means of transport you can find to reach a destination on the coast.
The most popular route is Amritapuri-Allepey but also the one between Kollam-Amritapuri is very impressive.
Kerala is famous also for the ayurvedic medicine or treatments and is really worth to try a total body massage or the Shirodhara, a form of Ayurveda therapy that involves pouring of warm herbal oils on the head. However, it may begin with a full body massage known as Abhyangam. Shirodhara also involves a head massage.
If you are interested in yoga and meditation as well as experiencing an experience of staying in an ashram, then Amma’s ashram is what it takes for you, with 250 rupees a day, to have a bed in a four-room, and three meals included; In addition you can participate in volunteering activities or at free seminars. Every night, at sunset, many people go to the beach to meditate, practice yoga or sing and play.
Before going to Munnar, do not miss Kochi, a fishing town that has a European spirit, small little streets with shops, white stone churches, and propaganda posters of Cuban communism and then Che Guevara.
Munnar is a must stop if you are traveling to Kerala, but only to walk and see the tea plantations. I found the city of Munnar very chaotic and full of traffic despite its small size and its location that makes it think of a quiet place. Far too here tourism has given the worst of itself.
To go to the plantations you can go to agencies or at the hotel where you will go. If you are skilled hikers and you know how to read maps well you can try not to rely on any guide and to walk alone.
The excursion will not disappoint you, you will walk among tea plantations, fruit trees, and spices.
From Munnar, I headed to Mysore with a 14-hour bus trip. The most interesting thing you can do in Mysore is losing it in its colorful markets, full of life, fruit, vegetables, spices, incense, and scents. It will be a pleasure to observe moments of real life where fortunately there are not many tourists.
From Mysore with a 13-hour train ride, I headed to Hampi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site full of temples, mountains, and rocks.
If you are looking for one of the last hippy huts in India, then go to Gokarna where you will find many people retiring here to lead a life of simplicity, people practicing yoga, meditation, singing and playing on the beach. There are several temples that can be found here, some on top of almost unprecedented mountains.