INDIA: Travel recommendations

India is said to be the most culturally diverse country on our planet and its easy to see why it has the ability to offer one of the most remarkable travel experiences you could ever imagine. If you have never travelled here or planning a trip in the future, one thing you must realize is India is a truly massive country that offers a rich and diverse travelling experience in every single corner of the country. India has the ability to shock, surprise, excite, and disgust you all in the same moment. For me, this was my favourite country I have ever been to and took my travels to a whole new level. They say there are two types of travellers; those who have been to india, and those who have NOT. I am pleased to be able to say that I now fit into the group of 'haves' instead of 'have nots'.

I spent 3 months in India and to begin my journey, I started on the far east in Varanasi and eventually made my way by train across to New Delhi in the west. I Volunteered working with street kids and children from the slums for a month and a half in a smaller city 30 km south of New Delhi. After that I Went up north for a week and then continued west to the Pakistan border and then travelled down south into the Thar Desert. From there I continued down south to Bombay and then eventually made it all the way down to Kerala in the south.

VARANASI:

This is by far one of the most holy and sacred places to visit in India. Its a densely populated city which lies along the Ganges river just before it flows out into the Bay of Bengal on the east coast. Varanasi is the city where almost all Hindus go to when they die and get cremated by their family along the river banks in hopes of breaking the life cycle and sending their spirit to freely roam in the heavens among the gods. If you plan to go to India, you need to put this city high on your priority list of things to do.

KHAJURAHO TEMPLES:

Is an amazing fortress of ancient erotic temples and best known as the Kama sutra temples. If you've been to Cambodia and seen Angkor Wat, its actually comparable on many levels! Although often overlooked by most travellers that venture to this foreign land; it is a must see in my books. For some strange reason that I never understood, the accommodation cost is a bit higher than most places in India so make sure you barter for the lowest rate possible and never take the first price they throw at you. I would recommend to hire a guide to drive you around and tell you all about the area and the history as the perimeter of the area that encases all the temples. The entire area is massive and would require days of walking to see everything. It is best to visit the main temples in the morning when the gates open before all the tourists pile in and ruin the ambience of the area.

AGRA:

Has to be on the the most famous places to visit in India. It is the busy bustling and grungy city that ironically enough, encases the most beautiful building ever built on our planet. The almighty Taj Mahal. If you go to India and don't see the Taj; to be very blunt, you are a fool. I had heard that the best time to see the Taj was during a full moon or right at sunrise if you can time it right. Since it was not a full moon when I was there, I decided to do the next best thing and see it at sunrise and make sure that I was one of the first into the compound. By doing so, it ensured me that I could be one of the few that got a first glimpse and photo of the Taj Mahal before the masses of tourists flooded in. The entrance gates open at varying times during the year depending on the actual time of the sunrise so be sure to ask at your guest house upon check-in. If you have to wake up early and looking for a great place to get breakfast and fill your belly before the gates open, I highly recommend a little corner side restuarant named: Joney's Cafe. This restaurant is quite small and doesn't have the most appealing appearance to it from the outside but rest assured, it has some of the best breakfast food and Lassi shakes I tasted in all of India. To top it off this little cafe is open early far before most of the other restaurants.

FATEPHUR SKIRI:

This is a smaller city in Indian standards that is approximately 20 km or a 45 minute bus ride from Agra. This not so well known city is full of amazing temples and buidling structures and is often overlooked by most travellers or tourists that flock to Agra just to see the Taj and then continue on back to Delhi or other busy areas of India. Its a bit off the beaten trail but a must see and the best part of all is its easy to get to using local transport from the main bus station in Agra.

NEW DELHI:

Is officially the most intense and full on city I have ever encountered along my travels. 'Full power 24 hrs' is the best way to explain this place. Most backpackers stick together in a busy section of the city called Pahar Ganj. New Delhi is full of amazing sights and people waiting to get your money lurk around every street corner so you always have to be on your toes anywhere you go here and be ready for what lies for you around each corner you turn. You also need to be very cautious who you trust and make sure you barter, barter, barter for everything and anything you purchase or when you use the rickshaw drivers for transport.

Things to Do in Delhi:

• Akshardam Temple - This incredible state of the art temple was built in 2005. Its a huge maze of buildings so give yourself 3-4 hours here to visit all the temples and watch a few of the various shows throughout the temple grounds.
• Jama Masid - Holds the title for the largest mosque in India.
• Kareems Restuarant - This restuarant is famous for its delicious mouth watering dishes and is located only 1/2 a block away from Jama Masid.
• Mandir Birla Temple - This is one of the most colourful and creative temples you might ever see.
• Red Fort - A massive fortress built to guard areas of the city against incoming invaders back in the day.
• Pahar Ganj (main bizzare) - this is the most popular place where most backpackers stay and there are loads of budget hotels or guest houses to stay at.
• Conaught Place - The trendy upscale shopping area of New Delhi. Only a 10 minute walk from Pahar Ganj and the main railway station.
• Deli Haat - A marketplace which offers the most genuwine and affordable pashmina and Kashmire scarves you will find.
  
  

FARIDABAD:

Is typically not a place to visit for most travellers but this small city is located approx. 40 km south of New Delhi and where I spent 1 1/2 months volunteering here. If your interested, I highly recommend it and have even started my own company for international volunteering after I was involved in this project.

*If your at all interested to VOLUNTEER in India or any other country you may be planning to go to, please take a few minutes and have a look at my website:

www.projectvolunteerabroad.org

RANTHAMBORE NATIONAL PARK::

**If your feeling adventurous and looking for an out of this world experience than hire motorcycles and drive around New Delhi or other areas in India. My good friend Tom and I hired motorcycles and drove 1,200km over 8 days on Indian roads leaving from New Delhi up to the India/Pakistan border which was an intense week of driving. PLEASE KEEP IN MIND: its very dangerous and you must exercise extreme caution while driving as it is nothing out of the ordinary for tourists to hire motorcycles in foreign countries and get killed by getting hit.

For YOGA you'll want to check out Rishikesh, which is said to be the Yoga capital of the world. I did go here and took a few meditation classes and have a very good friend who has been doing yoga for 19 years that I would love to connect you to so please make sure you let me know when your serious about going here and I’ll get in touch with him. There is another peaceful place close by that I did not get to visit called Haridwar but heard its really cool too.

CHANDIGARH:

Is the most developed city in India. Probably the least favorite place I visited. It was pretty cool to see a different side of India but reminded me a lot of back home so if you find yourself running low on time, you can probably give this place a miss as the only thing here to see is the recycled gardens that aren't all that impressive.

AMRITSAR:

This magnificent area lies in the state of Punjab and is where the dazzling Golden temple is located and the pilgrimage site for all Sikhs. (Indians that wear the turbins). Amritsar is highly recommend as the energy of this place will blow your mind and surrounding area is like something I've never felt before. If you want to experience Amritsar to the fullest, you can even stay in the temple for 2-3 nights max if you want. Just make sure you contact them before your arrival so they hold a bed for you. Visit the temple both during the day and night and the mood and atmosphere changes dramatically. Also try to ensure you get to experience the final prayer at the end of the day and take your turn lining up to get inside the Harmandir Sahib (golden temple) to witness the spectacular devotees as the scriptures from the holy book are sung and the energy in this temple will ease your mind and any tension that may be lingering from your body. This is the holiest shrine in Sikhism and is said to be coated in over 100 Kg of gold. The water surrounding the temple is a sacred pool known as Amrit Sarovar (pool of nectar).

Every night after the closing prayer, they march the Granth Sahib (their holy book similar to the bible) out of the Hari Mandir (divine temple), along the marble causeway called Guru's Bridge (which symbolizes the journey of the soul after death) and into a secure room. To be part of the whole session will leave your body tingling and gasping for more.

ATTRI:

This city sits strong on the border on India/Pakistan. It is only about 30 km from Amritsar and worth checking out as everyday around 4:30pm there is a border closing ceremony and the guards have a march off and is a MUST SEE if you have the time.

JAIPUR:

Is the first big city worth checking out once you cross into my favorite state of Rajahstan. I suggest to spend as much time travelling around this state of India as possible. There is a lot of famous sights to see here and pretty touristy but definitely worth spending a few days taking everything in that this special place has to offer!

A few of the recommendations things I did was the Jaipur Fort, Hawa Mahal, City centre Palace, and Jantar Mantar (Astronomy Museum).

JAISALMER:

Is known as the fort city and is the farthest west city you could go to before you head into the vast openness of the Thar Desert. This is one of my favorite places to be in India and with a bit of planning and a lot of luck, I was there during the annual Desert festival in February which had several different events such as; Mr. and Mrs. Desert, as well as the best moustache of Rajahstan, and spanned over 3 days. Jaisalmeir is a famous spot to arrange a 1-3 day camel safari in the desert. I did a 3 day safari and it was definitely one of my favorite experiences in India. Marching far into the open desert with just you, your camel and a guide suddenly makes you feel like your a long way away from home and soon realize you don't have a care in the world . There are loads of different companies that eagerly await your arrival and will do just about anything to get your business! BE CAREFUL!!: It is quite easy to get ripped off anywhere in India and especially here if your not careful! Every company will tell you they can offer you the best price but please take my advice and go to 2 or 3 different companies to make sure your money goes as far as possible instead of signing up with the first one and soon realize you got ripped off and paid twice the price that anyone else did!

Where to stay: There is a huge fort that overlooks the city and there are guest houses or hotels inside the fort where you can stay. I recommend: HOTEL V VILAS which is located inside the fort just behind Laxminath Ji Temple and has a gorgeous roof top restaurant. If you stay here ask for Amin Jamin and tell him I sent you there and he will take good care of you. If you use couchsurfing and plan ahead Amin is on there and you can stay there for no cost if you get in contact with him before you arrive!

MT. ABU:

UDAIPUR:

If you go here, you will be pleased to know that there are lots to see and do. It is said to be the romance city of India. Its easy to see why once you visit here and take a tour of the city where high sandstone white buildings stand tall all along the rivers edge. There is lots to do and see here so 2-3 days would be the minimum amount of time you'd want to spend here.

MUMBAI/BOMBAY:

Is probably the most unbalanced yet booming city I've ever come across besides Phenom Penn in Cambodia. The idea of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer is all too commonplace here. It is like the New York of India and one of the most bustling and growing cities in India. Although there is a lot of wealth and business here, a huge chunk of the city still lives below the poverty line. In the middle of this city is the Dharavi Slums, which is the biggest slum area in all of Asia (42 sq km is the area). If you visit here I have a friend who would be more then happy to take you thru the slums and you get to see first hand what it means to have very little and most of the people living in this area live off $1 a day or less.

GOA:

I decided to give this place a miss but most people have heard about this place. It used to be a haven for hippies back in the day but from what I heard the magic here is lost and not as exciting as it once was. Goa is one of the most touristy areas to visit in India.

FORT COCHIN:

This is a small peaceful city in the tropical state of Kerala which is in the south. In the state of Kerala you can hire a houseboat and float the backwaters for as long as time will allow you and is why most travellers are drawn to this more of a relaxed and laid back area state in India.

**One thing I must mention is there is a big separation and difference between the North part and the South part of India. The north is mainly composed of Hindu, Muslim, and Buddhists where as the south is mostly Christian. The North can be very intense and full on and the real raw part of India where as the south is a lot more relaxed, peaceful, and tropical. India is such a massive country so if you only have a month or two to spend here then you must decide which part of India you want to focus on. To do both requires at least 3 months or more.