#indiantrip

India is a huge country made of 4 main ingredients: beautiful landscapes, great variety of food and tastes, fuel for your spirit and unpredictability.

India is composed of 29 states and 7 union territories and hosts 1/6 of the world population!!! Just to give you an idea, just the city of Mumbai has 22 million people living.

Despite all the beauties, India is a very poor country and it won't be easy to see the real living conditions of many people...

Few TIPS before leaving:

- make sure to have long clothes (first of all women) to go around.

- make sure to bring an umbrella if you are going during the rainy monsoon season (as we did).

- ATM points are in every big city but they are not always working: make sure to get some money everytime you have the chance to. Make sure to have always 10.000 INR in your pocket money.

- buy an Indian sim-card with internet data. It will be useful to walk around (Airtel is the phone company name).

- make sure to do all the necessary vaccinations.

- make sure to have a good travel insurance.

- be ready for every unpredictability.

DELHI

Once in Delhi, you will be shocked. Tuk-tuk, cars, million of people in the streets, noises, colors and strong smells...

Delhi is India’s capital and major gateway to the country, contemporary Delhi is bustling metropolis, which successfully combines in its fold the ancient and the modern. Its strategic location was one of the prime reasons why successive dynasties chose it as their seat of power. It is not surprising then that what constitutes Delhi today, is a conglomerate of seven cities.

New Delhi reflects the legacy the British left behind, distinction between the capitals of the British and the Mughals respectively. But wherever the visitor goes he will invariably confront the city’s past.

The divisions in the walled city and New Delhi also mark the varied lifestyles. The walled city is all traditions ,where as, New Delhi in contrast, is a city living upto contemporary international standards. Delhi also serves as the major gateway for touring the internationally known toursim destinations of Agra and Jaipur. 

What to see:

- Lotus Temple

- Akshardham Temple (my favourite)

- Lodi gardens

- Indian Gate

- Humayun's tomb

- Tomb of Safdarjung

- Red Fort

- Old Delhi

Where to eat:

-Gulati (best butter chicken we ate!) - Sodabottleopenerwala, a very good parsi restaurant - you can also eat in some markets. For example at Khan market or at Dilli Haat.

Sleep at Bloomroom Hotel or Prime Balaji Deluxe Hotel. They are clean and in a very central position.

AGRA

You can reach Agra from Delhi by bus or by private car. We used a private car, as the driver was a good friend of an Indian friend, and we paid 100€ taxi (9.000 INR) to go and back.

What to see:

- Taj Mahal

An immense mausoleum of white marble, built in Agra between 1631 and 1648 by order of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favourite wife, the Taj Mahal is the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage.

- Fort Agra

Have lunch at theSpicyKing for delicious Indian food!

JAIPUR

We went to Jaipur from Delhi also by private car, thanks to this driver friend, but there are also buses and trains. Jaipur was the old capital of Rajasthan.

The Old City, also known as the Pink City, is a wonderful place to wander around.The arts and crafts of the state are amazing. You'll find elaborately fashioned jewellery, the multi-coloured 'bandhini' fabrics, richly decorated handlooms, and other trinkets at the colourful bazaars of Jaipur. These bazaars are a lot of fun not just for what's available, but also for the cheerful people in their traditional costumes.

What to see/do

- Amber Fort

- Hawa Mahal

- City Palace

- Elefantastic experience: a big farm where they rescue elephants. Turists can feed them, cuddle them, shower them but not having a ride on them (In the picture we are washing his back).

Eat at Peacock Rooftop: best food and live music. They also have a good continental breakfast.

MUMBAI

Mumbai is huge. There are 22 million people living here; 60% of them is living in slums. Today Mumbai is also the country's financial and cultural centre. It is also home to a thriving film industry (Bollywood headquarter). It is seen, to the teeming masses that flock there to live and work, as a place where opportunities abound. Its inhabitants, an amalgam of great wealth and abject poverty, are swept into the endless maelstrom of activity that characterizes this city of dreams.

What to see:

-Victoria Terminus

-Gateway of India

-Hanging Gardens

-Mani Bhawan (where the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi resided for several years)

We had an amazing experience thanks to an NGO that provides tours inside the well-known Dharavi slum. This slum is the second largest in Asia (after Orange slum in Pakistan). It's like a parallel socity in wich all the people are involved in some business.

The NGO invests the money in school for those children living in the slum.

The name of the NGO is "Reality Tours & Travel". It really worths in my opinion. I deeply recommend that. It was one of the most intense experience we had in India. Here the link to their website: http://realitytoursandtravel.com/

Sleep at recidency Hotel. It's very nice and clean. In the Taj Mahal hotel area there are many nice shops and art galleries. Eat at le 15 Cafe for a good snack of continental food.

GOA

Sun, surf, and beaches: Goa has become the ultimate tourist destination. Goa is a tiny emeralds land with its natural scenic beauty, attractive beaches and temples, famous for its architecture, feast and festivals and hospitable people with a rich culture. So get swept away in Goa by the spectacular sunrises and sunsets and rejuvenate yourself.

Panaji (Panjim) is the state's capital of Goa, Vasco da Gama (Vasco) the largest city, while the historic city of Margao still exhibits the influence of Portuguese culture in Goa. 

We stayed at Grand Hyatt Goa. Very expensive and too far from everything. But still the most fancy place in Goa.

I recommend to try the local food: very spicy and mainly of fish. Inside our hotel you will find some of the best restaurants of the areas: Verandha (Italian) and the Diner. Goa is one of the only place where you can find some alcoohl. But if you are a wine-lover, avoid it! It has an horrible taste!

What also you need to try is a Goa-party, with trance music and fluo colors. The only club open when we were there was the Hill Top.

KERALA

A region in the deep South of India, made of beautiful beaches, rivers, nature with exotic animals like tigers, tasty but not-so-spicy food - mainly fish - and ancient traditions like Kathakali dance or Kalaripayattu martial arts.

Unfortunately, during the time we have been in Kerala there was a big rain and flood alert where many people died and we were kind of stocked in the hotel...

KOCHI (Fort Kochi)

Cochin or Kochi as it is now called, is the commercial capital of the Southern Indian State of Kerala, is sometimes referred to as the ‘Queen of the Arabian Sea’. Cochin proudly boasts a rich cultural heritage, but is one of the most fast-paced and modern cities in India. It is also one of the finest natural harbours of the world and a major Indian port. 

Always a tourist favourite, this city offers visitors plenty. Forts, palaces, museums, old churches, cool backwaters, palm fringed lagoons, beaches and the practicality of a contemporary metro.

What to see/do

A MUST is the Kathakali dance show ( it takes place every evening at the Kathakali dance center for only 300 INR)... Super impressive! And the kalaripayattu martial art show as well!

- spice market

- Chinese fishing nets

Where to stay:

We had a good experience at Neemrama Tower House Hotel. People are very nice and at your service.

Where to eat:

- our absolutely favorite place was farmer's Cafe. Number one, absolutely to try!

- Kashi art Cafe

ALLEPPEY

We didn't go there, due to the rain catastrophe. We were supposed to stay 2 nights on a house boat (Marvel Cruise).

MUNNAR

We were also supposed to go there but unfortunately we couldn't. We should have spent two nights at Tea Harvaester Hotel.

Unfortunately, due to the heaviest monsoon in a century, we had to cancel everything and move to the South, where the flood situation was not as bad as in the rest of Kerala.

TRIVANDRUM

The largest city in South India. Formerly known as Trivandrum, Thiruvananthapuram is gateway to one of the most beautiful states in India- Kerala. Trivandrum opens the gates to a world of beaches, mountains, backwaters, wildlife sanctuaries and islands. Trivandrum is mostly serving as a gateway to Kovalam.

You can easily visit the whole city in a day by tuk-tuk or walking.

The Padmanabhaswamy Temple is the richest in the world.

Sleep at Hycinth Hotel, located in a very center position and clean.

Some CURIOSITIES about India...

India is the biggest vegetarian country of the world - All the major religions are represented in India - India is the second largest english speaking country in the world - India is the largest democracy in the world - More than a million Indians are millionaires, yet most Indians live on less than two dollars a day. An estimated 35% of India’s population lives below the poverty line - Traditionally, Indians found toilet paper repellent and considered it cleaner to splash water with the left hand in the appropriate direction. Consequently, the left hand is considered unclean and is never used for eating - Cows can be found freely wandering the streets of India’s cities. They are considered sacred and will often wear a tilak, a Hindu symbol of good fortune - Indians made significant contributions to calculus, trigonometry, and algebra. The decimal system was invented in India in 100 B.C. The concept of zero as a number is also attributed to India - Kumbh Mela is one of the largest human congregations on the Earth - India has the world’s largest movie industry, based in the city of Mumbai (known as the “City of Dreams”). The B in “Bollywood” comes from Bombay, the former name for Mumbai. Almost all Bollywood movies are musicals - Introduced by the British, cricket is India’s most popular sport. We also discovered a new sport that we have never seen before, kabbadi - Indian food is one of the most spicy in the world - if you are a couple visiting India, better not walking holding eachother hands. People won't tell you anything but the contact between women and man is not usually that much shown in public.