My top 5 places in India
I had almost two month in India. This is compared to its size not even close enough to see everything. But I tried to cover a bit of everything. The list of places I still want to visit is long though I will go back for sure.
The only plan I had when I hopped on the plane was visiting the region of Rajasthan and going on a camel safari ( which I never did..). Also I had a venture plan to meet up with my Scottish friend I met travelling in Nicaragua. But I didn’t know if or where or when that would be. I just let myself go with the flow and recommendations from fellow travellers.
My route: New Delhi – Agra – Varanasi – Jaipur – Pushkar – Jaisalmer – Jodhpur – Udaipur – Mt Abu – Mumbai – Chennai – Mamallapuram – Pondicherry – Madurai – Cochin – Bangalore – Mysore – Hampi – Palolem
For me, the world slowest traveler, that is a lot. 19 places in 50 days. I went pretty slow and just how I am used to it in the north and almost flew through the south together with my Scottish friend which I surprisingly enjoyed a lot. Some of those places I only visited for a day, others I stayed five. The only flight I took within India was from Mumbai to Chennai and everything else I did by bus or train.
I can’t say if I liked the north or the south of India better, I can just say that they are different in many ways. Some things I liked better in the south some better in the north. But these are my 5 favorite places in India:
Pushkar is without a doubt one of my favorite destinations. I love the small streets, the low number of tuktuks and cars, the friendly vendors and all in all its laid back vibe ( for indian conditions) and it probably offers the best shopping possibilities
Mumbai is great. I only had 24 h there which just is not enough, but I got an amazing first impression and would highly recommend for first time India travellers to fly into Mumbai instead of Delhi, it would be a way softer start
Pondicherry it feels like being in a cute small town in France with all its boutiques and fancy restaurants and just two streets further down you are back in India. I love the mix of cultures and it is just perfect if you want a little break and if you enjoy french food
Varanasi is intense. It is jam-packed. It got so many shops and small streets and all are packed with travellers, locals any loads of animals. Watching the burning ghats is something so surreal and gives you some deeper thoughts. There is just so much diversity and life in this town so that it takes a lot from you, but gives even more back to you
Hampi it is like the place to be for every traveler. The landscape is just insanely beautiful and unique. It feels like going back in time while exploring all the ruins. You also get the most incredible sunsets while trying to climb some boulders
Your photos are so colorful and beautiful! Did you do any hiking, or hear of any trekking in India? I’m hoping to go later in the year, and I’m curious to know about some experiences in nature not-to-miss! Those markets look incredible!
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Hey if you are looking for a hike or a trek route in India it’s best if you look for North Indian mountains. Considering my opinion it’s would be best if you travel to Himachal Pradesh, it offers the best route and amazing landscape. It worth every second you spend there. You will not find many bugging Indians or troublesome people as hardly Indians for go for trekking or a hike. You will mostly find people from other countries, language can be an issue but it’s not something to worry about. If you are gonna travel in a group try considering Jammu and kashmir but it’s a troubled area sometimes, so clearance from embassy might be required. The other options are in the eastern part of India, for example Darjeling but it little away from New Delhi or Bombay, one might have to fly or take a train for 30 hours or so.
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Thank you so so much for the information! I will definitely take your advice, and and look into Himachal Pradesh. Thank you for taking the time to provide me this inside information. Much appreciated!!!
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interesting post
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Looks like a wonderful trip! I can’t wait to get to India one day 🙂
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Your travel log seems pretty long to cover but still nice. I have been to most of the places but I was curious to know more about Hampi as it still remains on my bucket list. Being interested in the historical places I would like to know about your experience in Hampi as Indians dont take it seriously to visit Hampi. It’s mostly an picnic place for the locals living around. Looking forward to seeing your review and pictures. Safe journey.
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Yea it is true. There are only foreign travelers in Hampi which confused me a lot. Sadly I only had two days in Hampi and during midday it was crazy hot which made it hard to explore. I would have loved a few more days to see the hidden waterfalls, go to the monkey temple and having fun climbing the rocks surrounding Hampi.
I found the ruins pretty impressive especially in size of them. It must have been a huge town back in the day
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I have been planning to visit Hampi for a while but not been able to make it. I am sure it would require a week or so to see around and learn the history behind it. It was a part of a very big Hindu empire in old times but now it’s kind of neglected, God knows why.
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