India destinations

It’s impossible to describe India with just a few words. Traveling in India is a rollercoaster of experiences. All your senses will be awakened; the smells of spices but also of a dirty sewer, the bright colors of saris and turbans, the sound of thousands of car horns and the taste of freshly made Indian cuisine.

Getting around takes a while to get used to, as getting from point A to point B is never as straight forward as you might think; delays, cancellations and route changes are quite common. Add the ever-present spirituality in the mix and you end up with a country like no other.

On my visit to India I started in the culture shock inducing capital Delhi, moved to touristless Haridwar and to the mountainous and exceptionally spiritual town of Rishikesh. From there I traveled to India’s food capital Amritsar, where I met the friendliest, most sincere people and visited the awe-inspiring Golden Temple.

Further north I made my way to McLeod Ganj, where the Tibetan government is in exile and a very interesting mix of cultures can be found with a backdrop of the Himalayas. Back down again I took a sleeper train to Rajasthan, visiting Pushkar and Udaipur. Last but certainly not least, de grand Taj Mahal in Agra was the last stop on the itinerary.

My India budget

It is easy to live like a king on a low budget in India. I would always get my meals from hole-in-the-walls or (popular) street vendors, and I would move around using sleeper-class (non-AC) trains. For accommodations I would check booking.com or hostelworld and I would always find a cheap place to stay. In total, I spent around 450 euro for a 1 month stay. That’s including food, transport, accommodation, entrance fees and scammy “donations”.

My India route