India
My favourite description of India is something along the lines of, “whatever you can rightly say about India, the opposite is also true.“
नमस्ते (Namaste),
I spent 4 months travelling to over 8 states and 26 cities across India, and it quickly became one of my favourite places. You can count on vibrant colours, chaotic streets, and an abundance of smells and tastes; but I also promise that the country will offer you surprises at every turn.
More from Nicole’s travels
Recommendations from Nicole
Stay
- Keystone Foundation Guesthouse – Located in Kotagiri, Nilgiris, in the Blue Mountains of Southern India, you’ll be surrounded by rich biodiversity, fields of tea and coffee estates.
Eat
- You’ll find the best food by following your senses and stumbling into shops that call you. Try masala dosas and idlis in South India, chaat in Delhi, vada pav in Maharashtra state, and masala chai is everywhere – always accept chai!
Explore
- Varanasi – Attend the Ganga aarti, a daily ritual of putting the river to sleep at dawn every evening. Check out the Buddhist temple site of Sarnath where Buddha gave his first sermon.
- Kerala backwaters or Western Ghats – Southern India is less densely populated and the surroundings are lush and slow-paced. I love the food and proximity to nature in the south.
