India | The Tourist Destination

Perhaps the title of this blog is somewhat misleading. Really, it’s a rant and a plea for people to be more open minded.

Over the years, I’ve seen and heard tourists talk about their trips to Indian and all they had to highlight was how crowded the country is, with (homeless) people everywhere, cows wandering the streets and more. No, this is not some patriot’s cry for how good their country is.

I just want to know why can’t people be more open minded? Yes, I agree that the country is overcrowded and filthy but at the same time I can also see the rich history it has. People travel for miles just to get a glimpse of the Taj Mahal, but yet somehow the highlight of their trip isn’t that.

So, here we go for those who think that India is just a poverty filled country, here’s a (travel) lesson for you. India used to be a rich country. Over the years, and with the after effects of colonisation, where a lot of the country’s jewels were stolen, is what led to the drop. The Kohinoor diamond that sits in London currently was taken by the British when the country declared independence.

India has a rich history and if you were doing a trip just to learn about it, there wouldn’t be enough days in your vacation to cover it. I don’t think a lot of travellers can fathom the decades of stories the walls and the boundaries of the country can tell.

Living in the Western world, we are used to colours like black and grey mostly. Nothing wrong with that. Whereas India is a kaleidoscope of colours. In fact they have a festival dedicated to colours - Holi. Have you been to Rajasthan? Three different cities attributed to different colours - Jaipur - the pink city; Jodhpur - the blue city; Udaipur - the white city.

Did you know what else you can experience in India? Nature! In the South of India, people flock to stay in house boats as they float through the river. In both South and North East of India, you can experience the tea plantations. If you are courageous and manage to go to a hill station in the North of India, I can guarantee you views of the Himalayas.

I will stop with my rant here as you probably get the idea. If there’s one thing I can say that will be that I urge you to challenge yourself to take memorable photos of the country. I’ve been to America a number of times, where people take their guns and openly fire and I’ve walked through streets where I’m sure I’ve seen a deal go down - yet I choose to not capture that but instead showcase the beauty of the country/city. Can you do that too?

BLUE WATERS OF PANGONG LAKE IN LADAKH

PHOTO CREDIT: SHUB GOSWAMI

Until next time,

MiliG