India 🇮🇳
🛬 10 dec 2024 – 25 dec 2024 🛫
My stay in India was short, and honestly, not the most pleasant. But I’m sure there are incredible places to explore here — if you plan ahead and do more research than I did.
Kathmandu to New Delhi ✈️
I flew in from Kathmandu (the capital of Nepal 🇳🇵) on a one-way ticket, which turned out to be the best decision — total freedom to decide my next move. I had thought of taking a bus across the border into India, but after days of trekking the Annapurna Circuit, I was too exhausted for another adventure on wheels.
So instead, I teamed up with Andrew, a Russian traveler I met, and we booked the same flight to New Delhi.
New Delhi 🚕
Scams in Delhi started right at the airport. The taxi driver tried to charge us double the meter price — but he didn’t get a single extra rupee from us.
Our hotels were close by, just a few hundred meters apart. Andrew’s hotel was modern and clean, so he kindly offered that I crash there for the night. We freshened up and found a nice restaurant Andrew picked on Google Maps.
In India, eating at a fancy restaurant can almost make you forget the chaotic street food scenes outside.
The Taj Mahal 🕌
The next morning we woke up around 8. We tried catching a train to Agra, but the smell at the station was unbearable — I told Andrew there was no way I could do that. We checked buses online, headed to the so-called “bus station,” which turned out to be just a backyard with no buses. By then it was nearly 10 am, so we went back and ordered an Uber instead.
The Uber driver tried to overcharge us too (asking for 2100 INR, about $24), which was still better than the local taxi quoting 7500 INR. When we mentioned calling the police, he backed off.
At last, we arrived at the majestic Taj Mahal. It was, as expected, packed with local tourists and school kids. We explored every corner, even went inside, and then moved on to Amar Singh Gate. (A tip: you can’t bring laptops or iPads inside.)
Later, I jokingly asked a tuktuk driver to take us all the way back to Delhi. He laughed — probably thought I was crazy — so we ended up taking a bus back instead.
Public transport in India is honestly a nightmare. It’s poorly documented online and confusing on the ground.
Jaipur 🐪
The next day I said goodbye to Andrew and asked the hotel reception to help me book a bus to Jaipur. I took a tuktuk to the bus station, waited about an hour, then boarded a nearly empty bus — apparently meant for tourists.
I enjoyed the views out my window and we even stopped for food along the way. We arrived around 4 pm, but the bus dropped us 10 km outside Jaipur just to dodge the tolls. So, I had to hop onto another cramped local bus.
By the time I got to the city center, I had no internet. I wanted to buy a local SIM but in India, oddly enough, it’s only possible at the airport.
I checked into a hotel that didn’t look as good as it did on Booking.com, and of course, they asked me to pay more. This time I just paid — too tired to argue. At night, I wandered through the lively streets of Jaipur, and did the same the next day. Without internet, though, it was far from easy.
Finally, I made it to Jaipur’s domestic airport for my flight to Chennai.
Chennai 🏙️
I spent a couple of nights in Chennai. I went for a run around the city, but the air was thick with pollution and traffic was chaotic everywhere. At one point, a group of dogs even started chasing me. Back at the hostel, I showered off the dust and sweat, then hung out downstairs, swapping travel stories with other tourists. Late that night, I boarded a flight to Colombo, Sri Lanka — leaving the madness of India behind.
Final thoughts ✈️
I love adventure, I love sightseeing, and I love discovering affordable places. But I don’t love pollution, scams, and places where there’s little respect for laws or tourists.
As a traveler, I want to be welcomed with hospitality, not seen as a walking ATM.
Still — every journey teaches something new. And that’s why I travel. 🌍
