First and Maybe Last Visit to India?

[u/kobeburner]

I’ve only visited 18 countries and even though the historical buildings, architecture, and cuisine were incredible, I have little desire to return to India.

As a fairly tall Black American male I stood out among everyone. I was grabbed often, all by men, stared at for an ungodly length of time, and just generally felt overwhelmed and uncomfortable there. The staring is next level. It’s not a glance. It’s a purposeful observation that continues indefinitely. At one point a man was looking at me from a few feet away. I moved to block his view then he moved to get closer to me to continue the gawking.

The poverty is disturbing and the absurd amount of garbage is nightmare fuel for environmentalists. Locals don’t seem to care much about the cleanliness in the urban areas. Watched several people willingly throw trash into the street from apartments and train cars. Why do they do this?

On the other hand, the Taj Mahal is incredible. Easily the most fascinating part of our trip. We’ve been to 6 new world wonders, 7 if we include the Pyramids of Giza, and the TM is in my top 2 with Petra being the best.

Walking through the gate and seeing the mausoleum in the background bathing in the morning light was like stepping into a fairy tale land. We loved it so much, we returned for a second day. There are rooftop bars and restaurants too with incredible views and inexpensive food and booze.

My suggestion visiting India would be to ensure everything is private. Transportation, guides, etc. The logistics can be a pain so the peace of mind of having everything taken care of for you is worth the cost imo.

[u/lucapal1]

Nice pictures, thanks for posting!

India is a tough one for many people, kind of a love it or hate it... personally I really like it, I've been back there quite a few times.

It has its lows for sure,but its highs are very high.

[u/kobeburner → u/lucapal1]

Thanks.

Yeah, as an introvert it was overwhelming for me. The men are just too aggressive and the petty scams I didn’t like but expected it.

The culinary scene is incredible however and the blend of architecture is unique. I do actually wanna return but to Kerala where I hear it’s more relaxed and chill. Delhi and Jaipur were too intense for my taste.

[u/soil_nerd → u/kobeburner]

Kerala still has many of the attributes you’ve described above. It’s very nice, but it’s definitely still India. Loads of trash and the men are aggressive in trying to sell you stuff or get you in their taxi. Staring is still a thing, but maybe less so? Not sure, I had people gawking most places I went and had people grab me, etc. that being said, almost everyone is super nice if you talk to them, it’s just cultural really different.