The Incredible India 5 Years before COVID-19
October 16th, 2016 – was the first time my boyfriend and I stepped on the soils of the 2nd most populous country on Earth. We landed at Cochin International Airport in the state of Kerala on a flight from Bangkok. It was past midnight, a calm evening.
We needed to exchange some of our bills for Indian Rupees. So I asked the man at the money changer if he would accept them, he said yes while shaking his head.
The night was still calm until we got in the taxi, as we were driving around 100-120km/hr. We were tired but fully awake!
Although we had some suggestions from our friends, we didn’t really have a concrete plan during this trip. All we knew was we had about five weeks to travel around this massive country.
We ended up traveling this route
At the time of our trip, we didn’t even buy a sim card. Why? I don’t really know. Anyhow, we had no internet data and we just accessed the internet whenever we were in our hotel and used the GPS on my mobile phone. The locals were friendly and helpful too!
Also, I had a PDF copy of the Lonely Planet on my mobile which was very handy!
So you see, you can survive traveling across India without relying too much on the internet!
This is a 10-part throwback blog series with almost 200 photos of India!
India is a land of diversity, with each city offers so many different things. I hope you’ll consider visiting this amazing country when the pandemic is over!
The first day was rough, I wasn’t happy with the breakfast cause it was a bit spicy for an early morning. Can Cochin offer us something great?
Cochin turned out to be more interesting than we thought. How about the cliff beach in Varkala?
Wait, what? There’s a French colonial city in India? And what is Auroville all about? Seems like Pondicherry is quite an intriguing city.
Day 10: We were starting to get used to the flavorful Indian cuisine.
Okay, so you’re saying that this city will open our eyes to what Hinduism is all about in India? We need to see this for ourselves!
Does Agra really need an introduction? “Taj Mahal” period.
The weather was getting cooler and drier as we approached the Northwest of this incredible country.
The state of Rajasthan is known as the “Land of the Kings” and we absolutely agreed to that!
First stop: India’s pink city, and Rajasthan’s capital and largest city, Jaipur!
“Oh but wait, the government is demonetizing the ₹500 and ₹1000 bills? We’ve just withdrawn some more cash!”
Day 17: We were in love with Indian cuisine. Each meal was always exciting and we were always gushing about how tasty it was!
Just in time for the Camel fair!
The haven for Bollywood movies and the most romantic city in India. Let’s find out!
Walking is one of the things I hate doing, but exploring this blue city on foot was definitely worth it!
This is what Rajasthan is all about! Its regal architecture was unbelievable and the desert safari was one-of-a-kind of experience.
I haven’t got the slightest idea as to why I lost the folder of our time in New Delhi!
I remember we took photos of our excitement when we saw a McDonald’s restaurant and tried the Maharajah Burger!
We also had Burger King’s mutton burger!
In the country where I am from, big fast-food chains are on every corner. I clearly understood why fast food has a low demand in India. Their cuisine is so rich and diverse – it’s more than enough!
