India

After several trips spent navigating Asia’s foreign customs, I have transitioned from a rookie tourist to responsible traveller. So, to help out first-time Asia travellers, I want to share some of the biggest lessons I’ve learned.

When feeling overwhelmed by the daily grind, I fondly recall India’s golden rule, taught to me by Varsha, my local Intrepid guide: “Just do the opposite of what would be normal anywhere else in the world”.

“I texted with my parents endlessly, asking for their advice on how to prepare. My Dad chuckled: Nothing prepares you for India.”

I visited the Taj on my recent Classic Rajasthan trip, but it lags far back in my memory when I think of the most memorable moments I experienced in India.

As my wife and I walked back to the palace, we talked about how such an experience would only be possible with a group like Intrepid and in a country like India.

Asia manages to instil a sense of child-like wonder in even the most seasoned of travellers. So, just picture the faces of your young ones when they visit the Taj…

You can see a country’s history unfold at their national museum, but you can taste it if you try their national dishes. And as a group, we ate our way through the nation.

I wasn’t prepared for the variety of reactions I received when I told people I was going to India alone as a young female. Choruses of ‘be careful’ were sung and I was labelled as both ‘brave’ and ‘naive’.

After being an Intrepid local leader for over 13 years, walking in my childhood lanes makes me rediscover hidden jewels of my own city.