{"id":52445,"date":"2022-05-23T08:28:32","date_gmt":"2022-05-22T22:28:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/?p=52445"},"modified":"2025-03-13T01:17:36","modified_gmt":"2025-03-12T14:17:36","slug":"india-day-tour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/india-day-tour\/","title":{"rendered":"“Our host opened her home and heart to us.” Why you should start every trip with a day tour"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Before travel blogger Annette Richmond (@fromannettewithlove<\/a>) joined her India group tour<\/a>, she booked something special: an Intrepid Urban Adventures cooking class in Delhi. Here\u2019s why flying into your destination a few days early and breaking the ice with a day tour is the best way to kick-start your travels.  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve wanted to visit India for as long as I can remember. I envisioned taking photos in front of the Taj Mahal, seeing the colourful fashions up close, and tasting everything I could get my hands on. My college bestie and I had talked about taking a girls\u2019 trip to India since we attended fashion school. Some 15 years later, we finally did it with Intrepid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"India<\/a>
Image: Annette Richmond<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Jessie, my best friend for nearly 20 years now, decided to meet me in India after one of my long stints in Asia. I\u2019d been working remotely for nearly a decade by this point, and Asia was always a fun place to bounce around. I\u2019d usually start my travels in Thailand, then head to Bali, Malaysia, and end somewhere new. This time it was going to be India with Jessie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m an avid solo traveller, and although I usually hire one, I\u2019ve rarely felt like I needed<\/em> a tour guide while travelling. However, after talking with friends who had travelled to India solo, I realised the trip might be more enjoyable if I could be led, rather than being the leader myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So Jessie and I decided to book the India’s Golden Triangle<\/a> tour. Before it started, we wanted to explore and get some shopping done, so we flew in a few days early. That\u2019s when we added an Urban Adventure \u2013 one of Intrepid\u2019s dedicated city day tours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jessie and I met at the Delhi airport at night. There was a Subway in the food court, so we ordered sandwiches to take to the hotel, just in case we couldn\u2019t find any restaurants. When we arrived for check-in it was pretty clear we were just friends. However, India is a conservative country, and opposite sexes are sometimes not allowed to stay in the same room unless they show proof of marriage (this is generally only in the rural areas, but keep it in mind when planning your trip to India). Exhausted from travel, we settled in, ate our sandwiches, and went to sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next morning we did a bit of shopping in Gandhi Nagar Market before meeting our Urban Adventures guide, Eshita, for our Private Delhi: Home Cooked Tour<\/a>. Our driver dropped us off in a residential neighbourhood where we spotted Eshita in her bright red Urban Adventures t-shirt. She explained that our host had no prior connections with tourism, but in the last few years alone, she\u2019s hosted nearly 2000 guests! She just loves it when travellers enjoy her cooking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Starting your trip with a cooking class is a great way to learn the local culture.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Our host opened her home and heart to us. Not only did she show us how to make chai tea and fried pakora<\/em> (both delicious, by the way), she was kind enough to show us her altar and chat about her faith. After we finished our snacks, our host pulled out a folder and beckoned us to come closer.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have you been to an authentic Indian wedding? I definitely haven\u2019t, but it\u2019s something that I\u2019ve always wanted to experience. And although we didn\u2019t actually attend<\/em> a wedding, we got the next best thing. Our host opened up the photo album from her younger brother’s ceremony. It was stunning. There were pages filled with colourful photos, and others where pictures had been cut and arranged in intricate designs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the help of our guide, Eshita, we learned that our host\u2019s brother had an arranged marriage; he and his bride hadn\u2019t met before their wedding day. They both looked a bit nervous and scared as the wedding began. Our host explained some of the ceremonies that took place, and what the headpieces represented. In the end, it looked like a lovely celebration. A joining of two families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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After flipping through the pages of the wedding album, we came to my favourite part. Our host pulled out some of her sarees and showed us the easy way to wrap one. She let us select a saree and then wrapped us up. Then we had a dance party! She showed us a few dance moves that we could bust out if we ever attended an Indian wedding. It was the most surreal experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soon the tour was coming to an end. Five hours flew by while we enjoyed our hosts’ cooking, stories, and dance moves. Eshita walked us to our car and we headed back to the city. Returning to our hotel, we then headed to a nearby rooftop restaurant for some dinner and hookah. It was the perfect way to end our day, and the solo portion of our girls\u2019 trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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