Every year, the girls in my family plan an epic girls trip. In 2016, we decided to travel to India! I wanted to share some photos and our basic itinerary with you, just to inspire you to travel to this incredible country.
Tips for India:
1. Plan the timing of your trip wisely. India is BEYOND hot and humid. Make sure you do not travel to India during their mid or late summer. We traveled in April, it was 100 degrees daily with 50-80% humidity. It was blazing hot daily.
2. Pack lightly! You can plan the cutests outfits ever, but at the end of the day, you just want to be comfortable. Dresses are great for in india, because they are breathable and you won't have to dress up when going into any temples. Be respectful of their culture by being modest. No booty shorts, ladies!
3. Bring some comfort food. We were in India for 8 days.... needless to say.... we got tired of the cuisine. Bring some snacks for when you need a step away from the spices and curry!
4. When they say "How spicy would you like it?".... Say "NO SPICE". It will still come out flaming hot, and you will drink way too much water. This will lead to.... #5
5. Bring toilet paper! And learn how to squat! No details needed on this one :)
6. DO NOT DRINK THE WATER. I stayed far away from any tap water, and still got sick. Take antibiotics daily while travelling. But at the end of the day, expect your digestive system to be completely wack after and maybe even during your trip. 3/4 of us girls got some sort of sickness while traveling.
7. Book a personal tour guide. We traveled with a tour guide, who hired a driver for us the entire week. It was incredible and well worth the money.
8. Embrace the culture. People may say that it is offensive to see an Non-Hindu person rocking a bindi, but that is sooooo not true. The indian people love when you embrace their culture. Their perspective on you will change, and they will start smiling instead of glaring at you!
9. If you are a younger girl traveling to India, beware that you will be asked to take dozens of photos with teenage boys. They are not being gross, or crude, they just think of American girls as celebrities. So have fun with it! And remember... their cameras are always watching you!
10. Go jewelry shopping! Your wallet may not like it, but it is worth it. The gems and gold in India are amazing prices, and you can always bargain. I had two gold rings made for me at a jewelry shop... we picked them up the following day and they were beautifully made! My only regret is that I didn't make more!
Day 1: Delhi
Qutub Complex, Lotus Temple, Rug Shopping
Day 2: Delhi
Isa Kahn's Garden Tomb, Humayun's Tomb
Day 3: Jaipur
5 hour drive to Jaipur, Ride a Camel, Jal Mahal Water Palace, See a Bollywood Film, Umaid Bhawan Hotel.
Day 4: Jaipur and Amber City
Tour Amber City's Palace of the Winds, Amber Fort (ride an elephant up), See a Snake Charmer, Chand Baori Well, Elephant Sanctuary (ride, wash, and paint an elephant!)
Day 5: Jaipur
Get a Henna Tattoo, Morning Flower Market, Jantar Mantar, Go Inside Palace of the Winds.
Day 6: Travel to Ranthambore
On our way to Ranthambore, we stopped at the Galta Ji Monkey Temple. Warning, monkeys can be aggressive!
Day 7: Ranthambore National Park
5:30 AM Tiger Reserve Tour *Yes we saw a wild tiger!!!*, and see the Black and White Temple (Even though its super colorful....). Drive to Agra- 5 hours. Upon arrival see the Little Taj, also called the Jewel Box. Drive to the Back of the Taj for Sunset.
Day 8: Agra
Tour the Taj Mahal, wake up early to beat the crowd! Then after, tour the Red Fort.
