Traveling India is a MUST!! There is no question about it.
Doing it as two women just adds a fun spin on the adventure of experiencing all India can offer.
First off, you will definitely need about a month to travel through India and get the chance to experience the best of this magical country.
We had limited time in India and chose 3 Destinations { Delhi, Leh & Goa}
First up was Delhi and we chose to visit a few tourist attractions – Delhi is amazing and definitely worth a visit, however it is really hot…I mean you are on your way to medium rare cooked in the average of 45 degree weather mid day.
Plan your activities for early morning (most sites open around 9am) or go in the late afternoon around 5pm onwards to safe your energy. If you are a foreigner, especially women with light hair/skin you will do yourself a favour by covering your hair with a scarf & sunglasses.
Foreigners are not a common sight in certain areas of India so you will draw a lot of attention to yourself.
You can try street food but be careful and try to be selective from which vendors you use.
Delhi has beautiful sights but I found the air quality to be a bit of a issue. After about 3 days you can start feeling the effects of the pollution in the air. You might develop a cough/runny nose or some allergies. Delhi is the city with the highest number of air pollution in the world and regularly plagued by sand storms.
Apart from that, Delhi is incredible with amazing sights, culture and energy to experience. A taxi can get you easily from point A-B. We used our hotel taxi which we found very convenient, yet a bit expensive, however being in an unknown environment knowing our taxi driver gave us a little bit of peace of mind.
Your taxi driver can also be a great tour guide.
Most city sites open around 9am in the morning till about 7pm, so try to be there as early as you can to avoid the crowds and heat. Delhi is relatively save so don’t be afraid to explore, experience the nightlife and have a few “off the beaten path” excursions.
In Delhi the Cyberhub is a great place if you want to go out to restaurants/dinner. The Hard Rock Cafe was a hit with us during our stay.
Leh, Ladakh.
We were drawn to the beautiful landscapes and traditions of the Ladakh region and decided to book a flight to Leh from Delhi. We did not do our homework properly which resulted in us looking at each other wide-eyed when the pilot announced just before landing in Leh (which is a military town) that we should be aware of the altitude sickness which include nausea, lightheadedness, fatigue, shortness of breath etc. We thought {Yeah right} – but you do get affected…about 20min after landing you can start feeling the effects on your body when your lungs has to deal with 25% less oxygen.
After taking it easy for a few hours we decided to climb a small mountain to get an unbelievable view of the town and surrounding snowcapped mountains.
Leh is incredible, it is 1 hour’s flight from Delhi but the landscape and weather is so dramatically different it’s almost unreal. The average temperature in Leh in April was about 12 degrees. The nights are really cold….and it actually snows – to such a degree that your flight (which there seems to be only one a day (in the mornings) can be cancelled.
Leh is well known for it’s monastery’s and we visited one of the oldest monasteries in India, called the Lamayuru Monastery. From Leh, it is about 2h30min drive on narrow roads to reach the monastery. The drive was worth it, purely because the landscapes on the way there was breathtakingly beautiful.
The Monastery was a bit of a weird experience for me, as a foreigner you really don’t know what to expect. When you get there, you are free to roam around the property and go inside the monastery where there was monks busy with their daily prayer/chanting.
The Lamayuru Monastery was built in the 11th Century and there is quite a fascinating history around this place. It is a Tibetan Buddhist Monastery with about 300 registered Monks under the Monastery.
Sometimes it really felt like you were looking at a painting. This part of India was certainly a must experience and I am so glad we took the chance to go to one of the least touristy towns one can visit.
We stayed at the Saboo Resort which is a lovely resort with an amazing host who will go the extra mile to keep you comfortable and assist with any needs you might have. There is limited Wi-Fi – and it does make communicating to the outside world a little bit harder, however the 3 days we were there was a welcome escape from the intense energy of Delhi.
After Leh, we were very excited to visit the beautiful Goa.
We got to spend 2 nights at the Leela Kepinski beaches resort in cavelossim. This incredible resort, with its own private beach and 12 hole golf course offers luxury rooms with beautiful lagoon views, various restaurants, night club, spa, salon, tennis and basketball courts as well as various water sports.. They also host a variety of daily activities.. The rooms are immaculate and hotel service – exceptional.. And You have to try the Pina Colada there!
Our India trip was incredible! India will forever be the one destination that you can visit over and over again, never seeing the same thing twice.
India is also an amazing country to travel solo or with friends/couples.
Pack your bags and enjoy the incredible journey that will give you amazing memories that will last a lifetime! You will forever be touched by this amazing place.
HERE IS A FUN VIDEO OF OUR DELHI & LEH INDIA TRAVELS