Not every trip is a picture-perfect vacation. I agree hundred percent. There are certain things that we can never be prepared for like weather, people, culture among other things. Some journeys challenge you, exhaust you, overwhelm your senses, yet they stay with us for the longest possible time. A similar thing happened with one foreign traveller who recently shared her experience of spending four weeks in India on Reddit. The country was exactly that: intense, chaotic, beautiful, draining, and of course, unforgettable.She described India as a place that tested her endurance, especially as someone with sensory sensitivities. But she also made one thing clear: despite everything, she would love to come back.
“World-class gobsmacking” heritage
She starts her post saying, “The ancient sites and architecture were absolutely amazing, world-class gobsmacking, some of the most beautiful temples and carvings and the preserved paintings were spectacular.”She had joined a group tour, deliberately choosing one that catered to an older demographic in hopes of a smoother, more comfortable experience. Usually an independent traveller, she occasionally broke away from the group when she felt safe to explore on her own.At Hampi, she arrived before sunrise to experience the ruins in solitude. At the Taj Mahal, she reached at opening time and ran toward the eastern platform, which she described in her words, “I ran off to have the entire eastern platform to myself for over half an hour, it was magical.”Those quiet, golden-hour moments became some of the most treasured memories of her trip. Read more: Viral video shows Delhi auto driver allegedly offering illegal services to foreign tourist; social media demands action
The food, the kindness, and the overwhelm
She praised the food as ‘amazing and cheap,’ noting that while she had minor digestive issues, they resolved quickly and didn’t derail her journey.But India, she wrote, felt like “a battle every day.”The air pollution was difficult to cope with. Even while masking, she said her “snot was grey every day” and her eyes constantly itched. The relentless honking, crowds, visible poverty, begging, and aggressive sales tactics added to the sensory overload.
She also described instances of harassment in crowded spaces, she adds, “The air pollution was rough. I masked in many places but my snot was grey every day and my eyes itched. The noise (constant blaring horns/honking), the trash, poverty, begging, crowding, hassling, food safety all challenging. I was physically assaulted (minor—butt pinching, boobs elbowed, purposefully rubbed against, a child flew a pointy paper airplane into my eye from a meter away on purpose, etc) about a half dozen times. These things happened in crowded situations when with the group or when walking on my own on the street, with lots of locals and tourists around. In hindsight, I should have skipped the tour to Old Delhi, & not walked alone through the markets of Pushkar, even during the day.”Yet amid these difficulties, she acknowledged the warmth she encountered. “Many Indians, however, were friendly, helpful, humble, kind,” she wrote, though she admitted it was sometimes hard to let her guard down.The constant staring and requests for photos proved exhausting. To deflect the attention, she joked that she began telling people she charged INR 100 per photo. At other times, she avoided eye contact or pretended not to hear persistent vendors.
Why she still wants to return
Despite feeling completely drained by the end of her four-week trip, she doesn’t regret coming. “All that being said, I would love to come back,” she wrote. India, to her, feels infinite, too vast to be contained in one exhausting itinerary. She is especially drawn to the northern Himalayan regions. As she put it, “I feel emboldened to explore the south just with friends, not a tour. The far north (Kashmir, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttrakhand) looks very cool. Nagaland looks very interesting.”Read more: Indian man deported from Singapore in alleged job visa scam; how to spot and avoid visa fraud Next time, she says, she would shorten the duration and travel with more confidence, armed with what she calls her newly fortified “energy-bubble protection skills.”She concludes with a sentiment echoed by many foreign travellers: India is not always easy. It demands patience, adaptability and resilience. But for those willing to endure the intensity, it offers moments of magic, sunrise solitude at world heritage monuments, ancient art that leaves you speechless, and cultural depth that feels boundless.
