This a brief overview of a solo trip I took to India back in 2014. This was a nine day trip that made stops in the cities of Old & New Delhi, Jaipur and Agra.
This trip did not require any specific vaccinations. I did have to secure a Visa prior to departure. I utilized an online service to order the Visa and it arrived by postal mail prior to my trip. You will want to make sure to do the proper research to see what is required for entry into your country of choice prior to all international travel. There are some countries that do not require a Visa for entry, some countries that offer a Visa upon arrival and others countries which require you to secure the Visa prior to departure.
As with some of my previous trips, I chose to join a group tour for ease with getting around the country with an English speaking tour guide. I don’t recall the actual number of people in the tour group, but it was probably between 25-30. I was the only solo traveler on this tour. I don’t recall any men being in this particular tour group. There was one other African-American woman on the tour. All my tour companions were very nice. I was able to engage in great conversation and had an amazing time. The good thing about being a solo traveler is that you can socialize when you want and then do your own thing when desired. In some tour groups you can get some extra attention because some people seem to be fascinated by the idea of someone that is traveling alone. It can make for great conversation when you’re in the mood at other times it can become tiresome. This trip went well. The trip consisted of meeting great people, eating good food and also enjoying some amazing entertainment.
India is one of several countries that I have visited in Asia. I found the people to be very welcoming. Many of the locals wanted to pose for pictures with me (presumably because I was black). It was similar to my experience in China. However it was much more subtle and less intense in terms of the number of people that wanted pictures or outwardly displayed surprise at seeing a black person.
Some of the highlights of the trip included: visiting the Taj Mahal, an elephant ride, visiting a local Jaipur Restaurant where we were entertained with a traditional folk dance and a Bollywood Dance performance at a local Agra Restaurant. We also made a stop at Gandhi Smriti, which is the residence where Mahatma Gandhi spent the last part of his life, which is now a museum.
Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal is a ivory-white marble mausoleum in the city of Agra, which has amazing architectural detail.
Elephant Ride
I was able to enjoy an elephant ride in Jaipur where we toured the Amber Fort and Palace of Mirrors.
There was a couple of funny incidents that occurred on this trip. One involved the elephant ride excursion. I was paired with one of my new friends from the tour group (the other African American on the tour). We hit it off immediately and had a great time. As in many foreign countries that you visit, in India you may encounter street peddlers who are trying to sell you a product or a service. When we did the elephant excursion we traveled by bus to get to this location. There were many “photographers” trying to sell you photographs of your experience. We declined to purchase the pictures. The group got back on the bus to go to our next location which was quite some distance away and when we arrived one of the guys that took our picture came right up to us and tried to sell us the pictures again. We had a really good laugh about it while trying to figure out how did he get to the next destination so quickly so that he could be waiting for us. We guessed that must be his regular routine for all the tour groups that come through.
Another humorous incident that happened involved purchases made while on the trip. The tour guide had warned the group that a lot of the goods were “cheap”, and it was buy at your own risk. Well most people in the group decided to make purchases of some sort. One of my purchases was a pair of shoes. I still have them. They were very cheap in price. I don’t recall the exact price but I believe it was a few American dollars. They also proved to be cheap in quality as our tour guide had warned. My tour companion bought an identical pair and decided to put them as we left the store. She planned to wear them for the rest of the day. Before we got half way across the street her shoe had broken apart. Needless to say, our tour guide had given us accurate information. Due to what happened to her, I have never actually worn mine and just keep them as a souvenir. I did buy a “purse” and after carrying it a few times the “lining” on the inside tore up. I still have it as well.
Dinner Entertainment
City Life
Additional Sightseeing
Henna Tattoo
I was able to get my first Henna Tattoo. In this picture I am also wearing the Tiger Eye Ring that I purchased from a shop while there. This is still one of my favorite pieces. I wear it often.
