by Inga Aksamit For a visitor from the U.S., the first steps onto the tarmac in India can assault the senses. Humid air, a cacophony of sounds, vivid colors and the odors of a thousand sources can overwhelm the senses. …
Category: India
Breakfast in ‘The City of Pearls’ by Gabriel Russell
I find that breakfast, for an American who has been travelling throughout Asia for decades, is the most difficult local meal to adapt to. Lunches and dinners characterized by intense new flavors and peppering heat, bring a welcome and novel …
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Mumbai to Cape Town On Crystal Serenity – An Odyssey to Remember by Larry and Gail Taylor
From Mumbai, India, to South Africa – this sounded like a terrific itinerary. My wife and I loved India, and South Africa was one the places topping our “to do” list. We decided to book this trip on Crystal Cruise …
An Unnerving Visit with a Guru in Varanasi by Marni Hills
There is something unique in the air of Varanasi. It has an almost palpable hum of something deeper than other places, a vibe, an emission; it actually feels holy and spiritual. That may sound corny, but I feel it very …
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India’s Spiritual Mecca: Varanasi
After spending time touring the ancient Hindu temples in the Khajuraho, the Panna National Park, and the countryside around the Khajuraho area, we boarded an Air India flight to Varanasi, the holiest city of Hinduism where every Hindu is supposed …
Ancient Spiritual India : Khajuraho by Bonnie and Bill Neely
After experiencing the Golden Triangle of India with its cities of Delhi, Jaipur, Agra and the relics of the era of Maharajas, the next experience SmarTours had for us was traveling by train from Agra to Jhansi and then on …
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Jaipur and Agra: Land of Maharajas North India Part 2 by Bonnie and Bill Neely
Our travel by bus from Delhi to Jaipur was slow because of the condition of the road and having to navigate through many small towns along the way that were crowded with people, trucks, buses, cars, motorcycles, bicycles, and cows. …
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Northern India: A Journey of Contrasts Part 1: Delhi by Bonnie and Bill Neely
Over the years we have traveled in most of the continents around the globe and usually did our own self guided tours, but the prospect of taking on a travel venture on our own through India had seemed daunting. Since …
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Day of the Dead in Varanasi by Megan Meadows
Disoriented in the darkness, I saw an outline of my husbands’ body lying next to mine. Shouting and loud explosions knocked against our window, shaking the narrow building we had been sleeping inside. In a moment I recalled the country, …
Taking My Family Home by Pria Ingram
When thinking of adventure traveling, I can think of no more adventurous place than India. In December I went back to India after almost 14 years, and took my new husband of 5 months and 9 ½ year-old son along. …