India was, and still is, one of my ultimate dream destinations. Originally, I planned to spend a whole three months traveling around North and Northeast India but I decided to shorten my Indian adventure to one month so that I could squeeze in a visit Nepal and Singapore.

Leg 1 – Northwest India

Kolkata was my introduction to the beautiful chaos that is India. Growing up in a country with a similar pattern of development, I thought I was prepared enough to deal with whatever India threw at me. I was proved wrong on my first day in Kolkata. Like they say, India is truly like another world.

I traveled around India mostly on night trains aboard the Indian Railways. From Kolkata, I journeyed further west to Bodh Gaya, famous as the site where Gautama Buddha, founder of Buddhism, reached enlightenment.

Following my westward movement, I arrived in Varanasi, the spiritual capital of India found along the Ganges River. Although I spent four days in the city, I didn’t get to see much because the Ganges River was flooded during my visit.

Leg 2 – Madhya Pradesh

My journey continued to Khajuraho, known for its “Kamasutra” temples, and then sleepy-yet-enchanting Orccha in Madhya Pradesh state.

Leg 3 – Rajasthan

The next half of my itinerary took me on a grand tour of Rajasthan state, the land of the kings and home to the Maharajas of India. My stopovers in Rajasthan included Gwalior, Chittorgarh, Udaipur, Ranakpur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, and Jaipur.

In most of my stopovers in Rajasthan, I visited grand palaces built by Maharajas of olden times and mighty desert fortresses that showcased the colorful history, culture, and people of this part of India. Since it was my first time visiting a desert, I made sure not to leave without going on an overnight camel safari in the Thar Desert.

Leg 4 – Agra & Delhi

After Rajasthan, I made my way to Agra to see the iconic Taj Mahal. India had fascinated me so much during my trip so far that  seeing the full glory of the Taj Mahal in Agra only seemed like a cherry on top of an long list of amazing things I had experienced.

I spent my last three days exploring the modern bustling capital, New Delhi before taking a flight to Kathmandu, Nepal.