I’m (Finally) Going to India

During the last 9 years of traveling around the world, I’ve been to over 110 countries, and many more territories and subnational units.

However, those 110 countries represent some of the smallest countries in the world. I began traveling 2007 by island hopping across the Pacific, visiting places like Samoa, Tonga, Micronesia and the Solomon Islands. I went through most of the Caribbean visiting places like Dominica, St. Kitts and Nevis and Antigua and Barbuda. In Europe, I visited all the microstates: San Marino, Andorra, Liechtenstein, and Monaco.

However, I haven’t been to many of the largest countries in the world. I haven’t been to Russia, China, Brazil, or India.

There is no particular reason I’ve avoided any of these places. It is just that there are 200-some countries in the world and someone has to be first and someone has to be last.

India, in particular, has been an issue for me because I have so many readers from India. Probably a week doesn’t go by where someone doesn’t ask me I have been to India, or when I would be going.

Several times I’ve intended to visit India, but other things came up and I never got around to it.

This year, however, G Adventures launched their new partnership with National Geographic: National Geographic Journeys With G Adventures. I’ll be going on one of the first trips as I travel through Kerala in Southern India.

After Kerala, I’ll be up in Delhi meeting people and exploring the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Delhi and Agra.

Prior to my trip, I contacted the folks at Allianz Travel Insurance to ask them about travel in India and what sort of things I, as a traveler, should be on the lookout for.

Despite the recent news about attacks on foreigners (mostly women) and tales of the famous Delhi Belly, the thing which resulted in the most insurance claims was traffic accidents.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise because the US State Department has long said that traffic accidents are the #1 cause of deaths and injuries for travelers. India is certainly no exception. So, wear your seat belt and pay attention when crossing the street.

I’ll be experiencing quite a bit over the next few weeks and will be posting updates here on my blog, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

8 thoughts on “I’m (Finally) Going to India”

  1. Greetings Gary!
    I am glad to have stumbled upon a great blog of yours. Travel, Photography being the interest areas, I found it so much interesting. What you have done, i.e. quitting job, going for a world tour and blogging as a profession, is what I fancy. I do not know if I’d be able to do that. But anyways. Its an amazing blog and I am reading it on.

    Just a friendly tip that I want to give to you. Since I am from India, I know it in greater detail than what the general perception about the country in the world is. Taj Mahal, Rajasthan, Kerala, Mumbai, Kashmir may be and Ladakh; India does not end here. The real India is found in the places which Tripadvisor or such sites will not list for you. There are beaches as peaceful as anywhere, mountains as towering as anything and Forests as dense as anywhere. Do visit the ‘off-beat’ travel destinations next time. Some, if not many perceptions about India in your mind will change. :) Do check out the list of over 400 mountain forts built by Shivaji Maharaj in the Sahyadri Mountain Range. You may want to trek some.

    Cheers!

    Apurva Oka

  2. Can’t wait for your photographs of India! Do you plan on going to the northern part as well?
    I do agree that it’s always a wise decision to ask all the right questions and do sufficient research when planning a trip.
    It’s always a pleasure to hear about a trip to the Indian subcontinent. I’m excited for you and what you will discover and uncover in the journey and for your subsequent blog posts! Have fun, Gary!

  3. Wow, that’s great news! We have been trying to figure out when we are going to explore India. The problem is it’s so big so it’s hard to decide where to go and what to skip! We look forward to seeing your photography from your trip!

  4. How exciting Gary.

    We’re heading to India for the first time in about 6 weeks (after Nepal) and can’t wait to see the crazy way of life there.

    We’ll be sure to keep our seatbelts on and look when we cross the road!

    Looking forward to seeing some more posts about your trip.

    Cheers,
    The Common Wanderer

  5. Welcome to India! :)
    I am eager to see your pics and read your experiences in India.
    Have a safe and eventful stay in India!

  6. Excited to see your journey. India is in my near future but I have to say it doesn’t seem to be for the faint of heart.

  7. Delhi Belly is a myth *if* you know where to eat your street food. I usually look for places where mothers take their kids or ask locals I trust (like family and friends). My palate has definitely taken a turn for the better since my brief 4 months in India :)

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