During our previous travels throughout Europe, Southeast Asia, the Baltic countries, and South America, we had never spent enough time in any one country to fully immerse ourselves in its culture, arts, architecture, history, and cuisine. However, with our February 2016 33-day India Trip, we gave India the chance to showcase its brand, "Incredible India."
This adventure was certainly more challenging than our previous trips, as we navigated India's organized chaos. Despite the pollution, garbage, traffic congestion, crowds, and food safety concerns, we were absolutely awestruck by the beauty and richness of the land. India's exotic architecture and diverse flora and fauna overwhelmed our senses with pure, concentrated intensity of colors, smells, tastes, and sounds. It was truly an incredible experience.
Our India Trip was expertly organized by Explore India in Vancouver. We opted for their 15-day tour package and added an extra week in Kaziranga and another week in southwest India after the tour. The map below shows our routing in chronological order for this unforgettable 33-day adventure.
Kaziranga National Park hosts two-thirds of the world's great one-horned rhinoceroses. The park is home to large breeding populations of elephants, wild water buffalos, and swamp deer. Kaziranga is one of the few wild breeding areas outside Africa for multiple species of large cats, such as Bengal Tigers and Leopards. It was declared a Tiger Reserve in 2006 and has the highest density of tigers in the world (1 per 5 square km), with a population of 118.
It took us just 2-1/2 hours to fly from Kolkata to Delhi where we met with the rest of our travel group.
This is the first Baháʼí Temple we have visited. We also toured the Baháʼí Temple in Santiago, Chile. Check out the South American Cruise WISITS.
From Delhi to Varanasi was a short flight.
From Varanasi on we were traveling in an air-conditioned comfortable bus.
Wei looks terrific with a turban. Speaking of which, look further down to see how a turban is tied.
Mumbai is only a 2-hour flight to Kochi
Chinese fishing net serves as the official icon of Kochi and is a testimony of relations between Ancient Chinese Empires and the Kochi Kingdom. The nets were gifts by Chinese Emperor Kubalagi to the Kochi King in the 14th century. There were more than 100, though currently, only a few remain in working condition.
The satellite map below shows netting piers.
