I plan on backpacking in South Asia early next year. I want to experience a different culture than my own. I am 22 years old, and from America. I have never traveled outside of my own country. I am looking for something very exotic, very different, and maybe even a little dangerous. I don’t exactly want to follow the tourist trail. I want stay in cheap hotels or hostels, take the most inexpensive transportation, and eat what the locals eat. I only have time to travel to one of these countries.
Which one should I visit?
Can you give me any tips on what sites to see, or what paths I should take?
Wow, what a choice. I would say that Pakistan is cool, not been but the people from there are nice and funny, the food is good but quite a dusty hot country. Napal I’m sure is beautiful but let me Just cut to the chase GO TO INDIA!!!!!!!!!!! I have never been but it is my lifes dream, they are the most colourful nation in the world colourful clothes, expressions, music, dance . . . . Amazing food, beautiful people who are funny and quiky, Festivals, buildings Oh India. Yes go to India.
India, there’s so much to see there my parents are Indian so well i am too but i’ve never really been able to go to the cities such as New Delhi and Bombay but they are great. Also you should try to go to little villages too i mean the lifestyle and certain aspects of their living situation is pretty interesting. I mean if your kind of guy that doesn’t look down on people who work an a farm trying to feed a family of like 6 that have little to no money, then these villages are a must see. It could help yu see life differently. Like i went a long time ago like in the 7th grade and the cab (its called something else there) driver was poor of course and he didn’t really seem to mind he said that though he doesn’t make a lot but he still gives money to his wife for pleasure and just enjoys his life. I thought that was pretty significant for someone to actually be able to live that way. And you said dangerous lol okay well there’s definetlty much danger on thoe roads itself. I mean there are cows everywhere. WITH HORNS. I have the funniest story about this lets just say i dont have very good ecperiences with cows in India. I was chased by a cow twice in that country and ever since i’ve been afraid to go on the road without transportation. lol i would love to tell this story but i’ll take time and i’m pretty sure no one wants to know how one can get chased by a cow. You also said inexpensive well you can always travel by renting a car or the little cabs or even by bus or train. These methods aren’t very expensive i mean for the cab drivers you could always bargin lol. If your into spicy then you can go to any place and they have those little out door restaurants on carts liek in NYC ( liek a hot dog stand or whatever its called). So food is never a problem. Theres alot of rural areas too of course because its still a very developing country but there’s money’s there too and they’re cute the cutest thing. From afar. So i’m sure these other countires are great and i’d tell you to visit there too but i dont know anything about them. SO India would be my choice, if i were you lol
A good plan. But I have to disagree that you only have time to travel in one of these countries. If you have time to travel in India, you’d also have time to visit the others. This is simply because India is so much bigger.
I’d recommend NOT taking the most inexpensive ANYTHING in India. I lived in India for 5 years in my 20s (I’m white and from the US), traveled and ate like a local, learned 2 languages fluently. But I saw too many foreigners who made their top goal to travel as cheaply as possible, and they almost always hated the experience. The lowest level of travel or accommodation in India is far lower than anything you or I have ever seen in the US. And no India voluntarily travels or eats like this because it’ll make you sick.
Still, I strongly endorse your idea of traveling, eating, living as much as possible like locals.
Since India is the biggest and, therefore, most varied, I’d strongly recommend traveling there. If you’re in Pakistan, you’ll see almost no Hindu or Buddhist culture. If you’re in Nepal, almost no Muslim culture. In India, you’ll see all this and more.
I’d also strongly urge you to learn Hindi. Do not believe people who say “everyone in India speaks English”. It’s true that in most cities, most shops and hotels catering to middle class and upper middle class people will speak very good English, but that’s still a fraction of India’s population. Learning Hindi will help you travel everywhere but Tamil Nadu, and it’ll give you access to all kinds of people that otherwise you wouldn’t be able to meet.
i would say India as well.
i am a little adventurous too and i have gone on two holidays to India.
Becareful of the very” cheap” hotels . and don’t act like a hero there. Life is more important .It is very important to watch what you eat and drink as this may determine how long or short you are going to spend in that country. The roadside vendors are fine -some of them .Water is definately a problem for foreigners so stick to bottled water .( make sure you check the seal too as many vendors just fill up with tap water . You won’t die – you will just get diariahea for 3/4 days .
theres lots to see and lots to do . It will take you a “lifetime” to see the whole India so i suggest stick to South . The weather is good between nov -feb/ .
I will be traveling to India this December. I am Mexican and have never traveled anywhere other than Mexico or within the US. The Taj Mahal is more than enough to convince me to see India. The culture, people, and the food are great.
Joe,
You can check Nearhop (http://www.nearhop.com) to create your travel plan in India…
India is considered as the mini World. If you visit India, it means that you have travelled the whole world! It has a mixture of culture, cuisines, dances, music and monuments which you will never find in any other part of the world! And more the large number of languages spoken here!