Last year, Jess (@diariesofatravelbug, on Instagram) joined The Dragon Trip for an amazing 14-day tour travelling in India. We caught up with Jess to find out what her favourite parts of the tour were – and what she loved about the country!
Travelling in India with Jess
Why did you choose to visit India?
I wanted to explore a different part of the world and a whole new culture, and of course sample some authentic Indian food! India was also an incredible opportunity to tick my third wonder of the world off my list!
What was the best experience you had on the trip?
Camping under the stars in the desert overnight was by far one of the most incredible experiences I’ve ever had. The sand was perfectly untouched, the sunset was absolutely stunning and the amount of stars visible to the naked eye was just out of this world! Even my phone camera managed to pick up a fair few, which is really saying something!
Where was your favourite place to visit in India?
Aside from the obviously amazing experience of visiting the Taj Mahal, I loved visiting Jaisalmer! It has such a different vibe to all the other cities, and literally looks like a giant sandcastle up on a hill!
What was your favourite thing that you learned about India on your trip?
It was really interesting to learn about the Hindu beliefs in the River Ganges, and the sacred rituals that families go through to honour the dead and provide them safe passage into the afterlife. We also got a few Hindi lessons from our wonderful tour guide Dee!
Do you have a favourite story or moment from your trip?
At the last minute, our tour guide managed to get us an invite to an Indian wedding function! It seemed to be the equivalent of a hen party, as there were only women there (besides the men in our group). Us girls all got dressed up in our sarees, and the local family were insistent on getting us involved and making sure we all had a dance – it was so much fun!
What was the best food you ate in India?
Saag Paneer and garlic naan all the way!
Any top tips for travellers going to India?
The one thing I wish I’d brought with me was my own pillowcase – often some of the sheets in the hostels or on sleeper trains aren’t the cleanest… so I ended up using my sweatshirt as a makeshift pillowcase most of the time!
Where’s next on your travel bucket list?
Australia, The Philippines, and Bali are all very high up my list right now!
A final note from Jess…
A huge thank you to The Dragon Trip for providing such a jam-packed group tour, and an even bigger shout out to our tour guide Dee – you’re in for an absolute treat if you’re lucky enough to have him lead your trip!
To find out more about Jess’s travels, visit her website, or follow her on social media: Instagram and TikTok.
