Destination South India

After spending the last decade travelling around Europe and Australia, I decided the destination for my next trip should be more challenging. At age twenty nine I want to experience somewhere more mystifying, thought-provoking and a little confronting.

Destination South India.

The perfect ingredient for a mind blowing experience, where I’ll have to surrender to the unknown.

I feel a rush of excitement and nerves as I finish preparing for my five month backpacking trip. I’m stocked up on malaria and diarrhoea tablets, and have had my vaccinations including a well over priced set of three rabies jabs in case I get bitten by any wild dogs-that apparently roam the streets of India. The nurse who administrated them profusely repeated to me ‘I have 24hours to get to the hospital if I am bitten’. Quite a surreal thought to comprehend.

My backpack is barely full as I intend to buy most of my clothes out there. This way I can suss out the dress code as India is a predominantly conservative country.

I’ve budgeted I can live quite comfortable on £10 per day-which has made this trip easy to save for.

With my fears of the unknown set aside, the excitement takes over after hearing and reading positive stories from other explorers of this vast country and what a truly amazing place it is.

One friend who travelled there ten years ago said “my senses will be blown away by the beautiful colours, rich smelling spices, mystical temples, majestical landscapes and spiritual people.” This sounds much more appealing than the stray dogs with rabies, lurking around the streets or beggars that I’m likely to encounter due to the extreme poverty.

Other friends have bestowed their tales of how they were invited into local Indian homes for dinner and tea, the best way to soak up the ancient culture and taste original curry.

I’m travelling with a friend who I met in Sydney, Australia. We have booked our first two nights’ accommodation in Colaba, Mumbai. The unofficial headquarters of Mumbai’s tourist scene.

We have no plans thereafter and intend to go with the flow with a sense of adventure

I hope to meet up with other travellers who have great insights and stories to help steer our journey around South India. If not, we always have our traveller’s bible ‘The Rough Guide’ which I’m sure will help us along our way.

To be continued...