Most Inspirational Moment
There were many inspirational moments during the trip. It was my frist trip to India - and the rich diverse culture simply grabs you from the moment you arrive and enthralls you until you leave.There were many wonderful things, from walks in nature reserves and tea plantations, elephant rides, cruising the backwaters in a houseboat and by Canoe.., ancient and exotic Palaces and Temples, tuk tuks crammed with school children ( I mean at least 10!) all beaming and excitedly waving at you as they pass by, and now I'm onto that - the chaos of the roads - which actually seems to work - from the many tuk tuks, buses, wagons, carts, rickshaws, vespas, and yes elephants all vying for space, watching wild elephants grazing on rich grasses, sampling the excellent food which is just waiting to be explored - and sample I did! We even met a local family and cooked with them to learn how to make some of Keralas dishes and Paratta!Probably the most thought provoking was our day trip to the southern most tip of India. We took a ferry over to an offshore rock where we had two very significant views: Looking South, the meeting of three waters: The Indian Ocean, The Bay of Bengal and the Sea of Arabia. Nothing between you and the Antarctic. Looking North, the town of Kanyakumari and the start of the landmass of the subcontinent of India - and the rich, colourful, noisy, kaleidoscopic and charmingly chaotic life of 1.2 Billion Indians.I really appreciated that I could do so much and get so involve in the local culture and activities, which is down oto the fact you are going with Exodus - who know the country inside out and have the logistics and ideas of where to go thoroughly reseached / tried and tested. There is room in the itinerary for you to decide if you want to relax or if you want to explore some more. You can tailor it to what you want within your group. The important thing is you can place all your trust with the Group Leader and waste no time in figuring out logistics / systems. You just get to immerse yourself and enjoy India to the fullest.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Touffique was exceptionally friendly and really good with the whole group. He kept us on track and was really helpful throughout the trip. The itinerary was already exciting, but he always had "a plan" - for some additional adventures - which I readily did and was so glad to do so...... Nothing was a problem for him and he went out of his way to make sure the trip was enjoyable and memorable for us all. He managed to strike a good balance of being informative but also not making you feel like you were on a school field trip and will be tested afterwards :-). Overall a very good Group Leader.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Take hand sanitiser just to be sure, and use before you eat. It is not that people are "dirty" there, it is simply the fact that naturally you are exposed to bugs you are not exposed to in the cooler climbs of Northern Europe. I used Vicks First Defense hand foam, and did not experience any stomach upset at all. Other than that, take a deep breath, and get ready to immerse yourself in one of the big adventures of our life.