My third trip to India
The older I get, the more impactful my travels become. They take on, not only, new meaning but also deeper meaning. More reason, more why, more seeking to understand. My third pilgrimage to India was no different. If anything it embodied that entire sentiment.
I had always wanted to experience India, and when I had the first opportunity to do so in 2018 – I couldn’t believe I was finally going. I never wanted to visit just to check it off the list. It was a place of allure that I sought to understand. Understanding has always been at the core of why I travel and India had always felt the most misunderstood to me.
And while each trip, anywhere in the world, leads to more understanding it always, simultaneously, leaves me with even more questions.
And this has been my continued experience when visiting India. And perhaps why I will keep returning for the rest of my life.
My third pilgrimage was with G Adventures to experience GX India. GX is an annual summit that G Adventures hosts in various partner destinations. It brings the G Adventures community together allowing for thoughtful discussions around community tourism.
GX was filled with inspiring panels about the initiatives on the ground in India. Here are a few:
Women with Wheels: This program is challenging cultural norms and paving new paths for women across India by providing them with the necessary tools and resources to confidently navigate the busy streets of India with their guests. Today, over 1,000 trainees are professional drivers.
Salaam Baalak Trust runs and the “City Walk” program: a youth-led walking tour that provides youth the opportunity to gain new skills. Funds from the City Walk program are used to provide scholarships and job placements for youth, as well as resources for the shelters.
Sheroes Hangout: a café that offers acid attack survivors both livelihoods and support. By providing dignified employment at the café, Sheroes empowers women to support their families, raise their children, and live with respect and self-esteem, just like any other member of society.
Global Himalayan Expedition: an organization that empowers remote communities towards a more sustainable future through impact journeys in the Himalayas.
Trees for Days: a partnership with Planeterra and Flight Centre, for each day a traveler is on an adventure with G Adventures they grow a tree in their name. Today, they are growing over 2 million trees in travelers names.
There are countless more collaborative efforts I learned about through attending the GX Summit – and that is one of the reasons I will continue to support G Adventures and travel with them. I’m currently eyeing one of their ethical Bengal Tiger trips 👀
After the formal summit, we got to experience G Adventures on the ground offerings in Jaipur, Agra and Delhi. Here’s a bit of what we experienced.
Jaipur
Jaipur is often referred to as the Pink City. The story goes, the Maharaja of Jaipur painted the city pink in 1876 to welcome Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria. With pink being the color traditionally associated with hospitality; the Maharaja wanted to welcome the Prince.
Stories like that are endless here. There’s this unspoken magic about times past. About people and cities once in their prime hundreds of years ago.
Jaipur was the first stop on this trip and it was well worth my 20+ hour journey to the other side of the world.
Amber Fort
Constructed in the late 1500’s of sandstone and marble, Amber Fort was used as a home for the rulers. Overlooking Moatha Lake and the surrounding areas made for strategic positioning. The architecture and intricacy is still incredible all these years later, it makes me imagine what it once looked like in its prime. Amber Fort is a sight to behold. And one you won’t soon forget.
Panna Meena Ka Kund
Driving or walking by Panna Meena Ka Kund is very unsuspecting. I’m sure many passerbys miss it. It’s not until you approach the step wells edges that you realize its beauty. A mesmerizing maze of crisscrossing steps that lead down to a pool of water. What was constructed in the 16th century as a practical design to collect rainwater has become an unforgettable place to photograph. I found myself thinking of all the things and people these four walls have seen.
Agra
The second stop on this trip with G Adventures was none other than Agra. Albeit a brief visit, there’s nothing quite like the splendor of feasting my eyes on the Taj Mahal. For a second time. Having missed out on visiting the Taj Mahal during my first visit in 2018, when I returned last year – visiting was non-negotiable. The privilege of seeing it for a second time was something special. This time, with more life experience, more purpose, more understanding of who I am; all contributing to my experience walking through the gardens marveling up at the most magnificent structure I’ve ever seen. Completed in the mid 1600’s, the Taj Mahal is a symbol of love built to honor Shah Jahan’s love for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal.
Delhi
Our final stop, the bustling and iconic city of Delhi. When I used to think of India, what I’ve now experienced as Delhi, is what would come to mind. Bustling streets filled with tuktuks, vendors selling crimson colored marigolds, people, dogs, birds, monkeys – all of it everywhere. And the noise. Walking through the streets and alleyways you hardly get a break from the constant sounds. It’s hard to form thoughts. It’s overwhelming. Overstimulating. It demands all of you. And that’s why I love it.
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I once heard this quote,” India is like a long panning shot of what you see in cinema. A never-ending array of sights, sounds and smells.” I’ve never felt more entangled with a place quite like I do with India. I am at its mercy, forever pulling me deeper in to seek answers to questions I don’t even have yet.
I always return home a little different from each trip. But with India, it’s seemingly a little deeper. This particular trip with G Adventures truly showed me the ripple effect that community focused travel can have, especially on small communities. And how that ripple effect is exponential.