India
India, the birthplace of yoga and trance music, evolutionary movements that have influenced the world. Intense social division from filthy rich to unimaginable poverty. Deep spirituality and religion with beautiful traditional ceremonies and practises. So many contrasts and polarities found within many forms and facets of culture. An incredibly beautiful country.
Travelling India is amazing if you’re on a budget. You can find cheap as chips hotels and depending on your preference you can save so much roughing it in some average hotels or you can stay with comfort and still save plenty. We averaged around $15 per night and $10 per meal. Taxi’s can be $10 or less but you often have to barter for local prices. For most of the trip we were travelling as a group of 5 so we switched between hotels and air bnbs. Yoga classes varied but our most expensive calss was $10, very different to Australian prices. Our trip wasn’t expensive but with our shopping it wasn’t budget. We found some absolute gems and loved connecting with locals who hand made their own products. India can be an amazing place to find genuine materials and craftsmanship but of course there is plenty of fakes and synthetics. Overall it’s an incredible place to explore an entirely different culture and lifestyle and have your mindset and actions challenged.
Goa
Our Indian adventure began in Goa with 5 of our close friends from Byron Bay. It felt like a perfect entry point to this incredibly diverse & vast country. We spent most of our time between Ashvem & Arambol beach. It was very relaxing to swim in the ocean and watch the beautiful beach sunsets everyday.
The locals were lovely and one man in particular touched our hearts. Anuj is the owner of a beautiful beach cafe near our accomodation in Ashvem beach called Wild Shack. We were so drawn to the space for the friendly service, amazing views & delicious menu. Connecting with Anuj was such a delight and it was so special to learn some Indian history from him. Shunya was an epic venue we checked out for an ecstatic dance. Shunya along with other venues host ecstatic dances multiple days a week for those who love to dance without needing substances or alcohol to let loose.
Goa was definitely a holiday rather than an adventure. We noticed the Western influence was heavy in the areas we spent most our time and although it was beautiful, we were all ready for the next chapter and next place to find more of an authentic Indian experience.
Rajasthan
Rajasthan is a big and diverse state within India, we hadn’t planned to travel through the state but we left booking our flights to the very last minute so 3 of us let go of our plan to go to Varanasi and chose the cheaper, easier option. We only had 4 days to fit in as much as we could so we hit Pushkar first, famous for the first and only Brahma temple in the world. A lovely man Manish gave us a tour around the temple, teaching us about Hindu gods and history. Following our temple tour, Manish hosted a puja ceremony for us at the sacred Pushkar lake. This was the highlight of my time in Pushkar and I highly recommend The Pushkar Route for tour around Pushkar, Manish does not ask for a higher price, he is humble and honest, someone who you can trust. Rajasthan & Pushkar is also famous for their silverware and jewellery. Zac and I love our silver jewellery and found one of the most well known shops Robin Shop, run by a family of brothers. For a nourishing feed check out The Laughing Buddha Cafe, the venue has so much character and the host is so welcoming. The owner sources his ingredients from spray free growers and donates money from every order towards helping Indian kids go to school and get an education.
Jaipur is one of the biggest cities in India and we could tell as we found ourselves feeling more overwhelmed by the chaos. Jaipur was the most challenging place we visited, mentally I was feeling very on guard and skeptical of people always wanting money from you and physically I was still recovering from food poisoning. Despite the discomfort, Jaipur was one of my favourite places to visit because of the amazing architecture. There are many beautiful buildings to see in Jaipur that have low entry fees. Getting around the city in a tuk tuk is more expensive than other areas but it is worth the visit to see the incredible palaces and temples if you love architecture like I do. Luckily we found a beautiful young man Sahil who took us around to multiple sights for one day. He did not overcharge us, he simply gave us useful advice and appreciated connecting with us Aussies. Find him on Instagram @jaipur_rajasthan_14
Rishikesh
Rishikesh is the first place where I felt the most grounded and safe. It is the birthplace of yoga which is why so many people gravitate to this sacred place. The town sits at the bottom of the mountains and holds the beginning of the famous Ganga river. There are many Hindu stories about the spirit of the Ganga river and the power it possesses. I felt so calm here because of the closeness to nature and the deep spirituality that is practised there.
The 5 of us were reunited after spending a week in completely different places, it was so exciting to be all together again and to all feel settled and relaxed after some challenging adventures the week prior. We also reunited with another beautiful friend from Byron who we hadn’t seen in 8 months. Between the 5 of us, Nico and another 4 people from the Northern Rivers all meeting and reuniting in Rishikesh felt so surreal. To have all met unintentionally, some existing friends and some new friendships, all in the same place at the same time was so special. A beautiful reminder of how intricately connected we are. To feel the potency of the land and how it brought a big group of people together was so memorable and a perfect way to close our India chapter.
Drop in yoga classes at Om Shanti Om, a yoga ashram in Tapovan was an absolute highlight. I went to a few of the 9am Hatha classes with the best teacher. I didn’t get his name but he is a beautiful Indian man with a unique teaching style. He reminded everyone to always smile throughout the practise, he cracked jokes all throughout the class and gave the best adjustments. In Tapovan there are many awesome places to eat and a few organic cafes, even better! The place that stood out the most was Secret Garden cafe. A quiet spot near the bush with scrumptious foods, the best smoothies, beautiful outdoor seating and it’s a social hotspot for many people.
India was a beautiful, eye opening and overwhelming journey. There is so much beauty to see in the people, nature, spirituality and vibrancy of culture. There were plenty of quiet, relaxing and still moments but when travelling around, it can be a sensory overload. For some people the traffic might not phase them but for me the loud 24/7 honking is very intense for my eardrums. There are plenty of nasty smells but it’s not as bad as I imagined. Despite the challenging travels between crazy driving and strange airport rules, the most confronting part was seeing how much poverty there is and the degrading classing system. Although we didn’t see slums or be immersed into the poor villages, the amount of beggars that ask for money was huge. We wanted to connect with the lots of people but often on the streets locals only interacted with us because they saw us as price tags. It felt uncomfortable being seen for our money and skin colour, rather than just a person. It was conflicting feeling this uncomfortability but it reinforced my privileged. I have never needed to ask a stranger for money and although I haven’t had a rich life I am abundant in many ways, to them I am rich. It was tricky to navigate this scarcity of not being taken advantage of amongst the countless other scammers. They are creative when they want something from you so I found it hard to keep my heart open. Often as soon as you show a smile or kindness to some, others flock all wanting something from you. Seeing children asking for money was another confronting sight and I was so quick to judge their parents for putting them in that position but that is their means of survival. Who am I to judge them and what they have to do to support their family and survive.
The chaotic taxi and tuk tuk rides were absolutely crazy, any time we were on the roads it was so dangerous. Although this was scary, trying protect my energy and say no to so many people was the hardest part. Learning about the classing system and the absurd social division was absolutely heartbreaking. For some, their family name determines their whole life, regardless of a person as an individual, their skills or passions. If someone is born into a poor family referred to as ‘untouchables’ they are judged and treated purely by their surname. Learning about this and falling into judgement mindset at different times was so challenging, but it was such a valuable experience. Hearing how arranged marriages are still very prevalent and almost 90% of marriages over the whole country are arranged was more information that seemed so crazy and again reinforced the privilege I have.
India has given me even more gratitude than before. I am great at practising gratitude and already knew how privileged I am but visiting a country like India really puts my life into perspective. Reminding myself not to judge, remembering not to label everything as good or bad but simply observe. I am reminded of the safety I have always had, security, loving family and friends, countless opportunities, support from the government and endless, unconditional support from my parents. I am so blessed in this lifetime and I am so incredibly grateful for the life I’ve been given in Australia. These lessons reinforce why I am travelling and what I am doing with my life. I am utilising my privilege and making the most of my abundance to make meaningful connections. We are travelling to connect with the land and nature across the world. Embracing my passions for film and photography and capturing each place and it’s essence, showcasing the light and the darkness. Reminding people that there is duality in everything.
To see our India videos, check out Marigold Media on Instagram & Youtube.
