India is like no other country you’ll ever visit in your whole life. India is beautiful brown-skinned people and mesmerizing colorful saris; it’s a sense of belonging you’ve never felt anywhere else in the world. It’s people answering your questions with a head bobble leaving you more confused than ever with whether their answer was a yes or a no. India is a change of heart; it’s a country capable of changing your whole image of the world. India is falling in love with traveling all over again.

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The People

You can travel the whole world, but you will never find people as kind as Indians. Indians are exactly the kind of people who would mock you for what you are wearing, and then end up offering you a seat on the most hectic train ride in the world without any regard to your age or sex. In fact, I could go as far as saying that Indians are the happiest, simplest people in the world who would literally give their lives up to assure yours is safe.

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The Diversity

Forget about the religions phobia that the world has been living in lately; India has proven to us time and time again that diversity is not an issue, and that the world really stands a chance at living in peace. I can assure you that you will never travel to the different parts or different cities in India and experience the same atmosphere or culture twice. Going to India is like going to 20 different countries combined. They have more than seven religions from Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, to Islam and Zoroastrianism. Each of which comes with different traditions and beliefs, yet they manage to remain united. India leaves you with more faith than ever that we can surmount all our differences and stand united in the face of racism and inhumanity.

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Bollywood

Trust me, I’m not a fan of Bollywood movies either. But it’s mesmerizing how the Indian culture is really a Bollywood movie coming to life, from colorful saris to people literally dancing in the streets. I know it might be hard to imagine, but it’s one of those things that you have to see in order to believe. In India, it doesn’t matter if you are poor or rich, happy or sad. If a song plays, people are going to dance, and most of the times, they already learned the moves to the Bollywood movie song that has just aired a month ago. You would be amazed by how a whole population can find so much happiness in the simplest pleasures of life such as the act of dancing.

Spices of India

The Food

One cannot simply talk about India without mentioning the Indian cuisine. Even though it may take you a little getting used to at first, the Indian cuisine will leave you asking for just one more taste of whatever that was, so don’t be surprised when you step on a scale back home and realize that you have gained a few pounds. My advice to you though is, to eat as much as you can from the Butter chicken and Chicken biryani dishes, because even the best Indian restaurants here in Egypt will never get the taste as right and perfect as Indians do.

Taj Mahal

The Architecture and Landscape

India is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. It literally has everything, the architecture, the nature, the weather and the landscapes. You will enjoy the beautiful piece of architectural art that the Taj Mahal is, because it doesn’t matter how many times you’ve seen it in the movies, it will still be more beautiful in reality. It will still drive you to think madly about the kind of love that drove a person to build such an inspirational piece of art for his dead sweetheart. You will also be amazed by the ancient ruins and forts and the amount of history that a country like India possesses, especially since it is said that there are currently 32 UNESCO world Heritage-listed sites across the country. India’s landscapes will also drive you nuts. You might even pick trekking as new hobby. The mountains you’ll get to trek will leave you asking for more, and not just the beautiful Himalayas, but even the smallest mountains like that of “Anjaneri” are going to render even the most apathetic negligent person towards nature, a nature guru.

Elephant ride in India

An Eye-Opening Adventure

A trip to India will never be easy. In fact, it’s probably going to be one of the most challenging things that will ever happen to you in your life. You will be faced with many difficulties, one of which is the crazy transportation system they got going, but the adventure will change you to the better. It will open your eyes to the harsh realities of the world; to how people are living in lavish houses and cruising in their Lamborghini on one street, while others are living in slums and riding tuctucs on the neighboring street. You will learn to view the world differently. You will become aware of how privileged you are, and how much you have it good. You will take pride in what you managed to endure during your time in India. You will take pride in the simplest accomplishments like surviving the first train ride or getting the tuctuc driver to understand the directions to your preferred destination, and it will make you smile in awe, for you now know what those beautiful people have to endure. You have experienced it firsthand.

Finally, if you’re looking for a place where you would grow and have the time of your life, then India is definitely the place for you. Not just because it’s one of the most beautiful countries in the world, but also because it’s one of the few countries where you will really develop a connection. And when you finally leave, you will feel like you left a piece of you behind. You will long for just one more day of the the chaos that India was, in the country that became more than home to you.