Travelling to any foreign place can be overwhelming, with unfamiliar customs, new languages, different food habits, and the list can go on. And then there are some destinations that have the potential to amplify that feeling, not because they are unwelcoming, but because they operate at an intensity that few places can match.
Likewise, travel accounts about India also often tend to swing between extremes, either romanticised spiritual awakenings or horror stories of culture shock. A recent
Reddit post brings together all the narratives in one place, confusion, exhaustion, admiration, with a bit of appreciation too.
So this traveller in his post shared that he spent 15 days in India visiting New Delhi, Jaipur and Udaipur, and said his experience was “equal parts love and hate.” He clarified though that his impressions were, however, limited to a small slice of the country, and travel to India is absolutely worth it if you’re prepared. He shares that he was in India to attend a wedding in a rural area, which was followed by city-hopping with five friends in their early 30s. He adds, “I don’t believe I even scratched the surface of the reality of India in all its complexity.” Still, what emerged was a portrait of travel that feels recognisable to many first-time visitors to India: overwhelming, intense and unforgettable.
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5 hill forts of Rajasthan and why they are a traveller's favourite“Nothing can prepare you for Delhi,” the traveller wrote. “You can read all the Reddit posts and watch every YouTube video, but you have to experience it firsthand.”
He says, “We visited some incredible historic sites that are definitely worth it, like Jama Masjid and Humayun’s Tomb, but the streets of Old Delhi were one of the highlights of the trip. Chandni Chowk felt like an endless river of humanity. It felt like I lived 30 different lives in a single day. There everything really happens everywhere all at once, like a weird TikTok feed coming to life in a whirlwind of sights, sounds, and smells, all blending together in a chaotic, almost hallucinogenic experience. In perspective, it makes the rest of the world seem dull and bland, empty and repetitive. At the end of the day, I was drained and just collapsed in my bed, feeling like an overstimulated child who needed sleep to process everything.
And as many visitors would definitely do, they did the obligatory one-day trip to the Taj Mahal, which was as expected, touristy, and although it was undeniably beautiful, the experience was okay-ish.
Expectations were high for Jaipur, but the experience felt underwhelming. The traveller rated it a 6/10, describing the city as crowded and chaotic, though smaller than Delhi.
One exception was Amber Fort, which they found stunning, and “arguably more impressive than any site in Delhi.” However, he adds, “Seeing elephants and dromedaries in the streets was cool but bittersweet, as they all looked drugged as hell.” He and his friends chose to walk up to the fort instead of paying for an elephant ride, observing that the rides appeared short, expensive and uncomfortable for the animals. Like many, they also opined that it’s better to avoid paying to ride an elephant up. They spent an evening at Raj Mandir Cinema, watched a Bollywood film despite not understanding Hindi, which they loved every bit of it.
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Thailand overhauls visa rules: 60-day visa-free stays, DTV, and digital entry system to boost tourism and economy After days of intensity, they made a trip to Udaipur that felt like a relief. “Watching the sunset over Lake Pichola was breathtaking.” Unlike Delhi and Jaipur, Udaipur felt calm. Vendors were not pushy, streets were cleaner in tourist areas, and the pace was slower. “It was like a peaceful paradise after the craziness of the first days.”
They even suggested Udaipur as a possible alternative base for digital nomads seeking something quieter than Southeast Asia’s usual hotspots.
Challenges they faced
Language proved more challenging than expected. Although they thought that English is widely spoken in India, they found communication in service settings tiring over time.
Hygiene and visible inequality stood out. He added, “You see huge mountains of garbage, and right next to them, an upper-class modern mall. The overwhelming presence of men in public spaces also struck them. While the women in the group did not report feeling unsafe, the imbalance felt noticeable and occasionally uncomfortable.”
The group took strict food and water precautions, bottled water even for brushing teeth, avoiding street food and ice, and successfully managed to avoid illness.
Despite the exhaustion and contradictions, the traveller concluded that the journey was worth it.India, in their words, may not be for inexperienced travelers, but for those open to intensity and cultural shock, it offers something unmatched. He concludes saying, “Honestly, I don’t think there’s anywhere else quite like it.”
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