Seek Your Trip

Travel bucket lists and other ideas for adventures of a lifetime

by

5 Tips for Women Traveling Solo Around India

India Travel

India is one of the most popular travel destinations on the planet. It offers history, beauty, delicious cuisine, and a truly unique culture that you will not find anywhere else on the planet. But if you are a woman and you are planning a solo trip around India, you may be concerned about your safety or how you should behave and dress. If that is the case, continue reading for a few tips.

  1. Join a Guided Tour

Rather than travelling totally alone throughout India, why not book a guided tour company that will allow you to meet fellow travellers and have your itinerary planned out for you already? Guided tours are fantastic ways to travel because they take the hassle out of planning and they will be sure to take you to the best places to eat and the best places to see throughout India. Click here to learn more.

  1. Be Assertive and Confident

While you may be used to being very polite when you are at home, when you are in India and you are travelling alone, you need to assert yourself and have plenty of confidence. Politeness may actually be mistaken for a sign of weakness, so never be afraid to speak up and stand up for yourself. If you have to, shout out when someone is hassling you, and do your best to just ignore people, particularly if they are trying to sell you something.

  1. Book Your Stay at an Ashram

Rather than booking a typical guesthouse or hotel, consider staying at an ashram instead. This is especially helpful if you are planning on travelling to a pilgrimage site or a large city. Although staying at an ashram isn’t for every traveller because they usually have strict rules for alcohol use and curfews, these places are safe and welcoming, especially for women. You also get the opportunity to meet fellow travellers, and you can enjoy a spiritual experience while indulging in clean food.

  1. Travel by Train

The best way to get around, particularly over long distances, in India is by train. Also, a lot of the longer routes have cars that are for women only, so you will feel safer in these. You should, however, book your seat in advance because these trains tend to fill up rather quickly.

  1. Dress in a Conservative Way

Because India is conservative, you shouldn’t show a lot of skin. Instead, you need to respect the country’s culture and dress conservatively. This will also prevent unwanted attention from strangers. Even your usual pants and tops may attract more attention than you want simply because they are Western, too fitted, or a little too revealing, so check out some of the local shops when you arrive and consider purchasing some lightweight Indian clothes that will allow you to blend in.

By simply keeping the above five tips in mind while you are travelling throughout India on your own, you’ll be able to stay safe while enjoying all of the unique sights and sounds.

by

The Best Icons to See On Around the World Trip

The Taj Mahal

Also the eighth wonder of the world, the Taj Mahal is a symbol of love built by the Mughals between 1632 and 1653. This stunning architectural creation stands majestically in Agra, India and has attracted millions of tourists from all over the world. The English Poet Sir Edwin Arnold depicts her as ‘ Not a piece of architecture, as other buildings are, but the proud passions of an emperors love wrought in living stones’. Now if that’s not romantic, then what is? It is the celebration of a woman built in marble.

She stands gloriously on the banks of Yamuna River high above the red sandstone base topped by extensive marble terrace. On this beautiful base lies the popular dome flanked by the four tapering minarets. The dome is made of white marble while the tomb is across the river which like magic reflects different colors that change the view of the Taj. You should view the keenly and capture her beauty of enduring love without being in a hurry.

Petra-Jordan

Petra is a strikingly beautiful desert city situated in the mountains of Wadi Musa south of the Dead Sea. Its name means ‘Rock’ as the city is curved out of hard rock which makes it an impressive city termed as a ‘rose red city half as old as time’. Her existence was a guarded secret by the Bedouins and Arab tradesmen. It is a wonderland of numerous temples, tombs and elaborate buildings intricately curved out of solid rock. During the early mornings or late afternoon, the view of the city is stunningly outstanding, it glows red with quiet grandeur.

Start your adventure along the Siq a kilometer long fissure through the surrounding and overhanging cliffs originally caved by the Nabateans community. At the end of the fissure be inspired by the El Khazneh best captured in the movie ‘Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade’. It is a Hellenistic architectural tomb for the King depicting the gods and goddesses of the gone race. Enjoy the views of the Roman style theatres hewn out of the rose colored rock. On a tour of Jordan, this is a must.

Parliament Buildings in The United Kingdom 

Located on the North bank River Thames is the gorgeous Palace of Westminster comprised of two chambers; the House of Commons and the House of Lords. It is one of the most iconic buildings in the world and has to be visited on a tour of the UK. It has dramatically changed from its original function as a Palace, to a home of modern democracy.

On most Saturdays guided tours around these fascinating buildings are available throughout the year. Explore the interiors of these fascinating buildings and marvel at the architectural ingenuity of Sir Charles Barry which is grade one listed and also part of the UNESCO world Heritage Site.

The Big Ben is perhaps the most recognizable icon of the Westminster Parliament, the tower; the clock and the bell were previously known as Great Bell.

Take a walk into the Westminster Hall and marvel at the Hammer-beam roof which is the largest timber roof in Northern Europe; you will also be impressed by the remains of the king’s seat and table. The intriguing statues of King Richard the second, the twenty-six angels curved out of solid beams and the king’s crowns will take your mind to the past when monarchs ruled the day.

So there you have it, three incredible icons to see around the world, and there are plenty more where they came from! So what are you waiting for, make your international flight booking now and start ticking these stunning places off your list!

…

Photo by pwinker on Flickr

by

Holiday Itineraries: by Train

If you’re considering booking a holiday this year but struggling for inspiration then deciding to see some of the world’s most breathtaking sights by rail could be the way to spice up your getaway.

With so many prospective destinations to choose from, we take a look at some of the most intriguing railway holidays that the world has to offer.

India

If you’re looking for a holiday that will truly expand your cultural horizons then look no further than India.

Flying from London to Delhi, you will immediately be submersed in Indian culture. From vibrant colours and heady aromas to flavoursome food and staggering monuments, Delhi is truly a sensual delight and one that only scratches the surface of what this intriguing country has to offer.

Travelling through India by rail, you’ll have the chance to trek amongst the foothills of the Himalayas, see the Taj Mahal in all its splendour, marvel at the Amber Fort and observe leopards, panthers, elephants and tigers in the their natural habitat on a game drive through Ranthambore National Park.

A railway holiday to India is enough to quench the thirst of adventure in even the most ardent explorer.

The United States

If you’re a citizen of the UK, the sheer vastness of the United States can be difficult to fathom. With such large distances to cover between cities it can be tempting to take flights between locations.

Skipping out the magnificent scenery between those cities would be a travesty; after all, part of the enjoyment of travelling is in the journey itself.

A trip from Los Angeles across country to New York is one of the most popular rail holidays in the United States. From seeing the unforgettable Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and soaking up the glamour of Hollywood, through to the jagged peaks of the Rocky Mountains in Denver, before ending up in the city that never sleeps, New York, a coast-to-coast railway journey is one of the best ways to discover everything that this diverse country has to offer.

The Eastern Mediterranean

The decision-making process when planning a holiday can often be an arduous one, with hours wasted poring over possible destinations. The fact is, compromises have to be made – you just don’t have time to see everything that your heart desires.

If the Eastern Mediterranean is your region of choice, however, taking the train means that you can enjoy a little bit more variety in your holiday, without having to compromise.

A railway holiday through the Eastern Mediterranean allows you to see the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the canals of Venice, the picturesque, cobbled streets of Dubrovnik, the iconic Parthenon in Athens and the stunning Diocletian Palace of Split, without skimping on comfort. All of these breathtaking sights can be seen in less than two weeks, making your holiday one to remember.

…

Photo by bloomgal on Flickr

by

The Languages of India

A visitor to India may get a nasty shock when preparing to tour the beautiful sights especially when producing his or her credit card in a shop hoping to purchase a language dictionary! There are literally hundreds of different languages in India, the estimates run anywhere from 415 to 1652! The languages fall mainly into two families, the Indo-Aryan languages and the Dravidian languages – which have broadly branched off from Sanskrit, which is, itself, an Indo-Aryan language! Hundreds of the languages are dangerously close to extinction as the speakers die out or switch to other, more widely recognised languages, but there remain many which are commonly used in India.

Language variation tends to follow geographic and political divisions – to the point that there is a real language barrier between the north and south of the country. While Standard Hindi and English are the two main officially recognised languages there are 22 languages of the 8th Schedule, meaning that they are sufficiently widely spoken to have a place in officialdom.

The 22 languages are, in order of their derivation:

Indo-Aryan, spoken by approximately 74% of the population;

  • Assamese (also known as Axomiya) spoken by 13 million people
  • Bengali, spoken by 83 million
  • Dogri, 2.3 million
  • Gujarati, 46 million
  • Hindi, spoken by 258 – 422 million people
  • Kashmiri, 5.5 million – this language, while Indo Aryan, also has Dardic influence
  • Konkani, 2.5 – 7.6 million
  • Maithili, 12 – 32 million
  • Marathi, 72 million
  • Mepali, 2.9 million
  • Oriya, 33 million
  • Punjabi, 29 million
  • Sanskrit, 0.01 million – showing that while it has influenced the Dravidian languages it is waning out as a stand-alone language
  • Sindhi, 2.5 million
  • Urdu, 52 million

The Dravidian Languages are spoken by 24% of the population and include;

  • Kannada, spoken by 38 million
  • Malayalam, 33 million
  • Tamil, 61 million
  • Telugu, 74 million

It is possible to see how the Dravidian languages have not fractured apart in the same way as the Indo-Aryan languages, there are fewer languages, all with a large number of speakers, compared to the myriad of variations found in the Indo-Aryan languages.

The remaining languages of the 22 are;

  • Bodo, spoken by 1.4 million people which is Tibeto-Burman in origin
  • Manipuri (also called Meitei or Meithei), spoken by 1.5 people and Tibeto-Burman
  • Santhali, spoken by 6.5 million and of Munda origin

Persian and English have both been imported into India and immediately began to interact with the languages and dialects of those who come into contact with them. There has been tension building between those who are anti-Hindi and who would prefer English to be the official language and those Hindi-speakers who opt for their language. Official language commissions are being established to try to find a tactful resolution so that all the inhabitants of India can communicate with each other easily.

Script is another tale again; most of the languages have their own distinctive written form, nearly all originating in India. The one exception to this is the Perso-Arabic writing used for Urdu, and sometimes for Saraiki, Sindhu and Kashmiri.

In Andra Pradesh most schools have responded by teaching their students English and either one of the regional languages (Urdu or Telugu) or Hindi, and requiring the student to learn another as a specialist language subject, for a total of 3 languages. This is possibly a way to proceed until a happy balance is met between government and language sticklers on either side of the debate.

So the wise traveller would be one who plans a careful itinerary and ascertains which languages would be needed before applying unnecessary charges to the afore-mentioned credit card. After all, enough must be left for all the marvellous souvenirs, trinkets and bargains to be found on ones travels!

…

Photo by jeeheon on Flickr.

Recent Posts

RSS
Facebook
Twitter

Categories

About Seek Your Trip

Here at Seek Your Trip, we post twice-weekly articles that will get your travel juices flowing. The idea is to inspire you to get out there and explore far-flung places and unusual cultures.