By travel blogger Annette Richmond (@tweet) joined her group tour of India, and booked something special: an Intrepid Urban Adventures cooking class in Delhi. Here's why flying to your destination a few days early and breaking the ice with a one-day tour is the best way to start your travels.
I have wanted to visit India for as long as I can remember. I imagined taking pictures in front of the Taj Mahal, seeing the colorful costumes up close, and tasting everything I could get my hands on. My college friend and I had talked about taking a girls' trip to India since we were in fashion school. After about 15 years, we finally did it with Intrepid.
Jesse, my best friend of nearly 20 years, decided to meet me in India after one of my long stints in Asia. I've been working remotely for nearly a decade at this point, and Asia has always been a fun place to move around. I usually start my travels in Thailand, then head to Bali, Malaysia, and end up somewhere new. This time it will be India with Jesse.
I'm an avid solo traveler, and although I usually rent one, I rarely feel like I need Tour guide while traveling. However, after speaking with friends who had traveled to India on their own, I realized that the trip might be more enjoyable if I could be led, rather than the captain myself.
So Jesse and I decided to book The golden triangle in India a tour. Before it started, we wanted to explore and get some shopping done, so we flew in a few days early. That's when we added an urban adventure - one of Intrepid's city day tours.
Jessie and I met at the Delhi airport at night. There was a Subway in the food court, so we ordered sandwiches to take to our hotel, just in case we couldn't find any restaurants. When we got to check in it was obvious we were just friends. However, India is a conservative country, and sometimes the opposite sex is not allowed to stay in the same room unless they show proof of marriage (this is generally only in rural areas, but keep this in mind when planning your trip to India). Exhausted from traveling, we settled down, ate our sandwiches, and went to sleep.
The next morning we did some shopping at Gandhi Nagar market before meeting Urban Adventures guide, Eshita, for us Delhi Private: Home Tour. Our driver dropped us off at a residential neighborhood where we spotted Ishita in her bright red Urban Adventures T-shirt. Our host, she explained, had no previous connections to tourism, but in the past few years alone, she has hosted nearly 2,000 guests! She just loves it when travelers enjoy her cooking.
Our host opened her home and her heart to us. You didn't just teach us how to make tea and fry tea pakoras (Both are delicious, by the way), and she was kind enough to show us her altar and talk about her faith. After we finished our snacks, our host brought out a folder and told us to come closer.
Have you been to an authentic Indian wedding? I definitely haven't, but it's something I've always wanted to try. Although we didn't actually do that Attended Wedding, we got the next best thing. Our host opened the photo album from her younger brother's party. It was amazing. There were pages full of color pictures, and others where the pictures were cut out and arranged into intricate designs.
With the help of our guide, Ishita, we learn that our host's brother has had an arranged marriage; He and his bride had not met before their wedding day. They both looked nervous and a little scared as the wedding ceremony began. Our host explained some of the ceremonies that took place, and what the headdresses represented. In the end, it looked like a nice celebration. Joining two families.
After flipping through the pages of the wedding album, we come to my favorite part. Our host brought out some sarees and showed us the easy way to separate a saree. She let us choose the saree and then wrapped us up. Then we had a dance party! She showed us some dance moves that we can pull off if we attend an Indian wedding. It was the most surreal experience.
Soon the tour was coming to an end. Five hours passed while we enjoyed the cooking, stories and dancing of our hosts. Ishita dropped us off in our car and headed back to town. Back at our hotel, we then headed to a nearby rooftop restaurant for some dinner and shisha. It was the perfect way to end our day and the odd part of our girls' trip.
The next morning, we met the Intrepid tour group, and the adventure really began. However, it would have been nice to arrive a few days early. We can explore the city on our own, do some shopping, and experience something we would never have found on our own. You can also pick up a few cultural tips on an urban adventure: For example, we learned that since most families in India live in multiple generations, there really isn't a huge restaurant scene. Most of the locals eat at home.
The addition of an urban adventure certainly enhanced the overall experience. Not only did we learn more about Indian cuisine and culture, but we were able to support a family run business run by women. I can confidently say that Urban Adventures lives up to its motto: I've had the best. day. Ever. In fact, I've just now started browsing, and I've noticed that they offer a Online Delhi Experience: Indian Vegetarian Cooking Class. Maybe it's time to take a little refresher course...
You can follow the adventures of Annette Instagram. If you are ready to book yourselfntrepid day trip, check out Urban Adventures.
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