My husband was born and raised on the southern tip of India. I’ve been to India 3 times already and my husband and I had the opportunity to travel to several different places within India. If you ever get a chance to visit India, I highly recommend stopping by any of these spots.
Kanyakumari
The southern tip (my husband’s home) is called Kanyakumari, a district in the state of Tamil Nadu. The weather in this part of the country is fantastic – not too hot and not too cold (generally ranging between 85-95 degrees F – which is great to me!)
I’m completely unbiased, but I think that Kanyakumari is one of the most beautiful places in India! If you travel there, be sure to visit Vivekananda Rock and the Gandhi memorial – a very popular tourist place. People from all over India (and all over the world) visit these 2 spots. The Gandhi memorial is right next to a beautiful beach. Indians refer to this as the place where the 3 waters meet (Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea). Vivekananda Rock is on a small island right off the shore. You have to take a small ferry ride there. On the tiny island is a huge statue (133 feet tall) of a famous poet, Thiruvalluavar, and inside the building you can read small segments of his poetry.
Ooty
Ooty is also located in the state of Tamil Nadu. When the British lived in India, this was the second capital (during the hot seasons). Due to the high altitude, the weather is much cooler than other parts of India. We visited there in March and the weather reminded me of the spring climate in the Pacific Northwest – cool and rainy. This place is known for the tea plantations. We visited a tea factory and we were able to try many different flavors of tea. Yum!
Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal is a day trip away from New Delhi. My husband and I traveled there in June after we were married. A warning – the Delhi area is extremely hot in June. This was the hottest place I’ve ever been in my life – the humidity in the air presses on you. I sweated so much that I took 2 baths a day! One bath in the evening to wash off the sweat and dust (from the dusty roads) of the day and the next one in the morning to wash the sweat off from sleeping.
Even though the challenging weather made this a hard place to visit, I thought the Taj Mahal was one of the most magnificent buildings I have ever seen:
The visit was worth the heat. Words can’t adequately describe it.
Goa
I visited Goa during the Christmas season. The weather was warm and beautiful. We stayed with friends who lived a short walk from the beach. I walked to the beach every day and it was absolutely lovely.
If you ever have a chance to visit India, you won’t regret visiting one of these places. India is a very beautiful country with lovely people. When you go, make sure to have some delicious chai tea (found everywhere, like Starbucks in the US). If you want to make it at home, try my husband’s recipe. If you’ve been to India, leave a comment with your favorite spot.
