INDIA TRAVEL UPDATES: What I Wish I Knew Before Going Solo!

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I am finally back here with an update as life literally has been a wild ride for the past couple of months, and I finally have a day off from the craziness to type this blog post. For those of you who don’t know, I have been living and traveling in one of my ultimate bucket list destinations for the past three months: India! It’s been a huge blessing to experience this incredible country, especially after also visiting Brazil and Colombia this year.

As someone who claims to be a travel expert, I couldn’t just visit India and check off touristy hot spots, living here was mandatory in my books for me to claim this title. There are also several other reasons why India has been calling me for many years. As the name suggests, Road To Yourself stands for the literal road we take when we travel and also signals the inner journey we go on while we travel physically. Getting outside your familiar environment and taking a leap into the unknown is one of the fastest cheat codes for growth I’ve come to discover. And India for me symbolized just that. It was the place I knew I’d have to trust and surrender even more; I expected chaos, I expected the unexpected, and I made a promise to let life unfold as it wants to.

One of the beauties of India is that it caters to everyone. Whether you want healing, spiritual alignment, retreating in the mountains or pursuing your artist’s dreams (looking at you, Bollywood!), you will find it. You will also be in a foodie heaven, witness religious ceremonies you’d not see anywhere else, and be part of a union of differences that flow together under one flag. It is like nowhere else in the world, and as you give it more time, you will come to see the beauty in the chaos.

In the past three months I’ve been here, I formed incredible partnerships to bring you the very best of India’s highlights for when you want to visit this epic country. I personally got to visit both touristy and lesser-known spots. Meanwhile, I am currently continuing my creative path in acting and modelling, and working on film sets in Mumbai alongside some legendary names while diving deeper into Bollywood.

So, let’s do a quick recap of my journey highlights to keep you in the loop and answer all your burning questions about what real India is like! The food, the dating scene, the language barrier (and lack of it), and the places I visited.

India’s Food Scene

It is legendary, and I know I’m ruined for life for having tasted real Indian food. No fast food chain or Indian restaurant abroad can even get close to the taste here in India. A large part of the population (about 40%) is vegetarian. So, if you are a vegan or vegetarian struggling to find options in restaurants when you travel, you won’t have that problem in India.

The food is as spicy as it is stereotyped to be, no disagreeing on that. And those videos you see on TikTok and social media about the food not being sanitized and clean don’t represent the whole picture at all. If you are even a little adventurous with what you eat, you are sure to have a blast here in India. In fact, I do think you miss out on a lot if you die without tasting real butter chicken at least once in your life.

Dating in India

Again, being open-minded and adventurous is key here as India can be quite the culture shock when it comes to dating. The new generation is definitely more open-minded compared to their parents, where marriages were mostly arranged and not everyone had the chance to openly date. As a European-looking female, I get a lot of attention everywhere, including touristy spots. It takes some getting used to constantly feeling like a celebrity, which I totally don’t mind and think it is a nice boost to the ego. The key here is to approach each interaction as a new experience and flow with it. And once you are in the right foreigner circles, you truly get to meet like-minded people who are on the same path as you, which is a major win.

Language

I cannot put into words how grateful I feel to be able to interact with everyone in English. I had to learn Spanish while living in Latin America, which I didn’t mind since it was one of my language goals. But here, it feels like a breath of fresh air that people speak fluent English and no Google Translate is needed whatsoever. Street signs, menus, and everything else are all written in English, thanks to the country’s British colonial history.

Destinations

Delhi

My first stop in India was Delhi, and to be honest, it was a total shock. The city is loud, crowded, chaotic, and not the easiest to navigate on your own. This is where a trustworthy tour guide really comes in handy and I highly recommend having one to gain a deeper understanding of the culture and history behind the major sights.

Taj Mahal

I usually avoid super touristy spots like the plague, but you just can’t skip the iconic Taj Mahal on your India trip. It is one of the seven wonders of the world, and it gets busy, so the best time to check it off your list is very early in the morning, ideally around sunrise. You avoid the heat and get to snap some solid photos with a beautiful reflection of the sun rising. I managed to walk around and pose for countless photos in a traditional Indian outfit in the 40-degree heat, and so can you.

Watch the full vlog here to see how it all went!

Rishikesh

The yoga capital of not only India but the whole world is Rishikesh. If deepening your yoga practice or starting on the yogic path is one of your goals, you have to go here. To claim you know anything about yoga, a visit to India is a must. The real practice requires incredible strength and discipline, which is nearly impossible to see in the West where yoga is advertised as a feminine practice that requires pink yoga pants.

Here, you will find ashrams where you can retreat and practice in silence alongside gurus and people very experienced in their discipline. There are also many schools offering Yoga Teacher’s Training programs that you can sign up for to become a yoga teacher yourself and learn it in the place where it was founded.

Each evening there are Ganga Aarti ceremonies, where people chant, play drums, and make offerings to the Ganga, an experience that is a definite must while in Rishikesh.

Varanasi

The city of death, where public cremations take place 24/7, fire never stops burning, and spirituality is literally visible wherever you look. Varanasi shook me to my core and stripped away my idea of what is real and what is fake. If a spiritual awakening is what you are after during your trip to India, you cannot skip this city. My only regret is that I didn’t stay long enough, and now I have an excuse to go back.

Watch the full vlog here!

Kerala

Kerala is the most educated state in India as well as the one that offers top-tier healthcare. It is home to Ayurveda, an ancient holistic approach to health that aims to solve the root cause of problems rather than just masking the symptoms. People come here from all corners of the world to seek healing when Western medicine cannot offer solutions. For a total reset of your mind, body, and spirit, Kerala is where you have to go.

I was lucky enough to be there during their annual harvest festival, Onam, where I got to witness traditional dances, floral decorations, and incredible hospitality from the locals.

Watch the Kerala vlog series here!

Goa

If you ever mention to anyone that you are going to India, one of the first questions you will get is, “Are you going to Goa?” This beach spot is highly hyped and in recent years has become a popular alternative to beach destinations in Southeast Asia. There is no shortage of techno parties that go on until sunrise, lively bars and clubs, and hippie vibes. Is it worth the hype though? In my opinion, not really. But again, you can decide that for yourself.

Watch the Goa vlog episode here!

Coimbatore

Isha Temple featuring the Adiyogi Shiva bust, the largest bust sculpture in the world recognized by Guinness World Records, is absolutely worth checking out. Sadhguru founded the Isha Foundation, and the temple offers a gorgeous and rejuvenating atmosphere to practice yoga and meditation. I recommend a few nights’ stay if you have the opportunity to fully soak in the environment.

Mumbai

Last but not least, I’m calling Mumbai, also known as Bombay and the city of dreams where Bollywood actors live and films shoot around the clock, my current home base. From the moment I arrived and felt the ocean breeze and salty air, I knew it was special. Something about coastal cities has my heart and reminds me of each other. I find the architecture, lifestyle, and laid-back attitude very similar to cities like Barcelona and Rio de Janeiro. An absolute must-see addition while in India, whether or not you are into films, Mumbai offers a legendary food scene, nightlife, and entertainment.

Every day I wake up in this city, I feel like I am dreaming with open eyes. Finding myself working alongside legends like Anil Kapoor from my first week here shows me I am walking the right path and makes me feel I am in the right place at the right time.

Would not change a thing about late nights, long hours on set sipping on fake champagne and filming the same scenes over and over again!

And that’s a wrap for my time so far in India. A colourful combination of spirituality, healing, chaos, and actor dreams! Make sure to follow along on all my socials and drop a message if you need help planning your own journey!