My first impression of India wasn’t the best we could hope for. Before leaving home, we searched guidebooks and Booking.com to choose a hotel in New Delhi. Given the busyness of the past two months, we opted to book a two-week stay. We wanted some downtime after the North Dakota Sugar Beet Harvest and our somewhat hurried trip home to Portland.

Noelle here, by the way.

Side note: Two weeks in Delhi, India, is way too long! Two days in Delhi is plenty!

We’ve relied on guest reviews for hotels all over SE Asia and have made good choices. Sometimes, you get a surprise winner, but other times, not the best lodgings. It’s one cost of traveling on a budget, the unknown.

Our hotel choice in New Delhi was fine. However, its location was not. We decided to be near the train station for ongoing travel. But we didn’t know the area around it was downtrodden and dodgy. Even our hotel staff told us not to go outside after dark. What?!?

Our First Day in Delhi

Here’s our first day in Delhi:

1. Eat breakfast at the hotel.
2. Map a plan to go to a bazaar/market.
3. Follow an elderly gentleman to try to cross the street safely.
   1. He says don’t continue on this road. It’s not safe for you. Turn here and then go right.
   2. We believed him.
4. A young man walks beside us on his way to work at a motor shop. He chats about where we’re from, what we want to visit, and how long we’ve been here. He guides us across another wild intersection.
   1. He says to go to the Government tourist office, which is free. They’ll help us get eSims for our phones. He pulled up Google Maps to show the office.
   2. But don’t walk here. It’s not safe, and people are smoking up ahead. I’ll help you get a Tuk-Tuk (they’re everywhere).
   3. He seemingly randomly chooses a driver, haggles a price, and sends us on our way.
   4. We believed him.

Now, in all likelihood, these first two encounters were honestly random. But I don’t know.

Keep reading: What to Know for India Travel

My First Impression of India: Don’t Believe Anyone (But Me!)

Now, here’s the lowdown. It’s my first impression of India.

Every single person we met on our first day said they were trustworthy, but no one else would be.

We followed Google Maps as the driver whipped in and out of traffic to take us to the government tourist center. And it appeared we headed to the right place.

But once we arrived, it didn’t feel right. So, I asked, “Is this the government tourist center?” Then, the guy showed me his business card (which matched the place the guy on the street told us about). He assured me we were in the correct location. 

I recognized that I was paranoid, so I tried to relax. However, being naturally skeptical made it even more challenging to feel comfortable.

Making Some Travel Plans

We discussed where we’d like to go, and the tour operator proposed a tentative plan. He seemed very knowledgeable about all the places we might visit, even making suggestions we hadn’t thought about. We looked at his plan and should have said we’ll return tomorrow to finalize it. That’s what we do.

We think about things overnight, overthink them, and finally decide. We do not make purchases on a whim.

Except that we did, and neither of us are quite sure why. But, on the spot, we signed up for a customized 21-day excursion through Northern India. It included two of our top destinations: Amritsar (for the India-Pakistan border ceremony) and Rishikesh (yoga’s birthplace.)

Here’s what the trip entailed and included.

• Reasonable overall costs (we set an all-in travel budget for ourselves of ~$75 US per day)
• All transportation costs included (two trains, one bus, a long car ride, and multiple pickups/drop offs between stations and hotels.)
• Hotel costs with breakfast
• One week in an ashram in Rishikesh (a lifetime bucket list item for me, Noelle)
• Multiple days of sightseeing (car and tour guides) to the places on our list
• Sightseeing in Delhi before beginning the Northern India trip
• It also included an invitation to dinner at the home of the tour operator. Now, as an introvert, this scared me off. But we try to say yes to new adventures, even when it takes us out of our comfort zone. Honestly, though, Steve said yes to this invitation…not me. He’s braver than me!

Our First Night: First Impression of India

After returning to our hotel, we both felt a little shell-shocked. Did we really just sign up with a tour guide on a whim?

I did not sleep. But instead, I read every Google review of the tour operator. I learned that even Google did not know if this location was a government office. Some reviews were horrible, with people being scammed. And some were terrific, with delighted customers. But I couldn’t even tell if the reviews were even for the place we went.

Update: I verified later on Google Maps that I was looking at the wrong place. The tour guide service I read about (instead of sleeping) was not the one we went to.

However, throughout the night, I dozed. Then I woke with a start, worrying all over again. I read more reviews and berated myself for violating our main rule about acting quickly.

Of course, I questioned the timeline of events and suspected the elegantly dressed older gentleman who first sent us on a different path than we had set. Did he see us leave our hotel? Were we marked as soon as we walked out the door? Was the hotel involved? Surely they wouldn’t be since they have their own travel agency.

All the local warnings to not trust anyone else left me trusting no one. Not even my own reasoning.

I felt miserable but tried to lie still and not wake Steve. It didn’t matter, though, since the following day, he said he felt the same uncertainty at being taken in so easily. It also kept him awake a lot. What made us hand over a credit card so quickly?

Update

We worked with (and recommend) Zahoor at Grace India Holidays. Google Maps lists them as “Ministry of Tourism Information and Reservation Center.” But there’s no information, only the picture of their storefront. Google Maps is my go-to, but it’s not as popular here in India as in the States. Plus, it’s only accurate when I’m looking at the correct location! Go figure?!?

Day Two: Our First Impression of India

Our first part of the paid excursion included a Delhi city tour that started at the Raj Ghat. It’s a memorial to Mahatma Gandhi on the site where his earthly remains were cremated after his assassination.

This place is peaceful, and it was just what we needed. We both felt overwhelmed and uncertain, which was a new travel experience. So, we relaxed and walked the peaceful grounds, surrounded by placards of Gandhi’s wisdom.

It was also our first experience of being rock stars in India. People came up to us all day asking for selfies. We were like, hey, there’s this awesome thing we’re visiting. Wouldn’t you rather have a photo of it than of two chubby Americans? Haha.

Thoughts on Trusting People

We shared a “come to Jesus” moment as we walked around. Or, in this case, I guess it was a “come to Gandhi” moment. Yes, I amuse myself first!

Ultimately, we agreed that someone in India would take advantage of us. It’s inevitable. But did it matter?

However, we successfully used many local tour companies throughout Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Malaysia. So, there was no reason to suspect things would be different here.

We came to India physically tired. But we also knew we needed a change of scenery as we celebrated and mourned the first anniversaries of Steve’s parents’ deaths. These two things may have allowed us to rest too comfortably in a stranger’s desire to sell us a tour package.

But did it matter? The tour operator took our bucket list to create a fantastic tailored trip. Plus, it allowed us to travel for the first month without planning and worrying about the details. Even though my first impression of India left me feeling a huge lack of trust, things turned out well.

Dinner With a Local Indian Family

After touring around Delhi, we spent the evening at the tour operator’s home, meeting his family. It was delightful! We sat on the floor, and I even tried eating with my hands. The food was delicious, and the company was even better.

Zahoor’s daughters are college-aged and welcomed my curiosity about their lives. His wife was a gracious host, and her brother entertained us, too. The brother mostly lives in the States but returns to India for export/import trade. He might even be a new source for Steve’s bead obsession, so that’s a win!

It was a wonderful evening, even if a little awkward at times for me as an introvert. I can write words all day, but talking out loud is sometimes challenging. Go figure!

Ultimately, we put our trust in the tour guide, Zahoor. We recognized that he’d probably do alright by us, if for no other reason than a desire for our repeat business.

Was the Travel Agency the Government-sponsored One?

As it turns out, another driver took us back to the agency later in the week to pick up our travel documents. We turned the corner and saw what looked like the “actual” government office. It was two freaking doors down. So close. So dang close.

However, we didn’t go inside, so maybe it was the imposter, and ours was the real one?

But, again, did it matter?

I understand the need to make a living. So, whether we went to the “right” place or not, it was the best place for us. Steve & I discussed the whole event ad nauseam and kept returning to the same question. Did it matter?

Even though my first impression of India was mistrustful, we are now successfully moving through Northern India.

We’ve been to the Golden Temple in Amritsar and the Pakistani border for a wild and exuberant display of Nationalism based on a flag ceremony. And as I type, we sit in a cozy hotel ten minutes from where the Dalai Lama lives. Yep, we’re going to stop in for a visit tomorrow.

What Do I Think of India Travel Now?

So, my first impression of India wasn’t great. My natural skepticism combined with constant warnings not to believe anyone. And they left a bitter aftertaste.

But my second impression is that India is filled with beautiful people who welcome us continually. People stop us repeatedly to take pictures with us, ask where we’re from, and tell us where they’re from.

Yes, many of them also want us to eat at their restaurant, ride in their Tuk-Tuk, or buy their wares. But if they didn’t ask, the answer would automatically be no. So, they have to engage. They have to stand out among the crowd to catch our attention and win our tourist dollars. We’re starting to understand that better now.

India is vast. There is so much more than we can pack into our six months here. Just like we’re learning how big the US is by driving it in our truck camper, we know that our short time in this country will barely be enough.

Yep, there’s going to be a bad apple along the way. And maybe more than one. But somehow, we got lucky and found a tour operator who wanted to show us his country. And make a living, too. So, that’s where I’m going to leave it.

What about you? Tell me about your first impression of India or another travel experience that left you questioning yourself. Leave me a comment below.

Tour Guide Contact Info

Here’s the contact information for Zahoor, who helped us navigate northern India and the Golden Triangle. He’s based in New Delhi, but he kept in touch with us regularly.

We found him very knowledgeable, with a large base of local hotels for any budget. He’s booked us low-cost hotels and luxury ones, depending on the area and our requests.

Zahoor’s team coordinated our transportation and drivers, so we didn’t need to worry about getting where we wanted to be. He took care of every detail. We don’t make any money as an affiliate for him, so this is just our suggestion for one of many tour operators.

Grace India Holidays

107, Scindia House, Janpath, Connaught Place, New Delhi 110001

Zahoor +91 98912 64450, WhatsApp

India’s Best Driver

Along the same lines, here’s the contact info for our favorite driver in Delhi and the Golden Triangle, Rakesh. He’s part of Zahoor’s team, too.

Rakesh even took us to the doctor in Delhi when we were both so sick after our arrival. Of course, he teased us for the next couple of months about not getting us spicy food.

Reach Rakesh on WhatsApp at +91 99589 62179. He’ll take great care of you!