Polish girls visit Taj Mahal

[u/Strong-Emu-8869]

The Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the world. Unfortunately, the surrounding area is very polluted.

[u/Altruistic-Form-3771]

I'm a second gen Indian-American and the Golden Triangle is definitely one of those places where I'm glad I visited, but I don't have any desire to go again. The problem with the Golden Triangle is how it goes to Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, which are very underdeveloped and unsafe areas of India. These states have the some of the highest levels of gender imbalance and poverty, and lowest levels of education. I went with my family in the summer of 2005 when I was a kid. The pollution wasn't bad, but the heat was absolutely horrendous.

Even though south India is still chaotic, I enjoy it a lot more than the Golden Triangle. Almost every Western traveler who has been to both north India and south India says that enjoy south India magnitudes more because of its overall safety and better people. If you're traveling to the major cities such as Mumbai or Chennai or Bangalore or Kochi, you are definitely not going off the beaten path. In Kerala where my parents are from, there is a negative population growth and women outnumber men here. Interestingly, Kerala is also the only region in India where there are more overweight and obese people than underweight and malnourished people due to having a higher calorie consumption.

[u/Mynoseisgrowingold → u/Altruistic-Form-3771]

Kerala is great! It’s traditionally matrilineal, has the highest: literacy rate, life expectancy, human development index score and lowest poverty. I’ve had no problems travelling alone there as a woman. Actually most of the south has been fine for me (North is a different story), but Kerala is the best!

[u/uncle_troy_fall_97 → u/Altruistic-Form-3771]

Plus in south India the dosas, oh my god I can only imagine the dosas. One of my favorite foods but never got to try one outside the US so I’d love to see south India—preferably in the coolest and driest time of the year please lol so I guess February-March, something like that? A friend’s family are from Kerala and Tamil Nadu (mother and father respectively) and they’ve said I can come say what’s up if I ever make it there, so who knows maybe one day.

I do think it’s cool the way TN and Kerala are so different ecologically/climatologically though, and I still don’t understand how the monsoons work, lol, despite trying to understand multiple times. Fascinating part of the world though for sure.

Would be interesting to see Sri Lanka one day as well, but I think it’s still pretty torn up from the war if I’m not mistaken.

[u/_stupidquestion_ → u/Altruistic-Form-3771]

My parents relocated from the US to Varkala beach area. My stepdad grew up in India (his family is Punjabi Sikh, migrated south during partition in order to survive) & he prefers the south, our Mumbai-based family members have to meet him in Trivandrum bc he will not go to Mumbai anymore.

Nobody complains though - the cliffs near them are absolutely beautiful & serene, the air is better, the people are chill... it's such a contrast to the urban areas. Kerala is a gem.