Planning a Vacation to India

Most NRI families I know plan vacations with a lot of thought, care and enthusiasm. Sadly, there is one thing that we often fail to consider – a vacation in India. Don’t get me wrong, I am not for a minute trying to say that we don’t want to return to India. In fact, we love and miss our home country dearly. But our trips back home to India are in our minds, not vacations. They are necessary visits. Vacation though, is an altogether different matter. Vacations ought to be in Europe, or Disney Land.

 

And my entire point is that when we NRIs are planning a vacation; India, our very own country, is what we should very seriously look at before yet another foreign retreat. Why? Because of countless reasons really. Let me list just a few:

 

1. Diversity. India should really be a synonym for diversity. Climatic, scenic, geographic, cultural; every kind of diversity. It’s like multiple countries rolled into one. There are countless regional ethnicities like Bengalis, Maharashtrians, Tamils, Punjabis – with all their different & yummy food, clothes, activities, festivities. It is a real travel treat.

 

2. Something for Everyone. From that same diversity, India is home to stunning beaches where the kids can build castles and the parents can relax and unwind. There are countless adventures. In the hills there is trekking and the scenic beauty of the Himalayas. There is the awesome desert of Rajasthan in which to camp. The flat plains of Gujarat with all the vibrancy of its people. There are game sanctuaries with unspoilt wildlife in Ranthmbore and Sariska. There is white water rafting in Rishikesh, Kayaking in the Backwaters in Kerela, and many other options.

 

3. Time with Family. And finally of course, there is the complete holiday experience that can be topped off by time being spent with your native family. Nothing better for any NRI than to feel the warm embrace of his or her family again, while the children get their annual dose of Indian flavors and grandparents’ love.

 

It is a sadly ignored destination that I have promised myself, I shall be visiting more. And I promise you, an Indian vacation, will not disappoint you either!

NRI Finding A Soul Mate

People are often critical of NRIs who come to India to find a life partner. Why? I guess because there have been cases where such marriages have not worked out, or because after having lived out of India for an extended period, people back in India feel that NRIs have forsaken their country and shouldn’t have anything to do with India anymore, especially not when selecting their life partners.

I, on the other hand, can tell you from personal experience that an NRI coming to India to find a soul mate is a win-win situation. How? Well I had been working in UK for about four years and had dated scores of women locally. Some were English, others 2^nd generation Indians living in UK. They were all rather sweet in their own way; but somewhere there was a cultural connection that was missing. There was a social context, a set of shared values, that I was seeking; which I lacked for them, and in turn they lacked for me.

Marriage is a life long and serious commitment. One must be aware that it isn’t love and being sweet alone that can make it work. The two people in a marriage should share a mutual understanding. And that’s why I looked to India to find my soul mate. I flew to Delhi once my parents had lined up meetings with various women. And as I met them and went out with them, my suspicions were confirmed at once. When compared with the girls I had gone out with in UK, there was no explaining required here. Everything felt natural. I understood the women in India, and they understood me. There was a deep familiarity present.

And that’s when I met Reshma. We both instantly knew that we had found our soul mate. And today, ten years on, I can proudly admit that I feel proud to have turned back to my home country to seek my soul mate. We are happy and understand each other perfectly!