An India Sabbatical

India – for centuries this vast country has captured the imagination and hearts of westerners, as well as bewilders and frustrates them in good measure!

I went for just a short holiday to Mumbai and Goa and am desperate to go back and explore in greater depth. There is something magical about the light there, the way it filters through the dust and humidity – I just fell in love with this country straight away. I defy anyone to capture the essence of India in one sentence; it is such a country of contrasts and extremes in its geography, religions and culture. Simply put, India is awe-inspiring and not a place that you would have an average opinion of. You will hate it or you will love it!

Left:
Taj Mahal by Nomad Tale at Flickr Creative Commons

I am taking a 6 month career break in September, and 3 months of it will be spent in India. But what can I do when I get there? There are an overwhelming amount of different travel packages on offer on the Internet, from luxury luxury to shoestring and I have painstakingly been researching as many as I can to make the best decision for my sabbatical. I’ve discovered that there is so much more to do than simply sightseeing! You can take a safari to see Indian tigers at Pench National Park, teach English in Rajasthan, help build greenhouses in the Himalayas and so much more besides. If you are very adventurous you can embark on a physically demanding expedition to beautiful Ladakh in Northern India or even circle the whole of India on a 51 day tour. The opportunities are as diverse as the country itself!

Right:

Tea Gardens of Munnar, Kerala by Kerala Tourism at Wikimedia Commons

A Career Break in India is my review of what is on offer for travelling to India and what look like the best and most reputable programs and companies on the World Wide Web. Writing this lens has helped me organise myself and clarify what is on offer, I hope it will help others too! As for me, my plans are forming! I would like to volunteer with children in Kerala, then travel to visit the famous Golden Triangle of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. After that, Ladakh and then Darjeeling beckons with journeying home via Nepal, Mongolia and the Trans Siberian express through Russia, but that is for another lens…

This post is part of a series of guest posts by authors (or lensmasters) on Squidoo. This post was written by lensmaster LKW31. Check out her profile page for more unique lenses like this one!

Bus travel! By Lumière at Flickr Creative Commons