14 Days: A Taste of India + Sri Lanka
India had been on my list for years, so I made the time and effort to stop by during my time here in Asia. This was a solo trip.
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What I Did
I gave myself 14 total days where the itinerary was centered around visiting India for the first time and seeing the Taj Mahal. I considered stopping by Nepal (hiking) and Pakistan (it would have been with a Pakistani-American friend), but I chose Sri Lanka as a second stop.
9 Days in India: Delhi 2 nights, Jaipur 2 nights, Agra 1 night, overnight train to Varanasi, Varanasi 1 night, Bangalore for 1 night
5 Days in Sri Lanka: Kandy 1 night, Kandy-Ella train and straight to Arugam Bay for 3 nights, overnight flight back to Taipei
I mentioned in one of our podcast episodes Staying Put vs. Hopping Around that my current preference is to have an established home base when I’m traveling. For 2024, I have chosen my home base as Taipei.
Summary of the Trip
9 days in India and 5 days in Sri Lanka were simply not enough time. I acknowledge it.
Aside from the Taj Mahal, my favorite thing I did was the Kandy to Ella train ride in Sri Lanka because I was blown away by the nature while taking the train across the country.
Opinions about the Trip
India
India is not unsafe. Even as a female there shouldn’t be safety issues with a private tour (that I did).
I thought the places I went to in India were quite dirty and crowded. But when I went to Bangalore, it was quite different. I was expecting it to be similar but it is the silicon valley for India.
Varanasi was a highlight. I took an overnight train from Agra to Varanasi and arrived early morning. I attended the ceremonies at dusk to honor the holy river. This was the “cultural” experience that I was looking for on this trip.


Sri Lanka
My hot take is that Sri Lanka would be a great honeymoon destination. There is a great balance between beaches and mountains and the cost isn’t expensive.



The surfing in Arugam Bay was another highlight of the entire trip. I decided to stay for three of the five nights I was in Sri Lanka so that I could surf. I went to Elephant Rock and surfed for 3-4 hours straight everyday. The waves were not only fantastic, they had multiple breaks so each area within the surfing spot wouldn’t be too crowded.
What I Would Visit Next Time
For India: Visit the north north (like Kashmir), Goa, and the South like Pondicherry.
For Sri Lanka, I would Udawalawe and Yala National Park, and the south to surf more in Weligama
I will be returning to India at the end of January 2025 to attend my friend’s wedding, and I’m already looking forward to India Part 2.