My Honest Thoughts on INDIA (After a 3 Month Trip)

I've recently been getting a lot of questions about India, and why I haven't recently been there... So I put together this video with my honest thoughts and opinions of the country after a 3-month solo backpacking trip in early 2015.

I have a love-hate relationship with India, as it is a very complex and intense country to visit. The colors. The smells. The tastes. The feels. A complete sensory overload. Seeing the Taj Mahal was as amazing as tragic from the fatal bus crash I was involved in.

India challenges you in every possible way, both physically and mentally. It brings out your true colors, your emotions, your thoughts -- and I learned more about myself in those 3 months than I have over the last 3 years.

Luckily, I just discovered a ton of GoPro footage that I took on that trip (which I haven't ever seen until now!) Join me as I reminisce about this trip from exactly 3 years ago.

If you've been to India, I'd love to get your thoughts and feedback on my video. Can you relate to my experiences? What were your favorite parts and biggest challenges?

#india #asia #travel

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👨🏻‍🦰 WHO AM I?
I'm Drew Binsky and I have been to EVERY country in the world (197/197). I make documentaries about interesting people and cultures in faraway places. My ultimate goal is to inspire you to travel because I think it's the best education that you can get. And our planet is beautiful!

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[Ishang]

I am Indian, whenever I run 10km daily, every person starts looking at me, there is a very high overwhelming attention even I am india, I can understand how you get from ...

[TheClashSpot]

As an Indian I can confirm that the overwhelming attention part is 100% true. Though I would like to WARN you. Even as an Indian, I never eat in just about any restaurant. Not all restaurants are hygienic. Make sure that you're eating in reputed restaurants. There's always that one restaurant famous for its good food in every city.

[tanoybhowmick]

You just missed the most beautiful part of India, the Eastern India.

[dkl]

Hy Drew, I spend 5 years in India I did travel a lot including on a bus Accidents are very rare, never had the experience. If you are just visiting don't eat the street food it will make you seek. Drink only bottled water (make sure that the seal is intact) After some time (few diareas...) you will build the immunity, then it will be O'K' But to experience the culture and enjoy it. I will recommend you spend some time in Ayurveda retreat, at least a week learn some body detox, relaxation technics, mindfulness. I'll recommend S Vyasa University in Gigini-Bangalore Karnataka. Than stay on the beach in Cochin or Quilon, in Kerala explore the back waters of Kerala

[abhinav_photo.and.linguistics]

No street food + no drinking tap water = No food poisoning.

[vrk]

Kerala is a state situated in South India. Sorry I forgot to mention it earlier.

[NikhilTheGreatest]

1. "I got overwhelming attention." If you go to tourist destinations, there are quite many foreigners around there, but you said that you traveled through local areas staying at cheap places, etc and etc, well, obviously, we get shocked to see foreigners around there, you are gonna get attention. I mean, a lot.

2. "I got food poisoning many times"
You slept in cheap hotel, and ate cheap street food, no wonder you got food poisoned. In India, you should eat at good restaurants, and try avoiding street food, they are often unhygienic.

3. The near-death experience was the fault of that driver, I understand that after that incident, you may feel that way about India. But, just think for a moment, it has nothing to do with the Indian community, or India, it was just the driver who was not good. This can happen in any country, you can't blame India for that. Of course you could've included this in "My Bad experiences in India", but you included this point in "My honest thoughts of India", which is totally wrong.

[itsharish_]

Im from south India but i always wait to watch north east india.. north east is peace and calm to travel and to explore your self

[purabbrahma]

I want you to visit the North-East region the eight sisters Sikkim, Assam, Mizoram, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Tripura and Nagaland 😊
I am from assam

[brndd_kmll]

I'm not Indian I'm maldivian
BUT I went to a city in india
that city is called Kochi/Cochin
Its a kerala city/state
edit: Thank you for 201 likes

[California_girl]

Man, the Overwhelming Attention part is 10000 percent true...

[ashen]

I'm sri lankan and India is a precious country with huge culture. Everything so cool but little bit dirty. Anyway our indian guide always recommended us to do not drink tap water and eat street foods. In the whole tour i used only waterbottles for drinking outside of the hotel.

[ranjithramu]

You skipped most beautiful part of India

" the South India "

[levihecho]

Although I am from North India, but I must say you should visit the entire South India and J&K for the best experience! Wish you all the best and most welcome!

[arielgoldfarb]

India looks like a post apocalíptic world but full with people.

[flyingzone]

I have never been to India myself. But my German friend who had always dreamed of going to India since he was very young has. After his several trips, like Drew, he has never returned. The food poisoning (EVERYONE who has visited India has experienced that) aside, the main reason is that, he doesn't want anymore to go to a country where he constantly feels being the target of scammers and cheaters. Wherever he was in India, there was always someone around him who, thinking he's a rich Westerner, wanted to take advantage of him. My friend is very experienced in traveling alone in developing countries, especially in Asia, and he is a very kind person, so he's always generous with locals. But in India, the number of cheaters simply overwhelmed and exhausted him to the point that it's making him angry. He did not regret his Indian trips, as he considers them once-in-a-life-time experience. But he wants to travel in a country where he does not always have to be apprehensive of the honesty and integrity of the people around him.

[rexfanai]

Please visit North East India, it's completely different from rest of the Indian states.

[karthikeyaaddala]

Wait you travelled in local trains, lived in local hotels, and travelled with those dudes😂😂. We don't do that either here!!!

[ferhan.c]

India changed me. It changed me as a human. It remind you how good you have it in your own country and how good you have it with your opend mind.

[nusratparveen]

Love to india from Bangladesh 🇧🇩🇧🇩🇧🇩🇧🇩