Who doesn’t love to travel?
However, more often than not, we only pick the fanciest of places when we think of packing for our next trip, not realizing how beautiful the tiny little villages of our country are.
Here are 20 photographs of rural India that will make you rethink your travel plans.
Congrats on the feature. PC:- @lostwithpurpose ・・・ Hello Dzukou Valley! Yeah, we had trouble picking our jaws up off the floor, too. This rolling green slice of heaven sits on the border between two Indian states. Nagaland is to the north, and Manipur to the south. Despite the tropical climates of the two states, this valley actually gets quite cold! It sees snow and ice in winter, and still gets plenty cold during the summer. We were treated to gorgeous views each morning, but afternoons were another story entirely. Think rain, lots and lots of cold rain. In typical Lost With Purpose fashion, we had our asses handed to us by the frosty weather. No matter how much we travel, we somehow manage to always be woefully unprepared. Lessons learned in Dzukou: if you know it’s gonna be cold, don’t be lazy and leave your warm clothes behind to save weight. And never, ever underestimate the importance of good woolly socks. #noobs #ruralindianphotography #rural #rural_love #indianvillage
A post shared by ruralindianphotography (@ruralindianphotography) on Jan 31, 2018 at 12:06am PST
Fresh air, cycling adventures, and lots of greenery. There’s no denying the seaside town of Puri in Odisha, India was a chill city escape for me last week. But as fun a jaunt as it was, there was one thing I didn’t like about Puri: the incessant begging on the beach. As my friends and I strolled down the sand, dozens of children stopped their playing to come ask us for change or pens. Many an adult came with outstretched hands, too. It was very frustrating to need to constantly fend off people demanding money instead of being able to relax and talk or play with the locals. Some people get upset every time I say this, but I’ll say it anyway: please think hard before giving money to people who beg. Puri is the perfect example of why you shouldn’t. It’s easy to say you’ll just give a bit or that it helps in the short term or that it’s nothing for you. It seems trivial, but if hundreds or thousands of other people do the same, what was intended as a small good deed can quickly escalate. Giving to someone sets future expectations. Once people learn they can get handouts from tourists, future interactions will be tainted by the perception of tourists as walking ATMs or charities, rather than people. I know it’s hard to say no to sad eyes and wizened hands and defeated looks. But to be responsible tourists, sometimes we have to look at the bigger picture rather than what’s standing right in front of us.
A post shared by Alex | Lost With Purpose (@lostwithpurpose) on Feb 19, 2018 at 8:04am PST
Another shot of the incredible root bridges of Nongriat village, Meghalaya. We’re still in awe! Beyond being works of art, these bridges make us think. Beautiful places and creations like these beg to be seen and explored, but is that what’s best for them? We met a man from Nongriat in Meghalaya’s capital, who told us the state is pushing to build a road to Nongriat. They want to increase tourism, but the villagers are opposed to it. The village of Nongriat is still somewhat remote, thanks to it only being accessible via a steep mountain path. But other more accessible villages with root bridges in Meghalaya, such as Mawlynnong, are starting to be overrun by tourism. Whereas this bridge might see several dozen people on a busy day, Mawlynnong might have visitors in the hundreds or thousands. It’s not many compared to major tourist sights, but those numbers are large for small villages. They like things as they are, and don’t want the crushing flow of mass tourism to destroy their village way of life. Understandably so. Finding a balance between tourism and preservation is tough, and something travelers should be aware of. Though part of the responsibility lays in the hands of governments, we can make efforts to maintain a balance, too. Be respectful of local customs when you visit, be kind (and not overly demanding) to your local hosts, and most importantly, keep things clean. The only traces you should leave behind are good memories.
A post shared by Alex | Lost With Purpose (@lostwithpurpose) on Apr 25, 2017 at 9:43am PDT
Amazing, isn’t it?
