A life-changing journey through India
Intrigued by travel to India? Photographer Aysia Stieb shares the images and experiences that made up her own unforgettable adventure—and might just inspire yours, too
For anyone with a sense of adventure, there’s something subversive about returning to the same destination time after time. We’re supposed to be seeking out new people and new places, after all. “But I’ve been to India three times, and I’m already planning my fourth, a food-focused trip to the south,” laughs Aysia Stieb. A travel photographer who shoots all over the world for Rolling Stone, The New Yorker and Wired Magazine, it’s India that’s always calling her back.
“It’s a complete 180 from my life in Berkeley, California—the architecture, the flavors, the pace of life,” says Stieb, who takes us through her favorite Indian snapshots in the gallery below. “I love returning to places, building on the familiarity and comfort I’ve acquired so far.”
Vast in scale—it’s one-third the size of the U.S.—and with a population of nearly 1.5 billion, India is definitely worthy of repeat visits. Its ravishing landscapes, festivals and traditions, spicy flavors and awe-inspiring architecture have seduced travelers for centuries, from the megacities of Delhi and Mumbai to the ruins of regal Rajasthan and the beaches of Goa—a magnet for bohemians and soul-seekers since the 1960s.
Travelers can wander the foothills of the soaring, snowcapped Himalayas, explore evergreen forests, bask on sun-kissed beaches, marvel at arid desertscapes, and taste the riches of some of the most fertile produce-growing valleys and plains on earth—all within one country.
But for Stieb, India’s spirit is best captured in the country’s most serene spots, which she seeks out in solo trips, traveling alone for weeks at a time. “India may not be an obvious choice for solo travelers, but I love it,” she says. “For example, guesthouse culture is strong in India and the hosts are incredibly helpful, kind and caring, particularly to a solo female traveler. I enjoy the connections that are formed when I have to rely on other people.”
On her most recent trip, Stieb plotted a 1,500-mile route from north to south, starting at the Sacred Spirit Music Festival near Jodhpur in Rajasthan, where she would rise before sunrise each day to catch the first performance. Next, she traveled to the birthplace of ashtanga yoga, Mysuru (formerly Mysore) in Karnataka, where she fulfilled many a yoga lover’s dream, training for a month at the Samyak Yoga center, taking classes beside the Kaveri river.
A cultural guide to Mumbai
Finally, she traveled to the southern state of Kerala, where she spent her days canoeing deep into river backwaters in Alappuzha (formerly Alleppey). There, as everywhere, she was struck by the hospitality of her hosts. “Our boat would stop at vendors along the river for fresh coconuts and cups of toddy, the local fermented palm wine,” says Stieb. “But the highlight for me was when our guide and captain, Sajji, took me to his home where his wife made me an incredible breakfast of puttu [rice cake with coconut], kala chana [black chickpeas], dal, and banana. Kerala breakfast dishes are possibly my favorite food.”
Inspired by Stieb’s utterly photogenic travels through India? Recreate her route, starting from the bustling Blue City of Jodphur in the north, taking in the mystical yoga hub of Mysuru, and ending in the serene backwaters of Kerala in the south. Here’s where to stay and what to do along the way.
Anna Hart is a culture writer specializing in adventure travel and positive-impact tourism. Her work has appeared in Vogue, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times, and she is the author of the travel memoir Departures.
