India
Four days from Delhi to the Kerala backwaters
India feels overwhelming until you start to enjoy it. This route takes you from the busy capital to the quiet south in four days: enough time to notice the pace, and to intentionally slow it down.
7 September 2026 · Wayloha editorial · 4 sources
Day 1: Delhi - street and station
You begin in Delhi. This is a good time to keep your eyes open. Eat street food where the locals eat, straight from the cart. Walk through the busy neighbourhoods. Visit the central station: this is India compressed into one place, with chaos and rhythm you will not find anywhere else.
Sit down by the roadside, order a chai, and sit still for an hour. Watch how life passes by. This is not tourism; this is how you understand India. You sleep tonight in Delhi.
- Order a chai and sit at the side of a busy square: you will see more in an hour than in half a day at a museum.
- Eat with your hands. It is faster, it tastes better, and locals see that you are trying.
The moment you stop to look, India rushes towards you.India
Day 2: Agra - the Taj Mahal and the Yamuna
Travel from Delhi to Agra (distance and travel time depend on your choice of transport; ask locally for current bus or train schedules). You arrive at the Taj Mahal: the moment you first see it, you understand why it stands here.
The Yamuna river flows past the monument. This water is holy and, at the same time, seriously polluted. Go there with your camera. The daily life there, with women washing, men praying, children playing, gives a more honest picture of India than any guide. You sleep in Agra.
- Go to the Yamuna for photos of real daily life, not just monuments.
- Learn the Indian head nod: a side-to-side wave means yes, politeness, or agreement. Nod your head back if you want to be friendly.
Day 3: Journey to the south
Today you travel from Agra to Alleppey, a port town in Kerala (a long day; ask about trains or buses for current travel times and costs). The landscape changes slowly. The dry plains of the north give way to greener regions.
Use this travel time to look out the window. Talk to other travellers in your train compartment. Learn how to nod your head and you will likely get a friendly answer back. By evening, you arrive in Alleppey.
- Introduce yourself to local travellers on the train: a backward head movement opens doors.
- Look out the window. You will truly see the difference between the north and the south passing by.
Day 4: The Kerala backwaters
You begin in Alleppey. Rent a houseboat here: a large, comfortable vessel (sometimes an old rice boat) that takes you through the network of canals and rivers. For around €75 per day for two people, you get a boat with air conditioning in your bedroom, a shower, a TV, and three crew members who do everything: steering, cooking, and serving. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and all drinks are included.
Drift over the water all day. There is nothing to rush for. The peace here feels like a different world compared to the streets of Delhi four days earlier, and that is exactly the point.
- Rent your boat in advance or on the spot in Alleppey: the price is fair and negotiable.
- Sit on the deck all day. You will see fishermen and villages, and the water changes colour with the light.
