International holi in india
Pushkar, a sacred town in Rajasthan, becomes a living canvas during Holi. Known for hosting one of the most energetic and international Holi festivals in India, the streets come alive with music, color, dance, and togetherness.
FIRST HOUR IN INDIA
After waving goodbye to the calm beaches of Vietnam and the smooth vibes of Thailand, I landed smack in the middle of chaos—in the best possible way. Welcome to India!
New Delhi Airport greeted me with a six-hour layover before my friend Méline would arrive, joined by a new friend she met on her Himalayan adventures in Nepal. While they were still up in the clouds, I decided to zip off to the hotel we’d booked nearby, freshen up, and brace myself for our next destination: Pushkar, where the festival of color (and absolute madness), Holi, was just two days away.
LOOKING FOR A SIM CARD (A Quest of Epic Proportions)
The first quest? Finding a SIM card.
Simple, right? Wrong.
All the shops were inside the airport—and once you’re out, you’re out. Like, forever. No re-entry.
A friendly taxi driver spotted me, a lost human with zero signal, and took pity. I explained my no-network situation in my broken English (think: toddler meets Google Translate). He kindly offered to take me to an official shop 15 minutes away. SIM card secured! 🎉
I showed him my hotel address. He made a face that basically screamed “You’re not staying there, right?” and dropped me off at a place he thought was safer. Sweet guy. Still had five hours to kill, so I went for a walk—and oh boy, this wasn’t Thailand anymore.
MY FIRST WALK OUTSIDE
Shorts? Big mistake. Huge.
Let’s just say, I might as well have worn a unicorn costume. The stares were intense.
A few little girls came up for selfies like I was a K-pop star, and it kept
happening! It reminded me of Vietnamese villages, but this was a major city.
Also: cows. Just casually strolling the streets. Moo-Ving along like they own
the place. Everything was unfamiliar, loud, and beautiful—Europe felt like
another planet.
THE GIRLS ARRIVE
Finally, my girls arrived! Reuniting with Méline felt so good. We had first met during a football night back in France (basically, I screamed louder than the actual fans). We hugged like we were long-lost soulmates and went to our hotel so I could dramatically spill every detail of my solo adventure. Then we were off to Pushkar.
TAKING A BUS IN INDIA
- Booked on: [12go website]
- Price: 1385 rupees (~€14)
- Route: New Delhi → Pushkar
- Time: 8 hours (translation: 10+ hours. India runs on “ish” time)
This was not your average bus ride—it was an experience.
A tuk-tuk dropped us off at what was apparently a “bus station,” but really just looked like a very chaotic slice of highway life. We were three glowing white dots in the middle of pure traffic madness.
When the sleeper bus finally arrived, it was surprisingly cozy. Like a moving bunk bed. But with constant honking. And a driver who treated every lane like a Formula 1 track.
Welcome to India, round two!
ARRIVING IN PUSHKAR
We planned to stay for three days.
Two Days Before Holi:
We stepped off the bus and were immediately pelted with colors. Yep, Holi doesn’t wait for the calendar.
We dropped our stuff at the hotel (shared room, budget traveler life), and hit the streets—where we were treated like minor celebrities. People lined up for selfies with us: kids, women, grandpas, uncles, you name it.
Pushkar? Love at first sight.
Gorgeous temples, sacred lakes, street music, colors everywhere. A spiritual buzz in the air.
The food? OH MY SPICES. 🔥
Delicious but deadly. Every bite came with a side of fire alarm.
That night, we joined the locals by the lake (called a ghat), where they sang, drummed, and hurled colors like it was a Bollywood finale.
It finally felt like real Holi.
MEETING MR. MONKS
Right when we thought the day couldn’t get better—plot twist!
We met Ayushman and Shrenik, two local guys. One of them had a camera (cue heart-eyes from the photography nerd in me) and asked if he could snap a picture of my rainbow-splattered face. I said yes—my inner Instagram goddess whispered, “Thank you.”
They invited us to a local art café (funny enough, the same one we had breakfast at earlier. Destiny?).
Despite struggling to understand their accents (and them probably questioning if I understood English at all), we vibed. They invited us to join them for a sunrise hike the next morning. We said yes. Of course.
THE DAY BEFORE HOLI
Exploring Pushkar with our new friends? Magical.
We started with a 4 AM hike (yes, FOUR. I’m still shocked), followed by rooftop chai, wandering through narrow, colourful alleys, and a dip in the sacred lake—a ritual believed to cleanse sins.
I don’t know if my sins were cleansed, but my goosebumps had goosebumps.
We bought our Holi gear—colour powders and white T-shirts (aka the official Holi uniform). That evening, we went back to the ghat, surrounded by music, laughter, and colored smoke.
Our new friends gently warned us: Holi can get… intense. Especially for women. But they promised to stick with us.
THE HOLI EXPERIENCE
Sunrise. White shirts on. Color packets ready. Game face: activated.
We walked outside, and BOOM—instant rainbow faces. Holi had officially started.
Pro tip (that we learned too late):
OIL. YOUR. SKIN.
Unless you want to look like a human tie-dye project for the next three days.
At first, it was all joy—music, dance, soft throws of colour. But then…
Crowds swelled.
Hands got bolder.
The vibe was incredible… until the crowd got too wild. The streets were packed, mostly with men. At first, it was light-hearted—colours on the face, laughter—but then, hands started to get too bold. One man touched my chest without permission. I was stunned. It happened to my friends too.
Thankfully, Ayushman stayed by my side the whole time. When another man touched me, I dug my nails into his hand to send a message. He smiled. Yeah, creepy. If he’d tried again, I would’ve hit him. I was ready. It was chaotic and exhausting, but also unforgettable.
The funniest part, there was no alcohol, but there was bhang lassi (a cannabis drink that turns adults into giggly teenagers). I tried it. Ayushman did too—it was hilarious watching him giggle like a squirrel on Red Bull. Ayushman, I think he never tried before? because he continues smile and try to say something but he forgets it continue its big effect of lassi on him. But it was so funny.
My friends skipped it, but any way we all ended the day smiling.
IN THE END, HOLI IS UNFORGETTABLE
But if you’re a woman: go with trusted people.
If you’re lucky enough to meet locals like we did, Holi becomes more than just a colourful mess—it becomes a beautiful memory you’ll cherish forever.
Enjoy The Best Experience with Migratedmonks
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