Catalina taking a selfie at the Mysore palace

Most the make the most of your experience in India with the following tips on travel in India

As you may be planning your volunteer or internship with Leave Ur Mark for the next couple of weeks, you may be doing research all over the internet and books on things that would help make your trip more memorable. On that note, I have carefully devised a list of things you HAVE to do for the duration of your internship in South India.
– Make your way to Hampi and take a picture from some really big rocks that just happen to be a part of the UN World Heritage Sites.
– Spend the night on a houseboat in the Kerala backwaters for a truly unique travel in India experience. In fact, go to Allepey (Allapuzha).

The volunteers from around the world stayed on a houseboat

– What would travel in India without an elephant ride. Visit the Allapuzha Elephant Park where for a very reasonable price (400-1000INR) you can chill, play and feed some well taken-cared of elephants.
– Ride camels on the beaches in Alleppey.

Volunteers riding camels on the beach

– Go out for an afternoon of khulfi or lassi with your roomies.
– Go trekking and sightseeing in the beautiful Coorg.
– Drink chai and have puri for breakfast while overlooking the Tungabhadra River in Hampi.

Indian food

– After an easy hike, enjoy a picnic while overlooking the amazing view from the top of Nandi Hills just 30 minutes away from Bangalore.

Hiking and Views in India

– Go to the Bangalore Palace to see the King of Mysore’s summer home and take some pictures on the stunning palace grounds.
– After seeing the Bangalore Palace, make your way to Mysore for a Sunday trip to see a truly majestic place. Note: For the most part, the Mysore Palace lights up from 7-8PM on Sunday evenings. Check the website or call your local the tourism office to make sure it lights up on the day you’re planning to go.
– Fearlessly haggle with merchants for some really awesome deals on just about everything you can.
– Play Jenga during drinks with your friends at The Humming Tree.
– Take pictures of the amazing French architecture in Pondicherry.
– Negotiate your rickshaw ride until you get a fair price.
– Instead of taking the bus, try traveling by taking the train from the Bangalore City Railway Station to your weekend trip destination. For short distance trips, you can purchase your tickets the morning of your trip. Go online for schedule and booking information at http://www.bangalorecityrailwaystation.in/
– Take part in a celebration of some sort and attempt to keep up with the locals in dancing!

Interns partying during Dussera celebrations

– Do a handstand in front of the Bull Temple in Lepakshi.

Doing yoga in India

– Enjoy dinner and a jam session at one of Hampi’s hippie cafés.

Hippie Cafe in India

– Go see a play, classical dance recital or take part in any cultural event while in Bangalore. Understanding a different country starts with getting to know the cultural setting! Visit http://in.bookmyshow.com/bangalore for upcoming events.

Interns watching a dance performance

– Make friends with all of your roommates. It might seem like a longshot because everyone is so different in personality, tastes, habits etc. However, your time with LUM is going to appear to be shorter than you think and even though you’re all very different, India will always keep you together. Plus, it will make your living situation just that much better.

Leave UR Mark roommates in India