India

I once attended a lecture by legendary travel guru Rick Steves and had an opportunity to ask him about his favorite non-Europe country to visit. His answer: India. I now can see why.

View of the Taj Mahal through an ornate archway at sunrise or sunset.
A man with a shaved head, standing waist-deep in water, performing a prayer with hands pressed together above his head. The water is calm, and the sky appears to be at sunset or sunrise, with reflections on the surface.
Sunset over a desert landscape with scattered trees and a sky with orange and pink clouds.
A portrait of an elderly man with a weathered face, gray beard, and wearing a white turban and white shirt.
The Taj Mahal at sunrise, with several birds flying in the sky and a landscape of grass and water in the foreground.
An elderly man getting a shave at an outdoor barber shop with a man shaving his head.
A busy street market scene with women and girls shopping. Women are dressed in colorful traditional Indian attire, with some seated on the ground selling various fabrics, clothing, and accessories, while others stand around, observing and shopping. A
A cityscape with numerous beige and brown buildings, with a large fort on a hill in the background at sunset.
A cityscape with tightly packed buildings and a large hill with fortress walls and a white monument on top, under a partly cloudy sky.
A man sitting cross-legged on a white wooden platform in front of a display of various colorful shoes at a street stall.
The Taj Mahal, a white marble mausoleum with a large central dome and four minarets, surrounded by a garden with a reflecting pool and visitors walking around.
Two boys sitting inside a busy general store with shelves filled with various packaged goods, snacks, and household items, and another person walking in the background.
An old, multi-story hotel with ornate architecture and balcony railings, illuminated from the inside, with a sign in front reading "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel," dedicated ‘For the Elderly & Beautiful,’ during dusk.
The Taj Mahal at sunset, showing its white marble domes and minarets.
Line of people, mainly women in colorful traditional clothing and some men, standing near motorcycles and on a narrow street with faded walls and murals in the background.
A woman in colorful traditional attire performing a prayer or ritual near a riverbank with boats in the background in India.
Women and men performing a water ritual, standing in a river near a boat, offering and releasing flower petals and small ritual items.
People gather along the steps and shoreline of a river, with boats docked nearby. Many individuals are wearing colorful traditional clothing and carrying umbrellas. The scene includes a busy crowd engaging in a ritual or ceremony, set against buildin