Exotic!

A camel ride, a houseboat stay, a safari in the wild... until a few years ago, these may have been whatdefined India as 'exotic.' Now, exotic lies in the novel. We bring you a handpicked selection of 10 such experiences that are out of the ordinary and curated with care.

- Satarupa Paul

I was seven when I first travelled to Rajasthan with my family. With the regular touristy stuff done, we headed to Pushkar to camp in a tent in the middle of the desert. At night, we sat outside under a million stars, sharing a delicious Rajasthani dinner. A group of local folk musicians had assembled, and when they began to sing, the wind picked up the music and served it as goosebumps on my skin.

“Exotic!” exclaimed the foreigner couple sitting next to us. I didn’t quite grasp the meaning of the word then, but it sounded perfect for the occasion. Much later I’d come to understand that for the West, many things that we consider ordinary in India could qualify as exotic – from the temples and sadhus to the sari and bindi to the cows, snakes and elephants. The same could be extrapolated to other countries as well on this side of the world. In fact, the great Edward Said, father of postcolonial studies, wrote an entire book on the West’s cultural representations of the East, forming the basis of what came to be known as Orientalism.

But, as often happens, the interpretations of words change. Hollywood may still choose to depict an India of clichés but for many travelling here from abroad, the idea of what makes this country exotic is changing. The magnificent sights, sounds and tastes alone don’t cut it anymore. A camel ride, a houseboat stay in the backwaters, a wildlife safari… these may have made it to the list a few years back. Now, exotic lies in novel experiences that are raw, handcrafted, extraordinary.

So here we present a handpicked bouquet of 10 experiences that will not just entice the foreigner, but from which even the Indian traveller will come away witnessing something unique, mystical and absolutely exotic!