Fourth largest national park of India, located in Arunachal Pradesh of Northeast India. Most popular for its enormous biodiversity and untouched tropical rainforests. The park features about 1,000 floral and 1,400 fauna species. Namdapha is, infamously, the only world protected area where all four Indian big cats — tiger, leopard, snow leopard, and clouded leopard — coexist. Other animals that inhabit it include Asiatic black bears, Malayan sun bears, dhole (wild dogs), and more. It is a botanical wonderland and a wildlife conservation haven of Northeast India and also been declared an eco-sensitive area.

People from across the world travel to India and share their reviews and tips on travelling across the country. From positive to negative, people have all kinds of experiences while visiting the Indian subcontinent. However, in the midst of a thousand social media posts sharing tips for people travelling to India for the first time, one post has caught the eye of many for its unique claims.A Dutch woman named Ivana who is not just travelling in the country but also living in it, recently took to Instagram to share a detailed post about her life in the country, sharing things she had known before. From Indian families to sarees and rickshaw struggles Ivana had a say for it all and netizens are loving her reviews.

Indian values

Titled ’10 things I wish I knew before coming to Indian for the first time’ the post began with her appreciating India’s hospitality with the saying ‘Atithi devo bhava’ advising the travellers to ‘be prepared to be fed to death’She also shared how much Indians value family which is something one can only understand after spending time with them. ‘So def try to befriend local people and see how they live.’

Travel tips

Another interesting tip Ivana shared was her experience visiting one of the seven wonders of the world, the Taj Mahal. ‘Taj Mahal is quite difficult to reach. Plan a trip to Agra for 2/3 days in order to not have a lousy Taj experience. Some basic tips: be THERE at 6am for a foreigner ticket, but keep in mind Taj is closed on Fridays for prayer,’ she wrote. She also revealed that the colour of the Ganga river in Rishikesh is ‘minty green’ and advised that if people plan to swim there then they should wear full clothes and watch out for currents and cold temperatures.

Saree experiences

Ivana shared that a saree is difficult to wear if not worn before but once worn, it’s highly comfortable and advised taking help from an elder aunt or at a salon.

India is not overcrowded

One of the biggest misconceptions people have about India is that it’s overcrowded, which Ivana cleared with her statement. ‘India is not overcrowded! There’s plenty of space and ‘slow’ times. For the tourist places try to visit way before 10AM (like 8AM!) or you can go to more rural areas to escape all crowds. Be mindful of which places you visit without a guide though! Some places are even off limits for Indians.’

Netizens react to Ivana’s post

People who are planning to visit or move to India have been thanking the influencer for her tips and experiences. “Hi Ivana, just wanted to say that I absolutely love your content! I’m moving to India soon and have saved all your tips and infos, so helpful! Thanks for sharing such valuable insights 🙏” wrote a woman in the comments.“Such a good post, thanks Ivana! ❤️” added another.“Like you might have experienced, it’s easier to eat with your hands (wash them beforehand obviously)” wrote another, sharing their own tip.

Think of white-sand beaches and places like the Maldives and Seychelles appear to mind. But people forget that India too has its fair share of beaches blessed with powdery shores which can be experienced in Lakshadweep, the Andamans, and Kerala too. These beautiful coastlines are ideal for beach lovers wanting to enjoy sunbathing and soaking in the charm of sea beauty.

Let’s have a look at six white-sand beaches in India every beach lover must visit!