Invisible Cities

We have reached that age.

The one where conversations with friends are slowly shifting from weekend plans and spontaneous trips to something very post adult-ish. Some are having kids, some are planning to, and everyone, in their own way, seems to be stepping into a new version of life.

And then there’s us.

Still chasing sunsets on random evenings. Still saying yes to last-minute road trips. Still building our life around travel experiences.

It’s not that we don’t think about the future. We do. But when we imagine it, it doesn’t look like staying in one place, following the societal rulebook. 

For us, the future looks like an exploration. 

Of roads that don’t end where Google Maps says they should. Of stories we haven’t heard yet. Of food that reflects the flavor of a place. Of experiences that shape us.

Over the last two years, that feeling has taken us across some of the most beautiful corners of India, with each trip leaving behind imprints on our minds, like the foot prints left on beaches. Each print is renewed when we write of it, and that’s the crux of the idea around Invisible cities.

And while I know a lifetime won’t be enough to see everything this country has to offer, I still find myself wanting to hold on to some of it.

This is a collection of very personally articulated moments that do not scream “viral” or “touristy”. So here are our top “incredible india” moments from the last two years of traveling. Walk along.

Our FIRST Bike Trip from Bangalore to Ooty

Our first bike trip to Ooty was very carefully planned. All to make it safe and register it as a “happy” memory. 

Read more about it here.

All the beautiful pitstops, starting from sunflower fields to random open highways for quick selfies, added to the beautiful bouquet of Incredible India moments.

It was the first time the journey itself felt like the main part of the trip. And addiction to bike trips, took over.

Sunrise in Ooty

Talking of Ooty, the mornings in the mountains, have a kind of quiet to them. Don’t you think?

We would step out early, when the roads were still empty, and just ride without deciding where we were going.

The sky would slowly change, and every now and then, we would stop because something about the light or the view made it important to capture in frame. 

Tell me, who wouldn’t want to keep a digital frame of the sun painting the sky in yellow and golden hues?

A Moonlit sky in Meghalaya

We were already late while heading back from the trek to the double decker living root bridges in Meghalaya, and I remember being slightly uneasy about how dark the forest was getting.

And then I looked up.

The sky had turned pink, very softly, like the day wasn’t ready to end yet. And right in the middle of it was the moon. The imperfect shape complemented the sky in a way that only poets can write about.

What an eventless event to be awestruck by.

The Majestic Landscapes of Ladakh 

I had seen innumerable images of Ladakh with all the gritty details for years before actually going.

But still, the first time I saw those landscapes, I honestly got very emotional. 

The mountains just kept going, one behind the other, some very close, some almost till the horizon. This defined infinite to me. 

Infinite beauty, calm, vastness and overwhelm.

Also, what was very different in Ladakh is the fact that in other mountain trips, the landscapes are very close to you when you are traveling. But here, the landscape was so vast that the mountains were actually so far. It was almost like we have to reach it out, it won’t be here for us.

Ladakh felt like a family of pretty and vast mountains, that reflect pride in a way the it deserves to.

How can barren, dusty hills of rocks look so beautiful?

Sunset in Nubra Valley

Okay, this may not be something extraordinary to most of you. But this view plucked our brains and dunked it in dopamine for the rest of the trip. This wasn’t even a planned stop in Nubra Valley.

Just a random spot where the sun was beginning to set, a stream was flowing nearby, and everything felt unusually still. Almost like a photo frame.

I just wanted to be a part of this moment and placed myself in it accordingly.

Bike trip from Leh to Zanskar Valley

As mentioned, being a fan of bike rides, we had planned a brief ride from Leh to Zanskar.

Read more about it here.

The ride to Zanskar Valley wasn’t easy.The roads were rough, the terrain unpredictable, and there were really exhausting moments.

But at the same time, it was one of the most beautiful journeys I have experienced. The changing landscapes, the rough terrain almost falling into the Zanskar river, the river accompanying us through out, everything added to the experience.

I think some places feel more meaningful because they’re not easy to reach.

Kayaking at sunset in Varkala

Varkala will always be my top beach destination In India. However, the bluest waters and lovely cliff views were overshadowed by our sunset Kayaking experience.

They took us into beautiful backwaters guarded by the green mangroves, and suddenly, tripped the kayak to dunk us in the waters. 

For a second, there was panic.

And then we just started laughing and playing around. Then the sky started turning golden. And I just knew that my brain had started its task of creating a beautiful memory of this moment here on.

A hidden natural pool in Wayanad

We trekked a bit in Wayanad, which led us to a vibrant natural pool.

I remember hesitating before getting into the water.

It looked calm, but also deep in a way that made me unsure. I hadn’t really grown up swimming in places like this, so there’s always that small moment of doubt.

But once I got in, it registered itself as a perfect travel memory. There’s always that mix of fear and curiosity in moments like this.

And somehow, that’s what makes them memorable.

Stargazing in Sikkim

During my birthday trip to Sikkim, we stayed in a village for a night. Ofcourse, there was no light pollution and that’s when the sky opened up.

It glittered with white dots, and I couldn’t fathom that this was a view from a small village in the mountains.

I carry the moment close to my heart. 

And somewhere along the way…

Honestly, I don’t think we will ever be able to see all of India. There will always be another place, another road, another story waiting somewhere we haven’t been able to explore yet.

And maybe that’s the point. Not to cover it all, but to keep finding small pieces of it every now and then. Because when I look back, it’s never the distance we covered that matters. It’s always the moments we didn’t rush through.

What are your “Incredible India” moments?