Living The DREAM
What started as an account of their extended honeymoon two years ago, ended up turning the Belgian couple— Camille and Jean— into full- time travellers. Today, they give major travel goals to their over 280k (and counting) followers with awe-inspiring posts from over 50 different countries. Here, the duo shares travel tales from their trip to India, and why they wish to return to the country in 2020. Q. Tell us a bit about yourself and your journey.
We create content for a living, have taken up travelling as a full-time job, and have great passion for photography. It all started two years ago when we got married and decided to go on an extended honeymoon to Asia. We created a joint Instagram account to keep our family and friends updated on our travels. A couple of months into the honeymoon, we realised that we were receiving a lot of love for our travel posts, and by the end of our trip, we had hit 10k followers. We realised the potential, quit our corporate careers in London, and started travelling full-time.
Q.
What prompted you to travel to India?
India was always a faraway dream. We had heard so much from travellers who would return from this fascinating country. All the pictures looked mindblowing. So, earlier this year, we decided it was time. We packed our bags and booked two tickets to Delhi. We decided not to book our stay as we wanted it to be flexible.
Q.
What was your first impression of India?
Delhi is a very loud city, but we adjusted quickly. It was also a much cleaner place than we had expected. We had read many stories about Delhi’s pollution and garbage problem, but we saw very little of that. Also, we were amazed by how friendly the people were. The locals would talk to us, offer help, and strike conversations about our country.
Q.
What cities/places did you visit here?
We ticked off all the classics in North India—Jaipur, Jodhpur, Agra, and Delhi. If we had to pick a favourite, it would be Jodhpur. The city is so calm and quiet, with blue houses lending it a magical feel. One evening, we climbed up to a little hill in front of a fort, to watch the sun setting behind the Blue City. All the minarets began to glow, and a flock of birds flew over the blue rooftops—it was an unforgettable moment.
Q.
What is a unique aspect about India that you did not see elsewhere?
There are animals all around on the streets—dogs, cows, horses, and even elephants! But the cows are especially striking because they walk around freely, and sometimes even
hinder traffic. The cow is a holy animal in India so people just drive around it. It is a very funny thing for an outsider.
Q.
A word of advice to international travellers visiting India?
Read about the country before visiting. India can be overwhelming on the first trip, so it’s good to know what to expect. You can find a lot of information in guidebooks or on travel blogs, but we also think it’s a good idea to read a novel or watch a movie shot in India. We loved the book Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts. Also, make sure you get your visa sorted in advance. Many people assume that India has a Visa On Arrival system, but this is not the case for EU citizens.
Q.
How do you suggest international travellers plan their visit to India?
We think it’s best not to plan too much. Every city
here is different, and there are so many places to visit that you might want to change your itinerary every now and then. It’s easy to travel around India, as you can find transport options and travel agents almost everywhere. We say, go where the adventure takes you rather than following a tight schedule.
Q.
Do you plan to return to India? What’s next on your Indian bucket list?
That’s a definite yes! We really want to visit Kerala. We have read amazing things about the backwaters of the state and are hoping to make this happen next year.
Q.
Your five travel essentials while moving around in India.
Our camera, medicines for the stomach, candies and pens for the children that we meet on our way, loose change, and pairs of good shoes as you will end up walking a lot!