DESTINATIONS INDIA | SOLO TRAVEL
FROM LEFT: Writer Phoebe Smith reaches the Taj Mahal; the sunset over the monument PICTURES: Phoebe Smith; Shutterstock/Michalakis Ppalis
MICRO-RETIREMENT IN NUMBERS
E Europe was the most popular region to travel through on an extended trip (37%), followed by New Zealand and the Pacific
his feet played a khamak – a drum fitted with a single string. I spent a few days exploring
(30%), Australia and Asia (each 26%) and North America (25%). South America (20%) and Africa (11%) rank lower on the wish list.
E Spending time in nature is the most sought-after activity (24%), followed by slow travel by boat or train (16%), food and drink tours (13%) and taking part in conservation or education projects (12%).
E After a midlife sabbatical from work, more than four in five people (84%) felt positive about returning to work, while almost all (96%) said they had a renewed sense of purpose and perspective.
E The most common barriers to taking an extended trip were finances (49%), uncertainty about employer support for a sabbatical (26%) and family responsibilities (22%).
travelweekly.co.uk
the city, stopping regularly to drink streetside chai in between riding the traditional yellow cabs and visiting the Kali temple where offerings are made to the mother of power and ruler of time, which felt fitting on a trip that was all about reclaiming my own. From there, I luxuriated on a stop at Bodh Gaya – the most sacred Buddhist pilgrimage site in the world, home to the tree where it’s said Buddha first attained enlightenment – then carried on to Varanasi. As the sun rose, I took my ghee and a wax candle wrapped inside flower petals and dropped it onto the water – my guide Neha told me to make a wish. It immediately went out. But I still smiled as, in a way, it made sense – my wish to come here, for my mum, had already come true.
MONUMENT TO LOVE Following an overnight sleeper train ride, I finally made it to Agra on what would have been my
I spent a few
days exploring the city, stopping to drink streetside chai in between riding yellow cabs
mum’s 75th birthday. Here, I got a glimpse through the outer arches at the Taj Mahal – a building I felt I already knew so well. After this, the itinerary allowed me to spend more time in Agra, making the most of every minute,
BOOK IT
Explore’s 15-day Kolkata to Amritsar by rail tour travels overland through northern India by train, visiting Bodh Gaya, Varanasi, Agra, Delhi and Shimla en route to Amritsar, taking in key sites from the Hindu, Buddhist and Sikh faiths. Prices start from £1,825 per person (based on twin-share accommodation with someone of the same sex) or with a £655 supplement for a solo room, both based on an October 24 departure. The price includes breakfast, transport, activities and excursions; international flights are extra. If booked back-to-back with another Explore trip (departing within a month), clients can save 5% on both tours.
explore.co.uk
30 JULY 2026 55
before heading to Delhi. But for now, I savoured the moment. Wandering closer to the Taj Mahal monument, I watched the macaque monkeys climb over the buildings that surround it, noticed the sound of the parakeets that fly overhead, the musty smell of the river Yamuna that runs behind it and finally, as I neared the ivory-white marble, I felt with my fingertips how the tiles hold the heat of the day so intensely it’s like basking in the reflected glow of the sun itself. As dusk began to fall, I felt the true love embodied by the Taj Mahal and India itself, and muttered a few quiet words to my mum: “We finally did it.” TW
Source: Explore Worldwide
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