Before Varanasi, our holidays had a familiar rhythm: wake up early, tick off the thing, rush to the next thing. We thought we were seasoned travellers. We were actually just efficient.
Explorers Choice had planned a day with no fixed plans. Just a quiet ghat, a boatman who knew where the turtles gathered, and a note that said 'ask your host where their grandmother prays'. It became our favourite day of the trip.
We still watched the Ganga Aarti with goosebumps and drifted past the burning ghats in awe. But we also learned that the best itinerary is one that leaves a little white space—especially in a city that has been breathing for five thousand years.
