Meher Marfatia: Make it India

London New York Spain Turkeyrdquo the responses came flying fast when childrenrsquos author Deepak Dalal asked the young bunch gathered before him where they last holidayed He was our special guest from Pune for a MeettheAuthor book club morning with 11 to 14yearolds who had read his Sahyadri Adventure Deepak presented a fascinating slideshow of photographs shot in hills around Mumbai He found the kids had traipsed all over tony cities across the world From a group of 10 one was able to tell us how happy he was to have gone horse riding in Matheran and strawberry picking in MahableshwarDeepak was surprised I wasnrsquot Irsquod heard so much gush from globetrotting families throughout my kidsrsquo school years I could fill several fresh travel magazine tomesFamily time in Fatehpur SikriIrsquove to tick the boxes here travel beyond our borders broadens the mind it is wider cultural exposure and even easier to do in many ways mdash but why not soak up some desi destinations first Hooking them young might work well Therersquos time enough later with higher studies and jobrelated travel to appreciate the wonders of the worldLetrsquos be honest India wonrsquot top the list of childfriendly lands to visit Difficult to access Delhi belly food fears dangerous for women and children trekking alone the list can reel quite endlessly in anxious parentsrsquo heads I have to admit to never encouraging the kids to plan outings to Indian adventure parks because of very obviously rundown equipment and not a soul accountable fortheir safetyThat being said forsaking our own mountains valleys seas and snows may sadly be a colossal mistake The countryrsquos wildlife sanctuaries historic forts sandy beaches bustling bazaars temples tombs and other monuments are among the best on the planet For starters therersquos an abundance of undiscovered beauty in our backyardHaving holidayed a fair amount within India and abroad my children simply never tire of funinthesun Goa and nurse the fondest memories of trips to Corbett Kanha Ranthambhore and Bandhavgarh Their cosy forest lodge rooms saw us snuggle close to read Kiplingrsquos Jungle Book aloud to each other by candle light Years since an unforgettable Christmas week in Bandhavgarh my daughter continues to gaze up at her bedside wall to a pair of woodframed pictures of B2 the majestic tiger of that terrainNot that itrsquos always smooth sailing After a nightmarish train trip back from that same Bandhavgarh break what with a stinkingofurine waiting room at Katni station being bumped off the booked passengersrsquo list after paying properly in advance and associated horrors my harried husband did declare ldquoIf anyone in this family wants to see more animals they fly to AfricardquoYet look at these hitches and glitches as par for the course and you reap a heap Kashmir to Kanyakumari try home stays over hotels and watch kids thrill to nights spent on houseboats jeep safaris in wildlife parks camping under the stars canoeing in backwaters bathing with elephants listening to local lore following spice trails street festivals colourfulhandicraft fairs and vibrant village melasSharing onersquos excitement also helps considerably I described to my children how six months after being awestruck by Hampi in Karnataka I found myself not half as stunned standing at Angkor Vat on a visit to Cambodia Comparisons are odious But because both fascinating South Asian sites date back to exactly the same period mdash a thousand years mdash I couldnrsquot help noticing how differently I still felt about them And having enjoyed the serenity and splendour of any number of temples dotting Asia we will still always rate the magnificent Golden Temple at Amritsar as our most moving mesmeric temple experience everYou can influence local choices as interestingly Hearing us rave about music magic at the Rajasthan International Folk Festival held under a full moon sky in Mehrangarh Fort our son has decided that faced with a tossup between RIFF and an NH7 weekend of gigs these happened to be scheduled over the same days more than once he and his pals want to be JodhpurboundIncredible India isnrsquot just a tourism tagline itrsquos a truth We really live in this country only when we love it We really love it only when we explore itMake it India this summerWrite in to Meher at mehermarfatiagmailcom