Hi
@susieqanderson1,
Please check my reply on the '
Best way to see India' thread for suggestions on popular places to see. If you would rather just unwind and spend time with your family, I would suggest the beaches of Goa or Kerala.
For staying on a budget, you may know that the US dollar as greater purchasing power than the Indian rupee. So you may be able to stay in pretty nice hotels quite comfortably. I would suggest going by Tripadvisor reviews. Generally you won't go wrong with places with 3 stars and above. Some establishments may be marked 'family friendly', usually those are decent places.
I understand that it can be distressing to see children in miserable conditions. I felt quite the same way when I spent a few days in Brooklyn, NY or when I passed through the more run down parts of Detroit, MI or some parts of Mississippi. Unfortunately, all over the world, some people (blacks, Dalits, aboriginals) are more disadvantaged than others. And equally unfortunately, 'taking them all home' is not the solution (although more humanitarian immigration policies is one way of taking them all home).
So how does one deal with it? I think that is one of the best parts of travel: seeing how people all over the world live so that we can examine our own lives in perspective, and understanding that our humaneness can transcend boundaries of class and race. I personally think that it is not about "oh, thank god my life is so much better than theirs." I think it is about understanding that we human beings can survive so much, we can keep our humanity intact even in the midst of unimaginable hardships. I think that such introspection is the best thing one can do in such a situation. Most of us are trying to live our lives in the best way we can within the circumstances that we are in. Nobody wants to be an object of pity or to be talked down to. There are actually 'tourist tours' in Dharavi, Mumbai that caters to westerners who want to 'look at a slum', stare at people and take pictures. Imagine how we would feel if people peeked into our windows and took pictures just as we were sitting down to dinner. These are real people! I am of the opinion that such poverty porn is vulgar. Most people just want empathy, to feel that they belong to the larger march of humanity. So if I were you, I would see if I could treat the people I meet as my equals and talk to them as such.
If you feel like you want your personal actions to make a difference in their lives, rather than donating money, may I suggest a volunteering? For longer vacations, perhaps an organization like Slum Aid might be right. Other organizations like Voice, Reality Cares etc. have programs where volunteers can work with kids and bring them up to speed with reading, writing and arithmetic. If you may not be able to volunteer, sign up with such an organization and find out if you can make a difference in a child's life in the long run - support their education or finance a medical treatment. Another way to make a difference is to take your meals at local establishments, shop where the local people shop etc. I understand that it can be hard as someone new to the country, but that might be more rewarding in the long run.
Please come to India with an open mind - not just to help and be of aid, but also to learn and to be helped. We love visitors
