The state of Karnataka is just one of the 28 states and eight union territories of India. It lies in the south-western part of the country and a white man is quite rare there. In practice, this means that everyone wants to take a picture with you as an exotic. Theoretically you can see tigers, practically you can see hippos, dozens of moonbirds, massive rafters and huge waterfalls. If you were only going there for a weekend, definitely stop in the ancient city of Hampi, if you go for a month you'll still only see a fraction of all of Carnatic beauty and Hindu piety. And we were lucky enough to "catch a festival" that only happens once a year. Just... something to look forward to;


Travel lecture with Topi Pigula.