US Travel: How American Destinations Compare to India’s Hidden Gems
When people talk about US travel, travel experiences within the United States, from urban hikes to vast wilderness areas. Also known as American tourism, it often highlights iconic spots like Runyon Canyon and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. But here’s the thing—many travelers who love US travel also find themselves drawn to India, not because it’s cheaper, but because it’s different. While Runyon Canyon in Los Angeles buzzes with celebrity walkers and dogs, India’s Golden Triangle offers ancient palaces and temple chants that echo for centuries. One’s a quick afternoon stroll with Instagram backdrops; the other is a deep dive into living history.
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the largest protected wilderness area in the U.S., spanning nearly 20 million acres in Alaska. Also known as ANWR, it’s home to polar bears, caribou herds, and Indigenous communities that have lived there for millennia. Compare that to India’s Bandhavgarh National Park, where tigers stalk the same forests they’ve ruled for hundreds of years. Both places protect wild spaces, but while the refuge is about isolation and preservation, India’s parks are woven into daily life—villages sit near tiger trails, and pilgrims pass through sanctuaries on foot. Then there’s the Palace on Wheels, a luxury train journey through Rajasthan that re-creates royal Indian travel in the 21st century. Also known as India’s royal rail experience, it’s not just a train—it’s a moving palace with marble floors, silver service, and stops at forgotten forts. The Orient Express might be famous, but if you want to ride through history, not just see it, India’s trains win.
US travel often feels curated—hikes are marked, wildlife refuges are managed, and luxury trains are marketed as once-in-a-lifetime. India doesn’t market itself that way. Its beauty isn’t packaged. You find it in a 500-rupee meal that feeds you for a day, in a quiet Goan beach where foreigners return year after year, or in the tears people shed inside a temple—not because they’re sad, but because something deep inside them finally clicks. You won’t find that on a US travel brochure.
That’s why the posts here don’t just list US spots—they compare them. Why Runyon Canyon gets more attention than a Himalayan trek. Why the Arctic Refuge matters more than you think. Why the most luxurious train in the world isn’t in Europe. What you’ll find below isn’t a list of places—it’s a conversation between two continents, one that helps you decide where to go next, or maybe, where to go first.
