Rick Steves smiling in restaurant

Why Rick Steves' Favorite Country In The World Is India

By Eric James Beyer

VACATIONS

European travel and Rick Steves are nearly synonymous, so it may come as a surprise that his favorite country in the world to visit is in South Asia: Steves loves India.
In a blog post on his website, Steves said that visiting India has profoundly changed him and his worldview, echoing what many Western travelers feel after a visit.
Steves wrote of his trip, "My confidence that I understood such basics to life as time, joy, love, pain, and music was shaken. I was humbled in a way that made me a better person."
India encompasses so much geographic and cultural diversity that many see it as a subcontinent, and the cultural divide that comes with it for Westerners isn't to be taken lightly.
Due to its complex history, Kerala is Steves' favorite Indian region. He tells travelers to be open to whatever India brings your way, and the country will stay with you for life.