Varanasi

Varanasi deserves a place in the list and it surprises me that no one has reviewed it yet. Being one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world, which remains to be a most central place of worship as the holiest place in Hinduism, its history and value to the world cannot be understated. It is also considered sacred in Buddhism and Jainism. Being historic is one thing, and being iconic is another -- the cityscape of Varanasi is easily one of the most recognizable. While it is easy to be critical about the site as to whether it is clean or not, the judgment, in my opinion, plays little to nothing to the cultural value it offers. It would be hypocritical to take against it some practices that make it unique, and admittedly the very reasons why many travelers go there to begin with. This is not to say that it does not need further "care" as it, by all means, does.  

On the day that I arrived in Varanasi was the day when 2015 April Nepal Earthquake took place and it was strongly felt in the city. I first went to Sarnath to visit one of the four most sacred sites in Buddhism, and then spent the rest of the day back in the center. The best way to appreciate what Varanasi has to offer is to take the sunset boat ride that leaves on various ghats in the afternoon. The boat tour takes you past …