German man visits 20 Indian states, shares 'brutally honest rankings'

A German traveller who has explored over 20 Indian states shared his personal rankings of the country based on everything from food and hospitality to architecture and adventure, sparking a lively debate online as people weighed in with their own favourites.

Christian Betzmann, a German traveller who frequently documents his journeys across India on Instagram, shared a carousel post highlighting what he considered the best experiences from his travels across more than 20 states.

In the caption, Betzmann wrote, "After travelling to over 20 States in India, here is my honest rating! There's sooo many places I could mention all over again though."

Rather than ranking states overall, he broke down his favourites across different categories based on his personal experiences.

According to Betzmann, Punjab stood out as both the best religious place and the state with the best hospitality, while Meghalaya topped his list for the best adventures.

Kerala earned two honours as well, with the traveller naming it home to the best people and the best nature.

Nagaland was his pick for the best tribes, while Goa was recognised for having the best community as well as the best waterfalls.

Among individual destinations, Betzmann described Varanasi as the most intense place he had visited, while the Taj Mahal left him the most mind blown.

For history and heritage, he chose Rajasthan for both the best architecture and the best food, while naming Jaipur as home to the best forts.

Himachal Pradesh featured prominently as well, taking the top spot for the best mountains and the cleanest skies.

He also highlighted Assam as India's most underrated state and Karnataka as the destination with the best surf.

When it came to environmental conditions, Betzmann described Delhi as the most polluted place he had visited.

His craziest experience, meanwhile, was celebrating the Holi festival, which he included as one of the standout moments from his travels across the country.

Take a look at the post here:

The post quickly attracted attention online, with many users appreciating his attempt to celebrate different parts of India while also suggesting destinations they believed deserved a place on the list.

Several users recommended that Betzmann explore more of South India, saying iconic temples such as those in Belur, Halebidu and Thanjavur would leave him equally impressed.

Others found humour in the reactions, pointing out that whenever foreigners share their favourite places in India, people often rush to ask why their own state was not included. They remarked that while India prides itself on being a diverse mosaic of cultures, discussions often end up turning into state-versus-state competitions.

Many also encouraged the traveller to continue exploring the country, recommending states such as West Bengal, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Odisha for his next trip.