THE DELEON INSIGHT
The Vibrancy of India By Ken DeLeon
While I have previously visited India on several business trips with Michael Repka, I had never before traveled there for pleasure. With Michael, I have attended real estate conferences in Delhi, and toured homes and talked to top agents in tech hubs such as Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai, and Hyderabad. Yet my clients from India said I was missing some of the most beautiful parts of the country. When the real estate market hibernates over the winter, I take my annual trip, and this time I focused on the picturesque state of Rajasthan, meaning “the land of the kings.” My first adventure was a tiger safari. Tigers, the largest and strongest of the big cats, were approaching extinction due to habitat loss and illegal poaching. Through preserving the park and other reserves, the tiger population has nearly doubled. Still, these stunning animals are hard to find, and it took days of searching until I was lucky enough to meet “Krishna,” a twelve-year-old female. With the striking juxtaposition of the most ferocious roar I have ever
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heard coupled with the most beautiful coat and calm demeanor of this stunning animal, this made for an unforgettable sojourn I highly recommend. Next, I traveled to Udaipur, known as the “Venice of the East.” This city alone has four palaces: a city castle with a 200,000 sq. ft. main residence built for
