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India · The Edit
Ohio to Bodh Gaya:
Taking My Mom & Aunt
to See Master Thích Minh Tuệ
Three flights, one palace hotel, a barefoot master, June heat like I've never felt, and courtyards full of children who changed how I see everything.
Jetsetter Journey · The Edit
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Some trips you plan for the beaches. Some you plan for the food. This one was planned around a person: Master Thích Minh Tuệ, the Vietnamese ascetic who has spent years walking barefoot, moving millions of people — a walk that led him all the way to India, to the very place where the Buddha attained enlightenment: Bodh Gaya.
Last June, my mom and my aunt told me they wanted to see him with their own eyes. For them, it was a lifelong wish. For me? I was the trip planner, the flight booker, the bag carrier — happily guiding them halfway around the world. Here's the full story — the long journey there, where we stayed, the morning we offered alms, and the schoolchildren of Bodh Gaya who stole the whole trip.
Getting There
Ohio → Paris → New Delhi → Gaya
There is no easy way to get from Ohio to a small town in Bihar, India — and with my mom and aunt in tow, the long way there became part of the story. Our route: Ohio to Paris, Paris to New Delhi, then a separate domestic flight from New Delhi to Gaya, the airport that serves Bodh Gaya.
I tracked the international legs on KAYAK for a few weeks before booking — its price alerts are the only reason we caught a decent fare out of Ohio — and compared final routes on Expedia before pulling the trigger. The Delhi–Gaya leg is short, but flights are limited, so book it as early as you can.
Jetsetter Tip
Book Delhi–Gaya before anything else. Gaya is a small airport with limited daily flights, and during pilgrimage season they fill up fast. Lock in that leg first, then build your international flights around it using KAYAK price alerts.
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A Soft Landing at the Taj Palace
After nearly 20 hours of travel, we gave ourselves one gift before heading into rural Bihar: a stay at the Taj Palace, New Delhi. And what a gift it was — marble floors that go on forever, carved lattice screens, lantern light, and a grand staircase that made my mom and aunt stop mid-step just to take it in.
The lobby of the Taj Palace, New Delhi — marble, lanterns, and total calm after 20 hours of travel.
The first proper coffee in two days, in that endless marble lobby.
Taj Palace, New Delhi
Diplomatic Enclave · New Delhi
A classic five-star in Delhi's Diplomatic Enclave — quiet, grand, and the perfect recovery stop between a long-haul flight and a domestic hop to Gaya. Gorgeous lobby bar, excellent breakfast, and staff who treated my mom and aunt like royalty.
Check rates on Agoda →
Booking.com →
Hotels.com →
Jetsetter Tip
For hotels in Asia, always cross-check Agoda. It consistently had the best rates for our India stays — noticeably better than what I'm used to seeing for US hotels. I compare Agoda, Booking.com, and Hotels.com side by side, and Agoda won almost every time on this trip.
Bihar, India
Arriving in Bodh Gaya
The flight from Delhi to Gaya is barely two hours, but it feels like arriving in a different world. We went in June, and I cannot overstate the heat — we're talking well over 100°F with humidity that hits you like a wall the second you step off the plane. Gaya is also not a wealthy or industrialized city; Bihar is one of the poorest states in India, and you feel that reality everywhere. But Bodh Gaya itself is absolutely humming with devotion. Pilgrims from Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Tibet — everyone converges here, because this is where it all began: the Mahabodhi Temple, built beside the descendant of the Bodhi tree where the Buddha attained enlightenment.
Bodh Gaya in June — sun hat, shades, and my portable neck fan doing the heavy lifting.
The June Heat Is No Joke
The single best thing I packed was a portable handheld fan. I'm not exaggerating — my mom, my aunt, and I fought over it daily. If you're going anywhere near India in summer, get one before you leave. This is the exact one I brought: my portable fan on Amazon. Rechargeable, fits in a purse, and it saved us at the temple, in the markets, everywhere.
The market street leading toward the Mahabodhi Temple — you can just see the spire rising at the end.
Before we went, I read reviews of guesthouses, restaurants, and the temple logistics on TripAdvisor — genuinely useful here, because Bodh Gaya is the kind of place where quality varies wildly and recent traveler reviews matter. If you want structure, GetYourGuide has guided day tours covering the Mahabodhi Temple and the surrounding monasteries, which I'd recommend for first-timers who don't want to negotiate with drivers on arrival.
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The Morning We Saw Master Thích Minh Tuệ
This was the reason my mom and aunt came, and I still don't fully have words for it.
If you're Vietnamese, you almost certainly know who Master Thích Minh Tuệ is. For everyone else: he is a Vietnamese ascetic practitioner who walks barefoot, owns almost nothing, wears robes stitched from discarded cloth, eats one meal a day from an alms bowl, and sleeps sitting up wherever the road finds him. His barefoot walk across Vietnam moved the entire country — and then he kept walking, across borders, toward the Buddhist holy sites of India.
My mom, my aunt, and I joined the early morning alms offering. We prepared containers of rice and fresh bananas, and stood with other devotees as he and his fellow practitioners passed with their bowls. Watching my mom and aunt place food into the bowl of someone they had prayed about for years — I will never forget their faces in that moment.
The morning alms round — rice, bananas, and quiet hands.
Jetsetter Tip
If you go for the alms offering, arrive before sunrise and follow the local devotees' lead. Dress modestly, keep phones down during the offering itself, and offer simple vegetarian food. This is a devotional moment, not a photo op — the photos you do take respectfully will mean more.
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The Children of Bodh Gaya
The part of the trip I think about most was working with local schools in Bodh Gaya — we partnered with two or three schools, including the Gurukul Residential Public School, to bring supplies to kids ranging from about 5 to 12 years old: books, pencils, and snacks. These schools run on almost nothing — tin roofs, concrete floors, and teachers doing heroic work — so even simple supplies matter more than you'd think.
We also packed two big bags of candy from Costco before we left. Bodh Gaya has many children living in real poverty, and you'll meet them on every street — so whenever we crossed paths with kids, we had something small to hand them. What the children gave back — the peace signs, the giggling, the hundred little hands waving — was worth more than every mile it took to get there.
Handing out rice and staples to families in the neighborhood.
Trying to get everyone in the frame. Impossible. Perfect.
The students and teachers of Gurukul Residential Public School.
Jetsetter Tip
Want to visit or give? Coordinate the bigger donations through a school or a monastery — that's how we organized the books, pencils, and snacks, and it makes sure the help actually lands. Small treats for the kids you meet along the way are a kind touch too; just keep it simple and give with respect.
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How to Plan This Trip
Everything I used (or would use) to put this exact trip together, in one place:
KAYAK
Set price alerts for CVG–DEL months out. This is how we caught our fare via Paris.
Search flights →
Expedia
Best for booking the full international route once KAYAK finds it — and for flight + hotel bundles.
Book on Expedia →
Agoda
The winner for hotel rates in India and across Asia. Check it first for the Taj Palace and Bodh Gaya stays.
Check Agoda →
Booking.com
The biggest selection of Bodh Gaya guesthouses and monastery-adjacent stays, with free cancellation on most.
Browse stays →
Hotels.com
Worth a cross-check — their rewards program stacks up if you travel a few times a year.
Compare rates →
GetYourGuide
Guided tours of the Mahabodhi Temple, the monasteries, and Delhi day tours if you have a layover.
Find tours →
TripAdvisor
Read recent reviews before choosing restaurants and guesthouses in Bodh Gaya — quality varies a lot.
Read reviews →
Vrbo
If you're traveling as a family or staying longer in Delhi, a whole apartment beats two hotel rooms.
Search rentals →
💡 Lessons From the Road
Build In a Recovery Night
Going straight from a 20-hour journey into rural Bihar is brutal. One night at a great Delhi hotel — we chose the Taj Palace — makes the whole trip smoother, especially when you're traveling with your mom and aunt.
Respect the June Heat
100°F+ and humid. Hydrate constantly, plan outdoor time for early morning, and bring a portable fan — the one item everyone in our group wanted to borrow.
Get Your India Visa Early
US passport holders need an e-Visa. It's usually fast, but don't leave it for the week before departure. Apply only through the official Indian government e-Visa site.
Pack for Humility, Not Instagram
Modest, breathable clothing, sandals you can slip off at temples, and a scarf for shoulders. Bodh Gaya is a sacred place first and a destination second.
Cash Is King in Bihar
Cards work at the Taj Palace. They do not work at a market stall in Bodh Gaya. Withdraw rupees in Delhi before flying to Gaya.
Travel With Your Mom (and Your Aunt) While You Can
Not a logistics tip. Just the truest thing I learned on this trip. Being the one to guide them to something they'd dreamed about for years — that's the whole reason to travel.
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