DIPS in Jaipur
As our preferred travelling style is slow and steady, this last week in India was really flying in the face of what is the norm for us. In the time usually reserved for just one place we needed to cover three cities, not to mention the travelling in between. We planned to end our Indian odyssey with the classic ‘Golden Triangle’ of Jaipur, Agra and Delhi, starting with 4 nights at a great Heritage Homestay: the ‘Devi Niketan’ in Jaipur. After a bit of a downer in Jodhpur with the city in general, our accommodation and Immi’s...
read moreThe Jodhpur blues…
When we arrived in Udaipur we had looked into organising our onward journey to Jodhpur by train, when it became apparent that two historical landmarks were actually just under half way to Jodhpur so it made sense to do this sector using a private car and driver. The cost of the road trip was also comparative to four train tickets (in 2nd class A/C) at 2800Rupees/$51. Jodhpur is just under 300km to the north but when you ask someone in India ‘How far is it from A to B?’ the answer is almost always given in time, not...
read moreUnique Udaipur
Our trip north to Rajasthan began early with a 4am departure from our B&B in Mysore with Steve our host insisting on getting up to see us off. After a four hour drive to Bangalore and a two hour wait at the airport, we took our Jet Connect flight to Delhi where we endured another two hour wait before our Jet Airways connecting flight to The City of Lakes – Udaipur. Udaipur was going to be the longest stay of our Rajasthan cities thanks to many reports and recent first-hand accounts...
read moreMysore, Maharaja’s and Marsala Dosas
After our restful stop in the cool highlands of Wayanad, it was time to continue inland to Mysore. As trains do not operate over the Western Ghats, it meant another bus ride to Mysore, and once through the wildlife reserve the paved road gave way to dirt and what was already bad, rapidly got worse! I am surprised the bus didn’t shake apart going over the corrugations. As we passed over the Western Ghats, I watched in wonder at the myriad of cottage industries such as coffee plantations, teak trees and even some familiar...
read moreIndia continued… Week 2 – DIPS in the Arabian Sea and Highland activities
Before leaving Fort Kochi we did quite a bit of research into domestic flights so we could end our southern Indian odyssey at a point where we could fly up to Rajasthan in the north. Swimming pools were still being either elusive or only attached to the most expensive hotels, so we also wanted to be able to have a swim in the Arabian Sea before heading to a highland area to escape the heat and high humidity. Sudi, Beena’s husband, recommended the coast in northern Kerala and then to go up to Wayanad in the Western Ghats by bus. From here...
read moreNot all who wander are lost… J R R Tolkien
We really had no plans about where we were heading in India, other than to have approximately three weeks in the South before heading to Rajasthan in the North for another three weeks. Where exactly in the south we had no idea, nor had had any time to plan before arriving. Hence it got rather confusing and exasperating due in part to the transport options – train or bus, distances and time taken to get there and also looking ahead to get an internal flight up to Rajasthan, not to mention the numerous unfamiliar names and multiple...
read moreOur first week in India… the Malabar coast.
Our flight to India was via Kuala Lumpur with AirAsia, the low cost carrier we have flown with several times over the last few years. Leaving Vientiane we had an eight hour daytime layover at Kuala Lumpur airport before our night flight into Cochin (Kochi) and we spent the majority of the time sitting in the airports McDonald’s restaurant. Now, for those who know us well, this establishment would not be our first choice of a place to hang out – in fact the girls are lucky if they get to McDonald’s three times a year. However, it...
read moreFarewell Laos…
Instead of just continuing to Vientiane by bus, we had organised to do a kayaking trip on the Nam Lik River which involved an hour and a half drive south of Vang Vieng, kayaking downriver approximately 10km and then continue a further hour and a half drive to the nations capital, thus combining a necessary journey with a fun one. We were the only customers for this particular trip as most people just do a kayaking trip near Vang Vieng, before returning to their hotel for the night. For the trip down to the river I asked to sit in the...
read moreVang Vieng – adventure capital of Laos and a visit to the tourist police …
We left Luang Prabang by bus on our longest bus trip to date, heading south down the main highway in Laos which in reality is a patchwork of dirt and paved sections of very rough, narrow and windy road. It took seven hours to travel less than 220km thanks to the condition of the road, the precipitous cliffs not to mention a few cows, chicken and children often found wandering on the road. However the scenery was quite stunning – rugged and mountainous. The main choices of transport were...
read moreThe heart of Laos…
Luang Prabang has been part of the tourist trail for a good many years now and is considered the heart of Laotian culture. It was designated a UNESCO World heritage site in 1995 and its charm is evident in the crumbling French architecture, its many temples and natural beauty. Hence, being the premier destination in Lao, tourists can pay more for the pleasure of eating drinking and sleeping here than in the capital city, Vientiane… but there are still bargains to be...
read more