We woke as soon as it got light as the room had no curtains, but this gave us a good view of the valley below, as there was some blue sky and sunshine. Having had a brief glance around 5:45am we went back to sleep partly because we were warm and partly because we had spent the … More High Passes and Marijuana Pigs – Kila Nunnery to Haa
Our first full day in Bhutan and our first sight on our list was Takshang Goemba (better known as the Tiger’s Nest Monastery), the most famous monastery in Bhutan and probably the most iconic image of the country. It perches on the side of a sheer 900m cliff and is said to be held in … More Up and Up and Up – The Tigers Nest & Kila Nunnery
There was low cloud as we landed in Paro and we could see rain down in some of the side valleys. Paro is supposed to be a very dangerous airport as the flight path involves weaving between mountains at very close quarters. We felt the plane twisting and turning but couldn’t really see anything. The … More Peaceful Paro
The Indian taxi driver to the airport to catch flight number 15 was a bit of a maniac. We were glad it was early on a Sunday morning so it was nice and quiet. In India outside Ladakh we have loved the architecture and enjoyed the company of some of the people we have met … More The Land of the Thunder Dragon – Bhutan
The final day of our tour started with a 6 hour drive back to Delhi. The countryside scenery as we left Mandawa was really pretty but the inevitably slow drive and the heat in the car made it very hard for us to keep our eyes open and we kept snoozing. Every time we woke … More Delhi – Still hot, still humid but not so much hassle
Shekawati region is a collection of countryside towns that are known for its painted havelis (traditional decorated residences). While they are now in an out of the way part of the countryside in the 14th century the towns were important trading posts on the caravan routes. We were staying in Madawa in a heritage hotel … More Land of the havelis – Mandawa
After visiting the Taj, breakfasting and showering, we took a slow 1:30hr drive 40km west down the road to Fatehpur Sikri, which was once a fortified city (between 1571 and 1585) until the water ran out. The whole of the palace and pavilions are made of red sandstone and it was really peaceful. There is … More The ghost city & the pink city – Fatehpur Sikri & Jaipur
A ridiculously early start for the second morning running. This time to see the Taj Mahal at sunrise. As it had rained on our way to Agra we had opted to see it at sunrise not sunset. Leaving the hotel at 5:45am it was light, relatively cooler and the streets were quiet. Our walk down … More Visiting the Taj Mahal
Flight number ‘we’ve lost count’ involved an early start. It was dark when we got up and there was a powercut but luckily we thought this might be the case and had already packed most of our stuff up and had a torch and candle on standby. Being in Jammu and Kashmir Leh airport has … More Back into the Melting Pot
On our way into Leh we’d passed through a couple of villages with white hilltop monasteries and lots of white stupas. We decided to head back to the furthest of these. Thicksey is home to one of Ladakh’s biggest monasteries which tops a large rocky hill with layers upon layers of Tibetan style buildings that … More Sickness and Sightseeing – Leh part 2
Marie & Emma's Travel Journal 