There are many great places to visit in the Kathmandu valley; some can be done as day trips while others make refreshing weekend breaks from the capital. The majority of travellers do not explore any more of the valley than the well-known heritage towns of Patan, Bhaktapur and Bodhnath. However, there is a wealth of… Continue reading Top 11 Off-the-Beaten-Track Day Trips in the Kathmandu Valley
The capital of Nepal is an intoxicating, infuriating and yet amazing place, a sensory overload of sights, smells and sounds that threaten to overwhelm first-time travellers. With an old town of traffic jammed alleys, intriguing medieval temples and enough to keep you busy for days, or even weeks, Kathmandu is an essential stop and deserves… Continue reading What to do with One Day in Kathmandu
Nagarkot and Dhulikhel are small towns situated on the edge of the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal; they are popular weekend retreats for those living in the capital. Nepali people are drawn to these hilltop oases for their clean air and famed mountain vistas. We’d already been to Dhulikhel on a previous visit to the country,… Continue reading Nagarkot and Dhulikhel: Top Tips and a Hiking Guide
Most visitors to Nepal spend some time exploring Kathmandu and a few of the surrounding valley towns; they chill out in Pokhara and some hit the mountains for days or weeks at a time. Chitwan National Park and Lumbini in the Terai region also receive their fair share of visitors. Beyond that, the rest of… Continue reading Why You Should Visit Gorkha and Tansen
Despite twice having flown into Colombo, we’d never explored any of Sri Lanka’s buzzing capital. At the end of our most recent trip, we decided to spend a little over 24 hours in the nation’s biggest city. We took a train from Kandy and were at Colombo Fort railway station by mid-afternoon. For anyone deliberating… Continue reading How to Spend 24 Hours in Colombo
Kandy is Sri Lanka’s second city and the cultural heart of the nation; if you’re travelling within the hill country or heading to or from the ancient cities you’re likely to at least pass through. This is a city, however, that deserves more than a quick stopover. Surrounded by mist shrouded hills and home to… Continue reading Top Sights in Kandy: The Cultural Heart of Sri Lanka
The east coast of Sri Lanka has much to offer and unlike the south or west of the island, the beaches aren’t packed with resorts or hordes of tourists. The vibe here is very different, much more authentic and original, and tradition still thrives. In fact, you are more likely to share the vast empty… Continue reading All you Need to Know about Batticaloa and Arugam Bay
The Sri Lanka Civil War The north and east of Sri Lanka have a turbulent history. It was in these regions of the island that a bloody civil war raged from July 1983 until May 2009, in which the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (the LTTE or the Tamil Tigers) waged an armed insurgency against… Continue reading How to Explore Jaffna and the North Independently
Some of the holiest sites in Hinduism can be found high up in the Garhwali Himalayas in Uttarakhand, where temples mark the spiritual sources of four sacred rivers: the Yamuna, the Ganges, the Mandakini and the Alaknanda. Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath make up one of the most important yatra circuits in India, known as… Continue reading The Best of Uttarakhand and India’s Char Dham
Ladakh – Land of High Passes. Ollie and I made our first trip to Ladakh in October 2016, leaving with the first snows of winter and the knowledge that we would return someday soon. That day finally arrived last year, in July 2018, when we excitedly boarded a plane in Delhi, bound for Leh, the… Continue reading Seeing the Best of Ladakh
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