I have been to India on numerous occasions and really wanted to expose Kerryn to some of the more popular tourist destinations such as jostling Jaipur and Agra (home to the Taj Mahal) but also wanted to include some lesser known destinations such as the picturesque Simla, Dharamasala (where I went to boarding school at the tender age of 8) and the calm backwaters of Alleppey in Kerala.
Our adventure commences as we arrive in the bustling metropolis of Mumbai, where we plan to acclimatise to the sensory overload for a day and then visit my extended family. From there, a short flight to Kochi beckons as we shift towards our romantic house boat cruise through the backwaters of Kerala. A drive to the tea plantations and waterfalls in the area surrounding Munnar is followed by a classical Indian train ride northwards to Goa.
Another short flight to Udaipur and all the royal wonders will treat our eyes. Pushing out into the desert, we will venture into the sand-laden city of Jaselmer. A train journey across Rajastan will lead us to the gorgeous pink city of Jaipur. No trip to India is complete without a visit to the Taj Mahal in Agra. We plan all of this before we reach the holy city of Mathura for the bright and exuberant powder-throwing festival of Holi.
Another brave venture into India vast metropolis' takes us into New Delhi. This is followed up with a visit to one of India's holiest cities, Rishikesh and Hardiwar. From there, the Himilayan hill towns of Simla and Dharamsala beckon. From there, we venture north along the famed Minali-Leh highway where we fly-out to Kathmandu.
Several days in Kathmandu are preceded by a bus journey out towards Pokhara and it is there that our much anticipated Nepal trekking experience will commence. Once we return to Pokhara, we will then head deep into the luscious jungles of the Chitwan National Park for our elephant safari. After returning to Kathmandu we fly out to Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, where we join up with our Tibet tour group. 10 days of elevated travel, including a stop over at the Mount Everest north-face base camp will eventually lead us back to Kathmandu.
We will then fly out to the holy Indian city of Varanasi, perched on the shores of the river Ganges. We will be volunteering at a local school that provides food and educational to young disadvantaged children. A quick shopping stopover in Delhi will call an end to the magnificent adventure that we will share on the Indian sub-continent.
--Sandeep Fogarty
