Tag: Backpacking

Sikkim: travelling where nature smiles

Posted on by Elisha

After dismissing the northwest of India because of the cold and snow at this time of year, I decided to explore the northeast instead. It wasn’t just the slightly better weather that appealed to me though, it was also the fact that it is the most underexplored area in India and government restrictions on foreign travellers still remain. My first state in the Northeast was Sikkim, one of the least populated states in India and famous for being home to the third tallest mountain in the world.

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Seeing the Taj: take one and two

Posted on by Elisha

That big, beautiful, white building that sits next to the pyramids on most travel posters. The one thing you can’t leave India without seeing. The Taj Mahal. I was very excited to see it but I did wonder if perhaps it might not be as grand as I’d imagined after seeing so many pictures of … Continue reading Seeing the Taj: take one and two →

Happy Hampi

Posted on by Elisha

They call it Happy Hampi and I could definitely see why. It was a laidback village amidst a bizarre landscape of giant boulders and ancient temples. It reminded me a lot of Petra in Jordan where you weren’t really restricted as to where you could go and you could scramble up boulders and hills to … Continue reading Happy Hampi →

Kerala: God’s own country

Posted on by Elisha

When tourists think of southern India they think of Kerala and it’s famous backwaters, palm trees, beaches and laidback attitude. It’s the place where you can forget for a while that you are in a country with over one billion people; it’s quieter and more relaxed than other places on the subcontinent. I spent a … Continue reading Kerala: God’s own country →

My Gateway to India

Posted on by Elisha

Flying into Mumbai, it looked like any other city with tall sky scrapers all along the coast. I could see a thick blanket of smog hovering over the buildings, but I had expected that. I jumped into a pre-paid taxi and took off for the 25km to my hostel in the Fort area of the … Continue reading My Gateway to India →

Searching for the Holy Grail

Posted on by Elisha

If you look at the ground I covered in Petra it certainly looks like I was searching for the Holy Grail but I'll try not to mention Indiana Jones too much because the locals prefer not to associate Petra with that movie. In fact my hostel owner said if we put the movie on he'd … Continue reading Searching for the Holy Grail →