The overnight train took us to Varanasi, one of the worlds oldest cities. Varanasi is the ultimate destinations for hindus and the city is full of temples, shrines and devotees. After almost 10 days in rural locations, Varanasi came as quite a shock. It is louder, busier and dirtier than any other Indian city I have visited, but at the same time there is a vibrance to the city that is not equalled. We walked the old city and took boats out onto the Ganges to watch the sunset. The evening on to river was a perfect way to view the evening rituals being performed on the riverbanks and the candle ceremony (make a wish as you push a floating tea candle onto the river) was a magical experience. The following morning we again took to ... read more

A short drive took us to our next destination, Alipura, where we were treated to another special experience of staying at Alipura Palace. The Royal Family still live in the Palace and we were lucky enough to meet the King! After a nice lunch we headed off on a village walk to meet the locals and see everyday Alipura life. It is always a great experience to spend time in rural villages, but so sad to see the negative effects of tourism. We were hounded for money, pens and chocolate and the kids were quite persistant which made the whole experience a little testing. As we were approaching the Palace at the end of our village walk, my stomach gurgled and I knew right away that it wasn't going to be good. For the second time ... read more

Well, the overnight train from Pushkar wasn't half as bad as I was expecting. It was warm, comfortable and quite clean! I was relieved the first experience went so well, as I have a few more to go in the next half of my trip! The overnight train took us back to Delhi where my group and I said our goodbyes. I was heading straight to another hotel to meet the girls and our "Unforgettable India" group for the next 15 days. After a day in Delhi and another stop in Agra with my new group to revisit the majestic Taj Mahal, we headed to a small town in Uttar Pradesh called Chanderi. The town is still off the beaten track and the only westerners to visit the villagers are Intrepid travellers. We spent our first ... read more

Udaipur certainly lived up to its reputation of being India's most romantic city! White marble palaces, the lake, rooftop restaurants and cafes and the small, winding cobble stoned streets...divine! The city is a centre for artists, dancers and musicians and lets not forget backpackers! I haven't seen too many westerners since I arrived in India almost two weeks ago, but Udaipur is apparently the backpackers paradise in Rajasthan. We visited the City Palace, one of the largest Royal Palaces in India (#2) and spent an afternoon aboard a small row boat on the lake in which everything in Udaipur is centered around. It was really intereting to watch the locals going about their daily lives from fishing to washing clothes, bathing and just enjoying the water & sun.... read more

We travelled through villages and farmlands to get to the small town of Bundi, in a remote part of rural Rajasthan. Bundi was a perfect town to explore on foot, with the streets & markets full of energy, colour and every day Rajasthani life. We spent the day visiting the Palace and it's beautiful murals, step-wells and the endless bazzars. Our stay in Bundi was far to short, but a welcome change of pace. Bundi is relatively new on the tourist map so the negative effects of the tourism industry haven't hit here yet. There were no street children begging for money and store owners would leave you be after the first NO.... read more