No chapatti no Chai: No woman, no cry. Chicken curry don't worry. Life's long, you don't have to worry. These are the words spoken by our guide Papu who sat in front of a crackling fire, making chapati and had us all laughing by his funny rhymes and wise words. Deep in the majestic Thar Desert we all sat in near darkness apart from the light created from the flickering orange flames (from our camp fire) and the glow from the night stars. In the distance there was nothing but sand dunes, vegetation and the occasional wild animals. The location was very tranquil. When we took note of what we could hear there was nothing. Nothing but the crackling fire, the low hums and high whistles of the wind. No traffic noise or signs of life ... read more

Udaipur, its former nickname - the white city (although now more of a mix of yellow and blue homes), is only a couple hours away from Chittaugarh. A more laid back and maybe more touristy city than other places we've visited, but somehow still retaining its charm. Udaipur is probably one of the most beautiful places we've visited so far in India, with the huge lake Pichola complete with former palace (now a hotel) sat right in the middle of it. In the distance are copious amounts of rolling hills, it really makes for some stunning views from any of the many restaurant/hostel roof terraces. After confirming in the morning that we could catch a local bus from Chittorgarh to Udaipur, it was a no brainer. We were packed and out the door into the heavy ... read more

After visiting Delhi and Agra, Bundi was a refreshing break away from the chaos, the annoying touts, rickshaw drivers and the mass levels of tourism. Instead we would describe Bundi as a smallish town (for India that is) with a lot of charm and a warm friendliness about it but still retaining that vibrant alive feel that we love about India. Arriving here after our overnight train we immediately liked the feel of this place. This may have been in part due to the early quieter morning feel as there was hardly anything on the streets. Apart from the odd swerve around the roaming cow, pig, goat or dog we actually relaxed into our rickshaw ride knowing that nothing was in danger of being ran over by our driver. Taking advantage of the atmospheric streets we ... read more

In Delhi most people choose a day tour via private car to view many of the nearby sights. We wanted to do something similar but take our time as we got to grips with this new country, India. Following a very hearty breakfast, we decided we would carry out a ‘do it yourself’ kind of day tour via the metro. This went against the hostel’s advice of hiring out a car but we wanted to see India for ourselves. Learn our own lessons, you know. Walking down the main bazaar in the day time was no less hectic and chaotic than the evening before. Stalls with men shouting out for you to have a look in their shop, far too many vehicles on the street with no sense of a coordinated system whatsoever. It was every ... read more

When you think of capital cities certain images come to mind; high rises, large roads with traffic, malls, cinemas. Vientiane: home of around 800,000 residents has none of the above. Even popular sites are very limited and can be done in a day. Of course, with it being a Buddhist country there are many temples to visit but people tend to only visit the main few. We were here as it is the gateway to getting into Thailand overland. You can actually see Thailand a short distance away across the Mekong from Vientiane. We're not in Thailand for long however, its just a stop off point for a couple days before our flight to New Delhi, India. Another reason that brought us here was to arrange our visa for India. We would like to say this ... read more