Varanasi, the holy city of the Ganga (Ganges) and ghats is an easy place to get lost and maybe even lose yourself. As with most busy cities in India, bazaars and shops are everywhere. Whilst the lanes and bazaars near the Ganga are a nice place to amble around, the holy river of the Ganga and the many ghats that line its banks are the main draw to this photogenic Indian city. In North India this is one of the cities that visitors to really feel India.
Rajasthan and Jaipur conjures up images of the mighty Mughals that ruled much of India from the 16th to 19th century. Today we can still see their influence on Indian culture in Jaipur in the form of art, architecture, food and dance. One of the many great reasons to visit India is due to its cultural diversity and regional differences. Whilst you may need to venture out of Jaipur to see more traditional and authentic Rajasthani culture it’s still a great place to get a taster. Our top 6 things to do in Jaipur:
Staying at a budget hotel called Smyle Inn meant that we were right in the middle of Delhi’s main bazaar, albeit on a street off the main road. With only a short 3 day stay in the capital of India, location was important to squeeze in many things to do in Delhi.
The convenient location meant that we battled our way up and down the main bazaar a few times a day. It proved to be a good training ground for what should be a simple task: walking down a busy street in India.
Agra is just a 2 hour train ride away from Delhi. Agra can easily be done as a day trip. Once there you can discover the wonders of the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Jahal Masjid, Jahangir Mahal and many other historic buildings.
From New Delhi train station we took a CC class train for 500R, which had air conditioning with seats arranged like airplanes. It wasn’t the cleanest of trains but it was Continue reading
Bang! It’s a cliche but as soon as we land in Delhi all our senses are smacked hard by the hustle and bustle of the Indian capital. Tuk tuks honking, the blazing sun hitting your neck, Honda Heroes darting in and out of traffic, colourful saris flowing along, cows meandering down the street, and the sweet and spicy smell of street food is a busy Indian city.
The hustle and bustle of the streets of Indian cities means that it’s not a place to chill (if you’re a tourist anyway). It’s easy to get distracted with everything going on around you and right in your face.
We landed right in the middle of it all at Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport.
The Delhi Airport Express Metro gets you to New Delhi after landing in Delhi in about 20 minutes, it runs every 10 – 15 minutes with trains running from 04:45 – 23:30. It’s clean, fast, and efficient and only costs 60 Rupees to get you into the heart of Delhi.
Koh Samui is Thailand’s second largest island and arguably the most beautiful with its stunning beaches and temples. Thailand has long been a backpackers favourite and Koh Samui draws in all sorts of travellers especially the luxury traveller. Koh Samui now has amazing high end restaurants, bars, spas and resorts to complement the more traditional temples, family run restaurants, and local towns towards the south-west of the island.
Our three day stay in Tokyo was short for such a big city but we had other places in Japan to explore such as Kyoto, Koyasan, and Osaka. To get a little local taste of Tokyo in such a short time we enlisted the help of a Tokyo resident to give us a local’s guide to Tokyo the capital city of Japan via Tokyo Free Guide. In a packed half day we visited districts off the beaten path such as Shimokitazawa, Nippori, and Yanaka.
Golden Gai is in the Shinjuku area of Tokyo known for its nightlife and brilliant little bars to drink in.
Surrounded by skyscrapers and bright lights, Golden Gai (Golden District) is a small area of alleyways packed full of tiny bars in little old buildings. This place has character and you’ll find yourself wondering around the intriguing area for a while before even stepping into a bar for a drink.
Istanbul has gone through a few hardships of late but it’s an amazing city to explore that is buzzing with culture and flavours making a visit to this beautiful capital city of Turkey most enjoyable.
Istanbul exists over Europe and Asia, divided by the Bosphorus strait and connected by two suspension bridges.
The European side of Istanbul is considered the old city because of its historical significance and you’ll find most of the famous tourist attractions here. The Asian side is more residential, with high street shopping, markets and nightlife.
Here are just 10 of the many top things to do in Istanbul: