Sri Lanka
Part 1
04.01.2024 - 19.01.2024
One of the best things about travelling is that time slows down. The first part of our trip has felt like two months condensed into two weeks.
After a smooth flight from Cork to Colombo we headed straight to Ahangama, a surf town on the south coast. A combination of our post new year wariness and a little jetlag brought a slower pace to our days. We awoke to our first taste of fresh Dahl and warm coconut Roti, which has become a favourite. Raja's cafe on the beach became our breakfast spot for the next 3 days, a locally run (hopefully owned) curry and rice hangout. Our spice tolerance still needs breaking in! Fin went out for a morning surf and quickly realised the swell was too big and he was way out of his depth - fitness levels not upto scratch. His ego reignited after winning many backgammon battles.
Next we took the local bus from Ahangama to Hiriketia. It took us a while to settle into the organised chaos of the bus drivers flavourful driving, clinging on while standing for most of the journey. We were greeted in Hiriketia by Benj, Soph and baby Fabain - lovely to see familiar faces! We stayed at Vinu's Place, a homestay hosted by a wonderful Sri Lankan family who cooked for us beautifully. Some glorious days starting with a 6am surf, hanging with friends, new and old. Fabian seemed to be loving every moment, making it look very easy to have a 6 month old abroad. Sadly Fin took ill on our last day, so our plans to head to Colombo to meet up with family and friends were parked. We extended our stay with Vinu and family, who brought Fin hot cothamale, a Sri Lankan herbal remedy. It was interesting to see the vast development of places along the coast, both in Hiriketia and Ahangama, mostly by foreigners. We were told Hiriketia was almost undiscovered by foreigners 10 years ago. While we were less taken by the more western influences, it was interesting to see the varied architecture - polished concrete top to toe, very 'on brand'. Shame to see a lack of natural materials or timber structure, but money rules.
Our next stop took us along the coast towards Tangalle, staying 5km inland by a small lake. We found a jungle cabana built by Nuwan and his family, which seemed the perfect place to hibernate while Fin recovered. A mixture of vernacular craft and hotelier, we were treated like kings and queens. Gorgeous vegetarian curries, sunrises over the lake and a theatrical bird display like no other.
Day 9 took us further inland to Udewalawe national park to stay at Banyan Camp. This was a recommended highlight place to stay, and a highlight it was. A rustic jungle retreat by a lake in the jungle, self-built by a Sri Lankan and Indian couple. An eclectic mix of buildings to stay in, cob houses with wine bottles in the walls, timber structures which have grown in the water and absorbed moisture before being used structurally, floating docks, reused Mercedes van into a bedroom. They also had a beautiful communal space surrounded by water and wildlife, a space we loved and an opportunity to meet other travellers. We became hooked on solitaire (the board game). Our first morning, we took paddle boards out into the lake in hope we might catch elephants. No luck, but we sighted a small crocodile and incredible bird life. We hiked a small rock for sunset within the elephant corridor, again in hope we might catch a glimpse of elephants travelling from the national park eastwards. To no prevail, but the views were absolutely worth the walk. After a morning deliberating, we opted to fork out 2 days budget on a safari. We were conscious of being stuck in queues of jeeps and the hassle and disruption this brings to the wildlife. But we quickly got over it and joined the grockles on tour. A memorable few hours, sightings of elephants, crocs and THE BIRDS, wow. The sass and elegance from cuckoos and kingfishers as they lined up for photos.
Reflections:
1. Sri Lankan people are wonderful
2. Our tolerance to spice is terrible
3. Life is better with fresh coconut roti
4. Monkeys will steel your food
5. Sri Lankan mangos are incredible
6. Ignorance is bliss (particularly regarding snakes)
7. Not getting up for sunrise is criminal
8. We actually do love architecture
AHANGAMA
HIRIKETIA
UDAWALAWA
Sri Lanka
Part 2
20.01.2024 - 02.02.2024
Our next stop was Ella, a picturesque town set in the mountains. A 10 minute walk along the railway track from the centre of town took us to Dawn's homestay. Extravagant breakfasts of fresh fruit, vegetables samosa, panipol pancakes, and dhal Roti on our terrace was a pretty solid way to start our three days here! We were surprised to see the buzzing backpacker nightlife in Ella, which we avoided...maybe we are getting old? On the plus side, our earlier night helped fuel a sunrise hike up little Adams peak the following morning. A fresh king coconut at the top whilst taking in the 360 views. Another highlight was the local cooking class that we took with Shashini. We thought it was the best meal we'd had in Sri Lanka thus far, local cuisine connoisseur after 2 hours, naturally.
After much confusion at the station desk, we managed to get an online ticket (at a premium) for the iconic Ella - Kandy train ride. We rode 3rd class, which was actually pretty luxury - 8 hours never went by so fast. We got off at Gampola, a few stops before Kandy, and took a tuktuk over the mountains towards Guava House to meet up with Ranj, Shaunagh and Sach. Woweee what a sublime spot, nestled in the jungle. Bravo Ranj, very impressed with your architectural handiwork! We spent three luxurious days catching up with family, eating delicious food prepared by Janthi and Ranj, and trading long lost family stories. We left feeling rejuvenated and inspired to take some of essence of Guava house back with us into the future. Thank you for having us Shaunagh and Ranj.
Next we caught the local bus to Kandy. Note to self set off earlier, riding the buses in the midday heat is tough. We seemed to be allergic to the cities, and headed straight through Kandy to Digana, to our next stop, Pepper cottage. A small barn up high in the hills of the edge of the knuckle mountain range. The homestay had been renovated, set up and run by a very interesting Dutch woman who we managed to catch on our last night. Each meal is shared communally around a long table, with an array of nationalities all trying to converse and share stories. Regrettably, our limited yet over enthusiastic French made an appearance. A highlight of our stay was a temple visit and rock walk, up to 360 views. Apparently the birthplace of Buddha. We shared tea and stories with Sri Lankan travellers, and learnt about the local coffee plantation. A slight resemblance to drinking hot soil, but the story and passion turned it into one of the best cappuccinos I'd ever had.
A 5am wakeup of drums and chants for pula day from the local temple, we caught another breath taking sunrise over the knuckle mountains. That day we travelled from Digana to Matale and opted for the local bus again. A longer and harder way to travel, but you have much more opportunity to engage with locals and their routines. We obviously look like deer's in the headlights trying to find our next bus, and everyone is so helpful and friendly. London, take note. We visited the Aluwihare temple on Pula day on the way. After a very bumpy Tuk Tuk ride we arrived at Silver Hill, a remote spice farm in the middle of the jungle. The place was closed for maintenance but we had managed to convince them to give us a last minute booking for a couple of nights. We spent the next 2 days indulging ourselves in the spectacular sucluded jungle.
Feeling recharged we caught a train from Kurunegala to Colombo. Shaunagh and Ranj kindly offered to host us again in their lovely apartment in Central Colombo. We timed our stay in Colombo to line up with a night of live music and theatre hosted by Sach and Hiran. It did not disappoint. Very excited to see where their creativity takes them next.
Our final stop in Sri Lanka was Galle. We rented a lovely characterful apartment in the Galle Fort where we spent 4 days surfing, eating, relaxing and feeling very lucky how good life is right now. We took a day trip to Bentota to check out some of Jefery Bawa's architecture before heading back to Colombo to catch a our flight to Mumbai for the next leg our our trip. Sri Lanka has been the perfect start of our travels. We will miss the beaches and the beautifully friendly people.
ELLA
GUAVA
DIGANA
COLOMBO
GALLE
India
Part 1: Gujarat
03.02.2024 - 18.02.2024
BOOM. BEEP BEEP BEEEP BEEP BEEP. As we landed into Mumbai at midnight, we were hit by the car horns and absolute chaos of vehicles, and we hadn't yet left the airport carpark. Making friends as we landed, we managed to share a taxi with other travellers also headed to the same hostel in the southern part of Mumbai in colaba and shared recommendations along the way. Our first sight of the city in the morning, we set off for an architectural tour of the Fort and Colaba areas. Limited on cash, we took our own tour of the city based on the lonely planet guide (LPG), and boy did it not disappoint. There is only so much of the heat and the maddness you can take in one hit before a reset is needed...so we headed to a for a late lunch at Samrat. We ordered the famous Gujarati thalidomide, a cavalcade of local tastes and textures. Quote fin, 'sounds rash but honestly think this is the best meal I have ever experienced'. House full to the brim of locals, this meal was a true highlight. One day was not nearly enough for Mumbai, but we managed to see some of the classics.
The following morning we caught a train from Mumbai to Ahmedabad. Whilst Mumabi was a sensory overload, we hadn't felt overwhelmed by the chaos. Our first moment of mind boggling chaos came when we stepped out of the station at 10pm in Ahmedabad. A sea of traffic, people and locals hounding us with offers for a ride and hotel recommendations. At first we tried to walk but we quickly realised that crossing the road was a no goer. We then tried our luck in a Tuk, but after 2km heading into the traffic on the wrong side of the road we sacked that off also. After a full on sense of humour failure from Jessy Wheels we managed to eventually cross the road and walk to our accommodation. We stayed in a restored 16th century home stay in the old town. Our hosts, a three generation family of 8, invited of into there home with open arms. We loved our time with them. Jess took part in a wedding dance practice session hosted in their living room and we joining the whole family in a game of India version of Marco Polo. All smiles. We spent 2 days in Ahmedabad exploring the city. Highlights included, wondering through the old town, seeing the stunning Hoothi Jane Temple at sunset, and visiting the Ghandi ashram and museum.
On recommendation, we headed far east of Gujurat to the Kutch region, home of handcrafts and tribal craft villages. It was also close to Hunnunshala, a foundation who work with local artisans and architects to produce beautifully crafted vernacular buildings for the community. We were very keen to visit, having heard a lot through our mate, James. Coincidentally, our air bnb host worked at the foundation so was able to give much more insight into the works, materials and techniques when we visited. We left feeling very inspired for similar projects at home. On other days, we explored the city and its Jan temples and palaces, much of which were devastated in the 2002 earthquake. A highlight of our time om Bhuj was a day exploring local craft villages around, guided by our homestay host, Neeru We were also joined by a lovely Italian man (who's name we have forgotten). It was his 50th visit to India and it was amazing to absorb his unwavering love for India. We visited a villages dedicated to block printing, embroidery, leather work, and Textiles. Each explaining the processes and intricate details behind their craft. We were inspired to learn how all materials were sourced locally using mostly natural materials. Very memorable!
After a bit of deliberation, we decided to head to Junagadh next, a relatively small city in southern Gujarat. The next morning we set off to walk up the Girnar mountain, which had been highly recommended by a few people. The sacred pillgaramage route took us up a long steep climb up 10,000 stone steps to the summit with stunning temples and views the whole way up. It took us 5 hours to reach the top with many interactions with beautifully colourful and friendly Indian faces along the way. They particularly loved Jess, who became a selfie machine by the time we reached the top! Exhausted, but with a big smile on our faces, we sat on a bus from Junagadh to Rajkot reflecting on how inspiring the Indian attitude to life is.
Arrived to dirty sheets in our not so luxury hotel in Rajkot. All was forgoten the following morning riding a Tuk to day 1 of the cricket with optimistic energy flowing through our viens. Watching the England cricket team abroad has always been high on the list for Fin, and no better place to do it than in India. Although the stadium for only 1/3 full, the Indians still made a crazy amount of noise. It's a sound we haven't heard before, somewhere between a screech and a yelp. We loved meeting and talking to so many cricket obsessed locals. During our time in Gujarat we have regularly been asked to take a photo with locals, but the cricket took things to a whole new level. We are talking full on Brad and Angelina A-List celebrity status. A real highlight was meeting up with our friends Sez and Tom to watch the cricket. They are in the midst of an epic 8 months trip in India were evoking that kind of glow it seams you can only find out here. We loved seeing them and sharing our misguided optimism that England would get the job done. Sadly not! Although England got thumped, we absolutely loved our 2 days at the cricket. Fingers crossed we make it to the 5th test in Dharamshala!
MUMBAI
AHMEDABAD
BHUJ
JUNNAGAGH
RAJKOT
India
Part 2: Rajasthan
19.02.2024 - 07.03.2024
First step into Rajasthan, the city of romance. We arrived from our first night bus experience at 6am after a 10hr journey. Far far more luxurious than expected, a double bed with blankets and Aircon....just ignore the very dodgy reckless driving and the bucket of sick in the Isle. We headed straight to a hostel in the centre of town, with what seemed the highest roof top in the city, where we caught to sun arriving over the city. A wildly different experience of India to that of Gujarat, the city felt so pruned and plush! Many rooftop bars and 5* hotels on the water, it wasn't far off from lake Como. A whistlestop one night here was plenty to catch the stunning scenery, the Palace, wedding parades, a local dance show, the art shops and a few rooftop kingfishers.
Our next stop was Jaisalmer. We jumped straight into exploring the winding lanes of the 11th century fort. The intricate details of the golden sand stone immediately takes you back in time. Unlike most other historic forts in Rajastan, Jaisalmer is lived in by many locals which helps create a real buzz. We particularly enjoyed chatting to a local textile shop owner who shared our love for Glastonbury Festival having been there the last 15 years selling his work in the healing fields. Small world.
The highlight of Jaisalmer however was our camel trek to bring up the big 30 for Jessy Wheels. After a 60km jeep ride, we arrived in the desert for our camel trek. We were geated by our guide, Ganesh and our camales, Johnny and Romeo. After a 2 hour morning trek into the desert we stopped for chai, dhal and Chapatti cooked over open fire. There had been a big thunderstorm and strong winds the day before so we were v thankful the weather had turned up hot and dry for us! After some more trekking, we arrived at our spot for the night in the sand dunes. Another delicious meal cooked on the open fire and a cold kingfisher sat with Ganesh around the fire was a highlight. Super interesting talking to him about the culture of his nearby village. After a night sleeping out under the stars we awoke to Jessica turning 30 in front of a desert sunrise! After trekking back, we spent the rest JWs big day in unusually luxurious accommodation, Nachana Haveli Hotel. Sunset glass of (ridiculously expensive) wine followed by a masala dosa. Bring on the 30s.
By luck rather than planning, we were treated to the Desert Festival on our last day in Jaisalmer. A 4 days event in and around Jaisalmer. We were treated to colourful paradesby local desert tribes, turban tieing completions, beauful local and bollywood live music, and the prestigious Mr and Mrs desert awards. Interested to note they the don't announce the winners on the stage at the time of the competition in fear of fights breaking our between disgruntled aspiring Mr desert participants! A highlight was being hosted by a local family for a delicious (and free) homecooked meal of Butter Masala Panner, local desert Beans, and chapatti.
We arrived in Jaipur feeling groggy after a 14 hour sleeper train from Jaisalmer. After a solid slice of indecision, we decided to take a day trip from Jaipur to Agra to see what all of the Taj Mahal hype was about. Arriving into the city we were yet again shocked at the miles and piles of rubbish along the tracks, kids playing, cows eating plastic bags. Often you see someone bagging it up, only to then tip in out again a stones throw away. Taj Mahal however, most spottless place in india. Although it came with a relatively steep entry fee (£13pp), we were not disappointed. There is something about the scale and the crystal clear white scene that really does captivate. We particularly enjoyed soaking in the final 20 minutes after dusk, watching the crowds file out leaving a peaceful low lit scene. The 3am train however, was less enjoyable.
Our next stop was Bundi via a 4 hour bus ride from Jaipur. Tourists are mostly huddled into a small corner of the city in the old town looking down over the lake and up onto the hillside fort and palace (we stayed at Shivem Guest House). Apparently there has been a huge decline in younger tourists, affecting businesses like Shivem's. Lack of funds post covid, or better options perhaps? Traces of hippier travellers were found in the the cafes and bars, our favourite being krishna's chai where we sat watching him parade his 40 year expertise, crushing his spices and boiling the milk like a pro.
4am start en route to Chittorgarh. Straight back to sleep on the sleeper train in our 3rd class seats that have come to feel like home away from home. Awoke to the sun coming up through the train window and a cup of chai aka sugar with abit of hot brown water. With only 1 day in Chittorgarh, we wasted no time and headed straight to the famous Chittorgarh Fort. This time we opted for a guide who squeezed us both on the back of his motorbike and whizzed us around the hilltop packed with temples, palaces and history. **(Something about history and religion)
On the way back to Jaipur, we made a detour....After a long day travelling from Bundi back to Jaipur via a short and little underwhelming block print workshop in Bagru, we met Sarah Orme at Jaipir Station. We were greeted with what can only be described as full throttle buzzing energy. We had a delicious dinner and few too many kingfishers at our roof top restaurant before calling it a night. We spent a couple more days exploring Jaipur's bazaars, clothes shopping, and eating more ridiculously delicious food. A highlight was walking up to the Monkey Temple, an ancient Hindu place of pilgrimage elevated on the edge of the city.
Next stop was Pushkar. We opted to catch a bus from Jaipur rather than train to give our new travel member a reminder of what a packed bus feels like in India. We were met by our most reckless driver yet. He seemed to be out to prove that he was a true maverick, opting for the dirt track adjacent to the main road. We spent 2 days in Pushkar and we didn't want to leave. Strangely, our first impression wasn't great. We were not taken by the noticeably different mixture of western tourists wutb dreads. Felt like a poor man's Glastonbury. But after discovering the spiritual lake and ghatts at the heart of the own we were wom over. It had magical atmosphere, surrounded by stepped ghatts, chanting and people absorbing the surrounding water and mountains. Abither highlught we eating at Shir Venksk, a local restaurant ran by 3 generations of the same family. They cooked the simple but delicous locla food directly in front of us on open flame.
Hopped on the train from Prushkar heading to judhpur after another morning stroll along the Pusbkad Ghatts. In Jodhpur we met friends from Glastonbury, Janey and Terry for a dinner of laughs and slightly too grezzy food followed by a typically chaotic India street chai before calling it a night. It was a pleasure to spend time with J + D in a city that they know very well. We spent the next few days exploring the City, visiting the Red Fort (wow), eating fantastic food and relaxing in our luxurious guest house that my very generous mother had treated to us.
Udaipur
Jaisalmer
Agra
Bundi
Chittorgarh
Jaipur
Puskar
Jodpur
India
Part 3: Himachal Pradesh
08.03.2024 - 29.03.2024
We left Jodhpur bracing ourselves for our longest journey yet, a 26 hour train and bus stint upto to Dharamshala. We were sad to leave Rajastan, my mum, Janey and Terry behind, but we were filled with energy form the last few days with them. We arrived in Dharamshala to realise all accommodation was fully booked because of the cricket but thankfully we found a guest house in near by Bagsu to sleep off our long journey. The next morning we headed down to the stunning Dharamshala Cricket Ground to watch the end of the 5th test match England vs India. Sadly, England were a pile of shit and the match was over by lunch time. Still special to witness what has been tipped the most beautiful cricket ground in the world. That evening we joined the barmy army at the pub for what could only be explained as a scene showcasing the unique behaviour of sunburnt brits and too much alcohol. A very strange interlude within our adventure.
The following day by chance, we stumbled upon the annual Tibbeten freedom march which was am unexpected privilege to witness. The Tibeten government has been based in Mcloed Gnage since 19** and the the town has a special atmosphere created by the many monks living there. Sadly we didn't get the chance to meet the Dalalama. Next time. The next day poor Jessy Wheels ate some dodgy momos and was sick for a few days so stayed put to rest up.
After what felt like slightly overstaying our welcome in Dharamshala, it felt good to get back on the road heading towards Bir Billing. On route we stopped off at he Norblinka Foundation, a peaceful and incredibly impressive Tibeten craft institute that offered guests the chance to observe and partake in a traditional tibeten craft techniques ranging from woodwork to embroidery. After lunch we jumped of a bus to Bir. It felt strangely good to be back on the chaotic busses. We spent 3 days wonderful days Bir hiking in the spring blossom and mountain foothills and relaxing at the Bir Bunker Hostel, best hostel of our trip so far. We rented a moped to drive over to Andretta, a near by village know to be the home of India oldest pottery studio. Unsurprisingly Jessy Wheels was buzzing to get involved and I think it's fair to day she will be back there at some point in her life. We both left Bir thinking that it would definitely be a place that we could happily spend a while lot more time.
Arrived in Banjar after a 6 hour bus from Bir. We made the decision to head to Banjar in the Tirthan valley rather than the more popular Kulu or Praveti valleys as we had heard that Tirthan was much more peaceful and less impacted by the explosion of development in the area. However, we arrived in Banjar to a cloud a dust and concrete building under construction, quite the contrast to the prestine valley in the background. Thankfully, we found a hostel nestled down the valley to stay for the next couple of nights. Continuing our new found love for scooters, we rented one and rode out to the village of Ganahsi. From there we following a 10km hiking trial to a waterfall on the edge of the Great Himalayan national park, stopping off at a cafe on the way back owned by a young Indian couple who had left Delhi behind to set up a life in the valley. After chatting with them over a chai and alo paratha, it turned out we had much in common, including studying architecture and our shared frustration of parts if the profession.
After hearing from a few people that the best place to spend Holi Festival is the Sangla Valley, we set off on wobbly bus journey up the mountain, stopping in Sarahan on route for a 1 night pit stop. In the morning we awoke to our first view of the serious Himalayas. Mind blown already. After another hair rasing bus journey and a hitched rider from and already packed car of excited Indians (who had travelled 34 hours from Gujarat), we arrived in Sangla for Holi Festival. Without question the two days that followed slotted straight into the top 10 of all time. Food, colour, music, dancing, chai, local apple wine, singing and the the most beautifully welcome and generous local community.
We left Sangla heading for Shimla with full hearts. We spent 3 nights in Shimla staying at the YMCA hostel which was like getting in a time machine back to the 1940s. It was also very strange wondereding through traces of the Bristish colonial past still very present in shimal today. A slighlth uncomfortable reminder of recent British/India history. We took the picturesque toy train from Shimla to *** during which we spent the journey researching and deliberating between spending the next month in Nepal or Northern India.
In typically last minute fashion, we decided to go to Nepal and booked our flight for the folllwing day. We spent our last night in Inida in Rishikesh and were presently surprised. An evening swim in the Ganges and a nighttime walk along the spiritual Ghatts were highlights. Would be nice to come back and spend more time in Rishikesh next time.
Dharamshala
Bir + Banjar
Sangla (Holi Festival)
Sangla + Rishikesh
Nepal
29.03.2024 - 28.04.2024
We made a typically last minute decision to spend the last 4 weeks of our trip in Nepal. We left flew from Deli to Kathmandu with hearts full of love for India. What a mind bogglingly awesome place. After spending a few days scrambling together some new kit we set off to embark on the Annapurna Circuit Trek. A 14 days hike in the Himalayas up to 5400mm. We thought that pictures would do a better job than words to translate the pure magic that followed!
Kathmandu
Annapurna
Pokhara
