Spectacular Ladakh.

Leh Palace.  (Photo by Rayan Naqash. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.)

Some people would think that I am crazy to organize an entire trip around two days of festival but that is exactly what I am doing for this trip to India.  Another reason was that it would take me to a part of the country that I have longed wanted to visit - the area known as Ladakh.  Anyone who knows me will tell you that I love to travel to remote destinations and if you can throw in some mountains, that would be ideal.  Ladakh checks both boxes.  I don't know how I managed to convince Ayşe and Chantale to come along with me but they are and I think we will have a fantastic time. 

The Sights of Jaipur

Amer Fort.
(Photo by Kuldeepsingh Mahawar. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.)

It seems like I've been planning this trip forever but it's really only just been a few months but in a very short while, we'll be our way to India and Nepal.

Our first destination in India will be Jaipur and Chantale and I will be there; we'll meet up with Ayşe in Delhi a few days later.  The parents of a friend of Chantale's daughter have kindly offered to pick us up from the airport and take us to our Airbnb apartment.  I don't expect them to take us around so we'll have to figure that part out.  There are plenty of options to consider.

Packing List. India and Nepal.

Our suitcases are in those sacks!

On my first adventure trip, which was to Peru in 2006, I was traveling with a backpack. Fully packed, it weighed just under 8 kilos. By the time I went to Mali in Senegal in September 2010, I had decided to switch over to wheeled luggage so I bought an Eagle Creek wheeled duffle that I still use to day. I love that suitcase!  Considering how many countries I have dragged that thing through, it has last incredibly well.

India and Nepal. A Happy Return.

Hemis Festival.
(Photo by rajkumar1220. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) license).

My first trip to India and Nepal was back in 2007.  I had signed up for a 10 day overland tour of Tibet.  The starting point was Kathmandu, Nepal.  In researching flight options to Kathmandu, I came across flights leaving from Delhi.  That got me thinking that I could tack on a few days at the front end of my trip to visit Delhi and of course, Agra.  I also added a couple of days to Kathmandu so I could explore the city both ahead and after the tour.