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Solo Trip to India and Nepal
  • Happy Days Travel
  • Happy Days Travel

Solo Trip to India and Nepal

This is my first solo overseas trip since Mark died earlier this year. I'm excited to return to India and to explore Nepal for the first time, but it will be strange not to have Mark with me to share the experience with. Read more
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  • Happy Days TravelSolo Trip to India and NepalTraveler

    National Gandhi Museum

    April 2 in India ⛅ 30 °C

    Today, I had a GreetHer ambassador experience with Mansi. I arranged to meet her at the National Gandhi Museum at 11am. I decided to get there for 10, so I could go in before she arrived, and then we could use our time for other things.

    On arrival, I really liked the art on the outer walls, and the beautiful gardens. The museum itself was really interesting and well laid out. It was all done with a great deal of respect and admiration for Mahatma Gandhi. I was interested to see all the exhibits relating to his years in South Africa. I had seen the same photos displayed in the museum in Johannesburg.    Read more

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    Meeting with Mansi

    April 2 in India ☁️ 33 °C

    Later, I met with Mansi and we visited Gandhi Darshan Park, peaceful landscaped gardens with a pavillion that houses photos relating to Gandhi and the boat he used to cross the Mahi River at Kanapur during the salt march.

    We then crossed the road to visit Raj Ghat, where a simple black marble platform topped with an eternal flame marks the spot where Gandhi was cremated.

    Afterwards, we took an auto to Connaught Place and had masala dosa and tomato and onion uttapam for lunch.

    It was extremely hot today. By the time I'd walked back to the hotel, I'd done nearly 20,000 steps and I was completely knackered!    Read more

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    Fiona has arrived in Delhi 😍

    April 4 in India ☁️ 30 °C

    I had a quieter day yesterday. I didn't sleep well and I was up very early to submit the content I'd agreed to create for GreetHer in exchange for the meeting with Mansi on Thursday.

    After breakfast, I popped out for bananas and snacks, and then spent the rest of the day working.

    This morning, I had breakfast and then got myself organised to check out and move over to Hotel Perfect in Karol Bagh, the starting hotel for our Intrepid tour. I booked a taxi through Uber, as I had my luggage with me. The hotel porter put my big case on the back seat of the taxi. I wondered why he hadn't put it in the boot, but as it turned out, it was a good decision 😀. My driver had serious road rage from the start. He drove with his hand permanently on the horn and loudly berated every other person on the road. He was an accident waiting to happen! And so it proved. We crashed into an auto alongside us! The side of the taxi was damaged, as was the boot which sprang open and wouldn't close again. Both drivers and the two young male passengers from the auto got out and started having a major argument in the middle of the street. I stayed in the car 😀. After about ten minutes shouting, both drivers got back in their vehicles and continued their journeys 😂.

    I checked into the Hotel Perfect. I was a bit worried, but the staff were very friendly and the room was perfectly fine. I settled in and sorted out the stuff I'm leaving here when we go off on tour.

    Later, I went out to explore the local area, all the while checking on the status of Fiona's flight. It took off from Heathrow an hour late, but was making up time on route.

    I found that our hotel is in the middle of a local commercial area, mainly filled with wedding shops. It was really busy. I ended up having a late lunch in a local restaurant just across the road from our hotel. It was packed, so I took the only free seat - at a table occupied by a group of young Indians. I ordered chicken dum biryani which was delicious, and only cost around £2.40.

    Back at the hotel, I decided to try to sleep for a while before heading to the airport to meet Fiona. I think I managed to get a couple of hours. At around 11pm, I took an Uber to the airport, where I had a strong black coffee to keep me awake. Fiona's flight landed at 12.06, just one minute later than originally scheduled. She got through security and baggage reclaim without incident and I met her at around 1am. We took a taxi back to the Hotel Perfect, arriving at 1.45am. We were both extremely tired, so it wasn't long before we turned it in.    Read more

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    India Gate and Lodi Gardens

    April 5 in India ☀️ 26 °C

    I don't think either of us slept particularly well. When we were both awake, we went down to reception to get Fiona checked in, and then up to the roof for breakfast. I ordered one of my favourites - puri bhaji - and Fiona stayed cautious and had tea and toast. She did try mine, though, and she enjoyed it, so I think she might not play it so safe next time 😂.

    After breakfast, we went out for a walk. It was much calmer than yesterday afternoon, but it's still a lot to take in when it's your first time in India. I was relieved that Fiona seemed to really enjoy the chaos 😀.

    We returned to the hotel to freshen up ahead of our tour of New Delhi. Our driver, Kalim, picked us up at 2pm and we drove through the city to collect our guide, Riaz. It was Fiona's first chance to see Delhi in daylight. We passed around Connaught Place, and decided to return tomorrow to have dosas 😀.

    The first stop on our tour was Agrasen Ki Baoli, the only place that I had been to before. It was so much busier than when I was there a few days ago. Riaz proved to be a much more knowledgeable guide than the guy who was with me last time 😀.

    Our next stop was at India Gate, formerly known as the All India War Memorial. It is a prominent monument situated on the eastern edge of the ceremonial axis of New Delhi India, officially known as Kartavya Path. It stands as a memorial commemorating the 74,187 soldiers of the Indian Army who died between 1914 and 1921 in the First World War, in France, Flanders, Mesopotamia, Persia, East Africa, Gallipoli and the Third Anglo-Afghan War. Around 13,300 servicemen’s names, including those of some British soldiers and officers, are inscribed on the gate. Designed by Edwin Lutyens, the memorial draws inspiration from ancient Roman triumphal arches such as the Arch of Constantine and is frequently compared to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

    Riaz insisted on taking several photos of us from all angles 😂. This was repeated everywhere we went - he was a proper David Bailey 😂.

    From India Gate, we visited Lodi Gardens, a city park situated spread over 90 acres. It contains Muhammad Shah's tomb, the tomb of Sikandar Lodi, the Shisha Gumbad and the Bara Gumbad. These monuments date from the late Delhi Sultanate, during the Sayyid dynasty (1414–1451) and Lodi dynasty (1451–1526). As there is little architecture still standing from these periods, Lodi Gardens is an important archaeological site, and is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India.

    The park was laid out by the British around the original structures. They were respectful of what was already there, and they carried out sensitive renovations on the tombs. They did name the place Lady Willingdon Park, though, after the wife of a British dignitry 😀.

    On Sundays, the gardens are a popular spot for family picnics. It was lovely to see so many locals enjoying the space. The tombs were stunning, and the setting was very picturesque.    Read more

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    Humayun's Tomb

    April 5 in India ☀️ 30 °C

    Our next stop was the highlight of the day - Humayun's Tomb. It is thought to have inspired the Taj Mahal, which it predates by 60 years. It was built for the Mughal emperor in 1570 by Haji Begum, Humayun's Persian-born wife. The tomb has both Persian and Mughal elements. The arched facade is inlaid with bands of white marble and red sandstone, and the building follows strict rules of Islamic geometry.

    The beautiful surrounding gardens contain the tombs of the emperor's favourite barber and Haji Begum.

    The entire site is breathtakingly beautiful. As usual, I took far too many photos 😀. Fiona was starting to feel the heat at this point, but a packet of salty crisps and plenty of water helped 😊.    Read more

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    Fiona's first Indian biryani 😋

    April 5 in India ⛅ 30 °C

    We drove on to the Lotus Temple, Delhi's beautiful Bahau House of Worship. It offers a rare pocket of calm in the hectic city. It is an architectural masterpiece designed by Iranian-Canadian architect Fariborz Sahba in 1986 and, some say he based his design on tge Sydney Opera House. It is shaped like a lotus flower with 27 white marble petals. The temple was created to bring faiths together.

    When we got there, there were hundreds of people queuing to get in. They were having to stand for hours barefoot on hot tiles. We opted not to join the fray! We caught a fleeting glimpse of the temple as we passed by 😀.

    Our final stop of the afternoon wasn't on the itinerary. It was the inevitable shopping stop! We didn't linger 😂.

    We dropped Riaz off at the metro station and Kalim then drove us back to the hotel. Once there, we went across the road to the same restaurant I went to yesterday. We ordered a chicken dum biryani and a mutton fry biryani. I thought both were delicious. Luckily, despite the spice, Fiona agreed!    Read more

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    Brunch and vegetable shopping

    April 6 in India ☀️ 29 °C

    We both slept a lot better last night. When we were up and about, we ordered a black coffee and a lemon tea on the room and made our plans for the day.

    We took an auto to Connaught Place. It was Fiona's first auto experience and she loved it! We went straight to the Flavour Factory where I went the other day with Mansi. We shared a masala dosa and a tomato and onion uttapam and we both had a sweet lassi. Fiona is getting braver with her food choices, although she's still very nervous about ice 😀. The ladies on the table next to us were celebrating a birthday, so they sent over a piece of cake for us. It was overly sweet and had more synthetic cream than cake, but we ate it to be polite 😊.

    After our brunch, we went for a walk around Connaught Place. Fiona got at least a year's worth of good luck when a pigeon pooped on her foot 😂. Being Monday, Central Park was closed, so we walked up to the street where all the state emporia are. They were just setting up a big craft and food fair, so we had some tasting samples. We bought some broccoli chips and some beetroot snacks for the train, and Fiona got some sweets to take home with her.

    We then took an auto back to our hotel, where we rested up for half an hour before taking another auto to our cooking class an hour away on the other side of the city. It was turning into a day completely about the food!

    We then took an auto back to our hotel, where we rested up for half an hour before taking another auto to our cooking class an hour away on the other side of the city. It was turning into a day completely about the food!

    Lubna, our host, welcomed us to her lovely home and garden. We had coffee and snacks, made by one of her two houseboys, in the lounge while we chatted about what we were going to cook. We then took a taxi to Lubna's favourite market to buy some missing ingredients. While we were there, we had some chaat. Fiona was very nervous about eating this street food, but she went with it and thought it was delicious. We also watched a guy making dosa dough.    Read more

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    A cooking class with Lubna

    April 6 in India ☀️ 30 °C

    To get back to Lubna's, the three of us squeezed into the back of an auto. Once there, we set to work cooking several dishes for dinner. We prepared a very different type of chicken biryani which we smoked with burning charcoal, saag paneer, dal, mashed aubergine, bhuna raita, and flatbreads. During the cooking process, we were instructed by Lubna, and assisted by the two houseboys. Fiona got told off for not cutting the onions correctly 😂. Family members kept coming and going. It was all very social and enjoyable.

    Later, we were joined by Lubna's husband as we sat down to enjoy the fruits of our labours. It was all delicious.

    After dinner, we took an auto back to our hotel, passing India Gate, which looked beautiful illuminated in the colours of the Indian flag. We vowed to come back to photograph it at night when we return to Delhi after our tour.

    When we got back to Karol Bagh, we went for a walk through the chaotic market and enjoyed a pistachio lassi before returning to the hotel.    Read more

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    The Red Fort, Delhi

    April 7 in India ☁️ 26 °C

    didn't sleep well at all. I was woken by a storm in the early hours and never got back to sleep. Fiona slept through it most of it 😀.

    We had Indian breakfast on the roof this morning - puri bhaji and parantha with curd. Afterwards, we took an auto to visit the Red Fort. The driver was a real risk taker and we had several very close shaves along the way. It was like being on a very scary fairground ride at times 😂.

    We got dropped off in the midst of crowds of people and we had to fend off countless offers of help, guides, salesmen, etc. as we made our way to the ticket office. It was raining, too 😀.

    Once we'd bought our tickets and got through security, we were able to enjoy the fort in our own time. It is an incredible structure with a fascinating history. 

    The Red Fort is a historic Mughal fort located in Old Delhi. It served as the main residence of the Mughal emperors. Commissioned by Emperor Shah Jahan on the 12th of May 1639, the fort was constructed following his decision to shift the Mughal capital from Agra to Delhi. Originally adorned in red and white, the fort's design is attributed to Ustad Ahmad Lahori, the architect of the Taj Mahal. The Red Fort is a prominent example of Mughal architecture from Shah Jahan's reign, combining Persian and Indian architectural styles.

    During the invasion by Nadir Shah of the Afsharid Empire in 1739, the fort was plundered and stripped of its artwork and jewels. Following the Indian Rebellion of 1857, many of its marble structures were demolished by the British, although the defensive walls remained largely intact. The fort was later repurposed as a military garrison.

    On 15 August 1947, the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, hoisted the Indian flag above the Lahori Gate, the main entrance of the Red Fort. Since then, the Prime Minister of India has ceremonially raised the national tricolour at the main gate each year on Independence Day, and delivered a nationally broadcast address from its ramparts.

    The Red Fort, as part of the Red Fort Complex, was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007.

    We entered the fort through Chhatta Chowk, a covered bazaar. This was very unusual in the 17th century. This one is unique in Mughal architecture. Shah Jahan based the design on one he'd seen in Peshawar (now Pakistan) in 1646.

    Chhatta Chowk is a two-storeyed passage flanked by 32 arcaded apartments on both sides. Each of these originally served as shops selling luxury goods suchvas silks, brocades, velvets, gold, jewellery, and gems to the imperial household. Today, they sell souvenirs to tourists.    Read more

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    The Red Fort Centre

    April 7 in India ☁️ 28 °C

    Once we were inside the fort, we paid an extra entrance fee to visit the Red Fort Centre, where there are exhibitions relating to the history of the fort, as well as a CGI film telling its story. While we were in there, the heavens opened. We had a drink in the café, thinking it might stop. It didn't! So we continued our visit regardless. 

    Next was Naubat Khana, or Drum House, which stands at the entrance to the palatial complex. In its glory days, musicians from here would announce the arrival of the Emperor or other important members of the court. Music was also played five times a day at set hours. Most of India's royal palaces have a Naubat Khana at their entrance.

    Two later Mughal kings - Jahandar Shah (1712 - 1713) and Farrukhsiyar (1713 - 1719) were both assassinated in this building.    Read more

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    Diwan-i-Am

    April 7 in India ☁️ 24 °C

    Behind Naubat Khana stands Diwan-i-Am, or Hall of Public Audience, where Shah Jahan received the general public and heard their grievances. This stunning building contains the emperor's marble throne.

    Our next stop was at Mumtaz Mahal, a royal apartment named after Shah Jahan's beloved Queen Mumtaz. The British used the building as a military prison after the first Indian freedom struggle in 1857.    Read more

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    The emperor's palace

    April 7 in India ☁️ 23 °C

    We explored all of the other parts of the emperor's palace. We were staggered by the scale of the place and the huge amount of marble used in its construction. 

    We also saw the Pearl Mosque and the Hammam, neither of which are currently open to the public. We walked through the grounds to finish our visit in the museum which is located inside buildings constructed by the British to house military personnel after they had demolished the original fort buildings that stood there. There was a very moving exhibition telling the story of what happened at Jallianwala Bagh, which I visited when I was in Amritsar. 

    After our visit, we went out in the rain and tried to book an Uber. We had to wait a long time, but we got one eventually 😊. Typically, the weather dried up and the sun came out as we drove back!

    At the hotel, we just had time to go up on the roof and have butter chicken, paratha, and poha for dinner before our 6pm welcome meeting for our Intrepid tour. 

    We are a group of 11, all of us first time visitors to India except me! We have a family of 3 from Lincoln, a family of 3 from New Zealand, a Japanese couple, and a solo female traveller from Australia. They seem like a good bunch of people. Our leader is Meriy from Nagaland. I look forward to learning more about that area of India. After the meeting, they all went for dinner together. We'd already eaten, so we went to our room to organise our luggage ahead of the tour.    Read more

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    Jama Masjid Mosque

    April 8 in India ☀️ 22 °C

    We got up, packed our last bits, and went for a leisurely breakfast on the roof. We had the Indian option again. We sat with Hisa and Mari, a Japanese couple, and Rachael, Rick, and their 19-year-old daughter, Emma, who are from Welton, near Lincoln. They are all lovely people.

    After breakfast, we went downstairs. We left two bags in the hotel for them to take care of until after the tour. The hotel porters were going to move our big bags into communal rooms we could use ahead of our overnight train. That just left us with our day packs - the things we needed with us for our outing today.

    There were the usual latecomers on the first day of any tour, but we left the hotel by 10.15am and walked to Karol Bagh metro station. We changed trains at Rajiv Chowk and got off near Chandni Chowk, where we transferred to cyclos for the journey to Jama Masjid. Meriy seemed a bit nervous about taking us on the metro and kept warning us about the potential dangers, but rush hour was over, and I didn't think it was too busy. Fiona loved her first cyclo ride 😀.

    Once we arrived at the entrance to the mosque, we met our local guide for the morning. He explained about the history and purpose of what we were about to see, and then led us all inside, but not before the ladies all had to put on very flattering floor-length nylon coverups! We were a tad hot, to say the least!

    Jama Masjid Mosque is an oasis of calm in the heart of Old Delhi. It can hold a staggering 25,000 people. The mosque, built out of marble and red sandstone, was Shah Jahan's final architectural triumph. It was constructed between 1644 and 1658. It has two 40-metre high minarets, one of which has 121 steps that can be climbed for amazing views. From the top, you can see how architect Edwin Lutyens incorporated the mosque into his design of New Delhi. Some of the group went up. Fiona and I were in the group who stayed on the ground.    Read more

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    More photos of Jamid Mosque

    April 8 in India ☀️ 23 °C

    While we were waiting for the others, a huge kite dropped a piece of meat he was carrying as he flew overhead. It landed with an audible splat not far from where we were standing 😂. Within seconds, scores of kites were circling around us, looking for an opportunity to swoop down and retrieve the meat. There were lots of people near it, but one bird was braver than the others. I caught the moment on video 😀.Read more

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    Sikh temple and lunch

    April 8 in India ☀️ 24 °C

    We visited Sheeshganj Gurudwara, a Sikh temple with a langar on a very much smaller scale than the one I visited at the Golden Temple in Amritsar. It is one of the nine historical Gurdwaras in Delhi. It was first constructed in 1783 as a small shrine by Baghel Singh to mark the site where the ninth Sikh Guru was beheaded on the orders of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb on 11 November 1675. It was expanded after the Indian Rebellion of 1857 when the British gave more land to the Sikhs a thank you for providing large numbers of ammunition and soldiers to help them defeat the Mughal soldiers. Its current building was made by Rai Bahadur Narain Singh, a contractor who built most of roads in Lutyens New Delhi construction under British Rule.

    We sat for a while in the temple listening to the music and watching the people coming and going (no photography allowed) before going to the langar, where we helped with veg prep and making chapattis.

    After our visit to the Sikh temple, the rest of the group went for lunch at a local shopping mall. Fiona and I went to a local place for a snack lunch of sev puri and pani puri.    Read more

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    Night train to Varanasi

    April 8 in India 🌙 23 °C

    Later, we walked back up Chandni Chowk to the Red Fort, so we could get an Uber back to the hotel. On the way, Fiona bought three pairs of cotton trousers.

    Back at the hotel, we caught up with the rest of the group. We'd been allocated two communal rooms to wait in until 5pm came and it was time to leave for the night train to Varanasi. We were taken to New Delhi station in taxis. We were far too early for our train, so we loitered on the platform until staff unlocked the doors, and then had a few shenanigans about who was sitting where. There were six bunks in each cabin. When we'd sorted everything out, five of our group were in our cabin, plus a random Indian guy who had the lower bunk on one side.

    We tried to settle in, but I think we all realised that we wouldn't be getting much sleep! Emma and her Mum, Rachael, decided to take the top bunks, Kathy and Fiona would have the middle ones, and I would have the lower one opposite the Indian with the loudest snoring ever!! Fiona managed to drop her bag on his head as she was making her bed up. It stopped the snoring for a bit and caused great hilarity all round, as did Fiona's comic performance getting into her bunk 😂🤣. The exploratory trips to the toilet were quite an event, too!

    Eventually, at around 10pm, the lights went out and everyone tried to settle down - some with more success than others. I think I got around 2 - 3 hours sleep all night.    Read more

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    Arrival in Varanasi and lunch

    April 9 in India ☀️ 20 °C

    We pulled into Varanasi station at 6am. We all looked rather the worse for wear as we staggered off the train! We transferred to our hotel in autos. It was not the hotel that was on the itinerary for reasons that were never explained. Once there, we were told our rooms weren't ready, but they would be by 9am. In the meantime, we had the use of two day rooms, and we could get breakfast in the hotel restaurant from 7.30. This all sounded very reasonable.

    However, it didn't quite work out as planned! Breakfast wasn't ready until almost 9. It came out in dribs and drabs. It was as if they weren't expecting us! By the time we'd had everything - toast, coffee, omelettes, and fruit - it was a good breakfast, but it took so long!

    Back in the day rooms, nobody wanted to do anything until they had their rooms. We were all tired and in desperate need of a shower. We just had to wait. The rooms were finally ready at around 11.45. Fiona and I, and Hisa and Mari, were allocated the rooms that had been used as day rooms, so we had to wait even longer while they were cleaned and the beds changed.

    Eventually, we got into our room and got ourselves sorted out. We were meeting at 5pm to go on a guided walk of Varanasi and to witness the Ganga Aarti ceremony. Before that, Fiona, Kathy, and I walked about 10 minutes to the Beer Café for lunch. When we got there, the door was locked and it appeared to be closed. However, a man appeared, led us back downstairs, and up in the lift to access the restaurant via another door. We were the only customers when we first arrived, but the staff were very friendly and helpful, and soon Fiona and Kathy were enjoying their first Kingfisher of the trip, and I had a Diet Coke with loads of ice 😀. We had mutton kebabs, jeera rice, and chicken lababdar to eat. Everything was delicious.    Read more

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    Guided walk in Varanasi

    April 9 in India ☀️ 32 °C

    After our meal, we wandered back to the hotel, arriving just in time to meet our guide for our tour of Varanasi. We went in totos (bigger than autos) to a starting point in the old city. Our guide led us through the chaotic, colourful alleyways full of shops and street art.

    The area we walked through is called Lahori Tola. It is a historic, densely packed residential and commercial locality in central Varanasi, near the Kashi Vishwanath Temple corridor. Known for its narrow lanes, heritage, and proximity to the Ganges, it offers numerous hotels, homestays, and eateries, serving as a hub for pilgrims. We paused at the Dashashwamedh Ghat and viewed the Kashi Vishwanath Temple.    Read more