Solo Trip to India and Nepal

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Solo Trip to India and Nepal Rejsende
A work day
7. december, Indien ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C
I had a slightly better night and woke up by 8.30am. I had intended to go for an early swim, but I just wasn't feeling it, so I pottered about until 10 when I went for breakfast. Shreetle saw me coming and had already ordered me a masala omelette with cheese and was making me an iced coffee. I guess it has already become my daily breakfast - it's a good job I like it! 😂

BBC News this morning reported a fire in a nightclub just a few miles south of where I am. It happened at around midnight last night and left 25 people dead. Nobody here had heard about it, but when I went to the shop after breakfast, it was all the locals were talking about. They are blaming the lack of proper health and safety laws.

When I got back from the shop, I asked if I could put a hard chair in my room to make it easier to work on my laptop. I spent the rest of the day writing and posting. I ate the last of my leftover rice, a cup-a-soup, and three small bananas for dinner. I don't need to eat out every day 😂. In between, I caught up with last night's Strictly and Friday night's Graham Norton Show.

The only photo I took today was of the famous masala omelette with cheese! 😂Læs mere
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Exploring Mandrem Beach
6. december, Indien ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C
I had a terrible night. My body clock is all over the place! I was awake for several hours between about midnight and 5am. I read an entire book! Then, I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I knew, it was 11.30am!! I got up, had a shower, and went for breakfast. Nobody batted an eyelid that I was so late. They don't start serving until 10am, anyway 😊. I had the same omelette as yesterday - this could definitely become a habit!

After breakfast, I sat chatting to Niha for an hour or two and then set off to walk to Mandrem beach, the nearest stretch of sand to here. It took about 50 minutes, but there was so much to look at on the way that it didn't seem that long. I noted a couple of small shops to call at on the way back. As I got nearer to the beach, I saw many more white faces and a lot of signs in Russian. Clearly, there are large numbers of Russian tourists here.

I reached the beach by crossing a bridge over an attractive lagoon. The beach itself was soft white sand, and a paddle in the Arabian Sea confirmed that it was clear and warm. It was also full of shells, which I discovered were inhabited by interesting little sea creatures 😊.

It was a bit late in the day to make use of one of the many sunbeds laid out at the back of the beach, but I did stop for a drink in the first shack I came to. Suitably refreshed, I walked back, calling at a couple of the shops to by essentials en route.

Back at Maya, I went for a shower, had my leftovers for dinner, and then went to the bar to check out the entertainment. There was music and some craft stalls. I spent some time talking to the makers, but I wasn't in the market to buy anything. I only stayed for about an hour. The singer had a good voice, but his repertoire was definitely made up of 'songs to slit your wrists by'! 😂Læs mere
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Solo Trip to India and Nepal Rejsende
Arriving in Goa
5. december, Indien ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C
The crew served us another light meal at about 1.30am India time (GMT +5.5). The captain came on to tell us that we had made good time and would be over Mumbai by 3.0am. However, the airport wouldn't open until 4.0am, so we would have to circle at a lower altitude for an hour or so. When the time came, we seemed to plummet from 37,000 feet to 17,500 feet in no time at all! We then descended again to 9,500 feet, where we remained until we were allowed to land at around 4.10am. It played havoc with my ears! I was in quite a lot of pain by the time we were on the ground!

It was still dark when we landed, so there was nothing to see. Despite this, my neighbour insisted on leaning across constantly to take photos of the blackness!

I had to self-transfer in Mumbai, meaning that I had to enter the country, reclaim my bag, and then check in again for my flight to Goa and pass through security again. It was chaos! Luckily, I had three hours between flights. Once I had jumped through all the hoops, I was very hot and bothered, so I was grateful for the opportunity to sit at the gate with a coffee while I chatted to a lady who teaches art at a higher education unit in Goa. She gave me lots of useful tips of things to do and places to go.

The flight to the new airport in north Goa only took 45 minutes, but the crew still served a light meal! I was sitting in the middle seat on the back row of the plane and got my roasted vegetable sandwich thrown at me literally as the wheels touched down on the runway! I put it in my bag for later 😂.

At Mopa airport, there was no security as we had come off an internal flight, so it was simply a matter of reclaiming my bag and going to find a taxi. This proved to be really easy, and I was soon on my way. I was revelling in the lovely warm sunshine, but I was really too tired to take much in.

After a 30-minute drive, I was dropped off at Maya Nature Retreat, home for the next seven weeks. First impressions were good. I was warmly welcomed by Shreetle, the owner's mum. My room wasn't ready, so I waited in reception with an iced coffee and a masala omelette with cheese. Both were delicious!

When my room was ready, there were a couple of minor things wrong, but overall, I was happy, and I was too tired to worry about it anyway! 😂 I shot a quick video and went to bed!

I slept for about 4 hours and then got up and unpacked. I can certainly make the space work for the next few weeks. I then went for dinner in the on-site cafe. I had chicken curry with a roti and the best jeera rice I've ever eaten. There was enough to feed a family, so the waiter offered to box it up for me. That's tomorrow's dinner sorted out! After dinner, I chatted to Niha, the resident artist, and her partner, who plays music here every Saturday.

I took the second video in the restaurant. It has a lovely atmosphere.Læs mere
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RejsendeWow! Your accommodation looks amazing. Have a great time. Can't wait until Christmas Eve until we leave!
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RejsendeThanks, Trish - yes, I'm happy with the cabin and the place in general. It'll do for the next seven weeks 😂. I bet you're counting down the days x
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RejsendeWe are. Back to the UK on Saturday to see mum and dad for a few days.
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RejsendeHope they are both keeping well x
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RejsendeNot too bad thanks xx
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Rejsende👍
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Solo Trip to India and Nepal Rejsende
London to Mumbai
4. december, England ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C
Between booking this trip and now, my flights were changed a couple of times, meaning that I'm now flying from Heathrow rather than Gatwick. This meant an earlier start than I had anticipated this morning, after another largely sleepless night!

I had my pre-paid breakfast and was on the National Express bus to Heathrow by 7.45am. We got caught in the inevitable rush-hour traffic on the M25, made worse by an accident caused by torrential rain, but we still arrived in plenty of time. I had already checked in online for my flight, so it was just a matter of dropping off my bag and clearing security. My carry-on bag attracted the attention of the customs guys, who confiscated my bag strap because it had metal inside it, and they felt it could be used as a weapon! That's a new one - it's the same strap we took to Africa and South America! They did suggest that I could go back and check my bag in, but I politely refused 😊.

Once I was airside, I spent the waiting time reading and wandering around the airport, marvelling at the amount of Christmas shopping people seemed to be doing. How are they allowed to board their flights with 10 carrier bags? 😂

My Air India flight was scheduled for 13.30. We boarded at around 12.45 and took off on time. It was a full flight. I had the window seat and was joined in my row by two ladies, both of whom were travelling solo. The cabin crew soon came round with drinks and nibbles, followed by a surprisingly good lunch! It was spicy chickpea and potato salad with mint and coriander, even spicier chicken curry with rice and beans, and chocolate and raspberry mousse for dessert. Afterwards, I watched Nomadland, which I don't think I'd seen before, and then tried to get some sleep. I failed miserably! I've never been able to sleep on planes 😊.Læs mere
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The first solo adventure begins!
3. december, England ⋅ ⛅ 5 °C
I didn't sleep very well ahead of embarking on my first overseas trip without Mark. I probably got about 4 hours, and was wide awake long before my 6am alarm. I guess it was a mixture of nerves and excitement. Not that I felt particularly worried. I was just concerned that I could successfully complete all the pre-departure tasks that Mark always did before we left on a lengthy trip - turning off the water and electricity, putting antifreeze in the toilet, locking up correctly, emptying the bin, etc., etc. 😊

In the event, I did everything in good time and was at the bus stop at 7.09am to catch the 7.15 service to Skegvegas, only to find out that it was delayed by 16 minutes! Luckily, I'd left myself plenty of time. As I waited in the dark, cold, foggy morning, I consoled myself that I was heading for warmer climes 😀.

I struggled getting my hold luggage on and off the bus. When I packed it one day last week, I was very proud of the fact that it only weighed 12.1kg. Between then and now, however, I have filled it with books (I still prefer the real thing to my Kindle), and it now weighs a little over 20kg 😂. I'll have to make sure I read everything in my first few weeks in India, so that, by the time I start travelling around, I'm back down to 12!

Despite my bus being late, I still had time to have a Spoons breakfast in Skegness before my train. It became something of a tradition for Mark and I when setting off on our next adventure. It feels right to continue the habit. I wasn't tempted to have a pint of cider with it, though! 😂

The sky lightened and the sun came out as the train wended its way south. By the time we reached Grantham, where I had to make my first change, it was glorious 🌞. Still too cold for me, though 😀. The rest of the journey to Kings Cross and then onto Gatwick via Thameslink from St Pancras International passed without incident. I checked into the Premier Inn, had a meal, and got an early night to try and catch up on some sleep I'd missed.Læs mere
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Start på rejsen
3. december 2025

Solo Trip to India and Nepal

A work day

Exploring Mandrem Beach

Arriving in Goa

London to Mumbai

The first solo adventure begins!