Rome

Arriving in this beautiful city from Ancona I had to get my priorities straight, Wales had beaten Ireland in the 6 Nations the day before, meaning that if England beat Scotland then they would be crowned 6 nations champions. I went out for my first walk on the streets of Rome, bypassed the Colosseum and went straight to a pub showing the game. First up before the England game was Italy v France, which had a great atmosphere in the pub and then England thrashed Scotland, what a great start!

I had 3 days in Rome altogether and I knew I could fit everything in that I wanted to do in the remaining 2 days. First up was the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. A ticket cost €12 and allows entry to both sights and the Palatino (I actually forgot to go in the Palatino… oops) and is valid for 2 days, with 1 entry into each attraction. If you are between the ages of 18-25 and are from an EU country the ticket is only €7.50. Now I missed the whole Brexit thing, being in the middle of the Gobi Desert with no WIFI, but I’m pretty sure we are leaving the EU, luckily that didn’t matter, I managed to secure the cheaper ticket.

The Colosseum, or Colosseo in Italian, is an amazing piece of architecture. Make sure you approach it from the park to the east as you will see it growing bigger and bigger through the trees, and eventually it towers over you, a spectacular sight. After your visit follow the walkway round the outside which takes you to the Roman Forum and dive inside to explore. A good tip given to me by my mum’s window cleaner (weird I know!) is to purchase your combined ticket at the Roman Forum, that way you skip the queues at the Colosseum, however I didn’t have too much trouble with the queues as its not a busy time of year! The Roman Forum is huge with a large number of historical ruins, with information boards next to each ruin to fill you in on the history of this fantastic site. 

From the Roman Forum I continued north by foot and arrived at the Pantheon, another fantastic building and very similar to the one I had just seen in Athens, just in a lot better condition. There are plenty of restaurants and cafes surrounding the Pantheon, so it’s probably a good place to stop for lunch and soak up the atmosphere. From there I walked over to the Trevi Fountain which was incredibly impressive and then I continued on to the Spanish Steps. After I walked up the Spanish Steps I took a left and followed the road into the park, where I spent a lazy afternoon recovering from the long walk and I took my time watching full grown adults falling over trying to learn to rollerblade.

I then walked over to the view point and looked down over the Piazza Del Popollo which offers great views of the city, if you time it right you can catch the sunset. I then went down the steps to view the Piazza Del Poppolo up close before catching the Metro back to my hostel to freshen up, before an amazing Italian dinner. I was staying a 10 minute walk from the Central Station or Termini which I felt was a great location. It meant I was close to the public transport links if I didn’t feel like walking, and I wasn’t far from the Colosseum. A ticket for the Metro costs €1.50 and is valid for one whole journey with a total time of 100 minutes. It means if you want to travel from the end of Line A, swap lines at Termini and continue to the end of Line B, as long as it takes under 100 minutes, it will cost the same as travelling 1 stop, €1.50.

On my final day I caught the Metro to the Vatican. The stop to get off at is Ottaviano even thought the stop before is called Lepanto Vaticano. You will see a lot of people getting off at Lepanto but it is a longer walk to the Vatican. The 2 main attractions are St Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museum, which houses the Sistine Chapel. One thing to note is you are not allowed to enter if you are wearing shorts or showing your shoulders, no matter how hot it is or what gender you are, I saw people getting turned away. Also the Museum is shut on a Sunday which can be annoying if you are only there for the weekend. When you enter St Peter’s Square you will see a huge queue with people queuing to go through, airport security style, to enter the Basilica. I decided not to join this queue and went back outside and round to the left to join the queue for the Museum.

I had about 20 touts come up to me and say that the queue was over 2 hours long and I could pay them €60 so I could jump to the front of both lines, for the Museum and the Basilica. I decided against this and joined the queue, which was down to the second corner and I was inside within 37 minutes. Now this was quite a long time to wait but it saved me tons of money and everything moves quite quickly. The entry ticket was €16 and the Museum is home to sooooooo much art and history, if you are an art lover then you could easily lose 5 hours in the museum.

If you haven’t purchased the queue jump ticket make sure you visit the Sistine Chapel last. It is an amazing piece of art and it takes a while to get through the crowds. Once you are through to the end there is a door on the right which says “Exit Strictly For Tour Groups Only” and an exit on the left which takes you back out the front. If you take the door on the left you have to walk back round to St Peter’s Square and join the queue for the Basilica. Or you can be cheeky and do what I did… I immersed myself into the middle of a tour group heading out the exit on the right and 2 minutes later found myself in St Peter’s Basilica, looking out at everyone queuing in the square.

I took my time looking around and taking in the amazing architecture before joining another queue to head up to the top of the dome. This is definitely something you have to do, as the views from the top of the whole city are amazing. You can pay €6 to walk up all 551 steps or pay €8 to get an elevator up some of the way and then walk up 301 steps. It’s not worth paying and waiting for the elevator, the first 250 steps are small, wide and its an easy climb, its after that things get narrow. The final 301 steps are quite steep, tight and tricky but I thought it was fantastic. There are a few places to stop and rest if needed and the views from the top make it all worth while. After I took a few snaps I made the descent before walking back into the center of Rome along the river, appreciating my final walk in this beautiful city.

From Rome I’m catching a bus to Florence, supposedly one of the most beautiful cities in Italy, it will do well to beat Rome

Agra and Amritsar

The Jaipur-Agra Shatabdi Express train is a bit more expensive then your standard Indian train, costing around 700 Rupees (£8.40), but for me it really was worth it. The journey from Jaipur to Agra took 3 and a half hours, had comfortable reclining seats with tea, biscuits, water, a vegetarian breakfast and a newspaper included. I had my doubts about Agra from what I had heard from other travelers, but for me it was a very pleasant experience. I don’t think people give it the amount of time it deserves. 

I decided to stay about a 15 minute walk from the East Gate of the Taj Mahal, down a road full of a range of different hostels. I went very cheap at 300 Rupees (£3.60) a night in Namastey Hostel, which had a comfortableish bed, a squat toilet and a hot, yet very weak shower. I could have spent 800-1000 Rupees (£10-12) a night and stayed across the road at either Moustache Hostel or Backpacker Panda. I spent 2 nights in Agra and went out to explore on the first day, after a short rest because of the early train. I walked down the road that approaches the East Gate and found the Taj Nature Walk on the right hand side. It cost 100 Rupees (£1.20) to enter the grounds but was incredibly peaceful inside. You can see a large variety of rare birds, peacocks weave in and out of the trees and confident chipmunks scurry around, not paying you the slightest bit of attention. You also get a fantastic view of the Taj Mahal from atop a hill with nobody else around and it offers some fantastic photo opportunities. 

The following day I woke up at 05:30 to try and beat the crowds for the Taj Mahal. I left the hostel at 06:00 and made my way towards the Taj. The ticket office is on the left hand side, around 500 meters from the entrance. It opens at 06:45 and when I arrived around 06:15 there was already a quickly forming queue. There is a separate queue for foreigners and for locals, and also a hefty price difference, 10 Rupees (£0.12) for a local, 1000 Rupees (£12) for a foreigner… crazy. After grabbing your ticket don’t forget to pick up your free map, shoe covers (for inside the mausoleum) and bottle of water from just outside the ticket booth. If you can’t be bothered to walk the 500m or so to the gate entrance you can jump in a cycle rickshaw, but I wasn’t that lazy. You then join another queue to have your ticket checked, men and women queue separately, then you have a pat down and your bags searched if you have one. The Taj was as amazing as I was expecting, yet I was slightly disappointed in the scaffolding that was on one of the pillars. It was built in 1631 by Emperor Shahjahan as a memorial for his beloved wife Arjumand Bano Begumn, who died during her 14th pregnancy. There is a mosque on one side and an identical building on the other, which isn’t a mosque, it is simply there to keep the symmetry. The pillars all slant slightly away from the main building, in case of an earthquake, where they would crumble away from the Taj Mahal, so not to damage the main building. The gardens are equally as fantastic with the design taken from the Qur’ans description of paradise. 

I decided to leave the Taj Mahal via the South Gate, so I could grab a Costa Coffee for the first time in over 8 months. This was a little bit silly and more expensive then I could really afford, perhaps that’s because I had 2 lattes and 2 chocolate brownies, however a diabetic has to treat himself once in a while! From Costa I walked over to Agra Fort, something which is often missed by visitors, as they are only interested in seeing the Taj and then leaving. The Fort cost 500 Rupees (£6) to enter but was brilliant, built in 1565 in a striking red sandstone. It is absolutely huge and you can easily lose a couple of hours exploring this fantastic old building. From the fort I took a walk back to the hostel, through a beautiful quiet park leading up to the West Gate of the Taj Mahal. This is the way I would recommend walking to the Fort from the Taj if you’d don’t want a cheeky Costa! In all fairness it was quite a long walk, around 35 minutes but it was nice, quiet and very relaxing. 

The following day I caught a night train to Amritsar, leaving at 16:20 and arriving in Amritsar at 08:10. Of course the train didn’t leave and arrive at these times, there are always delays, but it was close enough! I was travelling by Sleeper Class for the final time and it was by far the busiest it had been, due to the fact the train was passing through Delhi. It seemed like every person in India was squeezing on the train, which was quite an experience, but I eventually got my bed around 23:00! I arrived in Amritsar just before 09:00 and caught a 100 Rupee rickshaw to the hotel. I was only staying about a mile away from the train station but didn’t fancy the walk, due to me messing up the dates of the trains I had booked and having under 24 hours in Amritsar. I checked in at 10:00, had a shower and some breakfast and set out to explore, my first and only taste of the Punjab state. It is a predominately Sikh state and for me it felt different from the other areas of India. It was busy, chaotic and noisy (nothing new there) but the rickshaw drivers took no for an answer, everyone appeared happy and there were not many beggars on the streets.

I walked over to the Golden Temple and after depositing my shoes for free, washing my feet for free, covering my head for free and entering the Golden Temple complex… for free, I was greeted with the magnificent temple glowing in the morning sunlight. Everywhere you go in India there is a tourist price for everything, hence why I was so surprised that everything was free. Inside the temple complex there was a fantastic atmosphere with thousands of colorfully dressed people who flock there each day to wash in the Holy Water or accept a free meal. The queue to enter the temple itself was humongous so I decided not to go in, the wait was over four hours. I took my time strolling around, taking photos with beaming school children and soaking up the fantastic atmosphere, it was one of my favorite experiences in India. After, I walked for 20 minutes over to the Hanuman Mandir Temple, which looks pretty much identical, however it is a Hindu Temple not a Sikh Temple. It was very quiet with only 4 other people inside. Clearly nobody knows, or perhaps cares about this one, however for me it was definitely worth the walk.

I then headed back over towards the Golden Temple and visited Jallianwala Bagh, a memorial for the hundreds of innocent people killed by the British, when they were peacefully protesting for independence. It was a nice area to visit and interesting to see and read about, there are bullet holes still visible in a couple of places where the shootings took place. I then grabbed some food in Neelam’s, which I would highly recommend, especially the Punjab Thali, before I went back to the hotel ready for my 05:00 train to my last stop in India, Delhi. 

Jaisalmer and Jaipur

From Jodhpur I caught the Delhi-Jaisalmer Express train to Jaisalmer which was due to depart Jodhpur Junction at 04:50. This was a horrendous time of morning to try and function, let alone attempt to trek across the streets of Jodhpur, so I organized a rickshaw with the hotel. They claimed that it would be more expensive as it was so early in the morning, 150 Rupees, confirming my suspicions that I was overcharged when I arrived in Jodhpur, paying the same price to get to the hotel at 18:00. I booked the rickshaw for 04:30 and settled down for a short nights sleep before the early alarm. At 04:30 I was waiting outside the hotel and, with this being India, of course there was no rickshaw. I woke up the owner who apologized profusely, made a phone call and I was eventually on my way at 04:50, the time the train was due to leave. Luckily the train was due to stop at the station for 30 minutes and it was running a little late, of course, so I made it with plenty of time to spare. The train went by very smoothly, arriving at its final destinations, Jaisalmer around an hour late. 

The fantastic thing about Jaisalmer in the incredibly impressive Golden Fort, an architectural masterpiece made from sandstone. There is still a whole community who live inside the forts walls, along with a plethora of guesthouses, rooftop restaurants and winding alleys filled with colorful shops. I had found a great deal on booking.com, 200 Rupees (£2.50) a night for a hotel situated inside the fort, with a double room and an attached bathroom. I tried to catch a rickshaw to the forts gate but ended up jumping in the back of a Jeep, owned by a pushy man outside the train station. I knew straight away the pushy man was going to try and sell me a camel safari, a room in his guesthouse or anything he could but I was armed with my hotels address and we agreed a price of 50 Rupees before we left. Of course at the end he was blabbing on about Lonely Planet, how all the guesthouses had fallen down, how his hotel was better and that he sold the best camel safari in the land. I gave him my 50 Rupee note and went on my way, ignoring his shouts and door slams and him claiming it was now 50 Rupees per person and 50 Rupees per bag…fool. 

The hotel, Hotel Temple View turned out to be quite nice and by far the cheapest I have stayed in so far. It turns out it is that price online because they try very hard to sell you a camel safari once you are there, which is the main reason people go to Jaisalmer. I decided not to do it as I wanted to explore the fort and had ridden camels before. There are options of a half day tour, a full day tour and a 1, 2 or 3 night tours where you sleep out in the dessert on a rug under the stars. In all fairness it did sound amazing.

I decided to visit the Jaisalmer Fort Palace costing 500 Rupees, plus 100 for a camera, but unfortunately this really isn’t worth the money. There’s nothing much to see inside but the included audio guide is interesting. In all honesty I would skip paying for the palace and explore the walls and fort yourself. I found a route to a thin walkway which separates the main wall from another protecting wall, given you some fantastic views and understanding on the scale of the build. Another thing I would recommend is walking the road outside the fort which loops around, again helping you really understand and get a scale for this magnificent old fort. Around a 10 minute walk outside the forts gate there is a fantastic collection of Havelis, intricately decorated carved buildings built in the 19th century to show off a families wealth. These all cost 200 Rupees to enter, but are more impressive from the outside. I was taking a photo of one of the Havelis and all of the sudden I was lifted 3ft in the air by an impatient cow, whose horn caught me directly under my bum and the top of the hamstring. I managed to wiggle off, landing with a thump and a dead leg before scampering away to safely. 

Cows are everywhere in India and normally very docile animals, but they do rule the roads and apparently can’t be bothered to walk around mere humans. I have now become very wary of the almighty cow… of all the animals to be scared of. Most restaurants inside the Fort are not up to much, with their Indian food being as equally bad as their Western food. The one exception is Free Tibet which also offers fantastic views of the Golden City. Don’t get this confused with Little Tibet, which opened up just down the road with a similar name, to take away the successful restaurants custom, with a lot of success. 

After Jaisalmer I caught a train to Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan, via sleeper class. The train departed at 17:00 and arrived in Jaipur at 04:50, costing 340 Rupees (£4.00). I had booked a hotel ahead as it was such an early arrival time and organized for them to pick me up from the train station. Obviously they didn’t turn up, as its India, in all truthfulness I never really expected them to be there. I caught a rickshaw to the hotel for 50 Rupees and arrived to some padlocked gates. After ringing the doorbell a few times they let me in, apologized and paid the rickshaw driver for me, which was unexpected and I settled down for a much needed rest day! 

The following morning I decided to visit the Amer Fort, named after the town it is situated in, Amer, around 13km north of Jaipur. I contemplated catching a bus for a couple of Rupees but it would have been a 2 mile walk to the bus stop and then a fair walk up to the fort. Instead I flagged down a rickshaw and organized a return trip for 600 Rupees, with the driver waiting in the car park at the base of the fort. I decided to buy a composite ticket for 1000 Rupees, a crazy price for India, but the tourist price, which gave me entry to: The Amber Fort, Jantar Mantar, Albert Hall Museum, Nahargarh Fort, Hawa Mahal, Sisodia Rani Gardens and the Vidhiyadhar Gardens. If you pay individually for all the attractions, without the composite ticket it would cost 2000 Rupees. If you go to the 4 main attractions the entry cost would be 1200 Rupees, so even though its expensive, its worth it and you save money. The ticket is valid for 2 days but not valid for night time viewings. 

The Amer Fort was very impressive and the 10 minute walk up offers fantastic views of the surrounding area. It is constructed of red sandstone and marble, consisting of four different levels each with its own courtyard. You can tell that a lot of restoration work has taken place, which for me doesn’t make it as exciting as the other forts in Rajasthan, but it is still an impressive spectacle. I spent around an hour exploring and getting lost inside the fort, before heading back down to the rickshaw driver. I paid his 20 Rupee parking fee and enquired about stopping at the Nahargarh Fort but he asked for another 600 Rupees for this, even though it was on the way back. I decided to decline and instead got dropped at the Albert Hall Museum, near the old city. The museum was okay but didn’t offer much on Indian history, it was more about the history of other parts of the world. However it was nice to walk around the old building and some parts were interesting. 

The following day I took a walk across to the Pink City (Old City) and explored the different alleys and nooks and crannies. There are endless rows of shops selling everything from fabrics, to saris, to handicrafts, children’s toys, mobile phones and books and it is visited by people from all over India to buy in bulk and stock up on goods. I then took a trip to the Jantar Mantar, which is a collection of 19th century architectural astronomical instruments, built by Rajput Jai Singh. It includes the world’s largest sundial and many other crazy looking monuments, used to tell the time and display the positioning of planets and star formations. From here I went to the City Palace, which stupidly isn’t included in the composite ticket price. This is an extra 500 Rupees. The Indian government has cranked up the prices for every attraction in India, its almost double the price that is stated in the lonely planet book, written in early 2016. The City Palace was lovely and I really enjoyed the museum, displaying the different outfits worn by the Maharajas when they played polo, chess and billiards. Obviously you need a specific chess and billiard uniform! 

I then continued on to the Hawa Mahal, built in 1799 as a place for the royal ladies to watch the everyday life on the streets, through the 953 windows, without being seen. The women did not appear in public but were keen to follow day to day life and the Hawa Mahal gave them a sense of freedom, without them having to appear in public. Some of the walkways can get quite claustrophobic, especially when its busy and hot, but it is good fun to explore and gives you great views of the Nahargarh Fort!

Jaisalmer and Jaipur were both fantastic places, especially if you are a fan of history and especially old Indian forts. Jaipur was a great end to Rajasthan and I am now heading across to Agra, to experience the amazing Taj Mahal.

Pushkar and Jodhpur

From Udaipur I caught the 06:00 train to Ajmer, the closest train station to Pushkar, around 12km away. I left the hostel at 5am and soon found a rickshaw to take me to the station. I was originally worried that I wouldn’t be able to find a rickshaw at this time of morning, but the drivers know people are going to the station so are up nice and early to take you there. If you can’t find a rickshaw then it’s only a 3km walk to the station, but you don’t want to really be doing that at 05:00. After a bit of bartering I took the rickshaw for 100 Rupees. I had booked a Chair Class train for 400 Rupees, which was actually quite pleasant, and taking just over 5 hours. The carriage had 3 seats on one side and 2 on the other, and was a little cold, make sure you wrap up warm at that time of the morning.

Once at Ajmer Junction you can catch a rickshaw straight to Pushkar or to the Bus Station, or do as I did and walk the 1.5km to the bus station. Once leaving the train station take a right and follow the road straight until you reach the bus station. The bus takes around 30 minutes and cost 16 Rupees. It leaves from near stand 21 and you buy your ticket on board, despite there being a ticket window at the station saying PUSHKAR. I spent 3 nights in Pushkar, which is a holy Hindu town but in all honesty there is not an awful lot to do, which was lovely. I would recommend booking a nice hotel to relax in with a view of the Ghats. I stayed in Bharatpur Palace, which directly overlooked the Ghat where some of Gandhi’s ashes were scattered, which meant I got to view hundreds of colorfully dressed people coming down to pray and go about their daily lives. There are cows walking the streets, monkeys swinging from the rooftops and flocks of birds trying to steal the food from the monkeys and cows.

The main bazaar is fantastic for shopping with rows of shops selling brightly colored fabrics. I ended up buying a coat and scarf for £6 as I was really starting to struggle with the cold at night. When I say cold I mean 15 degrees at night, I’m just so used to the heat now. It’s definitely worth buying something here as they give you fantastic fabric bags to take your products away in, not the horrible plastic ones you get everywhere else in the world. There are some fantastic restaurants around, including La Pizzeria, which sells lovely, massive pizzas starting at 170 Rupees. It is rated number 1 out of 80 restaurants in Pushkar on Trip Advisor and I can see why. I know I’m meant to be eating the local food, but I was craving a pizza! One thing to note is that because this is such a holy town, there is no meat or alcohol for sale in the restaurants, unless they are being naughty. I would recommend Pushkar for a couple of days, just for the experience, but make sure you have a nice place to relax. 

From Pushkar I caught a taxi back to Ajmer Junction for 350 Rupees, and then the 4 hour train to Jodhpur, the blue city. I booked a Sleeper Class train for 175 Rupees, leaving an hour and twenty minutes late and arriving in Jodhpur at 18:50. I caught a rickshaw to the hotel for 150 Rupees after some really hard haggling. It should have been a lot cheaper than this but not one driver was budging on their “lowest” price, after starting ridiculously high. The driver I got had absolutely no idea where he was going, turning the 10 minute trip into well over half an hour. He went the wrong way 6 times, asked 12 different people for directions and crashed into a parked bicycle. After eventually finding the hotel, and despite me telling him we were there, he decided to carry on driving around. In the end I got him to stop and walked back down the street to the hotel. I stayed in Jodhpur Heritage Haveli Guesthouse for 400 Rupees a night, which I found at a cut price on Booking.com. It’s well worth having a look on there as you can get some great deals and it saves you the hassle of trooping around in the dark with big backpacks on. 

I ended up staying 4 nights in Jodhpur, despite there not being that much to do. Most people only spend one full day to see the impressive Mehrangarh Fort but I didn’t want to rush through. Mehrangarh Fort is incredibly impressive and well worth the 600 Rupee entrance fee for the museum (to walk around the grounds is free). You also have to pay to take pictures, 100 Rupees a camera/phone. The price includes an audio guide which is very interesting and informative, and explains in detail about the different sections of the fort. You can really imagine how the Maharaja’s lived in the years gone by and how they defended the fort from attackers. Not once in its entire history has the fort ever been taken. You also get a fantastic view of the old blue city from the far end of the fort. You can either walk 300 meters up a steep slope/stairs, or catch a rickshaw up the 5km snaking road. I decided to walk up which gave some great views of the fort and the city and it wasn’t too strenuous at all.

I spent a day walking the street and alleys of Jodhpur, immersing myself into the culture and really getting a feel for Rajasthan. The streets are colorful, lively, noisy and exactly how you expect India to be. There are small winding alleys with local craftsman and tailors going about their daily business, rickshaws and motorbikes squeezing past cows laying in the road, dogs risking a blow from a cow’s horns as they try to steal the food and, all in all, a terrific buzz and a sense of excitement. There are also some quiet colorful alleyways and a wide range of rooftop restaurants that give you a perfect view of the towering Mehrangarh Fort which dwarfs the city. The Clock Tower and Clock Tower Market are worth a visit where you can find everything you have ever needed, plus more. 

Pushkar and Jodhpur were both fantastic places, one holy and the other with a classic Indian fort. They are both a must do if you are in Rajasthan and both offer something completely different. A lot of people do only spend one day in Jodhpur but its well worth taking a bit more time, really exploring the streets and soaking up the atmosphere. From here I’m heading to the Golden Fort of Jaisalmer, around 100km from the border with Pakistan and then on to Jaipur.

Udaipur via Mumbai

I left Hampi after 5 nights having had a great time, despite having to spend one night sleeping on a restaurant floor. In order to get to Mumbai, I had to catch 2 trains, one from Hosapete to Hubballi, and then from Hubballi to Mumbai. I booked these trains a week previous costing us a grand total of £8 in Sleeper Class. Hosapete is the closest train station to Hampi, 12km away and costing around 250 Rupees by rickshaw, or a couple of Rupees by bus. I decided to jump in a rickshaw to guarantee I was at the station in time, which was irrelevant as the train was one and a half hours late. This meant I ended up with a 45 minute turn over at Hubballi, rather than over 2 hours. The trains were not too bad, just a little long, with a total of 22 hours travelling. This was my first time in Sleeper Class which wasn’t a bad thing, I just wasn’t prepared for the cold. The previous trains had all been 2AC where you are given bed sheets and can wrap up at night, whereas in the Sleeper Class you are not. I wasn’t prepared for this and spent the whole night shivering in a ball, with a microfiber towel laid on top of me.

I arrived in Mumbai around 08:00, surprisingly only 30 minutes late and set about securing a rickshaw to the hotel. I was staying up near Lokmanya Tilak Train Station, around 20 minutes from the airport as I had a flight to Udaipur the following day. I got told all kinds of stories about the hotel by the drivers and that they could take me to a better one. My favorite was “it wasn’t even a hotel, it was a restaurant” to which I replied “don’t worry, I’m used to sleeping on a restaurant floor” which of course he didn’t understand. I eventually caught a taxi to the hotel, costing 89 Rupees by the meter, which ended up being in a slightly run down area, even for Indian standards. However the accommodation was ok, it was cheap enough and I got to see parts of local Mumbai. The following morning I caught a rickshaw to the airport, internal flights go from terminal 1B, taking around 20 minutes and costing 148 Rupees by the meter. The flight to Udaipur was slightly delayed meaning I landed around 19:00.

The airport in Udaipur is situated 25km east of the city, so I decided to use the pre paid tax service at the airport. I showed the man the hotel address and he quoted 650 Rupees and carried on doing his thing. I didn’t believe him as everywhere in India they up the price for foreigners, so I asked to see a price list. He entered the address into his database, the price came up as 650 Rupees, he printed the ticket and we were on our way. I don’t mind paying the money if they can prove that its the correct price, I just don’t like it when they make up numbers to get more money. If I would have turned up earlier in the day I’d of caught a bus into Udaipur, but when its dark and you arrive in a new place, for me its worth paying a little extra money to ensure you arrive safely.

Udaipur was a fantastic place, one of my favorites in India so far. It is set around Lake Pichola, which is so named after the village that was flooded when the water was diverted into the lake years ago. The streets are filled with rooftop restaurants and bars offering fantastic views over the city, lake and surrounding mountains which makes them the perfect place to relax and watch the sun go down, the sky exploding into a magnitude of different colors over the rolling mountains. The streets are small and windy with beautiful old building tucked in next to each other, which are fantastic to explore, to me each one felt like a different part of Hogwarts. The City Palace is well worth a visit and worth the 250 Rupee entrance fee. It’s worth noting you have to pay an extra 250 Rupees for your camera which you cannot get away without paying for. There are guards situated around the Palace looking for the tag connected to your camera or phone to prove you have paid. 

After the Palace I continued through to the waters edge, where you pay another 30 Rupees to explore, but there are some lovely gardens, views of the lake and a restaurant on the waters edge serving very expensive beer. You get a great view of the Taj Lake Palace, which is where Octopussy, the James Bond film was partly filmed. Udaipur seems very fond of its James Bond link, there is a classic car collection you can visit with the 1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom used in the film, and across the footbridge there is a café showing the film every evening. It’s worth crossing the bridge to explore the other side as there is a fantastic green area with a coffee shop to relax and take in the views of the Palace from the other side. 

I had a fantastic time in Udaipur and it was a great introduction to Rajasthan, I just couldn’t believe how cold it was. I say that, it was 23 degrees but I’ve been so used to 30 degrees plus that I needed a jumper and jeans, especially in the evening. On the rooftops it can get quite windy so it’s worth packing or buying something to keep you warm. From Udaipur I am heading to the holy city of Pushkar and Jodhpur, continuing north through this fantastic country. 

Homeless is Hampi

I arrived in Hampi from Goa, in the middle of the Indian Republic Day holiday (26/01), which also overlaps the anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s Death (30/01). I was unaware of this at the time, so did not realize the whole of the Indian population takes a holiday and books a weekend away! The train to Hospette from Margao went by without too much of a hitch, leaving and arriving 30 minutes late and taking around 8 hours. I did get on the wrong carriage for a part of the journey, apparently carriage 2A and 2AV are not then same, meaning at one stop I had to get off and rush 6 coaches down and get on the correct one before the train left the station! From Hospette I caught a rickshaw the 12km to Hampi Bazaar costing 250 INR with some amazing scenery on the way. It was just getting dark so the sun was setting over the palm trees and ruins, which really was an amazing site.

Upon arrival at Hampi Bazaar I went to every single guesthouse/hostel/hotel/homestay that I could find, but everywhere was full due to the holiday. At this point it was pitch black and I was in a right pickle. I was advised to cross the river to Virupapura Gaddi, as there were meant to be more accommodation options. First I had to get across the river. There is the option of walking across the rocks and shallow water, but I didn’t fancy that in the dark, so decided to take the boat. I paid 75 INR, normally 50 but it was past 18:00 so the price goes up… apparently. I was shoved into a circular boat, not a motorized one and was paddled across, the boat spinning its way through the rocks and boulders before landing at the other side. Again, I visited every single guesthouse/hostel/hotel/homestay I could find but to no avail. Eventually I was offered a place on a restaurant floor by a lovely restaurant owner, which was incredibly lucky or I would have been on the street! The guy was really nice, allowing me to sleep in the restaurant and giving me a sleeping bag so I didn’t get cold. The following day I ended up going to a bar with him to watch the cricket, which England obviously lost!

The following morning I checked into one of his rooms for 2 nights, as one became available after an early check out, and I had a much needed shower. The sleep in the restaurant wasn’t too bad really, it is where all the staff sleep as they come down from the north of the country to work. I did however get a couple of mosquito bites on the forehead. I went for a walk in the day, exploring the landscape with some HUGE boulders and taking a trip up to sunset point, to watch the sun set over Hampi. It was beautiful and really made up for the night before.

The next day I hired a moped for 250 Rupees and paid 180 Rupees for 2 liters of fuel. I drove out to Hampi Waterfalls, which were in fact not waterfalls at all. It is a lovely setting on the river, surrounded by rocks and huge boulders, but the waterfalls were just hoses. I then visited Anjanadri Hill and hiked up the 575 steps to Monkey Temple and the amazing views from atop the rocks. On the ascent and the decent I ran into a family of mischievous monkeys, with some babies who were messing around in the trees. This is well worth the visit and effort to climb all the steps. From there I headed back towards Hampi Waterfalls, but took a right at the crossroads to Rangapura, instead of a left towards the falls. This is a fantastic road to drive on, with new tarmac and some amazing scenery. You drive past a beautiful lake, some small villages and the landscape is like nothing I have seen. I stopped in the Whispering Rocks Cafe a few miles down the road which I can highly recommend. The food was fantastic and there was a very relaxed atmosphere in a beautiful setting. 

For the next 2 nights I decided to move across to Hampi Bazaar, back across the river, as the Indian holiday was over and there was accommodation available. This gave me best of both worlds, 2 days in Virupapura Gaddi and 2 in Hampi Bazaar. I booked into Kiran’s Guesthouse and went for a short walk to explore the temples and adjoining temples. The main temple was lovely, but pretty busy and cost 2 Rupees to enter. I did however see Lakshmi the temple elephant inside, munching away on a mountain of bananas. If you head up the granite rocks behind the temple there are hundreds of ruins that nobody seems to bother with, offering lovely views of the valley. I spent a bit of time exploring and chilling in the shade before heading to the Mango Tree restaurant for dinner.

The next day I rented a bicycle for 50 INR for the day, and set out for some more exploration. I cycled toward the Vitthala Temple Complex, locked up the bike and walked the remaining 1.5km to the temple. You can get right to the gate by bike but its a 12km road around the rocks, so I decided on the 1.5km walk, which went past some more fantastic ruins and gave beautiful views of the river in the valley. A ticket into the Vitthala Temple Complex costs 30 INR for a local and 500 INR for a foreigner. Then is a crazy difference which I really wasn’t happy paying, so I didn’t. It turns out I should have paid as the ticket gets you into most of the paid sites, which I ended up visiting later and therefore paying the 500 INR. After walking back to the bike, I cycled for around 20 minutes to a large collection of ruins, including the elephant stables, which is where I paid for my ticket and explored for a couple of hours. 

Hampi is amazing place, like no where I have been in the world and is a must do if you are in India. However if its an Indian holiday make sure you have some accommodation sorted, or risk sleeping on the streets. Across the river, at Virupapura Gaddi, there is a lovely atmosphere with some chilled out bars and restaurants. Across at Hampi Bazaar the atmosphere isn’t as good but is still a lovely place. Nowhere is allowed to sell alcohol as its so near the temples, whereas on the other side of the river they are. Just something to think about if you like a drink. I’d recommend 2 full days on each side of the river, taking in the best of both worlds. From Hampi I am heading to Udaipur via Mumbai.

Goa – Palolem Beach

As my time in Kerala was drawing to an end I was still yet to catch a train in India, as I’d had some trouble with obtaining tickets in the past. I managed to secure some tickets online using the IRTCT website, costing 2300 Rupees (£28), leaving at 21:30 from Ernakulam and taking just under 12 hours. This was a lot more than I was expecting to pay even for 2AC, the highest class, the only one that was available, although I booked 7 days before the scheduled departure date. 

The train left Ernakulam without a hitch, leaving on time and arriving in Madgaon, in south Goa a few minutes early. As I said it was my first time on an Indian train but I can’t see how Sleeper Class is going to be any different form the 2AC Sleeper that I was on, just the prices are considerably cheaper. (I may be eating my words later, I’m currently on a train to Hampi and have a Sleeper Class train booked to Mumbai next week.) The train carriage had a simple layout, with 2 lower and 2 upper bunks running vertically on one side, and 1 set of bunks horizontally on the other, the whole way down the carriage. I was given bed sheets and a pillow but had no curtains for any privacy. I was also given a towel, a cold face wipe, water, mango juice and a vegetarian breakfast, maybe that was what my extra £20 was paying for! I did however finally have a chance to wear my Christmas socks.

I arrived in Madgaon at 08:45 and planned to head straight to Palolem Beach for a couple of days. To get between Palolem Beach and Madgaon there are three options: A bus costing 40 Rupees (£0.50), a rickshaw costing 1000 Rupees (£12.50) or a taxi costing 1200 Rupees (£15). I had every intention of catching the bus, which leaves from the South East side of the Municipal Gardens, a 20 minute walk west of the train station but heard some people ordering a taxi so decided to jump in with them, paying 300 Rupees (£3.75) each for the 4 of us. A taxi is considerably quicker, with the bus being slow and bumpy but is only worth getting a taxi if there’s enough of you to split the cost.  

Palolem Beach is gorgeous. There are plenty of accommodation options along the beachfront and also some set off the beach, about a 3 minute walk away. On the beachfront, intertwined with all the bars and restaurants are a variety of beach huts ranging from 500-5000 Rupees a night. I decided to stay a short way back from the beach in a hotel, as the cheapest hut I was offered was 2000 Rupees a night. However I later met some guys who were renting a beach hut between them for 500 Rupees, if only I had explored a bit more. The original plan was to spend a couple of days at Palolem, then head down to Gorkana, around 2 hours south of Goa. However I loved Palolem so much I didn’t want to leave and ended up staying 8 nights and I may be planning to go back at the end of my time in India. I’m not too sure why I loved it so much, I mean it can’t have been the palm trees, the calm sea, the soft crescent sandy beach, the dolphins, the relaxed atmosphere and the great food, it must have been the beer. Coming from a dry state that Kerala is, to then find beach bars selling beer for 60 Rupees (£0.75), with the sun setting over monkey island and a cool breeze in the air it was just beautiful. The restaurants on the beach are a bit more expensive then on the road, 3 minutes away, but there’s something about eating in the evening, sitting on the beach and hearing the sea rolling in the background. There’s a wide variety of food, from Indian, to Italian, to Chinese and lots and lots of seafood. If anyone’s interested in watching sport whilst they are there, the Cafe Del Mar has 2 big projectors, where I finally saw England win a game of cricket in India, after 8 attempts. 

There’s the option of renting Kayaks on the beach and paddling out around monkey island for a bit of dolphin spotting. The sea is a bit rougher round the back of the island, but nothing too major. There are plenty of places to rent Kayaks but the cheapest I found was outside D’Costa, 100 Rupees for an hour. Another day I took a 2 hour boat trip for some more dolphin spotting, some fishing and to relax for a bit on butterfly beach, only accessible by boat. It was a great 2 hours, which we managed to get for 200 Rupees (£2.50) per person, whereas other people on the boat were paying 800 Rupees (£10) per person. It wasn’t really fair, just make sure you haggle hard! 

From Palolem I caught the local bus back to Madgaon for the train to Hampi, the only problem being it was a public holiday in India. This meant that the bus was absolutely packed, filled to the brim and I really struggled to find accommodation in Madgaon, the night before the morning train. I eventually found a room, after an hour of searching in the dark, for 2100 Rupees (£26) which was stupidly expensive, yet there was no other option. Apparently everyone flocks to somewhere near the beach on a public holiday, but I wasn’t to know, I only found out that day it was a holiday. I’m now approaching Hampi, an 8 hour train ride inland from Goa, so I’m off to explore the ruins.

Yangon

A sleeper bus from Inle Lake to Yangon is quite a bumpy ride, especially for the first few hours. It can cost anything between 20000 – 27000 Kyats (12.50 – 16.80 GBP) and takes around 12 hours, 11 on a good run. I was picked up from the hostel in a rickshaw at 17:00 and shuttled to the main bus, which departed on time at 17:30. It made 2 short toilet stops along the way and arrived at Yangon International Bus Station at 05:00, a full hour early. Four of us split a taxi to downtown Yangon, for 2500 Kyats (1.50 GBP) per person and I arrived at the hostel at 06:00. On the bus the seats reclined a long way, yet there was still room for your legs if the person in front did the same. I was also given a neck support pillow, a blanket, a bottle of water, a can of coke, three pastries and at the end before I got off I was given a toothbrush with toothpaste and a cold refreshing towel. To be honest it is one of the best bus services I’ve had in the last 5 months. The can of coke and pastries aren’t the best thing for a diabetic, but the custard tart was lovely and luckily I’m a king at carbohydrate guessing and counting now. I kept the can of coke in case my sugar level ran low. I finished my last pack of dextrose tablets in Laos whilst tubing, when my waterproof bag turned out not to be very waterproof at all!. 

I spent 5 days in Yangon whilst my India visa application was processing in the embassy. This is the first big city since Ho Chi Minh where I feel like I have discovered it properly, not just seen the sights. To be fair I haven’t visited many big cities since Ho Chi Minh. I took my time researching the best coffee shops, best places to eat, best parks to relax in and the top things to do and I had 5 fun days of relaxed exploring.

The food in Yangon was excellent. I didn’t fancy eating the street food as I was recently ill at Inle Lake and heard a lot of similar stories from fellow travelers. The hygiene is really not the best at the street stalls and I personally wouldn’t recommend it. However there are some lovely restaurants around. My favorite is probably the Rangoon Tea House. This serves lots of different local foods but in a clean and tasty environment. The food has heavy Indian influences, great for preparing for my trip to India, their vegetarian potato samosas are fantastic. They also do their own variety of curries, tandoori wraps and many other wonderfully flavored dishes, along with some of the best smoothies I’ve ever had, where you can pick up to 3 different fruits. I would highly recommend the banana, pineapple and dragon fruit mix, my mouth is watering just thinking about it.
Another fantastic restaurant is TinTin’s. Now this isn’t a restaurant serving local food but serves great Mexican food! Their crispy sweetcorn to start with is dipped in some amazing spices and served with some really fresh sour cream. To follow either try their pulled pork burrito or the refried bean wraps which are all spiced to perfection. I’ve always enjoyed my food but I’ve never really written much about it, however having the time in Yangon to really explore has been great. There are also lots of cafes and bakeries around where you can get nice, cheap coffee, freshly baked cakes, buns, doughnuts and savory snacks. My favorite bakery was Parisian Cake and Coffee. Their Parisian coffee costs 700 Kyat (£0.43) and is lovely and strong. They also have a wide variety of bakery good available, including pizza made up on loaves of bread, and bread coated with egg which when you take up to the counter to pay, they will blast it in the oven for you. Gorgeous. 

The main temple in Yangon is called the Shwedagon Pagoda and it is absolutely huge. Apparently it is best to see the temple at dusk as the fading sun turns the pagoda into a majestic golden bell. I set off around 11:00 and first visited the Kandawgyi Lake, situated in a park the other side of the roundabout from the Pagoda. The lake itself is huge and has a wooden walkway, which is in very bad condition in parts, that takes you half way round. Along the way there are plenty of temples to visit and places to chill and relax in the shade. Once the walkway comes to an end you can’t continue round the inside of the park, you have to leave and follow the fence round the outside to continue your loop, before entering again and arriving back at the start. There is a lovely restaurant to grab some refreshments after the long walk. From there I headed over to the Shwedagon Pagoda around 16:00. Unfortunately I couldn’t go in. I was wearing shorts, the same shorts that have allowed me in every temple so far in the last 5 months. There was the possibility of renting a longyi but I was on a strict budget due to the fact I was having to spend more days in Yangon than originally planned. If I would have rented the longyi, at a later date I would have had to withdraw more money and get charged for doing so.

I tried to go to the National Museum as I was very interested in the history of Myanmar, considering it had been through a name change, a flag change and a change in capital cities in the recent past. However, the day I chose to visit the museum was on Myanmar Independence Day, a national holiday meaning that it was shut. So I’m afraid I am none the wiser about Myanmar’s interesting history, only what I have learnt through Google, which isn’t quite the same. In the end I went from coffee shop to coffee shop, in the end sampling the “best coffee Yangon had to offer”. I eventually collected my Indian Visas 5 days after arriving in Yangon, and have chosen to visit Krabi, Phuket and Kuala Lumpur before arriving in India near Christmas. I’m very happy I have spent a couple of extra days in Yangon, most people only spend 2 days here and perhaps don’t see it in the same way I have, capturing the different charms round every corner. 

Getting an Indian Visa in Yangon

I originally tried to obtain a visa for India whilst in Bangkok, but at the embassy they no longer issue visas to anyone that isn’t a Thai national. I was told in the embassy that the places we could get a tourist visa for India were in Nepal, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. They didn’t mention Myanmar but I thought I would ask at the embassy in Yangon, as I was there, just in case and I was in luck. Please note it is possible to apply for a 30 day tourist visa for India anywhere in the world, which is all completed online, but I wanted to go for longer than that! In the Indian Embassy in Yangon, in order to get a 6 month multiple entry visa, which is the same price as a 3 month visa you need the following documents:

1. Passport with 6 month validity and 2 blank pages.
2. A photocopy of your passport.
3. A completed and printed online visa application form, including an uploaded photo.
4. 1 passport photograph 2×2 inches, a normal size passport photo will not work.
5. A copy of your Myanmar Visa. If the entry stamp is on a different page to the visa this needs to be photocopied as well. 
6. 164 US Dollars if you are British, its cheaper for other nationalities. They must be crisp clean bills with no rips or folds.

The day after I arrived in Yangon the embassy was shutting for 3 days due to the Shwezigon Pagoda Festival. I decided to leave straight away and apply at the end of the trip through Myanmar, in order to not waste time. If I would have stayed in Yangon over the festival, I would have to spend another 3 days at the end anyway, whilst the visa application was processing. This actually worked out quite well. It meant I had the time whilst I was travelling around to gather all the documents and things needed, in order to apply straight away when I got back to Yangon. This post will tell you where to get all your documents and photographs in Mandalay, before arriving in Yangon to apply. It’s not ideal but it worked well for me.

As I am British the visa was going to cost me $162 plus a $2 processing fee. This is extortionate compared to other nationalities in Europe, where it costs a total of $42. I couldn’t find anywhere that would dispense USD so I withdrew Kyats from an ATM then tried to change them up. I went into a bank and they all just laughed at me, even though there was a currency exchange section inside. I decided that this wasn’t the best option so, after a recommendation from the hostel, I went to Top Shine Money Changer in Mandalay. This is located on 29th street, between 83rd and 84th street. That will make sense once you are in Mandalay, the streets are numbered vertically and horizontally. You will see a big neon sign saying Top Shine with an arrow pointing you down an alley. It is located at the end of the short alley and I had to knock on the gate so they would let me in. I was ushered in to a small room and I explained what I needed. They used an up to date rate, obviously keeping a little bit of money for themselves, that’s always the case with money exchange. I was given $164 in crisp, clean, unfolded bill’s, which they put in a little envelope and sent me on my way. Step one was complete. 

I then went to get 2×2″ photographs taken, as the Indian visa application does not accept standard size passport photos. Sakura Print Shop is located on 36th Street, between 81st and 82nd street. After explaining what I needed they took me upstairs and I had my photo taken. I was then asked to wait downstairs and 10 minutes later I was presented with 6 photographs of the correct size which cost 1500 Kyat (£0.94). I then got a photocopy of my passport and Myanmar visa at the hostel, so all that was left was to complete the online form. 

I had completed the form on my Amazon tablet but was struggling with uploading a photo as it needed to have certain specifications. It will ask for your current address, permanent address and address in India. For the current address put the address of the hotel you will be staying in Yangon. For the permanent address put your address in your home country, and for the address in India put an address from a hostel in the city you said you would first visit. I managed to eventually find an internet shop opposite Café Blue, on 63rd street, in between 29th and 30th street. Here they had a scanner, allowing me to use the same 2×2 image I just had printed, and attach it to my online application. The image has to have a white background, have been taken within the last 6 months, be a JPEG file, more than 250 pixels and be no more than 1GB in size. In order to change the size, pixels and gigabytes, right click on the image and open it in paint and have a fiddle around, you’ll work it out. You can then upload your picture and you are good to go. Once submitting the form it downloads as a PDF file to print. If you are on Internet Explorer it won’t work, but Mozilla Firefox will. Don’t bother getting the form printed at this internet shop, their printer quality is absolutely rubbish. Send yourself the PDF file in an e-mail so you can print it back at a hostel. 

I arrived at the hostel in Yangon, after a night bus from Inle Lake, at 06:00. I left for the embassy at 07:35, even though I knew it didn’t open until 09:30. There were already 3 foreigners waiting but I couldn’t see anyone else. I popped over the road for a coffee and some breakfast and saw people starting to turn up. At 08:15, whilst waiting on the benches outside the embassy, the security guard came out and told me that I couldn’t wait on the benches until 08:30, and that I had to cross the road and register on a piece of paper a random guy was holding. I was number 30 on the list. When I arrived back outside the embassy all the seats were taken, brilliant. At 08:40 I was given 2 forms by the security guard, to write down the value and serial numbers of the USD’s I had. On one page the $162, on the other page the $2 processing fee. It was quite awkward to do in the wind with nowhere to lean, not wanting the $100 bill to fly away or get creased or torn. After I had eventually finished the security guard smiled and pointed to a ledge I could have leant on, brilliant. He then said that only 8 foreigners a day could have a visa issued, I could count at least 10. 

At 9:00 people started forming a queue which I wasn’t allowed to be in and this continued happening for another hour, people being let in every now and again. After an hour and a half, when all the locals had been and gone, they finally moved on to the foreigners, 3 and a half hours after I first got there. There was no mention of the piece of paper I had registered on, I think this was so I gave up my seat for the locals. I was the first foreigner through. Once inside I was offered a seat by a gentleman, who goes through your form and passport, and scrupulously checks every single note for a tiny bend or tear. Thankfully mine were fine. I was then sent to the other side of the room in a moving sitting queue. Every time someone went up to process their visa, everyone would get up and move to the seat on their right. I was eventually served and given a receipt and told to come back for biometrics on Friday at 15:00, a full 100 hours after I applied, not the 72 hours which they originally told me. It turns out that they served 11 foreigners that day. After 8 of us were inside the security guard came in, counted the people and then had a chat with the desk clerk. She nodded and then in came the final 3 people.

On Friday, a full 4 days later, I turned up at 14:30 ready for my biometrics at 15:00. At 14:45 all the foreigners and monks were let in first, which surprised me, we all sat in a line. The monks were served first. Once you are called up, you hand over your receipt and confirm your name. You then have a photograph taken, finger prints of each finger taken and then you have to sign a bit of paper. You are then presented with you passport with the visa inside and you are ready to go to India!!!!! 

Mandalay and Inle Lake

From Bagan I paid 9000 Kyat (£5.60) for a 5 hour minibus to Manadaly, the former capital of Myanmar. I was picked up from the hotel at 12:40 in a tiny open back van and transported across Bagan to the Minibus. The 19 seater bus was full, but not too cramped, and set off at 13:00, the only slight problem being the bumpy roads. I’m sure if you travelled up the middle of the country from Yangon the roads would be a lot smoother, but from the small town of Bagan to Mandalay, the road was not in such good condition. The bus took a 20 minute break around half way and pulled up in Mandalay around 17:30. I travelled with the OK Bus Company who gave us free drinking water, a refreshing towel and they dropped each guest off at their specific hostel. This is great as it saves you the trek across town with your big bags from the bus station. 

I only spent 2 nights in Mandalay as there isn’t a great deal to do. I spent the morning getting all the documents and forms together for my Indian Visa application in Yangon. I rented a bicycle from my hostel for 24 hours, costing 2000 Kyat (£1.25) and decided to explore the city. I cycled up to the Royal Palace in the north east of the city which turned out to be quite a long way, especially with the crazy traffic. The palace grounds are surrounded by an 8.25km wall and much of the palaces 35 buildings have had to undergo renovation due to the destruction by the Japanese. The main building itself has a 7 tier golden stupa on the roof and is very impressive. Entry is quite expensive, costing 10000 Kyat (£6.25), but its quite nice to cycle round the surrounding grounds inside the wall, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. When you pay you have to leave a deposit of your passport or driving license. We said we didn’t have our passports with us, and my driving license is back in England after having to sort out ‘going through a red light’ (it was a lie) 2 days before I left the country! I ended up leaving my diabetes insulin users card, which they took for a valid form of ID, even though they didn’t believe the 15 year old picture was me. Let’s just say I didn’t have a 2 month beard back then. You then have to leave via the same way in order to pick up your ID. If you leave through the tourist gate and head towards Mandalay Hill you will come across the Kuthodaw Paya Golden Temple surrounded by a magnitude of white stupas. This is free to enter and really is a lovely sight, well worth a visit. You can then head up Mandalay Hill, the city takes its name from the hill, which has temples and pagodas along the 700 or so steps to the summit, where you can get views of the whole city. I decided not to climb to the summit as it was getting late and I wanted to be at Taungthaman Lake to see the longest teak wood bridge in the world at sunset.

I originally planned to cycle there, but after cycling around 15 miles already I didn’t fancy the extra 10 miles each way. After dropping the bike back at the hostel I caught a taxi for 5000 Kyat (£3.10) per person for a return trip. I arrived at 16:45, jumped on a boat for another 5000 Kyat per person and were rowed out to the center of the lake. I would definitely recommend this over walking half way on the bridge, which stretches 1.2km, as you can get some lovely photos of the bridge and the local fisherman as the sun sets, the sky exploding with orange, red and yellow. I arrived back on land at 17:40, where the taxi was waiting in the car park, departing at 17:45 taking us back to our hostel. Don’t pay the taxi driver until you get back to your hostel, or he might not wait for you!

The following morning I caught a minibus to Inle Lake costing 12000 Kyat (£7.50). The bus was due to depart at 09:30, but I was picked up from the hostel at 08:50, arriving at Nyaung Shwezigon, the town by Inle at 16:00. Everyone was thrown in the back of a Tuk Tuk and arrived at the hostel, in Inle at 16:30. The whole journey was incredibly bumpy and took a lot longer than I expected, however the snaking road up through the mountains near the end provides you with some stunning views. 

I would love to tell you I had a great 3 days at Inle Lake, but unfortunately I was ill for the first 2 days. Six Imodium’s later I did however manage to find a nice French Café, with a niceish toilet and plain food so my experience wasn’t all that bad. It was the first time I had been ill in 5 months, so personally I felt like I had done quite well, it was bound to happen at some point.

I have heard that the following is the best route to take after renting a bicycle: First off stop at a vineyard for some wine tasting. Continue down to the lake, and pay 7000 Kyat (£4.40) for a boat ride across the lake, with your bike on the boat, sail past some floating villages and see the local fisherman doing their thing. Once back on dry land follow the lake back round to Inle. On the third day, before my night bus back to Yangon, I did manage to make it to the Vineyard for some wine tasting, I couldn’t miss out on that. It was a nice cycle ride up to the vineyard, where you pay 5000 Kyat (£3.10) to try two reds and two whites, with some cheese and crackers. The views of the surrounding mountains and the lake are stunning, its just a shame I couldn’t make it on the full loop! I am now heading down to Yangon to explore the city and apply for my Indian Visa