Arrived on our long night train from Jhansi to Varanasi (both slept like babies) and it was already sweltering! We took a rickshaw through the city then the guy hopped out and guided us through the narrow alley ways (naturally filled with cows, dogs, motorbikes, etc) to our hotel. We checked in and literally sat in our room under the fan till about 3.30 when we decided to brave the heat and go for a walk down the Ghats. It is beautiful here, full of colour and ...

A short ride from Jhansi and we arrived in Orchha. First instincts were how much quieter everything was than some of the tourist hubs we have been used to. Many of the people going about there everyday life as opposed to trying to take you to their hotel or mates jewellery shop. Unfortunately we couldn't stretch our budget to one of the recommendations for hotels made to us by Silvia, but nonetheless stayed in a fantastic value and very clean guesthouse, called H...

So arrived in to Agra in the evening of the 9th, jumped straight in a rickshaw found a guesthouse and went straigh to bed in preperation for our early start to see the Taj the next day. Beep Beep went the alarm at 5.30, with moans and groans we crawled out of bed, threw on some clothes and wondered down to the East Gate. After being thoroughly checked (no books allowed... weird) we walked through the entrance to the glorious Taj Mahal. We sat and watched as the...

Nainital apparently became popular due to the British finding it reminded them of the Lake District. It certainly reminded us of the Lakes when we stepped off the bus into the first rain we'd experienced since our arrival! The setting is fantastic, it's at 2000m with a lake spilling out of it's hanging valley, surrounded by woodland. Having said this it has become a very busy domestic holiday destination and so the fun fare, candy-floss and constant request for (...

We arrived at the reserve too late to go in to the reserve so one of the guides drove us to a posh camp site set in a mango orchard to spend the night. We had dinner by candle light on our porch, was tres romantic, til Tom got the pooooos! Next day all better we set off in our jeep to the reserve. It is absolutley massive and it took us 2 1/2 hours just to drive to the middle of it. On our way we saw Serpent Eagle, Crocodiles, 3 different types of deer and peac...