Danube Delta
One of the more popular destinations, in this little visited part of Europe at least, is the Danube Delta. Most of it lies within Romania though the northern most part…
Bucharest churches, monasteries, and synagogues
A reasonably comprehensive post on Romanian Orthodox churches and monasteries in Bucharest, featuring 25 of them, plus three wonderful synagogues. Orthodox churches are relatively narrow and tall, often with between…
Bucharest museums, gardens and architecture
Far more pleasant than expected, if with a rather spread out and variable built environment, Bucharest had plenty to fill a few days. There are some excellent, if exhaustingly huge,…
The Sculpture Park
Set up sixteen years ago, The Sculpture Park in Surrey has by far the largest collection of sculptures I have ever seen in one place. Along 3km of trails there…
Favourite countries I’ve visited
I’ve been to about sixty five countries to date, a respectable number, if far short of a number of people I’ve met on my travels who have been to more…
A free day in London
London has a reputable as an expensive place to visit, though the weak pound helps mitigate this. It’s quite easy to have an enjoyable day exploring the city for free,…
Painshill and Eltham Palace
An eclectic pair of places, both quite unusual and wonderful in different ways, representing the strong personalities of those who created them. Painshill is a classic 18th landscape garden filled…
Things I learnt about India
I spent two and a half weeks travelling from Delhi up to the Ladakh region, as far north as the remote Nubra Valley. India is a huge and diverse country…
Nubra Valley
Off limits to tourists until 1994, the Nubra Valley is an incredible place about five hours drive from Leh. It’s close to the border with China so a Protected area…
Leh to Nubra Valley over Khardung La
I’ve been along some pretty spectacular roads around the world, and travelling one of the highest roads in the world, from Leh to Nubra Valley over the pass at Khardung…
Monasteries near Leh
There is a fair amount to see and do in Leh itself, but the real highlights of the Leh Valley are the many monasteries between 10km and 20km from town.…
Leh
Capital of the Ladakh region, the northernmost part of India, bordering China, Leh is an enjoyably relaxed town set in a quite surreal landscape of contrasts. Leh comes to life…
Sarchu to Leh
Final of three days travelling to Leh on the Leh-Manali Highway. A real roller coaster of a day with snow, sunshine, road closures, uncertainty whether we would even make it,…
Manali to Sarchu
Opened in 1989, the Leh-Manali Highway runs for 473km through some spectacular mountain scenery, and over one of the highest driveable passes in the world. This post covers the first…
Manali
Named after Manu, the Hindu version of Noah (of Ark fame), Manali is a popular tourist spot in northern Himachal Pradesh, and the start of the memorable Manali to Leh…
McLeod Ganj
McLeod Ganj is the home of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government in exile. After escaping from the Chinese in 1959 the Indian government offered sanctuary and land in…
Shimla
The summer capital of India during British rule, used between March and October, Shimla is a classic Indian hill station in the foothills of the Himalaya. It’s filled with colonial…
Old Delhi
Compared with the planned streets of parts of New Delhi, Old Delhi seems more typically Indian, packed with people, traffic, and noise, a much livelier experience. A rickshaw ride was…
New Delhi
One of the largest cities on the planet, home to 25 million people, a fraction of India’s 1.3 billion, Delhi doesn’t feel like it to a visitor. It’s almost entirely…
Sussex and a bit of Kent
A rather lengthy post covering nearly a week based in the small village of Brede in Sussex, exploring the heritage, gardens, and coastline of the surrounding area, mostly in Sussex…