Delhi to Kathmandu with G Adventures

I cannot praise G Adventures enough. I absolutely love to go on adventures with them as it's a great opportunity to meet other travellers and explore as many beautiful places as you can in one trip. When I went to India and Nepal I travelled on my own but every one that I met on the tour was so friendly. There was a group of about 12 of us made up of different ages (from all across the globe).

I arrived in Delhi the day before and met the team at the hotel the following day. From there we travelled with the Women With Wheels project. This initiative is supported by G Adventures and was set up to give disadvantaged women the opportunity to become professional commercial drivers. The project was set up in 2018 and now they have over 500 drivers which is amazing!

Before we left Delhi we visited the impressive India Gate and Connaught Place. We then travelled to Jaipur which is also referred to as the "Pink City" for it's unique architecture. On the first evening in Jaipur we watched a classic Bollywood film because of course it is the home of famous Bollywood!! The next day we explored Amber Fort. The fort is absolutely incredible and I would honestly recommend visiting here. It's massive with so many different rooms to explore so make sure you give yourself enough time to explore.

Now of course no trip to India is complete without visiting the famous Taj Mahal. It was a very early start for us as we made sure that we were at the entrance gates for 5am. The doors open at 6am but be aware that the queues can get big very quickly so if you want to get your winning shots of just you and not many people in your photographs' backgrounds then it's probably best to get there as early as possible.

We travelled by train from Agra to Orchha. It was a great chance to get away from the hustle bustle of the city and we were able to see more of rural India. We visited Tarragram which is a unique paper-making plant which was set up to assist tribal women from the area. After visiting the plant we had free time so we were able to explore the area and learn more about the Indian culture. That evening we boarded an over night train to Varanasi.

Varanasi is known as the spiritual capital of India. We were able to enjoy a sunrise boat trip along the sacred Ganges where we were fortunate enough to witness a candlelit flower ceremony. One of my favourite activities that we did in Varanasi has to have been when we took part in laughing yoga - honestly it's brilliant! If you haven't tried it before then what are you waiting for?!

The following day we crossed the border from Varanasi to Lumbini. We stepped back in time and visited Buddha's birthplace. From Lumbini we travelled through forests at the base of the Himalayas. We enjoyed an overnight stay with the Thara community and were fortunate to experience their culture through food, dance and songs. The next morning we got our safari gear on and went on a safari through the Royal Chitwan National Park. In the park we saw various animals including rhinos and elephants. It was incredible to see the animals in their natural habitats and if you haven't been on a safari before then you need to add this on to your bucket list.

From the National Park we travelled to Pokhara and visited the Sisterhood of Survivors Project. This project is another inspiring program that G Adventures support. It provides hospitality training and job opportunities to vulnerable women who are at risk of being re-trafficked or abused. We met some of the beneficiaries of the program and learnt how to make Nepalese momos. They were so yum!!

For the last day we then travelled from Pokhara to Kathmandu. We explored the capital and a few of us paid to take a plane ride to see Mount Everest. We paid £200 to do this but it was so worth it (and we got a glass of Prosecco on the trip so even more worth it). Now because I'm not much of a trekker so I wouldn't be able to climb Everest myself it was an extraordinary way of seeing the mountain and The Himalayas. If you get the chance to do this then do it!!

I honestly had such a great trip with G Adventures and I cannot recommend this trip enough. If you're deciding whether to do it or not then get in touch and I can persuade you!!

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