I saw the Jenolan Caves listed as one of the highlights of the Blue Mountains area, but found them to be a little underwhelming.
Perhaps it comes down to which caves you visit on the day, but I found them far behind the stunning views around Katoomba and, what doesn’t help, an hour further away from the main attractions and relatively busy / crammed in when you get there. Pretty surrounding countryside though.
From Hohhot there are a series of standard tours that take you out into the steppes. The primarily place is the Xilamuren grasslands for horse riding, and the Resonant Sand Gorge of the Kubuqi Desert where you can play around in a full-on desert. All of this with a night staying in one of the traditional Mongolian Yurts.
The whole experience is relatively fun as you get to see some great countryside, but unfortunately most of these tours are very much catered for the domestic tourist market. This means large numbers of fellow tourists, often spaces concreted over to make way for the masses, manufactured “traditional horse riding shows”, and, of course, the serene-breaking megaphones.
I’d say give it a go if a bit tight on money and don’t mind the mass tourist nature, but otherwise see if you can get a tour company that takes you further afield so that you can escape the crowds and see some of the more traditional Mongolian culture rather than the Chinese branded version. Even better, head into Mongolia proper.
It was years ago that I visited Amsterdam, so this won’t be a review. Purely leaving it in here because I enjoyed the time so much. Basically, rent a bike to cycle around the canals, visit some of the world-class art galleries, and head out to enjoy the legal drugs – a great setting for it!
I’ve always thought Brussels gets a bit of a unfair reputation for being a bit . . . dull. But it is such a beautiful city to wander around as you head from one hot chocolate place to the next and then cracking into some of the world-class Belgian wheat beers in one of the abbeys. When you combine it with a day trip to either Bruges or Ghent, its a great couple of days.
I’m only writing a very brief entry here as it was years ago since I visited.
The Taj Mahal is:
That is massive hype . . . and the Taj Mahal lives up to it. Despite it being such a simple experience, you find yourself staring at it, for hours, happily soaking up it’s perfect geometrical beauty. Cheesy indeed, but I surprised myself by just how much I enjoyed staring at it. One of the top 2 highlights of India and a must on any itinerary.
Just outside of Agra (the Taj Mahal) is the very underrated and magnificent fortified ancient city of Fatehphur Sikri. It was the former capital of the Mughal Empire, which dominated nearly all of South Asia for almost 200 years before the arrival of the British, and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Stuffed with palaces, mosques and wow architecture it is also without the intense crowds found elsewhere in the main Indian tourist.
You’re obviously not going to visit India just for this, but I highlighly recommend tagging it onto a Golden Triangle + Rajasthan itinerary. For the itinerary and tips on how to get the best out of the trip, see the far more details travel entry for India’s Golden Triangle – getting the most out of it.
And see below how I see the best spots nearby.
Travelling in Burma (Myanmar) feels like stepping into a parallel world – like the rest of the world went one way and Burma took a different turn somewhere along the road.
That may slowly be changing as the country opens up, but for now it still feels very different from the rest of Southeast Asia. Combine that with a series of genuinely world-class sights, and it makes Burma an excellent destination for a 2-week trip.
For most first-time visitors, Burma is about four main highlights: Yangon, Bagan, Mandalay and Inle Lake. These form the core of almost any trip and can comfortably be combined into a two-week itinerary.
I’ve written below some further travel tips for travelling around Burma, but my 2 biggest tips are:
You will naturally have seen in the news Burma very often flaring up with the latest crisis and the story of the country is truly a sad one considering the repression in particular of the ethic minorities and continued belligerence of the military junta.
But, from a tourist point of view, such changes haven’t really stopped the country as it opens up more and more to overseas visitors. Whilst it may sound like a country to avoid based on headlines, thousands more come to the country each year than the last and flare ups occur only in the remote areas foreigners are not allowed in. There are far more countries in the world with far more dangers that receive far more tourists on a regular basis.
The classic itinerary is great fun – very much wow. But for the truly mega wow, consider wandering off the beaten track.
One of the best adventures I’ve experienced was the 6 day trip down the Irrawaddy River by ferry in Northern Burma from Myitkyina (or you can start in Bhamo / Katha to reduce the time) to Mandalay.
Breathtaking mountainous jungle vistas, the chance to see the real local villages along the mighty Irrawaddy River, and the old echoes of the former colonial past. A truly great travel experience and I’ve included the details in the travel entry – Exploring Northern Burma by train and ferry from Myitkyina, via Bhamo and Katha to Mandalay. Just a thought.
The Golden Temple itself is impressive – gleaming marble walkways, exotic architecture and the gold-covered temple sitting in the middle of a sacred lake – but the real highlight is the experience of being welcomed so openly into one of the world’s great religious pilgrimages.
It’s very simple to join in. Simply rock up any time, no entrance fee, just take off your shoes and socks, wash your feet and borrow a head scarf that they provide. Then follow the crowds – they even feed you!
There isn’t a huge amount else to see in Amritsar, and the Golden Temple is very much the main reason to come here, but the nearby Wagah border ceremony with Pakistan is one of the strangest and most entertaining border ceremonies in the world and well worth seeing.
Varanasi feels like a microcosm of India – nowhere else will you see such a vibrant variety of cultures, religions and colours. Yet this is also combined with the thronging masses, rubbish and pollution. You. tend to be reminded of the whole “India. 10/10 potential. 1/10 execution” 😂.
I loved my time in Varanasi as I just headed off to get lost in amongst the lanes, wandered into incense-heavy temples and looked over the riverside ghats as people washed themselves for ritual, or just washed themselves. I can also understand though why some might find it a bit oppressive. Either way, it feels like one of the must do experiences of this wonderful country
Some simple tips:
#1 Get lost in the small alley ways – its all part of the experience and you’ll no doubt find some cool temples and views of the Ganges that aren’t in the standard tourist route.
#2 Try to avoid taking a standard tourist tour of the Ghats. Instead, find one of the guys with his own boat near the water and get him to take you out. It just avoids being crammed into a boat with 40 other fellow tourists.
#3 Its India, so be ready for people near-constantly nagging you to sell you something, but it is probably a bit worse in Varanasi and it is a tourist hotspot where people tend to have spent a lot to visit.
