Nov 29, 2003
Dhaka
The flight from Bangkok to Dhaka takes only two and half hours, giving me enough time to explore Dhaka, capital of one of the poorest countries in the world. Apart from famous building such as Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban (National Parliament House), I paid attention to the rivers in Dhaka which are part of the daily life of many residents of the city.
In the afternoon, I took a flight (the state-run Biman is still the cheapest) to Jessore then took a train to Khulna in southwest Bangladesh.
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| National Assembly, Dhaka |
Nov 30, 2003
Sundarbans
The sole reason to come to Khulna is to see the Sundarbans, famous for its massive mangrove forests. I arranged a "tour" with a guy in the hotel and he acted more like a "translator" as we used public buses/ferries, etc. - they are VERY crowded but it's a good way to get close to the locals. At the end of the "tour", I gave the "guide" a few dollars as tips and he was extremely happy.
Dec 1, 2003
Kolkata
Crossing border overland to India from Beanpole, Bangladesh can be a hassle, as I flew into Dhaka and am supposed to fly out of the country from Dhaka as well. However, Bangladesh is a highly corrupt country and I exited from Benapole successfully by paying the officer some USD for a "special permit".
While in India, I took an ordinary train from the border town of Bangaon to Kolkata. The train was extremely crowded. On arriving in Kolkata, I noticed there are lots of garbages everywhere in the city (this turns out to be a typical city scene in India). Due to limited time in Kolkata, I just checked out Victoria Memorial and stayed at the airport guesthouse.
Dec 2, 2003
Bhutan
Bhutan is one of few countries in the world that doesn't allow independent traveling. I contacted a travel agency in Bangkok that deals with Bhutan tours and bought a 2 day customized tour from them. The standard price is 200 USD per day all inclusive. A few days before my departure for South Asia, some travel agencies inside Bhutan responded to my email request and offered lower prices, by it's too later. The length of the visa depends on the "tour". For me, it's 2 days.
Drukair is the only airline that flies to Bhutan. On approaching Paro, the airplane flies in the mountains which is quite exciting. I was welcomed by the guide at the airport. Since the airport is in Paro, we checked out some sites in Paro first, including National Museum of Bhutan and Paro Taktsang. After lunch, we drove to the capital Thimphu. Thimphu is one of the most beautiful capitals I have seen. There is no single traffic light. The most important building of the city is Tashichho Dzong (a temple which is also the office of the king and the government). After dinner, the guide put me in a hotel downtown and left. I was able to walk around the city freely and bough some interesting stamps at a local market.
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| Tashichho Dzong, Thimphu |
Dec 3, 2003
Bhutan to Sikkim
A total transit day from Bhutan to Sikkim in India but view on the way is quite good (all in mountains).
We left Thimphu early in the morning and arrived in the border town of Phuntsholing 6 hours later. The Bhutanese guide arranged a "taxi" to take me to Gangtok of Sikkim. Sikkim is quite different from the rest of India and historically has close ties with Tibet. You can feel the difference as soon as you enter Sikkim.
Dec 4, 2003
Sikkim to Siriguri
Sikkim is indeed a very relaxing place inside India. I checked out some temples in Gangtok and chatted with the monks. Great time spent.
Leaving Sikkim later in the day, I arrived in Siriguri in the evening. Tomorrow I'll leave India (temporarily) and enter Nepal.
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| Gangtok |
Dec 5-6, 2013: Nepal
It only takes one hour to get to the border town of Panitanki from Siriguri. While in Kakarbhitta on the Nepalese side, I tried to buy an air ticket to the capital Kathmandu's but to no avail. Eventually, a travel agency helped to arrange a "taxi" for the 24 hour overland journey. Due to political instability, there was a curfew in effect in the region and I had to sleep in the car for the night...
At dawn, we began the journey again to Kathmandu, passing Mt Simbhanjyang, and finally arrived in the capital in the afternoon. I asked the driver to drop me off at Swayambhunath and paid respect to this Buddhist holy site. In the evening, I checked out Kumari Bahal near Durbar Squar.
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| Swayambhunath, Kathmandu |
Dec 7, 2003
Kathmandu to Gorakhpur
In the morning, I took an airplane to the "Mountain" - Mt Everest from Kathmandu Airport for about 100 USD. Everybody can see the peak of Mt Everest (and some other mountains) but from a distance. After the flight, I hired a "taxi" again to take me to the border town of Sunauli to enter India the 3rd time (also the last time).
On the Indian side, I hired another "taxi" to Gorakhpur for the 3 hour journey. It was very foggy but the Sikh driver managed to arrive in time without reducing speed too mich - amazing.
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| Mt Everest and other peaks from airplane |
Dec 8, 2003
Varanasi
Leaving Gorakhpur by train early morning, I arrived in the holy city of Varanasi around noon. Tourists can easily notice the number of cows in the city. Apart from numerous Hindu temples in Varanasi, one cannot miss the holy river of the Ganges and the stairs leading to the river.
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| Ganga River |
Dec 9, 2003
Agra
This No. 1 tourist destination in India is worth seeing, though the city is very touristy and the high entrance fees to Taj Mahal and the nearby Agra Fort are not surprising. Half day is enough for me and I took a train in the afternoon heading northwest and arrived in Delhi in the evening.
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| Taj Mahal |
Delhi
Most of the sites in Delhi are in Old Delhi, including Red Fort and Jama Masjid, the largest masjid in India. One interesting site in New Delhi is Jantar Mantar observatory which I personally like.
After some good time in Delhi, I boarded an overnight train heading for Mumbai.
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| Jantar Mantar |
Dec 11, 2003
Mumbai
Mumbai is huge and chaotic. Taking the commuter train is a good way to see the city in general. The most famous buildings are, of course, the Gateway of India and the nearby Taj Mahal Palace.
In the afternoon, I took a flight to Kochi then changed to a train to a Trivandrum, the south most city of India and my last stop in this country.
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| Gateway of India |
Dec 12, 2003
Maldives
Maldives is beautiful but super expensive. Apart from accommodations, there are costs for airport pickup (by boat, as each resort occupies one islsnd) and activities. I had some pleasant walk on my resort island as well as in the capital Malé and joined a fishing tour. Surprisingly, as a total beginner, I caught a big fish. All the fish caught by the group were served as dinner - more than enough!
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| Malé from airplane |
Dec 13, 2003
Kandy
Emirates provided me a delicious breakfast on the one hour flight from Maldives to Sri Lanka. On arriving at Colombo Airport, I hired a taxi directly to Kandy (3 hours), famous for Sri Dalada Maligawa, a sacred temple that houses the relic of the tooth of the Buddha.
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| Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, Kandy |
Dec 14, 2003
Anuradhapura
Anuradhapura is another tourist destination in Sri Lanka. Sites in Anuradhapura are again of religious, cultural and historical significance, including Sri Moha Bodhi, Brazen Palace and Ruwanweliseya.
A 5 hour train took me back to the capital Colombo. After dinner, I stopped a taxi to take me to the airport, ending my two week long South Asia trip.
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| Sri Maha Bodhi |
Summary
South Asia is a fantastic destination. Countries in this region observe different religions (Muslim, Buddhism, Hinduism, etc.) and have different cultures. Bhutan and Maldives are expensive therefore appear "nice" to most travelers. Bangladesh is poor but amazingly cheap. Nepal is also cheap and more popular to tourists due to various sites and activities in the country. India is no double the No. 1 country in South Asia and bargaining is part of daily life. Sri Lanka is not just a "cleaner India" and offers a total different experience that shouldn't be missed.
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