BEWITCHED BY HAMPI

Before arriving in India, Hampi had been on my bucket list for a while…but, I couldn’t tell you why. For some unknown reason, it was one of the few places I could name in India. Perhaps I’d heard wonderful whispers about Hampi without really taking them in. While I knew I wanted to visit this mysterious place, I didn’t have a clue what made it special. So, as Ben and I approached this tourist Mecca, I tucked into some research. Here are a few insights which caught my attention:

• Hampi, which means “champion”, is located within the infamous ruins of Vijayanagara, the former capital of the Vijayanagara Empire.
• The ruins are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Hampi formed one of the core areas of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1343 to 1565. It was chosen because of its strategic location, bounded by the torrential Tungabhadra River on one side and surrounded by defensible hills on its other three sides.
• Hampi continues to be a significant historical, architectural and religious site. It’s home to many notable Hindu temples, some of which are still active places of worship.
• The extant monuments of Vijayanagara (or Hampi) can be divided into Religious, Civil and Military buildings.
• While most of the monuments in Hampi are from the Vijayanagara period, a small proportion have been assigned to pre-Vijayanagara times. The first historical settlements in Hampi date back to 1CE!

While these insights were certainly fascinating, it wasn’t until Ben and I arrived in Hampi that we understood why it was a major pit stop on the traveller circuit. We were spellbound from the moment we laid eyes on the mars-like landscape. It was so different to anything we’d seen before – a sea of giant boulders perched precariously over miles of undulated terrain, their rusty hues offset by zesty green palm groves, banana plantations and paddy fields. A perfect azure sky, peppered with fluffy white Simpson’s clouds, enhanced the epic atmosphere. The forlorn ruins seemed scattered across Hampi’s dramatic scenery, their former beauty still glimmering through the harsh destruction of time.

Before long, Ben and I had lost ourselves to the ancient relics. With only a half day available to explore Hampi, we stuck to the area’s main attractions, including the Vittala Temple and its iconic stone chariot, market corridors and musical pillars. Wandering through the mammoth temple entrance, we were transported to a bygone era. It’s ornate walls oozed secrets from the past – the architecture was mesmerising.

As Ben and I wrapped up our time in Hampi and started our journey to Goa, we watched the legendary landscape fly past our car windows in distracted silence. It was amazing to see how millions of years of volcanic activity and erosion could result in a beautifully bewitching backdrop. If only we’d had time to linger a little longer.

SHOULD I STILL TRAVEL TO NEPAL?

A couple of months ago, there was seemingly no better place for adventure than Nepal. However, in light of the recent earthquakes, many travellers have placed this bucket list destination in the “too dangerous” bin.

Having felt the first major quake on route to Nepal, I certainly considered doing a U-turn and ditching my dreams of exploring the mighty Himalayas. The Nepal I saw on the news looked terrifying, chaotic and devastated. A number of nervous thoughts started running through my head. Does Nepal even want tourists at the moment? Would I be causing a strain on resources, which are desperately needed by the locals? Would there be more earthquakes? Would I become a missing face on the news back home and create hell for my loved ones?

I suddenly remembered what it was like living in Queensland (Australia) when Cyclone Yasi hit. Millions of people around the world were bombarded with images that made the entire Sunshine State look like a war zone. The message? Queensland was closed to holiday-goers indefinitely. Don’t bother visiting anytime soon.

The reality on the ground was very different. Don’t get me wrong; there were several towns which had been severely affected by the cyclone. What the international community didn’t see were the many beautiful destinations that were alive and well. The result? All of Queensland (and, even, Australia) suffered the effects of a hard hit tourism industry, one of the main arteries supporting the economy. It took years for tourists numbers to get back to normal.

Then I thought about Nepal. After a few in-depth discussions with my husband, Ben and I decided to push on with our plans, see the situation for ourselves and inject some tourism dollars into the country. So, we packed our Land Rover with extra resources (food, water, petrol, and a tent) and called ahead to make sure we were welcome. The operators we spoke to all said the same thing, “Please come, we need you!”. And so our Nepal adventure began. Here’s what we experienced during our 30-day Himalayan holiday – sights, highlights, hiccups and all.

KATHMANDU

As we drove into Kathmandu, there was no denying the capital had been hit hard by earthquakes. Mammoth buildings had crumbled like concertina paper houses…I started to think we’d made the wrong decision. But then we reached Thamel.

While surrounding suburbs showed signs of damage, Thamel seemed frozen in time – a happier time. This tourist Mecca and world-renowned hippie hub was buzzing with travellers, life, and old-world charm. Before Ben and I knew it, we’d lost ourselves to the laneways and restaurants for over a week – there certainly wasn’t a shortage of food and fun! We absolutely loved the place.

During our time in Thamel, the second major quake shook Kathmandu. Based on local advice, we’d opted for a modern hotel with an open courtyard and pre-planned our emergency exit route just to be safe. While the experience was a little nerve-racking, we felt comfortable enough to stick around and continue with our plans.

POKHARA & BEGNAS LAKE

Following the footsteps of many hiking enthusiasts before us, we travelled to Pokhara in preparation for the Annapurna Base Camp Trek. While the town’s infrastructure seemed relatively unscathed by earthquake damage, tourist numbers were definitely down.

The funky pockets of Lakeside and Oldtown, once heaving with international visitors, had become tranquil urban sanctuaries. On the plus side, Ben and I were able to enjoy massages and meals on a whim – no bookings required. Staying at the luxurious Begnas Lake Resort, we had the entire place to ourselves and more support staff than we knew what to do with. While it wasn’t what we expected, the experience worked out for the best. Ben and I found the peace and quiet we needed to truly unwind.

ANNAPURNA BASE CAMP TRACK

When my husband first suggested tackling the 9-day trek to Annapurna Base Camp, I was a bit nervous. I had visions of us being taken out by landslides and avalanches triggered by earthquake tremors. So, we chose to travel with a veteran guide from InterTours who knew the mountains like the back of his hand. He assured us the track would be safe as long as we followed his lead and took precautions along the way.

Throughout our journey, we witnesses very little damage to villages and the mountains. We were encouraged to walk quickly through landslide and avalanche prone areas (which were rare and had posed a potential threat for many years), just to be safe. Thanks to our savvy and supportive guide, Ben and I enjoyed the adventure-of-a-life-time on the Annapurna Track. It was one of the most physically challenging and visually epic things we’d ever experienced. If it’s on your Bucket List, keep it there!

CHITWAN NATIONAL PARK

Chitwan was our big surprise and delight moment of the trip. Not knowing much about the area, we didn’t expect close encounters with rhinos, river baths with elephants, walks through wildlife-rich jungles, and romantic sunrise canoe rides. But that’s exactly what we got, and then some! Chitwan National Park was incredible and there were no signs of physical damage to reserve post-quake. It was teeming with cool creatures, many I’d never seen out of captivity before. The safaris were stuff of dreams and I’ll never forget them – they need to be on your itinerary if you’re planning to visit Nepal.

 

So there you have it. Nepal is still a place you should visit in the near future, just be safe and savvy while travelling around this stunning part of the world. Source local intelligence, take precautions and be smart about things.

While remote villages with significant earthquake damage will take time to recover, the main tourists hubs have more than enough resources to support locals as well as visitors. Many of the major draw cards tempting travellers to Nepal are still open for business – operators are eager and able to offer wonderful travel experiences.

If you find yourself in the heart of the Himalayas anytime soon, share your experiences through blogs, social media and beyond. Help Nepal get its positive news stories out to rest the world. There are many of them just begging to be told. 

HAPPY DAY 14 // THE TEMPLES OF ANGKOR

The clock struck four, when Ben’s phone told us it was time to get our butts out of bed. Today was a special day, so I wasn’t in my usual pre-breakfast zombie-like state. Despite the fact that it was closer to my bedtime than my usual waking time, I felt energised. The infamous Angkor Wat was waiting for us.

After a quick tuk-tuk ride and the usual ticketing booth formalities, we commenced the walk towards that enchanting, world-renowned silhouette, our anticipation building with each step. The deep beat of jungle drums drifted through the air, setting the mood perfectly. The impressive crowd of tourists was in a quiet trance-like state, waiting for the stage lights to switch on and the star attraction to make itself known. For now, Angkor Wat was sitting in the shadows, lit only by a thin lip of burnt orange and fuschia. And so we waited…

As we ensconced ourselves in the dewy grass and sat back with our sugar-loaded coffees, the sun slowly came out to play. The glassy dam between us and the Mother of all Temples captured her reflection in all of its glory. As Angkor Wat rose from her slumber, it seemed like she’d brought a mirror to her face just to make sure everything was in order before we snapped away like crazed paparazzi.

After the big moment had come and gone, it was time to enter the gates of Angkor Wat and take a closer look. She was more magnificent than I’d imagined – like a long-limbed lady covered in ornate henna tattoos. Her walls and corridors stretched far and wide, every inch of them covered in curious engravings, stunning motifs and precious sculptures.

The wave of tourists quickly dissipated, as people wandered off in different directions and got lost amongst the endless network of hallways and doorways. The architectural symmetry was simply genius, messing with my head like a giant mirrored maze. Every way I looked and turned, there was a stunning, rustic frame staring back at me. It was a photographer’s paradise.

Soon it was time to move on to Bayon, the next temple in our tour. We went on the hunt for our tuk-tuk driver, which proved to be a serious challenge. The carpark looked like it was hosting a tuk-tuk rally. At this point, we realised we should have photographed our driver and his vehicle before wandering off.

Eventually we heard our voices being called in the distance – once lost, we’d been found. After a short drive, our team of three was delivered to the doorstep of Bayon, which captured our attention immediately. Decorated with 126 mammoth faces, it’s thought to be a narcissistic shrine to King Jayavarman VII, the mastermind behind the Temples of Angkor. Witnessing the majesty of his vision, I couldn’t help but think he had the right to be pleased with himself.

Next, it was time to tackle the popular Temple of Ta Prohm. A perfect union between divine ruins and mother nature, it was nothing short of spectacular. The roots of the silk-cotton trees had grown through the temple walls like veins keeping a heart alive. I could see why Tomb Raider had been filmed here. The atmosphere was truly magical. I found myself being transported back to the 12th Century, when Ta Prohm had housed hundreds of dancers, high priests, gold, pearls, silks and beyond. It sounded like a dream.

Over the course of the next couple of hours we went on to view a few more historic sites. They were all dwarfed by Angkor Wat and its cool cousins. As my husband put it, “It’s hard to get excited by foreplay after sex.” Having said that, watching the sun rise over Angkor Wat proved to be a memorable, must-see moment. In hindsight, we should have bought a three-day pass, so we could better appreciate the lesser known attractions and work our way up to the main event.

To complete our once-in-a-lifetime experience of Angkor Wat, we decided to see the grounds from a different perspective – “gibbon view”. I’d been craving an adrenalin rush for a while and Flight of the Gibbon sounded right up my alley. Guiding us through a series of sky-high zip lines, tree houses and bridge walks, it certainly got my heart pumping. I’m usually good with heights, but when our tiny 150m-high platform started swaying in the wind, I quickly conjured up an escape plan. Surely jumping towards the nearest branch and holding on for dear life would save me?

After three hours of flying between the trees, our group finally had the swing of things. I was racing across the barely-there bridges and dangling from the wires like a pro-gibbon – no sweat. I could see why Flight of the Gibbon was killing it on Trip Advisor. The experience was the right kind of challenging and certainly thrilling, offering a change of pace to the temple tours. And, by the end of the day, I was all “templed out”.