Said to be the best legacy of the British Raj, is the nationwide train network that links almost everywhere to everywhere else. This was no mean feat as India is a vast, vast nation: the Himsagar Express train journey–meaning ‘snow and sea’–runs between Kanyakumari in India’s southernmost state, Tamil Nadu and Jammu Tawi, in Jammu […]

Squiffy’s local environment is really important to her: she’d much rather go hungry and spend the money saved on a decent hotel with a clean room, whereas I’d rather skimp on the hotel room and spend the extra on food and drink. (The more I travel the more I see that more money spent on […]

Across India, people are celebrating Diwali — the festival of light. Here in Jodhpur, the blue city, I gather that this has been translated over the years to mean that six year-old children let off impossibly loud firecrackers in the impossibly narrow streets; giggling in delight as tourists like me run for cover to lessen […]

Before Squiffy arrives in Jaipur, I’m going west to visit Jodhpur for a little photographic tour. The famous blue city lies in the shadow of Rajasthan’s best preserved mountain fort. I had originally planned to squeeze in a more adventurous trip further west to also include Jaisalmer, an inhabitied desert fort. I decided against this […]

To be honest with you, I got bored with Goa. I thought that I’d spend my fortnight “sans Squiffy” sat on a beach reading books supping Pina Coladas surrounded by girls in grass skirts. In planning this, one thing I forgot is that I’m really not that much of a beach person. Worse, to explore […]

The undertow is so strong here on Baga beach, Goa, that I haven’t dared go into the sea for a dip above my ankles. The sign at the entrance to the beach offers a strongly- (and hilariously-) worded warning. That’s not to say that it hasn’t stopped most of the few hundred Indian holidaymakers from […]

Dear UK Computer User, You really don’t know how good you’ve got it. If you don’t believe me, click on these photos to see the computer on which I’m writing to you. Warm regards, daveb.

Rather than face falling–helmetless–off a moped, I splashed out to the tune of 350 INR (£4.38) to hire a taxi driver for a few hours to take me to the famed Anjuna flea market in Goa. Anjuna is one of the last surviving hippie resorts in Goa, as I’m told that most have retreated elsewhere […]

For the past couple of days, something in my head had taken away my appetite and stopped me from eating any more than a few nibbles of food, even when I force myself to eat. At last, I’m pleased to report that I’ve found a rather spiffing “pure veg” restaurant in Calangute and, safe in […]

I didn’t get much sleep last night, the thought of sharing my bed with the bugs kept me awake much of the night. Today, I decided to raise my budget and go in search of better accommodation, with air-conditioning at least. My guidebook paints the next Goan town, Calangute, as the package tourist hotspot and […]