Hiking in India: Pachmarhi, Yamunotri, Delhi

We decided on a whim to stay in Pachmarhi as it was halfway from Hampi to Delhi. What a good whim that was!! Pachmarhi is a luscious nature reserve, not full of tourists with loads of hiking, cycling and waterfalls for swimming! You have to have a guide to take you into the park due to the tigers. We, unfortunately, didn't see one but came across some leopard prints, plenty of monkeys, peacocks, and a wild boar.

We arrived in Dehradun to find that it was India's Independence Day. There were parades, festivals, and events going on all day. We stayed one night in the city to get a bus up into the mountains the following day. It took us to Barkot where we stayed in a homestay just on the main road. Our goal was to get up into the mountains so we didn't spend much time here. We got up early to catch the next bus to take us further up the mountains. Unfortunately, we didn't make it very far due to a landslide. At this point, we got off the bus and decided to hike the rest of the way to Yamunotri. It took us all day, and we were exhausted by the end, but the scenery was out of this world - waterfalls, the Yamuna river, lush green mountain farms. The following morning we were rewarded by a swim in the hot springs and breakfast with the monks living in the temple. There weren't many places to stay up here, so we decided to camp the night upon a grassy meadow. From our camp, we could see the snowy peak of the mountain by day and the clear night sky with billions of stars by night. The following day involved us making our way back down the mountain by all forms of transport due to the landslides - hiking, bus, tractor, in the back of a logging truck, and finally a taxi to take us into Dehradun.....quite the journey! Onto our final destination by train - Delhi.

After descending from the Himalayas, we had one week to explore Delhi before our flights home. We decided to splash out and stay in an expensive hotel to enjoy life's comforts such as hot showers, a pool, continental breakfast, plush beds and air conditioning. We spent our days exploring some of the many sights including temples, monuments, museums, parks and Mahatma Ghandi's memorial, eating and shopping at markets. We also took a day trip to visit the Taj Mahal, one of the most beautiful buildings I have ever seen! It is definitely worth getting up early to leave to be there for sunrise. The colours are amazing, reflecting off the river and the Taj Mahal. We don't usually like to pay for guides, however, this is one time I would absolutely get one! The story and details behind this architectural feat are incredible. Next to hiking in the Himalayas, this was my favourite part of our trip. And as what happens on all adventures, the end came far too quickly!