Out of Africa

I knew I couldn't make the trek all the way to Tanzania and not go on safari. I already had an amazing safari experience in South Africa (which you can read about here) which I absolutely loved, so I couldn't possibly miss out on another chance to see such incredible (and, in some cases, endangered) animals in the wild. Plus, as someone who loves nothing more than capturing a beautiful photo - a safari is a dream with beautiful, unpredictable animals in the backdrop of the most stunning landscapes you will ever see.

I did a lot of research before booking my trip - wanting to ensure I found the best value for my money. My list of must-haves included a good schedule that covered enough ground, decent meals included in the price and clean, comfortable mid-range hotels. No camping, but also no luxury hotels. With such a tight schedule there is little to no reason to spend time in your hotel room beyond sleeping, so mid-range hotels are an ideal solution. We were lucky to find the perfect tour company - Zara Tours - to satisfy our needs and surprisingly, exceed our expectations.

Zara Tours is a well-reviewed, successful Tanzanian tour company run by a woman. You can check out their web-site here. I booked both the safari and Kilimanjaro climb with Zara and saved thousands of dollars by doing so in lieu of using a local Canadian competitor. Not only was the savings great, but there was greater flexibility in choosing our dates, climb routes and safari inclusions. I highly recommend them. Please feel free to contact me via this blog with any questions you might have.

My cousin, Tricia - who I convinced to join me on this journey - and I booked a 5 night safari package and a 6 day Marangu Route Kilimanjaro climb. I'll talk to the climb portion in detail in my next post but both parts of the package certainly delivered in terms of Zara's team, service, the food (which was all included) as well as accommodations.

So how was it? It was absolutely "bobkubwa" - which means something along the lines of "awesome" in Swahili.

We arrived around 8 pm via KLM with a flight to Amsterdam and another directly to Kilimanjaro airport which is just outside Tanzania's second largest city, Arusha. We chose to get the necessary Visa upon arrival and am glad we did. It cost $50 US and took about 5 minutes to in line to get (versus sending our passports by courier to Ottawa and spending $65). We also were not required to show our proof of Yellow Fever vaccination. This is apparently a very gray area. Even though Canadians are not required to be vaccinated for this, should we have passed through another country (say, Kenya by a re-routed flight) we *might require an inoculation. Our travel doctor (Dr. Wise) advised us of our options before we left and we chose to get the vaccination to avoid any potential issues on arrival. (Note that I'll talk more about vaccinations etc. later in a later post covering off practical information about traveling to Tanzania). It was $140 for the vaccine and outside of hurting your wallet, it does give you a bit of a sore arm for a few days.

We were transported by bus to our hotel - the Springlands - which was about an hour away in the town of Moshi, where we celebrated the start of a great trip with a cold beer under the full moon before getting a good night's sleep. In the morning, we enjoyed our included buffet breakfast (fresh mango, omelettes, fresh hibiscus juice etc.) before meeting with our safari guide to get on the road.

It turns out our safari would be private - just me, Tricia and our guide, Issa. While there were other groups doing similar safaris, they weren't traveling on our exact itinerary, so we traveled alone. This turned out to be a fantastic treat as we would not have to share space in our Toyota Land Cruiser with anyone else - which means we had plenty of room and the ultimate in visibility of the animals within each park.

Issa was an unbelievable host - kind, funny and very knowledgeable about the wildlife and culture of the areas we were visiting. It was more like a road trip with a friend rather than a formal safari. He even taught us quite a bit of Swahili that came in handy over the two weeks that followed.

Our 5 days included trips to Lake Manyara National Park, Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, a traditional Maasai village and Tarangire National Park. You can read about my experience at each location in the posts that follow. 

Tanzania

As some of you may know, my travel schedule in the last year or so has been scaled back compared to previous years. And while I managed to pack in a lot of travel when I first lost my job in late 2011, it drastically diminished in the eight months that followed when I went without any work (or a paycheck). I then started a fairly intense employment contract that didn't really afford me the same kind vacation opportunities I was so used to – resulting in a couple of brief (but still wonderful) trips. But that just wasn’t enough.

My passion for travel has become a big part of my life…when I am traveling and even when I am not. It has taught me the value of setting (and achieving) goals, both big and small, and forced me to face some of my fears (like my fear of heights!) head on. It has satisfied my curious nature with endless research and keeps me feeling young by teaching me the basics all over again (like learning to count to ten in Swahili). The traveling “me” and the “me” at home in her regular life aren’t really all that different anymore. I try to look at everything, at home or away, through the same lens – with curiosity, humility and appreciation.

The older we get, our time and our youth become increasingly precious. And while the bills obviously have to get paid, it is important to be vigilant about what is precious to you. Whether it is seeing the world or spending time with your family or doing whatever it is that you love. It’s not just a stupid cliché - life IS short. Really short.

That contract job was just never going to work for me. So I gave my notice and, on a whim, started my own consulting business. And now my schedule is my own and I have no idea why I didn't do it sooner.

At the same time I started the business, I also had the brilliant idea of planning an extensive trip to Tanzania, a trip that would involve climbing Mount Kilimanjaro – something well outside of my comfort zone. In retrospect, it does seems like a lot of pressure to put on one’s self – get a new business off the ground and plan and pay for an (expensive) vacation all within six months. But, I think both goals worked together in a way that ensured that both were achieved.

The posts that follow will cover off my epic trip to Tanzania that included a safari, the Mount Kilimanjaro climb, some beach time on the island of Zanzibar as well as a night in the UNESCO World Heritage city of Stone Town.

Enjoy…

Sun & Fun 2013

It was a long, cold winter this year. So when I saw a smokin' deal to my favourite island I jumped on it. I somehow sold my cousin Tricia on the idea too; so off we went to St. Maarten for some sun and fun.

While I have been there many times, it was Tricia’s first visit to the Caribbean so it was exciting to see things through fresh eyes. Highlights of the trip include a most perfect day at Baie Rouge beach with fresh fruit cocktails and a barbecue lunch at Chez Raymond followed by ice-cream at the wharf in the pretty town of Marigot, a beautiful dinner at Bon Appetit bistro and the grand finale of lots of drinks at two different piano bars with live music. A much needed getaway filled with sun and lots of fun. For more details on St. Maarten, please see here.

Vancouver 2012

It was a bit of whirlwind but I did manage to fit in a bit of vacation into a summer that has been all about work.

When one of my very best friends - Shannon - invited me out to her intimate summer wedding to fiancé Joe, I didn't hesitate in confirming I would be there no matter what. And while I did only arrive in Vancouver early in the morning on the very day of her wedding, I still made it, and summoned the strength to fight through some exhaustion and jet-lag to enjoy a truly wonderful day with my friend. A truly wonderful,impossibly "sunny" day in Vancouver at that.

I had booked last minute and managed to secure an affordable room at the hipster-friendly hotel The Burrard. For $180 (tax-in) per night I scored a clean, stylish room on the third floor of a renovated classic 50's motel. A basic room design with modern touches and a big white duvet-covered bed. Free wireless, bottled water and an in-room espresso machine were wonderful touches. And while I didn't take advantage, the hotel also has free cruiser bikes that can be borrowed for the day to perhaps visit nearby English Bay or Stanley Park. I would highly recommend this hotel for its great location, awesome customer service and affordable prices. I'll definitely stay there again on my next visit.

So how did I spend my three day trip? Well, day one was all about the Bride and Groom starting with a most picturesque ceremony at the beautiful Hycroft Manor. This was followed by wines and nibbles in the private cellar at Salt, located on Blood Alley in Gastown.

The next day was a chill one with a ride on the Aquabus, a good hangover lunch of burgers at Cat Social House and a lazy walk around Granville Island market. All the out-of-town wedding guests met up for a delicious dinner at Central Bistro to close out the evening.

On my last day, I went for a great brunch at Acme Cafe before making my way back to the East Coast. Stay sunny Vancouver - I'll see you again soon.

Spring Break Cancun

While I was in St.Maarten, I got a text from my younger brother Matthew asking if I wanted to get away for his Spring Break from University. His vacation plans had fallen through and he needed a vacation buddy. I'm always game for a last minute adventure so two days after I returned from St.Maarten, I was back on a plane to Cancun.

Yes, Cancun. For Spring Break. At thirty eight years old.

Surprisingly I fared well for an old gal. Matt and I made friends with some fellow travelers and had some fun dinners and beach time. We also hit up some clubs, did the Senor Frogs and Coco Bongo thing and did a snorkeling excursion to nearby Isla Majeures. We stayed at the Grand Oasis Palm - which was a nice place with the exception of the rooms. No hotel room should have a bedspread. Yuck. It stayed in the closet. But the food, service and pools were really nice. The beach kinda sucked. But all-in-all. it was a lovely time and we got one hell of a deal on the trip. And...most importantly...it wasn't snowing there!

Back to the Beach

On a sunny (but cold) morning of February 6th, my gorgeous little nephew, Byron Robert, made his entrance into the world. After spending some time with him during his first week, Auntie Janine decided to make her way back to St.Maarten for more beach time. Named after a famous beach town himself (Byron Bay, Australia), I knew Byron would understand that the sun and sea were calling to me.

February is the best time of the year to travel south from Canada, with all kinds of great deals available for sunny destinations. And when you are jobless during a Canadian winter, really, is there anything else to do?

Once again I stayed in Maho Village and ventured out to a few of my favourite spots and checking out a couple of new ones including Karakter - a cool beach club outfitted with a cafe in a bus - and also Mullet Beach, a beautiful, calm beach walkable from Maho Village.

Another great relaxing trip to my favourite island!

Caribbean Christmas

After a month back in Toronto catching up with family and friends and relaxing in my home, I knew it was time to get away for some sunshine and a beach. I left for an all-inclusive in St.Maarten on Christmas morning and was happy to arrive in the warmth of the sun just 4 hours later.

As you likely know, St.Maarten is one of my favourite places to visit...a wonderful mix of Caribbean and European cultures with the most gorgeous beaches. I spent my week relaxing, gambling (winning more often than not!) and making a few new friends along the way. So when New Years day rolled in and I was supposed to get on a plane to go home - I decided to stay, and kick the new year off right. I mean, why not? I had no job to go back to. Might as well continue to ride the wave.

Some highlights of this trip - the always perfect beach at Baie Rouge topped off with the hand-made cocktails made from fresh fruit and delicious barbecue from Chez Raymond. Perfection. Also - fun trips around the island with the tunes cranked and stops in the fab little town of Grand Case for yummy food at the Lolo's. Lazy days at the pool, winning nights at the casino, some pampering at the spa...an all-round perfect get-away. So good that I went back again six weeks later. But that's another story for another day.

Last Stop: Cape Town

My last stop - South Africa. My third visit to this beautiful country in less than two years was less extensive and action-packed than the previous visits, but still special nonetheless.

My illness in Mauritius really knocked me off my feet, and was still lingering by the time I arrived in Cape Town. I was tired, but excited to see friends and just relax. It was a good way to make the transition from tourist back to regular life. Just chilling out and putting down my camera for a while.

My 4 days were spent at the fabulous Cape Royale hotel - where I had spent my first visit to Cape Town. I spent my time shopping, getting a much needed pedicure, relaxing with friends by the pool and having some great dinners and a few nights on the town. We also checked out an amazing Sunday market at the Biscuit Mill - a must see for any foodie. Despite the coughing and exhaustion, I still managed to have a blast.

I didn't take many photos on this trip, but on one very memorable dinner, I took this snap of the sunset from the beach at Camps Bay...which was followed by drinks at the famous Cape Grace hotel in the pretty harbour. A fabulous way to end the trip of a life-time.

 

Mauritius

After a short 2 night stop-over in Paris that mostly involved laundry and shopping for some warm weather clothes - I once again took off on another adventure, this time to the island of Mauritius.

Why Mauritius, you ask? Well for one, after the cold in Russia, I was craving some beach time. Secondly, there are lots of cheap charter flights to Mauritius, or Isle Maurice as the French call it, out of Paris. Lastly - I had recalled seeing on a family tree my aunt had put together, that some ancestors of mine had lived on Mauritius in the early 19th century for two generations. For this reason alone I was extremely curious to find out more about this tiny little island in the middle of the Indian Ocean.

The 13 hour flight was not fun. It was a jam-packed charter without any in-flight entertainment and I was stuck beside a very sick mother-daughter duo. But arriving in the warm weather made it all worthwhile.

I grabbed a taxi on arrival and made my way to my hotel - Hotel Tamarina - on the western side of the island. I had booked a last minute stay online knowing very little about what I should expect. But who could resist a hotel that offered an all inclusive package that covered off food, drinks and spa! Yep...one free treatment per day. Heaven.

The hotel itself was incredible. On a stunning, quiet stretch of beach and the sight of the most beautiful sunsets each night. The staff were so lovely to me - especially when I became incredibly ill (no doubt thanks to the mother-daughter duo on the plane). I was brought food in my room when I was too sick to get out of bed, and was made fresh ginger lemon tea at the bar to soothe my persistent cough. They also helped me get to a pharmacy to get some much needed medicine.

Despite being extremely sick for pretty much my entire visit I tried to make the best of the situation. I took a day trip out to sea to swim and snorkel with the local dolphins. Literally, we just jumped in the ocean with hundreds of dolphins. Afterwards, we had a beautiful picnic on an island where I got to practice my French skills with my fellow travelers.

I tried to spend some time at the pool in the day when I felt up to it, but I was truly too sick to enjoy the amazing cuisine and the spa treatments.

Some highlights of the trip: for starters the absolutely delicious Mauritian beer, Phoenix Fresh. Also, the very sweet Mauritian people who look Indian, speak French and are so welcoming. But my favourite part of the trip was an island tour I did on my final day. Before heading to the airport I booked a taxi driver for a 4 hour visit along the coast-line. Hearing about my family history, my driver took me to the oldest graveyard on the island where all the French settlers, who immigrated here when Mauritius was a stop on the Spice Route, were buried. While I have no idea of my family members journey and adventure in Mauritius, it was fun to wander amongst the ancient gravestones, smoothed away by years of sea salt and monsoons.

Mauritius was exotic, beautiful and friendly - but I was now headed to my last and final stop on my adventure - Cape Town, South Africa!

Moscow

We set out for Moscow on an overnight train. And since I didn't know what the sleeping circumstances would be when I originally booked, it turned out I was set to be in an upper class cabin away from the rest of the group. While at first I was a bit bummed to be away from my new friends, I decided it would be a welcome experience to fly solo for the night with some real Russians. I got to my cabin before my 3 other fellow guests - Olga, a nice, older Russian "Baboushka" and two young Russian men. I took a lower berth and read some magazines while everyone settled in. We communicated in broken Russian, English and hand gestures but all went smoothly. As the train pulled out at around midnight, we tucked in for sleep soon after. I could barely sleep a wink the whole ride. Breakfast (bread, cheese and salami) was served in the morning and I bought us all cappucinos from the coffee cart going by.

We arrived at our hotel - a former residence built for the Olympics in 1980 - to check our bags before making our way to Red Square by subway. After many photo ops with beautiful St.Basils we headed over to a very cool, new attraction. A secret Soviet cold war era bunker, only recently discovered, that sits 18 stories under the city. Apparently built in complete secrecy as a communication headquarters, there was even a fake apartment building sitting above it to protect its location. This was one of my favourite attractions ever - not only did we tour the facility, we could touch the artifacts and even try on some of the gear. Which, as you will see in my photos, I quite enjoyed.

After a delicious late lunch of Russian food at a local cafeteria style restaurant, we made our way underground to tour the beautiful subway stations - filled with statues, chandeliers and mosaics. I learned that superstitious Russians find it lucky to rub the golden statues as they pass - so I joined in too. 

That night I laid low and ordered in food to my room. This was extremely challenging to do in English - but the salad and plemeni (dumplings) were good. And though I can't be certain of the type of meat was in the plemeni, I ate every drop.

Day 2 was very cold, even by a Canadian's standards and I was very happy to have my mink hat and my warm Icelandic wool gloves. We toured the Kremlin - which was incredible - but I skipped out early to grab a beer and warm up with some Borscht at a cafe in Red Square.

Our afternoon was spent at the amazing Moscow Circus where I definitely felt like a kid again. It was a real highlight of my visit and I would encourage anyone (of any age) to put it on their list if heading to Moscow. Backed up by a Big Band, the performers put on a colourful, exciting and funny show that included trapeze artists, elephants, horses and a very funny monkey! Before the show - you can have your photo taken with cute animals like a leopard, baby lion and a monkey (wearing a track-suit and socks!).

We followed up the Circus with a delicious farewell dinner in Red Square...and with lots of vodka shots. As I had a late flight the next day, I chose to experience a Russian Banya (sauna) so I booked a private sauna room at the facility in our hotel. For about $40 I got a private area with a TV room, sauna and access to the pool. Wet birch twigs are provided to hit yourself with while in the steamy sauna room and then plunge into the cold pool. It sounds torturous, but it is very refreshing.

Refreshed and ready, I made my way to the Moscow airport to return to Paris before heading south to Africa, the third continent in my amazing adventure.

 

Vodka Shot

I tried to be somewhat practical about planning my two month trip of a life-time. It would be unlikely that I would ever have this much consecutive time off again for a long time, so I tried to include destinations that might be challenging to get to in the future if I were working or have a family some day. Russia was on that list.

I decided to travel with an organized tour - On the Go - as it is difficult to organize a Visa without having an "invitation" to visit. So the Russian leg of my trip was booked before I left Canada. I would spend a very fast one week, starting in St.Petersburg and finishing up in Moscow. Just a shot of Vodka, so to speak.

The flight from Paris was smooth and fairly uneventful despite the threat of an Air France strike. I was met at the small airport in St.Petersburg by Katia, our group leader and a few of my fellow passengers. A larger size group this time, there were 11 of us including Thacker, a fellow Torontonian who was an amazing 82 years old and traveling alone.

After a brief introduction at the hotel, a few of us made our way out of the hotel to have some dinner (plemeni and beer) and get to know each other.

I had a great sleep and awoke fresh and ready to see St.Petersburg. With a later start, I was able to sleep and adjust to the time change. However, when I opened the curtains I was surprised to see that it was still pitch black. At 10 am. I checked my blackberry. I checked my computer. And then I phoned the front desk. Yes, it truly was 10 am and pitch dark. I guess that's the deal this far north in the winter months.

Our first day kicked off with a tour along the Nevsky Prospect (the main drag of the city) and a visit outside of the Church on the Spilled Blood - a beautiful church city at the foot of one of the city's many canals. After lots of photo-taking of this stunning church and the pretty canals, we headed throughout the city to check out key monuments along the Church of St.Nicholas, a beautiful blue orthodox church that required me to cover my hair with a scarf.

We stopped for hot chocolate by the sea and did a drive by the university where people like Putin and Dostoyevsky studied before our big trip to the Hermitage.

For anyone who has studied art, like me, the Hermitage is a very important place to visit. A baroque palace filled with some of the most exquisite art treasures in the world - including some of the most famous impressionist and expressionist works. A dream come true.

After the Hermitage, a few of us went off to walk the Nevsky Prospest and stopped in for beer and snacks at a pub. We then made our way to meet the rest of our group at a small palace for a cultural music and dance show. We sipped champagne during intermission and sat at the back during the performance to avoid awkward audience participation moments. The music and dancing was really good - encompassing traditional folk styles as well as ballet and classical music. Not something I probably would have picked to do on my own, so it was fortunate that it was part of the itinerary. Still hungry after the show, we made our way to a burger place just off the Nevsky Prospect "St-Petersburger" which perfectly hit the spot! We grabbed the subway back to our hotel and did some people watching over coffee in the lobby. A long day - but a really great one.

Our next day was just as action-packed. We started out at the Catherine Palace, a bit outside of the city centre. The palace is magnificent - very grand, with sweeping grounds and is just as colourful as the exterior of the Hermitage. Though I didn't get a chance to see it, a short walk from the palace is the smaller once home of Nicholas II and Alexandra Romanov and their children. For those of you who don't know their story, I highly recommend reading: The Last Tsar by Edvard Radzinsky which tells the story of their love, their family and their execution all in the backdrop of the Russian Revolution. We also visited the Peter and Paul Fortress where I did see their final resting place (their remains were recovered years later). All of the Russian Czars are buried here in the church.

Afterwards - a Vodka tasting with traditional Russian fare like Borscht and Beef Stroganoff. And after that, a tour of the interior of the incredibly stunning Church on the Spilled Blood. Named so for it being the site of the assassination of a Czar, it is filled with gemstone mosaics from floor to ceiling. Partially destroyed and pilfered during WWII, it has now been lovingly restored and is a beautiful thing see. Next up - some shopping, where I purchased a gorgeous Russian mink hat to keep me warm in the cold as well as some treasures for my family, and a pretty set of Matryoshka dolls for me.

A few of us ventured out to a cozy cafe for dinner before catching our overnight train to Moscow. We ordered rounds of Vodka, plates of the most delicious french fries and what we thought was Chicken Kiev...but turned out to be just chicken wings. I guess we needed to work on our Russian...which we could continue to do in our next stop, Moscow!

Paris Halloween

After an overnight in London at the myHotel, I made my way to St-Pancras Station to catch the Eurostar to Paris. Yes, Paris - my absolute favourite city in the world.

I splurged a little and sat in first class, enjoying some wine and making new friends. Robert, my seat mate, was also headed to Paris for the weekend to visit some friends. It was nice to have a chat through the scenic two hour train ride, and we made plans to meet for dinner later that night.

After arriving in Paris and taking a quick taxi to my hotel, I was pleased to just relax in my room after the long journey from India. My hotel - Mama Shelter in the 20th - was perfect! A tiny but functional room with black walls, a fluffy white bed and funky lamps made of superhero masks. I watched a bit of TV before making my way on foot to meet Robert at Bofinger - a famous brasserie in the Marais. I arrived early and charmed my way into a great table at the front of the restaurant. Robert ordered a nice bottle of wine and spoke perfect French while I fought my jet-lag tooth and nail. It was nice to have a night out in Paris but sleep was calling my name so I called it an early night and bid au revoir to my new friend.

I started my second day with a walk back to the Marais to have a lovely breakfast at Cafe de Paris overlooking the beautiful Place des Vosges, one of my absolute favourite spots in Paris. From there, I made my way on foot past Notre Dame and the booksellers by the Seine to the Louvre. And from there, through the Jardins de Tuileries and up the Champs Elysées to the Arc de Triomphe. Then over to Trocadero. All that walking for just one perfect glimpse of the Eiffel Tower.

That night I ordered in pizza from the hotel restaurant (amazing!) and headed to the local laundromat to clean my clothes for my up-coming trip to Russia.

I woke up early on my third day - which just happened to be Halloween. To celebrate, I decided to take a short walk to Cimetiere Pere Lachaise to visit with the Ghosts of Paris Past. A beautiful and haunting place, Pere Lachaise is filled with cobblestone lanes, crumbling statues, weeping trees and lots of shadows. I easily spotted the very famous grave of Jim Morrison, as there were a few tourist parked out front taking photos. His marker is covered in lipstick kisses, graffiti and wilted roses. The tree beside his grave is also covered in carvings and paint and is very cool to look at it. But it was cold, and I had to keep moving so I wandered around the Canal St.Martin area to take photos before of the beautiful bridges before heading back to the hotel to pack for Russia. Despite the fact I'd be coming back to Paris once more, in just another week, it is always sad to leave. But...a new adventure was awaiting me in Russia!

Upper Class!!!

After 3 amazing weeks in India I was sad to leave. I had splurged a bit to fly in Premium Economy with Virgin Atlantic in and out of London, and was very happy with the service I had received on the way to Delhi. Lots of space, comfortable seats, decent food...as good as it can get on an airplane. Or so I thought.

After spending all my left-over rupees in the airport gift-shops and having a taste from home (a Subway sub!), I boarded the plane for my 10 hour journey back to London. I was psyched to have a front row which allowed me to have a bit of extra room...but was even more psyched when a lovely flight attendant came and got me to bring me to my new seat...in Row 7. As in...Upper Class Row 7. Lucky. Lucky. Lucky. How can one girl possibly be so lucky?

I cannot even describe the smile that must have been plastered on my face for the next 10 wonderful hours. I imagine the flight attendants must love it when someone is especially grateful for the experience of Upper Class. "Would you like some Champagne?" Ummm....YES! There's a wine list, a cheese platter for a snack, a bar where you can go have a cocktail. Free magazines to read. My seat reclined and turned into a bed with a duvet and pillow. But, seriously, who could possibly sleep in a situation like this!? The sad part is, I may have very well been the only one really enjoying myself. I mean, I was happier than a dog with his head out the window of a car. How could you not be?

I will forever be indebted to Virgin Atlantic for their random act of kindness and hope I will someday have the opportunity to fly with them again.

Diwali

Part of planning my trip to India revolved around Diwali. If I was going to be in India in October, I wanted to make sure that I'd stay long enough to witness the celebration of this holy festival. Diwali - the festival of lights - is named so because of the practice of lighting diya's (lamps) to welcome Lakshmi, goddess of wealth into one's home. Celebrations include fireworks and the exchange of sweets. Fireworks and sweets - two of my favourite things!

During my stay at Ananda, I decided that I would hire a driver to take me to Rishikesh for a night to witness an evening Aarti ceremony on the holy river Ganges. But because of the timing, I decided to do this the night of the Diwali celebrations and I could not have picked a better night.

I had a driver pick me up in the late afternoon and take me down the mountain into Rishikesh. We parked and walked through the city, admiring the Ganges which flows through the centre. A narrow suspension bridge connects the two sides of town and is filled with people, bicycles and, of course, cows. The late afternoon sun was beautiful and I managed to snag a few pretty photos.

I arrive at the Parmath Niketan Ashram on the banks of the river just in time to grab a seat on the steps with a great view of the Aarti ceremony festivities. The ceremony - which lasted an almost two hours over the setting of the sun - kicked off with a ceremonial fire (called a Yagna), songs, prayers and chanting. All the while, I could see tiny lit candles and fresh flowers floating by on the river.

It was truly a special experience that can't be shared with words alone, so here are some of my favourite photos from the evening.

Paradise at Ananda in the Himalayas

The next part of my grand adventure in India took me north to the Himalayas - to a dream come true called Ananda.

India is well known for it's luxury hotels and Ananda in the Himalayas is one of the best there is. A luxury wellness retreat, Ananda is built on the property of a Maharaja's palace high in the clouds and overlooking the city of Rishikesh. The grounds, which are pristinely manicured, are filled with flowers, roaming peacocks, trouble-making monkeys and butterflies. The spa is one of the best in the world. The guest rooms are a haven of relaxation. And the food - to die for.

Have I painted a good enough picture yet?

Probably not; I should start from the top.

I am met at Dehradun airport by a driver after my short 1 hour flight from Delhi. He is regally dressed in a white uniform and turban. I am carrying my back-pack and am looking like I'm in dire need of a spa break. He points out the local attractions to me - the national park where tigers roam free in the wild, local markets and the small town of Rishikesh - before we snake our way high up the side of a mountain, just a few short kilometres from the Tibetan border. I literally catch my breath when I see the hotel.

I am met in the circle drive of the palace by the staff and am greeted with a blessing and some beautiful prayer beads. I am brought into the tearoom of the palace to take care of the paper work for my check-in and to review my schedule for the week. I am then escorted to my room by golf-cart and am almost brought to tears of joy at the sight of my luxurious room. After two weeks of backpacking through the desert, the king-sized bed in my room was a welcome sight. So much so, that I decided to spend my first night pretty much in my room. After an Ayurvedic consultation and a Salt Scrub treatment at the Spa, I drew a bath in the enormous tub overlooking the golf course, ordered in my dinner and watched TV in bed. Paradise.

After that ultra-relaxing first night, I started my first day bright and early with ginger-lemon tea brought to me in bed by my butler. Yes, I did say butler. While sipping my tea, I read the paper in my Kurta - a white pyjama style outfit that all the hotel guests wear throughout their stay. Each day a new one arrives in your closet and you don't ever have to get properly dressed. I wore mine the whole time - with the exception of evening dinners - and enjoyed every single minute of it. After tea, I reviewed my schedule and readied myself for a rigorous day of breakfast, a private yoga session, lunch, Abhyanga (a 4 hand massage) and a nap by the pool. The yoga session took place outdoors with a lovely yogi who was surprisingly quite impressed with my skills. My massage took place at the spa - the absolutely most incredible spa I have ever laid eyes on. After changing into my robe and relaxing in the change area reading Indian fashion magazines and sipping tea, I was taken through the spa past the flower petals laid out on the floor, the sculptures and water treatments, past the man sitting on the ground playing a sittar in the candlelight, to a private treatment room where two masseuses gave me a Hindu blessing before starting my massage.

And this was only day one.

I could go on and on about my time at Ananda. I am pretty sure I could write a whole post just about the amazing blue colour of the resident peacocks' feathers. Or the gourmet meals and beautiful staff. About my Himalayan Honey Facial and my private Meditation session. About being chased by a monkey through the gardens. About seeing the twinkling lights of Rishikesh at night. But there is just too much to say...so I think I'll let my photos do the rest of the talking. Enjoy.