A lovely wander at the mercy of the wind in this amazing Rajasthan (page 3 of 11)

Hi Christelle, A constant in your photos: your smile. You're having a blast on your trips—it's great to see!

I’d better step up, Pascale, if I want to live up to my signature 😄

Let me tell you, they were stuffed a loooong time ago, Isabelle. Besides, the Maharajah told me that recreational hunting has been banned all over India since 1971!! We were in no position to lecture him 🤐 and anyway, at least I can say I’ve petted a tiger once in my life 🐯

Oh, great that hunting is banned :) Yeah, petting a tiger isn’t exactly an everyday thing either ;) What amazing encounters this trip has brought!

After this trip through Maharaja land, it’s time for us to reconnect with nature 😊.



Today’s destination: Ranthambore National Park, the country’s most attractive since it’s home to the largest tiger population—around 80, apparently.

We never imagined we’d actually spot one, but just immersing ourselves in the forest would be enough to make us happy.

In this country more than ever, you’ve got to adapt, take things as they come, even if it means letting go of what you’d planned.

So when Bharat welcomes us into his magical home (6 rooms by wheat fields and a eucalyptus forest), he quickly calms our safari cravings: it’s Sunday, the eve of one of the country’s biggest festivals, and basically, it’s going to turn into a noisy traffic jam around a few animals 😩.

Oh well 🤷, too bad—we’d planned to stay two nights here 😅.

Seeing our disappointment, he suggests a walk the next morning to "go see a temple in the forest," showing us three photos... all terrible 😂!

Well, let’s go. No point moping around here!

The next morning, a surprise: a nice open-top jeep comes to pick us up, and off we go.

We quickly enter the forest, with century-old trees whose roots drip over the rocks. Then we cross a canyon just before being greeted by a magnificent welcoming committee: dozens of langur monkeys almost forming a guard of honor!



Then we spot three crocodiles basking by a small pond and a herd of deer coming to drink at another 🦌.



Well, well!! There’s our safari, made by Lulu and Cricri 😂.



Ten minutes later, we arrive... well, once the jeep manages to park, because with all the traffic, we might as well be in Dax on August 15th 😂.

At the foot of the car, there’s a beautiful red building: "Is this the temple?" we ask Sudir, the driver. "Oh no, it’s way up there," he says, turning around and looking up... *way* up 😩.



Oh boy, now we get it—this is basically the Lourdes pilgrimage... but Himalayan edition 🧗.

Perfect timing, too, since it’s going to hit 40°C today ☀️😅.

And off we go on the climb, which we quickly forget about thanks to the stunning scenery: families in their Sunday best, colorful and bustling in every direction, a caravan of pack donkeys, ancient stones everywhere—remnants of a huge fort—small temples lining the path... and hundreds of langur monkeys 🐒.



The highlight of the walk is a square packed with monkeys right in front of the little Ganesh temple, where families line up to pray.

And as usual, the show is everywhere: - primates chasing each other on corrugated iron roofs, making an unholy racket, - human water fountains run by beauties in golden-yellow saris,



- flower vendors for offerings, - and even a local junkie smoking his ganja chillum right by the temple entrance!!



Bharat really gets us—he figured out what we’d love in five minutes!

That evening, he takes us for a beautiful walk at sunset along the national park’s boundary wall.



We see the wall and a tall yellow gate, except as we get closer, a door is wide open 😩!!

"Uh, Bharat, is it normal for the tiger garden to be wide open??" "Oh yes, don’t worry—the park is 400 km², and here there are only leopards." Oh, well, that’s *so* reassuring 😅.



Alright, after this excellent dinner, we’ll leave you, friends—gotta get ready for a *big* day tomorrow 🤩😊.

Okay, for once we’re switching things up—we’re not talking about a place, but rather a state of mind: the great HOLI. One of the country’s countless festivals and by far the most famous in the West. A kind of local Bastille Day… times a thousand 😄.

But the little problem when you plan your own trip is that sometimes you make huge mistakes. And in this case, I really outdid myself: I got the date wrong 😳😵.

And it’s Bharat who explains why: it’s set according to the moon, and the country is so big that one part celebrates Holi on the 25th and another on the 26th!!!

So the day of the festival turns into a transfer day for us: 3 hours on the road to reach Bundi 🚗😩!

But don’t worry, we quickly came up with an idea: show up in the tiny neighboring village 😊.



We arrive around 8:30 AM to find absolute peace and quiet, so we sit down with the elders to enjoy some morning chai.

Girls, I got his number if you’re interested 😏

Then a kid comes over to put a little powder on our faces, then two more, and… well, you can imagine the rest.



They take us with them to the center of the village—right in front of the temple, where today we’re pretty far from any religious puja! A truck with *huge* speakers blasts Hindi music so loud it could burst your eardrums 😄.

The men are on one side, the women on the other, and it’s a real stroke of luck because in the cities, women stay well hidden during this wild day.



And of course, all around us, kids full of joy today chant "Happy Holi, Happy Holi" 🤹.

But don’t think the almost fluorescent Holi powder is thrown around like on TV. No, here it’s applied to the face. Often with a pinch… but sometimes by the handful. So we ended up eating a bit of it too 🤤 and had no idea it was so deliciously fragrant!

Lulu danced a few steps with the guys, and I did a few with the colorful women. And then—champagne moment 🥂: finally, I didn’t stand out too much 😅😏

Time already to hit the road again for this original transfer: in every town or village we passed through, guys on motorbikes—two, three, or four to a bike, obviously no helmets—all covered in paint, rode past the cops.



I’ll admit that even with my top-tier bodyguard, I was a little nervous about potential overenthusiastic male crowds!



But in this little lost village, we took a real "bath" of brotherhood.



It was all gentle and kind. Another truly amazing moment 🥰.

Otherwise, just out of curiosity, are any of you guys here who took part in HOLI? How was it? While there, I heard some not-so-great things. The next day in Bundi, we were at the hotel with some Spanish girls who had powder all the way down their backs and stomachs 🤭. They told us the main game was to pull their T-shirts to get the powder inside (and the hands too, I imagine 😅)

Yes, Christelle, we’ve been to India several times during Holi. The first time was in Jodhpur. When we arrived, Jodhpur looked like a ghost town—all the shops were closed 😕. We’d been told to be very careful, so we stayed at the hotel with other tourists, watching the spectacle from the rooftop. One couple came back completely covered in colors, their camera too... 😄. On our way to Kumbalgarh, our driver asked us to leave very early in the morning because he was worried about trouble on the road... Sure enough, we were stopped by young boys who had put tree branches on the road and were stopping all the cars, demanding money... Still, we kept a great memory of Holi another time in Udaipur. In the crowd, mostly made up of young men, we were dusted from head to toe 😆. An elderly woman invited us into her courtyard and offered us sweets, and we spent a lovely moment dancing with the people there. The atmosphere was really good-natured. In the afternoon, we decided to head back to the hotel since some men who’d been drinking were getting a bit "pushy" and too handsy... The next day, when we passed by the Jaghdish Temple, it hadn’t been spared either 😮. Men were cleaning the inside, where even the sculptures had been colored, and the gargoyles were "spitting" red water 😄. This year, we’ll be back in India for Holi 😆. In the meantime, I’m looking forward to the rest of your great travel journal with Bundi 😆!

A few years ago already Holi Udaipur 2019

Otherwise, just out of curiosity, are any of you here who’ve taken part in HOLI? How was it? While there, I heard some not-so-great things. The next day in Bundi, we were at the hotel with some Spanish girls who had powder all the way down their backs and stomachs 🤭. They told us the big game was to pull up their T-shirts to put powder inside (and hands too, I imagine 😅)

I experienced the Holi festival during my first trip in 2011. We ended up in pretty much the same state as you... This festival is seen as a massive release for Indians, and like any release, there can be some excesses... It’s not you, living near Bayonne, who’d tell me otherwise...

I experienced Holi during my first trip in 2011. We ended up in pretty much the same state as you... This festival is seen as a massive release for Indians, and like any release, there can be some excesses... It’s not you who lives near Bayonne who’d tell me otherwise...

You got it, Bruno—I was raised on the ferias of the Southwest, and while things can get wild with the drinking, phew, I’ve never been groped 😅. But experiencing Holi on your first trip to India? Wow, you started strong!! Did you all enjoy it?

A few years ago already Holi Udaipur 2019



Long live disposable T-shirts 😂.

Where will you be for Holi this year?

A few years ago already Holi Udaipur 2019



Long live disposable T-shirts 😂.

Where will you be for Holi this year?

..yeah, better pack some old T-shirts 😅 This year, we’ll be celebrating Holi in the air since we’re taking the flight from Gwalior to Kolkata.

Well, this party looks epic 🤩 Definitely bring old clothes and leave cameras at the hotel 📸 We’ve already been to the Bayonne festivals and the Full Moon Party off Koh Samui in Thailand—those were something else—but this takes it to another level with the colored powder 😄

But experiencing Holi on your first trip to India—wow, you really started strong!! Did you enjoy it?

Holi and so many other unforgettable moments (a cricket match on elephant-back or fireworks in the middle of the Jaisalmer desert) made my discovery of India one of the most disorienting trips of my life as a traveler. I was there for work the first time and returned with my wife, this time including Agra and Varanasi, which only added to the chaos…

India is a magical country, with such stark contrasts that you have to leave your Western mindset behind to truly appreciate it… So much so that nearly 10 years later, I still can’t decide if I love it or hate it… The only thing I’m sure of is that I’ll go back someday…

I think during Holi it's best to stay in bed. (]😉

LOL Jean-Michel 😂. As someone who loves a good crowd celebration, I wouldn’t have wanted to miss that... but definitely not in a big city, that’s for sure!

just a joke! I had the same experience, but even wetter, in Nepal! Over there, Holi ( Phagu ) is celebrated with colors mixed with water! The result? You come out nicely colored but also completely soaked!

I think during Holi it's best to stay in bed. ;)

Full of energy Monday morning! 🤪

Ugh, I can’t even imagine the mess, Jean Michel 😂

So today, we’re taking you to Bundi—the first love-at-first-sight moment of this trip: a lake, a city dominated by a palace (still just as massive!) and extended by a "Great Wall of China" running along the hillside. Seriously, it hits you right away—total wow factor 🤩.



For once, we’re staying right in the heart of the historic city, just next to the local Saint Catherine Street—aka the bazaar...though it doesn’t quite have the same smells 😵😂.

Bundi is well-known as a "small off-the-beaten-path town" 🤓, which is obviously a first-class oxymoron 😄. For us, it’s just super weird to run into Westerners...sometimes even in big herds!

But it turns out there are also perks to finding "tourist civilization" again—locals who understand our requests (because, man, we’ve struggled sometimes 😂), a poetic "travel agent" who speaks French... and rooftop beer spots 🍺🤹‍♂️😄.

We spent our first evening up there, right in front of the illuminated palace, with the muezzin’s prayers, monkeys in shadow puppets on the opposite wall, and the nonstop dance of bats flying out from the fortress’s depths!!



I’m so glad I planned three nights here!

On the other hand, don’t expect to see pictures of the palace’s interior because—guess what—it was closed 🤦‍♂️😂. Just a crazy story only India could pull off: at 5 AM the day after Holi, the Maharaja’s family stormed the palace to reclaim their property!!!

(Looked something like this, apparently 😂)

So, cops everywhere and the fort shut down by government order "until further notice"!!

Our plan was pretty simple after that: a few monuments and lots of side paths because outside the bazaar street, the welcome here is just like in Karauli 🤩.



A perfect example was the first day when we headed to JAIT SAGAR Lake after visiting the house where Rudyard Kipling wrote *The Jungle Book*.



It’s still 40°C 🤹‍♂️😂. We sat down for tea under a huge mango tree in the welcome breeze with three locals.

We struggled a bit with our three words of Hindi, and when I handed over my bill, the famous head wobble. "Oh crap, that’s not enough 🤓." So we added another bill, which he immediately put back in my hand: "Put your money away, it’s on us" 😲!!



Luckily, we always carry small gifts for moments like this: "made in Paris" cosmetics for the women in their family. And honestly, we’re not sure why, but every time, it’s a big hit. Once they figure out what it is, they always have a good laugh 😄.

A little later, we crossed paths with Doumé, a true-blue *Routard* (French backpacker): He’s been in the country for 4 months on his 12th trip, got mugged in New Delhi at night (but thankfully, he’s okay), then had serious health issues that let him test out the local hospitals 😲.

No doubt about it, Cricri and Lulu’s adventures are nothing compared to this guy’s life—but honestly, we’re totally fine with that 😂.

This town is seriously gorgeous 😍