We took a 17 day family trip to Japan in June 2002. It was the first time the girls had been to Asia, so it was a quite different experience for them. We bought bullet train passes and made good use of them as we journeyed from Tokyo to Hiroshima, Kyoto, Takayama in the mountains and Nagano, before returning back to Tokyo. In each city we took day trips to places such as Nikko, Miyajima Island and Nara.

China is an unique destination and we spent three weeks exploring some of the major sights of the country. Our goal was to go from Beijing to Hong Kong, relying primarily on trains. We made it most of the way by this mode of travel; a holiday period delayed our exit from Xian so we took one internal flight to make up the time. Along the way we saw everything from the Great Wall to pandas to local markets, making this a memorable experience.

Mumbai taxi on the city streets:

Our hosts’ Hindu service:

4 - 7 November 2003

We arrived in Mumbai (formerly Bombay) at 3:30am. We stayed with a family that consisted of a couple with a four year old boy. They had a flat in a nice area of town. We saw many of the major sights in our three days in Mumbai, including the Gateway to India, the Queen’s Necklace, Gandhi’s house, a popular beach and the Hanging Gardens. We also visited our hosts’ Hindu temple and watched a service.

To watch an overview of our time in India, click India Video.

Current Time in India:

8 - 9 November 2003

After leaving our hosts in Mumbai, we took a 21 hour train trip to Agra, home of the Taj Mahal. The overnight on the train was quite comfortable and we all slept well. Once in Agra, we visited the Agra Fort and the Taj Mahal. We went at sunset, which was very spectacular. It was a special treat for Darren because he got to see it on his birthday.

To watch an overview of our time in India, click India Video.

Current Time in India:

10 - 11 November and 4 - 5 December 2003

We made our way to Delhi via a public bus, which took about four hours. We stayed at a quiet hotel in between Old and New Delhi. While we were there the first time we made travel arrangements for our time in Rajasthan. After we visited Sikkim and Rajasthan we came back to Delhi again. During this visit we did some sightseeing in Old Delhi and also visited the Red Fort.

To watch an overview of our time in India, click India Video.

Current Time in India:

Water Prayer Wheel at Dubdi Monastery:

River at Dubdi Monastery:

Sounds of Tsokha village:

12 - 22 November 2003

We flew from Delhi to Sikkim, which is located in the northeastern part of India. It was an independent kingdom until 1974, when it became part of India. We spent 11 days with a guide and a driver that we had hired via the internet visiting several cities and Buddhist monasteries. We also took a six day trek into the Himalayas. Kristen and Sandy hiked to a village called Tsokha at 10,000 feet, while Darren and Lauren went to 14,000 feet. They were able to hike to a peak at sunrise and see some great panoramic mountain views.

To watch an overview of our time in India, click India Video.

Current Time in India:

23 - 28 November 2003

After flying back to Delhi from Sikkim, we made our way around Rajasthan by train for 10 days. The first five days were spent visiting two national parks. One was a bird park called Keoladeo National Park outside of the city of Bharatpur. There we saw many beautiful migratory birds, as well as native Indian ones. After a couple of hours on the train we reached the second national park, Ranthambhore, which is home to about 35 wild tigers. Although we took two visits into the park, we were not able to spot a tiger.

To watch an overview of our time in India, click India Video.

Current Time in India:

29 November - 3 December 2003

We spent the last few days of our Rajasthan train tour visiting the cities of Jaipur and Jodhpur. Jaipur is known as the Pink City and we saw the City Palace, Observatory and the Palace of the Winds. We also saw the Amber Fort, which is located a short distance outside the city. In the Blue City of Jodhpur, we visited the old city and fort, which sits on a hill above the city. We also spent a day visiting traditional villages outside of town. An overnight train took us from Jodhpur back to Delhi.

To watch an overview of our time in India, click India Video.

Current Time in India:

29 - 30 December 2003

After leaving Australia, we stopped in Brunei for 36 hours before continuing to Bangkok. This country known as Brunei Darussalam, on the island of Borneo, is one of Asia’s smallest but richest. The sultan is one on the wealthiest men in the world.  We visited the capital city of Bandar Seri Begawan and walked through a floating village and a mosque.  We also took a day trip to a national park, where we rode a longboat down a river and hiked over waterfalls.  We enjoyed a cool swim and picnic lunch before heading back to the airport and on to Thailand.

Current Time in Brunei:

31 December 2003 - 2 January 2004 and 23 January 2004

We initially spent three days in Bangkok over the New Year’s holiday.  On New Year’s Day, we visited several temples, along with many Thais seeking a blessing for the new year.  We also enjoyed shopping in the traditional outdoor areas as well as the nice new shopping centers.  We came back through Bangkok on our way to Cambodia and Southern Thailand and then spent a final night there before we boarded the long flight to Paris.

To watch an overview of our time in Thailand, click Thailand Video.

Current Time in Bangkok, Thailand: