The Gandhi Memorial
The Gandhi Memorial in Lumbini: The Pillar, the Garden and the Last Walk
Aarati Sharma31 min read
Latest stories
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The Japanese Daijokyo
The Japanese Daijokyo in Lumbini: A Complete Visitor's Guide
Japan's newest and most architecturally distinct monastery in Lumbini sits at the far end of the monastic zone, beyond the Chinese and Thai complexes. It is free to enter, peaceful, and easy to underrate. Here is what the timber buildings, meditation hall, stupa, gardens, guest sessions and practical arrangements actually involve.
Aarati Sharma · 28 min read
The World Peace Pagoda
The World Peace Pagoda, Lumbini: A Practical Guide to the Dome, the 365 Steps and the View
The World Peace Pagoda is free to enter inside Lumbini's monastic zone. Built around a 1959 foundation and supported by Swiss and Austrian partners, it has 365 steep steps, bronze reliefs, a peace message in eight languages and the best wide view in the park. Here is what to expect, when to climb and what to avoid.
Aarati Sharma · 27 min read
Paris and the Loire Valley
Paris and the Loire Valley: A Working Guide to the Capital and the Three Châteaux
Four days in Paris and two more for the Loire Valley, with the right museums, sensible routes, real entrance prices and the details that save time.
Aarati Sharma · 45 min read
The Myanmar Monastery
The Myanmar Monastery at Lumbini: A Working Buddhist Complex, Two Kilometres from the Main Gate
A detailed guide to Lumbini's largest monastery, covering its Burmese and Tibetan architecture, chanting, post-earthquake reconstruction, visitor rules, costs, transport, food, and the long walk from the monastic zone gate.
Aarati Sharma · 27 min read
The long read · Barcelona and Catalonia
Barcelona and Catalonia: The Practical Guide
Aarati Sharma · 38 min read
Field notes
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Kyoto and Osaka: Two Cities, Two Temples
Kyoto and Osaka: Temples, Markets and the Trains Between Them
A practical guide to Kyoto, Osaka and the day trips around Kansai, with temple entry fees, morning timings, food queues, transport rules and the places tourists usually walk past.
Aarati Sharma · 41 min read
New Orleans and the Mississippi Delta
New Orleans and the Mississippi Delta: A Practical Guide to the Crescent City
A detailed guide to the French Quarter, Marigny, above-ground cemeteries, live jazz, Creole food, the Garden District, the Mississippi River and the practical realities of visiting New Orleans.
Aarati Sharma · 39 min read
Dispatches
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More from the road
See allKathmandu
Kathmandu: A Practical Guide to the Valley
Kathmandu is Nepal's political, commercial and cultural centre, but it is also a difficult city to move through. This guide covers the three palace squares, the earthquakes of 1934 and 2015, Thamel, Patan, Bhaktapur, the new ring road, arrival by air and bus, food, costs and the operating details guides need.
Aarati Sharma · 44 min read
New York City
New York City: The Complete Practical Guide
A four-day minimum guide to New York, built around the Statue of Liberty, major museums, Central Park, the High Line, Brooklyn, Washington Heights and Coney Island, with current prices, timings, warnings and advice for guides.
Aarati Sharma · 37 min read
Havana and Viñales
Havana and Viñales: A Practical Guide to Cuba’s Colonial Capital and Tobacco Country
A detailed, ground-level guide to Havana, Viñales, the western tobacco farms, Cayo Coco, Varadero, Cienfuegos and Trinidad, with prices, timings, transport advice, permits and the problems travellers should expect.
Aarati Sharma · 42 min read
Agra, Fatehpur Sikri and the Taj Mahal
Agra, Fatehpur Sikri and the Taj Mahal: A Complete Visitor and Organiser Briefing
The Taj Mahal is the reason most people come to Agra, but the city behind it, the Mughal fort, the riverside garden and the abandoned capital at Fatehpur Sikri make a fuller journey. This guide covers the practical details, history, missed corners, costs, crowds, food and operating advice for one of India's most demanding visitor routes.
Aarati Sharma · 35 min read
The notebook
See allThe Swiss Alps: Jungfrau, Bernese Oberland and Zermatt
The Swiss Alps: Jungfrau, Bernese Oberland and Zermatt · Aarati Sharma
Jungfrau, Bernese Oberland and Zermatt: The Complete Practical Guide
Jungfrau, Bernese Oberland and Zermatt · Aarati Sharma
Kopan, the Khumbu Border Roads and the Road to Tibet
Kopan Monastery and the Tibetan Border · Aarati Sharma
Langtang and the Tamang Heartland: A Complete Trek Guide from Dhunche to Kyanjin
Langtang and the Tamang Heartland · Aarati Sharma
Uluru, Kata Tjuta and the Red Centre: A Practical Guide to the Northern Territory
Uluru, the Red Centre and the Northern Territory · Aarati Sharma
Angkor and Siem Reap: The Practical Guide to Cambodia’s Temple Complex
Angkor and Siem Reap · Aarati Sharma
Lysefjord: Preikestolen, Kjerag and the Fjord Wall
Lysefjord and the Norwegian Fjords · Aarati Sharma
01
Stories
Immersive accounts from the road, the trail and the places in between.
02
Destinations
Know what a place is really like before you plan the journey.
03
Reels
Photograph and clip sequences that belong to the stories you read.
04
Tours
Small journeys built on the knowledge of people who live there.
Places worth knowing
All destinations
Agra, Fatehpur Sikri and the Taj Mahal
Uttar Pradesh, India
1 story
AlUla and the Edge of the World
Al Madinah, Saudi Arabia
1 story
Angkor and Siem Reap
Siem Reap, Cambodia
1 story
Annapurna Base Camp
Gandaki, Nepal
1 story · 1 tours
Athens and the Greek Islands
Attica, Greece
1 story
Bali: Ubud, the Temples and the Sea
Bali, Indonesia
1 story
Banff and the Canadian Rockies
Alberta, Canada
1 story
Bangkok and the Chao Phraya
Bangkok, Thailand
1 story
Journeys
All tours
Coming soon4 days
The Kathmandu Valley, Slowly
Four days, three cities, almost no driving. A walking tour of the valley’s craft courtyards with a local historian, timed for the morning light.
Kathmandu Valley · 4 daysRead the journey →
Open12 days
Annapurna Base Camp, the Slow Way
The classic sanctuary trek, paced deliberately to keep acclimatisation honest — with an extra night at Deurali and a rest day in Chhomrong.
Annapurna Base Camp · 12 daysRead the journey →
Open11 days
Mustang Explorer
A guided crossing of the old kingdom, from the Kali Gandaki wind corridor to the walled city of Lo Manthang, walking with local guides and staying in family guesthouses.
Mustang · 11 daysRead the journey →