I wanted to list a lot of bits I picked up on, this being my second visit back to India, and first time to Nepal. Hopefully they will make you smile as much as they did for me.

Indian Top Tips

• Don’t deny an Indian person doing their job, security and ticketing staff
• They are all there to provide a service, so make it a pleasure for them and yourself. Smile!
• Most taxi drivers will say that they know somewhere even if they don’t

Jai Indra Festival, Bhaktapur, Nepal

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The following excerpt is from Day 1 of my diary. I led a volunteer wildlife conservation project in partnership with BTCV and RCDP in Nepal over the last month.

I do these projects in different parts of the world once a year, its a fantastic way of meeting people from all walks of life.. Certainly more than just travelling the normal backpacker route:

The volunteers arrive slowly one by one from the Airport to the guest home in the Thamel area of Kathmandu..

Some dive straight into the local food, others enjoy the spirit of South Asia and get lost down all the winding lanes of the capital city. Shops, rickshaws and temples..

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