India

Karni Mata Temple in Udaipur – Our Taste for Life

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Karni Mata Temple in Udaipur - Our Taste for Life

Karni Mata Temple in Udaipur overlooks the city of lakes and the surrounding landscapes. While the temple itself is only small and modest, the view from the fort is one of the best sunset points in Udaipur. After experiencing a magical sunset at Karni Mata Temple, we consider it to be one of the top places to visit in Udaipur in 2-days.

To capture awe-inspiring views of Udaipur, Karni Mata Temple is up there with the Monsoon Palace, as one of the best viewpoints in the city. Located on the Machla Magra Hills, east of Lake Pichola, you can access the temple via a short hike or ropeway.

In this guide, we advise everything you need to know ahead of visiting the Karni Mata Temple in Udaipur. Including entrance fees, opening times, what to expect & more.

Karni Mata Temple Udaipur

How to Get To Karni Mata Temple

Udaipur is an essential addition to any Rajasthan itinerary. It is one of the most popular tourist cities in the country and forms a part of our suggested one month in India Route. You can conveniently reach Udaipur via bus, train, or plane from all over the country.

Set East of Lake Pichola, Karni Mata Temple is accessible via foot if you don’t mind working up a bit of a sweat. From Udaipur City Palace, the distance is approximately 2km.  It’s a pleasant walk as you pass through various boutique stores and restaurants that you miss in the center of the town.

By Charlotte & Natalie – Full Story at Our Taste for Life

India Lesbian Travel Resources

Udaipur City Palace – Our Taste for Life

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Udaipur City Palace - Our Taste for Life

The Udaipur City Palace is a top tourist attraction and architectural marvel in Udaipur. Located on the banks of Lake Pichola, the opulent building is a seamless blend of Medieval, European, and Chinese architecture. Of all the palaces in Rajasthan, Udaipur is the largest, and arguably the most impressive.

Building works for Udaipurs’ City Palace commenced in 1559, although renovations and additions continued well into the 19th century. Today, the complex is made up of a series of exquisite palaces, gardens, and courtyards. No sightseeing tour in Udaipur is complete without visiting the City Palace, which provides a fascinating insight into the cities history.

In this guide, we advise everything you need to know ahead of visiting the Udaipur City Palace. Including entrance fees, how to get there, what to expect & more.

Udaipur City Palace – Getting There

Udaipur is an essential addition to any Rajasthan itinerary. It is one of the most popular tourist cities in the country and forms a part of our suggested one month in India Route. You can conveniently reach Udaipur via bus, train, or plane from all over the country.

Set peacefully upon the eastern banks of Lake Pichola, the City Palace can easily be reached on foot if you are staying in the city. Alternatively, you can take a rickshaw or taxi which are easy to come by in Udaipur.

By Charlotte & Natalie – Full Story at Our Taste for Life

India Lesbian Travel Resources

Ahar Cenotaphs in Udaipur, India – Our Taste for Life

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Visiting the Ahar Cenotaphs is one of the more unique things to do in Udaipur and could be considered somewhat of a hidden gem. Yes, despite being a spot of historical significance, many tourists erroneously it. While we, on the other hand, regard Ahar Cenotaphs to be one of the top places to visit in Udaipur in 2 days!

You see, Ahar is essentially a Royal cemetery for Udaipur’s late Maharajas. However, what might sound like a dark place on paper is, in fact, a spot of peace and serenity. Furthermore, if you are at all interested in Rajasthani architecture, you are sure to be left in awe by the intricately carved stone tombs.

In this guide, we advise everything you need to know ahead of visiting Ahar Cenotaphs in Udaipur. Including entrance fees, opening times, what to expect & more.

Ahar Cenotaphs Udaipur – A 2019 Sightseeing Guide

Udaipur is an essential addition to any Rajasthan itinerary. It is one of the most popular tourist cities in the country and forms a part of our suggested one month in India Route. You can conveniently reach Udaipur via bus, train, or plane from all over the country.

Set on the outskirts of the city, 2km away from Lake Pichola, the Ahar Cenotaphs can easily be reached on foot if you don’t mind working up a sweat. Alternatively, you can take a rickshaw or taxi, which are both easy to come by in Udaipur.

Full Story at Our Taste for Life

India Gay Travel Resources

Nahargarh Fort in Jaipur, India – Our Taste for Life

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Nahargarh Fort is a tourist hotspot in the magical city of Jaipur. Located high in the Aravali mountains, the breathtaking fortress provides an unrivalled view over the bustling city below. The fort is famed for being an architectural wonder, as well as being one of the best sunset spots in Jaipur.

Historically, along with Amer Fort and Jaigarh Fort, Nahargarh helped form a defence wall around the old Royal City. The name ‘Nahargarh’ translates to Tiger Fort in English, so I can only assume wild tigers once roamed the same mountains. As you sit atop the walls of the old fort, it’s easy to picture the scene. After all, Jaipur was once a barren desert city. We consider Nahargarh Fort to be one of the best places to visit in Jaipur, as mentioned in our 2-day Jaipur Itinerary.

In this guide, we advise everything you need to know ahead of visiting Nahargarh Fort in Jaipur. Including entrance fees, opening times, what to expect & more. 

Nahargarh Fort Jaipur – A Reliable 2019 Guide

Jaipur is an essential addition to any India itinerary. It is one of the most visited cities in the country and forms a part of the Golden Triangle Route. You can conveniently reach Jaipur via bus, train, or plane from all over the country.

Located roughly 30-40 minutes outside of the city centre, the easiest way to reach Nahargarh Fort is by taxi or tuk-tuk. Although, the tuk-tuks tend to struggle on the steep hair pinned road to the fort entrance, so taxis are the quicker option.

However you choose to travel, it pays to organise a return trip with your driver. The drivers who wait outside the fort are known to charge extortionate rates because they know your options are limited. By agreeing on a price beforehand, you will avoid any trouble on the return journey.

Full Story at Our Taste for Life

India Gay Travel Resources

Gay Kerala: The Nomadic Boys

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Kerala, popularly known as God’s Own Country, has evolved a way of life that was distinct from the rest of the country – a way of life that expressed a fascinating interplay of nature and humanity across the most diverse terrains one could imagine.

Here, every human act is a way of connecting with everything in nature around them. Everything here feels so momentous, and you are intensely aware of how temporary life is. You learn how to appreciate the beautiful moment while they last, and fall in love with your surroundings.

Everywhere we went in this beautiful region of India, we were met with such compassion, and the locals showed such interest in our lives. With so much to discover, so much to do, this is our experience travelling in gay Kerala as a gay couple.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

India Gay Travel Resources

India’s Golden Triangle – Our Taste for Life

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India's Golden Triangle - Our Taste for Life

The Golden Triangle Itinerary in India, otherwise known as the Delhi-Agra-Jaipur circuit, is one of the most common travel routes in the country. If you only have a short time in India, it’s the perfect route to get a taste for what this wild country is all about.

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One Month in India – Our Taste for Life

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One Month in India - Our Taste for Life

Backpacking for one month in India and need some guidance on where to go? Don’t worry, we have got you covered. It can be a daunting task planning your route in this truly vast and diverse country. So with this in mind, we share a few different backpacking India routes, suitable for a one month trip in India. Furthermore, we will share all the best places to see in India, our top tips, where to stay, budget and more.

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Gay Friendly Asia – Nomadic Boys

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Gay Friendly Asia - The Nomadic Boys

We spent 2 years travelling around Asia and completely fell in love with the continent. It offers so much in terms of cultural experiences, food and landscapes, with some of the most humble people you’ll ever meet.

But when it comes to LGBTQ rights, Asia has some serious work to do! In quite a lot of countries in Asia, being gay is either illegal or an arrestable offence, like in Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore, the Maldives, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Myanmar. If it’s not illegal, then it’s such a strong taboo that you have to stay in the closet to avoid jeopardising your job prospects and embarrassing your family like in China, Russia and Indonesia.

Despite this, there are a number of countries in Asia that are paving the way forward in relation to LGBTQ rights. We’ve selected the top 10 most gay friendly countries in Asia, which we’ve based on the following criteria:

  • Where are they at with same sex marriage legislation, along with other LGBTQ laws?
  • What is the gay scene like and do they have any notable annual LGBTQ festivals?
  • Our personal experience travelling there as a gay couple, with reference to the most recent Spartacus Gay Travel Index.

We have taken it as a given that homosexuality is legal in the countries we’ve selected, which is why we haven’t included Singapore despite it having quite a vibrant gay scene and a famous LGBTQ PinkDot festival in June/July.

We have also included two “places” (Taiwan and Hong Kong) rather than “countries”, because although they’re not officially recognised “countries”, they can still be regarded as a “country” given they have their own flag, currency, national anthem, set of laws etc.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Asia Gay Travel Resources

Queer India – Fodors

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queer India - pixabay

It is generally accepted that clichés often have an element of truth to them. This holds in the case of India too. You won’t necessarily find elephants and snake charmers jostling for elbow room in the city (probably), but you can expect contradictions that boggle the mind. Here, various aspects of diversity intersect in a web so layered and complex that even natives struggle to get their head it around at times. You can expect color, noise, laughter, food, crowds—for everything else, leave those preconceptions at home.

India is no herald of LGBTQ+ rights. This is despite evidence of a spectrum of sexualities in historical times. While transgender individuals are legally allowed to self-identify as male, female, or other, it was only in September 2018 that Section 377, a British-era remnant of homophobia, was read down by the Supreme Court. But Section 377 or not, there are an estimated 100-million+ queer individuals in India. And just like in any other part of the world, they have continued to fall in love, built lives together, and traveled with their near and dear for eons. And ironically, their biggest threat—a deeply conservative society—is also what keeps them safe. In other words, if one is willing to pick one’s battles and co-opt certain cultural norms to one’s advantage, traveling as a gay (gay referring to a range of sexualities) individual or couple can be exactly the adventure you imagine. In short: when in India, do as (gay) Indians do.

The Cloak of Invisibility

The worst thing that has ever happened to Ashdeen, 38, while traveling with a partner, is being given separate beds. “Annoying,” is the word he uses, and he laughs as he says it. He might as well, because this is very likely the only battle you will fight as a queer couple in India. Not many travelers see it as overt homophobia, though. “I think people are just used to a certain idea of what the norm is,” says John, 53, who’s partner was noted as “Mrs” in a fancy hotel. “If it was a dive, I understand that, but this was, you know, supposedly a five-star.” John, who’s from the US, and whose husband is Indian (they married in the US), did get the mistake corrected.

By Payal Dhar – Full Story at Fodors

Queer India Travel Resources