Three months of discovering ancient temples, eating exotic food, wandering around opulent palaces, getting lost in historic desert fortresses, and hiking through beautiful mountain landscapes in South and Southeast Asia.

This trip was one of my biggest and most rewarding adventures to date. Originally, I planned to spend the whole three months in India since it is one of my ultimate dream destinations and I wanted to spend a more leisurely pace exploring its vast countrysides.

A month before my trip, a friend told me he would be in Nepal the same time I would’ve been in India. So, I decided to join him instead. Trekking in the Himalayas seemed like an equally awesome adventure.

I started my journey flying from Iloilo, my hometown, to Manila and then Bangkok. I spent 10 days in Thailand, mostly in Ayutthaya, where I enjoyed cycling around the ancient city centers and exploring Buddhist temple ruins.

After Thailand, I flew to Kolkata in Northeast India and traveled westwards, mostly by train. I passed through Bodh Gaya, Varanasi, and Khajuraho before arriving in Rajasthan.

I enjoyed marveling at grand palaces and getting lost in desert fortresses built by Maharajas of olden times. The sights, sounds, food, and people fascinated me so much during my entire four-week trip in India that seeing the full glory of the Taj Mahal only seemed like a cherry on top of a long list of amazing things I have experienced.

My adventure continued to Nepal, where I stayed for another four weeks. I traveled with my friend to Pokhara and trekked to Annapurna Base Camp, located on the western side of the Himalayas. Afterward, I spent the rest of the month taking it easy enjoying the laid-back mountain landscapes and  cultural sights of Nepal.

I spent the last two weeks of my trip enjoying the cosmopolitan attractions of Singapore before flying back to the Philippines.

My favorite destinations on this 3-month journey are Varanasi, Khajuraho, Orchha, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Agra, Pokhara, Annapurna Sanctuary, Bhaktapur (Nepal), and Bandipur.