Nepal – architecture

Extravagant

Temples in the Kathmandu Valley are overloaded with golden statues and ornate woodwork.

In the West, these elegant sculptures and carvings would be locked away in a museum, but not here!

More Kathmandu impressions:

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Thailand – Buddha

Lavish

Gautama Buddha preached moderation.

Yet Thailand’s wats are filled to the brim with golden Buddha statues, some as tall as skyscrapers.

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Morocco – palace

Style

The Moroccan architectural style is epitomized in the Bahia Palace.

Full of grand archways, gorgeous mosaics, and sheltered courtyards, it’s also a great place to escape the midday heat.

More Marrakesh impressions:

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Malaysia – temples

Technicolor

Looking for an excuse to prolong our stay, we decided to play tourist and visit some temples.

So off we went to the Dharmikarama Burmese Temple and Thai Wat Chaiyamangalaram. They face each other and they’re both a riot of colour.

More Penang impressions:

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India – Belur

Serene

Just north of Mysore lies the Hoysala temple of Belur. It’s filled with intricate carvings of dancers, elephants and scenes from the epics.

At times, it’s completely peaceful. Then a group of pilgrims would arrive…

Noise! Chaos! A pandemonium descended as the Indians rushed around the grounds, taking selfies and running every which way.

Shortly thereafter, they left. The tranquillity was restored.

More Mysore impressions:

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India – Shravanabelagola

Sculpture

The 57ft-high statue of Bahubali is impressive.

But what we admired the most were the small, intricate carvings that could be seen in the surrounding temples.

More Shravanabelagola impressions:

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India – Gangaikonda

Peaceful

Yes, the Gangaikonda Cholapuram is a magnificent temple.

But after having pedaled through a number of turbulent, chaotic Indian cities, what we really appreciated was it’s tranquil garden setting.

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Cambodia – Angkor Wat

Exquisite

The Angkor Wat temple complex is immense.

Yet it was the fine carvings and details that stuck in our memory.

It was a level of refinement that we hadn’t expected to see.

More Angkor Wat impressions:

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Myanmar – Shwezigon

Golden

Another highlight of Bagan was the Shwezigon pagoda. It’s an immense zedi that shines brightly in the sun. The fine gold details that cover the stupa are magnificent.

Since most of our fellow tourists were ‘templed out’, we had the complex all to ourselves.

More Bagan impressions:

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Thailand – Grand Palace

Opulent

The dazzling splendour of Bangkok’s Grand Palace is stunning!

Even the smallest statue is decorated with gold leaf and mosaic.

But one downside; you do have to share the experience with hundreds of other sweating, over-heated tourists…

More Bangkok impressions:

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Nepal – Bodhnath

Atmospheric

Bodhnath stupa is immense, the largest in Asia.

Scores of Tibetan pilgrims make their kora (ritual circumnavigation) of the dome while monks in maroon robes wander the streets around the stupa.

It’s a haven of peace and quiet, so unlike the rest of the Kathmandu Valley.

More Bodhnath impressions:

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Nepal – Swayambhunath

Journey

The path up to the stupa is via a steep stone staircase that passes colourful Buddha statues and aggressive monkeys who eye your every move.

Another Swayambhunath impression:

Stupa

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Bangladesh – Paharpur

Magical

Paharpur dates back to the 8th century and was once the largest Buddhist monastery south of the Himalaya.

We stayed at the Paharpur guesthouse which was located inside the grounds. Early the next morning we walked alone amongst the ruins, soaking up the atmosphere.

Then the gates opened and Bangladeshi day-trippers flooded in.

As soon as they spotted us it was, “Madame, madame! Can we take our picture with you?” The attention didn’t let up until closing time.