Glacier hunting in Franz Josef & Fox Glacier, South Island, New Zealand

The west coast of New Zealand is the wettest part of the country - apart from the Sounds in the Fjordland - and Franz Josef is usually washed with 8 metres of rain a year. We were in the small town for 4 days, due to a slight frustration with the Nakedbus' schedule, and definitely saw our fair share of weather. 

Here's how to see it:

Walking.

You can no longer walk directly onto the glacier at Franz Josef, but you can get pretty close. 

Most people opt to explore the ice via helicopter; you fly up and land on the ice then, kitted out with boots and thermals, can explore the ice tunnels and formations that shape the landscape. The ice explorer trip costs $315, so is pretty steep, and unless you have a completely clear day, it's hard to say if it's worth it. We couldn't have done the flight if we'd wanted to because of the weather so preceded to explore the surroundings on foot. 

There's a shuttle from town to the glacier footpaths which is $12.50, but the walk isn't long - about 20-30mins - so it's your call. 

Franz Josef glacier still looks pretty spectacular from 200 metres away, and the walk to access it is stunning. The varied scenery, from baron rocks to sheet ice to lush bush and abundant waterfalls, feels otherworldly at times. 

Walking to the glacier 

It's worth visiting Peters Pool while you're there too, on a clear day the water looks amazing with the reflection of the mountains in the background.

Don't miss out on a visit to Fox Glacier. It's about a half hour drive from Franz, so you'll need a car to get there and around, or could in high season book onto a tour.

Mirror image in Matherson

 Lake Matherson is one of the most stunning places we have visited. The water was so still that you could see the perfect reflection of the mountains and the foliage around it.

A visit to the beach on a clearer/warmer/generally better day is also worth it. The beach is littered with drift wood which resembles the elephant graveyard scene in Lion King. 

The final stop in Fox Glacier is the glacier itself. Similarly to Franz Josef, you can no longer walk on the ice. Again though, the view point is worth the hike. 

Sleeping.

Stay at Sir Cedric's Chateau Franz. We paid $25 a night for a four bed dorm room with en-suite shower, free wifi, free breakfast, free nightly vegetable soup (a huge vat is cooked fresh everyday at 6pm and served with an assortment of breads, it does resemble Maggi's 2-minute noodles every so slightly, but it's a free meal which is exactly what skint backpackers are after.) Location wise the Chateau is bang on and the staff were brilliant, making sure you take advantage of the free popcorn and huge DVD room and the lazy spa which is open til 9pm. Benjamin, the owners son, was amazing, making us feel right at home and going out of his way to make the stay perfect.

Eating.

Grab dinner at Eighty-Eight, the Asian fusion restaurant in town. We got a free drink each as Chateau residents and the food was great. 

I had gurnard which was catch of the day and the girls opted for Thai green curry ($15-$25). For a quick lunch or snack to the Picnics, the bakery on the main road. 

The pie and pasty selection is amazing and the donuts are famous for all the right reasons. Saturday is donut day if you're a fan, and the number of flavours on offer triples for one day only. Full of beans is another good breakfast or lunch spot, and the coffee is pretty great too. Burgers are around 12 bucks, there's a good sandwich and cake selection or you can grab soup of the day for $8. 

Drinking.

Franz Josef is tiny. The town is a single road of souvenir shops and restaurants, with one Four Square and a petrol station. So don't come here and expect mental partying until 4am. That said, the locals do give it a good go and there are a couple of places if you fancy a bevvy or 6. Blue ice is the main bar, and it was where we ended up (driven via hummerzine) on Halloween. 

The drinks were cheap, the music was surprisingly decent and the bar shows all the big sports games too. Monsoon is the other bar, frequented by locals but also welcoming travellers. Chat to the staff at the hostel about offers. The nearest liquor store is in Haast, so you'll be drinking beer and wine while you're here unless you have a car to make the trip, but the supermarket's reasonable. 

Rainy days.

We bought tickets to the Kiwi experience on bookme (best site ever!) for $17 and it was a bit of a disappointment. If I'd paid full price I'd've been pretty annoyed (it's normally $35!) there's a room full of kiwi enclosures but viewing is limited and it depends on the time of day whether you are lucky enough to see on. We did, but it was very dark so we're not actually entirely sure what we were looking at. We did meet a taxidermy goat though. 

Until Wanaka,

L, L & A. Xx 

What should women wear when travelling in India?

How women travellers should dress in India is an ongoing discussion. It's the question I've been asked most since I've been out here and the issue that Alice and I struggled most with before we came. So, here's a brief overview in relation to the places we visited.

Before I begin, though, it should be said that how you dress is completely down to you, and what you are comfortable with. At the end of the day you are a travelling woman in India, you are going to get lots of looks from locals (both male and female) and will attract attention by just being there. How you dress will only affect the sort of attention you receive. Alice and I didn't once feel threatened on our trip. Yes, people looked at us, and often we did flash a little more knee/shoulder than is probably encouraged; but we did so under the clear understanding that we were going to generate that kind of reaction and were comfortable with that fact.

North India

Delhi
Delhi is a crazy place. It might be smaller than Mumbai with a smaller population, but it feels that bit more chaotic. To us, it felt dirtier and more intrusive. Make sure you have a shawl with you at all times and I would keep your shoulders and knees covered, just to avoided the attention. You can buy trousers for 100rps in most of the bazaars, so stock up at the beginning of the trip.
If you visit any temples you will have to cover up, but it is worth donning the same garb for any palace or fort visits; people will ask to take photos of you in Delhi.

Varanasi
Varanasi is a holy city, 300 funerals take place here every day. It's hot and humid and intense and you'll sweat more than you ever thought was physically possible, but keep covered up at all times here; just out of respect.

Agra
Being a tourist destination, the Taj Mahal is full of people from every corner of the globe. You could wear anything you liked here, really, so it's up to you whether or not you want to observe the more conservative dress code. We did, because it felt more respectful.

Jaipur
Jaipur is a little more chilled out, so it is at your discretion how much flesh you show. Keep a scarf with you and just be respectful. It is worth noting that a lot of people living in Jaipur aren't as used to westerners than those in the big cities; Jaipur is huge and quite poor in parts, so just be aware that you might attract a lot of attention.

Jaisalmer
I got my shoulders out in Jaisalmer for the first time. It is a small city, and felt that more chilled. We ensured we always had something to cover us up, but were a bit more relaxed on the dress code. Just, as a mentioned, be aware of the level of attention you might attract while you are there. Many of the camel safaris offer village visits; I would recommend keeping covered up for these, just to avoid creating anymore havoc than your presence alone will inevitably cause.

South India

We only visited a very small part of South India, so you may need to look around for advice on how to dress in Kerala, Chennai and beyond.

Goa
Goa is a bit like a beach resort. People walk through the streets in their bikinis here, especially in Palolem. We didn't go that far, but shorts and dresses were fine. Bikinis are all good on the beach, though I would recommend finding a slightly quieter patch of sand and maybe tucking yourselves behind a boat or something similar to avoid drawing a crowd. A lot of people told us to cover up on the local buses, however we found that we didn't draw any additional attention so carried on as we were (keeping a shawl or scarf with us at all times).

Hampi
Hampi is a very sacred place. If you are visiting any of the active temples make sure you cover up; chances are you will be asked to by the tourist information guys if you don't. The rest of the place you are fine; Hampi draws a lot of domestic tourists to it's ruins so just be aware that you might stick out a little bit and get a few looks from other Indians.

Mumbai
Dress according to your activity and location. If you're visiting the slums be respectful and conservative and consider that people aren't that used to scantily clad western women wandering around. In Colaba we felt quite comfortable in dresses with shawls, though we did put trousers on at night. Be aware of the Bollywood talent scouts that patrol the strip outside Leopold's; it is more than likely that you'll be scouted to be extra in an up and coming film if you're a woman and you're western and you're arms or legs are exposed (we were scouted within a minute of getting out of the cab!)

My main advice would be to stick within your comfort zone. Alice and I felt comfortable in Goa wearing summer clothes, but for much of Rajahstan we kept our shoulders and knees covered. Understand that you are already attracting a lot of attention, and what you wear will only add or subtract from that.

L&A x 

Camel safari in Jaisalmer.

If you're not careful you'll find yourself falling in love with Jaisalmer, and end up staying far longer than you planned. Rising from the surrounding desert like a sandcastle, Jaisalmer Fort sits at the centre of the city and it's quite simply, beautiful.

Chai with a view.

The surrounding streets are decorated with havelis, and everywhere you look there are stunning views of the desert stretching as far as the eye can see. It's quieter here; calmer, more laid back. Drink it in, because it's kind of addictive.

Do:

- Stay in the fort.

This is the only living fort in the country so seize the opportunity to stay inside. We stayed at Desert boys guesthouse (1,400rps with free pick-up) and were l so glad we did. A maze of stairways leading to terraces and rooms, the views were spectacular. 

Sunrise on the terrace at Desert Boys 

The restaurant is good too, and it also serves beer. Chai was offered left right and centre and although the wifi was weak, I'd recommend paying a little more for the experience. 

- Ride a camel.

Everyone will offer you a camel safari in Jaisalmer: your tuc tuc driver, the hotel porter, the fruit vendor on the roadside. Shop around, and make sure you know what you want to get out of the tour. There's touristy options which are cheaper, or you can pay a little more for a more authentic 'off the beaten track' experience.

Me and my ride.

We did a whole days riding which in hingsight was a little long. However, cooking lunch over a fire under a tree in the middle of a desert was a pretty cool experience. Our desert guide, Kelu, let Alice and I get involved in making fresh pakora, vegetable curry and chapatis. 

Camping under the stars was definitely an experience too. It was just me and Al on our tour, and we psyched eachother out a bit when the sun went down and the dung beetles started to circle. I've never seen a starry sky like it. We fell asleep watching shooting stars, under the clearest Milky Way. Amazing. 

Having a laugh on the sand dunes

Camels are funny old creatures; so docile and calm. They can drink 50litres of water at a time, which will last them a whole week. At night they sleep for just ten minutes so the guide tied their legs to stop them straying too far. This video is hilarious: 

Driving the jeep back from the dunes was a highlight, as was visiting the isolated villages that live deep in the desert. 

Off-roadin' 

- Beers with a view.

There's rooftop bars everywhere, so make sure you take the time drink in the view with a cold beverage or 4. We had momos at Shiva restaurant, looked out at the fort from Midtown's terrace and made ourselves comfortable at desert boys. Beers are between 150-200rps after tax. 

- Bhang lassis.

The lassi shop by the fort entrance is known for its Bhang lassis and cookies. You can adjust the strength accordingly... Then just enjoy the ride. 

Back to Delhi we go.

L&A xx

Tackling the roads of New Delhi.

Here's a brief insight into the chaotic roads of New Delhi, shot from both a tuc-tuc and a rickshaw:

Alice and I both don't think this does it justice, but it gives you a rough idea. The sound of car horns is relentless out here, and provides the soundtrack to the crazy sights of the city. There are so many people, so many tuc-tucs and a ridiculous amount of knock-off  ray-ban sunglasses for sale. 

Enjoy.

L&A 

And we're off.

It's hard to travel light when you have CF...

With 18 days to go before I depart on the big trip, I've finally found time to organise all my medication. Honestly? There's actually less than I thought there would be (though there are a few bits still missing). I'm taking over 1,500 tablets with me, two different nebulisers, over 100 sachets of meds and various inhalers. When you put it like that it sounds like loads, but I take over 15 tablets a day!

I've got letters from the consultant to ensure there is no problem taking them through customs, and Alice will be carrying a weeks worth of meds incase something happens to my backpack.

We're getting there!

The Route.

London > Delhi - overland - Mumbai > Auckland - overland - Christchurch > Fiji > Sydney

Backpacking Diaries No.1: Where to?

Backpacking diaries part 1: Where to?

She does.