I let Ivor do the research for this holiday. I must confess I barely looked at the itinerary. I’m at an advantage in that I know and trust the company, but also, I have three boys, a dog, a husband, a mortgage, and a job. This trip was about not having to make decisions about anything! I knew nothing was going to keep me up all night, on my phone checking the best places to eat, what train to catch, what to visit and how to avoid the crowds because we had the most incredible tour leader who made it all happen.
Every evening, our guide Bhanu would sit us down and tell us if the boys needed long trousers for the next day, or if the girls needed to cover their arms. He’d let us know if we needed to pack our daysacks light due to baggage restrictions or take a bag with sun cream. He would suggest restaurants and book us in for dinner. He would make sure the restaurant split the bills for each family so there was no awkwardness. He knew when to leave to catch the sunrise and how to avoid the tourists. In essence he took my holiday-parenting job away and let me immerse myself in the culture and be present in the moment. And at 14, Ivor was old enough to take on the responsibility of looking after himself too. It was liberating.