Due to the very old age and scarcity of this book, many of the pages may be hard to read due to the blurring of the original text, possible missing pages, missing text and other issues beyond our control.

This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone!

"India and Asia Lite" Mark and Helen Fawcett are in their fifties. They are jaded with the comforts and routines of middle-class life in New Zealand and their marriage has become "business-like." They need some adventure, so decide to rediscover the thrill of long-term backpacking that they had experienced in their twenties. They take a year off; to venture to strange, out-of-the-way places and put themselves at the mercy of the unfamiliar and unexpected. Organising it all requires extensive planning and they have to overcome numerous unexpected obstacles. Carrying their fourteen pound packs, they arrive in Mumbai, and then travel down the west coast of India to Cape Comorin in the far south. They are rudely reminded how travelling in India is both physically and mentally tough. After journeying up the east coast of the sub-continent, inland to Varanasi and to Sikkim in the Himalayas, they travel east to Thailand. They then continue through the South-East-Asian counties of Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Malaysia, Borneo and Indonesia, before heading home. They meet fascinating people; like the two young Indian university students who had secretly married out of caste, meanwhile the girl's mafia father was busily arranging her marriage. They visit unforgettable places like Mumbai's Dharavi slum and S21 (a Khmer Rouge interrogation centre). Even the apparently simple process of getting from one place to the next is often challenging and always captivating. Mark and Helen also discover how the region's political, social, religious and environmental issues affect the locals and give historical backgrounds to add perspective, interest and emotion to the journey. The trip changes them: they gain a wider perspective on life and restore their faith in humanity. It enhances their characters and they rebuild their relationship. They gain invaluable travel experience and share it in a "Tips" section which details the planning necessary before the journey begins, along with budgeting and practical advice on how to stay safe, travel light and avoid rip-offs when 'on the road'.

Due to the very old age and scarcity of this book, many of the pages may be hard to read due to the blurring of the original text, possible missing pages, missing text and other issues beyond our control.