We rose at 5AM on Christmas Eve to hike in the dark down to Dolphin's Nose, an epic rock outcropping looking out over the valleys below Kodaikanal in the mountains of southern India. The mist blew in as the sun rose and lit up like a sea on fire.

Locals and tourists alike pile up onto these rocks on Hampi island to watch the sun set each night over the immense boulders and temples scattered across the land. After the sun went down, the stars came up and the real magic began.