Alice Kandell

One of the best things about travel is the people you meet.

While on a recent comedy cruise gig in Antarctica, I met Alice Kandell, a lifelong New Yorker whose life story was certainly interview-worthy.

Alice was a young psychology grad student at Harvard in the ’60’s when her friend unexpectedly married the King of Sikkim, a small region along the Tibetan border.

She then accompanied her friend to the wedding in Sikkim, while the threat of war between China and India for the region was heating up. Sikkim was later annexed by India, but Alice’s life was changed by her visit.

She returned to the area numerous times over the years, amassing enough photographs and stories to author two books on the subject.

Along with her love of Sikkim, her other passion was Tibetan art. Her collection eventually grew large enough to donate to the Smithsonian, where her namesake collection is enjoyed by thousands of visitors.

A fascinating woman with a great story. Thanks so much, Alice, for sharing your Travel Tales with us!