The Golden Triangle
After arriving at London Heathrow we boarded our Virgin Atlantic Flight to Delhi, we chose to pay a little extra for the Premium Economy which was well worth it. On our arrival in Delhi we were met by our tour guide Vedprakash (Ved) and the driver and his assistant who were to stay with us for the duration of the trip. We arrived at the Vivanti by Taj Hotel at around 3pm after a transfer through the free for all that is the Delhi traffic a mixture of cars, buses, tuk tuks, bicycles and motor scooters all vying for the same road space and pipping their horns to make a cacophony of noise that is deafening, it was a pleasure to get into the peace and quiet of the Vivanti and check in this spacious very stylish hotel. The rooms were excellent in size and amenities that you would expect from a hotel by Taj! Before dinner we braved the traffic and visited Qutub Minar the site of one of the tallest minaret standing in a Unesco World Heritage Site in the Mehrauli area of Delhi and well worth a visit.
The next morning after breakfast we delved into the narrow maze of packed market streets of Old Delhi on board a cycle rickshaw, then on to then onto the famous street bazaar of Chandni Chowk passing the spectacular Red Fort, the impressive marble domes of Jamid Majid Mosque. Finally we visited Raj Ghat the simple memorial to Mahatma Ghandi, before heading to the "Pink City"of Jaipur
A day of discovery today, with the highlight being the Amber Fort a 17th century stronghold that stands on the surrounding hills of the valley where Jaipur is located. We arrived at the fort and boarded a jeep to take us up to the top. You can go up on elephants but they are not that well treated and our guide will not support the owners of the elephants. The visit to the amber fort is one of lasting memories of the trip. In the afternoon we explored the Pink City of Jaipur and the City Palace with the elaborate facade of the Palace of the Winds with its 953 intricately decorated small windows.
Today we travel to Bharatpur the home town of our guide Ved and his family. On the way we called at an ancient water storage Abhaneri’s Step well. Somewhere I had never heard of before this visit but really did enjoy our time there. With over 300 species of birds and a number of other animal species The Bhuatpur Bird Sanctuary is well worth visiting it is a well run national park which enables you to view the wildlife and birds in their natural habitat. Excellent day and tomorrow we have a long journey to the City of Agra and the Taj Mahal!
It’s an early start today for our journey to Agra via the deserted city of Fatsphur Sikri which was built by an Emperor in 1569 to celebrate the birth of his Son. Well worth the visit for the serenity and marvellous architecture of the palace. Arrived at the Ramada Plaza Agra to the welcome of an Indian Wedding party, needless to say it was quite busy, after a freshen up we headed for The Agra Fort built in the 17th century by the Mughal dynasty then in the early evening on to Mehtab Bagh a centuries-old garden complex built on the opposite side of the Yamuna River to the Taj Mahal complex with stunning views of the great Monument!
The final full day of this awesome trip as come all too soon, but up at 4am for the highlight of the tour a visit to the Taj Mahal, I have to say that it was as special and moving as I thought it would be. At that time of day there were no crowds and we got in without the trouble of queuing. It hard to put into words the feeling of sheer awe. Built to house the tomb of Muzmat Mahal the favourite wife of the Mugal Emperor Shah Jahan and it now also houses his tomb. As the Sun rose the building does seem to change colour. It took 20 years to complete and over 20000 men worked on it. The perfect place to end a tour of this lovely part of India. After our visit to the Taj Mahal it was time to travel back to the hustle & bustle of Delhi and the Vivanti by Taj Hotel to prepare for our long journey home the next day.