India’s Glorious Golden Triangle (with Ranthambore National Park)
One of the most famous and frequently travelled to regions of India, the Golden Triangle comprises of the country’s vibrant capital New Delhi, the city of Agra famed for possibly the world’s most recognised building - the Taj Mahal - and the intriguing ‘Pink City’ of Jaipur
We visited this great region in February – a really good time to travel. Although the locals still class this time of year as winter, for us Brits, coming from the cold and rain of the UK, the warmth and blue skies are a real treat. At this time of year, in Northern India, temperatures range between 20-25 degrees and the low humidity really offers the perfect time of year to explore this region in comfort.
First-time travellers to India may well experience a bit of sensory-overload when arriving in Delhi. The noises, smells, warmth and the vast number of people can be a little overwhelming at first, but once you have become accustomed to the pace of life here, exploring the city is truly rewarding. Whether taking in New Delhi at India Gate, Connaught Place or Humayun’s Tomb or exploring Old Delhi in a rickshaw, the chaos here is mesmerising.
Travelling to Agra can be by road or train; we went by
train, to experience the infamous Indian Railways. I’d probably advise
travelling 1st class, as you will be guaranteed a seat (with
air-con), unless you really want to experience a packed carriage – top tip
though, go to the loo before you travel (the train toilets are pretty grim!).
The main attraction in Agra is, of course, the stunning Taj Mahal – possibly
the most beautiful building in India, if not the world and one of the most
visited UNESCO Heritage sites. Make sure you take plenty of batteries for your
camera (!) and be prepared to be paparazzied by the locals – they love a
picture with the tourists!
From here, if you fancy something a little different to cities, temples and forts, I would highly recommend taking the side trip to Ranthambore National Park to search for the elusive and rare Tiger. We went on 2 game drives here and were beside ourselves with joy as were lucky enough to see tigers (up close!) on both of our safaris. Something truly memorable and, in my case, almost heart-stopping.
Finally, to complete our trip to Northern India, we headed to Jaipur, the fabulous Pink City, for a couple of nights. We packed in quite a bit here, including a trip by jeep up to amazing Amer Fort, a visit to the Summer Palace plus a couple of ‘hairy’ Tuk Tuk rides across the city – something that just has to be done!