Incredible India
Amber Fort is the major attraction and it was only about 20 minutes by car from our hotel. Built in the 16th century it stands proudly on a hill overlooking the town of Amer, once the capital of Rajasthan. It’s a vast structure built of red sandstone with intricate carvings, mirror and precious stone works on the walls and ceilings.
About a 4 hour drive from Jaipur we moved onto Sawai Madhopur the nearest town for visiting, Ranthambore National Park, famous for its tigers. We had booked 4 safaris and were lucky enough to see wild tigers on two occasions. Definitely my favourite big cat, they were not at all phased by the whirring of cameras and excited visitors, and when they’d had enough they simply walked into the trees and disappeared from view!
When we’d had our fill of wild animals we journeyed to Agra – approximately 6 hours by car. Without a doubt the most famous monument in India is the Taj Mahal, and we visited before sunrise to get the best views. It didn’t disappoint – it is the most awe-inspiring place, better in real life than anything you can see in books or on the television. There were lots of people around, however it didn’t feel at all crowded and we had plenty of time to wander around and enjoy the ambience.
Delhi was our next stop and it was a relatively short 3 hour trip on a lovely new(ish) toll road. We had a list of ‘must see’ sights in Delhi, so we hired a taxi and driver for the day. For the princely sum of about £12 he took us everywhere on our list which included:
• India Gate: looking much like the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, it commemorates the 70,000 Indian soldiers who lost their lives fighting for the British Army during the World War I. The memorial bears the names of more than 13,516 British and Indian soldiers killed in the Northwestern Frontier in the Afghan war of 1919. • Qutb Minar: A 1000 year old Islamic monument. • Humayun’s Tomb: Humayun was an Islamic ruler who died in 1556. His is the first garden-tomb in the Indian Subcontinent – similar to the Taj Mahal in style and pre-dating the Taj by about 100 years. • Raj Ghat: commemorates the spot where Ghandi was cremated following his assassination in 1948. • Chandni Chowk: The shopping area in Old Delhi was jam packed with tiny shops and we enjoyed a cycle rickshaw ride through the largely grid-locked streets!
From Delhi we took a 2 hour plane journey for our last stop which was in Darjeeling. A 3 hour car journey from the nearest airport took us up to 6700 feet above sea level where the air was fresher and tea plantations stretched as far as the eye could see.
For three days we walked everywhere we wanted to visit. Obviously the tea plantation visit was a must (especially when you enjoy tea as much as I do!). We also took a ride on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway which wound through the streets very close to the houses and shops en route. The zoo wasn’t very large, but we always enjoy seeing animals and they have a successful Red Panda breeding programme there. The zoo complex also houses the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute which has memorabilia from past expeditions on view. The institute runs courses at all levels to encourage people to take up mountaineering as a sport.
It wasn’t a physically relaxing holiday; they say “a change is as good as a rest” and it definitely was a change from what we’re used to. There’s so much to see in India it can’t possibly be done in one holiday, but I think for a first visit we got it just right!