India by Cheryl Locke

In April, I was very privileged to have been given the opportunity to join If Only , a lovely Tour Operator with whom we work closely, mainly to the UAE, on a trip to India. I was to experience first-hand the services that our clients receive when booking a tour or tailor-made holiday with If Only.

After lunch we took a tour of New Delhi, visiting the parliament buildings and India Gate and had a tour of the area around Qutb Minar. This is a 73m tall monument built by Qutb-al-din Aibak and was started in 1192. The origins of Qutb Minar are shrouded in controversy. Some believe it was erected as a tower of victory to signify the beginning of the Muslim rule in India. Others say it served as a minaret to the muezzins to call the faithful to prayer.
After the city tour we returned to freshen up for dinner at the beautiful Imperial Hotel which was about 15 minutes’ drive away. This is a stunning colonial style hotel with fantastic rooms and impressive public areas. The pool area offers a real Oasis in the hustle and bustle of the city centre and there is also an Ayurvedic Spa. We ate in Daniell’s restaurant which was one of the signature Pan Indian restaurants – they have 7 different dining options offering a wide choice and not just Indian dishes.

Sunday 23 ^rd April – It was an early start as we headed to Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station for our journey to Agra, which was aboard the Gatimaan Express, India’s first semi high speed train that runs between Delhi and Agra. It operates at a max speed of 160 km/h (99 mph) and is the fastest train in India. We were in 1 ^st class which was very spacious and much nicer than I had expected. The service was really very good, which included a full continental and Indian breakfast along with cups of tea, and the journey provided a wonderful opportunity to see more of the real India.
Upon arrival into Agra rail station we handed our unwanted breakfast items to some children on the platform. Agra was probably our first experience of the poverty that exists. Given that it is a tourist town, there is a higher proportion of beggars and unfortunate locals in poor health. However, whilst I had expected to witness this and it was, of course, somewhat distressing to see, it was not in the volumes that I had expected to experience.

We then headed straight to the Agra Fort for a guided tour. The Agra Fort was the main residence of the Mughal dynasty until the 17 ^th century. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and offers amazing views across the river to the Taj Mahal. This was a really fascinating tour and, despite the heat (temperatures now reaching the mid 40 degrees), really enjoyable.
We were then taken back into Agra where we had a site inspection and lunch at The Gateway Hotel, a well located 4-star property with rooftop views of the Taj Mahal.

Monday 24 ^th April – It was a 5:30am start this morning for our visit to the Taj Mahal – for me, the highlight of the trip. Again security was tight and all bags and bodies were scanned – we were only able to take with us the bare minimum of water, phones/cameras and wallets/purses.
As expected, the Taj Mahal was stunning. By 6.30am it was already starting to get busy and rather warm. Our guide gave us a full history of the Taj Mahal and explained how it was best to take photographs. There are a number of benches to pose on and we had an “official” photographer who sold some of his inexpensive pictures to us the end of the tour. The actual interior of the Taj Mahal was smaller than I expected it to be, making it more impressive from the outside. We spent about 2 hours taking photos and wandering around the grounds before heading back to the Marriott for breakfast.

Upon arrival in Jaipur we encountered typical Indian traffic. Even the journeys around the city are something to behold with Tuk Tuks and motorbikes whizzing in and out of the other cars. Families of 4 or 5 on the back of mopeds (helmets for the parents but not for the toddlers!) and the obligatory cattle wandering through the streets!
Here we were staying at the Hilton Jaipur which is in the South of the city. It was comfortable and typical of the Hilton chain. In the evening we headed to the train station and boarded the Deccan Odyssey train for dinner as it was in Jaipur for the evening.
This gave us the wonderful opportunity to take a tour of this lovely train, and we were shown around the various carriages, of which 11 of the 21 carriages provide en-suite cabin accommodation for their passengers. There was even a fitness centre, a spa, lounges and a bar for passengers to relax in and the dining offered a choice of both Western and Indian food!

Here we even saw snake charmers on the pavements, encouraging their cobras from their baskets!
We continued to the beautiful Amber Fort, which is at the top of a steep hill and we ascended on the backs of elephants. There is an option of a jeep transfer for anyone preferring not to travel by elephant back. The views are stunning and the fort itself is absolutely breath-taking.
This was the only place we were absolutely inundated with street sellers, trying to offload umbrellas, table cloths, hats and anything else they wanted to sell, many of whom would run up the hill with you whilst you are on top of the elephant.

Afterwards, we enjoyed a really interesting tour of the City Palace where the current Maharaja lives in part of the palace. He is just 18 years old and we were shown the timeline of the Maharaja’s through the ages up to the current day. The palace is located inside the Pink City and is home to some beautiful courtyards and gardens.
After an extremely hot morning of sightseeing it was a relief to arrive at the amazing Samode Haveli, a traditional mansion house in the city that has been converted into a stunning hotel. The rooms were beautifully furnished and it was a real oasis in the bustling city of Jaipur.