Humayun’s Tomb, Delhi

Back in 2003 we decided to have an adventure and spend some time in India, influenced in part by the fact that we had a relative living there at the time. As it’s quite some time ago I can’t give up to date information, but hope that our experiences will give an idea of what to expect and the amazing range of things to see.

Rather than fly directly from London to Delhi we opted for a cheaper option, getting flights with Aeroflot via Moscow. This worked out well and we didn’t have too long to wait for our connection. I’d flown with Aeroflot before, to St Petersburg, and would be happy to recommend them – the only tiny negative being that the only entertainment available was Legally Blonde, which was shown on a continuous loop.

India Gate, Delhi

On arrival we found a taxi to our hotel, it was late at night but we could still get a good idea of the amazing energy and unusual sights of the city, not least the random cows which are a normal part of the cityscape. We had already been warned that taxi drivers sometimes try to take unsuspecting arrivals to different hotels to the one booked (sometimes even claiming that the original hotel has burned down), undoubtedly to receive a commission, and our driver did indeed suggest an alternative but we were firm in our instructions and duly delivered to our intended hotel in the heart of the city.

Sleep proved difficult on that first night, even in the early hours there was a lot of noise from people and traffic in the surrounding area. At breakfast time we were invited into the hotel manager’s office, an occasion that will always be memorable to me as it was when we were given our first ever taste of Indian chai – I’ll be talking more about this later. It turned out that the manager actually had an ulterior motive for this hospitality, nice gesture that it was, and was hoping to sell us as many tours and trips as he possibly could. Unfortunately for him I’d already booked what we needed online, and his face visibly fell when I told him we had everything arranged.

Qutab Minar, Delhi

As India can seem quite overwhelming to a newly arrived visitor we were very glad to have my husband’s brother, who had been living there for quite a few years, to act as our guide. We visited some of the most famous sights such as Humayun’s Tomb, Qutab Minar and India Gate. The easiest way to get around is on the ubiquitous tuk-tuks, the little three wheeled motorised rickshaws which can zip their way through the somewhat chaotic traffic and manoeuvre around cows with ease.

As Indian is probably my favourite cuisine (closely followed by Thai) one of the highlights of the trip was the food. I eat quite a lot of vegetarian dishes so normally opted for those, especially with paneer, a firm cheese used cubed in curries. And when it comes to drinks, in India you are never far from a chai seller. Although I’d heard of chai (also called masala chai) and knew it was a type of tea, I had no idea what it actually tasted like until we went to India. It’s a combination of tea, spices, sugar and either milk or condensed milk, normally served in tiny glasses which can be quite difficult to hold when hot. It’s safe to say that it instantly became one of my favourite drinks ever.

Taj Mahal, Agra

After a couple of days in Delhi we ventured further afield, taking the train to Agra. Obviously the most famous sight in Agra is the Taj Mahal, which needs no further introduction, but we also visited the Red Fort, from which you can get some great views and is an enjoyable complex of buildings to explore.

View of Taj Mahal from Red Fort

I remember we had lunch in a rooftop restaurant overlooking the Taj Mahal and surrounding part of the city, including a yard containing a donkey that seemed to be eating every piece of rubbish it could possibly find. As you can imagine, the neighbouring roads were full of shops trying to ply their wares to the constant stream of tourists, but after being there for a while you become good at saying no (very politely of course).

One misconception I had about India before going there was that there would be lots of beggars in the streets. Whilst there were some, the vast majority of people who stopped us were trying to sell something – or take us to a nearby business which they assured us would have wonderful goods (and a commission for themselves). If you’re someone who likes a peaceful stroll around then this can get a bit wearing after a while, but is all part of the experience.

Hawa Mahal (Palace of the Winds), Jaipur

After a bit more time in Delhi we caught the early morning train to Jaipur. I’d treated us to first class tickets as it was so cheap, and we were served a delicious breakfast at our seats. It’s one of the most memorable train trips I’ve taken as the view out the window gradually changed to the more sandy landscape of Rajasthan. The sight of camels pulling farm machinery is something I will always remember, one of those moments that reminds you how wonderful it is to travel. On arrival in Jaipur we saw an elephant near the railway station which added to the sense of the exotic.

Hawa Mahal

Jaipur is an incredible city. Probably best known for the Hawa Mahal (Palace of the Winds), we also visited the Amber Fort on the outskirts of the city, which besides having stunning architecture also had views of the surrounding countryside.

Amber Fort, Jaipur

Another impressive building in the centre of Jaipur is the City Palace which included some of the most ornate doorways I’ve ever seen.

City Palace, Jaipur

Probably the most unusual place we visited in Jaipur was Jantar Mantar. This is a collection of outdoor astronomical instruments, including the world’s largest stone sundial, a fun place to wander around for a while.

Jantar Mantar, Jaipur

The hotel in Jaipur was small and very pleasant with an outdoor pool illuminated by pretty lights at night, and our room had a balcony where we could enjoy the breakfast that was brought to us every morning. I took a photo of the view which seemed to sum up India at that time – some cows sitting next to an advert for the rapidly expanding internet.

On the subject of animals, one night when we were having dinner in the hotel I could see the back of what could only have been a sheep wandering around the kitchen. We never did find out what that was all about as we thought it best not to enquire any further. Other animal encounters (cows, monkeys, dogs and pigs) occurred on the walk up to the Sun Temple, from where we could see across the city at sunset.

Walk up to Sun Temple and sunset view

Following our stay in Jaipur we got the train back to Delhi, where we spent a few hours before the next stage of our Indian odyssey – a journey up into the Himalayas. I will write about this in a separate post and amongst other things it will include an extremely long coach journey, a gigantic apple pie and my experience of getting knocked over by a cow.