India is an enormous but beautiful vacation destination. One of my best friends currently lives in India, so I wanted to visit to see where and how she lives.
Warning: 5 days is nowhere near enough time to see this gorgeous country, but my friends and I planned a nearly 3-week vacation which included travels to India, Bangkok, Phuket and a stopover in Dubai. Since it was our first trip to India, we wanted to see as many destinations as possible, so our itinerary was a bit aggressive.
Day #1 – Relax and take things slow
We started our vacation in Delhi, which is the capital city. Delhi is considered to be one of the oldest cities in the world. It is a very fascinating city in that is a cornucopia of great cuisine, lots of energy and fascinating history.
After such a long flight, I was exhausted on the first day, so we took it easy. We relaxed at our hotel and ordered room service. My friend purchased a few bottles of champagne from Sula Vineyards, which is a winery and vineyard located in the Nashik region of western India, northeast of Mumbai. I sipped champagne and fell asleep immediately.
Day #2 – Explore Delhi
We had lunch at a restaurant fairly close to our hotel and then we went to a street market to but some Indian garb. Delhi has some of the prettiest markets, full of colorful saris, handcrafted handbags, jewelry and shoes. You do need to have good bargaining skills to get great deals – or you could pay triple the price like I almost did.
That evening, we celebrated my friend’s birthday at a restaurant and hookah bar. The DJ was great, and the tobacco tasted better than what it does in the US. I’m not a big fan of hookah – but I will do it socially.
Day #3 – Tour of Taj Mahal and Agra Fort (Agra)
We checked out our hotel early AM and headed to the city of Agra to see the Taj Mahal. It was a 3-hour drive from Delhi. It was nice to ride the expressway and see the countryside of India. I found the people and animal watching particularly fascinating. Before visiting, I didn’t know that India has approximately 5 million cows that roam the streets until a couple of them rolled up on us at a stop light. Cows are sacred in Hinduism, which is practiced by the majority of Indian people.
Our visit to the Taj Mahal was amazing. I could see, upon arrival, why it is one of the seven wonders of the world – nothing could have prepared me for the beauty of this site. It is simply breathtaking. We got our first glimpse of the magnificent dome as we passed through the south arch and into the beautifully landscaped grounds.
My friends and I spent approximately an hour and a half taking photos because we were so in awe of it. We arrived around 8 a.m. and there were already hundreds of people there and the heat was getting intense.
Next we visited the Agra Fort which is a red sandstone fortress that was once a royal palace. It has some of the same detailed workmanship as the Taj Mahal but looks different. It is a beautiful building with a fascinating history. I would highly suggest going with a tour guide who can bring the history alive.
After our visit in Agra, we ate lunch and then drove to Jaipur, affectionately known as “the Pink City.”
Day #4 – Sightseeing in Jaipur
Jaipur is the capital of Rajasthan (a state in India). It is a major tourist attraction, especially for first-time visitors to India choose. Similar to Delhi, it is energetic and colorful – but in a different way. It has all the things that most people associate India with vibrant bazaars, majestic palaces and forts, and elephants and camels swaggering through the desert.
What I didn’t expect was to fall in love with the fashion. Jaipur has some of the most beautiful fashion I’ve ever seen. The brightly colored kurtas and saris combined with mirrors and pearl were absolutely gorgeous.
We started our tour of Jaipur visiting the Amber Fort. The Amber Fort was the capital of this state a long time ago. It was built by 3 generations. It has such grandeur; the architecture and design are impressive. While I’ve never visited China, it has a similar look to the Great Wall of China. We took an elephant ride up to the entrance of the fort. The view heading to the entrance was like nothing I’ve ever seen before. I felt like royalty riding on the elephants but felt sad for them at the same time. The palace is very well maintained and has intricate designs of embedded glass, which you can see throughout. It is stunning. It is a must visit while in Jaipur.
After we left the Amber Fort, we visited the Hawa Mahal – the Palace of the Winds, the Jantar Mantar, City Palace, and the apartment housing museums with an array of textiles, costumes, arms, weapons, and paintings.
Day #5 – Head back to Delhi hotel
