Day 1
I arrived at the airport to meet the other group of travel agents that were going on this fantastic Newmarket Holidays Fam Trip to India - we did part of the Taj Mahal and the Tigers/The Golden Triangle Tours.
After checking in with Virgin Atlantic, we went to departures and had something to eat and drink before our overnight flight to Delhi.
Day 2
We arrived at Delhi Airport, went through customs with our Indian visa, and then met our tour guide Vikram, Neranda and Jatlin from Distinct Destinations, plus we had a videographer who would be filming us throughout the whole trip. We were presented with a necklace of Marigold Flowers. We were also given a yellow and red material bracelet with wooden beads on which is from Hindu culture and is called Kautuka which is made from Rasha Sutra thread and is worn for protection, good luck and a sign of blessings.,/p>
We drove through Delhi taking it all in: the local people, cows in the street and monkeys hoping about on the enormous amount of tangled wires throughout the city. We arrive at our first hotel of the trip - The Leela Ambience.
We were given a warm welcome at the hotel and guided to our rooms which were stunning. They included tea/coffee making facilities, bottled water, a glass of display box of handcrafted chocolate cakes and a bowl of fruit. I even had a round bathtub in the room!
After the luggage arrived in our rooms, we went to their buffet restaurant to have a meal. The selection was unbelievable: curries, salads, pasta, and a desert station. We then had a tour around this beautiful hotel.
Afterwards, we went to Humayuns Tomb, which is a World Heritage Monument in New Delhi, and was built in the 1560's with the patronage of Humayan's son, the great Emperor Akber. This looks like a mini Taj Mahal but was built in red stone and is example of the Mughal architecture.
Day 3
After breakfast we visited Old Delhi and went to the Jama Masjid which is one of the largest sunny mosques in India. It was built between 1644 and 1656 by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. This mosque can hold up to 20,000 people and has 3 entrances one particular for the Royal family only. After visiting this magnificent building, we went on a rickshaw ride around old Delhi taking in the local culture and colours of this entertaining city. With every corner you went around, there was something new to see. One of things you notice is the number of wires going from each building and the monkeys jumping on them, was funny to see.
We then went to visit a Sikh Temple to experience their community kitchen, which feeds up to 1000 people a day and is run by volunteers.
We then travelled to Jaipur, The Pink City, and arrived at our amazing hotel ITC Rajputana. Rose petals were falling on us, and a cocktail made especially for Newmarket Holidays was handed to us - we were treated like royalty!
Day 4
We set off this morning to the breathtaking Amber Fort in Rajasthan. But because the streets are so narrow up to the fort and it’s up a steep hill, you have to go by jeep. The fort was absolutely stunning and, in some parts, looks like the Great Wall of China as it has steps along the walls which spreads out along 11 kilometres. Amber Fort has large ramparts and a series of gates with cobbled paths overlooking Maota Lake which is the main source of water for the Amber Palace. You can see elephants, camels, monkeys, and Peacocks along the way.
When we arrived back into Jaipur, we visited and our lunch was hosted by one of the heritage hotels called Shahpura House. This was the first hotel the couple Maharaj Surendra and Dhananjay Surendra Singh built, but they now have 16 Heritage hotels to their name.
We went sightseeing in Jaipur, and went to the City Palace which is pink, then Jantar Mantar which is 19 astronomical instruments built by the Rajput King Sawai Jai Singh.
That evening we had a hosted dinner by a local family which a fabulous night. They welcomed us into their home and did a cooking display which one of our group participated in and cooked pakoras and chapati's.
Day 5
We travelled to Ranthambhore today, ready to do our tiger safari the next day. On our way to our stunning little hotel, we had lunch at The Ranthambhore Kothi which is another little gem of a hotel. This has a very tranquil feel with a lovely pool to relax in and adorable rooms.
Then off to check into hotel Bagh Palace which again was another gem of a hotel. The rooms were amazing, some had a mini plunge pool and some had spacious balcony and terraces. That evening we had a meal and a show around the Ranthambhore Regency. We also had a Tiger talk session with a naturalist.
Day 6
Today was TIGER DAY!
Off we went to the jungle on our Canter Safari to see the tigers and other animals. We had three hours around the jungle and lucky enough we saw elephants, warthogs, monkeys, crocodiles, deers, and eventually just before our time was up, we saw a TIGER! What a fantastic experience!
After our exciting morning seeing the tiger, we travelled to a little village called Vanaashyra, but on our way we stopped off at Bhangarh Fort which is like a scene from Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book, you had to stop to remind yourself if you were in Jungle Book film or not, it was so surreal!
We then arrived at our jungle looking stay for the night in little holiday cottages surrounded by peacocks, peahens, and monkeys. We took part that evening in some local Indian dancing which was a blast!
Day 7
On our way to Agra we visited the Abhaneri Stepwell. When you arrive, you head through the entrance, then on the left-hand side you then see the 100ft stepwell which is one of the largest and deepest ones in India. This was named after a Nikumbh dynasty local ruler called Raja Chanda. It has 3500 steps, cascading into 13 stories deep, so it looks very much like an upside-down pyramid.
We then arrived in Agra and did a hotel inspection and a hosted lunch at the Jaypee Palace Hotel and conference centre - another spectacular hotel.
After this, we checked into the magnificent ITC Mughal - these ITC hotels which Newmarket Holidays use in some of their tours are just out of this world! Beyond words again! We had a lovely afternoon tea at the hotel followed by a hotel inspection then evening meal in their award-winning restaurant Peshawari which is one of the best restaurants in Agra!
Day 8
We awoke really early to visit one of the New 7 Wonders of the world and a UNESCO World Heritage site - the TAJ MAHAL
It has a special place in most British peoples’ hearts due to the late Princess Diana sitting there on her own, one of the most famous photos of her in the world I would personally say. The magnificent Palace did not disappoint even the love story behind it is also a tragic one. This was built in memory of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan's wife. There isn't just the beautiful Taj Mahal (which is a masterpiece of Indo-Islamic architecture, but also a guest house and formal gardens to visit).
Little bit of information - the pillars of the Taj Mahal have been built on a slight slant outwards so if there ever an earthquake, the pillars would not cave into it but away from it.
After the amazing visit to the Taj Mahal we did a hotel inspection at the Trident Agra who also hosted a lunch for us. This lovely hotel has a delightful pool area and cascading waters in the garden.
Before our night flight back home from Delhi, we had one last hotel inspection at the Sheraton Hotel Saket and evening meal. Again, we were going to be leaving India on a high by inspecting this fabulous hotel and having an incredible farewell dinner with our hosts throughout the trip, Wayne and Rich at Newmarket Holidays, Neranda and Jatlin from Distinct Destinations and Vikram our brilliant tour guide. We were also joined by management of some the hotels we visited throughout our stay in this wonderful, vibrant, colourful and friendly country that is called India!
