The Best of India
“This is indeed India — the land of dreams and romance, of fabulous wealth and fabulous poverty, of splendour and rags, of palaces and hovels, of tigers and elephants, the cobra and the jungle… the one land that all men desire to see, and having seen once, by even a glimpse, would not give that glimpse for the shows of all the rest of the globe combined.”- Mark Twain
It’s safe to say that India has come across almost every traveler's mind. Whether it was a huge desire to go, to see the Taj Mahal or a “I have no interest” in going to India. People have so many stigmas about traveling to India and I have to admit that I was slightly apprehensive before I went. That apprehension was quickly gone as soon as I landed in one of my now favorite places I have ever been.
India is a country with over 1.4 billion people and spatially the 7th country by size. The standard route for travelers going to India is to visit Delhi, Agra and Jaipur aka the Golden Triangle. While visiting these three amazing destinations within India is fantastic, it is barely touching the surface on what India has to offer.
This was an extremely special trip for me. I was going to my best friend’s Indian wedding, using KAI’s client Eastbound for the rest of my touring and had the pleasure of staying at two of the Leela Hotel & Palaces during my stay! I told Eastbound that I had two weeks and I wanted them to decide where and what I should see during the entire trip - and they delivered.
LUCKNOW
I started my India trip in Lucknow. Lucknow is southeast of Delhi and is one of the greatest food destinations of India. Lucknow is known for delicious lamb kabobs. It’s most famous for its history and being home to The British Residency. It is less commonly visited even though it is the capital of the Uttar Pradesh and well worth a visit for clients who want to see a more historical part of India.
Photo from the Mehendi Ceremony
VARANASI
From Lucknow, I took a 4-hour train to Varanasi. Varanasi is the holiest place in the world for Hindus. Over two million people visit Varanasi yearly for pilgrimage. Varanasi was the busiest and the most fast paced city I visited while in India. It was also the city I was least looking forward to and ended up being my favorite place on the entire trip. It set the tone for my touring portion of the trip and truly brought forth the spirituality of India to the forefront of my mind. Varanasi is known for its crematoriums.
There are over 100 people who are brought daily to the edge of the Ganges River to be cremated after their death. While witnessing this holy experience can be a lot to handle, I found it to be so spiritual. Travelers can visit the crematorium by boat or by foot depending on their preference. Our guide told us, “Coming to India and not visiting Varanasi is like not coming to India at all”.
AGRA
From Varanasi we went to Agra. Home of the Taj Mahal and the world’s biggest and most ornate mausoleum. The easiest way to get to the Taj Mahal is the 4-hour drive from Delhi. The Taj was the most beautiful thing I’ve seen. The ornate details on the Taj and the lengthy history surrounding it made for a surreal experience. Outside of the Taj, Agra is home to different jewelers and the Agra Fort. I’d really only recommend one night here.
RANTHAMBORE NATIONAL PARK
Ranthambore is a six hour drive from Agra. We left early in the morning and made a stop in Suroth to visit a lovely small hotel called Suroth Mahal. We stopped there for lunch and a camel ride around the city! It was a great way to break up the long drive.
We all LOVED Ranthambore. We stayed there for two nights and while there we did three game drives. Ranthambore is known as the “Land of Tigers” and Tiger did we see! Like other safari’s we woke up early, and were picked up in a 8-person jeep including our tracker and driver. As soon as guests get into the vehicle they’re notified about the zone they’ve been given. Each zone has its own unique terrain and topography so each game drive is different than the last. On our first game drive we quickly began tracking a tiger, looking at the paw prints, poop from the night before and looking at all of the streams to see where she might go.
Our tracker did an excellent job and during the last 5 minutes we got to see her! While tigers are common in this area, it is not guaranteed that you’ll see one. On our last two game drives we didn’t see another tiger but we saw tons of birds, other animals and just admired the beautiful views of Ranthambore.
JAIPUR
Palaces, forts, sundials, shopping - Jaipur has it all! Jaipur is a must-do for every traveler going to India. It’s in the Golden Triangle for good reason. Jaipur is known as the Pink City, from when it was painted in 1853.
JODHPUR
A six hour drive from Jaipur to Jodhpur. While Jodphur is not as popular as the other cities in Rajasthan, it is just as fun! Jodhpur is known as the “Blue City”. Jodhpur has different forts, overlooking the blue city, and is home to one of the best shopping experiences. We visited Maharani Textiles & Handicrafts which has been visited by Mick Jagger, George Clooney and other celebrities alike for beautiful textiles, scarves, blankets and much more. We had our own showroom with three guys showing us beautiful products that retail for much more!
UDAIPUR
Udaipur, the City of Lakes, and another favorite of the trip! Udaipur is awesome - it was the most relaxing city of them all, and that is attributed to the calming presence of Lake Pichola. The palace was beautiful, the boat rides around the lake while looking at the architecture was a dream and it was a great way to (basically) end our trip in India.
I was able to stay at the Leela Palace Udaipur. The Leela Palace Udaipur is AMAZING! Every room at the property overlooks Lake Pichola and it is in the perfect location for Udaipur. It’s truly an oasis within Udaipur and well deserves Travel & Leisure’s Best Hotel in the World (2019).
DELHI
Delhi, the most famous city in India! I was in Delhi for about 30 hours and did so much in my brief time. We visited the Jama Mosque, Gurudawara Bangla Sahib, a Sikh temple and the Qutab Minar. A rickshaw ride through old Delhi was also a highlight. While in Delhi I stayed at the Leela Place Delhi. The service, restaurants and rooftop swimming pool made it one of the best stays I've had.
THINGS TO POINT OUT
Everyone knows that India stigmas surrounding the food, crowds, and more. Below were my personal takes:
● The food is delicious! We had Indian food almost three times a day and did not get tired of it. (okay we did at the end). Getting sick and experience “Delhi belly” is a big fear which none of us experienced
● I expected to be bombarded with beggars but was happy to have only a few experiences with beggars. I’d say it was comparable to San Francisco or Downtown LA
● The Indian hospitality is unlike any other hospitality. Each staff member will literally bend over backwards for guests
● It’s super dynamic! While I mostly traveled in Rajasthan I can’t wait to go back and visit the South and North. Whether it’s Rajasthan, Himalayas or the beach - India is an amazing destination.
I spent two weeks in India and feel like I’ve barely touched the surface of what this amazing country has to offer. My only advice is to go to India - the food is delicious, the hotels are the best in the world, and it has a rich and long history.