The Fabulous Golden Triangle of North India (India)

Member Name: janharper

Product:	India
Date:	23/11/08 (203 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: An experiences for the senses, sights, smells, colours

Disadvantages: Hot, dusty not a suitable trip for children

Last year I did something that I have dreamt of doing for many years. I visited Northern India. I have friends in New Delhi and we arranged to tour what is known as the 'Golden Triangle'. This took in Delhi itself, Jaipur with all its 'pink' buildings and the famous Taj Mahal.

The review includes the names of the hotels we stayed in because it is about a 'tour' of Northern India. The hotels are all landmark buildings in their own right, especially the Jai Mahal Palace and they formed part of the tour.

We flew to Delhi overnight from Heathrow and met up with our friends at the Taj Palace Hotel which is only ten minutes from the airport in a taxi. It is a fabulous place but we were only there for one night so weren't able to use all the facilities.


***Taj Palace Hotel, New Delhi***

The hotel stands in six acres of carefully manicured gardens and at first sight it is really imposing. Our room was spacious and really sumptuously furnished. Everything that you would expect from a top class hotel was available in the room, including a spacious, marbled bathroom, TV, internet access, hairdryer, shaver point, etc. The view from the room was excellent too. We could see across the city which was quite spectacular once it got dark.

We had dinner in the Orient Express which is a restaurant within the hotel which is modelled on the old Orient Express train. The menu offers food from every country that the train passed through. You can eat here at lunch, or dinner time every day except Sunday. I had the most delicious crab starter and followed it with beef Wellington because I do tend to be quite conservative in my eating. My partner was more adventurous and enjoyed truffles and l'escargot. The food was excellent and the service could not be faulted.

Masala Art offers traditional North Indian food and you can dine on fresh masalas and sugar cane juice if you are feeling adventurous. The chef cooks the meal in front of you. If we had stayed another night I might have been persuaded to sample this.

Outside dining is also available but there was a slightly cool wind when we arrived so we opted for the comfort of the Orient Express.

Other facilities in the hotel include laundry, fitness centre, car hire, currency exchange, beauty salon and even laptop hire which pleased my other half.


***Sightseeing in Delhi***

Our first tour was a quick look around the architecture designed by Sir Edward Lutyens. He designed the Rajpath which is a boulevard lined with ponds, trees and lawns and the India Gate, which is India's largest war memorial.

Other things to see, even with limited time are the beautiful Rashtrapti Bhavan which is the Presidential Palace (also designed by Lutyens) and Parliament House.

Don't miss the Qutub Minar which is listed by UNESCO as a world heritage site and is home to the tallest brick minaret in the world.

The Red Fort is a must see as well. It was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahran in the 1600's as the centre of his planned, new capital city, Shahjahranabad. Not far from here is the sixteenth century tomb of Humayan which was the inspiration for the Taj Mahal.


Next stop: Agra for a couple of nights at the Taj View Hotel.


***The Taj View Hotel.***

Our next stop was the Taj View Hotel in Agra. Everyone in our group was really excited because we planned to get up really early and see the sunrise at the Taj Mahal.


The hotel itself was not of the same standard as the previous one we had stayed at but I really had no complaints. The meal we had in the Jhankhar Restaurant was excellent but I much preferred the relaxed atmosphere of the hotel coffee shop. Service was excellent and the staff were friendly and helpful. When we arrived we were told about all the hotel facilities, including a beautiful outdoor pool and shown to our room which was bright, clean, well furnished and very comfortable.

We were a bit disappointed because we didn't get a room with a view of the Taj Mahal but we were told by another guest that you have to ask for a 4th floor room and pay a supplement if you want a good view.


***Taj Mahal***

The next morning we all waiting in anticipation for sunrise at the Taj. 20,000 craftsmen worked for 20 years to build this memorial for the Emperor Shah Jahan, which honoured his favourite queen, Mumtaz.

The building is a strange and exotic blend of Hindu, Mughal and Persian architecture . The beautiful marble dome which seemed to have a pink hue at sunrise and the tall minarets are like something from a fairytale book.


***The Red Fort***


This huge sixteenth century construction has a very unhappy history. Shah Jahan was imprisoned here within the towers, with a view of the Taj Mahal, so that he looked upon the last resting place of his beloved Queen, Mumtaz.

He was in fact imprisoned by his youngest son who staged a coup and declared himself to be the ruler and Emperor of India.

There are a number of beautiful mosques here too, and the marble Khas Mahal Palace with its carefully tended gardens is certainly not to be missed.

The whole story of Mumtaz's death and the story of how Shah Jahan was forced to look each day at the tribute he had raised to her comes to life and you can get a real feel of the place as you look at the Taj Mahal from the Red Fort.

This is an experience not to be missed and certainly a place in the world that I will not forget. On my personal list of 'wonders of the world' this comes very close to the top.




Next stop Jaipur.


***Jai Mahal Palace***

This was the third hotel of this particular chain that we stayed in. The two night stay allowed us to relax and get our breath back a little bit. I was, at this point, feeling tired with the heat and all the moving around.

The Jai Mahal Palace is surrounded by landscaped gardens, just like the other two, but this one is very central for the colourful markets and monuments of Jaipur. It is a historic palace which dates from 1745 and you get that old colonial kind of feeling throughout the hotel, even in the rooms.

Furnishings are opulent and luxurious with silks, miniature paintings, colonial style furniture , really beautifully crafted bathrooms and, in contrast, all mod cons including internet access, telephone, etc.

Staying in this hotel was certainly an experience in its own right. You could easily imagine it as a Maharajah's palace.


***The Amber Fort***


Up in the rugged hills, just outside Jaipur is the Amber Fort. It was a lot cooler and fresher up there and it was a welcome change.

This fort which stands above Amber, was built by Raj Man Singh is 1592 despite its rough and rugged looking exterior, this building has a richly designed interior which is a mixture of Hindu and Mughal architectural styles. The interior walls are decorated with precious stones, paintings, decorative inlaid panels and the ceilings are literally fabulous with their mirrors and intricate carvings.


***Other Things to See in Jaipur***


In Jaipur itself there is an impressive Royal Observatory and the Maharajah's Palace which takes up one seventh of the walled city of Jaipur. This maze of gardens, courtyards, and buildings is certainly worth exploring.

The Hawa Mahal, Palace of the Winds, is five storeys high and has a strangely pyramidal front with screened windows, domes and spires. This red sandstone building was used by ladies of the court so that they could watch what was happening in the bazaars below without being seen themselves.


***Home Again and Verdict***


Unfortunately that was all we had time for. The only regret that I had about this holiday was that seven days was not enough. It all felt a bit rushed and by the time we got back to Delhi and the Taj Palace Hotel, I was feeling very tired. By the time we got on the plane I had really had enough.

I would love to go back for a couple of weeks and retrace our footsteps but spend longer exploring the places we visited. Jaipur was my favourite and I would have liked to wander round the Hawa Mahal for longer and to have been able to inspect the bazaars a little more closely.

Would I do it again. Yes, please, I'll pack my bag now.

If you want a real adventure but you want to stay in luxurious hotels too, this is the place to go. It won't break the bank, as luxury tours go as it cost just under £2000 for the two of us. This might seem a lot but all our meals were catered for, we had the best of accommodation and transport between places in a car, rather than a coach. I thought it was excellent value for money and would suit adults and older children but it isn't a holiday for the little ones.

Summary: A fantastic experience but too much to see in the time available