In April 2024, I was fortunate enough to experience India’s Golden Triangle and Ranthambore National Park itinerary with Titan Travel. On this itinerary I visited attraction sites such as Humayun Tomb, Amber Fort and the Taj Mahal.
Always included with Titan Travel, you receive their door-to-door chauffeur service to and from the airport and I must say, the experience was seamless! The driver contacted me the morning of departure to confirm my pick-up time and the vehicles were very comfortable and relaxing for the journey to London Heathrow airport.
Upon arrival in Delhi, we were met by the tour manager, Vik. Vik accompanied us throughout the whole tour and his passion and enthusiasm for his country was second to none! He really made the whole experience that much more! On our journey to our hotel in Delhi, we paid a visit to India Gate, a memorial to those who died in the Great War as well as passing the Parliament buildings. Later that day after checking into our hotel, we visited Qutab Minar with the tallest brick minaret in the world. The site symbolises India’s rich cultural religious history and the Mughal Empires rule.
The following morning in Delhi, we visited the Jama Masjid, one of India’s largest mosques followed by a rickshaw ride from the site through Old Delhi. This was a highlight of the trip for me, due to the fact I do not understand how there are not more road accidents with vehicles and pedestrians! After this, we paid a visit to the cremation and memorial site of Mahatma Gandhi and the Humayun Tomb, a tomb of one of the Mughal Emperor’s, before heading to Agra later that day.
The next morning after our first night in Agra was the big one, a sunrise visit to the Taj Mahal! Albeit being an early start, this was definitely worth it! This was a surreal experience and a definite pinch yourself moment, to be visiting one of the original seven wonders of the world. The site as a whole, including the surrounding gardens and entrance gates, are all very impressive and a great opportunity to take some iconic photos. Commissioned back in 1632, it is crazy to think it took 22 years to build the Taj Mahal, which is the house tomb to the Mughal Emperors favourite wife. After heading back to the hotel for breakfast, we headed to Agra Fort which is the sister monument to the Taj Mahal and where Mughal Emperor Humayun was crowned. From here, you can experience views over the Yamuna River and the Taj Mahal in the distance.
The following day, we left Agra and started our journey towards Ranthambore. On route, we visited the first planned city of the Mughals, Fatehpur Sikri. This now abandoned city is very well preserved where palaces, hospitals and government buildings still stand today. You are able to explore these buildings and the gardens of the city are still maintained today to a very high standard! After visiting here, we headed to Bharatpur to catch a local train to Sawai Madhopur and then onwards to Ranthambore, ready for the jungle safaris over the coming days.
After a very early start, we headed out to Ranthambore National Park which was approximately 20 minutes from our hotel, in search of the famous Bengal tigers! We headed on two safaris on this day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon which both lasted about 3 hours each. After the morning visit, we saw plenty of deer and monkeys as well as crocodiles, fruit bats, kingfishers and a sloth bear. Fortunately, at the end of the afternoon visit, we hit the jackpot and managed to see the tigers, not just one, but four, walk right in front of our canter! Our guide from the park said our sighting was a ‘once in a year’ sighting as many locals had visited before and never seen one or if they have, just the one at a distance so we were extremely fortunate and definitely an experience I will never forget!
After our final morning safari, we headed off to the pink city of Jaipur and on our arrival that day, we visited a local family at a homestay where we were treated to a cooking demonstration of a Rajasthan curry dish and local breads. The spice box in India is something they live by to create the majority of their dishes and with a variation of different curries on offer, all of them were unique in their own way, but very tasty (and spicy!) as well.
Across our two days in Jaipur, we paid a visit to the City Palace, the royal residence of the Jaipur state in Rajasthan and the Palace of Winds. We also took in a visit to the Amber Fort in the hills on the outskirts of Jaipur where the fort and old state walls still stand today. Within Amber Fort there were many sections including the King’s quarter, the Zenana (where the women lived) as well as the fort gardens and temples.
Following this, we headed back to Delhi for our final night and farewell dinner with the tour guide before heading back to London the following morning. Once again, the door-to-door chauffeur service was there waiting in the arrivals section to return us home.
Before travelling to India, to be honest I was a little apprehensive as to what to expect but I don’t know what I was worried about! The whole experience was a once in a lifetime trip and the people of India couldn’t be more kind and giving with their time considering how little some of them have. If you would like to know more about India or are interested in travelling to this amazing country yourself, please get in touch at [email protected] or call into the shop in Gloucester.
