Whirlwind northern India adventure
India
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Jan 23 - Jan 27, 2024
We requested a whirlwind adventure, we only had a couple of days but Jay, of Bespoke India Holidays, managed to pack into those few days all we asked for and more. A day in Agra with tour guide Yogesh covered the important sites and was very informative and entertaining; the playboy emperor, the lovestruck emperor, the evil son and so much more. The following day Yogesh provided the low down on India's second capitol - Fathpur Sikri before he headed back to Agra and our driver - Raj, took us on to our next destination - Ranthambhore. A lot of driving over the five days but Raj was very good, considerate to our westernanity, one of us secure enough to actually sleep whilst he drove; the car was immaculately clean, comfortable and water and sweets were provided. Accommodation in Ranthambhore was six-star, two safaris into the national park resulted in two tiger sightings - luck I know but wow.
Hotel Reviews
Green, spacious, clean, open, fresh, a little oasis in the hustle and bustle of Indian life. Location; Out of town so quiet but it meant that if you wanted to visit the village you had to book a ride or take a long walk. Authenticity & Character; This is a resort 'authenticity' is not relevant. And nor really is 'character'. Aamaghati Wildlife Resort is a resort and compares above western resorts that I have stayed at. The presence of local musicians to welcome guests and provide background to High Tea added character to the experience. Staff; There were sufficient staff that assistance was always available if required. The staff were, almost, overly keen to be of help, all those we encountered were respectful, well mannered and well presented, all spoke good english. Cleanliness and Comfort; The grounds were spotless, the public areas were spotless, the rooms were spotless. The room we had (T4) was huge and well laid out.
We were in town for a day of sightseeing, we had a driver who dropped us off and picked us up. The hotel was clean, the room was clean, spacious and comfortable. The restaurant that we used had a great range of great tasting foods available.
Activity Reviews
Agra Fort was an impressive structure and, courtesy of our guide, had an interesting, colourful and rich history. The size and scope of the buildings was hard for our 20th century minds to fully grasp. Taj Mahal. What can you say, even in the fog the building had a presence that you could literally feel. The detail work of the decorations, the design of the structure rivals any christian structure I have seen. Mughal Heritage Walk was probably a bit too much for our western sensibilities, it was certainly a bit of an eye opener to us to see village life up that close and personal. To be honest, we were a bit uncomfortable - rich westerners walking around a place where there was not that wealth.
It's a long drive, the break at Fatehpur Sikri made it a little more bearable. The break at the level crossing did not - we had a twenty minute delay getting out of Agra while we waited for a train. Fatehpur Sikri is an interesting site and well worth the detour if you are in the area. The architecture is typical and impressive, the story behind is interesting and to link the structure to the story is great. A drive is a drive is a drive, there were sufficient interesting sights along the way to keep the mind from boredom.
We were lucky, two trips into the park - morning and afternoon, two tiger sightings. If we hadn't seen a tiger the rating would be a bit less but still up there. There were other things to see and the park itself was scenic.