Delhi: India’s capital and the seat of its parliament
Delhi presents a vast panorama of fascinating images and is a city of contrasts. Its past and present mesh seamlessly, making it an exciting place to visit. Today’s Delhi encloses many older cities - its stone walls have seen many empires rise and fall. It is a city where forts, tombs and ruins share the skyline with high-rise buildings and
stately homes. The wide tree-lined avenues of New Delhi give way to the
crowded narrow lanes of Old Delhi - and along with this change comes a diametrically different culture and lifestyle. The presence of contrasts is a historical legacy of the city.

Delhi is a marvellous mix of people and
traditions, where museums and cultural centres offer the finest exhibits, art and the best performances from around the country. Delhi’s fascinating bazaars and markets spill over with the finest that India has to offer -handicrafts, garments, fabrics and jewellery - making shopping a special delight. A major gateway into India, Delhi is the logical start to an exploration of the Golden Triangle, an exciting circuit of the three magnificent cities of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur.

Traveller’s Pick
Make sure you visit Feroz Shah Kotla,
Pragati Maidan, India Gate, Rashtrapati
Bhavan, Qutub Minar, and Dilli Haat.

Agra: Home of the Taj Mahal
Agra, in terms of ambience, is still associated with its Mughal period, as visitors walk down the narrow bustling streets. The majority of the buildings in the more modern areas of the town, such as the Cantonment, date back over a hundred years. The Taj Mahal, which is essentially one man’s monumental testimony to love, has become synonymous not only with this city, but with India as a whole. Opposite the Taj, on the other side of the Yamuna, is the mausoleum of Ghiyas Beg, father of Noor Jehan.

It was here that the beautiful marble inlay work of the Taj was first incorporated. Agra, with its laid-back lifestyle and its immense wealth of architecture, handicrafts and jewellery, is amongst the most remarkable cities of the world.

Approaching Agra from Delhi, one passes through the religious cities of Mathura and Vrindavan, celebrated in Indian lore and legends. The road from Agra to Jaipur includes Bharatpur and Deeg in its circuit, while the one heading east offers Gwalior and the exquisite temples of Khajuraho as places of tourist attraction. Agra has all this - and it also has the Taj!

Traveller’s Pick
Make time for Agra Fort, Sikandra,
Mariyam’s Tomb, and Fatehpur Sikri.
Today, Fatehpur Sikri is a deserted,
phantom city. But the inner citadel is
immaculately preserved.

JAIPUR: The city of history and culture, golden sands and warm people

Busy streets and colourful markets showcase much of Jaipur’s vibrancy and charm. Together, these images constitute a city of immense variety and interest for today’s traveller. Known as the Pink City because of the
extensive usage of the locally abundant pink stone, Jaipur has massive forts, magnificent palaces, exquisite temples and marvellous gardens. From the intricate, delicate looking Hawa Mahal to the graphic forms of the Jantar Mantar, the Badi Chaupar...the list of places to see is endless. Through the ages, Jaipur has retained its strong Rajputana flavour tempered by severalinfluences - the Mughal being the most prominent. Jaipur is also home to exquisite handicrafts, beautiful textiles, delicate jewellery and semiprecious/ precious gems and stones. Heading out of the city is Jal Mahal, a former hunting lodge.

The experience of visiting Amer Palace is one that cannot be easily described. You ride up on elephants to the former capital of the royals, set to the backdrop of wooded hills. Overlooking Amer are two fortresses, Jaigarh and Nahargarh, both with motorable roads running up to them, and full of history of the state’s martial past. The newly built Birla Mandir is a unique monument with exquisite marble carvings. For the most awe-inspiring effect, see it on a moonlit night.