The Taj Mahal is a big favourite (if not the biggest) when travelling to India. When you walk through the entrance gate and see the Taj for the first time, it smacks you right in the face! It is hard to explain to people, so the best way is to show it through photos.
Agra was our last stop before heading back to Delhi. There is not much to do in Agra and the locals know that it is the hottest tourist spot in India. We made use of a guide and the line went really quick. The only downside of using a guide was that he was a bit rushed at the end. I assume doing the same job for 12 years has its cons. If I can give you some advice, choose a bench close to the entrance gate or a spot behind the Taj and just sit/lie there and take in what is in front of you. The bench on which Princess Diana sat will be a bit of a bad choice as tourists stand in a queue for a photo on this famous bench.
Taking photos in India is the easiest thing to do as there are so many different people and characters around each corner. Their colourful dresses create pretty awesome photos.
We used a company called India Travelicious Holidays. They were good enough for us. The driver took us to every sight and was very lenient. The manager phoned us nearly every day to ask if everything was still fine. The only word of advice I can give you regarding taking a tour is that you should add tipping the tour guide at the end of each tour to your budget. For each of the three cities we visited, they made use of a local tour guide. We gave each of them 1 000 rupees. We also stayed in good hotels. The hotel in Agra had a view of the Taj. This hotel also has a swimming pool, so remember your cossie in the hotter months. Another tip when taking a tour guide: they will stop at several shops so that you can buy some souvenirs, so be firm regarding this from the beginning of your tour. Even if you take a taxi to a mall they want to show you around to famous sites.
Transportation in India is cheap and affordable. We even took a tuk-tuk in rush hour (although India feels that it has rush hour 24/7). Taking a tuk-tuk is cheap and relatively safe. Do yourself a favour and check on YouTube what traffic looks like in India and you will completely understand.
I hope you like the photos as much as I did taking them. Feel free to comment and share it with your friends on Facebook and Twitter.
My next visit will be my home country, South Africa!
Safe travels! We’ll speak soon again!
Phillip
Also read: Out and About column
Phillip is a teacher in Oman during the school term, but a traveller and photographer whenever he gets the chance! The travel bug has bitten him from the first time he has stepped on a plane for his first flight. From there on there was no turning back!! Visit www.saffatravels.com to see more of Phillip’s blogs and beautiful photos.
