Using up some air miles with Virgin for very reasonable flights, we booked an exciting two-week trip to India in November through Tour Radar. Having never been to India before, we had mixed expectations. We had heard a lot about poverty, poor hygiene and the prevalence of food poisoning. As a result, we left armed with antibac supplies, also ensuring all our vaccinations were up to date with the local travel clinic. Both of us were keen to experience authentic India, including the food, the people and the sights. As a welcome extra, seeing tigers in the wild would be the icing on the cake!
Our journey started on a chilly November morning at Heathrow Terminal 3 with an 8½ hour flight ahead of us. The weather forecast was positive with the maximum and minimum temperatures for the next fortnight at 31C and 17C. Sounded like hot days, and not so cold nights – perfect. The flight was relatively uneventful, and it passed quickly. There was some spectacular scenery visible out of the window, including the Himalayas. The plane map showed we were near K2, but I don’t think we actually saw it out of the window.
The sights, sounds, and smells of Indira Gandhi International Airport immediately assaulted our senses as we arrived in New Delhi. It was hectic, with people everywhere, all rushing at us and asking us if we wanted a taxi. We had a pre-booked driver whom we found easily and set off for our hotel. The traffic seemed to be coming at us from all directions. A little like driving around L’Arc de Triomphe, only it’s not just a roundabout; it’s an entire city, in the world’s most populous country. In the 30-minute drive, it felt like we had at least a hundred near-death experiences. Luckily, none of them were ours!
One thing that surprisingly did not hit us was extreme heat. We were never cold, and it was sunny every day we were there; however, the sun struggled to break through the immensely thick smog. During our stay, air quality figures reached record-breaking lows. This meant that the average inhabitant of Delhi was inhaling the same number of particulates from the atmosphere as someone who smokes 50 cigarettes a day. From the photos (below) we took upon our arrival in Delhi, you can see how it was possible to look directly at the sun due to how thick the smog was.
We spent our arrival day settling into our hotel, The Taurus Sarovar Portico in New Delhi. We didn’t pick this hotel, and it was not on the original itinerary for the tour. Had it been, we may have insisted on staying elsewhere after reading the reviews. Modern decor and a stylish bar area graced the hotel, but an overwhelming smell of sewage permeated the space. This stunk out our room and the entire floor. We booked two nights but secured a move to the other side of the hotel for the second night, which made the stay slightly more bearable. We would not recommend this hotel unless they fixed the sewage issue. This is no criticism of the staff, who were friendly and helpful.
Day 2: Tour of Delhi
Qutub Complex
We soon discovered that we were travelling alone, despite the advertisement being for a group tour. This had advantages and disadvantages as we found out, but we were happy to roll with the more personalised experience! Our tour around Delhi started at the Qutub Complex in New Delhi, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Qutub Minar
The highlight of the complex is the Qutub Minar, a 73 metre high victory tower and minaret. The world has never recorded a taller brick tower! It has five stories, built from red sandstone and marble. Each story has intricate carvings, reflecting construction by several rulers over centuries
Alai Minah
Alauddin Khilji commissioned the Alai Minar in 1311 AD, though he never finished the tower. He intended it to be double the height of the Qutub Minar, but construction ceased at 24.5 meters upon his death.
The Tomb of Shamsuddin Iltutmish
Workers built the Tomb of Shamsuddin Iltutmish around 1235, utilising materials salvaged from demolished temples. Given time constraints, we didn’t go in; however, the interior houses a spectacular white marble cenotaph over a burial vault. Historians consider this the only surviving tomb of a Muslim ruler from that era in India.
Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque
The Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque is India’s first mosque. Historical records suggest that construction began around 1192 AD, utilising materials from destroyed Hindu and Jain temples. This act signified the Muslim conquest of the region.
The Iron Pillar
The Iron Pillar stands just in front of the mosque, and historians date its construction back to the 4th century AD. This pillar has never rusted and has withstood earthquakes and wars. It is 7.3 metres tall and weighs approximately 6.5 tonnes.
India Gate
Our next stop on the tour featured probably the most famous landmark in New Delhi: India Gate. This war memorial honours the 70,000 Indian soldiers who died fighting for the British Army during WWI. Edwin Lutyens designed the monument, and His Royal Highness, the Duke of Connaught, laid its foundation stone in 1921. A decade later, Lord Irwin dedicated it to the nation. Our first impression was that it looked very similar to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
It was here that we had the first taste of something that would make us feel embarrassed and uncomfortable.. Whilst we stood taking photographs, we noticed that children were unexpectedly being placed next to us by parents or carers. This was so they could be photographed with us. At first, we didnt realise what this was about until our guide explained that this is to be expected because we are white! Apparently, it is because fair-skinned and light-eyed individuals are rarely seen in India. It seems there is a level of cultural curiosity and a novelty factor. If this happened in New Delhi, we were a little concerned about what this attention would be like in more remote locations on this tour.
Raj Ghat Memorial Complex
Our last stop of the day was at the Raj Ghat Memorial complex. The first memorial here was to Mahatma Ghandi and a marble platform was placed at the spot where his cremation took place on 31st January 1948. The platform has an eternal flame at one end, which we saw, and several other important leaders have also been memorialised within the complex. It was very well maintained with immaculate gardens.
That evening, we decided to have a walk around the local area of our hotel (we were informed it was safe to do so). Delhi is a chaotic, busy place, bustling with people, tuk-tuks, cars, motorbikes carrying whole families and animals everywhere! It was very overwhelming to be honest, but we are glad we did it and saw for ourselves some of the authentic Delhi rather than the tourist version.
Day 3: Delhi to Jaipur (220km/5 hours drive)
Today we left the stinky hotel (thankfully!) and hit the road for the long drive to Jaipur, stocking up with drinks and snacks from a service station. As soon as we were out of Delhi, the scenery changed dramatically, and we went miles without seeing anything at all. What became apparent is that there are no road lanes here, or at least if there are, all drivers ignore them. There are also several obstacles on the road, including cows, just sitting in the middle of motorways or dual carriageways. Cows are considered deeply significant to Hinduism, both culturally and religiously, as symbols of divinity and fertility. A widespread ban on cow slaughter has led to many unproductive cows being abandoned and roaming wild in India. Drivers just swerve around them, and indeed each other. It is clearly every man (or cow) for himself on Indian roads!
We reached Jaipur and our hotel Nahargarh Haveli late afternoon. We were tired after the journey and the previous full-day tour, so we decided to stay in at our hotel and have dinner there, enjoying the views from the rooftop terrace. This was a nice hotel, and thankfully, there was no whiff of sewage in the air here!
Day 4: Jaipur, Rajasthan – Tour of the Pink City
After a nice breakfast, our driver picked us up from the hotel with our guide for the day and drove for about half an hour until we entered the walls of the Pink City. Traffic was chaotic, loads of mopeds and bikes, honking horns and defensive driving! Here, though, we also had camels and elephants in addition to the now commonplace cows!
Hawa Mahal
Probably one of the most photographed sights in India has to be the Hawa Mahal or Palace of Winds, made from pink and red sandstone and probably the most interesting building I have seen. It was built in 1799 and is unique due to the numerous balconies and windows. When I had seen pictures of this building previously, I assumed it was photoshopped because it looks like a honeycomb. I can assure you it is real, and I have seen it in person! This view is actually the back of the Palace which is a suprise.
Just opposite the Palace, we spotted a snake charmer, and Nigel decided to sit down with him. The charmer was playing a Pungi, a type of wind instrument, to entice the cobra out of the basket, swaying in time with the music. Nigel stroked the cobra’s flared hood, not believing it was real at first, but it was! We have since discovered that the cobras used have had their fangs and venom removed. Still, it made for a good photo opportunity and a giggle!
Amber Fort
Amber Fort (or Amer as it is also known) is a UNESCO World Heritage site with a fusion of Hindu and Islamic architectural styles. It’s pretty stunning, even when viewing from below. We had no intention of wading in the moat, but even if we did, the sign about crocodiles would probably have put us off!
We were driven up to the entrance and were immediately greeted by elephants and their mahouts! They offer elephant rides for tourism at the fort, but we do not support this; they were, however, a magnificent sight.
Inside the Fort are grand courtyards, gardens and amazing views, but it is also known for its Hall of Mirrors or Sheesh Mahal. The Hall of Mirrors has thousands of tiny mirrors which make dazzling light effects. It was a great place to visit, but very busy and hot, so a morning visit may have been better.
Jal Mahal
A short drive away, and we made it to the Water Palace known as Jal Mahal, located in the middle of Man Sagar Lake. The palace is made of sandstone and is 5 stories high. It was originally built around 1699 but was renovated by the Maharajah Jai Sing II in the 18th century. Since that time, it has, understandably, had some damp issues, and significant repairs have been required. It remains, however, a clear example of Rajput-style architecture.
Hand Block Printing
We had a stop at an art studio where we had a go at hand block printing; a local artist demonstrated how to do it, and I had a go, not very successfully, I may add! still it was fun and interesting to learn about. Even better, despite expecting a hard sell at the end of it, there wasn’t one! I got to keep my poor effort, which I still have.
Jantar Mantar
Another UNESCO World Heritage site, Jantar Mantar, houses a collection of 19 astronomical instruments built by the Rajput King Sawai Jai Singh II, the founder of Jaipur. The instruments measure time, predict eclipses and track stars and planets. It was a pretty cool place to visit, especially if astronomy is your interest.
City Palace
Adjacent to Jantar Mantar is the City Palace in Jaipur, a landmark and Royal Residence. The palace was constructed between 1729 and 1732 by the founder of Jaipur, Maharajah Sawai Jai Singh II. The Palace is still home to the Jaipur Royal Family, and the flag flying originates from the Kachwaha Rajput clan, who ruled from here.
Evening Free Time
After such a long and exhausting day, it would have been easy to stay and eat at our hotel. Instead, we decided to get a tuk-tuk and head to a recommended bar called Palladio. The tuk-tuk drive was a little scary, as the video below shows.
Bar Palladio was a really great venue and had an amazing cocktail range as well as a great ambience. The building was inspired by Caffe Florian in Venice and had a strong Italian influence. The little tents in the outside area were very popular. We had some cocktails; Nigel went for a margarita cocktail and a margarita pizza, and I went for an espresso martini.
A short walk away from Palladio, we found ourselves in front of quite a spectacular building, so we had a closer look. Having a quick peek inside, the security guard was really quite welcoming and invited us in to have a look around. It transpires it was a Heritage Hotel called Narain Niwas Palace. Built in 1928 by General Amar Singh Ji, the Thakur of Kanota, this palace was once a retreat for the Kanota family. Today, it is described as one of the best heritage hotels in Jaipur, offering a stay in a home that once belonged to royals. We had fun anyway!
Day 5: Jaipur to Ranthambore (180km/3½ hrs drive)
After breakfast, we set off on our drive to Ranthambore, our first opportunity to see tigers in the wild! The journey was bumpy due to the state of the roads and a little hair-raising at times, passing through villages and long periods of wilderness. We saw camels pulling carts, countless cows in the road and lots of overloaded lorries with axle and tyre problems.
Eventually, we made it to our hotel for the next two night Jungle Retreat and were warmly greeted and shown to our room. The accommodation was of a good standard, and we had no complaints.
Tiger Safari Zone 8
Just after our arrival, we were informed there was a change to our itinerary, and we would be going out on safari this afternoon. We were happy to get going and start our search for the Royal Bengal Tiger. After lunch, we had a 45-minute drive to reach zone 8. We learnt that Ranthambore is divided into 10 zones, with 1-5 being the ones thought to have the best chance of seeing tigers. The website did note that there are still chances to see a couple of tigers in Zone 8, so our fingers were crossed.
From the off, we were disappointed to see that our driver and guide were not even looking for tigers but instead just chatting to each other. When we asked when the last time a tiger was spotted in this zone was, we were given a very vague answer. We concluded that it had probably been quite a while and therefore sat back and watched the other wildlife around us. We saw lots of deer, antelopes and monkeys, and the scenery was quite stunning; however, we felt ripped off. It was clear we had no chance of seeing a tiger, and at one point we even got out of the car. This was clearly a budget option, and we hoped our dawn safari would be better.
Day 6: Ranthambore National Park
We got up early and eagerly awaited our dawn safari, and waited, and waited, but unfortunately were were never picked up. This was hugely disappointing, and the hotel got onto the tour company, who admitted their error and apologised. Instead, we were offered an afternoon safari and a bonus trip to Ranthambore Fort this morning. We accepted with little other option but appreciated that they apologised.
Ranthambore Fort
After breakfast, we were collected by our driver and taken on the short 25-minute drive to the fort. Part of the National Park, the fort is the second biggest in India and stands at the top of a 700ft hill. It is recognised as an UNESCO World Heritage site under the category of Hill Forts of Rajasthan. We arrived and were promptly left by our driver, who said he would pick us up in a couple of hours, and we were on our own!
The fort was interesting and reminded me of Tomb Raider with the copious pillars and overgrown buildings covered in ivy. There were monkeys everywhere, so we were careful not to have food or drink around them. We got loads of pictures and spent time just strolling around, taking in the views. What happened next, however, took us both by surprise….
We walked into one building and got mobbed by a big group of young people, all taking our pictures and wanting selfies with us. Since we were at India Gate, there had only been the odd glances, nothing like this! It was uncomfortable, but we smiled sweetly, had our photo taken and appeared in selfies as requested. We experienced this much attention just because of how we looked; we can only imagine how difficult this would be every day for famous people.
Tiger Safari Zone 4
After lunch, we headed off for our afternoon safari. This time, we were more hopeful of seeing tigers as we were going for one of the more popular zones. A half an hour drive from our hotel, and we were at the gates. Even before we got to the gates, we had already seen crocs! This was going to be a good afternoon!
Driving through the zone, we saw many wild boar, deer, monkeys, cranes and more crocs. We drove around for a good hour and a half, with the driver on the radio listening out for sightings of the elusive tigers. We had a few false alarms, but were still loving the wildlife.
All of a sudden, there was a flurry of excitement on the radio and off the driver went at speed. At the location, there were a few cars already there looking into the bushes, and we sat patiently, joining them.
All of a sudden, there she was! a gorgeous Royal Bengal Tiger just strolling through the trees. We didn’t get the greatest pictures, but we saw her, and it was very exciting! A successful mission 🙂
Day 7: Ranthambore to Agra (260km/5 hours)
After breakfast, we set off towards Agra, where we would be seeing one of the Wonders of the Modern World and probably the most famous tourist site in India, the Taj Mahal. The intinerary informed that we would be seeing it at dawn tomorrow, so today was mostly taken up by the long journey. We did have a stop on the way, however, and a pretty impressive one at that!
Fatehpur Sikri
Fatehpur Sikri is the deserted city of the 3rd Mughal Emperor Akbar, who lived here from 1571 to 1585, but left due to a lack of water. Located on the outskirts of Agra in Uttar Pradesh, the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The site is often referred to as the Ghost City, due to its deserted state, with the buildings remaining relatively intact. The main areas of interest within the city are highlighted below.
Buland Darwaza
The entrance to the city is through the 54m high gate called Buland Darwaza or Gate of Magnificence. It is made from red sandstone with a black and white marble inlay and is the tallest gateway in the world. There are 44 steps to climb in order to reach the gate.
Jama Masjid Mosque
Through the gate is the grand courtyard of the Jama Masjid Mosque. The Mosque is classed as a Monument of National Importance. We went inside and even got papped again! The mosque is pretty spectacular and is an example of Mughal architecture. The smaller gate at the far end, Shahi Durwaza, is the Palace complex.
The Tomb of Islam Khan
Within the courtyard of the Mosque is also the Tomb of Islam Khan and his male descendants. It was built in 1613 and features a central dome with 36 small chhatris, which are examples of Indo-Islamic architecture. Islam was the Governor of Bengal.
The Tomb of Salim Chishti
There is a further tomb within the complex of a Sufi Saint, Salim Chishti. The white marble mausoleum is unique due to its ebony door, brightly coloured murals and mother-of-pearl decorations. The tomb is a popular pilgrimage site, and women who are hoping to have children tie threads to the curved lattice screens.
We ended our tour with a walk around the garden area of the complex before heading on to our hotel for the night.
Day 8: Agra Sightseeing
We had breakfast at our hotel, the Royal Regente, the nicest hotel we had stayed in so far on this trip. It featured a bar roof terrace with views across Agra. Despite the itinerary informing of a dawn trip to the Taj Mahal, we set off at 10 am and headed for the entrance.
Taj Mahal – a Wonder of the Modern World
According to the official website, the Taj Mahal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Agra, India, is an ivory-white marble mausoleum commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to house the tomb of his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died in 1631 during the birth of their 14th child. Constructed over 20 years by 20,000+ artisans, it blends Persian, Islamic, and Indian architectural styles. We arrived at the main entrance of the complex through the Great Gate, or Darwaza-i Rauza, and this is where we got our first glimpse of the extremely impressive Taj Mahal.
There are some places we have visited which have been underwhelming and not worth the hype, the Little Mermaid in Copenhagen for example or the Statue of Liberty, but the Taj Mahal was every bit as impressive as the pictures we had seen and very much worthy of being a Wonder of the World. We were talked into hiring a photographer for our visit to the gate; normally, we wouldn’t bother, but this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We also had our personal guide, so we knew we wouldn’t get too ripped off. Off we headed into the complex to get a closer look.
To get up close and personal with the Taj, we needed to don overshoes to protect the fine surfaces of the structure. The Taj Mahal is mounted on a 23 ft high marble platform. Looking close up at the building was even more astonishing, we could see there were precious stones within the marble, and our guide informed us there were 28 different types of stones, including lapiz lazuli, onyx, jasper and jade. A process called pietra dura or parchin kari is used to embed the stones within the marble. A later visit to a workshop, where we saw demonstrations of how the gemstones were inlaid into the marble, only served to make the Taj Mahal even more impressive. It truly is a wonder of the world!
We discovered that shortly after completing the Taj Mahal, Shah Jahan was overthrown by his son, Aurangzeb, and imprisoned in the nearby Agra Fort, where he could only gaze at the monument until he died in 1666. He was buried alongside Mumtaz inside the Taj Mahal. Today, it is recognised as a global symbol of love and a masterpiece of world heritage.
Agra Fort
Agra Fort (or the Red Fort as it is also known) is located around 5 km from the Taj Mahal. It is a powerful fortress with a 2.5 km wall made of red sandstone which surrounded the imperial city of the Mughal rulers of the 16th century. It is another UNESCO World Heritage site and was very busy when we went. Our driver had been detained by the Police on our way then for a minor traffic offence, and so we continued with our guide to the fort via tuk tuk.
Jahangiri Mahal
The Fort is impressive with its imposing red brickwork, but once inside it is even more impressive! Inside is the Jahangiri Mahal, a palace for the women of the Royal household. It was built by Akbur for his Hindu wives.
Khas Mahal
The Khas Mahal served as the Emperor’s private residence and consisted of 3 parts: the Chamber of Telling Beads, the sleeping room and the Wardrobe. The interior is decorated with carved white marble painted with colourful floral decorations. The ceiling was also partially gilded. The marble screen was carved with the scale of justice.
The gardens of Khas Mahal, Anguri Bagh, were impressive, with their geometrical patterns looking like jigsaw puzzles. Known as the Grape Garden, it features a fountain, water channels and was thought to be full of vines back in the day.
Other notable places within the fort include the Sheesh Mahal ( Mirror Palace), Mussaman Burj, the Octagonal Tower, which held Shah Jahan with his view of the Taj Mahal and the fish Market Courtyard, Machchi Bhawan. It was a really interesting place and definitely worth visiting whilst in Agra. The Taj Mahal was visible in the distance.
Evening Free time – a visit to the Fair!
After a long day, we retired back to our hotel and had a drink on the roof terrace to watch the sunset; only there was not much of a sunset, just a lot of smog! We could see in the distance what looked like a funfair, so we asked a tuk-tuk to take us there. It was Diwali which appeared to be the reason for the fair.
Against our better judgment, we decided to have a go on the Big Wheel, this was despite some local kids telling us not to because it wasn’t safe. We thought they were just joking with us until we got on. From the video, it’s possible to see that the wheel goes way faster than would be expected!
More concerns appeared when in the carriage and the ride started; namely, duct tape, bare wires, string and sellotape holding the ride together!. Let’s just say we couldn’t wait for that ride to be over!
Now, still gluttons for punishment and thinking that at least this ride is a little lower to the ground, we also decided to go on the pirate ship. Why we would consider this to be any better than the Big Wheel, I do not know. Places like Thorpe Park or Chessington have nice padded safety bars… this one…bare floors and no safety bars at all, just held in by gravity alone …eeek. In the video below, taken by Nigel right at the back, it’s clear to see the ride operator just walking on and off the ride…it appears health and safety doesn’t apply in India! enough of that – time to head back!
Day 9: Agra to Jhansi by Train, car to Khajuraho
After breakfast, we were collected by our driver and taken to the train station, Agra Cantt, given a piece of paper and promptly left! We walked into the busy train station with people everywhere and monkeys running around, with not a clue what to do! This is a part of our tour that would have been helpful as a group tour. We were surprised to be left with no clear instructions or anyone to accompany us. Luckily, we are quite confident travellers, but for anyone else, this may have been very overwhelming.
Eventually, we found a small group of English-speaking tourists and their guide. The guide kindly read our paperwork, told us where we needed to stand for our carriage, and which train to catch. As it happened, we were sat with the same group, so it worked out well.
The journey to Jhansi took 2 ½ hrs and the train was on time and clean. The scenery was not really spectacular, but we saw lots of vegetation and lush greenery. This was very different from the cities we had been in. When we arrived in Jhansi, we were collected by our driver (who spoke absolutely no English and didn’t understand us in the slightest). Our itinerary informed that we would be starting on the journey to Khajuraho and stopping at the town of Orchha. This is not what happened. Instead, we were taken to the local Jhansi Fort and shooed out by our driver. There was no English guide provided, and after spending 30 minutes in the baking sun trying ask to the guide about entry tickets, he eventually bought them for us and pointed at his watch. We managed to determine he had given us 45 minutes, or at least we hoped he had!
Jhansi Fort (Jhanis ka Qila)
Left to our own devices and not really knowing what we were looking at or prepared for this stop, we managed to determine that this was a hillside fort made of stone, lime and lead. It served as a stronghold of the Karhade Brahmin Kings in Balwant Nagar (old name of Jhansi) from the 11th through the 17th century.
We were hot and flustered but were impressed by this fort, which had great views over Jhansi and some really impressive architecture. It would have been good to have a guide who could explain the history further to us but we enjoyed this adhoc stop.
We managed to find our driver again, which was a surprise and then headed on to our final stop of the day, Khjuraho. The journey took 2 hrs 40 minutes, and we continued to try to converse with our driver, but got nowhere; therefore, we did unfortunately miss the itinerary stop of Orchha, which was very disappointing. We were very tired, and so we decided to rest up at our hotel for the night at Clarks Khajuraho, which was a very nice hotel. We chilled in the grounds and had a nice dinner in the hotel before an early night, as we had an early start the next morning.
Day 10 – Sightseeing in Khajuraho & travel to Bandhavgarh (270lm/5 hrs)
An early start for us with an English guide pick up brought us to the start of our Khajuraho temple tour at 6.30 am just as the sun was rising. It was a lovely time to visit, really peaceful and quiet and mostly we appeared to be on our own. The Group of monuments is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with most temples being built between 950 and 1050AD.
Khajuraho Temple Complex
Kandariya Mahadeva
The largest and most ornate of the Hindu temples, Kandariya Mahadeva, means “the Great God of the Cave”. It is the biggest and most visited temple dedicated to Shiva. The temple is on a site 31 metres long and 20 metres wide. It was pretty impressive!
Lakshmana Temple
The temple dedicated to the Hindu goddess Lakshimi is a little bit saucy! approximately 10% of the outer walls contain erotic sculptures in an array of naughty positions. The temple’s intricate carvings, including the famous erotic figures, reflect a holistic view of life, incorporating sensual pleasure with spiritual and marital well-being.
Parvati Temple
Parvati Temple is dedicated to the goddess Parvati, who was a consort of Shiva. In the Hindu religion, Parvati is the goddess of the Himalayas and the mother to Ganesha and Skanda. She is the goddess of power, love, beauty, devotion and motherhood. It’s pretty small compared to other temples in the complex, but an important shrine nonetheless.
Jain Temple Complex
The other temples were located in the Western Temple area of the Khajuraho complex, but our guide wanted us to see the Eastern Temples as well for a comparison. The architectural styles were different between the temples. We were able to view the Parshvanath, Adinath, and Ghantai temples.
Parshvanath Temple
The largest and most famous temple in the Jain area is the Parshvanath Temple. Depicting deities in detailed carvings, this temple was built in the 10th Century CE and is the best preserved in the area.
Adinatha Temple
This Jain temple is dedicated to the first Tirthankara, Rishabhanatha. It was built in the late 11th century and features delicate carvings and sculptures of Yakshis
Shantinatha Complex
The main site for Jain worship was the Shantinatha Complex, a series of smaller shrines, rather than individual temples. Some of the older shrines date back to 1027AD.
Journey to Bandhavgarh
We finished our very interesting tour at 8 am and then headed off on a 6-hour drive, with stops to reach Bandhavgarh. It was a long drive, and we were quite tired after such an early start, but looking forward to the next day and the chance for more tiger sightings. We arrived at our accommodation, The Sun Resort, and sat around the fire that evening chatting to some other families and locals before heading to bed.
Day 11: Tiger Safari at Bandhavgarh
After lunch, we headed off on our safari and were brought to the entrance of Bandhavgarh National Park, where we joined our safari vehicle. The park has a core area of 105 sq kms and a buffer area of a further 400 sq kms, which is pretty big! The park claims to have the highest density of tigers as well as other magnificent fauna and flora. Interestingly, it is also thought that all white tigers originate from this area, although none remain in the wild.
We travelled around several different areas looking for the elusive Royal Bengal tiger, as well as admiring all the other wildlife we encountered on our way. We saw an indian elephant, vultures, monkeys, lots of deer, eagles and spiders.
Our driver and guide really did try their hardest to find the tiger, and we stayed until sunset, but with no luck. Unfortunately, the best we found was a very big footprint. It was a good afternoon, although tiring, and we headed back to our hotel for some dinner and an early night.
Day 12: Bandhavgargh to Kanha (250km/5 Hours)
This day was spent mostly travelling to Kanha for the final day of our tour. It was a long journey broken up into breaks every couple of hours, which was very welcome as we witnessed some of the wildest driving we had ever seen! We reached our hotel, the Mahua Tiger Resort, where we chatted with locals and had a lovely dinner in the restaurant before an early night for our final dawn safari.
Day 13: Kanha Tiger Safari
We were excited by our last trip to Kanha, as we were aware this was the setting for Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book. As well as being home to the tiger, it is also home to the indian leopard and the sloth bear, so we hoped to see them too. A very early start saw us joining a massive queue of vehicles outside Kanha.
Despite the queues and the wait in the cold, the vehicles all headed off in different directions once we reached the park, and we were suddenly on our own. This appeared different from the other safaris, more focused on staring into long grass, looking for the cats! We did see some other animals as well, but nothing we had not seen before.
After a few false alarms, we were called on the radio and shot off a short distance to an area of trees and grassland. Suddenly, a magnificent tiger appeared before our eyes, and we were fortunate enough to catch him on video!
The perfect end to our safari, and indeed our tour. We headed back to our hotel for a chilled-out evening. We were transported back to Delhi the next day in preparation for our flight home.
Final Thoughts
The two weeks we had were full of highlights and lowlights, ranging from the spectacular and downright disgusting, and it would only be right to be honest about what we experienced.
The Bad:
Without a doubt, India has the worst level of cleanliness we have ever seen, with rubbish piled up and animals roaming free, using the streets as their toilet. We took precautions with food and drink, yet still Nigel managed to catch Campylobacter. This did put a damper on things, and he was quite unwell for a couple of our tours. Surprisingly, I escaped unscathed, possibly down to the vegetarian diet and continuous hand sanitising. This was, however, more luck than judgement!
We were also amazed that we survived the long drives unscathed, considering the really quite scary driving we experienced. We saw camels pulling carts, cows in the middle of the road, lorries turned over and some of the most aggressive driving we’ve seen. Despite this, we got to all our destinations in one piece and have no complaints about any of our drivers (except perhaps their use of mobile phones when driving).
Another thing we were not prepared for was the amount of tips that would be expected from us, sometimes quite aggressively. As an example, we ordered 2 Diet Cokes from a market stall. One person took the order, another grabbed the drinks, one opened them, another took the money, and another served them to us. Those 5 people all expected a tip. If we didn’t tip, we were sometimes met with hostility, yet we didn’t always have the money on us, and ATM’s didnt always work.
A massive issue is over population of India (it is the world’s most populous country, overtaking China with 1.4 billion people), which has led to poverty due to a lack of jobs and a reliance on tourism. It is reported that 16.4% of the population lives in poverty in India. Certainly, in the main cities, there were just people and vehicles everywhere and really bad pollution, which was especially obvious in Delhi and Agra, where the pollution hung hazily in the sky.
The Good:
We met some of the kindest people who looked out for us and offered help when needed. Also, our guides and drivers were really good and made sure we got from A to B safely (except the day of the train!). We had a very kind guide who looked after Nigel and got him some tea when he was unwell. Our contact at Travel Con, Hermender, was available at all times to assist or answer any queries. We are still in touch with some of the people we met on social media now. What was a surprise was that English really isn’t widely spoken in India. Nigel and I both have Indian friends and colleagues in England, and of course, their level of English is really good. We made the mistake of assuming that all Indian people speak good English; they don’t! We used sign language and Google Translate at times to make ourselves understood. The effort made by the people we met to try to engage us in conversation was very much appreciated, and we have to acknowledge that in every case, their English was better than our Hindi, Bengali or any other of their 22 languages.
We never really got used to the fact that people wanted to have their pictures taken with us and to have their children take pictures with us, but it did make us giggle. We were fortunate that it never got to the point where we felt really uncomfortable, and people generally took no for an answer if you didnt want your photo taken. My only wonder is what has happened to all these selfies and pictures taken of us!
Finally, the sights, we were impressed. The highlight, the Taj Mahal, completely blew us away. It was spectacular, but everything we saw was really impressive, including the Khajuraho temples and Jaipur. We enjoyed them all. Our tour itself was not without its issues, and not everything went to plan, but we saw everything we wanted to, including the elusive Royal Bengal Tigers. India really is a unique and special place, but health and personal safety precautions are needed to make the most of any visit and to stay safe and well.
A final thought – Having had plenty of time to reflect on our visit to India, the bottom line is we would happily return, and we may enjoy the experience even more now that we’ve had a taste and have an idea of what to expect. Maybe southern India next time, perhaps Kerala and maybe even further south, to Sri Lanka. For now, that’s just one more to go on the bucket list, immediately after crossing one item off. See tigers in the wild? Check!
Carol & Nigel xx
