PLAN YOUR TRIP
Thinking about planning a trip of your own to India? Then look no further than Luxury
India Holidays (www.luxuryindiaholidays.com), a tour company that will gladly coordinate an adventure for you. Here’s a sampling of the Olivers’ two-week itinerary that took father and son around the Golden Triangle of India. They visited several historic sites; dozens of cities, towns, and hamlets; and two wildlife sanctuaries.
DAYS ONE THROUGH THREE (DELHI)
Hotel:
Le Méridien New Delhi (from $250)
Windsor Place,
New Delhi
www.starwoodhotels.com/lemeridien
Meals:
Karim’s ($5 to $10)
Matya Mahal, Jama Masjid,
Delhi
www.delhilive.com/karims
Hard Rock Café (from $10)
M 110, Multiplex Building, DLF Place, New Delhi
www.hardrockcafe.com
The One, Le Méridien New Delhi hotel (from $15)
Notable for its great breakfast buffet.
Windsor Place, New Delhi
www.starwoodhotels.com/lemeridien
Activities:
Raj Ghat, the site where Gandhi was cremated.
Admission: free
Located between Mahatma Gandhi Road and the banks of Yamuna River
http://delhitourism.nic.in/publicpage/mahatma2.aspx
Jama Masjid, the principal mosque of Old Delhi.
Admission: free, save for five-rupee tip for employees to guard shoes, which must be removed
Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi
www.jamamasjidplan.in
Red Fort complex
Admission: $5
Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi
http://asi.nic.in/asi_monu_tktd_delhi_redfort.asp
Qutab Minar complex, which includes the world’s tallest brick minaret and the famous Iron Pillar.
Fun fact: The Minar leans slightly to one side so it won’t fall on the adjacent mosque during an earthquake.
Admission: $5, with free parking
Aurobindo Marg, near Mehrauli in south Delhi
www.delhitourism.nic.in/publicpage/qutabminar.aspx
India Gate, a 42-meter-high arch that honors the 90,000 Indian fighters who have died in battle.
Admission: free
Rajpath Boulevard, adjacent to Presidential Palace complex
www.delhitourism.nic.in/publicpage/indiagate.aspx
Humayun’s Tomb
Admission: $5, with free parking
Nizamuddin East, three miles southeast of Connaught Place, New Delhi
www.asi.nic.in/asi_monu_whs_humayuntomb.asp
DAYS FOUR THROUGH SIX (AGRA)
Hotel:
ITC Mughal (from $159)
Located on 35 acres not far from Taj Mahal; includes 99,000-square-foot Kaya Kalp–t he Royal Spa, the largest spa in the country.
Taj Ganj, Agra, Uttar Pradesh
www.itcwelcomgroup.in/Hotels/itcmughal.aspx
Meals:
Peshawri, ITC Mughal hotel (from $20)
Outstanding Indian food with authentic flavors of the northwest frontier, including barbecues and fresh Indian breads.
Taj Ganj, Agra, Uttar Pradesh
www.itcwelcomgroup.in/Hotels/ITCMughal.aspx?CS
Bagh-E-Bahaar, ITC Mughal hotel (from $15)
An all-day restaurant with spectacular breakfasts; live music and views of the garden and pool add to the ambience.
Taj Ganj, Agra, Uttar Pradesh
www.itcwelcomgroup.in/Hotels/ITCMughal.aspx?CS
Activities:
Taj Maha
Admission: $15
Agra, Uttar Pradesh
http://asi.nic.in/asi_monu_whs_agra tajmahal.asp
Agra Fort
Admission: $5
Agra, Uttar Pradesh
http://asi.nic.in/asi_monu_whs_agrafort.asp
DAY SEVEN (AGRA TO SAMODE)
Hotel:
Samode Palace (from $293)
This former palace for royals has been handsomely converted into luxury lodging.
Samode village, Jaipur
www.samode.com
Meal:
Samode Palace (from $20)
Ask to dine by the pool, where an à la carte menu is available with the finest meals from the region.
Samode Palace, Samode village, Jaipur
http://samode.com/home/palace/bardinning.htm
Activities:
Fatehpur Sikri, a complex known as “The Ghost City” that was built in the twelfth century but abandoned not long after because of a lack of water in the area.
Admission: $5
25 miles west of Agra, Uttar Pradesh
http://asi.nic.in/asi_monu_whs_fatehpursikri.asp
DAYS EIGHT AND NINE (SAMODE TO JAIPUR)
Hotel:
Samode Haveli (from $161)
Small, intimate hotel tucked not far from Jaipur; awash in rich colors and classic Indian décor.
Gangapole, Jaipur
www.samode.com
Meal:
Samode Haveli Restaurant (from $15)
Fascinating establishment that serves multinational cuisines for breakfast, lunch, and dinner; provides a dark, romantic setting.
Gangapole, Jaipur
www.samode.com
Activities:
Chanda Baodi Step Well
Admission: free
Off Jaipur-Agra highway, near Bandikui, in Rajasthan
http://escapenewyork.blogspot.com/2007/10/abhaneri-step-wellrajasthan-india.html
Amber Fort, one of the Golden Triangle’s most remarkable archeological sites (includes an elephant ride up to the entrance).
Price: Elephant ride, $12 for two
Delhi-Jaipur Highway, roughly seven miles from Jaipur
www.rajasthantourism.gov.in/Destinations/Jaipur/Amber.aspx
Jantar Mantar (House of Instruments), one of the largest observatories in west-central India.
Admission: 25 cents, plus tips for guides on hand, as desired.
Next to entrance of City Palace, Jaipur
www.jaipur.org.uk/forts-monuments/jantar-mantar.html
DAY TEN (NIMAJ)
Hotel:
Nimaj Palace (from $92)
Fabulous destination for a taste of rural, remote India; 22 comfortable, spacious rooms.
Nimaj, Tehsil Jaitaran, Rajasthan
www.nimajpalace.com
Meal:
Dari-Khanna (from $15)
Tasty regional dishes accompanied by live music from local musicians who perform nightly.
Nimaj Palace, Tehsil Jaitaran, Rajasthan
www.nimajpalace.com
Activities:
Safari Jeep Tour
Price: $25 to $50 Half- and full-day tours are offered through Nimaj Palace and include excursions through the back streets of Nimaj, into the rural areas around the town, and to a ninth-century family temple, the shepherds’ village of Khera, and a tour of savannahs and waterways that attract a variety of exotic wildlife.
Nimaj Palace, Tehsil Jaitaran, Rajasthan
www.nimajpalace.com
DAY 11 (UDAIPUR)
Hotel:
Fateh Garh (from $230)
Sports breathtaking views and an admirable dedication to environmental issues; solar power is used to heat water and light hallways, while an adjacent nature preserve provides a welcome home for songbirds and other wildlife.
Sisarma, Udaipur
www.fatehgarh.in
Meal:
Baradari, Fateh Garh resort (from $35)
Terrace-located and offers a 270-degree panorama of the surrounding countryside and distant city of Udaipur; a superb scene especially at night.
Sisarma, Udaipur
www.fatehgarh.in
Activities:
City Palace
Admission: $1 to $6, depending on whether visitors wish to use cameras
A magnificent sixteenth-century structure located on Lake Pichola that requires an all-day exploration; great example of both the Mughal and Rajasthani architectural styles.
Udaipur
www.eternalmewar.in/User/Museums/city_palace_museum/index.aspx