Agra is synonymous with the Taj Mahal and what a stupendous monument it is. Commissioned in 1631 by the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan (r. 1628–1658) to house the tomb of his beloved third wife, Mumtaz Mahal at a modern day cost of over US$800 million it took 22 years to complete. By that time Shah Jahan had been deposed by his son and imprisoned in Agra Fort, so he spent the last eight year’s of his life looking at…
Next stop Sawai Madhopur, for Ranthambhore National Park, the best place to see Bengal Tigers. Despite failing to book three months in advance, when the pre-order tickets sell out, we were lucky to get last minute tickets for two safaris, and even luckier with the wildlife we saw.
Debbie is getting a taste for the high life, with an executive train seat, luxury hotel and watching a polo match. Steve was happy to find a microbrewery next door to the hotel and a lovely boxer dog called Luca owned by the sisters who run the hotel. We skipped visiting the palace but did visit the unique Jantar Mantar observatory and of course had to see the iconic Hawa Mahal.