India – THE ONLY ERIKA IN THE VILLAGE

Must have travel gear I can’t live without

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Water steriliser

I am all for helping the environment (except when it comes to reducing my plane travel – as I live in New Zealand there isn’t really any other option to get anywhere – don’t judge me) and I used to always be disgusted at the number of plastic bottles we went through on a trip to countries without safe drinking water. With a water steriliser there is no longer any wastage and we can get clean water anywhere, anytime which is so crucial with kids – you don’t want to be wandering around trying to find a shop because you have run out of water or be worried about your child wasting or spilling what you do have. As a family you go through so much water too and while you sterilise you can teach your kids about why it’s important! We have the Classic Steripen and have never had any issues with it.

I also suggest taking a reusable water bottle as you will need it to sterilise your water in and drink from. The Nalgene water bottle is a great size and fit seamlessly with the Classic Steripen.

Camera

It’s such a pain lugging around a digital camera. BELIEVE ME I KNOW. But even with some of the best camera phones there is just no beating a good camera with a great lens. You need to take both your phone and camera if you want good holiday snaps – the convenience of the phone is fantastic but a camera will get you those shots that you can edit perfectly and blow up and hang on your wall to remember all the good stuff! A tripod for either one or both is a great idea too but be aware that there are many places around the world that won’t let you take a tripod ie. the Taj Mahal.

Travel wallet

A trip can involve a lot of documents and organised chaos whether you are travelling alone, with friends or a partner or as a family. Now that I have kids I have 4 passports and tickets and other documents to carry around. I always use a family travel wallet to keep all of these things accessible and organised along with our itinerary. Amazon has some great options.

Travel shoes

Great walking shoes for travel is something I never leave for a trip without investing in. The key requirements here are comfortable, hard-wearing, lightweight, breathable and machine washable. The Allbirds brand meet most of these and are my favourite brand to travel with but I don’t find them particularly hard-wearing (see the photo below where my allbirds are absolutely falling apart). Amazon also has various shoes fit for purpose.

Go Pro

A Go Pro is a great idea to take to capture all those moments when you would prefer to keep your phone and camera safe and away from the situation. I don’t always recommend having one but if you have kids or are doing lots of physical activities its a good idea to take one and if you are doing anything underwater then its NECESSARY. The best place we took our Go Pro was the Galapagos Islands and we would have been so disappointed had we not brought one here.

Silk sheet

I always travel with a silk sheet – they are sooo small and take up absolutely no room in your luggage but allow you to have a blanket on you for emergencies. I have used mine for sleeping on trains, buses and at the airport when my flight has been cancelled + also every time I have slept in a hammock (which is quite a few times actually) or my hostel bedding hasn’t been warm enough (or even if the hostel has just felt a bit yuck as in this case its nice to have your own bedding next to your skin). A silk sheet super useful in warm climates as you are always in shorts or very light clothing but the air-conditioning or the wind makes you cold and suddenly you need that extra bit of a layer to cover up.

Backpack

I love looking stylish and always prefer to carry a handbag but sometimes you just need a backpack to be hands free and carry all your stuff for the day. My go to is Macpac.

Sarong

This seems like a strange item to carry unless you are doing a solely beach holiday but I always carry a sarong with me everywhere when I travel. Its great for covering up your legs or shoulders in temples or staying out of the sun, keeping warm if the wind picks up and drying off if you paddle in some water or mopping away some sweat. It’s also an emergency skirt if you get mud all over you and its so lightweight and easy to pop into your handbag or a daypack. If you are travelling with kids it can be used for all these things for your children – also particularly as an emergency towel or blanket as children always need these.

Packing Cells

Really for the same reason as above – to keep you organised. Packing Cells can help to seperate out different items so you can locate them easily (ie. all the togs/items for swimming) and stops you from needing to fully re-pack your bag every time you move hotels. Its a great idea to have a different colour per member of the family if you have kids as you are usually sharing bags with them.

Maps.me

Maps.me is an app rather than ‘gear’ but it is an essential travel item I must mention. Maps.me is a travellers DREAM. You can download maps of an entire region and save pins with your accomodation, attractions, restaurants, views, banks etc. anything you want to remember! Then, not only do you have these with any key details saved to your phone – Maps.me gives your location in real time without needing an internet connection – it even has most hiking trails accurately marked. I have been lost in a maze of alleyways in India and yet able to easily find my way back to my hotel with maps.me and on badly signposted hikes in Colombia where I can check I am on the right path using maps.me and I never feel the need to get roaming on my phone while overseas because I have this app. I also love that I can just check what area we are in and see if I had any good restaurants etc. pinned nearby to save walking around for ages aimlessly looking for somewhere to eat.

I hope you have found some of these tips useful! Please let me know if there is anything you travel with all the time that I haven’t included on this list so I can learn something new too!

Erika xx

Itinerary: 2 days in Udaipur

I should have been more enchanted by Udaipur…looking back on the photographs I took it certainly looks beautiful. It was our last stop in India so maybe I just had a bit of travel fatigue – India is exhausting to travel. Its so fascinating and amazing to experience but the cities are chaotic and dirty and full-on. I think I expected a beautiful lake paradise and yet Udaipur was like any other Indian city – noisy, busy, smoggy and overall overwhelming.

GENERAL INFO

Getting there and away:

We travelled to Udaipur via Jodhpur with a private driver. Arriving this way meant we could incorporate two rural ‘must-see sites on our way. You can read about how we did this here.

There are also many flight and train connections into Udaipur. We left Udaipur on a flight to Mumbai to catch our international connection. Note the airport is quite some distance (takes 40mins-1 hour).

Accommodation: We stayed at Zostel Udaipur – nice enough hostel which was well located. Zostel is a chain that has many hostels around India. We also stayed at a Zostel in Jaipur.

If you have too much money I recommend staying at the Lake Palace – it is stunning. Be aware though you won’t feel like leaving the hotel.

Food: I highly recommend eating at The White Terrace Restaurant. Although the food is standard tourist fare (a bit lacking in flavor). The staff were so friendly, the setting was beautiful and you could entertain yourself by people watching on the street below.

Getting around: Walking will get you anywhere you need to go in Udaipur – if you are leaving the city to see Ranakpur Temple or Khumbhalgarh Fort then I recommend hiring a driver for this trip.

SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES

1. Explore City Palace

City Palace has lovely grounds and also a large museum. You do not need to pay to enter the grounds if you are entering the museum. It is quite beautiful – its more of the same of what you see elsewhere in India but can you ever really see enough intricate detail? Its worth popping in and having a wander. There is also a Sound and Light Show at the City Palace if you want to visit at night.

2. Take a boat trip on the Lake

While you are at City Palace, I suggest you pop down to the lakeside and take a boat trip out onto the lake. Udaipur is famous for its lake and so you may as well experience the city from the water. You get a great view of the Lake Palace from a boat – the closest you are going to get if you cant afford to stay there. The boat trips stop at Jagmandir which is another hotel out on the water. You can have lunch here but we just chose to wander around the beautiful grounds for a while away from the noise of the city.

3. Visit Bagore-Ki Haveli

Bagore-Ki Haveli has been carefully restored – it has some quirky aspects to it which sets it apart from the other palaces and havelis we have visited. For example the world’s largest turban – you can sit in front of it and take a photo that looks like its on your head.

4. Kumbhalgarh Fort

Kumbhalgarh Fort is a rural fort 2 hours outside of Udaipur. Its a tranquil place to spend an hour or two. Also make sure to climb to the top of the Fort for stunning views. Just WOW.

5. Ranakpur Temple

Ranakpur Temple (2 hours from Udaipur – combine this with a trip to Kumbhalgarh Fort) is also an interesting place to visit. If you haven’t seen a Jain Temple before then you definitely need to go to Ranakpur – the stone carvings are so intricate and it is one of the largest Jain temples. Its a peaceful place to explore. Also if you are here at lunchtime you should stop at the charity restaurant on the grounds. All you can eat delicious food for so cheap!

Enjoy Udaipur! Let me know what you thought of the city and why.

Erika xx

Visiting Ranakpur Temple and Kumbhalgarh Fort

Ranakpur Temple and Kumbhalgarh Fort are wonderful attractions worth visiting BUT as they are situated rurally (this is part of their charm). This makes them a bit of a pain to visit. I definitely still recommend making the effort to experience the majesty of these locations if you are going to be in the area. I can recommend a way that won’t add a whole lot of extra time, money or discomfort to your journey (yes its entirely possible). I must admit it is on condition of taking a particular route for your travels in India. Check below to see if it will work for you.

Top Tip: Getting there and away

There are express buses from Udaipur (the closest city) but these take about 3 hours. So its a major journey to undertake in a day if you are trying to visit both sites – and probably not worth a 6 hour journey to see just the one.

Therefore, I suggest hiring a driver (expensive, but worth it for the comfort and not entirely unaffordable).

If you are flying in and out of Udaipur and this is your only stop in Rajasthan then you could visit these sites with a driver from Udaipur. However, the most convenient and economical solution is to travel between Udaipur and Jodhpur with a private driver – visiting these locations of interest en route.

Don’t get me wrong it is a loooong day. But you can relax in the car and watch the world go by or even have a nap or three. Plus, there is no direct train between Jodhpur and Udaipur and flying would be more expensive so this is your best option for travel between these two cities.

On my journey, I went from Jodhpur to Udaipur booking a driver through Viator. The driver will wait for you at both sightseeing stops and allow plenty of time. You could reserve this route and travel in the other direction but make sure to leave Udaipur late morning as Ranakpur Temple does not open to visitors before 12pm. You also should consider how opening hours affect your plans if leaving Jodhpur very early in the morning.

Food:

I highly recommend stopping for lunch at Ranakpur Temple (timing works perfectly if you are driving from Jodhpur). Also, you don’t have to convince your driver to make another stop somewhere where he doesn’t get commission – he will have no choice in the matter.

There is a charity restaurant here next to the shop that sells chai etc. – I am not sure but I think it is run by a temple orphanage? Please correct me in the comments if I am wrong. Its all you can eat for less than 1 US dollar. There is no English menu but don’t let that put you off – its delicious. Only catch is you need to clear your own dishes after your meal and take them to the dishwasher. I think you can manage that! They don’t accept tips but they do have a charity box at the front counter so feel free to put some extra money in there.

What to bring:

Make sure to take plenty of water with you and lots of food if you don’t want to make a lunch or dinner stop. Be aware their are large stretches of road in which there are no places to stop and eat or at which your driver may refuse to stop because they want to take you to restaurants they have an ‘understanding’ with.

Its a long drive – bring anything that will make it comfortable for you.

What to expect:

Expect a great day out visiting these beautiful sites. Its lovely to be out in the more rural (smog free!) air for the day and to take a break from walking around cities for a change. Although you will still need to do a bit of exercise to get to the top of Kumbhalgarh Fort. Its worth it for the great view though!

Erika xx

Itinerary: 24 hours in Jodhpur

Jodhpur is a great place to just kick back and spend some time. Even with only 24 hours here I suggest just wandering around and taking it all in.

GENERAL INFO

Getting there and away: We travelled to Jodhpur from Jaisalmer by train – it takes about 6 hours.

From Jodhpur we travelled to Udaipur – we hired a driver and car for this as there is no direct train between these two cities. It worked out well for us as we wanted to make a couple of stops on the way but if you are travelling direct it may be easier to fly.

Accommodation: We stayed at Yogi’s Guest House. It was fine but I wouldn’t recommend the place. It was really noisy we got almost no sleep + there were people sleeping on the floor right outside our room (like we almost stepped on them walking out) – I assume those were the dorm beds available. BUT the owner did help me put on my sari properly which was nice and the rooftop terrace was a chill spot for a drink.

Food: We had AMAZING Chole Bature for breakfast at Namaste Cafe. Go there!

Also we had a beautiful dinner at Indique – a candlelit rooftop restaurant by the clocktower that is part of the Pal Haveli Hotel.

Getting around: The train station is central, you can probably walk from here to your accommodation. You can walk to most of the attractions also. If its a bit far you may want to take an auto-rickshaw.

Top Tip(s): I suggest doing any shopping you were planning to do in Jodhpur. If you wander a few streets or so away from the clocktower you will find shops that sell beautiful items for local prices – if the price seems good don’t bother haggling. The money is worth a lot less to you.

SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES

Visit Mehrangarh Fort and Museum – its a steep walk up. Wear comfortable shoes and enjoy the views. Walk up one side and leave via the other entrance/exit. Both are spectacular. You only need to purchase a ticket to the museum (not the Fort).

2. More walking (its going to be a big day of walking): visit the old city quarter of Navchokiya. Its very picturesque due to all the blue coloured buildings – you can see the neighbourhood from the Fort. The buildings are blue because the Brahmin community (the priestly caste of India) are said to have painted their homes blue to differentiate themselves from the lower-caste communities.

Enjoy Jodhpur!

Erika xx

Itinerary: Overnight in Jaisalmer

Alibaba the Camel in the Jaisalmer Desert

Jaisalmer is otherworldly. The ‘Golden City’ is a small rugged city in the middle of nowhere where it almost never rains. The city is an oasis in the Thar desert where travelers long ago used to rest for months on end partaking in copious amount of Opium in luxurious havelis.

GENERAL INFO

Getting there and away: We took an overnight train from Jaipur to Jaisalmer – this took 12 hours (we left Jaipur late at night and arrived in Jaisalmer at midday). You can walk into the centre of Jaisalmer from the train station or there are plenty of rickshaws.

From Jaisalmer, we travelled on overnight train to Jodhpur which took 6 hours and arrived in the early hours of the morning.

On our trip to Jaisalmer we were pushed for time (We had 3 weeks to explore 9 locations in India!) so we took an overnight train to Jaisalmer and back out again. This was the only way we could fit 2 days here into our itinerary. If you are in a similar situation I highly recommend doing the trip this way – its exhausting but much better than skipping Jaisalmer altogether. It is possible to spend only a day in Jaisalmer and take back to back overnight trains. The train station has a secure luggage storage service so you can explore the city with a daypack – however I highly recommend staying at least a night as the long train journeys are exhausting and your day would be very rushed.

Accommodation: There are many great options for accommodation in Jaisalmer – a lot of them quite pricey. We didn’t stay in the city itself so can’t recommend a specific place here.

I do recommend spending a night out in the Thar Desert however – there are multiple camps that combine a night in the desert with sandboarding, camel riding and dinner cooked under the stars. We stayed at Damodra Desert Camp which was a great experience. It is gorgeous (see photos below) and we particularly enjoyed dinner around the fire with local performances.

Food: Most of our meals were at our accommodation (as above) but we did have a great lunch at Natraj Restaurant. It is a lovely terrace restaurant with views of the upper part of Salim Singh Ki Haveli.

Getting around: We walked everywhere in Jaisalmer except for arranging transport with our accommodation out to the desert. All accommodation in the desert will provide this service and I highly recommend using it as its your only option to get out there unless you have your own car.

Top Tip: If you aren’t spending the night in Jaisalmer itself I definitely recommend making use of the luggage storage at the train station. This was so helpful as it meant we could do some sightseeing in Jaisalmer before and after our trip into the desert without lugging around our huge bags with us.

DAY 1

Use your morning to explore the intricate Havelis in Jaisalmer – you could even purchase one for yourself for a steal and settle in Jaisalmer permanently. Head to Nathmalji ki Haveli first and take a look at the outside – each side of this Haveli is slightly different.

Then make sure to visit Patwon-ki Haveli – the Kothari’s Patwon-ki Haveli Museum is the only part here worth entering. Allow an hour – hiring a guide is definitely recommended as you learn so much about the history of Jaisalmer and the beautiful Haveli.

In the early afternoon it will be time to head into the Desert for a little adventure. Your accommodation provider will put you on a camel to ride into the centre of the Dunes. After doing a bit of sandboarding to satisfy the adrenaline junkies you will then settle on the sand to watch the sunset.

This trip isn’t all that spectacular – don’t get me wrong its all nice – but there are more amazing deserts elsewhere; better places to sandboard and much more interesting camel rides. However, we had a good time and I did have the most impressively spectacular faceplant when I was sandboarding – it could have happened anywhere but it happened here and was captured on camera by my wonderful husband – so there’s that! *sigh*. Its a fun way to spend an afternoon.

You can still do the same activities above as a day trip if you would prefer not to stay overnight.

DAY 2

Day 2 should be spent visiting Jaisalmer Fort.

If you spent the night in the Desert (like we did) you will be dropped back into town around 10:30am after breakfast. Therefore, I recommend visiting the Jain Temples in the Fort first as they are only open to the public between 11am-12pm. No shoes or leather items are permitted inside.

After the Jain temples wander the rest of the rest of the Fort. This Fort is particularly fascinating as it is one of very few ‘living forts’ in the world – almost one fourth of the population still resides within its walls. Make sure to visit the Fort Palace and Museum (the audio guide is worth getting).

EXTRA STOP

If you have time – try to visit the haunted village of Kuldhara near Jaisalmer. Deserted places are fascinating and this village has a great legend. Around 300 years ago it was a thriving village. The state prime minister at the time set his sights on the daughter of the village chief and decided to force marriage upon her. Instead of following orders, the whole village left their homes and vanished, but not before leaving a curse forbidding anyone to settle their village ever again. It is probably more likely that the true story is that taxes were raised and the inhabitants had to migrate as they couldn’t afford to pay but the village has remained empty to this day and many believe it is haunted by the curse.

I didn’t have a chance to go here but I will definitely be visiting next time I make it to Jaisalmer.

On the roof of the Fort Palace and Museum

I hope you enjoy Jaisalmer as much as I did!

Erika xx

Itinerary: 2 days in Jaipur

Jaipur has to be one of the most beautiful cities in India. It has such a majestic presence and around every corner was something beautiful. Udaipur is often touted as the most beautiful city and I have to say I was unimpressed (Maybe if you can afford to stay at the palace in the middle of the lake it might live up to its reputation!). Jaipur on the other hand blew me away.

GENERAL INFO

Getting there and away: We took the train to Jaipur from Agra which takes 4 hours. Agra-Jaipur-Delhi is a common tourist route (The Golden Triangle).

When you arrive in Jaipur, you can get a prepaid autorickshaw or taxi from the station to your accommodation.

We left Jaipur on an overnight train to Jaisalmer.

Overnight train is a great way to get around if you are short on time. I love that you can save money on a night of accommodation (Such an easy money saving hack!) and also save time on your journey. A flight may technically be faster but when you include waiting time at the airport and the journey to/from the airport you have usually wasted at least half a day. Yes you don’t exactly get a great nights sleep but you can make up for that the next night when you are in your nice, comfortable hotel bed.

Accommodation: We stayed at Zostel Jaipur which was in a great central location handy to all the attractions. We had a private room here which was clean, tidy and modern. Plus bonus points as the staff let us shower in the shared facilities and hang out in the common room after we had checked out (before our overnight train to Jaisalmer). However, you had to have your shoes off around the hostel which I was a bit grossed out by in areas like the shared bathrooms. The floors were cleaned regularly though.

Food: There are plenty of restaurant options in Jaipur. Our top pick is Bar Palladio which is a very high end and ridiculously overpriced Italian bar and restaurant. The food is divine, the drinks are spectacular and the decor is stunning. Its worth the splurge.

We also had a nice meal at Hotel Sweet Dream which is right in the thick of the action. Their rooftop terrace was a nice oasis away from the busy streets below and the food and drinks were affordable.

I would avoid Ganesh Restaurant – we went there on a recommendation and although the location sounded amazing (its on the rampart of the old city) you were really just eating outside on a concrete wall – there was no view of anything. The toilet (men only – there was no toilet for the ladies) was pissing off the side of the wall – right above where dishes for the restaurant were being washed on the street below.

Top Tip: Allow for some extra time in Jaipur to just wander or do something spur of the moment – we found we didn’t have time to appreciate all it had to offer. Wander the bazaars and haggle like crazy (You want to end up with the item for less than half of the price that the shop owners offer it for), pop into random bars and restaurants or tag along with someone you meet to where they are going. Jaipur has surprises around every corner and this is the spot in India to be spontaneous.

DAY 1

Take the bus to Amer (Amber) Fort from Badi Chopar (the roundabout next to Hawa Mahal). This will take 40 minutes. There is a lot to explore at the fort – keep an eye out for the secret tunnels and the view from the fort back over the winding pathway in. It goes without saying but I am going to say it anyway – please don’t ride the elephants up. It’s cruel. Allow 5-6 hours for a round trip to the Fort.

If you have some time left over in your day, I would suggest exploring Royal Gaitor. It’s a beautiful little park full of intricately carved cenotaphs. It was a nice relaxing spot to wander and take some nice photos. Its central so you can probably walk there from where you are staying.

DAY 2

Spend your second day in Jaipur exploring within the city. The can’t miss attractions are:

City Palace
Hawa Mahal

City Palace is absolutely stunning. A Highlight is the beautiful ornate set of four doors (two are pictured below). I highly recommend getting an audio guide here so you know what you are looking at – there is a lot to explore.

Hawa Mahal is the ‘Palace of the Winds’. A beautiful building designed so that the royal ladies could discreetly look down at the goings on in the street below. It can be a little hard to find the entrance as it is at the back of the complex. From the intersection that is on your left as you face the Hawa Mahal, turn right, then take the first right again through an archway.

If you have some extra time you can visit Jantar Mantar. This is a collection of nineteen architectural astronomical instruments built by the Rajput king Sawai Jai Singh II, the founder of Jaipur. Don’t bother with the audio guide (its not great). You could hire a guide to explain the instruments if you want. I definitely don’t consider it a must see but its interesting if you have the extra time.

I would love to go back to Jaipur and explore more – let me know in the comments below if you have any other suggestions of how to spend time in Jaipur!

Erika xx

What to see in Agra apart from the Taj Mahal

Going to Agra to visit the Taj Mahal is one of the highlights of any India trip, but all the advice you have read tells you that you must go to the Taj early in the AM which means you need to spend a night in Agra. If you don’t know this yet I explain why in my post here. How will you spend the rest of your time while there?

Agra is actually a very lovely city with a lot of beautiful places – many of which are overlooked in favor of the more famous Taj Mahal. I would highly recommend basing yourself in Agra rather than Delhi for this part of your journey. I go into more detail about why I wasn’t a big fan of Delhi here.

GENERAL INFO

Getting there and away: To get to Agra, we took an overnight train to Agra Fort Station from Umaria (the closest station to Bandhavgarh National Park where we saw tigers). This took almost 14 hours. We left Agra by train from Agra Fort Station to Jaipur (4 hour journey).

Many people would take the train to Agra from Delhi – this is 3 hour journey.

Accommodation: We stayed in The Coral House Homestay – a beautiful guesthouse very close to the eastern gate of the Taj Mahal. We were able to walk to the Taj Mahal very early in the morning and then return to the guesthouse for breakfast once we were finished. The house had a beautiful garden and had a very restful feel.

However, we don’t recommend eating dinner here – this was an optional extra and we found it overpriced.

Food: We didn’t really eat much while in Agra as we were still full from days of overeating amazing food at our resort in Bandhavgarh National Park.

Getting around: As in the rest of India, rickshaws are the best way to get around. The train station has pre-paid autorickshaws with prices displayed on charts. This will give you a good guide to help with haggling for trips around the city.

Top Tip: Please DO go and see the Taj Mahal if you go to Agra – I am not recommending skipping it to visit these other spots. The Taj should be your top priority – it is breathtakingly beautiful. Read my post here on tips for visiting the Taj Mahal.

SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES

1. Agra Fort

Agra Fort is an impressive structure which served as the main residence of the emperors of the Mughal Dynasty until 1638. Shah Jahan (who commissioned the Taj Mahal) was also imprisoned in this fort and forced to gaze upon his beloved Taj Mahal built to house the tomb of his favorite wife Mumtaz Mahal.

You can wander the grounds and appreciate the expanse of the Fort, view the Taj Mahal in the distance and wander the well-kept gardens spotting Northern palm squirrels.

2. The Baby Taj (Tomb of Itimad-ud-Daulah)

The Baby Taj, as its name implies, is a small building similar to the Taj Mahal in design. It is also often described as the ‘Jewel Box’. The complex is small and it doesn’t take long to look around but its well worth a visit as the tomb is gorgeous and its almost completely devoid of tourists. Also on the east bank is Mehtab Bagh so you could combine these in to one visit.

3. Fatehpur Sikri

Fatehpur Sikri is also worth a visit – however it is a big monument outside of Agra itself so you will need most of a day to visit. Fatehpur Sikri was actually a city built during the second half of the 16th century and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It contains one of the largest mosques in India.

There are guides waiting to take you around the complex for a fee. We found the guide relatively informative but the tour was very rushed and we were only taken around the main part of the complex. We learnt just as much about the city from our Lonely Planet guide and doing some exploring on our own meant we saw some interesting things not mentioned by the guide such as an elephant tusk tower!

Erika xx

Visiting the Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal is one of the new seven wonders of the world – and rightly so! This stunning building is a magical place to visit and should definitely be on your India itinerary. Many travelers are put off going to the Taj Mahal due to the hordes of crowds and the long queue – I will explain the best way to visit so you enjoy your experience (although I can’t magic away all the crowds for you).

Spectacular details on the walls of the Taj Mahal

Top Tips for the Taj Mahal:

GO EARLY. I cannot stress this enough. If you want to enjoy your time at a place as famous as the Taj Mahal you need to make sure that you are there when the crowds are lightest. Most tourists cannot be bothered to get up early while on holiday – you can benefit from their laziness. Many tourists also day-trip to Agra so you want to get there before all the tourist buses arrive. Having said that – even if you start queueing at 6:30am like we did there will still be a long queue. The Taj Mahal is busy day in day out all year round.

Take a look at how few people you can see in this picture

2. See the sunset view from the other side. Across the river Yamuna from the Taj Mahal is a park called Mehtab Bagh (Moonlight Garden). This is a serene place to watch the sunset and get another picture perfect view of the Taj Mahal. Take a picnic along and get comfortable while laughing at all the people jostling for space in the Taj Mahal complex. A cycle rickshaw including waiting time should be about maximum 400 INR return to the Taj.

Where to stay:

We stayed in The Coral House Homestay – a beautiful guesthouse very close to the eastern gate of the Taj Mahal. We were able to walk to the Taj Mahal very early in the morning and then return to the guesthouse for breakfast once we were finished. The house had a beautiful garden and had a very restful feel.

However, we don’t recommend eating dinner here – this was an optional extra and we found it overpriced.

Getting there and away:

To get to Agra, we took an overnight train to Agra Fort Station from Umaria (the closest station to Bandhavgarh National Park where we saw tigers). This took almost 14 hours.

We left Agra by train from Agra Fort Station to Jaipur (4 hour journey).

Many people would take the train to Agra from Delhi – this is 3 hour journey.

Getting around:

As in the rest of India, rickshaws are the best way to get around. The train station has pre-paid autorickshaws with prices displayed on charts. This will give you a good guide to help with haggling for trips around the city.

Food:

We didn’t really eat much while in Agra as we were still full from days of overeating amazing food at our resort in Bandhavgarh National Park.

What to bring:

Take as little as possible into the Taj as many items are restricted and this list seems to change on a whim. Key to remember is no tripods or food items are permitted.

What to expect:

Purchase your tickets from the ticket office close to the gate – the office opens at 6:30am.
The security line to enter the Taj Mahal is divided into men’s and women’s lines. So, if travelling as a couple don’t expect to be able to pop off to grab a coffee and leave your partner in line (as I was hoping to do – I hate having to survive 6am sightseeing without coffee).
Your ticket includes shoe covers and a bottle of water – you will need the shoe covers once you get inside to protect the marble.
The Taj Mahal opens at sunrise. There will already be a long queue by then but the line moves fast once the gate opens.
Expect to be blown away by the beauty of the Taj Mahal!

While you are in Agra visiting the Taj Mahal, check out some of the other great spots worth seeing in Agra such as the Agra Fort, The Baby Taj and Fatehpur Sikri.

Erika xx

Visiting Bandhavgarh Tiger Sanctuary

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Seeing wild tigers in India is a once in a lifetime experience and definitely something to tick off your bucket list. I was incredibly lucky during my visit and got within 5 metres of one of these majestic creatures, seeing 4 females in total.

Another great reason to visit a National Park is that India is EXHAUSTING. The cities are hectic and dirty and chaotic and hot. For me, heading into rural India to a national park was a great way to escape, recharge and relax. For this reason we also chose to spend more than we usually would and stay in a luxury resort (still waaay cheaper than you would pay elsewhere).

DO NOT MISS GOING TO ONE (OR MORE) OF THE NATIONAL PARKS WHILE IN INDIA.

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Top Tips for Bandhavgarh:

Book your Safari drives waaaay in advance. The best zone to be in is Tala. Other zones have good periods and bad but Tala is consistent and accordingly is the most popular zone.
Book your own vehicle if possible. Shared vehicles have 6 tourists in them so you will be packed in. Its well worth the slight extra cost for the comfort; being able to move around the park at your own pace; and control your own noise levels (without having to stop for others to take that 100th photo of a deer or deal with someone else’s loud children). I understand if its not affordable but you won’t save much money sharing a ride if you are a group of 2-3. Sharing may be worth considering if you are alone and on a strict budget.
Allow enough time. Don’t travel to rural India to go to a National Park just to do one drive into the park. Remember these are wild animals – you may not see any! Allow a minimum of 3 safari drives and you will hopefully get lucky. If you want to be sure (as sure as you can be!) allow a week.

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We did 5 Safari drives over 3 days. 1 of these was in the Magadhi Zone (afternoon drive). We saw no tigers here but did come across an even rarer wildcat. We had 4 drives in the Tala Zone (2 morning and 2 afternoon) and spotted tigers on every drive. All safari drives were in our own vehicle with the same driver/guide.

Where to stay:

We stayed at Tigergarh resort and can absolutely recommend it.

They organised all our drives for us; made us amazing food everyday (of which there was way too much), the rooms were comfortable and the staff were super friendly.

We were the only guests when we stayed there (which was a little weird) but the resort tends to receive mostly only local guests and it wasn’t a holiday time.

Getting there and away:

The best way to get to Bandhavgarh is by Train to Umaria. We took an overnight train (definitely the best way to get around in India) from Varanasi: you can read about our trip here. It took 11 hours to get to Umaria from Varanasi. We left Umaria by train to Agra (this journey took almost 14 hours).

We booked pickup from the train station in Umaria through our resort. This cost 1,200 INR (one way).

Getting around:

You probably don’t need to go anywhere but the resort and the park – your resort will drive you here. We needed a pharmacy and to buy some dust masks during our time here and our driver happily stopped for us at the small town to purchase these items on our way back to the resort after a safari drive.

What to bring:

Warm clothes in layers so you can remove them as you warm up (the morning drives are absolutely freezing)
Dark, plain clothing (no bright colours as this can startle the animals)
Dust masks (it’s great to have this or at least a scarf to cover your face)
A neck pillow to sit on: the rides are BUMPY
A great camera to capture it all!

What to expect:

Expect to spend hours driving around a national park: it’s not all tiger sightings. But – enjoy the experience of straining your eyes to see them in the undergrowth and yet always having the guide spot everything first.

Expect to get up at a ridiculous hour for those morning drives – it’s worth it! Tigers are more active in the early mornings.

Expect to be exhausted between drives – you will go to sleep early and probably nap between drives also. You won’t need other activities to keep you occupied – although there is a pool at the resort if you do need something to do after lunch!

Expect to learn some amazing things about tigers and be wowed at the sight of one of these creatures in the wild along with the multitude of other animals you will come across in the park.

GO!

Erika xx

How to: Purchase a Sari in India (from a foreigner that has no idea what she is doing)

Although I had no idea what I was doing I do feel like I was relatively successful in my purchase – so I have developed this guide to buying a Sari in India on a whim. Obviously if you have a local friend how can help or you already know what you are doing then this guide is not for you..

Step 1: Get an idea of pricing – the best idea is to walk into a few shops and get an idea for the price of different materials before you buy. Each shop should have sections for each price range and you can feel the materials and get a good idea of what each should cost before purchasing.

Note on my own experience: This is absolutely not what I did. I walked into one store in which the sales assistants asked me a general budget and started pulling out millions of fabrics to show me and threw them over me to show me how I looked. I fell in love with this one. I do however feel like I managed to get a relatively good deal but I got lucky and should have done some research first.

Step 2: Choose a store away from the main streets (one that a tourist would be unlikely to stumble upon) and purchase from there. You still may get a tourist savvy shop assistant but you are more likely to come across a store that locals shop at with good quality saris.

Note on my own experience: I walked into a store down an alleyway and up a back staircase. There were 5 indian women shopping in there at the time which I took as a good sign and the cheapest saris started from a very low price so I felt i was getting a good deal with my mid-range sari (the material felt fantastic anyway!).

Step 3: Your sari is just a piece of material: Find a tailor and agree on a cheap price to create a bodice (choli) and petticoat (parkar). Yes you do need both of these. The bodice will be made out of some of the material from your sari. Choose a petticoat with a tie waist. The tailor will likely charge you a higher price than you agreed on anyway so make sure to haggle – however bear in mind that they are creating a garment from scratch for you so don’t haggle them down too low just to get a bargain.

Note on my own experience: The price we agreed on was raised when the tailor added extra touches that we hadn’t agreed on like beads on the end of the strings tying the bodice together and intricate stitching. Sometimes it’s easier not to argue and the tailor did get the garment done in 24 hours for me even though it was a public holiday.

Step 4: Wear your sari out! Find someone to help you tie it (even if you look at tutorials from the internet you will likely still get it wrong). Essentially you fold layers of the material and then tuck it into your petticoat; then throw the remainder over your shoulder. You may need some pins to keep it there. You will get lots of stares but its all positive trust me: enjoy embracing the Indian culture!

Note on my own experience: The manager of the guest house I was staying at helped me tie my sari after she saw me about to leave in it and realised the way I had tied it wasn’t entirely correct.

I am waiting for any excuse to wear my Sari again – it’s a wonderful item to bring home from India.

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