Colours and culture in beautiful India

On their website, Riviera Travel state that their guided tours are made for ‘curious wanderers’ and Clare, Assistant Manager from our Ringwood branch looked forward to experiencing their style of travel as she joined the Signature Rajasthan, the Taj Mahal and Amritsar’s Golden Temple Tour. This colourful itinerary visits pink and blue cities, a golden temple and the majestic white Taj Mahal, so combine that with a crimson desert sunset across ochre dunes and the fragrant melee of a spice market and you’ll understand how this journey was a feast for the eyes.

"This destination has been on my bucket list for a long time, says Clare, “Having booked so many clients on holidays to India and hearing their feedback, I thought it sounded a beautiful and diverse country, with so many different experiences to enjoy. We flew with Virgin Atlantic, who have their own check-in at Heathrow terminal 3, which made the process very quick and easy.

TOP TIP: Even though you must pay to do so, I would recommend pre-booking your seat as flights to India are usually very full. Before I left, I had to obtain an Indian e-visa which can be done online, and you must upload a passport photo.  When I arrived in Delhi, they then took my fingerprints and issued the visa, this cost approximately $20.  

We were on a 14-night tour, we had the opportunity to stay in 8 different hotels:

Hotel Taj - the Connaught in Delhi, Taj View in Agra, Marriott in Jaipur, Hotel Clarks Safari in Pushkar, Khimsar Fort Hotel in Khimsar, ITC Welcomhotel in Jodpur, Oberoi Trident in Udaipur and the Hyatt Regency Delhi. All of these hotels were 4* plus, they all had lovely gardens, fitness facilities and pools, with peaceful public areas to relax in and friendly and accommodating staff.

Riviera Travel offer this tour as both a Classic and Signature journey - the Signature option a smaller group size (average 22 people) and includes additional immersive excursions to really get to the heart of the destination.

On arrival into Delhi, we had a guided tour of New Delhi where we saw the tallest stone tower in India, the Qutub Minar, before arriving at our hotel. The following day I took the guided tour of Old Delhi, passing India Gate and the Parliament building.  It was then onto the Jama Masjid - one of Asia’s largest mosques.  

TOP TIP: When visiting any mosques you need to cover your arms and knees.  Also, in any Sikh temples, as well as covering arms and knees, you need long trousers to cover your ankles and no leather goods can be taken in (i.e. belts, purses, wallets etc) as well as matches, lighters and tobacco.  It is a good idea to take a scarf (even men) as some temples require you to cover your hair.

Our next call was to the ‘Salaam Baalack Trust’ which is a project that helps make street children safe, taking them off the streets and providing them with a good education. We met four remarkable young people who shared their stories of being taken under the wing of the Trust as a child, and the education they have received.  From here they took us on a tuk-tuk and walking tour of the narrow alleys and thronging markets of Old Delhi, where we had lunch before departing for Agra.

The next day was my personal highlight, visiting the stunning Taj Mahal - it was even better than I had imagined.  As part of our visit Riviera had a professional photographer to take our pictures, which were printed and delivered to our coach, costing about £1 per picture.  The coach then took us on to the red sandstone 16th century Agra Fort which was once the headquarters of the Mogul Empire.

Next stop was Jaipur and in the morning we visited the Amber Fort, located in the hills.  The tour included sections reserved for the Maharaja’s wives and an amazing hall with tiny mirrors embedded in the walls and ceilings. After visiting the Jantar Mantar and open-air observatory we arrived at the City Palace with its armory and collection of fine paintings. We had a rickshaw ride with the Pink City Rickshaw Co - all women drivers who took us around lively Jaipur by night - a thrilling, busy ride!

Following breakfast, we headed to the train station to board the train for a two and a half hour journey to Ajmer.  We were booked into club class which meant we had large comfortable seats and more importantly air conditioning! On arrival we drove to Pushkar, a sacred Hindu town set on the banks of a lake, and home to the largest camel fair in the world.  Here we saw the Brahma temple, the only place in the world where it is permitted to worship Brahma, creator god of the Hindu religion.

Our next stop was the Khimsar Fort Hotel where we stayed for two nights. Nestled amongst the Khimsar sand dunes, this was an amazing place to stay - built in 1523 by the son of a Maharaja, it radiated elegance and luxury. We then took a camel cart ride over the sand dunes to see an amazing sunset and dined both evenings by candlelight on the ramparts of the fort, which was utterly beautiful.  

TOP TIP: Being India there were lots of curry dishes which the locals eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Although I love curry, I did also enjoy some more western style food that the hotels provided on occasion - you can have too much of a good thing!

We departed Khimsar and travelled to Jodhpur, the Blue City named after the colour wash of the old city buildings.  The city is dominated by the Mehrangarh Fort.

We walked through Jodhpur’s fascinating open-air clock tower market.  Here we visited MV Spice shop which was run by the wife and seven daughters of the late owner - a rare sight in such a male dominated city. Next year there is a film coming out called ‘The Spice Girls of Rajasthan’ which shows the difficulties they have faced to keep the shop running.

We left Jodhpur behind and continued to Udaipur. Here, overlooking Lake Pichola, is Rajasthan’s largest royal building, the City Palace.  In the afternoon as part of the Signature Tour we saw the royal collection of classic cars that belonged to the Maharajas of Udaipur and we also took a magical sunset cruise on the lake.

We then left Rajasthan and took a flight via Delhi to Punjab to visit Amritsar.  

TOP TIP: As we were going to one of the most religious sites in India, the security checks at the airport are very thorough, and you must read what you can and cannot take as they will confiscate anything prohibited - the rules are more stringent than most international airports so check before you go.

This is where we saw the Golden Temple where you learn all about the Sikh way of life.  The temple is a magnificent sight, and inside there are kitchens capable of feeding 6000 people per hour! These are staffed by volunteers and, in accordance with Sikh custom, anyone who wishes to can eat free of charge.

That evening, we drove to the Wagah Border with Pakistan, where the flag lowering ceremony takes place two hours before sunset every day. This flamboyant display features high-kicking marching from both the Pakistan Rangers and Indian Border Security Force and is rather amusing to watch. We flew back to Delhi for a night before flying back to London the following day.”

TOP TIP: One recommendation that really stands out for me is to do this trip as an organised tour with an expert provider such as Riviera Travel. You find out so much from the great local guides and all the logistics are taken care of for you, which is so helpful on a packed itinerary like this.

Clare’s trip not only showed her the colours of India, but also some of their most spiritual sites such as the Sikh holy city of Amritsar and the Hindu Brahma temple, as well as breathtaking architecture at Jaipur’s City Palace and the romantic Taj Mahal. As she herself summarises, “It was wonderful to see so many iconic, vibrant and cultural sights - India makes unforgettable memories.”

If you would like to know more about Riviera Travel or India please contact your local branch. You can find Clare at Ringwood.