Highlight Photos
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Purana Quila entrance – Delhi -
Red Fort Main Gate – Delhi -
On the streets of Old Delhi -
Humayun’s Tomb – Delhi -
Gurudwara Sri Bangla Sahib – Delhi -
Lotus Temple – Delhi -
Famous Qutub Minar -
Indian countryside -
Bhangarh, the haunted fort -
Displaying peacock -
Hawa Mahal – Jaipur -
Amber Fort, Jaipur – Ganesh Pol Gate -
Jaipur and Amber Fort -
Gaitor Ki Chhatriyan – Jaipur -
Ranthambore Fort climb -
Scenic island in Ranthambore NP -
One of the two tigers we saw -
Chand Baori Stepwell -
Keoladeo Park View -
Fatehpur Sikri interior pond -
Owls near our accomodation -
Sarus cranes, yay! -
One of the hundreds of gharials -
Very rare Indian Skimmer -
Agra Fort -
Detail in Baby Taj -
Baby Taj – quite cute -
THE Taj Mahal from across the river -
Classic view of Taj Mahal -
Akbar’s Tomb entrance -
Akbar’s Tomb -
Sunder Nursery, Delhi ruin
Highlights Map
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Our first long trip of the year is a doozy, a trip that we avoided for years. India is a huge country and we never could decide what to visit and how to even start planning. But after making the decision to focus on a specific area surrounding New Delhi the route almost suggested itself with what seemed to be a good mix between nature and culture. And then we had to find a driver, no self driving is really possible as even major car rental companies will rent with driver only. And the hotels and safaris, a lot more effort went into booking and finding them given that many required bank transfers instead of credit cards.
But with everything booked the trip went almost without a hitch with beautiful natural areas and spectacular Mughal architecture. The food was quite varied and good and most locations were able to adjust the food to our level of desired spiciness. The people were friendly with the major and very annoying exception of the touts, guides, security staff and beggars at the major tourists attractions that would do anything in their power to somehow get some money out of you harassing and following you which disrupted our enjoyment at more than one location. Overall we are planning to return but to a different area probably in the south next time.
To learn more click on the Links below or Markers on the map above to go directly to a specific part of our trip and follow our visit to the land of contrasts, India.
- Arriving in Delhi and our first night in India
We arrive in Delhi late in the evening and spend the following morning enjoying the beautiful views and many birds from our balcony - Purana Qila, the Old Fort
Our first stop is in tranquil Purana Qila or the Old Fort where some of the earliest Mughal defenses in Delhi were built - Raj Ghat, the Gandhi memorial
Before the Red Fort we stop at Raj Ghat the place where Gandhi was cremated which is now a memorial visited by Indians and foreigners alike - Red Fort, the main residence of Mughal emperors
The Red Fort was the capital of the Mughal Empire for over 200 years and the pride of the empire before being sacked by both Iranians and British - Sri Digambar Jain Temple with the Bird Hospital
Sri Digambar is a beautiful Jain Temple with intricate decorations that also has a large Bird Hospital that can be visited - Chandni Chowk, the Moonlight Bazaar
We spend an hour walking through the downtown area from the Red Fort to Fatehpuri Masjid and back through the largest crowds of people we have seen - Agrasen ki Baoli, the beautiful stepwell
The last stop of the day is at Agrasen ki Baoli a beautiful stepwell before eating dinner and retiring after a full day of exploring - The spectacular Lodi Garden
Lodi Garden is a famous garden for birding and walking with ancient ruins seemingly everywhere and free to enter - Humayun’s Tomb, worthwhile and spectacular
Humayun’s Tomb is an Unesco World Heritage Site protecting the beautiful tomb of one of the most famous Mughal emperors - Gurdwara Bangla Sahib, our first Sikh Temple
Gurdwara Bangla Sahib is the first Sikh temple we visit and it is an impressive sight especially when viewed over the pool - India Gate, a famous location
Last stop of the day is India Gate a monumental memorial to the Indian dead in World War 1 - Lotus Temple, a Baha’i Temple
On our way to Sariska we stop at the Lotus Temple one of the 13 Baha’i temples in the world and the only one in Asia - Qutub Minar, an impressive complex
Our major stop today is at Qutub Minar a beautiful World Heritage Site with a famous minaret and a rust resistant Iron Pillar - Drive to Prime Neelkanth, our lakeside stay
The drive to Sariska area is quite interesting both on highways and country roads arriving at our lodge overlooking an almost dry lake - Birdwatching Tour near Sariska
With a bit of difficulty we arrange a birdwatching tour near Sariska exploring the forest and a small lake with a local guide - Neelkanth Temple Complex
During our birdwatching trip we stop also at Neelkanth Temple complex which is comprised of multiple temples most of them destroyed centuries ago - Bhangarh, the haunted castle
Our last attraction for today is Bhangarh which is locally known as the haunted castle and cannot be visited at night due to ghosts - Morning Sariska Safari
Our first safari in India starts at a very early hour from Sariska Tehla Gate looking for tigers and other mammals - Hawa Mahal, the Palace of Winds
The Palace of the Winds has a beautifully intricate exterior and was used by the royal ladies to observe the streets without being seen - Jantar Mantar, an ancient observatory
Jantar Mantar was built in the 18th century and is an impressive assembly of stone-built astronomical instruments - The City Palace, the home of Jaipur Maharajahs
We end the day at the City Palace the former and current home of Jaipur maharajahs and opened partially now as a museum - Amer Stepwell, a special location
We start the day with a short visit at Amer Stepwell a beautiful stepwell next to the Amber Palace - Amber Fort, the most famous of Jaipur forts
The major stop for today is Amber Fort a Unesco WHS which was for 150 years the residence of the local rulers - Jaigarh Fort, the protector of Amber Fort
From Amber Fort we climb using the wall to Jaigarh Fort which is possibly off limits due to a wedding forcing us to get an undesired guide - Jal Mahal, the lake palace
We stop shortly at Jal Mahal a palace built in the middle of the lake and inaccesible to tourists now and explore the lake for a short while - Gaitore Ki Chhatriyan, the Royal Crematory
Gaitore Ki Chhatriyan is the royal crematorium grounds and worth a visit due to its serene setting and beautiful buildings - Albert Hall Museum
Late afternoon we visit Albert Hall Museum which is quite popular followed late in the evening by a major temple near our accomodation - Birding in Bagh Dwar Camp
Arriving from Jaipur we spend part of the afternoon and evening exploring the gardens of our accomodation - Ranthambore Fort, in the middle of tigers
Ranthambore Fort is the one place you can go without a permit so that is our goal today for a nice cultural visit with some birdwatching by the side - Ranthambore Zone 3 safari with no tigers in sight
The first safari of the day is to Ranthambore Zone 3 with no luck in our quest for tigers but with some beautiful views and interesting birds and mammals - Ranthambore Museum of Natural History
Between our safaris we visit the Museum of Natural History which is a hidden gem not visited by many white tourists - Finally tigers in Ranthambore Zone 2
On our second and last safari in Ranthambore we finally get lucky and see tigers, even two of them, in Zone 2 - Tribal Women Crafts Center in Ranthambore
Before leaving Ranthambore we are taken to a shop managed by women that were pushed out of the National Park at its creation - Famous Chand Baori Stepwell
The one stop we have planned today is at the beautiful and famous Chand Baori Stepwell one of the deepest in Rajasthan - A night in Bharatpur, more complex than it should be
We arrive in the late afternoon in Bharatpur and enjoy an evening on our balcony and a dinner at the hotel restaurant - Birding Keoladeo National Park up to the end
We start the morning exploring Keoladeo National Park on a four mile hike to the end of the road walking on dikes and seeing hundreds of birds - Returning the long way to the parking lot
We return on a longer and less touristy road after seeing owls and other interesting birds at the ponds at the end of the road - Fatehpur Sikri, the abandoned palace
Fatehpur Sikri was built to be the capital of the Mughal Empire by Akbar but was abandoned after 30 years of work - Exploring the grounds of Chambal Safari Lodge
We arrive early afternoon at Chambal Safari Lodge and have time for an afternoon and evening walk on the grounds seeing beautiful birds and civets - Looking for Sarus cranes in the Chambal
We have booked two safari trips with our lodging with the first one focused on sarus cranes that we easily see with many other special birds - Chambal River Cruise – in the land of the dacoits
In the afternoon we take a three hour cruise on the Chambal river looking for dolphins, gharials and birds especially the rare Indian Skimmer - Last day exploring Chambal Safari Lodge
We spend the morning exploring the grounds and finding cool birds and mammals until we have to check out and drive to Agra - Agra Fort, the capital of the Mughals for a century
First place we visit in Agra is the Agra Fort an Unesco World Heritage Site and the center of power for the Mughal Empire for about a century - Itmad-ud-Daula, the Baby Taj
After Agra Fort the next stop is at the beautiful Itmad-ud-Daula mausoleum or Baby Taj which is smaller but more decorated compared to the Taj Mahal - Mehtab Bagh, the Taj Gardens
We end the day at Mehtab Bagh, the Taj Mahal Gardens, with a beautiful view of the Taj over the Yamuna river - Taj Mahal, the world’s most famous mausoleum
Taj Mahal a popular and beautiful site is one of the new Wonders of the World and a Unesco WHS so it was a must see during our Agra visit - Akbar’s Tomb, a hidden jewel in Agra
In the afternoon we drive to Akbar’s Tomb a hidden jewel that few tourists bother visiting even though it is in our opinion one of the best places in Agra - Buying Inlayed Marble in Agra
Our driver takes us to the Marble Emporium where we explore the beautiful art and even buy a thing or two - Back to Delhi Metro and the Ambience Mall
Today is a relatively short return trip stopping in Gurugram for our last night and exploring the nearby Ambience Mall in the evening - Sulabh International Museum Of Toilets
We start our last day with an interesting visit to the unusual International Museum of Toilets near the airport - Sunder Nursery, a surprising park
Sunder Nursery a relatively new addition to the string of parks in Delhi is worth visiting due to the mix of architectural and natural wonders - Ambience Mall and back to the US
Before we leave we have to spend a few hours somewhere and we choose the Ambience Mall near the airport which is quite similar to malls in the US