Anthony’s India Bucket List: The Best Places & Experiences

We started our first day on Monday; it was an early start after a long day of travelling the day before. We had breakfast at the hotel and met with our tour guide, MK, who explained our plans for the day and ensured we were all comfortable. We were provided with Wendy Wu drinking bottles to top up with fresh bottled water upon request.

Our first stop on the bus tour was the Jama Masjid Mosque. Our tour guide explained everything about the Mosque, including that it was built between 1644 and 1658.

After this, we had free time to explore and take pictures. Then, we went on a rickshaw ride around the local streets, where we saw the living conditions and experienced the hectic traffic.

After that, we proceeded to the India Gate, which is a memorial for the 90,000 soldiers who died during WWI. We walked through some local stalls and had a briefing about the gate, including when it was built. We then had some free time to take pictures. The locals were kind; they wanted to take a few photos with us and were genuinely happy to have us in their country.

We returned to the bus and drove by the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the president's residence. Unfortunately, you are not allowed to enter the grounds, so while we were driving by, MK told us about the president and the building.

We then went for lunch at a local restaurant, which was a three-course meal. All the food was spectacular, not overly spiced but rich with flavour. Qutab Minar monument was the last stop on the day tour before we returned to the hotel for some free time to end the night.

The bus to Jaipur was around 5 hours. The views were impressive along the way, and we saw a lot of country life. There were many cows, dogs and a few monkeys along the way, just relaxing in the streets and on the road.

After arriving in Jaipur, we headed straight for our second hotel, the Ramada Jaipur Hotel, where we had lunch and checked in. After lunch, we moved to Hawa Mahal (Palace of the Winds), Jantar Mantar Observatory, and Maharaja's City Palace.

We had a quick trip through the markets, which was very intense, before travelling to a family's home, where they invited us into their house, cooked us some traditional Indian food, and provided some entertainment. They were just so happy to have us there and seemed to be proud of their home, which was beautiful.

We started the day by visiting Amber Fort. We had to stop at the very bottom of the hill and get jeeps to the top! After we got to the top, we were escorted into Amber Fort. MK gave a full explanation again; each time around, he would explain the specific part of Amber Fort we were in and give us free time to explore, take pictures, and then move on.

After Amber Fort, we visited a traditional print and carpet-making workshop. They showed us how they make every single print and even how to make carpets by hand! It was incredible. We went to a local restaurant with food and live entertainment for our evening meal.

We started the day with breakfast before our bus journey to Ranthambore National Park, where we had dinner on arrival.

We then drove into the forest to try and find the tigers. On the drive into the forest, we spotted monkeys sitting around and in the trees, lots of spotted deer, and some sambar. As time passed, we didn't think we would see any tigers. Still, the ranger was excellent, always on the lookout and listening for anything to help find a tiger. After more travelling, we spotted some footprints that belonged to a tiger and found one relaxing on the road. Then, we came across a second tiger not long after!

We then returned for the evening at the Sher Garh Resort, a hotel/luxury tent resort.

The morning, we were up early for sunrise and out on the canters again to go tiger spotting. Unfortunately, we never spotted any this morning. However, being out in the wild with the sun rising was still beautiful.

We had breakfast on the go and set off on a 5-hour journey to Agra. On the journey, we passed a man riding an elephant, so we pulled over to take photos and stroke the elephant!

Upon arriving in Agra, we visited Fatehpur Sikri before having a rooftop dinner with incredible views of the Taj Mahal.

Then, we had a tuck-tuck ride to the famous Marbel shop, where they briefly introduced the company and how they make Marbel.

Today started with an extremely early wake-up call of 4:20 a.m., as we headed to the Taj Mahal to see the sunrise. Our tour guide planned a photographer to take our photos at Princess Diana's bench. MK told us about the Taj Mahal and gave us some free time to wander around and take pictures.

After breakfast, we went to the Agra Fort, where you could see the Taj Mahal.

We then had dinner and proceeded with our journey back to Delhi for the flight home.

Upon arriving in Delhi, we checked into a hotel to refresh and grab dinner. We met our tour guide's boss, who came and introduced himself, asked how everything was, and wanted honest feedback. We couldn't say a bad word as the tour was amazing and we couldn't fault it in any way. The whole itinerary, from start to finish, was amazing and planned out incredibly well, allowing us to see so much in such a short space of time.

WHO WOULD THIS TYPE OF TRIP BE SUITED TO?

People with bucket lists, explorers, any age category, and people who

love culture, history and architecture.

FAVOURITE HOTEL VISITED?

My favourite hotel was the Sher Garh Resort in Ranthambore. It was beautiful and it felt so good to be in a quiet location surrounded by nature.

BEST EXPERIENCE FROM THE TRIP?

Honestly, I couldn't pick just one best experience of the trip, as everything was such a highlight and a beyond-life-changing experience. You saw so many different ways of living while you were there.

Favourite Restaurant Visited:

The food in the hotels we stayed at was spectacular. As someone very worried about spice and can't handle it well, I was surprised that it wasn't overdone with spices. It was more about the flavour and ensuring you could truly enjoy the food.

AIRLINE COMMENTS:

Air France was fine! The seats are comfortable, but I suggest extra legroom for tall people or those with restless legs. The food was tasty, and there were vegetarian options.

General Comments and Tips:

The country is significantly different from the UK. The driving is insane. For example, they use their horns as their indicators. They drive however they like, even on the other side of the motorway.