My wife, Laura Gable, a luxury travel advisor, has visited prime destinations all over the world…read more She had been to India twice before and had an opportunity to join a group with Greaves Travel, a tour operator and destination management company she had used in the past. It would be my first visit there and became one of the finest tours I've enjoyed anywhere, with a comprehensive itinerary, skilled guides, well-orchestrated arrangements, and variety of experiences during visits to five cities.
Instant impression: a mystical country. Wonderful people of faith. Hindu, Muslim, Sikh. Interesting to learn more from our knowledgeable Greaves guides about the faiths, histories of the comings and goings of the princes and different invaders from Afghanistan, Iran and elsewhere.
The itinerary enabled us to marvel at the many contrasts, from utter chaos in the streets with scooters, cyclos, trucks, cars forging ahead, horns honking, to the serenity of the temples, mosques and parks, and the best hotels in the world.
Visited different temples. Famous tombs and mosques. Taj Mahal is magnificent. Impressive major cities. Mumbai, Udaipur, Jaipur, New Delhi. The latter is inspiring as a capital, with wide avenues, a mall near the governmental offices like Washington DC, traffic like NYC or Tokyo during rush hour. Booming tech center in a neighboring state near the airport; call center headquarters for companies from all over the world.
Had meals in a family home, on an island with a prince, in a UNESCO recognized restored boutique hotel tucked on a side street away from the cacophony of Old Delhi thoroughfares and street merchants. From six to ten dishes to try at most meals, with varying degrees of spiciness. Found exceptional values in jewelry and custom-made clothes in Jaipur. And enjoyed a three-star Chinese restaurant in New Delhi.
Rode a camel at one hotel. Invited to join an engagement party at another, with Laura and a few others being coaxed onto the stage with the prospective bride and groom. Indians wanted us to join their events and to pose with members of our group. This happened wherever we went.
Now sorting through an incredible array of memorable photos of monuments, street scenes, rickshaw rides, dinners at lakeside in a five-star Oberoi hotel, the hand laundry phenomenon in Mumbai (Dhobi Ghat, with row upon row of concrete wash pens) and more. Two favorites: morning at the Taj Mahal during a sunrise visit to beat the crowds and watch the lighting change on the dome; and a lively street scene in New Delhi.
Highly recommended using Greaves for anyone wanting to go beyond the ordinary and expand their cultural, social, artistic, gastronomic and spiritual horizons in this amazing country of 1.3 billion.