The cities of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, form the ‘Golden Triangle’ which is one of India’s most popular tourist routes. Our Social Media gal Alicia shares her experience exploring the Golden Triangle with G Adventures in this four-part series, and why this journey is one not to be missed:
India has always been on my bucket list and it’s been my dream to stand in front of the Taj Mahal ever since I was a little girl. That dream quickly became a reality when I went to India with G Adventures. Their Golden Triangle tour introduced me to three very different northern cities and the colourful rural life of Rajasthan.
I spent months reading books, blogs and inspiring stories about other people’s journey to India and prepared myself for the fact that this experience would be a very different one from my previous travel experiences.
While there are true aspects of what people told me about India (being crowded and dirty), it also has a rich and brilliant history, and is filled with spiritual places and intriguing cultural heritage everywhere you turn.
Going to India is a journey of a lifetime, but one that is truly a personal one.
I honestly felt like everyone on my tour got something different out of the experience and that’s really what makes this trip so special. I hope my videos and photos inspire you to take this trip for yourself one day. With that, let’s begin this journey shall we?
Part One: Delhi
When I arrived in Delhi I was immediately hit with the warmth of it all. I mean this in both temperature and the kindness of it’s people. After getting ourselves acclimated and meeting our CEO (Chief Experience Officer), we headed out to see the sights. We made our way onto the subway to Old Delhi where I was pleased to find a ‘women only’ subway car. Although you’re welcome to take the public cars, ladies I recommend taking this one mainly to admire all the amazing outfits worn by women in India. I cannot get over how beautiful the women of India are with their colourful saris and long beautiful locks.
After learning about Seekhism and spending some time in the kitchen making Naan bread with the locals, we continued our way through Old Delhi.
We took cycle rickshaws through the chaotic traffic filled with buses, tuk-tuks, animals and people of all shapes and sizes maneuvering flawlessly past us. It amazes me that no one stays in the proper traffic lanes, but somehow the system just works.
Our CEO guide Abhi explains that you need three things when driving in India: A good horn, good breaks, and good luck!
I couldn’t agree more.
After making our way over to New Delhi, we visited The Red Fort, Jama Masjid, (the largest mosque in Asia) and Raj Ghat, the memorial to Mahatma Gandhi. It is somewhere I have wanted to go for quite some time and definitely did not disappoint. It is both beautiful and spiritual, and tributes an extraordinary person.
I left Delhi behind having taken away the impressive historical monuments and the frenzied energy that would carry me through the rest of my adventure.
Next stop: Agra
Looking for more information on travelling to India or with G Adventures? Contact a Flight Centre Travel Consultant at 1-877-967-5302.
