Traveling to India for only 8 days might seem like it’s too far to go, maybe, it’s even a little crazy to travel across the world for such a limited amount of time. But as travelers we take what we can get and make the most of our sightseeing opportunities. Since my husband had some business to attend to in Chennai, we combined his business trip with a vacation.
We booked a short flight from Chennai to Jaipur, one of the three cities that form India’s Golden Triangle. Once in Jaipur, we hired a local driver and he stayed with us throughout our road trip from Jaipur to Agra and Delhi.
At various sites, we hired local guides to get the most out of our visits. We find that having a knowledgeable guide is always helpful to better understand what you’re looking at and to get insights about historical facts related to the monuments that we are visiting. Guides also know the best photo spots and where to find the good toilets!
Jaipur
Aside from the Taj Mahal in Agra, Jaipur, the capital of the state of Rajasthan, was my favorite city. It’s also known as the Pink City because of its pink buildings.
We started our visit on the outskirts of town where we visited a stepwell on our way to the iconic Amber Fort. The well fills up with the rains and the water level raises accordingly but when the water level goes down, people can easily get down to the water by using the staircases built into the walls. Stepwells serve as reservoirs for the locals and it’s where they go to get water (some even swim in it!).
Nearby, we also visited a small Hindu temple where we saw a 100-year-old monk tending to the temple just like he had been doing for decades.
Amber Fort
The Amber Fort Complex is a must-see attraction in Jaipur. This 16th century hilltop fortress is made of red sandstone and marble. It’s stunning and we got spectacular vistas from this raised vantage point.
We loved the intricate carvings, delicate stone inlays, glass mosaics and mirror work. Our guide told us exactly where to stand for a good picture of our reflection.
There’s no need to take an elephant ride up the hill since it’s possible to drive up. Jeeps and taxis are readily available. If you can, avoid riding the elephants. It’s not good for their backs and imagine having to carry tourists all day and then walk home in the scorching heat. It’s cruel. At least, new laws were put in place to protect the elephants and mahouts aren’t allowed to work them all day anymore. There’s a limit of 4 rides per day and none after 10:30 am because it gets too hot. So before riding them, keep those facts in mind.
Jal Mahal (The Water Palace)
After our visit to the Amber Fort we headed back to Jaipur. On the way we stopped at the Jal Mahal, also known as “The Water Palace“. It sits in the middle of the Man Sagar Lake making it a picture-perfect opportunity. Here, a local family asked us to be in a photo with their kids. I guess we looked unusual to them, so we agreed. We had experienced something similar 20 years ago in China and always kept fond memories of these encounters.
Hawa Mahal (The Wind Palace)
The Hawa Mahal is one of the most recognizable buildings in Jaipur’s Old Town. The palace’s intricately carved facade is exquisite. A visit inside will clearly demonstrate why it’s dubbed “The Wind Palace”. There’s a constant breeze, which is welcome in the heat of the day. From the top floor we got a bird’s eye view of the Pink City and of the action below.
City Palace Complex
Nearby, there is the City Palace Complex, which is the perfect place to observe artisans at work or to purchase artifacts and souvenirs. We spent our time observing a skilled artist at work on miniature paintings. 
He explained how he created these paintings by using miniature brushes made out of squirrel’s tail hair. For some of the finer details, he uses a single hair! He also told us that the hairs came from squirrels that had died of natural causes. As a thank you note for our time, he gave us a signed memento.
Jantar Mantar
We were impressed by the City’s Palace Observatory, the Jantar Mantar, which was built by Raja Jai Singh II, a master of astronomy. The level of precision of the instruments is phenomenal. The giant sundial has an accuracy of 2 seconds with the local time. Outstanding, considering it was built in the 18th century. Each astrological sign has an instrument dedicated to it and we had fun finding ours.
Agra
On our way to Agra we decided to stop at the old city of Fatehpur Sikri, a UNESCO site, but it proved to be a big disappointment. Access was difficult and the level of filth surrounding the site was a real shame! Add to that all the aggressive wannabe guides that kept harassing us and the whole experience left an unfortunate negative perception of what could surely be a wonderful site to visit. Even after braving all these things, we were turned away because of short pants! A sign at the parking lot would have been helpful.
Rather than brave the mobs again we ended up skipping this site and continued on to Agra for our visit of the world-renown Taj Mahal, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World!
Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal was built out of love by the emperor Shaw Jahan as a memorial for his favorite wife. It took approximately two decades to build with a workforce of more than 20,000 men. The monument is exquisite with beautiful marble carvings and intricate semi-precious stone inlays. At the heart of the manicured garden, where the four water channels intersect, there’s the Lotus Pool.
Notice that it is in direct alignment with the gateway and the tomb. We visited twice: at sundown and at sunrise. Both were beautiful! The hues of the Taj Mahal change with the time of day. Getting-up at 4 am was definitely worth it to experience the Taj Mahal in the softer light of the early hours. It was also cooler and much less crowded.
To get the most of our visit, we hired a knowledgeable local guide and it was worth it. We appreciated his explanations and the stories about the history of the Taj Mahal. He also knew the best spots for photo-ops, and he took good photos of us.
Visiting the iconic Taj Mahal was an incredible experience. It’s a work of art in the name of love!
Agra Fort
While in Agra we skipped visiting the Agra Fort because we were told that the Red Fort in Delhi was very similar. This proved to be a mistake. Had we done our research beforehand we would have known that it’s a UNESCO site and unlike the Red Fort in Delhi it was built by three emperors instead of one and that it’s in a better state of preservation.
Delhi
We were then off to Delhi, the final leg of our Indian Golden Triangle road trip. We couldn’t help but notice the slums next to garbage dumps as we approached this megalopolis. Delhi is the second most populous city in India (Mumbai is the first) with a population of almost 19 million!
Delhi is one of those places where you’ll be confronted with extreme poverty. It’s a shock to the senses for those of us that aren’t used to seeing such a large gap between the poor and the rich. Nevertheless, we were here for a few days and wanted to see as much as we could. But the heat was starting to get to us.
Red Fort
Our first stop was to the Red Fort in Old Delhi. This 17th-century fortress is impressive even though it’s not in a great state of preservation. In its time of glory, it was the residence of Mughal emperors.
We hired a local licensed guide to enhance our visit, but it was very crowded, and we felt out-of-place. Even with a guide some locals (mostly young men) were staring at us in a way that made us feel uncomfortable. We were told that these were just people from the rural areas that were curious, but to us their looks conveyed more anger or distrust which made us feel uneasy.
We skipped walking around the Chandhi Chowk area and going to the market because of the heat and humidity (46°C /115°F). It was time for a dip in the hotel’s pool.
For our second day in Delhi we opted to visit attractions south of the India Gate in Central and South Delhi.
Qutb Minar Complex
Our first stop was to the Qutb Minar Complex, site of Delhi’s oldest mosque. The main highlight is the Qutb Minar Minaret. It’s 236 feet tall (72 m) making it the tallest brick minaret in existence. The Iron Pillar is another highlight and somehow it has remained rust free for 1500 years!
Humayun’s Tomb
Our next visit was to Humayun’s Tomb, which is a huge mausoleum and according to our guide, a predecessor to the famed Taj Mahal. The layout is similar, but the decorations are more modest. The garden is an oasis where one can take a break from the hustle and bustle of Delhi just outside of the gates.
Sheikh Temple
Our guide also took us to a working Sheikh Temple where they feed 20,000 people per day. 
The long line of people waiting and seeing the kitchen in action was impressive and again made us feel grateful for the abundance we take for granted. We spoke to one of the elders at the temple who told us that the kitchen is all run by volunteers, many of them very wealthy. Yet, here they are giving back to the less fortunate.
Having removed our shoes and covered our heads with scarves we were ready to go visit the temple. There was a small pool only few inches deep and everyone (us included) had to walk through this water to clean their feet. Our reaction in seeing this brown water was much the opposite and we were afraid of what we might catch. Just as we walked through, we looked back and saw an elderly man scooping up the water with his hand and drinking it! Our guide noticed our incredulity and smiled explaining that it was a test of faith!
Conclusion
After a brief stop at the Presidential Palace and the India Gate, our India adventure came to an end and we were left with mixed emotions. As we discussed our experiences, we could not help but feel how we were confronted by so many extremes, and so many contradictions throughout our journey. Some say that India will change you, perhaps it has done so.
Make sure to read my other posts about India:
- Places to See in South Mumbai (Bombay), India
- Elephanta Island, the Perfect Day Trip from Mumbai
- Kerala Backwaters Houseboat Cruise
- A Day of Sightseeing in Kochi, India
- Exploring Chennai and Environs in India
- Local Delicacies to Eat in India