The Taj Mahal was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in honour of the Persian princess Mumtaz Mahal, his beloved third wife, who died in 1632 while bearing their 14th child. He poured his energy into creating for her the most beautiful tomb ever built. The complex also houses the tomb of Shah Jahan himself, and the Taj’s stunning architecture has made it one of the most iconic monuments in the world. It took around 20,000 artisans and 1000 elephants twenty years to build. The white marble stone is inlaid with floral details carved from precious gems. In places, the stone is carved into delicate screens called pierce work so that visitors can see into the next chamber. All of the floors are inlaid with patterned stone, and incised painting in abstract designs adorns the ... read more

We got an early start today, probably too early, as it was still dark and foggy when we arrived at Monkey Temple. We decided to have a look anyway, as we were here, though we couldn’t see much. The place was filthy, the ground covered in monkey poop and littered with banana skins, and a lone cow wandered around. The monkey residents were just waking up, fighting savagely amongst themselves and screaming into the early morning air. We had to use a phone torch to light our way up the steps and didn’t stay long. Just as we were leaving, the call to prayers started over the loud speakers. Yep, definately time to go.... Located 10klm east of Jaipur in a town called Khania Baslaji, but only a 15 minute drive from downtown Jaipur, this series ... read more

Hariom was waiting outside for us at 8.30am this morning for another big day of sightseeing, our last in Jaipur. First stop was the City Palace. Hawa Mahal, or Palace of the Winds, which we saw the first afternoon we were here, is a wing of this palace. Still the residence of the Jaipur royal family, some wings, courtyards and gardens are open to the public. We purchased the Royal Grandeur tickets which entitled us to enter some of the reception and sitting rooms still used by the royal family. A guide is mandatory with this ticket, and security guards were everywhere, even taking the lifts with us. City Palace is a palace complex, which used to be the seat of the Maharajah of Jaipur and is made up of an impressive array of courtyards, gardens ... read more

Our flight to Jaipur waited 40 minutes on the tarmac before being given clearance to take off, though most of this time was made up during the flight, so we arrived in Jaipur almost on time. We had an airport transfer arranged with our hotel, but he wasn’t there so we found the pre paid taxi booth and organised our own. We are staying at Umaid Mahal, a heritage hotel outside the old city. It was a good choice, large rooms with marble floors, hand painted ceilings and lovely decorative touches (and a sitting room with a well stocked bar), so we’ll be very much at home here. Fascinating Jaipur, dubbed ‘The Pink City’, and Rajasthan’s capital, is the gateway to India’s most flamboyant state. In July 2019, the entire city was declared a UNESCO World ... read more

According to Trip Advisor’s Traveller’s Choice Awards, one of the largest slums in Asia has became the favourite tourist ‘experience’ for travellers to India in 2019, beating classic draws like the legendary Taj Mahal. The slum in question is Dharavi, which is located between two main suburban railway lines in the centre of Mumbai. Originally the area was a mangrove swamp inhabited by Koli fishermen. The slum was established in 1882 during the British colonial era, due to the expulsion by the colonial government of factories and residents in downtown Mumbai. Interested as I was to visit, the thought of participating in ‘slum-tourism’ didn’t sit well with me. Peering into the lives of those living in such crippling conditions made me feel uncomfortable. But, when I discovered Reality Tours and Travel, who guarantee all tour profits ... read more