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| PACKAGE OVERVIEW |
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| Travel through the country on a journey that encompasses the three glorious heritage cities of the Golden Triangle, the 'Venice of the East' and the enchantingly beautiful backwaters of 'God's Own Country', only to conclude with the 'Gateway of India'.
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| INCLUSIONS: |
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 Accommodation in the above mentioned hotels in a standard room
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All transportation as mentioned in the itinerary by air-conditioned car
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All breakfast at the hotel (buffet menu)
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All meals during your stay in the houseboat
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All arrival/departure transfers by air-conditioned car
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Elephant ride at Amer Fort
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Boat ride on Lake Pichola
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Local English speaking guide during all sightseeing tours
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All applicable hotel taxes
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All applicable transport taxes
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| ITINERARY |
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DAY 1: DELHI
Arrival in Delhi at International airport. Our representative will be there on arrival gate and will escort you to the hotel. Stay overnight at hotel.
Meals:
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DAY 2: DELHI
After breakfast, enjoy a full day city tour. Visit the Red Fort, laid out along the river Yamuna as an irregular octagon. Surrounded by a wall of about 2.4 kms in circumference, it is built of red sandstone. The Mughal ruler Shah Jahan transferred his capital from Agra to Delhi and after nine years, the fort was completed in 1648. The fort has two main entrances, the Delhi Gate and the Lahori Gate. The latter faces Chandni Chowk, the city's most crowded but diverse market. Shah Jahan also built the Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in India. Humayun's Tomb, an attractive structure, is believed to be the forerunner of the famous Taj Mahal of Agra. The most well known landmark of Delhi, Qutub Minar, is one of the earliest remains of imperial Delhi (13th century) and the tallest monument of early times. Also, pass by the India Gate, Connaught Place and the President's Palace. Stay overnight at the hotel.
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DAY 3: DELHI-AGRA BY ROAD (205 KMS/ 04 HRS)
Depart by road for Agra, the 'City of the Taj'. Agra is a city rich in monuments that reflect the delicate fusion of Islamic and Hindu styles, known as Mughal architecture. En-route, visit Sikandra, the Tomb of Akbar. Upon arrival, check into the hotel. In the evening, visit Taj Mahal by sunset - The Taj Mahal was built by the Emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. This immortal legacy with its flowing curves of marble domes and elegant minarets enchants every visitor. Stay overnight at hotel.
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DAY 4: AGRA
In the morning, visit the Agra Fort and admire the Jehangir Mahal and Khas Mahal for their grandeur, the Sheesh Mahal for its detailed mirror work and the Deewan-e-Am where the emperor met his subjects. Spend rest of the day at leisure; visit the market for shopping. Stay overnight at hotel.
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DAY 5: AGRA - FATEHPUR SIKRI - JAIPUR (259 KMS / 05 HRS BY ROAD)
After breakfast drive to Jaipur, the Pink City. En-route, visit the magnificent city of Fatehpur Sikri, built in red sandstone by Akbar the Great. It was the capital of the Mughal Empire between 1571 and 1585. Abandoned due to water problems, it is popularly known as the 'ghost city'.
Upon arrival, check into the hotel. In the evening, visit the massive Birla Temple and try to catch the 'Aarti' ceremony. Stay overnight at the hotel.
Meals:
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DAY 6: JAIPUR
In the morning enjoy an excursion to Amber Fort including an elephant/jeep ride. The fort was originally built in the 16th century by Maharaja Man Singh. It encloses within it, superb palaces and a beautiful temple in marble dedicated to the fearsome Goddess Kali. In the afternoon, visit the City Palace Museum which contains elaborate wardrobes, magnificent armory and intricate carved weapons. Close by is the observatory built in 1728 by Jai Singh II. Also, admire the Hawa Mahal (Wind Palace), from where the palace women could watch the activities of the big bazaar below, without being observed. A must-do in Jaipur is shopping - jewellery, handicrafts, clothes and the famous lakh bangles. Stay overnight at the hotel.
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DAY 7: JAIPUR TO UDAIPUR (BY FLIGHT)
After breakfast in the morning, transfer to the airport to catch a flight to Udaipur, dubbed as the "Venice of the East". Upon arrival in Udaipur, check into the hotel. Enjoy the day at leisure or take a walk through the city's streets. In the evening, take a boat ride on Lake Pichola. Stay overnight at the hotel.
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DAY 8: UDAIPUR
After breakfast, leave for a half day city tour. Visit the City Palace, a marvel of marble and granite. This is the largest palace in Rajasthan and never fails to delight one with its exquisite workmanship. The shrine of Dhuni Mata and the museum of Rana Pratap are the highlights of this complex. Sahelion-Ki-Bari, a short distance away, has four pools and delicately carved kiosks in marble. Jagdish Temple houses some imposing sculpted figures and heavily ornamented interiors. Built in the early 18th century, this is now a popular tourist spot. The Bhartiya Lok Kala Mandir and the Fatehsagar Lake are the other sights that one could catch. In the evening, take a boat ride at Lake Pichola. Stay overnight at the hotel.
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DAY 9: UDAIPUR TO COCHIN (BY FLIGHT VIA MUMBAI)
Early in the morning transfer to the airport to board the flight to Cochin via Mumbai, arrive in Cochin and transfer to the hotel. Spend rest of the day at leisure. Explore the city on your own. Stay overnight at hotel.
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DAY 10: COCHIN
After breakfast, visit the Mattancheery Dutch Palace where a series of murals painted on wooden walls are its main attraction. Also visit the 16th century Jewish Synagogue and the Church of St. Francis. Vasco da Gama was originally buried in the church's cemetery. Walk around the Fort Cochin area and admire the Chinese fishing nets. Stay overnight at the hotel.
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DAY 11: COCHIN TO ALLEPPEY (63 KMS/ KUMARAKOM BACKWATER CRUISE)
In the morning, we drive you to Alleppey. Enjoy sauntering through this pleasant, easy-going market town. It is built on canals and is surrounded by beautiful coconut trees. Upon your arrival here, we'll help you check into Deluxe House Boat, standing along Kerala's scenic backwaters. Stay overnight on board the houseboat.
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DAY 12: KUMARAKOM
In the morning, we'll help you check-out from the houseboat and escort you to the hotel at Kumarakom. The village of Kumarakom is a cluster of little islands and this small water world is part of the Kuttanad region. A picturesque, clean village, Kumarakom is a tiny hamlet on the banks of a lagoon formed by the Vembanad Lake. Check into your hotel where calm, emerald backwaters reflect hundreds of thousands of gently swaying palms where the primary attraction however, is its lazy ambience. Later visit the bird sanctuary of Kumarakom and explore a whole new world of feathered species. For an inquisitive bird watcher it is an ideal place that echoes with the chirping of birds including a variety of migratory birds. Take a walk around the sanctuary while experiencing the sights and sounds of these birds. Kumarakom offers visitors many other leisure options. Stay overnight at hotel.
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DAY 13: KUMARAKOM - COCHIN TO MUMBAI BY AIR
After early breakfast leave for Cochin airport to board the flight to Mumbai. Arrive in Mumbai and transfer to the hotel. Spend rest of the day at leisure. Stay overnight at hotel.
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DAY 14: MUMBAI
This morning, leave for an excursion to 7th century Elephanta Island, a World Heritage Site, with ancient cave temples. Watch out for some magnificent Shiva sculptures and the spectacular Maheshamurti panel which depicts Shiva as the creator, protector and destroyer. Visit the glamorous city of Mumbai and its famous sights - the Gateway of India, Dhobi Ghat, Flora Fountain, Prince of Wales Museum and the Hanging Gardens. Drive by the Marine Drive, Chowpatty Beach and the Parsi 'Towers of Silence'. Stay overnight at the hotel.
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DAY 15: DEPARTURE FROM MUMBAI
On time, transfer to the international airport to board your international flight.
Meals:
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| HOTEL DETAILS |
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WATERSCAPES HOTEL
 
City: Kumarakom
Nestled in the mangrove woods surrounding the Vembanad Lake in Kumarakom, Waterscapes offers you a holiday experience that is Kerala's very own. Waterscapes is a cluster of cosy, thatched cottages built on stilts two and a half metres above the ground. The cottages are accessible only by a narrow pathway or rowboat.
Rooms
There are 40 cottages on 30 islets laced with canals. The cottages have neat and clean en route washrooms with shower. All cottages are equipped with satellite television and telephone.
Dining
The hotel has multi-cuisine restaurant serves delicacies which will be sure treat to your taste-buds. Also, you can choose from a variety of drinks and simply relax.
Facilities
The hotel provides quality facilities and distinctive services to make your stay the most comfortable one. The facilities include swimming pool, laundry services, doctor on call, car rental, currency exchange, travel assistance, Ayurvedic centre, conference hall, boating arrangements, backwater tours and sightseeing trips.
Location
The Thiruvananthapuram International Airport is at four hours drive and Kochi airport at one-and-a-half hour drive. Nearest rail and bus terminals are at Kottayam which is 15 minutes drive from the hotel.
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SOUTH TOURISM HOUSE BOAT
City: Allepey
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SHIKARBADI
City: Udaipur
Location
Shikarbadi is located at Govardhan Vilas. About half a kilometre long dirt road takes you to Shikarbadi, the road flanked by nothing but desert plants, the horse stables and the air strip. The airport is about 35 km from here, the railway station about 7 km and the bus stand about 5 km.
An erstwhile hunting lodge for the royalty, Shikarbadi was converted into a hotel when hunting was banned by the government in 1976. But the lodge retains its old ambience, complete with a stud farm, an air hangar, and a deer park. Animals roam the grounds in the evenings and amid the lush greenery one can see peacocks serenading. The Aravallis ring Shikarbadi from behind, birds chirp, egrets fly, the rooms have gabled roofs and trees abound. The interiors are like that of an English villa, all stone walls and wooden everything. Stay at Shikarbadi if you are looking for something different, if you want to take a break from the chaos of life.
Rooms
There are 26 rooms at Shikarbadi, including 3 Suites, a Family Suite and 21 Standard rooms. The Family Suite is the largest, made to accommodate big groups, comprising a living room, a small dining hall, a kitchen, a master bedroom and a smaller room with twin beds. The Living room has comfortable couches, a large table with chairs, a separate antique study table and a television with cable connection. The Master bedroom is simply furnished with a double bed with red silk bedspread and intercom. A small dressing room adjoins it and is adorned with a large mirror and cupboard. The washroom has Biotique amenities including soap, shampoo, moisturiser. A geyser ensures 24-hour supply of running hot water. The decor of the Family Suite is very basic, more functional than ornamental. The kitchen has a refrigerator, a small geyser and washing sink. Kitchen ware is available on request.
The Suites have a split level living room, a bedroom, spacious dressing room and washroom. The living room is large and open with a refrigerator, tea/coffee maker, pretty cane couches and divan, television, a small dining table, a study table and intercom. Large photographs of tiger adorn the walls. A balcony adjoins the living room with a view of the Gordan Lake. The bedroom is beautiful with a bamboo double bed. Rajasthani miniatures are hung on the walls which are complemented by blue, silk drapes and bedcover. There is large gilt-edged mirror here. Amenities include television and intercom. The adjoining dressing room has a lovely rosewood dresser and cupboard. The dressing room leads to the very spacious washroom, as big as a normal room. The washroom is very clean and appointed with a bathtub, a large mirror, hair dryer, shampoo, soap, moisturiser and conditioner, as week as hot and cold running water. There is lots of natural light. The washroom has two entrances - one from the bedroom and the other from the living room, making it easier for groups. Outside, you have a beautiful view of Shikarbadi's private lake and the Aravallis beyond.
The rooms are immensely pretty, with wooden floors and stone walls. Large windows give you amazing views of grassy meadows. Wrought iron chairs adorn the room, as well as a lounge, cane chair. Amenities include tea/coffee maker, mini refrigerator, television, intercom, a large mirror. The washrooms too have stone inlaid walls and all the amenities are similar to Deluxe room washrooms except for the fact that these do not have bathtubs.
Guests can avail 24-hour room service; all the rooms have broadband internet access as well as safety deposit lockers.
Dining & Facilities
The poolside area is beautiful, marked off with a fountain. There is pool side seating in the garden with quaint wrought iron chairs and tables, and beyond, only the Aravalis. One end of the pool has deck chairs and a small Pool Bar Deck which is a small bar. The 'Baithak' restaurant also lies here. Serving multi cuisine fare, it can accommodate about 50 people. The decor is ostentatious with a large chandelier dominating the room. The theme is hunting with old hunting pictures on the walls. It has stone walls and the lighting is dim, making the ambience quite cosy after the heat outside. This restaurant can be used for conference as well.
The animals at the sanctuary are fed everyday at 4:30 pm near the swimming pool so it's the perfect time for some wildlife gazing. Shikarbadi offers interesting activities such as rifle shooting classes, horse riding, horse safari in the nearby jungles as well as the Shikarbadi paddock (Horse riding: Rs. 250 per head for 40 minmutes; Safari: Rs. 1500 per person, including breakfast.)
The second restaurant is called 'Cheetal'. It offers charming outside seating by the deer park, under natural canopies of trees. Sloping roof and stone walls again recreate the English-villa atmosphere. There more pictures of kings hunting, or with their prey. The restaurant is multi cuisine and the timings are 7 am to 11:30 pm.
The lobby of Shikarbadi is next to the reception area in a separate building complex and on its upper floor is the bar, decorated with tiger and bear skins. Cane furniture adorns the bar and from its peaceful, open spaces you get a great view of the surrounding countryside.
Other facilities offered at Shikarbadi include Comfort Travel Desk, sightseeing, airport/railway station transfer, car rental, currency exchange, doctor on call, laundry service, parking.
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HOWARD PARK PLAZA
City: Agra
Location
Howard Park Plaza is situated on the arterial Fatehabad Road, just 5 kms from the Agra Cantt. Railway Station. Lying in the heart of the tourist area, it is just a 10-minute walk from the Taj Mahal and a 10-minute drive from the main shopping centre Sadar Bazaar. The UP State Handicrafts Showroom and Pizza Hut lie at a distance of 250 metres from the hotel.
Howard Park Plaza, a 4 star hotel, offers the complete range of facilities that are required for a comfortable stay. The hotel's atrium lobby is decorated with a beautiful marble centre-piece that is crafted like a rangoli and filled with coloured gravel. Looming right above that is a long and exquisite chandelier, possibly the longest in Agra. After admiring these wondrous decor items, move on to the reception where the friendly staff greet you eagerly and help you check in.
Rooms
Accommodation options at the hotel include one Suite and 85 Superior rooms that are elegantly furnished and well appointed with all modern amenities including sofa, study table, cable television, tea/coffee maker, mini bar, luggage rack, cupboard and thermostat with temperature control. A complimentary bottle of mineral water is provided in each room. The attached washroom has a bathtub and soap, shampoo, shower cap and linen are provided for.
The Suite has a separate living room and bedroom besides two washrooms. Additional amenities in the Suite include a 4-seater dining table and two televisions, one in the living room and the other in the bedroom. The attached washroom has a Jacuzzi style bathtub and is replenished with shower gel, dental kit, shaving kit and hair dryer, in addition to other amenities.
Dining
Howard Park Plaza offers a range of dining options including a rooftop barbeque facility (during winter only). Rendezvous, the multi cuisine restaurant cum coffee shop adjoining the lobby offers a variety of Indian, Continental and Chinese delicacies with buffet as well as a la carte options while Downing Street, the pool facing bar offers the best in Indian as well as imported brands. While Rendezvous is open from 6:30 am to 11:30 pm, Downing Street remains open from 11 am to 11 pm. Room service is available round the clock.
Services & Facilities
Regal Hall, the conference/banquet hall with a provision of partition, can accommodate up to 350 guests while the Business Centre offers all necessary business services.
The range of recreational facilities offered at Howard Park Plaza includes a Spa with a beauty salon and ayurvedic massage centre. Swimming pool access as well as Spa facilities are available from 7 am to 8 pm. The hotel also boasts of a rooftop Taj viewing gallery and a shopping arcade, D' Craft, where one can find all handicraft and souvenir items.
Other facilities on offer are Wi-Fi service (chargeable at Rs. 200 per hour or Rs. 500 for 24 hours), travel desk, car rental service, safe deposit lockers at the reception, in-house laundry service, doctor on call and spacious parking.
Don't Miss
The two highlights of Howard Park Plaza are the atrium lobby and the recently renovated Spa. The atrium lobby features one of the longest chandeliers in the city, if not the state. The Spa offers a wide range of services besides a soothing ambience.
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HOTEL PARKLAND-GREEN PARK
City: New Delhi
Located in Green Park, a residential colony in south Delhi, Hotel Parkland offers a home away from home along with delightful hospitality for the business and leisure traveller to the city.
Location
Hotel Parkland is located in south Delhi in a neighbourhood called Green Park. It is 16 kms from the international airport, 12 kms from the domestic airport, 14 kms from the New Delhi railway station and within walking distance of the Green Park Main market.
Rooms
The hotel houses 42 spacious and well furnished air conditioned Executive rooms and Royal Suites. Some room facilities include a television, direct dial telephone and 24 hours room service. The attached washrooms feature a shower cubicle with linen and toiletries supplied for.
Dining & Facilities
Guests of Hotel Parkland can enjoy their meals at the hotel's restaurant Delhi Masala that serves Indian cuisine prepared by expert chefs.
For business needs, the hotel has three conference halls that can accommodate up to 250 persons along with a business centre equipped with the latest audio-video technology.
Other guest facilities available include 24 hours Wi-Fi connectivity and a fitness centre. Hotel Parkland accepts all major credit cards but does not accept personal cheques as a mode of payment.
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HOLIDAY INN
City: Jaipur
Holiday Inn is a classified as 5 Star hotel by the Govt. of India. The hotel's architecture upholds the local culture, blending it comfortably with surroundings. All modern facilities are incorporated in the well planned hotel designed as a Haveli, which means a nobleman's mansion.
Hotel Facilities
Banquet | Conference & Seminars | Boardroom |Shopping arcade | Swimming pool | Travel desk | Business centre | Laundry service | Foreign exchange counter | Parking | Doctor on call | Safety deposit lockers | WiFi internet | STD/ ISD phone facility
Recreation facilities
Swimming Pool | Gymnasium | Table tennis | Indoor games
Room Amenities
Air conditioner | Satellite television | Telephone | Mini bar | Safety deposit locker |Tea coffee/maker | Attached washroom | Hot & Cold water | Soap | Shampoo | Linen |
Dining
Coffee Shop: Palms, the coffee shop offers Indian and International cuisine and snacks
Bar: The Bar is an extension of Palms and offers Indian and imported wines and spirits
Restaurant: Aangan is the Indian specialty restaurant, where you will be entertained with flute recitals, while the chefs conjure ethnic cuisines for you.
Outdoor Restaurant: Goth - The Village is the ethnic outdoor village restaurant, with an authentic Indian rural backdrop with folk dancers, fortune - teller, fire eaters entertaining you. The Goth is open only for dinner.
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COURTYARD BY MARRIOT
City: Mumbai
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CASINO HOTEL
City: Cochin
The hotel is located on Willingdon Island around 42 kilometres from the airport, 15 minutes from Fort Cochin, MG Road and the South Railway Station. It is situated amidst scores and scores of greenery offering beautiful views of the land of Kerala. Situated in the Willingdon Island of Cochin, Casino Hotel captures the essence of this city - the charm of one of the world's finest harbours, the vibrancy of a rich legacy shaped by trade contacts, the beauty of a tradition that is so well reflected in the culture and cuisine. The hotel carries tradition and modernity with elan with the richness of its simple, natural yet elegant interiors. This is a famed CGH Earth property and stays true to its name - Clean, Green & Healthy with its interiors and exteriors.
Hotel Facilities
Restaurant | Bar | 24-Hour Front Desk | Elevator | Express Check-In/Check-Out | Luggage Storage | Air Conditioning | Snack Bar | Sun Terrace | Room Service | Meeting/Banquet Facilities | Airport Shuttle | Business Centre | Laundry | Dry Cleaning | Currency Exchange | Souvenirs/Gift Shop | Tour Desk | Fax/Photocopying | Concierge Service
Room Amenities
The hotel provides luxurious accommodation in fine rooms, nothing short of a classy, comfortable stay. A total of 67 rooms categorise into 66 Standard rooms which come in double and twin bed categories and 1 Suite. Rooms on the ground floor provide a bathtub while the other floors have shower cubicles in the washrooms. The Suites are larger spaces with a separate low rise seating space in the living room, two televisions, a kitchenette of sorts and a beautiful feature of a magnificently large study table in the bedroom. Be it the base category of rooms or the Suite, comfort and luxury are prevalent.
Cable television | Air conditioning | Direct dial STD/ISD telephones | Hot and cold running water | 24 hours room service | Minibar | Tea/coffee maker | Hair dryer on request | Luxurious toiletries | Two complimentary bottles of mineral water everyday
Internet: Available | Parking Facility: Available
Check-In Time: 12:00 Noon | Check-Out Time: 12:00 Noon
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| DESTINATION INFORMATION |
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| NEW DELHI |
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Delhi is the present day version of Indraprastha, the legendary capital of Pandavas, and has in-between been seen various rulers on its throne, the longest being Mughals. No wonder Delhi has charmed writers, Sufi saints and travellers alike. The present Delhi is one of the most developed Indian as well as global cities albeit with its glorious past lurking across the city. The head of Indian government sits in Delhi in the Parliament in central Delhi, surrounded by forts and monuments of his ancestors, both autocratic and monarchs. These are places like Red Fort, Qutub Minar, Humayun's Tomb, Jantar Mantar et al. Then there are imperial architectures around Lutyen's Delhi including Connaught Place, in heart of city and the closest Delhi can get to London's Trafalgar Square.
While these old one's have been there since long, the New Delhi, including NCR or National Capital Region has shown exemplary growth in architecture, business avenues, services, tourism and township. Let us have a quick trip across the capital...
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Humayun Tomb - Delhi
India Gate - New Delhi
Red Fort - New Delhi
Jama Masjid - New Delhi
Delhi Bahai Lotus Temple
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| AGRA |
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A crimson sun casting an orange hue, setting behind the luminescent white marble of the epitome of everlasting love 'The Taj Mahal', is probably the 'cliched' picture that leaps to our mind when we think of Agra. Why should it not? After all Taj Mahal remains unsurpassed in beauty. But there is much more to Agra than just the Taj Mahal. Agra has a rich and puristic cultural mix of the Persian and the Mughal era. It is home to many ancient relics and monuments of historical and cultural significance - Taj Mahal, the ghost city of Fatehpur Sikri, the exquisite tomb of Itmad-ud-Daulah are just a few of the many wonders of pristine Mughal architecture that are nestled in the city.
Historians are of the general opinion that the city of Agra was founded in 1504 A.D. by Sikandar Lodi, the ruler of the Delhi Sultunate. Sikander Lodi's son, Ibrahim Lodi, ruled over the city after his father's death until he fell fighting Babar in the first battle of Panipat fought in 1526. Under the Mughals, the city witnessed the blossoming of some of the finest pieces of architecture ever made. The magnificence of the ancient times is not the only thing that would strike you with awe. In the backdrop of the monuments and the tombs, is a bustling industrial city getting richer by the day. Some of you might get down on your knees twice - at the Taj Mahal to propose and the second time to thank your stars for all the shopping you could do in the city! Agra has a thriving market of marble artifacts, silk fabrics, and leather goods available at dirt cheap rates.
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Agra Taj Mahal
Taj Complex
Agra Taj Mahal 1
Agra Taj Mahal
Agra Taj Mahal 2
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| COCHIN |
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Cochin will make you come alive at the very first sight. It offers a wealth of history, art and culture to travellers. Shuffled in the hands of Maharajas, and colonial powers like the Portuguese, Dutch and British, the present Cochin is chequered with impressive colonial landmarks as well as contemporary ones.
The essence of Cochin lies in its pristine beauty and the beaches dotted with palm trees. Its culture, nature and hospitality will surly lure you in. Cochin offers you more than beautiful beaches with architectural gems like Bolghatty Palace and Fort Kochi. Uncovering Cochin through Onam, the banquet of Sadya, the Malayattoor Perunnal Festival, yoga, Ayurveda and Kerala spices at the Spice Market is a fascinating journey of discovery.
Cochin is the only place where Chinese fishing nets are used outside China. You'll see local fishermen braving the waves on coracles. More than the ways of the fishermen, the palaces and ruins left behind like the Hill Palace offer a glimpse of the splendour of Kochi. Visit the Dutch Palace and the nearby Jewish Synagogue which is famed for its Belgium chandeliers and Chinese tiles.
Deep in ancient history, the city will make you snap back to the present in a jiffy with dazzling shopping complexes and places, such as Veega Land, a water theme park, the largest in South India.
Cochin tempts you with a boat cruise in the backwaters against the idyllic backdrop of the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats. You can hire a ferryboat and row to Vypin Island from Mattancherry town to catch sight of dolphins making merry.
Cochin's diverse charms, and the relatively quiet, clean and rather conservative atmosphere set it apart from other cities. Don't be surprised if you take back more than a few unforgettable moments.
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Chinese Fishing Nets, Cochin
A Kathakali before a performance in Cochin, India
St Mary's Church, Vallarpadom Islet, Cochin
The Vishnu Temple, Cochin
Cycle-rickshaw on Jews Street in Cochin, India
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| ALLEPEY |
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Life in Alleppey is a little too perfect to be real and is fit for a painting. A fisherman frozen in a snapshot while flinging a net, the sea waves capturing the sun in twinkles that disappear in the folds of the waves and the fresh green of the paddy fields make a lovely portrait. Regular life does not overwhelm nature but revolves around it. The Venice of the East likes it organic.
To know how the folks here do it, look at your plate of Kerala food. Your plate will mostly be plantain leaf. The coconut and spices, fish curry and boiled rice offer a clue. At a coir making factory, the coir made from the husk of coconut is transformed into baskets and mats. The coconut shell is turned into aesthetic souvenirs.
Snake boat races, temple festivals, beautiful beaches, spa treatments, scrumptious food, an more; Allepey is sure to sweep you off your feet.
Learn the trick to cultivate rice 7 ft below sea level at Kuttanad. Catch a fish with tapioca and wonder at the wild fire that gobbled up the forest that once covered Kuttanad. The ground under your feet holds the answer to whether it is the truth or just a myth. But with paradise above ground, it is easy to let the thought slip away.
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Backwaters of Alleppey, Kerala
Dusk hour in Alleppey (Kerala)
A traditional houseboat on the backwaters
Allepey Nehru Trophy Boat Race
Old Temple in Alleppey, Kerala
A coir factory in Alleppey (Kerala)
Rice field in Alleppey, Kerala
Paddy field in Alleppey, Kerala
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| MUMBAI |
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India has always been fixated with Mumbai earlier known as Bombay. It is India's archetypal metropolis, imbibing the most extreme of paradoxes. The dream factory is glitzy, home to Bollywood, a thriving commerce industry, the moneyed swish set and some of the country's best educational institutions. Initially a group of seven islands that were merged together by land reclamation, Mumbai has a rich Colonial heritage. An amble through the fort area is testimony to the fact, housing beautiful Gothic-Elizabethan buildings and monuments.
The distinct collage of Mumbai's population is reflected in the shopping. It is an inherent urban city where everything is on offer for everyone; where second hand book bazaars coexist with high-end shopping malls, where flower markets jostle with flea markets, where the quaint antiques market is belligerently housed in an area called the Chor Bazaar (Thieves' Bazaar). You haven't seen Mumbai if you haven’t sampled the street food - varied and vivacious, scrumptious and spicy, it will leave you asking for more as your eyes water and ears burn. Wash it down then with a tall glass of juice available all over Mumbai at stalls.
Having listed out the essentials, what one has to understand is that Mumbai escapes definition. It is a city constantly moving, changing, evolving, and it can be known only by being experienced. Everything exaggerated, impossible or unimaginable you might have heard about Mumbai is in fact true, and more. Look beyond its glaring disparities and you will discover its seductive spirit that keeps the city alive, making it what it is. India is great.
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Landmark of India, Mumbai, India gate
Mumbai Gateway of India
Mumbai Haji Ali Dargah
Mumbai Heritage Wing of the Taj Mahal Hotel
Mumbai Skyline
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| PHOTO GALLERY |
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68Photos
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India site
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