The Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra

Hello All, Yesterday we ventured to Agra and the Taj Mahal. Wonderful! We booked a train ticket, sleeper class (which was with the locals), a very rough four hour ride. They have an express train that takes two hours but that was full. The only problem was that we did not have a return ticket because they were sold out. When we finally arrived in Agra we mainlined it to the Oberoi Hotel for a quick break of peace and quiet and a nice lunch. We then spent the rest of the day touring the Taj Ma...

Here's what I enjoyed about Agra 1. All you can eat breakfast at the Clark Shiraz Hotel 2. Beer at the Hotel Oberi Awali 3. Agra Fort 4. Taj Mahal The Taj Mahal does look magnificent. Alas, after an all night train ride, and, well, 6 months on the road, the breakfast buffet at the Clark Shiraz just blew me away. And, you cannot believe the decadence at the Oberi Awali Hotel. It made the Taj Mahal seem rinky dink. Though, having the Taj Mahal as a neighbor helps. The Agra Fort really surprised...

I just wrote this entry and the computer lost it so I'll try again. Our last night at Amanbagh was as magical as the place itself. At sunset, our driver, Rambo (we were glad that was his name when we went offroad in the dark) took us to a spot on the road, pushed aside some branches, and then drove us on a path in the midst of a dried up lake. We arrived at an old pavillion covered with candles and draped in orange silk panels. A musician sat by the fire to play for us. We sat on silk cushion...

I will premise this entry with the statement that today was one of the most memorable days of my entire lifetime. I will also apologize for the massive amount of pictures taken. If you spent time at the Taj Mahal you understand the need. And so it begins... Greetings from Agra and The Taj Mahal! We arrived safely in Agra by 8 AM without a hitch. Our ride to the Oberoi Amar Villas was waiting for us in his vintage green Ambassador. We all decided to totally splurge at this place as one of Just...

Lauren stayed in Delhi while Claire, Abbey and I went to Agra to visit the Taj Mahal and the Agra fort. The Taj is beautiful from the outside, although inside it's quite small, and less impressive. Originally Shah Jahan had meant to build an identical black version across the river for his own tomb, but his plans were sidelined when his son overthrew him and locked him into a small part of the palace for the last years of his life. We stayed at the Oberoi Amar Villas hotel, which I highly rec...

We left Delhi at 10:30am this morning (we had time to sleep in, but we were still up at 5:00am). The ride to Agra was slow with lots to see along the way. The roads are mostly packed with motorcycles, 3 wheelers and trucks. Many of the trucks were so full that people were sitting on the roof! Our driver made to sure to point out the most packed of cars and motorcycles (e.g. family of 5 on a 100cc motorcycle and over 13 people in a 3 wheeler). He says Tata need to make a longer motorcycle rath...

We were supposed to get an early start this morning: 6:45am appointment to see the Taj Mahal. Unfortunately a really dense fog set in overnight and visibility was only about 10 feet (not good for viewing a huge white building). Our tour guide called at 6:15 and suggested we wait until this afternoon to go to the Taj. We agreed to meet at 9:30 to go see Agra Fort (the 2nd most popular attraction in Agra). Chris and I hung around the hotel and had breakfast until then. Agra fort is a huge (Yogi...

Yesterday, we left Delhi and drove to Agra. Before we left, we walked around Delhi for an hour or so. The air was very clean and there were not too many people on the streets because it was Sunday. We walked all the way around Connaught Circle. Then we drove south to Agra. It This morning, I saw the Taj Mahal, the most photographed monument in the entire world! It was made by a Moghul King, who was Muslim for his most beautiful wife. She died having their 14th child while he was in battle. Bu...