Taj Mahal

We set aside the entire day today for a visit to Agra where the Taj is. To get a jump on traffic, we left in our hotel car at 6:30am for the four hour journey. Agra is only 200 kms away which should only take two hours in virtually any other country but in India, it stretches out to a four hour journey over a road that is crowded with bikes, wandering cattle, traffic going the opposite direction, inefficient toll collectors, tractors, pedestrians, and pretty much anything else which can get in the way.

Our driver did some of the best defensive driving we've ever seen along the way as Indian traffic is much more intrusive than anywhere else in the world but we like him more than anything for not trying to haul us into a shop where he could get commission. Upon arrival, it reemphasized that Agra is easily the filthiest city that either of us have ever visited.

The sister hotel of the one we're staying in at New Delhi is located not too far from the East Gate of the Taj complex so we first stopped there for a restroom break and to view the beautiful hotel. The Oberoi Agra is frequently rated as one of the greatest hotels in the world and we certainly agree as it has a beautiful view of the nearby Taj and with complementing architecture.

We traveled as close as possible to the gate from the hotel in a golf cart and were met by hotel security to escort us the remaining distance. Even with the escort, we had to run the gauntlet of hawkers and touts which consistently are a hassle throughout all of India.

Once inside, there are numerous red sandstone buildings which are beautiful in the own right but nothing is as stunning as the Taj. Yes, it is as magnificent as imagined and perhaps more so. We were blessed with a clear day to visit but again it was incredibly hot so we were often in search for shade.

After walking around the structure and grounds, we retraced our path back through the touts and caught the golf cart back to the Oberoi hotel for lunch and a drink. You can't see it in the photo below but the Taj is not too far out the window of the bar area at the Oberoi hotel.


The four hour ride back to Delhi was as rough as the way there but was certainly worth the trip. Seeing the Taj Mahal is one of the great highlights of this trip but we aren't exactly eager to find ourselves in Agra anytime soon again.

Tomorrow afternoon, we're flying to Kathmandu for an undertermined length of time and will finalize the rest of the schedule between India and Europe. If all goes well, we'll stretch out the time in Mauritius, at the expense of Cape Town and Kenya, and use it to visit Reunion and perhaps the Seychelles.