Our very excellent adventure in India!

The idea of visiting India had danced around in my mind for a while... "we'll get there one day".... "when we have enough time, money and energy we'll plan for that".... "once we've ticked off <insert random SE Asian travel destination> then we'll go to India".  I'm not sure why but it always seemed to far, or too difficult to tackle.   So it is perhaps interesting that we waited till our our daughter Miss May, was squarely in her "terrible twos" with all the tantrums and trademark rapid-fire, verbal jibber-jabber before booking our tickets to New Delhi.  Actually the kicker for us was that friends, whom we'll refer to as "The K's" for the purpose of this post, relocated from Singapore to Jaipur, the capital of Rajistan in India's North earlier this year... we just had to visit!

Miss May is well traveled by 'Australian two year old standards' but by Singapore standards she is probably middle of the pack.  So it should not have been surprising that she did not take kindly to being woken at midnight for a 2am flight.  Probably even less surprising that she took a major dislike to her "big girl" seat (this was the first time we had traveled with little miss since she turned two and is required to have her own seat...).  As such, it was completely unsurprising that we arrived at the ever-opulent and very welcoming Oberoi, New Delhi.... totally knackered!  

This was our plan for 24hrs in New Delhi... in no particular order.... 

Red Fort: take a cycle rickshaw to Chandi Chowk (spice markets)

Jama Masjid (largest Mosque in Delhi)) 

Lodi Gardens (chai and picnic perhaps)

Shopping: Dilli Haat (large markets with local handicrafts, clothing and art etc); Anoko, FabIndia, Hauz Khas (trendy new boutique shopping area in an old village within the city)

This is what we actually did in New Delhi... in order...

Breakfast, pool, nap, lunch ... we did then made it to Hauz Khas and although we really enjoyed the idea of poking around the very boutique-ie shops and eateries our daughter had other ideas... I think we managed about an hour before retreating to the hotel for more pool time!  Still if we'd had older, younger or no kids I think we'd have enjoyed it a great deal!

So the next morning we set off early for Agra (home of the Taj Mahal) and on the way stopped at Humayan's Tomb.  We had only marginally more success with the rug-rat, but did manage to have a good look around.  Humayan's tomb is the Tomb of Emperor Humayan and was commissioned by his wife in 1562.  Is is a beautiful example of Mughal architecture and has extensive and quite well maintained gardens surrounding it's central tomb.  Despite several tantrums (sorry Emperor Humayan) we agreed it was well worth the trouble.

We hired a driver from airport to airport which was an excellent move, although apparently the train and bus options to Agra are also pretty good.  The benefit of a driver in our case was flexibility to change our plans at a moments notice and the ability to install and keep our own baby car seat in the car for the duration of the trip.  Taking the car seat was a master stroke... not only was it much safer than the options a car hire company in India would be able to provide (if any) but I'm sure it resulted in a more familiar environment for Miss May to sleep while on route to Agra, then Jaipur and then back to Delhi (all of which are 4-5hr drives).

The drive from Delhi to Agra is "maximum 5 hrs" .... our driver kept telling us and as it turned out that was pretty accurate.  Miss May slept for the most part leaving Mark and I to take in the surrounds.  The landscape along the way varied form highly urban environments, densely populated slums to very basic rural communities.  The biggest take-away for me on that first big drive was that a LOT of people live in India.  Reading that India's population is roughly 1.2 billion in a guide book is nothing compared with actually seeing what that looks like in real terms and how it plays out day to day for the people of India.  

When we arrived in Agra we were amused to find that some of the locals were celebrating the final day of a festival of some description... our driver did tell us but the name has escaped both Mark and I.  In any case it seemed to be a little like the Holi Festival or festival of colour, where by people throw coloured paint-powder about the place and at each other.  In Agra trucks ladened with people and with music booming made their way through traffic... quite a sight!

We finally arrived at the Oberoi Amarvilas where we were booked for only a single night.  On arrival however, I wondered if we could extend our stay - the hotel is absolutely beautiful and staff were divine - but we reasoned that other than the Taj Mahal there was little to see in Agra and so settled in to enjoy the little time we had.  Our plan was to hit the Taj Mahal early the next morning so we mooched around the pool and enjoyed a late lunch.  

The next morning we set out for the Taj Mahal, a short buggy drive from the hotel it turns out.  We hooked up with a guide (such a random thing - see someone who speaks English well and offers his services as a guide, agree a price, shake hands).  Actually I think all the guides we hired were on a pretty good wicket... we always stressed that Miss May had a limited attention span and that we could be spared the exacting details... cut to the chase... 2 hrs' tops!  

The Taj was A M A Z I N G... it is little wonder it has captured the imagination of a nation for hundreds of years.. it is beautiful, in near perfect condition and like all good tombs it stands in testimony to a great love story!  I will let you do your own research on the story of the Taj... suffice to say any woman who bears her husband 14 children and puts up with his having multiple wives and numerous concubines deserves a Taj Mahal!!

I mentioned the staff at our hotel were great...

Miss May was always wanting a bindi and this beautiful
lady was always obliging!

The breakfast chef though Miss May might have a future!

Rested, fed and rearing to go, we set off for Jaipur just before lunch.  Our only stop on the 5hr-ish drive was at Fatehpur Sikri, the now abandoned capital of the Mughal empire (1571 and 1585), now a significan tourist attraction for the region.  Our driver put the fear of god into us as he parked the car and sent us on our way.... apparently if you are going to get pick-pocketed, ripped off or lost this was the place... and in his opinion all the guides were crooks, it would be advisable to go it alone!  As it turns our only real problem at Fatephur Sikri was the heat... it was smack in the middle of the day and it was so hot!  There was also a lot of ground to cover and although at the time we thought we had seen it all, I now understand there is a functioning mosque and other sights which we apparently missed.  Next time we'll arrive earlier avoid the heat of the day... and probably hire a guide!  None the less it was impressive.

Back in the car we endured Miss May's musical selections (The Wiggles on high rotation) all the way to Jaipur.  Our arrival at the Oberoi Rajvilas in Jaipur could not have come sooner!

...pretty amazing place huh?.

Jaipur Day 1: Elephants, Forts and Bubble Baths!!

We started our first day in Jaipur with a visit to the renowned Amer Fort.  The Fort as it stands now was completed in 1592 and contains a Palace (the Amer Palace) which was lived in by the Maharajas and their families.  As it is a genuine fort and thus situated on a hill it only makes sense that one should asend to the gates in the same way that royalty and dignitaries would have, back in the day... by elephant of course!  Actually the elephant ride was one of those cheesy, OTT, potentially dangerous tourist traps... and it was TOTALY AWESOME!  Miss May was very quiet for the first half of the ride but soon warmed up to the idea and really enjoyed it.   My photography skills do not do the experience justice.

Our driver hooked us up with a guide who soon worked out that we needed the express version of his beloved fort's long and impressive history... he whisked us through the highlights and we were suitably impressed, awestruck and amazed by what he had to show us inside ..

Entrance to the palace

proud parenting moment #3647... me grabbing
Miss May before she tumbled out a (beautiful) window.

We enjoyed a lazy afternoon back at the hotel which included a bubble bath for Miss May...

... before heading out to dinner.  We ate at the Jai Mahal Palace hotel which is an actual former palace which we had chosen it mainly because they have a folk dance performance over dinner.  I unfortunately forgot to take my camera to dinner.  Unfortunate because Miss May was invited up to dance a traditional stick dance with other guests and the performers... again the name of the dance escapes me but I guess it was a Rajasthani version of the Dola Dola dance from "Bride and Prejudice" ... remember that one??? (LINK) 

My only photos were taken on Mark's BB... not great but you get the idea!

The night ended on an interesting note when about 1hr after our arrival Miss May decided clothes were not her thing.. and stripped off!  We left with red faces and a naked child....

Jaipur Day 2: Royals, Lime Soda and old friends!

On day two we hooked up with The K's - minus Mr K who was working!!  Our rendezvous point was the Royal Palace in the centre of the Old City, Jaipur.  We poked around the grounds for a while and the girls became reacquainted.  Miss May asked poor little Miss K to carry her everywhere but in the end settled for holding hands - needless to say they got along famously!

The Palace beyond the walls, not acccessable to the public
where the Maharajah's family still live. 

After the Palace we walked around the back to find the Jantar Mantar, a series of structures build in the mid 1700's to measure time, track eclipses and all manner of things astrological.   By then we were HOT so high-tailed it back to the cars!

Mark looking suitably confused!

Our next stop was food!  It's funny when the most simple experiences morph into some of the best times and cherished memories... and equality amusing that it often involves food!  Mrs K took us to LMB Hotel for a bite to eat.  LMB was a cracker of a place... it has clearly not seen an update since Elvis dominated the airwaves and that was essential to it's charm.  The food was rich, Rajasthani and vegetarian... delish!  The great part about the place was choosing and trying the sweets from their famed sweets counter after the meal.  The kids had a ball, as did Mark who went back and chose a zillion indescribable morsles from behind the glass counter to take home and enjoy at a later time.

mummy, Miss May and Miss K enjoy LMB's delightful sweets
(although Miss May is perhaps not yet convinced...)

After chilling out at the hotel we had a special treat arranged for Little Miss May... yes another elephant ride.  This time a special ride arranged through the Oberoi, just us and an elephant (and the driver thank goodness).  We drove out of the city for about 40 minutes and found the elephant waiting for us is a small rural village.  The local kids came out in force to test their english and wave to us along the way.  It was really lovely to see people living a simple but seemingly happy existence away from the crazyness of the city.

Miss May with our driver

After a bumpy but entirely enjoyable ride we got back into the car for a short drive up to the Naila Fort.  Naila is owned by Mr Oberoi himself and as he only uses it for a small portion of the year he allows hotel guests to go up and enjoy the view.  It was really beautiful up there.. quite a calming family outing after the chaos of the Old City...

Miss May with the fort's manager

Jaipur Day 3: Shopping, gardens and monkeys... 


Mark had noted a hill top temple not far from the hotel and he had decided he wanted to check it out.  While he was at this particularly un-childfriendly lo-cal, Miss May and I took the opportunity to  checkout the Queen's Terrace Gardens which were also very near the hotel.  Here are some pics....

Shopping 101... The great thing about knowing the locals is you tend not to waste any time in crap-ola stores ... we had a couple of house sans-kids so Mrs K showed me only the good stuff.  I wont bore you with the details but have listed the stores we visited  for those who are interested in visiting one day... I would also suggest checking out the "Hot Pink" shopping guide for Jaipur which is easily found online...

Amrapali (Tholia Building M.I Road) - Jewlery ... picked up some nice pieces
RASA (s-55 Ashok Marg) - clothing, bedding etc... totally YUM
Anokhi (C-11, 2nd Floor, KK Square, Prithvi Raj Road) - clothing blockprinted fabrics and homewares etc.  Really well priced and fairtrade, warm fuzzies all round! Also had a great organic restaurant which we ate at.
There was also a good bookstore downstairs from Anokhi.

FYI, The next day I also visited and would recommend...

Hot Pink (Narain Niwas Palace, Narain Niwas Palacetoo) too cool for school local, and international designers - too cool for me but picked up some hot pink outfits for Miss May!
Soma (A-5 Jamnalal Bajaj Marg) at first glance this looked like a 'Grandma's Day Dress Emporium' but poking around brought with it great rewards... Sarongs, kids clothes, organic nightwear... they had loads of home wares!

That evening we made a quick trip to a temple not too far from the hotel... Galtaji.  Mrs K promised us a real INDIA experience and lots of cows... she didn't actually mention the monkeys!!!

Nestled between two mountains it was quite a sight... We were pulled into a little back room (a few moments of panic I will admit) by a holy man who gave us a blessing in exchange for a couple of dollars...

Jaipur Day 5: Our last day in Jaipur...

Mark started out early on a walking tour recommended by Mr K.... he really enjoyed it and took loads of pics... hopefully he'll find the time to provide me with some commentary and choose some pics to include on this post... watch this space!

If you are intersted in the gentleman's details for the walking tour please let me know

Miss May and I had a quick swim and then met Mark in the city.  After visiting the afore mentioned shops (Mark just loves shopping) we retreated to the hotel for a beautiful lunch by the pool and a late nap.

In the late afternoon we headed out to the Old City with The K girls.  Our mission was to source some Jutti (traditional Indian slipper shoes) and to pay no more than 250 rupee for them!!  Needless to say it was a mission which we gladly accepted... and accomplished, thanks in no small part to the excellent bartering skills from one sassy Mrs K (not to mention her impressive Hindi!).

the Old City 

Jutti

Mark buying the best ever camel leather
slippers

the Old City

Back in the car we set out to Nahargarh Fort to watch the sun set over Juipur.  It was one of those really magical moments listening to the 'call to prayer' echoing up to us as the sun settled on our last night in Jaipur.

That evening we dined with The K's and celebrated Mr K's birthday!  Thank you to The K's for showing us such a great time - it was so wonderful to see you all and we would have missed LMB's sweet shop for sure had it not been for your local knowledge... we really hope to visit again!

In the interest of concluding this, the longest post I have ever written before my daughter wakes from her nap, I will finish with speed.

Our final full day in India was spent traveling back to the Delhi area.  We actually stayed at the Oberoi Gurgaon amongst modern India... dot-coms, multinational conglomerates, malls and fewer cows!  It is easier to get to and very close to the airport.

Our flight was early the next day so we retreated early!

Up at 5am - flight departed at 8am - back in familiar old Singapore by 4pm!

I hope you enjoyed reading about our very excellent adventure.  Let me know if you are thinking of taking on 'India with kids'... I totally recommend it!!!

Namaste