L & D's Great Adventure: Intoxicating India

There's nothing subtle about India. The country is like a punch in the face of flavors, colors, sights, and smells. The food pops with pungent flavors of curry, chili, cumin, tumeric, and coriander. Everywhere you go in India, you'll see beautiful bright colors - reds, purples, oranges, greens, blues - in the clothing that women wear, painted onto buildings and even garbage trucks, and in the art that adorns peoples' homes. I often remarked to Lindsay during our time in India that it was the most photogenic country I've ever visited. You have such a diversity of sights from majestic Himalayas in the north, to the chaos of Delhi and Bombay, to the peaceful backwaters in Kerala. Centuries-old palaces and monuments stand as reminders of opulence that rivals anything you've seen around the world, with a style that is uniquely Indian. Contrasting this opulence, you see horrible poverty and children begging in the streets. Finally, I have to mention the driving ... it's complete chaos: constant honking, no one staying in their lanes, every animal imaginable in the streets. Despite the complete lack of regard for traffic laws, somehow people get to where they want to go. One of our airport drivers said it best when he said in India you need to look out for cars in every direction, including "from the sky above".

We designed our itinerary to hit the major tourist sights and meet up with friends who were traveling in India at the same time. Since we had just spent nearly a month in the Himalayas, we decided to skip the Himalayan portion of India (which many people told us was their favorite part of the country) and start our travels in Delhi. While staying in Delhi, we visited Agra to see the Taj Mahal and then traveled to Jaipur and Udaipur to see two of the most beautiful cities in Rajasthan. We then flew down to Bangalore to meet up with our friends from Connecticut, Seth and Vani, who were in town to spend the holidays with Vani's family. This marked the first time on the trip that we met up with friends from home, and we can't tell you how great it was to see familiar faces. Vani's family opened up their homes and hearts to us during our three-day visit, which was a highlight of our trip and our first exposure to the warmth and hospitality of the Indian people. We spent our final week in the southern state of Kerala, known for its beautiful beaches, colonial architecture, Ayurvedic treatments and backwater cruises. Seth and Vani met us there, as did our friends Kerry and Maggie.

We wanted to extend a special thank you to several friends who graciously helped us with the trip to India. A special thank you to Ram for helping me with the itinerary and introducing us to your friends Pranab and Aby in Delhi. Thank you to Pranab, Aby and Rohini for all of your advice prior to our trip and Pranab and Rohini for hosting us during a great night out in Delhi. Thank you to Vani for planning a fantastic trip in Bangalore and Cochin. A big thank you to Vani's family - Vani's mom Shoba, her aunt Indu, her uncle Chandan, and her cousins Sanjay and Roopa - for taking such great care of us in Bangalore. We were really touched by your hospitality and generosity!

New Delhi

Our first stop in India was the city of New Delhi, which has a great mix of culture, sights, and is surprisingly liveable. As the former administrative center for the British colonial presence, much of the city is characterized by large parks, classic European buildings and wide boulevards. Alongside this newer part of the city, there is the chaos of Old Delhi and many historical sights/monuments worth visiting. You can comfortably spend 3 days exploring Delhi and have plenty to see/do.

We scheduled our stay in Delhi for 3 days, but also planned to include a day trip to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. The itinerary was aggressive but we wanted to see as much of the country during our stay, and didn't want to sacrifice 1-2 additional nights to stay in Agra (where there's nothing really to do besides visit the Taj). That left us with about a day-and-a-half in Delhi, which was short but enough time to give us a good feel of the city.

As a Starwood member, we chose to use points and stay at the ITC in Delhi (and again in Bangalore). ITC is well-run chain of luxury hotels in India, and we particularly enjoyed our stay at the ITC Delhi. The room was beautiful, amenities great, and the food was fantastic. In particular, we really enjoyed their restaurant Bukhara, which offers northwestern Indian cuisine and is among the best restaurants in India. During President Clinton's visit to Delhi, he famously stayed at the ITC so he could dine at Bukhara. Today, they offer a President's menu to commemorate his visit, which we happily ordered (it includes a sampling of the entire menu). The specialties at Bukhara are their barbecued meats, lovingly marinated in Northern Indian spices then skewered and cooked to perfection in charcoal ovens, and their Dal Makhani, black lentils stewed overnight and finished with tomatoes, ginger and garlic. It's like Indian chili and our favorite Indian dish.

Our room at the ITC Delhi

Prepared for our feast at Bukhara, in the lobby of the ITC

The "Presidential" selection of meats

Dal makhani (in the back) and oven baked naan

The meat is covered in spices and then skewered on these spears ...

... then inserted into this charcoal oven

I think Lindsay would have happily eaten this whole pot of dal makhani

The other dining options at the ITC were also solid. Two of our favorite items were the chicken kathi roll - spicy boneless chicken wrapped in roti - and biryani - a big bowl of rice, meat and spices of middle eastern origins. We had several versions of these dishes throughout our trip to India.

Chicken Kathi Roll - spicy boneless chicken wrapped in Roti

Biryani - a dish consisting of rice, meat and spices

Prior to our trip to India, our friend Ram introduced us to his childhood buddy Pranab. After arriving in Delhi, Pranab and his wife Rohini met us at the ITC and took us out for a night on the town, including a stop at a roadside barbecue place, Al Kauza, for some delicious meat and roti, followed by cocktails at their local country club. The meat was fantastic. We had seconds and thirds of the kakori kebab and the delicious Afghan chicken. The kakori kebab is made from minced mutton so finely chopped that you hardly have to chew. Pranab explained that the kakori kebab was created centuries ago for an Awhad ruler who had lost all of his teeth from years of partying.

Pranab placing a dinner order

Our feast for the evening - roti (front left), kakori kabab (front right), afghan chicken (back right) and barbecued fish

We spent the following day visiting many of Delhi's more notable sights which are clustered around two areas - (1) Old Delhi, which includes India's largest mosque Jama Masjid, and the Red Fort, and (2) the Rajpath (or "King's Way"), which houses many of the most beautiful colonial era monuments and government buildings. Our first stop was Old Delhi, where a maze of tiny chaotic streets are organized around the sale of different products like wedding dresses, shoes, etc. To best experience Old Delhi, hire a bicycle rickshaw to take you right through the thick of it.

Rickshaw for our tour of Old Delhi

A typical street in Old Delhi - notice the mess of wires hanging above the street. It would be a miracle if anyone is properly billed for the electricity they're using.

View of Jama Masjid from Old Delhi

Entrance to Jama Masjid

The Red Fort, the residence of India's Mughal leaders until 1857

After exploring Old Delhi, we headed to the Rajpath, which is a large ceremonial boulevard running from the National Stadium through the India Gate to the Presidential Palace. We started at the India Gate, which was built in 1921 to commemorate the 70,000 Indian soldiers who gave their lives fighting for Britain during World War I. We then continued to the Presidential Palace to see the various government buildings in the area.

In front of Delhi Gate

Rashtrapati Bhavan - The Presidential Palace

Secretariat Building, which houses government offices

Before heading back to our hotel, we did a bit of shopping for rugs and pashminas in a Kashmiri shop. The salesman was a charming guy who showed us the traditional (and time consuming) way of making hand-knotted rugs in Kashmir. Be aware that EVERY tour guide in India will try take you shopping at some point during your sight-seeing. The guides and even some of the hotels receive a commission for the purchases that are made when they bring tourists to these handicraft shops. The mark-ups can be incredibly high so if you do decide to go, make sure you bargain!

Learning about hand-knotted Kashmir carpets

Agra

Before the trip to India, I knew the Taj Mahal was a must visit, but nothing prepared us for how incredibly beautiful it is. It will take your breath away. We were also unfamiliar with the story of its creation, which is one of the most romantic stories you'll ever hear. The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum that was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in the 17th Century for his late wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died during the birth of their 14th son. Shah Jahan was so grief stricken at the loss of his wife that he dedicated the next 21 years of his life to building the greatest tomb that world had ever seen. He originally planned to build an identical tomb, but in black, for himself across the riverbanks. He was never able to carry out that vision, as he was later removed from power by his son, Aurangzeb, and imprisoned in Agra Fort for the remainder of his life. His son at least did him the favor of giving him a cell with a view of the Taj Mahal, so he could look upon his beloved wife for his remaining days.

In front of the Great Gate, the entrance to the Taj Mahal

View of the Taj Mahal from the Great Gate - this was our first glimpse of the gleaming white structure.

The Taj Mahal

We wandered around the grounds for a couple hours

Our guide helped us get artistic with this shot

The detail in the Taj is incredible. The marble was hand carved and inlaid with 28 different precious stones from around the world.

The Taj Mahal is located on the banks of the Yamuna River

Taj Mahal Mosque sits just to the west of the Taj Mahal. There is an identical building to the east of the Taj Mahal (which was used as a guest house) to create symmetry in the design.

Shah Jahan had originally planned to construct his tomb (identical, but in black) at the empty sight across the river from the Taj Mahal

Every angle offers a different, but equally beautiful perspective on the mausoleum

A nice framed shot of the Taj

Great picture spot near the entrance to the Taj Mahal complex

This is the room in the Agra Fort where Shah Jahan was imprisoned

View of the Taj Mahal from Shah Jahan's cell in the Agra Fort

Rajashthan

Located to the west of Agra and New Delhi, Rajasthan is the largest and most visited state in India. The region is famous for its unique architectural highlights, including several forts and palaces. We visited the capital Jaipur and Udaipur, the romantic "City of Lakes".

Jaipur

Jaipur, with a population of about 3 million people, is the capital and largest city in Rajasthan. Known as the "Pink City" for the pink color of the buildings downtown, it has a number of beautiful forts and palaces.

While visiting Jaipur, we stayed at a great boutique hotel called the Royal Heritage Haveli. The hotel occupies a former hunting lodge and was a beautiful respite from the noise and traffic of the city. Both food and service were very good.

Royal Heritage Haveli

Peaceful inner courtyard at the Royal Heritage Haveli

Our room at the Royal Heritage Haveli

Live music at dinner

Laal Maas - a Rajasthan specialty made with lamb and local chilies

Dinner selection of Indian dishes with basmati rice

We spent a couple nights in Jaipur, which gave us a day to see the major sights. We made brief stops at two palaces - the Hawa Mahal, (the "Palace of the Winds") and the lake palace Jal Mahal - and spent most of our time at the spectacular Amber Fort.

Hawa Mahal, the "Palace of the Winds" was built in 1799 by the Maharaja Saiwa Pratap Singh. The lattice work in the facade was designed to allow the women living inside to see the streets below, and also functioned as a ventilation system to the cool the building during the hot summers.

Jal Mahal, or "Water Palace", is located in the Man Sagar Lake on the way to the Amber Fort. It was built in 1734 by the Maharaja Saiwa Jai Singh II.

The main draw in the area is the spectacular Amber Fort, which lies in the town of Amer about 7 miles from Jaipur. The Fort was used as a lavish residence by the Rajput Maharajas from the 16th century until 1727, when the capital was shifted to Jaipur. The palaces and courtyards are in very good condition, and it was easily the most impressive fort we visited in India.

A popular way to reach the Amber Fort is to pay for a ride on an elephant up the hill, which we did. While the experience was fun, we have since learned that domesticated elephants are subjected to a lot of abuse in captivity and we will refrain from riding elephants in the future.

Approaching the Amber Fort

You can request to ride an elephant to the Fort

The route to the Amber Fort

View from the Fort down to the Maota Lake and Garden

Jaleb Chowk, the first and largest of the courtyards at the Fort. This space hosted victory parades for returning armies.

Overlooking the Jaleb Chowk

In front of the Ganesh Pol, the Hindu gate that marked the entrance to the private palaces of the Maharajas

In the Sheesh Mahal, the mirrored palace

Man Singh I Palace Square, the private courtyard of the Maharaja

In one of the lookouts over the Man Singh I Palace Square

Baradhari Pavillion in the Man Singh I Palace Square, used as a meeting venue for queens of the royal family

Final look at the Amber Fort

Udaipur

Udaipur is located to the southwest of Jaipur, about 6 hours by car. Surrounded by 5 major lakes and rolling green hills, it is often referred to as the "City of Lakes" or the "Venice of the East". With a stunning natural setting, palaces and islands to visit, and some of the world's finest hotels, the city is one of the most romantic places in India.

The crown jewel of the city's hotels is the Oberoi Udaivilas, a huge hotel complex constructed in the style of a Mughal palace along the banks of Lake Pichola. We had the good fortune of staying there - it was the closest we'll ever get to living like a Maharaja.

The two most prominent sights in town are the Lake Palace, formerly a summer retreat for the royal family (now a hotel belonging to the Taj Hotel Group), and the massive City Palace complex. Both are visible from the hotel.

View of the City Palace and the Taj Lake Palace from our hotel

Entrance to the Oberoi

Entry courtyard at the Oberoi

Pond in the entry courtyard

Oberoi Udaivilas

One of the many pools at the hotel

The hotel property includes a small nature preserve and the Bada Mahal, a lodge that the Maharaja used for hunting tigers. This was the view of the hotel and Lake Pichola from the lodge.

Our host at the Bada Mahal explained the stories depicted in the paintings on the walls

Our room at the Oberoi

Our private terrace looked onto one of the hotel pools

Enjoying dinner at the hotel restaurant on a cool evening

When we weren't relaxing at the hotel, we were exploring the many sights around town. We spent a half day in Udaipur to visit the City Palace and the Jagdish Hindu temple, caught sunset high above the city at the Monsoon Temple, and took a boat cruise around Lake Pichola. All of these offered unique and beautiful views of the city.

City Palace, built over a period of 400 years with a fusion of Rajasthani and Mughal architecture. The Palace is now part museum and part residence for the royal family

In front of the City Palace

City Palace

View of the Oberoi from the City Palace

View of Taj Lake Palace from the City Palace

Colorful town of Udaipur

Arches at the entrance to the City Palace

Old city of Udaipur

Jagdish Hindu Temple

The best place to catch sunset in town is the Monsoon Palace, built in 1884 by a Maharaja who died prior to using it. The palace itself is rundown and in need of renovation, but the views of sunset and the city are spectacular.

Monsoon Palace

Views of Udaipur from the Monsoon Palace

Watching sunset at the Monsoon Palace

Enjoying the sunset together

The most romantic way to explore the city is by boat. It was a great way to end our visit to Rajasthan.

Enjoying a private cruise around Lake Pichola

View of City Palace from the boat

Oberoi Hotel with the Monsoon Palace in the background

Jag Mandir, an island in Lake Pichola that hosts several events including weddings

Bangalore

After Udaipur, we made a brief 3-day stop in Bangalore to visit with our friends Seth and Vani, who were staying with Vani's family. Seeing friends and meeting Vani's family were highlights of our trip to India. Vani's family could not have been more gracious.

Her Aunt Indu had us over to her home for a delicious traditional breakfast on our first day in Bangalore, where her entire family welcomed us with open arms. Her cousin Sanjay shuttled us around town and invited me for a round of golf at his club. Her uncle Chandan made one of his famous Ganesh word art pieces for us. Vani, her mom Shoba, and Cousin Roopa took Lindsay shopping for an Indian sari and helped her find a henna artist. On our last evening, Sanjay and Roopa treated us to a delicious dinner at the Taj which included all of Vani's cousins.

Vani's cousins Roopa and Saptha welcomed us like family

Vani's family prepared us a delicious home-cooked breakfast, made up of idlis (white rolls made from fermented lentils and rice), vada (a savory fried bread that looks like a donut), chutney (the green sauce) and sambar (vegetable soup/gravy)

Vani's uncle Chandan has an amazing talent to translate any series of words into a drawing of Ganeesh, an elephant-headed god. He made this one for us in just a few minutes.

Shopping for a sari

Lindsay getting henna, which is typical in India (particularly northern India) for celebrations such as weddings

The result after 2 hours

Finished product

Lindsay and her henna artist

Kerala

Our final week in India was spent in the southern state of Kerala, one of India's most popular tourist destinations. Kerala has a tremendous variety of activities for travelers including Ayurvedic treatments, beautiful beaches, backwater cruises, tea plantations and great wildlife viewing opportunities. It also boasts one of the highest literacy rates in India and is much cleaner, safer and more peaceful than most of its neighboring states. In short, it was the perfect place to unwind after covering a lot of ground in the north.

We decided to make our lives easier and stay in the Cochin area for the duration of our visit. There are several nice places to visit in Kerala - Kovalam, Bekal, etc - but Cochin offers the greatest variety of activities within easy striking distance. It's also the largest city in Kerala with the best airport connections. We spent our first three days relaxing in Kumarakom at the Kumarakom Lake Resort and our last 4 days in Cochin with our friends, Seth, Vani, Kerry and Maggie.

Kumarakom

Kumarakom is a town about 45-60 minutes south of Cochin that has number of high end accommodations. We decided to stay at the Kumarakom Lake Resort, a well known resort that recently hosted Prince Charles for his 65th birthday celebration. It is a beautiful place to unwind for a few days.

The Kumarakom Lake Resort

The terrace at the Vembanad Seafood Restaurant - a great place to see sunset

Infinity pool at Kumarakom Lake Resort, with traditional houseboats in the background

Pool villa

Outdoor restroom and shower

Our private plunge pool

The food at the Lake Resort was quite good. I had one of the best dishes I tried in all of India - Alleppey Fish Curry. It's typical of a lot of the food we tried in the south - a curry made from coconut milk and fruit (in this case mango) cooked with seafood.

Alleppey Fish Curry - one of the best things I ate in India

Appam - fermented rice crepes to accompany your food. Very common in Kerala.

While at the Lake Resort, we did a cooking lesson with Abhi, the head chef of the Vembanad seafood restaurant. He prepared a great menu for us that included:

* Prawn Coconut Fry - prawns cooked in a delicious coconut, chili sauce
* Karimeen Pollichathu - fish masala wrapped in banana leaf
* Coriander Grilled Tiger Prawns - Prawns covered in a delicious coriander based marinade and then grilled
* Cabbage Thoran - cabbage stir fried with mustard seeds, coconut, onions, ginger, garlic, tumeric, and curry leaves
* Vegetable Khorma - vegetables in yellow curry
* Appam - rice pancakes made from fermented rice and coconut milk

Cooking class with Abhi

Making appam to accompany our meal

Prawn coconut fry

Coriander grilled prawns

Karimeen Pollichatu with pearl spot, a local freshwater fish

Enjoying the fruits of our labor at a private dinner while watching the sunset - worth the price of the cooking class alone!

The most popular activity to do in Kumarakom is take a houseboat out for the day and cruise leisurely through the backwaters. We planned on renting a houseboat with our friends that were joining us in Cochin, so decided to do a shorter cruise on one of the resort boats. It was a good introduction to the local people and unique landscape around Lake Vembanad.

Cruising the lake and surrounding canals

Birds enjoying the morning sun

Local fisherman

Lush canals spread out in a large network around the Lake

Beautiful reflections in the canal

We saw several houseboats out for the day

Cochin

After a few days of Ayurvedic treatments, cruises, sipping cocktails by the infinity pool and delicious food, we were ready to join our friends in Cochin. We based ourselves at the Taj Malabar in Cochin, a comfortable hotel on Willingdon Island just a short boat ride away from the historic center of town.

Taj Malabar

Cochin is a vibrant port city on the west coast of Kerala with a rich history. From the 14th century, it played an important role as a spice trading hub with the west. It was later occupied by the Portuguese in 1503 making it the first European colony in India. This colonial past is evident as you walk around town. We spent our first afternoon exploring the Jewish neighborhood and the historic center, known as Fort Cochin.

Taking a 5-minute speed boat to town

A rare sight in India

This is as Jewish as it gets in India

Packing into the tuk tuk for our ride to town

The St Francis Church is the oldest European church in India, dating back to 1503

The simple interior is typical of the Portuguese colonial style

Vasco de Gama, a Portuguese explorer who discovered the sea route from Europe to India, died in Cochin in 1524 and was originally buried in the church. His remains were later moved to Lisbon, but the gravestone remains.

Taking a break from the sights to enjoy a fresh coconut

It was so great to spend time with Seth, Vani, Kerry and Maggie

These giant fishing nets are stationed in the center of town

Caught some little fish

Doing some fishing at sunset

Not sure if I'd eat these fish sitting out all day

Santa Cruz Basilica, built in the 16th century by the Portuguese

I've never seen so many neon lights in a church

While in Cochin, we went to see a traditional Kathikali dance, which dates back to the 17th Century and is unique to Kerala. The actors don't use any spoken words - all acting is done through facial expressions and body positioning.

Joining one of the dancers for a photo op

We spent our second day at Marari Beach, the nicest beach in the Cochin area, about an hour's drive from our hotel. We used the private beach at Marari Beach Resort, which also offered a restaurant, pool, badminton court and lots of space for lounging. If you're looking for a beach vacation in the area, this wouldn't be a bad place to stay.

Access to Marari Beach

Beautiful Marari Beach

Enjoying a relaxing beach day

We spent our final full day in Cochin aboard a traditional houseboat for a leisurely cruise through the backwaters. This is a must do activity when in Kerala. There are about 300 houseboats in the Cochin area that accommodate groups on cruises that last anywhere from a half day to several days. The houseboats come equipped with a kitchen, bedrooms and communal spaces. We chose to do a day long trip that included lunch aboard the Kumarakom Castle, one of the nicer houseboats we saw in the area. Our routing began at the Taj Hotel in Kumarakom (near the Lake Resort) and took us across Lake Vambanad to Alleppey and down through the backwaters before returning to the Taj. It was a great way to see the landscape and the meal, which included lots of fresh seafood from the lake, was one of the best we had in India.