We chose a trip straight through the northern province of Rajasthan combined with cities such as Delhi , Mumbai , Agra and Varanasi. The result: an amazing variety of scents, colors and landscape. India is an overwhelming country. My senses were constantly focused, but that was precisely what made the country so interesting for me. Moreover, there is so much to see in India. I will tell you which route we have traveled in just under three weeks.

CRAZY DELHI: 2 DAYS

We started our journey as so many starts an India journey: right in the chaotic heart of the country, in Delhi. Frankly, not the most attractive destination in India. And when I say this, I am mainly talking about the old part of Delhi. The few hours I spent there were dominated by hooting violence of motorcycle and bicycle rickshaws and a teeming crowd of people on Chandni Chowk. Why do you have to go to Old Delhi? Well, you will find some fantastic sights here including the Red Fort and Jama Masjid mosque.

Fortunately, it is not crowded and chaotic everywhere in Delhi. The new part of Delhi offers a completely different experience. We spent an afternoon in Lodhi Colony. A green neighborhood with zero tinkering motor rickshaws and walls full of street art. Another nice place in Delhi is the Gurudwara Bangla Sahib temple, the largest Sikh temple in Delhi. A few rules before you enter this temple: take off your shoes and socks, cover shoulders and legs and tie a cloth around your head (both men and women).

GOLDEN CITY OF JAISALMER: 2 DAYS

We traveled by night train to the desert province of Rajasthan. Our first destination was Jaisalmer, also called the golden city of India. In Jaisalmer, everything revolves around two things: the Golden Fort and the Thar Desert. Both places are beautiful, but at the same time tell a tragic story. The fort has been sinking for years due to an outdated sewerage and drainage system. The growth in hotels and souvenir shops within the fort has only made this worse. In order not to contribute to this, it is therefore advised to look for a hotel outside the fort. In the Thar desert, almost all tourists are offered one in a dromedary. Sometimes with four men at the same time on the back of such an animal. I am a strong opponent of animal entertainment and I think that includes the tourist dromedary rides.

Read also:  Golden desert city of Jaisalmer: the good, the bad and the ugly .

BLUE JODHPUR: 3 DAYS

After Jaisalmer we headed for the blue city of Jodhpur, my favorite city in Rajasthan. A maze of lively streets, baoris (wells) that are all works of art in themselves and the dominating Meherangarh fort perched on a hill above the city. Of course you can’t miss the highlight of the city: the famous blue-colored center . This is a neighborhood where many walls are painted blue. A beautiful setting to stroll around for an afternoon! The explanations on the reason for the blue color vary. One says that the blue paint repels mosquitoes and termites, the other says that the blue paint refers to the former residents from the high-ranking Brahman caste. Whatever it may be, the neighborhood is certainly a picture!

AFTERNOON IN RANAKPUR

The drive from Jodhpur to Udaipur takes about five hours, but with the Indian cheese on roads it can easily take longer. We chose to make a stopover in Ranakpur. In this small town you will find one of the most important Jain temples in India. Jainism is a derivative of Hinduism and focuses on nonviolence, inner peace, and tolerance. The white marble temple in Ranakpur is beautiful to see from both outside and inside. It has 144 pillars support the temple and each pillar is a work of art in itself. The mornings are dedicated to services, but visitors are welcome from noon. If you want to visit the temple, there are some strict rules about what you can and cannot take in the temple. This way you are not allowed to take leather belts, bags, bottles of water and food with you.

THE WHITE CITY OF UDAIPUR: 2 DAYS

After white and blue colored cities followed the white city of Udaipur. Udaipur was the ultimate relaxation destination for me. I feel this city was less crowded and chaotic than the other cities. We took a boat trip on Lake Pichola, took a look at the Hindu Jagdish temple and walked around the white island hotel Lake Palace. The best activity in Udaipur was the cooking workshop at Shashi. A woman with a powerful story and a great talent for cooking. We have tasted the tastiest dishes of our entire trip through India! We felt that two days in Udaipur were too short. I would have stayed another day with love. You can easily find taxi service in udaipur.

PINK CITY JAIPUR: 3 DAYS

The last destination of the colorful Rajasthan was Jaipur. Jaipur is also called the pink city, but in reality the buildings and city gates have a terracotta orange color. On our first morning in Jaipur we made a bike tour through the city with Cyclin ‘Jaipur. A great way to see the city awaken in a sporty way. On our second day we visited the city palace and the Amber fort, two gems of buildings that you should definitely not miss during a visit to Jaipur. Unfortunately at the fort we were reminded again that animal-friendly tourism has not penetrated everywhere. At the bottom of the hill, painted elephants were lined up in rows to carry the tourists up the hill. For many travelers, an elephant ride sounds like a dream, but be aware that elephant rides are the result of animal abuse.

AN AFTERNOON IN FATEHPUR SIKRI

On the way from Jaipur to Agra we made a stopover in the old city of Fatehpur Sikri. In the sixteenth century this city was the capital of the Islamic Mogol empire. Unfortunately, this status was only for a short time, because the city was completely abandoned after 14 years. The result: a ghost town where nobody lives anymore. When reading in for our trip through India, such a status intrigued me. As I mentioned in my article about Fatehpur Sikri, I look back to this city with mixed feelings. Yes, it’s a beautiful historic place to visit, but it’s also a nasty side place. Pushy sellers, scams, fake guides, in Fatehpur Sikri I had the feeling of always being on my guard.

AGRA & TAJ MAHAL: 2 DAYS

Apart from the splendor of the Taj Mahal, Agra’s reputation is not very good. It is known as a dirty and busy city, but actually I thought it was better than expected. Yes, Agra was busy, but which city in India is not busy. I was also pleasantly surprised by the wide boulevard that led to the East Gate of the Taj Mahal. Clean, tidy and lit. We visited the beautiful Taj Mahal in the early morning during sunrise. Unfortunately we had to deal with a good deal of fog that morning. The magic moment to admire the Taj Mahal at dawn was therefore not there. The Taj Mahal played hide and seek. Yet the fog also had advantages, because once the sun broke, a mystical atmosphere fell over the draw. See, every disadvantage has an advantage.

SPIRITUAL VARANASI: 2 DAYS 1 DAY

From Agra we took the train to Varanasi. It became a train journey that we will never forget. A night train that turned into a night and day train. We were about 12 hours late, so we didn’t arrive at 10:00 in the morning, but at 10:00 in the evening. A whole day went up in smoke. We also received no updates about the delay on the train, so we had no idea when we would arrive at our destination. It was a special but tiring experience.

Although we only had one day in Varanasi, we really enjoyed this city. We took a boat trip on the holy Ganges, watched the public cremations and sat down at a spiritual Aarti ceremony in the evening. Tip for travelers who like wine or beer: in the holy city almost no alcohol is served in restaurants. Yet it is sometimes possible to drink a beer if you ask for it, then you will be referred to a room at the back of the restaurant.

GIGANTIC MUMBAI: 3 DAYS

We flew from Varanasi to the metropolis of Mumbai. The city that used to be known as Bombay. Mumbai is a city with a number of nice neighborhoods. For example, stroll around the Fort neighborhood and see the remaining colonial architecture, walk into the boutique shops in hipster district Khala Goda or be discovered as a Bollywood star in Colaba. Have you had enough of the crowds in Mumbai? Then go to Chowpatty Beach. Locals like to come here in the evening to watch the sunset and have a bite to eat at the street food trucks. I also advise you to take a walk on the Marine Drive city boulevard to admire the Art Deco Architecture and to take a look at the striking green sculpture collections in the Hanging Gardens.

And that was it: almost three weeks through India. A first introduction to this fascinating country. Would I want to go back to India again? Yes, India is such a diverse country. The green south of India is on my wish list. Moreover, the delicious vegetarian food offers a perfect excuse to return to this exotic destination again.

TIPS FOR TRAVELING THROUGH INDIA

• The Indian train system is hopelessly outdated. So take enough time for it, because it often happens that trains leave too late and will stop several times along the way.
• We visited India in January and we had in mind that it is always hot in India. That was therefore disappointing. In Rajasthan, Agra and Varanasi, the maximum temperature was often just 18 degrees. If you travel to Northern India during this period, bring a few extra sweaters or cardigans.
• As a woman it is handy to take a few scarves with you. You can cover your shoulders or neck with this or possibly keep it in front of your mouth for the exhaust gases and other nasty odors.
• Earplugs in India are indispensable. It is never silent, you also hear everything at night. In Rajasthan, for example, we became mad about the pack of dogs that were active at night and did not stop barking.
• Indian cities are not suitable for wandering and wandering. Distances are large, the traffic is chaotic and there are often no pavements. It can therefore be better to arrange a tuk-tuk for those few cents, to take a taxi or to order an Uber.

Is India on your wishlist?