It's love all the way... Delhi-Agra-Jaipur-Udaipur

Delhi, the trip starts here. Got in Delhi in the afternoon, i checked in a hotel in Karol Bagh, to stay near to the New Delhi Railway Station and to be connected to the city. The Hotel Metro Heights, just located a walk away from the Karol Bagh Metro Station, keeps it connected and in the midst of the Karol Bagh market, gives us plenty of options to eat, chill and shop. 

The hotel is a decent one, clean and hygienic with all basic amenities and justified by the price. For the dinner, to explore out more, we headed towards a restaurant in the market- Aroma Spice, fed there with the tasty and heavy North Indian cuisine, we pick up our bellies and walk down back to the hotel. Comfortable beds, elegant showers covered with clean bed sheets and hygienic laundry, combined make it a pleasant stay overnight.

It's said to be early to bed and early to rise, but we only had a early rise. Morning before even the sun appeared, we started off from the hotel, at 5 AM to catch our train to Agra. Staying near by to the railway station, we managed to be well in time at the station and as the train arrived at the platform, we got settled fast and enjoyed the comfort of a Shatabdi Train. The train starts sharp at 6, giving us the beautiful view of sunrise in the farms we pass through. Being one of the elite and fastest trains of India, they generally don't have delays and makes you reach Agra just as you finish the breakfast- served finely on the train.

Sharp a 2 hour journey and at 8, we got off at the Agra Cantt Railway Station and headed towards the hotel in our pre-booked vehicle.

A quick check-in, we drop our luggage and move further to have the first WOW experience, it's the Agra fort. Beautiful architecture and amazing history, we see, click, listen, learn and come out full of stories and pictures.

After the quite tiring walk and the fort, we head back to the hotel, take a break for some minutes and head out for the lunch. Just a walk away, we move to a South Indian Restaurant- Dasaprakash. A good place, with objects reflecting the cultures and tasty cuisine. The space happens to be a little small, so it better to pre-book or be prepared to wait. After the lunch, finally comes the time to have a quick nap, some rest for and hour.

At 4 in the evening, we start to capture the other wonders of Agra, the Tomb of I'timād-ud-Daulah and the Mehtab Bagh. The tomb is quite similar to the Taj, but different and beautiful in it's on way. The architecture is all carved and engraved by semi-precious stones, mostly intact and so gives out the colourful view. Quick photographs all around, back of the river too and walk out to head towards our surprise.

A drive away, we reach the Mehtab Bagh and walk in. The entrance looks not so pleasing and a thought comes of taking a wrong decision, but as we go further, something mesmerizing happens. The history says, Mehtab Bagh was developed to be a garden behind the Taj Mahal on the other side of the river to constitute the Black Taj there and bridge them up over the Yamuna and thus we see the history standing right in front of us. The view from the Mehtab Bagh is of the back of the Taj and due to the distance between, we get the chance to capture the complete area around the Taj Mahal. The world's wonder freezes us and can keep us so for hours, but as the sun sets, the place is set to close. So as the sky changes towards the dark, we move out for a dinner.

When in Agra, there may be many super classed dinner places, but to stay light on budget, we pick up a decent dining place in the city, The Maya Restaurant. A place to get good North Indian flavours, fine Chinese, smoothies, shakes and sips clubbed with delicious kebabs. An early dinner and soon we return back to the hotel, ending the day and finally following it complete, "early to bed and early to rise".

Up at 4.30 in the morning, we head to the magnificent view of a lifetime. It's always known to be open from the sunrise to the sunset, but we hardly bother to be the ones entering with the sunrise, and we do now. The Taj Mahal at the sunrise, the view is clean and sharp, no distractions and no editing required, I happened to be the first, for the day, to capture the magical moment and just preserve it forever...

Enjoyed the view, made many clicks, talk walk around and as the sun got high, to save ourselves from the heat, we moved to our breakfast place, Hotel Royal Residency. A good to go buffet breakfast, light on pocket but for the taste will surely go heavy on stomach. The breakfast is a fine mix of Indian and Continental, vegetarian and eggs, to fit in for all.

Post the breakfast, to balance our early rise, was the time for a power nap, but there was more to come, keeping the nap too short. Learning all around about the handicrafts that Agra offered, to see them manufacture was a beautiful experience. We moved to check out a carpet factory where the process of making a carpet was just in front of our eyes. From the paper designs to colouring the wool to crafting a carpet and finally giving the finishing touch, knowing it all was amazing and to walk them on was relaxing.

Another place to hang out and fall in love is the Sheroes Hang Out Cafe. A cafe which serves delicious cuisine but the best to know is that is run by a group of girls who stand to be the acid attack survivors in India. It's amazing to feel the courage they have and the way they have been fighting their fears.

Lunch is in and the day moves to the end. Evening Shatabdi to Jaipur fits in best to balance the budget and fun, with a sorted dinner. Reaching Jaipur, checking in and off to bed, the day that stared hectic has to end relaxed.

Morning in Jaipur, relaxed but not a lazy one, we start at 8. To remain low to our pocket, we chose Hotel Bissau Palace, a palace converted to hotel. It seems interesting, and so was the first look, which kept all excited to experience the royal stay. But the sad is to see the not-so-maintained rooms, improper lighting, deficient basic amenities, low service quality and worst was the surrounding area- a not worth stay.

Starting early, we head towards the Amber Fort, which happened to be around 10 kms from our stay making a drive of 30-45 minutes, where we reached by 9 AM. But before reaching the fort, we have quick stop at the Hawa Mahal to learn some bits and capture some poses.

The fort and the palace, all stand to be on the hill top and to reach there, we get three options to ride up by the jeeps there or get helped by an elephant or just walk up, where most comfortable remains the jeep but most eco-friendly remains the walk, so we choose to walk. Climbing up was not hard but not so easy even, it is surely tiring, but we did it and then was an entire round of the palace.

It takes time, the palace is big and then we head back to the Jaipur city, with a quick stop by the Jal Mahal, which at present is just a far away structure standing in the center of a lake.

A short stop and then we move to experience another craft, the craft of printing and clothing. At a place where we learn block printing and the method of making it complete, we stop at Krishna Fabrics. It's feels amazing to see the different colors and to make a sample for ourselves, but most amazing was to shop out from all of the wow collection.

The palaces and the crafts, now was the time to rest our bellies, so the next stop happens to be an amazing lunch buffet at Hotel Anandam. The buffet costs decently, and the variety is for all. A mix of Indian and continental, it fits in all taste buds, making the group go relished for a relaxing afternoon.

After the quick nap, in the evening was the time to glance at the beautifully lit up city for diwali and taste the local flavors. We walk around the old city roads and then land up at the Raj Mandir to enjoy a movie, but what more we enjoy is the cinema hall.

Dinner at Hotel Suryamahal, which happens to be a good place with fine variety and efficient service quality. The taste too ends up being good and in all a fine dining place. Dinner marks to the day end with a view of a quite relaxed next morning.

A lazy morning, but yet much to do. We check out, leave the luggage in the hotel's locker room and walk down to the City Palace- a palace in Jaipur which still is the residence of the royal family and some part converted to a museum. The beautiful palace keeps us mesmerized and all just behind the camera.

Adjacent to the palace is the Jantar Mantar, the ages old observatory, which still teaches a lot. Interesting for the ones inclined towards the stars with fine lawns for the ones opposite.

Not so long, we move back to the old city roads, to enjoy our lunch at the Midtown Multi Cuisine Restaurant. Would surely say, this was the best choice by now. Not a good surrounding, but the view from the top is amazing. They serve it all with all the comfort and the views around gives a fish eye capture of the city.

Back to the hotel, we relax a bit, enjoy a puppet show in the evening, do a puppetry along and take our journey further. At 11 in the night, we get on to our overnight train to Udaipur, looking for the romantic airs.

Udaipur- the Venice of the east, is not just the lakes, but also the mountains. A city of greens, browns and blues, a city of colors, we reach there early in the morning and fortunately get our rooms checked in early. Then was the time to relax, eat and get ready for the further flattering experience.

At 10, we move towards the city lanes passing through the markets, the Lakshmi Temple, the Jagdeesh Temple and reach our first stop at an art studio. Udaipur, famous for miniature paintings, at the studio we learn the same. The artists were so good to have drawn all details fitting in a fingernail.

From the art to the architecture, we walk further to the City Palace, just a wow construction. The palace still is the residence to the royal family with some of its part open for the tourists. Walking through, we reach the various level of the palace and learn that all the levels are steps up on a hill. The immense palace counts long on time with no realization of delay in lunch, but as the stomach hurts, we move back to the lunch place.

An extra touch to the romantic air is when we sit down for a meal besides the lake. The Rainbow Restaurant is a perfect place for any couple to enjoy a delicious meal and indulge in the wonderful sunset.