India's Golden Triangle Ride 2018

The route was : Agra - Bharatpur - Menhdipur - Dausa - Jaipur

Best Time to Visit the Hawa Mahal-The Hawa Mahal can be visited any time of the day.However it is advisable to visit Rajasthan during winter as the temperature is the most pleasant then.

Have you been feeling tired, over-worked and stressed out about life,love and your career? In my case i was going through more or less with same situation in my life ,whether you are fizzling out or not, one thing that is never a bad idea, is a good old dose of what’s called a “Road Trip”.Yes by going on a Road Trip you have the opportunity to see more, experience more and appreciate more.

The another year was ending , the world was preparing for Christmas and New Year on the another hand i was stuck with same unvarying routine of my life ,I get up at the same time, commute by the same mode of transport along the same route to the same office where i spend eight or nine hours doing the same kind of work each day.It's hard not to get bored and frustrated by a life where each day is the same as the last. Anyhow i wanted to break this monotonous routine and rejuvenate myself. One fine day i told myself -Enough is enough, Do it now! it can affect every phase of your life. So on last Saturday of December 2018, I Packed my bags up , took my all riding gears and accessories that are reinforced with Armour to protect in the event of a fall when riding & started my solo Golden Triangle Ride. It was the first time I was taking my bike out for a long ride ever since I got it , i was just praying that my first long ride could be a memorable one and trust me while on road trip one thing you can be certain of is this: you will make memories and you will make lots of them.

I left Delhi early morning ,took Yamuna Expressway and and was hoping to reach Agra in next few hours. Riding on Yamuna Expressway is totally thrilling experience itself,there are many fantastic driving roads spread through the length and width of our beautiful country.I have been fortunate enough to experience one of them.I must tell you one thing ,you can go on yamuna expressway by bike but always remember to take precaution about your speed limit as its a free way. Yamuna Expressway journey is undoubtedly quicker. Downside is that there aren't as many food and fuel stops along the way also Toll charges are expensive, probably the highest in the whole country. Even two-wheeler,s are charged on this route and a biker can expect to shell out about Rs 200 for a one-way journey.

The first leg of my journey got me to Agra ,I am one of those people who continuously struggle with navigation, out of all the travelling apps available today I never used any, I realized my mistake , for the next two hours in Agra was painful , I was riding my bike in brand new city for me, without proper direction and without reaching to anywhere , took wrong roads many times , done lots of U Turn, however it helped me to realize before you pack your bags and see the world, get some good travel apps that should anticipate all your on-the-road needs and to make sure your traveling is as seamless as possible. Anyhow I managed to check in, time was always a limited factor for me so without wasting any more time , I went to the Taj straight away , highlight of the Agra was it has been said that the colors of Taj change with the sun hence I visited it at the time of sunrise & sunset both , however I couldn’t see a lot of difference between am and pm colors of the Taj. The first day was completed it was time to take rest I got a long journey ahead of me.

Now it’s time for second leg of my journey – Jaipur (the "Pink City") Jaipur is the capital of India’s Rajasthan state, I started late from Agra , after initial approx 15 km road condition was fairly good without any heavy traffic. With a tea break of 15–20 minutes, you can easily cover the distance within 5 to 6 hours without rushing.

I reached Jaipur almost late in evening, got some much needed rest after tiring long ride, it was already almost 8 PM , I couldn’t do much today, just managed to explore some famous shopping complex and night life of Jaipur .

So many places to go...so little time, this is my third trip to Rajasthan, first while riding , every person I’ve met so far has been incredibly kind and welcoming, and I can already feel myself falling in love with the culture. I started my third day with Hawa Mahal- the most recognizable monument of Jaipur built in 1799, the timing is 9.00 AM to 4.30 PM every day, Entry Fee- Just Rs. 10.00 per person, one can easily cover this place in one hours.

I had always wished to visit Amer Fort finally this time I visited this famous Fort, it has been incredibly built .You can ride an elephant up to the fort and it would be totally fun or you can walk up the fort that barely takes 20 minutes ,if possible attend evening light and sound show, It tells you the history of the place. The fort is opened to public from 9.00 in the morning till 6.00 in the evening every day. Elephant ride is available from morning 9.30 till afternoon - Entry Fees -Indians Rs. 100.00 per person and Foreigner Rs. 550.00 per person and Elephant Ride – Rs. 1100.00 Single or per couple.

Best Time to Visit Amer Fort -Better book your trip in between October and March to avoid scorching heat of Rajasthan.

Nahargarh Fort-the main attraction is the breath taking view of Jaipur city offered by this fort.Definitely recommended, the view from the top of the fort is what you should travelling to this fort for.Only complaint- no proper arrangement of transportation ,Nahargarh fort is difficult to reach. The fort is opened to public from 10.00 in the morning till 6.00 in the evening everyday. Entry Fees- Indians Rs. 50.00 per person and Foreigner Rs. 200.00 per person.

Best Time to Visit the Nahargarh Fort- The best time to visit this fort is during winter when the weather is pleasant,It is advisable to visit Nahargarh fort later in evening , will get an awesome view of the city.

Jaigarh Fort- Made with the purpose of protecting Amer Fort, Jaigarh fort is considered as the strongest monument of Jaipur. It was considered as a storehouse of all the war amours, cannons, arms and ammunition's.They have a huge collection of weapons for war used in historical times. The main attraction of the fort is Jaivana, world's largest cannon. The Jaivana cannon is the largest wheeled cannon ever constructed,weighing 250 tonnes and once required 6 elephants to turn it.The fort is opened to public from 9.00 in the morning till 5.00 in the evening everyday. Entry Fees- Indians Rs. 70.00 per person and Foreigner Rs. 150.00 per person

Best Time to Visit Jaigarh Fort- The best time to visit the fort is between October and March. The weather becomes quite pleasant during this time.

I ended yesterday at Nahargarh Fort- On this trip it was my last day in Jaipur no matter how hard you try, you cant cover everything, there are so many places around that I wanted to go but that seems impossible to visit all in a last day, i just thought don’t always be on the run after things you desire, instead appreciate what i have, i missed Chokhi Dhani this time to attend new year party, i also missed City Palace however i am glad that i managed to visit World Trade Park Jaipur , Jal Mahal ,Jawahar Circle and some other local markets. At the end of the day i was smiling .

Nothing is too big or too small for this trip,It's sad to know I'm done, my ride was getting over but looking back, I've got a lot of great memories, memories that will last a lifetime.

Its time to end my story here...The journey is never ending...You got to keep going!!! There are too many roads less traveled, oceans not yet seen, forests not yet explored and people not yet met...

continue to live in the moment!!

Ashu!!