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Asia / India
The cities
Delhi
Delhi is actually two fascinating cities old and new. Old Delhi pulses with energy and colour, providing a fascinating insight into the sights, sounds and aromas of the Indian sub-continent; and here you will see the enormous Red Fort (please note that this is closed on Mondays), the Jama Masjid Mosque with its tapering minarets and wonderful marble domes and the bustling bazaar of Chandni Chowk. New Delhi is a complete contrast; it is a landscaped city of wide boulevards, colonial monuments, stately palaces and formal parks. Here you find the Parliament Building - once the aweinspiring residence of the British Viceroys and now the Presidential Palace, the Raj Ghat - cremation site of Mahatama Gandhi, India Gate - a majestic memorial to the Indian Soldiers killed in World War I, the ancient and fascinating Qutab Minar tower, Humanyun's Tomb graceful Mughal fore-runner of the Taj Mahal and finally the Birla Mandir (a large Hindu Temple built in 1938). To see the major sites of Delhi you should allow at least a day (longer if you want to see things at a more relaxed pace). The Claridges is a first class historic hotel in the heart of New Delhi. All the beautifully appointed rooms are airconditioned and en-suite with a full range of facilities. There is also a swimming pool, four restaurants, and a health club. The Claridges has been a landmark in Lutyens Delhi since the colonial period. The Imperial is a five-star hotel in the centre of Delhi with 137 beautifully appointed rooms and suites. The hotel has a swimming pool, shopping arcade, health club, tennis and golf facilities, three restaurants and bar.
Built in 1933, the hotel is a spacious mix of Victorian, old colonial and art deco styles, set in four hectares of beautifully landscaped grounds. Uppals Orchid has 84 luxurious rooms. This wellappointed and excellent hotel is located close to the airport and is the ideal place for a day-use room or short airport stopover.
of your own private terrace overlooking the Taj Mahal, just 600 metres away. All the 102 rooms and suites offer full en-suite facilities. Every room in the hotel offers breathtaking views of the monument, and three suites even have bathrooms with Taj views! This hotel is truly in a league of its own and stay at the Amarvilas will never be forgotten.
Khajuraho
Today Khajuraho is a small village in a remote part of
Agra
The northern Indian city of Agra is home to one of the worlds most iconic monuments - the Taj Mahal, a monument built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan for his Queen Mumtaz Mahal. For 22 years, 20,000 men laboured day and night to build this masterpiece in white marble which has held the world awe-struck ever since. A visit to northern India would be incomplete without a visit to this amazing building and the nearby Agra Fort, where Shah Jehan was imprisoned by his son. A short drive from the city you will find the wonderful palaces of the ghost city of Fatehpur Sikri. Agra has good rail and road connections from Delhi some 253 kilometres to the north. (Please note that the Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays.) The Trident Hilton Hotel in Agra is a first-class hotel set in beautiful landscaped gardens just four kilometres from the Taj Mahal. The hotel combines traditional Mughal architecture with all the amenities of a modern hotel. The 138 rooms surround a central courtyard with a swimming pool and elegant fountains. The Oberoi Amarvilas is the most luxurious hotel in Agra, and the only one where you can enjoy the luxury
central India, but 1000 years ago it was the magnificent seat of the Chandela Kings who built 85 temples, of which 22 remain in eloquent testimony to the glory of their reign. The world-famous Chandela Dynasty Temples built between 950 and 1050 AD are famous for their sensuous and erotic sculptures which so shocked their Victorian discoverers. However, the temples also offer a fascinating insight into a more liberal pre-Islamic and pre-Christian life in India, portraying every minutia of daily human life and emotions. We recommend an overnight stay here as the temples are best viewed at dawn or dusk. For the wildlife enthusiast visiting Bandhavgarh or Panna, Khajurahos excellent hotels make a convenient, refreshing and interesting stop, and the village is easily worked into a circuit of the central Indian parks. It is just 26 kilometres from Panna National Park and roughly six hours drive from Bandhavgarh National Park. Regular express trains to and from Delhi and Agra depart from Jhansi Station. The Jas Radisson is a five-star deluxe hotel in the village of Khajaraho. Accommodation is in 90 airconditioned rooms and suites, set amidst verdant, landscaped lawns.
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