Itinerary: Day 2: A Tryst With India's Royalty, Heritage, Wildlife, And Ghosts
1. Wake up early in the morning (at about 5:30 am) and quickly get ready for a boat ride in the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary. Meet your naturalist guide in the reception area of the hotel and park at the gate of the bird sanctuary.
2. Take a brief walk from the gate to the boating area and interact with your knowledgeable guide about the history of the sanctuary and its inhabitants.
3. The boat ride, if taken early in the morning, will offer you a mesmerizing experience of being in the magical and mystical kingdom of nature. Just remain silent and soak in the atmosphere of the place. You will be able to witness the birds wake up from their slumber and flap their wings as get ready to welcome a new day. The fog surrounding you (if you go in winter) makes you feel like you are at the "end of the world". Come back from the dreamland to take a brief walk to the gate of the sanctuary.
Tips: Carry jackets or coats, gloves, and woollen cap in winter as the morning boat ride can be extremely chilly. Be careful about using your cameras as the mist might settle on your lenses. Know that it is difficult to capture photographs if it is foggy, hence just keep your cameras aside and enjoy the ambiance. You'll have plenty of time to capture the beautiful birds of the sanctuary the next day.
4. Come back to the hotel and enjoy a sumptuous complementary buffet breakfast.
5. After your breakfast set out for the tour of the UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the 7 Wonders of the World, the Taj Mahal of Agra. The ride takes about 1h 50 min from Bharatpur. Inform the travel desk beforehand to arrange for a guide with in-depth historical knowledge about Agra including the Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort.
Important note: Never forget to carry your citizenship proof to the destination, even if you are Indian citizens, your id's might be inspected at the entrance. Also be careful about the rules for photography and do not click pictures where you are asked not to.
Tip: Since your visit to the Taj Mahal ensures you'll be clicking pictures of yourself in front of the incredibly beautiful marble facade of the Taj Mahal, try to dress appropriately so that you will look fit for royalty in your photographs in front of this historic monument. However, since a lot of walking is involved, try to wear shoes that are comfortable.
6. After your visit to the Taj Mahal, move on to the historic Agra Fort, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The fort stores centuries of treasured history of India. It served as the residence of the Great Mughal emperors till 1638.
7. Leaving the fort, move on to explore the streets of the city and the various handicrafts and special food treats of Agra. Make a visit to a workshop and store of Agra marble inlay work. Here, you will be able to watch craftsmen carry out the rigorous task of inserting colorful semi-precious stones on the marble surface to create vibrant and eye-catching flora designs and patterns. You will also have the opportunity of purchasing one of these products in the form of marble coffee tables to large dining tables or small sculptures. The work is quite expensive and a mid-size coffee table can cost you over 2,000 USD or over INR one lakh
Tip: Please, remember to bargain heavily to arrive at a reasonable price. Do not worry about carrying the item back with you as they ship the items to your address. However, they will ask you to make full payment before you receive your order. Hence, ensure that the store is legitimate.
8. Visit another store in Agra that displays zardozi wall hangings. You'll be amazed how beautiful they can be! These wall hangings also cost from a few thousand to a few hundred thousand but having one of them in your home will definitely invite praises about your decor style.
Tip: Again, bargain, bargain, and bargain!
9. After your shopping is completed, visit a famous petha store in Agra and try out the delicacy sweet product that comes in a wide variety of flavors and compositions. Do not forget to pack home plenty for your friends and family as the petha can be stored for days at room temperature without decay. Well, we forgot all about lunch on our tour as we were so engrossed in the tour. However, please do not miss your lunch and ask your driver to take you to a decent place for your lunch.
10. Finally, return back to the hotel after a day full of memories that are going to last forever.
Day 3: Coming soon....
To go back to Day 1, click here: http://oishimaya.blogspot.in/2017/07/itinerary-day-1-tryst-with-indias.html
3. The boat ride, if taken early in the morning, will offer you a mesmerizing experience of being in the magical and mystical kingdom of nature. Just remain silent and soak in the atmosphere of the place. You will be able to witness the birds wake up from their slumber and flap their wings as get ready to welcome a new day. The fog surrounding you (if you go in winter) makes you feel like you are at the "end of the world". Come back from the dreamland to take a brief walk to the gate of the sanctuary.
Tips: Carry jackets or coats, gloves, and woollen cap in winter as the morning boat ride can be extremely chilly. Be careful about using your cameras as the mist might settle on your lenses. Know that it is difficult to capture photographs if it is foggy, hence just keep your cameras aside and enjoy the ambiance. You'll have plenty of time to capture the beautiful birds of the sanctuary the next day.
4. Come back to the hotel and enjoy a sumptuous complementary buffet breakfast.
5. After your breakfast set out for the tour of the UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the 7 Wonders of the World, the Taj Mahal of Agra. The ride takes about 1h 50 min from Bharatpur. Inform the travel desk beforehand to arrange for a guide with in-depth historical knowledge about Agra including the Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort.
Important note: Never forget to carry your citizenship proof to the destination, even if you are Indian citizens, your id's might be inspected at the entrance. Also be careful about the rules for photography and do not click pictures where you are asked not to.
Tip: Since your visit to the Taj Mahal ensures you'll be clicking pictures of yourself in front of the incredibly beautiful marble facade of the Taj Mahal, try to dress appropriately so that you will look fit for royalty in your photographs in front of this historic monument. However, since a lot of walking is involved, try to wear shoes that are comfortable.
6. After your visit to the Taj Mahal, move on to the historic Agra Fort, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The fort stores centuries of treasured history of India. It served as the residence of the Great Mughal emperors till 1638.
7. Leaving the fort, move on to explore the streets of the city and the various handicrafts and special food treats of Agra. Make a visit to a workshop and store of Agra marble inlay work. Here, you will be able to watch craftsmen carry out the rigorous task of inserting colorful semi-precious stones on the marble surface to create vibrant and eye-catching flora designs and patterns. You will also have the opportunity of purchasing one of these products in the form of marble coffee tables to large dining tables or small sculptures. The work is quite expensive and a mid-size coffee table can cost you over 2,000 USD or over INR one lakh
Tip: Please, remember to bargain heavily to arrive at a reasonable price. Do not worry about carrying the item back with you as they ship the items to your address. However, they will ask you to make full payment before you receive your order. Hence, ensure that the store is legitimate.
8. Visit another store in Agra that displays zardozi wall hangings. You'll be amazed how beautiful they can be! These wall hangings also cost from a few thousand to a few hundred thousand but having one of them in your home will definitely invite praises about your decor style.
Tip: Again, bargain, bargain, and bargain!
9. After your shopping is completed, visit a famous petha store in Agra and try out the delicacy sweet product that comes in a wide variety of flavors and compositions. Do not forget to pack home plenty for your friends and family as the petha can be stored for days at room temperature without decay. Well, we forgot all about lunch on our tour as we were so engrossed in the tour. However, please do not miss your lunch and ask your driver to take you to a decent place for your lunch.
10. Finally, return back to the hotel after a day full of memories that are going to last forever.
Day 3: Coming soon....
To go back to Day 1, click here: http://oishimaya.blogspot.in/2017/07/itinerary-day-1-tryst-with-indias.html
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