Incredible India

22 November: Our first day in Mumbai was spent exploring Mani Bhavan, the house where Mahatma Gandhi used to stay during his visits to Bombay, which is now a museum, Kamla Nehru Park and Hanging Gardens situated on the slope of Malabar Hill, offering a panoramic view of Marine Drive and Chowpatty Beach. Bombay or Mumbai, is the capital of Maharashtra and the economic powerhouse of India. A crazy, colourful and hypnotic city, filled with wonderful smells, friendly faces and an 'organised chaos' of a transport system.

23 November: Early morning flight on Air India from Mumbai to Jaipur (The Pink City). Jaipur presides over the fascinating desert state and its people: surrounded by rugged hills, each crowned by a formidable fort; and beautiful palaces, mansions and gardens dotted throughout its precincts. Except for the busy traffic of bicycles, cars, buses, little seems to have changed.

24 November: Early morning visit to the ancient capital of Amber to see the fabulous Amber Fort, which was constructed in the 17th century. Although pouring with rain, we were determined to reach up to the fortress by elephant! What a ride! Once on top, we strolled through the sprawling complex of courtyards and halls. Many of the rooms have amazing wall paintings and precious stones and mirrors inlaid in the walls. Most fascinating perhaps, was the Sheesh Mahal (hall of mirrors). We also stopped at the 'Palace of Winds'. It is an elaborate facade behind which the ladies of the court used to watch the daily goings on in the street below.

25 November: Overland from Jaipur to Agra. Agra is one of the most famous tourist spots of the country. The city, situated on the west bank of the river, Yamuna, is known world over as home to a wonder of the world, Taj Mahal. Taking 22 years and 20,000 men to build, the white marble was quarried 200 miles away and was transported to the site by fleet on 1000 elephants. Built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as an expression of his love for his wife Mumtaz Mahal in the mid 17th century.

26 November: Overland from Agra to Delhi, visited Agra Fort enroute, an outstanding example of Mughal architecture. Nowhere has tradition blended with modernity on a scale as evident as New Delhi. Our visit also included Qutub Minar, which is the tallest stone tower in India.

27 November: Flight from Delhi to Mumbai. Spent our last day exploring the city. Bustling Crawford Market, Gateway to India and a quick ride in one of their famous two-wheeler taxis! This is an experience and gives you a new appreciation of how the taxi drivers manage to navigate their way around the suffocating traffic!

India ... Incredible! I wish I had more time to explore this wonderful country and I will definitely go back! The people are friendly and generous, the food is fantastic and the culture is fascinating. I can also highly recommend using their local carriers such as Air India and Kingfisher Airlines. Both provided a quality service.

Remember to take Malaria precautions and to only drink bottled water. A comfortable pair of shoes is a must as most of the cities are best explored on foot.