After Mumbai

Since returning from India I have been busy working with local travel agent NEI UK Ltd to create a photographic tour of India in October. NEI UK started out as Nature Expeditions India and have been building memories for travellers for more than 25 years.

Highlights of the tour include the colourful bustling street markets & peoples of the cities of Delhi, the ‘pink city’of Jaipur, Agra & the Taj Mahal; Jeep safari in the search for tigers at Ranthambore National Park; birds & other wildlife at Chambal Safari; the historic city of Lucknow and the eternally vibrant city of Varanasi and the Holy River Ganges.

A Unesco World Heritage site since 1983 the Taj Mahal is synonymous with devotion built by the Mughal Emperor Shan Jahan after his favourite wife Arjumand Banu Begum also called Mumtaz Mahal died in 1631 after giving birth to their 14th child a daughter named Gauhara Begum. It is said that from her death bed she asked her husband to build a beautiful tomb. With his position of wealth, also the passion Shan Jahan felt for his wife the promise became a reality.

Agra Fort also known as the Red Fort

Dark red walls contrast against the green lawns and white marble rooms of ornamental ceilings, floral inlay, alcoves, fountains and trellis windows which offer a glimpse of the Taj Mahal from a very different perspective, across the river a backdrop rising above a timeless scene of farmers fields and grazing cattle.

Agra Fort also known as the Red Fort is an impressive 16^th century fortress of red sandstone created by the Emperor Akbar in 1565 as both a military base and a royal residence. From here four generations of emperors ruled, when Agra was the capital of the Mughal Empire.

Jaipur the Pink City

The centre of “The Pink City” Jaipur is a cacophony of sound, the screaming Tuk tuk engines and continual sounding of horns almost drown out the traffic officer’s whistle at junctions.

Amber Fort

Amber Fort is built of yellow and pink sandstone, the colours ever changing as the warm sun light stretches across this vast complex. There are four main sections each with its own courtyard, beautiful gardens, a palace magnificent gateways and amazing views which can be reached by riding on the top of an elephant in the footsteps of the Maharajahs.