A Unique Visit of The Agra Fort on The Taj Mahal Tour

One cannot visit the Taj Mahal without also visiting the place where Shah Jahan spent his last days; The Agra Fort. Shah Jahan is of course Mamtaz Mahal's husband who also comissioned the Taj Mahal a memorial to his beloved wife. Agra Fort is almost as beautiful as the Taj Mahal and is also made mostly of the same material as the Taj Mahal. Build with marble and detailed in semi precious stones.

In my previous post I shared 13 top tips on visiting the Taj Mahal, while you are in Agra this is another spot that you should not miss out on. Agra Fort is a UNESCO World Heritage located not too far from the Taj Mahal. This is what can be discribed as a walled city. One of the Mugal Emperor's realised the importance of the Agra following a victory of the battle for the city, he made Agra the capital city. It  was this Emperor's grandson who then took over the site. This grandson was of course Shah Jahan. He tended to have buildings broken down and rebuilt in white marble. You will see this when you visit. Most parts are made from the red brick that Akbar, his grandfather, when he rebuilt the fort after the battles.

As Shah had over spent so much money building the Taj Mahal in memory of his wife, his son deposed and restrained him in the Fort. Its rumored that Shah Jahan died in the Musamman Burj, a tower with marble balcony with a view of the Taj Mahal.   Our tour Guide took as all around and let us roam around also telling us about how some of the the emperor has over a thousand concubines and just how many orgies took place there. As well as how his servants would be outside with big fans fanning the Emperor while his ladies attended to his every desires. Not exactly surprised by stories of these sex mad emperors compared to what you will find at Khajuraho Mounuments.

The Agra Fort is also an important site in that it was the site of a battle during the Indian rebellion of 1857, which caused the end of the British East India Company rule in India. This also led to a century of direct rule of India by Britain. 

Don't miss out on this site and highly recommend getting a tour guide as they offer such a wealth of information about this place, its history and just cool tidbits about the Emperors that ruled over the lands and their scandalous lives.

Entrance Fee: 300 Rupees(£3 +/-) for tourists and 20 rupees for Indians.

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Bloglovin

13 Tips For Visiting & Seeing The Taj Mahal

In my recent post, I shared pictures from our time exploring Agra's monument of love; The Taj Mahal. This time I thought I would share tips for visiting and seeing the Taj Mahal with ease. There are millions of people that dream of visiting the Taj Mahal. This means that there is hardly a time when its not crowded. The tips below will help you the visit a little more bearable in what can be a crowded and chaotic place in some seasons.

1. Take A Guided  Tour 

Although I am usually a fan of DIY tours of places I visit, for this one I would highly recommend a guided tour. For one they will know all the cool places to show you as well as the insider history and stories about how the place came to be. Secondly, they will also fend off people hustling you to pay for them to take pictures for your or any other service they may be throwing at you. Also bear in mind that your tour guide will also try and take you around to so-called "Gallerues" or aka carpet showrooms and jewellery studios, places that they are more than likely to receive commission from, for each person they bring to the showrooms. Feel free to go and have a look but know that they most likely will make you feel as if you have to buy something before can leave. I am quite strong willed and buy only what I want and need. If you cannot afford it or don't need it do not feel like you are to buy it. Leave or haggle and see if you can get a price you are happy to pay.

Arranging tour guides: Depending on where you are staying in India, your hotel can help you find a knowledgeable guide to take you around for the day. We were staying at the Marriott in Gurgaon, a couple of minutes outside of Delhi. They arranged our driver from Delhi to Agra and a tour guide when we arrived in Agra. If you want to DIY(Do It Yourself) and arrange a guide yourself, then check out ToursByLocals and Vayable. You can also get a government-approved tour guide for about £20 a day from Uptourism. We were looking at where to stay in Agra when we were planning our trip but ended up doing the day trip due to other commitments we had. If you are looking for places to stay near Taj Mahal, there is a Marriott near by as well as the beautiful Oberoi which has amazing views of the Taj Mahal even if you are just there for afternoon tea. For a full list of hotels in Agra, check out his list of hotels covering all budgets.

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Bloglovin

Couples Travel | 8 Tips For Travelling As A Couple

Victoria Falls - Zambia

Travelling with Family and friends can be an experience in itself. I shared some tips on travelling with family a while back. Travelling with your significant other has its fair share of crazy, but I think problems usually stem from lack or poor communications between people. Travelling is something my boyfriend and I are passionate about. We have been on hikes just the two of us, going on road trips for that cover hundreds of miles passing through many a boarder line. Adventures that build trust and get us working as a team and just enjoy each others company are always so memorable because we have both made the effort to learn more about each other. Not just on a personal level because you are dating, but our style of travel too. I think this is also key to having those amazing memories that you will hold on to until your head start sprout that grey coloured mane that you think will never happen to you. 

After years of globe trotting from African road trips to Asia's chaotic and bustling cities or taking to Europe hidden treasures, I thought I would share tips on how to ensure your trips are spent more on having fun that arguing about how you both  managed to think the other person was booking the hotel. I am glad I am not the only  one who thinks time should be spent more on having fun. Travel Supermarket also believe holidays should be packed full of fun, laughter and the best memories.

1. Share responsibilities - Research into booking flights, accommodation, activities, direction and transportation to and from the airport at your destination all take a long time to plan. It's great to share out responsibilities as well as discuss what each one wants out of the trip. This also allows you to look out for each other's interests when planning the trip.

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Bloglovin

Taj Mahal | An Indian Love Story of The Mughals

Who hasn't dreamed of seeing the Taj Mahal. Having done a little bit of Indian history in my early years at school, from the moment I learned about the Taj Mahal, I knew I had to see this place with my own eyes. A building that that is said to be the world's greatest monument to love. Commissioned by Shah Jahan, the fifth Mughal emperor to house the tomb of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died during childbirth.

This is of course the tomb that nearly bankrupted the emperor in his no expense bared mentally in throwing money at the construction of the tomb and many other projects. Shah Jahan is the same emperor that famously commissioned the Peacock Throne, crafted from over a tonne of gold and encrusted in diamonds, emeralds, pearls and rubies. When you visit the Taj Mahal you will notice how the intricate detail within the marble are all made of semi-precious stones. The design, exquiste and unique in its blend of Indian and Persian architectural style.

The level of detail and thought that went into the construction is simply remarkable. The construction began soon after the death of Mumtaz Mahal's death and too 22 years to complete, with over 20, 000, labourers, stone cutters and skilled artisans. Marble that travelled all the way from Rajasthan, decorated in Arabic calligraphy in this beautiful master piece. The entrance to the Taj Mahal also give clues to how it too to construct the tomb. It's really as beautiful as many have described it to be. Even in the blastering heat that visited on, didn't dampen our spirits.

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Bloglovin

Humayuns Tomb | A Tomb That Gave Birth To Taj Mahal

I am sure you have all heard of the Taj Mahal. If you haven't then I wonder if you might have been raised in a cave with no access to the internet, but I am pretty sure caves now also come fully fitted with fiber optic internet connections these days. Anyway, I strongly believe that if it wasn't for Humayun's Tomb we might not have had the Taj Mahal.

Before I tell you all about that I should mention my discovery of how little I knew of full potential of my little vocal cords had. Had I known, perhaps, I might have signed up for Britain's Got Talent. After  gracefully walking around the grounds of Humayun's Tomb and exploring the gardens I thought I would make my way to Humayun's Barber's quarters on my way to the exit. As I approached, I decided to change course slightly and  walk towards the trees to shield me from Delhi's unrelenting sun. With little warning I was suddenly stopped in my tracks as 3 dogs that I accidentally disturbed from slumber were under the shed I was approaching. They immediately surrounded me and start barkinig at me(barking mad!). I have never been so scared in my life! Except when I was chased by a horse, but that's another story. These dogs were about to have me in the center and in my quick thinking opened the umbrella I was using for shade and started waving it at them. It was as if I had a light bulb moment, I just screamed. It must have been loud because the dogs scapperd off in different directions and a few birds followed suit too. I had no idea my lungs had that much potential I tell you.  I am no good with anything with more than 2 legs and I was out numbered by at least 10 legs here. I couldn't help but feel a little proud of my vocal cords there.

Each time I look through my pictures from exploring Humayuns Tomb I can't help but giggle at the memory scaring off dogs by screaming alone - Hashtag #CollectMemoriesAndNotthings. As you can imagine, calm and collected after my little experience I walked back to the car and mentioned nothing to my driver. Only apologising for breaking his umbrella.

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Bloglovin