India: Where to Go for 4 Days

Travel

Dec 16

I've been typing, deleting, typing, and deleting words from this blog. I guess my trip to India has left me this speechless, I couldn't even complete one paragraph... but here it goes.

India has been incredibly special.

For years, I've been dying to travel to this wondrous country - but I never really got the chance to, until this year (2017). From pre-planning, up to the very day we've touched down in India, everything was spontaneous.

Originally, my objective was to volunteer. But upon numerous researches, and constant back and forth communication with the team from India, I found that it's entirely impossible for a week trip. Volunteer programs run up to (minimum) 1 month, in most cases, but never a week.

So I changed the plan.

I wanted to retreat in the mountains, solo, for max 9 days. But again, this plan changed.

Couple of months before my scheduled trip, my best friend from university found out that I'm traveling to India, the same month she planned to visit me here (in Dubai). It was a match made in heaven, so we made it happen (hey, that rhymed!) We both decided to travel to India together and I honestly couldn't be happier!

Now, now, don't get too excited. It doesn't stop there.

I've always traveled with my mom or with friends. But either way, she's always got my back in terms of finances - airfare, hotel booking, allowances, etc. So this time, I decided to shoulder everything and finance this trip from my very own pocket.

It's not easy, but my best friend and I made it happen - and it's all worth it.

Watch our India Vlog here.

Day 1

We landed in Ahmedabad at around 4AM. My colleagues (the company I work in is based in Dubai, but we also have a team in India who I've met for the first time during this trip), picked us up from the airport.

I'm honestly so grateful for these guys. They booked an inn for me and my best friend, treated us to a Thali (authentic Gujrati) restaurant, spent the entire day with us, and went extra just to make sure we're making the most out of our stay in Ahmedabad.

We visited Gandhi Ashram, where we learnt so much about Gandhi, his life, and his achievements.

Afterwards, we headed straight to Akshardham Temple (would've loved to click some pictures or videos, but mobile phones weren’t allowed so we had to leave everything in the car).

We strolled around the temple, rode this fancy rollercoaster, and watched the stunning light and water show!

Couldn’t have started our first day in India any better than this.

Day 2

The next day, we flew to Delhi.

We first visited Qutb Minar, met up with a friend from Bangalore, then headed straight to Jama Masjid, one of the largest mosques in India built by Shah Jahan.

We saw the city from above, as we ventured inside the top most floor of the minaret.

It was quite a hike going to the top, because the stairs were pretty slippery, it was crowded, and very narrow. But the views were all worth it.

Day 3

Seeing the Taj Mahal up close left me so breathless - nope, not kidding at all!

*More about Taj Mahal in my upcoming blog - yep, this section deserves its own article!

Day 4

On our 4th day in India, we travelled to Amritsar by train.

I was honestly a little anxious how I’d feel about Amritsar, especially after being so astounded by Taj Mahal. But like every city, Amritsar also left a memorable mark in my heart.

We met up with our wonderful guide, who by the way speaks great Spanish. If you’re reading this, hola amigo!

Our train arrived really late to Amritsar (it was 7 hours delayed), so we had to adjust our plans. Instead of going straight to the Golden Temple, we decided to hit the sack early and set our phones on alarm at 4-ish AM the next day.

The next morning, we went to the Golden Temple. Which, by the way, good job to me for not checking the weather updates and wearing a very thin dress during a 12-degree Celsius kinda day.

Before heading back to Delhi, we visited Wagha Border - or as the Indians call it, the Attari border.

It’s literally the border between India and Pakistan, where both sides perform some sort of ritual.

Man, the area was packed with locals and foreigners!

Day 5

India's not for the faint heart. But it's definitely taught me so many lessons, and left such a memorable mark in my heart.

Thanks to our wonderful tour guides in Agra and Amritsar, to my colleagues in Ahmedabad, to my friend from Bangalore, and to my travel agent - Kishan from Flite of Phoenix.

To my great, great, great tour manager in India - Ranjan from Top Travels. Thank you for arranging everything for us - our local flights, hotel in Delhi and Amritsar, and for going the extra mile to ensure we’re having the best time in India. You're the best!

To get in touch with my amazing team, you can reach them through here:

To book your airfares, visa, and hotel:

Flite of Phoenix - Dubai

Website: Flite of Phoenix

Phone number (Dubai): +97143755456

Email: bookings@fliteofphoenix.com

Contact Person: Kishan

Top Travels - India

Website: Top Travels

Phone number: + 911244635544

Email: info@top-travels.com

Contact Person: Ranjan