I always wanted to explore India. It has a fascinating history, great geography and really interesting people. But it’s a long way from Los Angeles. It’s a long and expensive trip. But I was going to be muck diving in Indonesia and we discovered that Singapore was the gateway to both Indonesia and India. So, we were able to add on a trip to India for very little airfare and only about 2-1/2 hours of time difference. So, not much jet lag. Not much money. I could finally fulfill my dream.
We were able to work out private tours for the major historical sites we wanted to see. So, we booked a wonderful set of tours covering just what we wanted to see.
We started and ended in Delhi. From the highest brick minaret in the world, to Humayun’s Tomb to Sikh Temple where they feed over 10,000 people a day, we saw it all. Wow, and driving in India is almost as exciting as the monuments. Glad we had a driver.
On to Jaipur to see the Pink City, the fort and beautiful temples and palaces (including our hotel) we visited an 18th-Century Park – where we saw Astronomical Instruments the size of small buildings. It’s amazing what they knew and how accurate they were. I couldn’t figure it all out now.
Then onto Ranthambore. The drive there was amazing. We saw how they really live when we had to detour through some small towns. Wow. Ranthambore is the location of the Tiger Sanctuary. We saw lots of animals on our jeep tour, but alas, no tigers.

Next we drove onto Agra. The Taj Mahal was way beyond expectations. It’s much more impressive in person than in pictures. We got an in-depth up-close tour and learned so much. Our guide even took us to the ‘sweet spots’ for pictures. Great. The Agra Fort was amazing too. We saw so much more. Oh, and we spent a day touring the temples outside of Agra. They were awesome.

Then onto Khajuraho by train. The trip was great. But the train only went part way, so we then had a 5 hour drive. But Khajuraho was beyond amazing. The temples there are covered in hand carved figures. Not just a few, but thousands of them. And they date back to 950AD. Wow they were more than amazing. I shot a ton of video. And many of the figures are erotic forms from the Kamasutra. Wow, can’t show the kids all of it. But imagine what they knew and could carve in 950AD and that it’s still in great condition today.

o Finally, we headed for Varanasi. This was a highlight bucket list part of the trip for me. I always wanted to see and spend time on the Holy Ganges River. And I wasn’t disappointed. We took several boat rides up and down the river. Plus one small rowboat ride. We passed right by the 24/7 Funerary Pyres where the bodies are burned. It’s amazing that there were Cows Eating Flowers right next to where the cremation fires burned. We attended a Ganga aarti ceremony and so much more.

In all it was a fabulous trip. And I’d say the top 3 things not to miss would be Agra, Khajuraho and Varanasi. After being gone 5 weeks (2 plus weeks diving in Indonesia first), we headed home for a long rest. Great but very tiring trip.