I was a bit confused. People who were following our travels were commenting surprisedly that India is actually beautiful. But of course, India is beautiful. It is one of the most beautiful places on earth. Not only because of its beautiful people, it has a long, fascinating history. And if you like Indian food, well, what more can you ask for!

The India trip started by arriving early in New Delhi. The hotel was not only beautiful, but the staff were very generous to get us into early check-in without the additional charge. At first it felt like a hassle that the flight to Agra the next day was cancelled, but the express train did not only take us to Agra in less than 2 hours, it was surprisingly a pleasant trip.

It was wonderful to visit Taj Mahal again after almost 10 years. Taj Mahal never ceases to amaze me. The heat didn’t stop me from admiring this historical place.

The next destination was beautiful Jaipur and we stayed at such a fancy hotel. It used to be a palace. In the 1940’s, they built the surrounding buildings. There are lots of quiet spaces in this hotel.

Jaipur is a fascinating city with historical sights that hold great significance. There is the Hawa Mahal, the City Palace and a visit to the monkeys. They ate lots of peanuts!

In between the Jaipur trip, was a quick visit to Jaisalmer. The Jaisalmer fort has many beautiful, intricate Haveli architecture. Interestingly, people live inside the fort and the daily life goes on as normal.

And of course, the trip will not be complete without visiting Thar Desert. Being able to pull the camel was such a highlight for me with the sunset as the backdrop!

Upon returning to Jaipur, the flight was cancelled so it was a 12 hours overnight train ride. We survived and was accommodated at a beautiful hotel when we arrived. Our room was facing the Water Palace.

The last few days were spent in lovely Jaipur, visiting the Amber fort and admiring the Step-well. It was my first time to know that Step-wells ever existed. Fascinating!

Lastly, here is my illustrated travel journal for this trip.

All photos were taken by Ari Vitikainen at arivitikainenphotography.com