India
India is a country of contrasts, where your senses are constantly engaged - sometimes pleasantly, often times overwhelmingly!
The sacred and the chaotic seem to exist side by side. I sipped masala chai in a beautiful courtyard for breakfast, then stepped into the chaos of Delhi traffic.
The pace, noise, heat and sheer numbers of people can be challenging - but that's also the magic of India. I learned to lean in to the sensory overload - most of the time!
The trip began in Delhi with an informative guide who showed us highlights of Old and New Delhi.
From Delhi we traveled to Agra and visited the Taj Mahal at sunrise. Shah Jahan commissioned the white marble mausoleum for his wife Mumtaz Mahal who died in 1631 giving birth to their 14th child. It took 22 years to build and employed 20,000 people to build this symbol of his eternal love for her.
Taj Mahal, Agra
We left Agra and arrived in Jaipur, the capital city of India's northwestern state of Rajasthan, also known as the pink city for the trademark building colour.
We were fortunate to get to visit Dera Amer Wilderness Camp in Jaipur, an alternative hospitality experience that provides sanctuary for elephants.
Dera Amer has two elephants - Laxmi and Rangmala who were adopted from city life and lovingly cared for on their 30 acres which includes six luxury safari tents. The staff are all from local villages and Dera Amer funds the nearby junior school.
This trip to India was to include three days in Kathmandu but civil unrest prevented our group of 8 travel advisors from visiting Nepal. The company in charge of logistics did a quick pivot and found space for us in the village of Narlai with a stay at the very charming Rawla Narlai, a 17th century manor.
My last three days were spent at a Ayurveda wellness retreat which was the perfect way to end this trip, and process all the sights and sounds of India.
