ASIA INDIA DESTINATIONS
‘If you leave India without gaining 40lbs, you’re not doing it properly,’ the manager teases as I tuck into my third chaat
EXPERT TIPS
BeverleyPhilpotts, business develop- ment manager, Central and Wales, Great Rail Journeys w Listen to local tour guides; they really are the experts and offer amazing advice. w Just because a client hasn’t specifically asked for rail doesn’t mean it won’t be the perfect option, so offer it on any India or touring enquiry. w Advise customers to have an open mind – they’ll see amazing sights, but also poverty alongside huge wealth. Be open- minded and enjoy the experience. w Advertise on your social media pages or in windows that you offer India and Great Rail Journeys or Rail Discoveries. Customers might not know they can book these through you.
Again, the uphill effort is worth the exercise, as is the small outlay on sticks to fend off the legion of ill-tempered macaques. This tour is not for the faint of heart or the unfit as the heat can be a challenge. Great Rail Journeys tends to target the adventurous 50-plus market for this itinerary, as it’s a good way to experience authentic Indian culture without compromising on luxury.
w CITY SIGHTS The north is a far cry from frenetic New Delhi and the tourist hubs of Agra and Jaipur, which make up the other points on this Golden Triangle tour. We’d arrived via the capital, where
our coach driver dispensed some sage advice as we slalomed wildly between lanes on the way to New Delhi train station. “You need three things to drive
in India,” he said. “A good horn, good brakes and good luck.” I would add a good stomach. A stoical herd of water buffalo
filtered past us through the gridlock of the left-hand lane at a roundabout – both cattle and cars making enthusiastic use of their horns. There are many reasons to choose rail in India, but bypassing the eccentric road traffic is the most compelling. We opted for the ease of the
Shatabdi Express from Delhi to Kalka – where we would pick up the aforementioned Toy Train – for the first leg of our journey. As one of India’s faster, modern
trains, it’s an altogether different experience of the country’s rail system. Scarlet-shirted porters jostled along the crammed platform for the chance to collect our bags, then before we
knew it, we were in the comfort of spacious, air-conditioned seats that would give any first-class carriage in Europe a run for its money. A steady stream of snacks
and creamy chai were dispensed throughout the journey, and a respectable curry was served in cardboard containers at lunchtime with as much free bottled water as a dehydrated traveller could desire. We flew past yellow-topped
rickshaws, signs in Hindi, English, Punjabi and Urdu, and baboons dangling from snarled telephone wires, nonchalant above the melee. Soon the clamour of the city gave way to lush green fields and the odd dusty goat. An infantry of willows lined the tracks; they’re used locally to make cricket bats, our guide explains. That invaluable inside information
ABOVE: Amber Fort, Jaipur
LEFT: Taj Mahal, Agra
was truly worthwhile, helping us navigate through the hustle, filling in the cultural blanks as we went, and providing a reassuring back-up if things didn’t go to plan. How else could we have known, for example, that you can post letters from the train? In our remaining days, we cover the Golden Triangle’s more famous sights – Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. The iconic craftsmanship and melancholy origins of the Taj Mahal are profoundly moving, and the Red Fort of Agra magnificent. Exploring the bazaars of Old and New Delhi is thrilling and the ancient candy-pink palace in Jaipur is something to behold. But it is Shimla and the Toy Train
I dream about while sipping tepid, over-priced tea on the Gatwick Express train home.
15 February 2018
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PICTURES: INCREDIBLE INDIA; SHUTTERSTOCK
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