Agra
We swung by Agra after the wedding to see the Taj Mahal on our way to Delhi.
Table of contents
Food
The Salt Cafe Kitchen and Bar
It felt like we fell into a bit of a tourist trap even though there were a decent number of locals eating here. The restaurant had great reviews online and was listed by Vogue India as one of the best restaurants in the city, but the food was basic and the flavors were underwhelming. On the plus side, it was clean and the service was good.
The restaurant is on an outdoor terrace with lounge style seating. At certain times in the day, live musicians perform on a stage at the center of the terrace. The menu was expansive, featuring both Indian and Chinese dishes.
I had the butter chicken pasta (which was highlighted in the Vogue India article), but the flavors were bland.
Would I eat there again? No, not if I could get a better recommendation from my hotel. If I had a second chance, I would try Peshwari at ITC Mughal given it was at my hotel and had great reviews. Maybe that would have just put me in another tourist trap, but The Salt Cafe Kitchen and Bar wouldn’t be worth returning to.
Taj Bano at the ITC Mughal
We had the breakfast buffet here before heading to Delhi. Compared to the Fairmont, the food was lackluster. While a lot of the menu was the same, the food at the Taj Bano just didn’t taste as good.
Would I eat there again? Probably for a quick bite before heading out, but I’d stick to toast and eggs instead of going for the full buffet. You wouldn’t be missing much.
Culture
Must do
Ride an auto rickshaw
The streets in Indian cities are full of small auto rickshaws – you can even order them on Uber. In some areas that are particularly congested, the auto rickshaws can just get by more easily than a regular car. You can fit about three people in the back of one and it’s a very cheap and fun way to feel like you’re really in the throes of the city. While most locals will hail an auto rickshaw from the sidewalk when they need one, I wasn’t entirely prepared to negotiate on price, so ordering on Uber was just simpler for me.
Taj Mahal
We went to Agra primarily to visit the Taj. Weeks prior, I had worked with the hotel to schedule a tour guide and private car to take us there. We were picked up at dawn and driven 15 minutes to the entrance of the Taj area. Leading up to the Taj itself, there is a series of cafés and souvenir shops, most of which were closed when we arrived. A golf cart took us through the stores right to the entrance of the Taj gate. Once we were inside the gate, our tour guide helped us purchase shoe coverings from a vendor.
Very few people were roaming around that early in the morning (which is why we chose that time to come). In theory, one of the first things you should see after walking through the gate is the Taj at the end of the long reflecting pool. Unfortunately, because it was so early in the morning and winter, the Taj was completely obscured by fog. As we approached, it became more and more visible, but it was only possible to truly see it once we were up close.
The Taj is impeccably maintained and incredibly clean in spite of being built in 1632. No photographs are allowed inside.
On the way back down, the stores had opened and a lot of monkeys were scampering about on the roofs of stores. The souvenir vendors were incredibly persistent and willing to bargain, so if you want something don’t settle for more than 25% of the first price they offer.
Tips
- Arrive at sunrise to avoid crowds (it opens at sunrise). If you go in the winter, there’s a high chance the Taj will be obscured from a distance by the morning fog.
- The Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays.
- Book tickets online at www.asi.nic.in
- You’ll need to provide a passport number, and the same one can be used to buy up to 5 tickets (they didn’t actually check my passport when I arrived though)
- While the tour guide and driver made the visit more convenient, it wasn’t 100% necessary. The Taj is pretty easy to navigate. Just make sure you take advantage of the golf cart that takes you right up to the monument. Usually they wait for it to fill up, but you can pay them 100 rupees to take your group up immediately.
Sad I missed
Train to Delhi
Riding an Indian train was an experience that I had been looking forward to. I booked tickets in a 3rd Class Sleeper Car (3A – AC 3-Tier Sleeper) through 12go.asia. The class I chose was a function of availability – while I would have loved to experience 1A AC – First Class Sleeper, the train we chose didn’t offer it, and 2A AC was already sold out. The classes seem to differ primarily by levels of privacy.
12go.asia is a reputable travel agency site that can help you book transit throughout Asia. Keep in mind though that when you book online, it’s not confirmed until they let you know over email that they have secured the tickets. You can purchase train tickets directly on a government site, but it’s complicated to navigate. 12go.asia charges a minimal booking fee and they’re very responsive to inquiries.
While we were at the Taj, our tour guide helped us look up the train status (he even called his brother who was working at the station that day). Even two hours before the expected departure time, the train was already running an hour behind schedule. We had a tour booked in Delhi the same day, so we ultimately decided to have our hotel book us a last minute private transfer to Delhi. I’m glad we did – the train ended up being 2.5 hours late!
Tips
- Book tickets through 12go.asia for the highest air conditioned class that is available (passport info is required)
- Check whether your train is on time online in the hours leading up the departure
- Morning fog can cause significant delays
- Have a backup option in mind if you’re on a tight schedule
Accommodations
ITC Mughal
Because we were arriving in the evening and leaving at sunrise, I didn’t want to over-invest in accommodations. I had narrowed down to two options: the Courtyard Marriott (which looked surprisingly nice) and the ITC Mughal.
We chose ITC Mughal because it’s a well known Indian chain, and based on the website, looked more luxurious. I was disappointed. The hotel didn’t live up to the luxury associated with its brand, and the decor was cold and unwelcoming. In retrospect, looking back at the website, I see now that most of the pictures featured shots of the pool and lush greenery (neither of which were available to us because it was winter). Even the photos of the accommodations mainly centered around the suites or the spa.
Rooms
I stayed in a Mughal Room Double. It was a level below ground, and while it had a window, the room was dark and smelled damp. It genuinely felt more like a 3-star hotel room, but cleaner. Perhaps a Tower Room would have been nicer and worth the extra cash. That being said, given it was a one-night stay, and most of my time in the room was spent sleeping, I survived. I was disappointed they only provided filtered water in refillable bottles and didn’t have sealed bottled water available for guests unless you ordered them from the restaurant.
Service
I will say the service was quite good, especially from the travel advisors who booked our tour of the Taj and helped me organize a private car to Delhi after we decided to skip the train. They were very accessible over email before I arrived, and were able to answer all of my detailed questions. When I wasn’t sure how to book tickets to the Taj Mahal online, they told me I could bring my laptop to the lobby and they would walk me through it.
Would I stay there again?
No – I would try the Courtyard Marriott. Let’s be clear – given the circumstances, I chose the most basic room type, but I don’t think that’s a reason for the experience to be lackluster, especially in a luxury hotel. Based on the website photos (which I scrutinized a lot more closely this time, haha) the Courtyard Marriott looks more pleasant and is half the price.
My dream hotel would have been the Oberoi, but at $800/night for a less than 24 hour stay, it didn’t seem worth it. Given one of the highlights is being able to see the Taj from your hotel room, I know the fog certainly wouldn’t have made it worth it for me.
AMANDA'S CHANTICS 