"Incredible India"-a meaningful advertising slogan of the Indian Tourism Bureau, can include the fascination of travelers all over the world for this South Asian subcontinent country, and indirectly describe a country where glory and chaos coexist.
India, a neighboring country, is like an exotic beauty with a lightly veiled robe. The history and culture here have thousands of customs, and the bustling and noisy market is staggering; Just a fine line apart, the wealthy business tycoons and the naked poor people share a city.
Nobel Prize winner Naipaul once said that the trip to India "is a necessary prelude to the trip to the East". In July, Phoenix.com Travel focused on this land, talked with Zhu Yinghao and A Sam, travel authors who visited India many times, and took you to experience magical India at zero distance with a series of real, unique, diverse and in-depth travel experiences.
I visited India in 2016 and 2018 successively, and experienced independent travel and high-end customized travel in India respectively, including many links to revisit old places. Two trips, two experiences, when India's high-end tour meets ordinary free travel, what are the differences?
[Originally "printed" like: India, the most beautiful sadness]
The beauty of this world has become sad because of the years. All the good scenery, you have to go on your own road to know.
I said I wanted to travel to India earlier, and my good friends all thought I was crazy. That's right! I should have thought this way five years ago.
But I was deeply impressed by the photos of my friend's earlier trip to India, and then I wondered if I should also visit it. After that, I watched a lot of movies, documentaries and books about India, and just happened to meet the opening of e-visa, so I booked a plane ticket hotel and was ready to go.
The first route to India is from Shanghai-New Delhi-Jaipur-Agra-Shanghai, and I plan to spy on a strange country first.
| New Delhi
New Delhi, the capital of India, on the west bank of the Jumuna River, a tributary of the Ganges. Delhi was originally an ancient capital, and then a new city was expanded. This new city is called New Delhi to distinguish it from old Delhi. There is an India Gate between New Delhi and Old Delhi. South of India Gate is New Delhi and north of India Gate is Old Delhi.
Dirty, smog and noise surround New Delhi. In the morning, we cycle to visit the old city of Delhi. Many people stood on the side of the road to take a bath. The butcher's shop was filled with lamb legs, and the blood flowed to the ground, stretching all the way to the garbage not far away... This is the truest India and the first shocking ride. They live here day after day.
The girl riding the bike will take us to drink milk tea on the side of the road. To be honest, I was a little scared at first, fearing that I would have diarrhea after drinking it, but I still drank a cup. It tasted pretty good, with the taste of cardamom and ginger in it. Cross dark, narrow stairs similar to Slumdog Millionaire, and then through the rooftop apartments where many people live together to see the foggy and smoky Delhi mornings.
Time must have cared for this ancient city. Countless temples and magnificent tombs are scattered in the city, and countless poor people sleep naked on the side of the road. Their poverty and pain don't even need to be covered up, but they are naked and shocked before you.
| Jaipur
I prefer Jaipur to New Delhi. Although the chaos is more serious, this ancient city with the "City of *" once flourished, and countless castles, palaces and mausoleums are here.
Jaipur, known as the city of roses, once had a huge rose garden. With the decline of the royal family, the rose garden also became deserted. You can see the marks left by ancient history everywhere here. All kinds of handmade shops are scattered along the street, and tea drinkers, cafes and bookstores make the whole city full of artistic atmosphere.
Amber Fort stands at the top of Jaipur, commanding and imposing. The moat surrounds the fort and is surrounded by winding high walls, much like the Great Wall. You can choose to let elephants take you to the castle. In ancient times, this castle raised hundreds of elephants. The most beautiful part of the whole castle is the Mirror Palace, which is embedded with glass and dazzling.
Jaipur is surrounded by mountains on three sides, with lush trees in the mountains, and all kinds of birds and animals in ancient times appeared. The whole city is gloomy with trees, with countless pavilions and temples hidden in the green trees. In order to blow the wind and see the outside world, dignitaries built this "Palace of the Wind".
The palace was built in 1799, and it looks more like a "wall" from the outside. The walls of archway-style buildings are densely covered with 953 windows. It is said that it used to be used for women in the boudoir of the palace to peek into the colorful world outside, and countless stained glass shines through the sunlight.
| Agra
The last stop of the journey is Agra, where the Taj Mahal is located. This city in the southwest of Uttar Pradesh, India, on the west bank of the Yamuna River, has twice become the most prosperous capital of the Mughal Empire in India.
This is also the most romantic love story in thousands of years. A king exhausted the treasury for his wife to build a mausoleum that shocked the world.
Throughout the journey, you can see the past glory and the present gap between the rich and the poor. On one side of the noisy streets are high-end restaurants and hotels, and on the other side are beggars all over the streets, who live here harmoniously. I really want to ask the locals if they have ever been sad. Many glorious historical buildings are slowly disappearing. Fortunately, traditional culture has been preserved in India, everywhere from clothing, food, incense to handicrafts.
[What to eat in India for the first time]
If you think you have experienced delicious food from all over the world, please come and open up a new universe of your taste buds. It's hard to describe Indian cuisine in one sentence, hundreds of kinds of curries, different barbecues, all kinds of naan...
It is also a paradise for vegetarianism. Every restaurant is marked with a vegetarian menu, and it is unique in cooking seafood.
Of course, there are not many meats to choose from here, mainly mutton, chicken, fish and shrimp. It is said that some high-end hotels will have beef, but since it is their god, it is better to eat it with caution.
[Recommended hotels for free travel]
ITC Maurya ( New Delhi)
ITC is a well-known local hotel group in India. The hotel is a little old, but the room facilities are well maintained. All facilities have been updated to iPad control, and air purifiers, fruits and snacks have been carefully prepared, full of details and thoughtful services.
It is worth recommending the hotel restaurant BUKHARA. Although there are only ten dishes in the whole menu, mainly barbecue, it is worth eating once even if you don't stay.
The Raj Palace ( Jaipur)
The hotel belongs to SLH Global Luxury Boutique Hotel Group and was once the first palace in the city, built in 1727. From the moment you enter the door, you feel like living in a palace. The waiters are very enthusiastic and will give you many suggestions. The hotel has a beautiful large garden for weddings or afternoon tea, and there is also a beautiful patio.
The breakfast is average or even not delicious, but the bedding is good and you can sleep well. There are many historical photos and objects of former palaces in the hotel. The old photos are somewhat scary in the corridor walls, but it is worth experiencing.
