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Background:

Continuing on my long term goal of visiting every country in the world, my goal for this trip was to make a continue my progress on the Subcontinent and tick off a few European countries on the way. After my last trip to Asia, I'd nearly completed all of East and Southeast Asia (excepting Timor-Leste and Mongolia), so I figured India, Nepal and Sri Lanka were the logical next steps. This whole trip came together about 6 weeks prior to departure, so it was a bit more last minute than usual.

Initially, the plan was to visit Germany, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Denmark and Sweden. However, due to schedule irregularity (caused by the closure of KTM airport), I called an audible en route and swapped Qatar for Nepal. It worked out in the end, but I'm still bummed that I couldn't make Nepal work this time. That's the second time in a row that I've had to abandon a country due to IROPS. Last time is was Mongolia, this time Nepal.

Original Routing:



Due to bad weather at KTM, I decided to exchange my DOH-KTM-DEL segments for a single DOH-DEL segment. It gave me a bit of time to see Doha, but meant that I missed out on Nepal.

Final Routing:



Over the course of 9 days, I would:

• Visit 7 countries
• Fly 19,650 miles
• Fly in Economy, Business and First Class
• Add 6 new countries to my list (now at 47)
• Experience QR's Qsuite on the A351 and B777

The final routing was almost entirely on a single ticket, which is a change from my usual multi-ticket flying:

BOS-PHL-FRA (AA ticket -- AA J metal)
FRA-DOH (AA ticket -- QR J metal)
DOH-DEL (AA ticket -- QR J metal)
JAI-DEL (9W ticket -- 9W Y metal)
DEL-CMB (AA ticket -- UL J metal)
CMB-DOH-CPH (AA ticket -- QR J metal)
CPH-LHR (AA ticket -- BA Y metal)
LHR-JFK (AA ticket -- AA F metal)
JFK-BOS (AA ticket -- AA J metal)

In this report:

American Airlines Business Class: Boston - Philadelphia
American Airlines Business Class: Philadelphia - Frankfurt
Mainz, Germany
Qatar Airways Business Class: Frankfurt - Doha
Oryx Rotana Doha
Doha, Qatar
Qatar Airways Business Class: Doha - Delhi
Andaz Delhi
Delhi, India
Radisson Blu Agra Taj East Gate Hotel
Agra, India
Fatehpur Sikri, India
The Oberoi Rajvilas
Jaipur, India (Part 1)
Jaipur, India (Part 2)
Jet Airways Economy Class: Jaipur - Delhi
Pullman New Delhi Aerocity
SriLankan Airlines Business Class: Delhi - Colombo
Colombo, Sri Lanka (Part 1)
Colombo, Sri Lanka (Part 2)
Shangri-La Hotel, Colombo
Qatar Airways Business Class: Colombo - Doha
Qatar Airways Business Class: Doha - Copenhagen
Copenhagen, Denmark
Clarion Hotel & Congress Malmo Live
British Airways Economy Class: Copenhagen - London
American Airlines First Class: London - New York
American Airlines Business Class: New York - Boston


My Trip Reports:
10 Countries in 9 Days (CX, KE, QR, TG, KL, BI)
Former SSRs: the Baltics, Belarus and Back
Bangladesh, Burma and Beijing the Long Way (with stops in Laos, Singapore and Tokyo)
A Passage to India with stops in Qatar, Sri Lanka and Scandinavia (AA, QR, UL in J)

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American Airlines
Domestic First Class (J)
Discounted Business Class Fare
AA1898: BOS-PHL (Boston to Philadelphia)
31 August 2018
Embraer 190 (Two Class Configuration)
N944UW
Seat 3A
Departure: 01:25PM
Arrival: 03:03PM 03:36PM


This wasn't my first time flying this route, so I knew what to expect. Since my travel included countries that require visas, I was unable to complete OLCI and had to get my boarding passes at the airport. The check-in agent was a little flummoxed by my itinerary, but I was able to get some boarding passes without too much drama once I presented my India ETA and explained that Nepal was Visa on Arrival. Don't get me started on how she pronounced Kathmandu, but I suppose that's to be expected. At least she didn't pronounce Nepal as "nipple"...

What was unexpected was that she kept saying that I was going to be flying Qantas from FRA-DOH-KTM. I didn't realize Qantas flew to any of those cities, but I digress.

Anywho, I made a quick stop to the Admirals Club near Gate 30 for some free espresso, then made my way to the boarding gate (B6) at the other end of the terminal. Since it's a long journey, I stopped to fuel up on food court pizza en route. Once at the gate, we were informed of a short ground hold due to weather at PHL. I'd given myself a big buffer at PHL for just this reason, so it was no problem for me.

The flight itself was quick and uneventful. We ended up landing at PHL only 30 minutes late, which isn't too bad considering it was Labor Day weekend and stormy over PHL.


N944UW


BOS Terminal B -- Under Renovation As Always



N944UW



N944UW

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American Airlines
Business Class (J)
Discounted Business Class Fare
AA750: PHL-FRA (Philadelphia to Frankfurt)
31 August 2018
Airbus A330-200 (Three Class Configuration)
N287AY
Seat 1H
Departure: 06:30PM
Arrival: 08:35AM +1

After arriving at PHL, I walked from the high C arrival gate to the British Airways Galeries Lounge. Unfortunately, when I arrived I was rejected and told to go to the AA lounge. Apparently, loads were quite high and the BA lounge was nearing capacity. So, I went to the quite large Admirals Club in the A gates. It was my first time at this lounge and I rather liked it. I hope they choose this space as their new Flagship Lounge, as it's quite a nice space with great runway views.


Dreary old PHL


Excellent views of the apron


I'm not going to go into much detail about the PHL AC, as it's really not all that noteworthy. It's a decent way to kill an hour or two and that's about it. Soon enough it was time to board the love A332. This was my first time flying this type (AA's version, anyway) and I really wasn't blown away. I'll probably get some flack for this, but I actually preferred the J seat on the AA B767. The 767, for all its faults (which are legion, admittedly), offers a bit more spacious seat and more in-seat storage. And despite the age of the seats, the B767 has held up way better than the A332.



N287AY
5yrs young formerly USAir


In fact, the seats on the A332 were a bit dirty and definitely showed signs of wear. I assumed the plane was at least 15 years old, so I was shocked to learn this plane was delivered to USAir in 2013. The seats really have no held up well. And despite the favorable reverse herringbone alignment, I really didn't love the seat. It's not as private as other designs and overall just isn't that great. Totally fine for an 8 hour flight, but not that great.


Mind the gap
Does anyone clean between the seat and the wall?


Decent Legroom
Though showing serious signs of wear



That said, my FA Steve was great. He's an older gentleman who's clearly been doing this for a while, but still has a great attitude. He provided great service and made the flight a bit more enjoyable than it might have otherwise been. A nice change from the cranky senior FAs I've had flying TPACs out of ORD.

Anyway, after a while it was time to pushback, but we didn't get very far. We went back to the gate and the pilot informed us that he wanted the ground crew to check the aft cargo hold and exterior flight controls. Uh oh.

Immediately, I got a really bad feeling, so I scrambled to check for alternatives to FRA or DOH. I lined up a couple of candidate flights on LH and QR, but there wasn't a whole lot of availability and I was starting to get a little nervous. After 30 minutes, the captain came back on the PA and told us everything looked good and we'd be taking off shortly.

It was a nail-biter until we were off the ground and safely at cruising altitude. Luckily, the ground crew resolved whatever issue occurred and the remainder of the flight went by without incident.

Menu
Identical menu to when I flew PHL-ZRH in April. Super...


Takeoff Attempt #1
I'd rather be flying that B767 on the right. Though anything is better than that B747.


Airborne
Who do I have to kill to get a peanut around here?


Salad and Appetizer
First time pretzel roller. Not impressed.


The Chicken


The Dessert

After dinner, I popped a few Benadryl and conked out for a solid 5 hours. Despite the early hour, I slept well and woke up at least somewhat rested. I had a few bites of what passes for breakfast and before I knew it we were on the ground.

Omelette for Breakfast



Once on the ground, my first stop was the JAL Lounge. Luckily, the JAL Lounge was perhaps 50 feet from our gate, so it was super convenient.

​​​​​​​

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Mainz, Germany

I hit the JAL Lounge first to grab a quick (free) shower and check out what they had on offer for food and beverages. The shower suites were adequate, if small. But the food situation was dire. Easily the worst JAL Lounge I've been to. The espresso was undrinkable. I wasn't really hungry anyway, so it wasn't a big loss.

After a quick pit stop there, I made the long trek to immigration. Honestly, FRA is a decent airport, but the layout is a bit confusing and the walk to immigration took at least 15-20 minutes. Not a great design, honestly.

Anyway, once I cleared immigration, I went to the train station under the airport and took the first regional train to Mainz. The plan was to walk around Mainz and see the sights before returning for my early evening flight to Doha. In total, I'd have around 8 hours on the ground, so it was worth it to leave the airport. I'd originally wanted to go to Cologne, which should have been doable on the ICE train (55 min each way). Unfortunately, there was construction on the line that day, so the ICE was running 2hr each way. So it would have to be Mainz instead.

Overall, Mainz is a nice town. I walked around and saw the main sights for around 3 hours or so. Eventually I ended up at the Mainz Cathedral where there was a huge farmers market. Easily 1,000 people in the square walking around, drinking and buying food. The Mirabel plums looks especially delicious.

I hit the wall around 1pm and decided to head back to the airport to have a snack and take a nap before my flight. The train back to the airport was uneventful. I was ravenous, so I stopped for a pretzel at the airport train station; it was excellent and cheap. Hunger sated somewhat, I eventually ended up in the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge.



Mainz Train Station


Mainz Train Station plus Roman Ruins


Mainz Train Station


A Wall


Stairs


A Church


Roman Ruins


Roman Ruins


Roman Ruins


Anarchist Graffiti


Stairs


A Tower


Street Art


Mainz Old Town


Mainz Old Town


Mainz Old Town


Mainz Old Town


Mainz Old Town


Mainz Old Town


Mainz Cathedral


Mainz Cathedral


Mainz Cathedral


Mainz Cathedral


Mainz Cathedral


Mainz Cathedral


Mainz Cathedral


Mainz Cathedral


Mainz Cathedral


Mainz Cathedral


Mainz Cathedral


Mainz Cathedral


Mainz Cathedral


Mainz Cathedral


Mainz Cathedral


Mainz Cathedral


Mainz Cathedral


Mainz Cathedral Crypt


Farmers Market in Mainz Cathedral Square



Farmers Market in Mainz Cathedral Square

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Qatar Airways
Business Class (J)
Discounted Business Class Fare
QR68: FRA-DOH (Frankfurt to Doha)
1 September 2018
Airbus A350-1000 (Two Class Configuration)
A7-ANB
Seat 1K
Departure: 05:35PM
Arrival: 12:35AM +1

I'd been really looking forward to this flight. This would be my first time flying the Airbus A350-1000, though I'd previously flown the A350-900 several times. More importantly, it would be my first time trying out QR's new Qsuite business class product. Not to spoil anything, but I was definitely not disappointed at all. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge


Back to the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge. The food selection at the AC MLL was pretty decent and I had another pretzel and some sausages. Decent spread and the shower suites were pretty good too. I napped for an hour or so and eventually it was time to board my flight to Doha. After a quick shower, I made my way down to the gate. It was a short wait and the boarding process commenced.

A7-ANB
The plane was brand new. Delivered to QR on 30 June 2018, it'd only been in service for two months. It showed. Everything was in excellent condition inside and out.


Qsuite
I love this seat.


Qsuite
Substantial blanket and tasty pre-departure lime and mint drink


Apron views from my seat
So glad I wasn't flying on that Air Canada 777


J Cabin


Amenity Kit
Pretty good kit for a 6hr flight


Menu


Menu


Snack Menu


Taking off


Pineapple Mocktail and luke warm nuts
Decent, but not as good as the excellent lime and mint PDB.


Bread


Soup
Delicious


Arabic Mezze
The tabbouleh was outstanding. The best I've ever had. And I generally don't care for tabbouleh...


Gnocchi
Really tasty as well


Crepe for dessert
Weakest course, but still pretty tasty


The on board service was excellent. Absolutely zero issues from the cabin crew. There was a bit of turbulence early on, so the meal service took a bit longer than usual. Not ideal, but it happens. Once the meal service concluded, I went to sleep immediately and slept until we were 30 minutes out from Doha. All told, I got around 3-4 hours of sleep on the flight. Not as much as I'd wanted, but good enough.

Overall, QR's new Qsuite is hands down the best business class product I've flown. No competition to anything else out there at the moment. Their service and hard product puts American carriers to shame. Honestly, this product is at nearly on par with any first class product I've flown. The service isn't quite as attentive as first (naturally), but the hard product is as good as any non-suite first class product I've flown. QR will definitely continue to get my business in the future. Really great experience all around.

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Oryx Rotana Doha

Things had gone well up until this point. Initially, things were looking good for a 3AM departure from DOH to KTM.

Arriving at Doha
No transit security check for my flight


Al Mourjan Business Class Lounge
A bit of dessert before my midnight snack


Midnight Snack
Decent, but the plane food was actually better


View from the top of the escalator to the lounge


Obligatory giant bronze teddy bear pic


A couple hours before the flight was to depart, I learned that we'd had a 4 hour delay. Not fatal, but not great either. Naturally, the delay was too short for a hotel voucher and all the quiet rooms were taken, so I donned my eye mask and earplugs and found a quite spot in the lounge to sleep. After an hour or so (around 3am by now), I happened to check the flight status again and learned the delay had been lengthened to 10 hours. Great.

I did some quick math and realized that would give me less than 12 (primarily night time) hours on the ground, which wasn't worth it at all. I was also concerned about delays on my KTM-DEL flight (on Jet Airways) and I really didn't want to miss a day in India in order to do a mattress run in Nepal. So, I decided to cut out Nepal entirely. There was not cost to make the change and the QR lounge agents get be rebooked onto the next DOH-DEL service. Unfortunately, that flight was leaving at 7PM, so I had a lot of time to kill in Doha before the flight.

Luckily, Qatar gave me a hotel voucher for the Oryx Rotana and a food voucher for approximately $50 US (175 QAR). So, I made my way through immigration (which was an absolute breeze) and headed to arrivals to catch the shuttle to the hotel. Technically I qualified for a private car to the hotel, but I didn't feel like waiting so I squeezed into a sedan with a few other passengers and we took the quick 10-15min ride to the hotel.

Check-in was quick and I was in the room in no time. I took a few pics of the room and finally went to bed around 4:30AM.

Room at Oryx Rotana


Room at Oryx Rotana


Room at Oryx Rotana


Room at Oryx Rotana


Room at Oryx Rotana


Room at Oryx Rotana


Room at Oryx Rotana


Room at Oryx Rotana


Room at Oryx Rotana


I woke up around noon that day feeling pretty refreshed.

View from the room


View from the room


Inner Courtyard


Inner Courtyard


QR HQ Evil Eye


After a quick shower, I headed down to the restaurant for a quick lunch.

Lunch at hotel buffet


Arabic desserts


Oryx Rotana Exterior


Lunch accomplished, I had plenty of time to kill before my flight. So, I decided to catch an Uber to visit the Museum of Islamic Art. It was a bit dicey since I only had wifi, but luckily the hotel and the museum both had free wifi. So I was able to order an Uber in both directions without any drama. The drivers didn't speak much English, but that was fine.

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Doha, Qatar

There's not a whole lot to do in Doha, so I figured the museum would be a good way to kill time. Unfortunately, the souq I wanted to visit didn't open until 3:30pm, which was too tight to squeeze in to my visit. Luckily, I'll be transiting Doha in November so I'll visit the souq then.

The museum building was beautiful and the museum charged no entrance fee, which was great. Not the biggest collection, but it was a nice place. Good air conditioning and good restaurants. It was a good way to kill a few hours and I could tell that others in my situation were doing the same. I'm not going to write much about the museum, as I think the photos tell a pretty good story.

I stayed at the museum for a few hours and then made my way back to the hotel. The Uber was fast and cheap.

Yachts


Museum of Islamic Art


Museum of Islamic Art


Museum of Islamic Art


Museum of Islamic Art


Museum of Islamic Art


Museum of Islamic Art


Museum of Islamic Art
Four Story Windows


Museum of Islamic Art
Four Story Windows


Museum of Islamic Art


Museum of Islamic Art


Museum of Islamic Art


Museum of Islamic Art


Museum of Islamic Art


Museum of Islamic Art


Museum of Islamic Art


Museum of Islamic Art


Museum of Islamic Art


Museum of Islamic Art


Museum of Islamic Art


Museum of Islamic Art


Museum of Islamic Art


Museum of Islamic Art


Museum of Islamic Art


Museum of Islamic Art


Museum of Islamic Art


Museum of Islamic Art


Museum of Islamic Art


Museum of Islamic Art


Museum of Islamic Art


Museum of Islamic Art


Museum of Islamic Art


Museum of Islamic Art


Museum of Islamic Art


Museum of Islamic Art


Museum of Islamic Art


Museum of Islamic Art


Museum of Islamic Art


Museum of Islamic Art


Museum of Islamic Art


Museum of Islamic Art

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Qatar Airways
Business Class (J)
Discounted Business Class Fare
QR578: DOH-DEL (Doha to Delhi)
2 September 2018
Airbus A350-900 (Two Class Configuration)
A7-ALV
Seat 5K
Departure: 07:45PM
Arrival: 01:55AM +1

Unfortunately, my time in Doha had come to an end and I decided to leave for the airport around 4PM. It's a bit earlier than I needed to be there, but I wanted to check that my ticket was squared away with AA before going onward to India. I figured that the agents at Doha would be best able to assist if there was any issue that needed to be resolved. I definitely made the right choice.


DOH Super VIP Terminal


QR J Class Check-in Area


QR J Class Check-in Area


QR J Class Check-in Area


I breezed through the dedicated QR J class check-in area. There was zero line at the dedicated immigration and security checkpoints. I was airside within 5 minutes tops. Extremely efficient operation that's very similar to what SQ operates for their F pax in SIN.

Another Obligatory Bronze Bear Shot


First stop was the Al Mourjan Lounge so I could place a call to the AA EXP Desk back home. After a short chat, it appeared that my ticket was indeed messed up. I was still checked-in for the DOH-KTM and KTM-DEL segments, even though I had a new BP for the DOH-DEL segment. In the event that I no-showed for the KTM-DEL flight the next day (which I most certainly would), the rest of the ticket would be cancelled. Naturally, AA could not fix it. Great.

So, I spoke to the lounge agent and he directed me to the transfer desk, which is landside of course. He escorted me through security and I went to the QR ticketing/transfer desk directly below the Al Mourjan Lounge. It took a few minutes to explain the issue, but eventually the supervisor at the transfer desk was able to exchange my DOH-KTM and KTM-DEL segments for a single DOH-DEL segment. All without having to get AA to reissue the ticket. I called AA to confirm and the ticket was fixed and good to go.

The whole process took nearly an hour. So I went back through security (a breeze without any baggage) and to the lounge. Had a few nibbles and before long it was time to board my flight. My flight was departing from the C gates which is a 10-15 minute walk from the lounge.

Snack


Snack


Sad Mickey Mouse?


Golden Funnel Cake


Boarding began a few minutes after I turned up. Unfortunately, QR doesn't operate the Qsuite to DEL, so I had the older J product instead. This would be the second different plane type of J seat on QR metal I'd fly on this trip. Once the trip concluded, I will have flown almost every type of QR J seat (excluding the 77L, which I'll fly this Nov to AKL). As for their widebodies, the only ones I haven't flown are the QR A380 and the QR A340.

The Old J Class Seat
Still a great seat, if a bit lacking in privacy.


The Old J Class Seat


Lime Mint Welcome Drink


Menu


Menu


Water and Nuts


Bread


Soup


Arabic Mezze
No tabbouleh this time unfortunately.


Chicken
Never got those accompaniments, though...


Dessert


As usual, the meal was excellent and the service impeccable. The only hiccup was the landing. On the first attempt, the main gear touched down (roughly) and the captain then gunned it and took off again. He came of the PA and told us that there had been an obstruction on the runway and he needed to go around for a second attempt. We never found out what it was, but it could've been a vehicle, another plane or a cow (this is India, after all).

In any event, the second attempt was successful and we were at the gate after a long taxi. I hopped off the plane and hoofed it to immigration, which was a fairly long distance from the gate. The immigration area is a bit confusing, but I finally found the correct lane. Unfortunately, as always, I chose the wrong line and got stuck behind a family from MEM that was taking forever. Once I got my visa issued, I was through and went to find an ATM and my ride to the hotel.

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Andaz Delhi
Standard King Room


The original plan was to spend this night at the Hyatt Regency in Kathmandu, Nepal. Due to the flight issues mentioned previously, that wasn't possible. Luckily, I'd booked the Hyatt Regency using points (a steal at only 7k Hyatt points), so I was able to cancel and get a full points refund. Instead, I booked the Andaz Delhi, for a relatively worse rate of 15k Hyatt points; the cash rate was around $180 + 28% tax, so points were the better choice. No complaints, though, as Hyatt often opens up points availability last minute, which makes them very convenient and my go-to hotel chain. Plus I find their properties are always pretty consistent.

Anyway, this was my first stay at the Andaz brand, so I didn't really know what to expect, but I'm getting ahead of myself. After clearing immigration, I got some rupees from an ATM and then found my driver (arranged through the Hyatt worldwide reservations call center). It was a short 10 minute drive to the hotel and I was checked in quickly. Since it was nearly 3AM by the time I was settled into the room, I went to sleep right away. The plan was for my driver to pick me up at 10AM that morning and begin the tour immediately from there.

I set myself a couple of alarms (for 8:00 and 8:05), but unfortunately in my sleep deprived state I accidentally set the alarms for 8PM. Luckily I woke up on my own around 9:20AM, but that didn't give me a ton of time to get myself ready. After a quick shower and change of clothes, I headed down to the buffet breakfast. I was in a huge rush, so no photos. But the buffet was excellent. The hotel overall was very good and I'd definitely recommend it.

My driver arrived a bit early, but we ended up leaving the hotel shortly after 10AM to begin the 3 day tour of India.

As you can see below, the rooms are pretty nice and everything worked perfectly. The hotel was pretty new and it showed. The fit and finish was excellent and it's just a great property overall.

Andaz Delhi


Andaz Delhi


Andaz Delhi


Andaz Delhi


Andaz Delhi


Andaz Delhi


Andaz Delhi


View from the room


View from the room

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Delhi, India
India Day 1

Itinerary:

• Short Tour of Delhi
• Drive to Agra (lunch en route)
• Arrive at Agra hotel and relax

My driver, the friendly and reliable Mr. Satya, picked me up promptly at the Andaz around 10AM. I'd previously arranged the tour with a local Indian tour company I'd never used before. Their prices were very reasonable and it all ended up being quite well organized. Definitely saved me a ton of headaches trying to do it all on my own. I did book my own hotel rooms and flights, but they handled everything else once we'd decided on an itinerary. The cost for the 3-day tour with driver and guides at each city was $250 US. I was responsible for paying my own entrance fees, meals, hotels and flights in addition to this. Honestly, that's a heck of a deal. For comparison, a full day private tour in Kathmandu or Ulaanbaatar costs around $150 US.

Naturally, some guides were better than others and as the tour went on, I was a bit more assertive with telling them what I wanted to do (even if they didn't necessarily feel like doing it).

Anyway, the first stop was Qutb Minar, where we'd meet the guide. The guide was decent. Very knowledgeable about the minaret and Delhi in general, with excellent English fluency. After Qutb Minar, it began downpouring. The guide gave me the option of going to a fort and tomb in Delhi or stopping at the India Gate, Parliament and home of Gandhi followed by shopping (of course). Given the downpour and the fact that I'd be seeing a lot of forts and tombs over the coming days, I chose to skip the Red Fort and Humayun's Tomb. This would also allow us to get to Agra sooner so I could rest; I was still a bit tired at this point.

I didn't end up seeing nearly as much Hindu architecture as I'd wanted, so I'll have to return and see more of Delhi on another visit.

The photos below tell most of the story. It's a beautiful structure and the tallest brick minaret in the world.

Streets of Delhi


Dog


Qutb Minar


Qutb Minar


Qutb Minar


Qutb Minar


Qutb Minar


Qutb Minar


Qutb Minar


Qutb Minar


Qutb Minar


Qutb Minar


Qutb Minar


Qutb Minar


Qutb Minar


Qutb Minar


Qutb Minar


Qutb Minar


Qutb Minar


Qutb Minar


Qutb Minar


Qutb Minar



At Qutb Minar, the guide explained the history of the complex and then left me to walk around on my own. While walking around the complex, a security guard approached me near the Iron Pillar of Delhi (above). He offered to take my photo, but I declined. He then asked me to follow him so he could show me something. He tried to lead me through an arch around the corner and out of sight of the other tourists. See the below photo, he's on the right. Not really sure what he was up to, but the whole interaction made me a bit uncomfortable. So I declined and walked off in the opposite direction. Perhaps there was no ill intention, but I'm always a bit wary when traveling and try not to do stupid things.

Qutb Minar
Creepy security guard


Qutb Minar


Qutb Minar


Qutb Minar


Qutb Minar


Qutb Minar


Qutb Minar


Qutb Minar


Qutb Minar


Qutb Minar


Qutb Minar


Dog
One of many strays I saw in India


India Gate


Rickshaw


Indian Parliament


Indian Parliament


Lotus Temple


Lotus Temple


After seeing the Lotus Temple, the guide said we'd see some weavers or something. He was a bit vague, but ended up taking me to a Kashmiri rug and scarf store that caters to tourists. As soon as I entered, I knew what the deal was -- this wasn't my first rodeo. I also realized that the guide got a commission from the shop. Welcome to India.

I sat politely for the rug making demonstration, but I know rug prices and theirs were no better than what I can get in the US/Canada (if going to the right places). I declined their offers to sell me rugs.

But I did need to get some gifts for the wife, who happens to love scarves. So I ended up buying a few really lovely wool scarves for her there. I did bargain them down a bit, but I still ended up paying a bit more (perhaps 10%) than I should have. But it was convenient and I got all my shopping out of the way, which was worth it to me. Anyhow, this is where the guide left us and we began the 3 hour drive to Agra.

Lunch at Highway Masala
Taj Express (Yamuna) Highway
Allauddinnagar, Uttar Pradesh


My driver chose the lunch place and he originally suggested I go to Subway for lunch. Nevermind the fact that I don't even eat at Subway when I'm home, there was no way I was going to eat at Subway while in India, so I told him I'd prefer to eat India food. He then recommended Highway Masala. The food was pretty cheap (around $10 for the meal) and really delicious. Funny enough, this was one of the best meals I had while in India. On the side of the highway in the middle of nowhere.

After a quick lunch, we continued onward to Agra. The driving was a bit crazy, with the odd car (or massive truck) driving the wrong way down the highway like it was perfectly normal and expected. Or pack of dogs mating in the middle of a toll plaza...

As we got into Agra, I was a bit surprised by how dirty the city is. As you can see, there's not much in the way of storm water drainage. It had been raining when we arrived in Agra.

Agra


Agra


Agra


Agra


Free Range Cow
There were cows in the road constantly in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. A bit crazy.


The Golden Arches
Where's the beef? Don't expect to get a Big Mac here.

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Radisson Blu Agra Taj East Gate Hotel
Standard King Room with Taj View (yeah right)

As soon as I'd had a chance to look around the room, I regretted this hotel. I seriously considered switching to a different hotel, but ended up staying since I didn't want to deal with the hassle of changing hotels.

Alright, so this is supposedly a five star hotel. Supposedly. I'd call it a 3 star. Or perhaps one of the worst five star hotels in the world. Certainly the absolute worst five star I've ever stayed in (by an enormous margin). The room was noisy (lots of hallway noise). The view was terrible. Supposedly I had a Taj view room. You could just barely see the dome of the Taj out the window, but it was so faint that it didn't even show up in photos.

The fit and finish in the bathroom is pretty terrible. The hotel was built in 2011, so clearly build quality was terrible if it's already showing such signs of wear.

Room


Room


Room


Room


Room


Room


Room


Taj View


Taj View


Taj View
The Taj is to the left of the tall palm tree in the distance (left of the pink rooftops). You can just barely make it out. So, yeah, it's a Taj view. Right.


The room service was mediocre at best, but was ridiculously expensive. The hotel employee who delivered the food had the most revolting body odor; I was literally gagging when he was in the room. And the smell lingered; it was really strong and offensive.

Dinner
Chicken, Veggies and Gulab Jamun


Dinner
Chicken


Dinner
Veggies



Breakfast buffet was included in the room rate and it was pretty mediocre. Got some eggs to order, which was nice, but that's about it.

Breakfast Buffet


Overall, I'd never stay here again. It was dirt cheap and you get what you pay for. Never again.

I was so put off by my experience here that I ended up changing my Jaipur hotel to a better property. I did not regret that one bit, but I'll get to that later.

swingaling

Agra, India
India Day 2 (Part 1)

Itinerary

• Breakfast and check-out of hotel by 8:30AM.
• Taj Mahal
• Agra Fort
• Overpriced Tourist Shopping
• Drive to Fatehpur Sikri
• Drive to Jaipur (lunch on the way)

We started out from the hotel and the first stop was the Taj Mahal. Since it was monsoon season, the light was very flat. So it made no sense to show up at the Taj at dawn, as the light would be just as flat. Instead I had a leisurely morning and left the hotel after breakfast.

The Taj was amazing. I don't have a lot to say about it. It's all in the photos.

Rickshaw to Taj Mahal Gate


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal



Next up was Agra Fort. Very cool old fort building. Some of the rooms had bats. I'm up to date on my rabies shots, so now worries on my part.

Agra Fort


Agra Fort


Agra Fort


Agra Fort


Agra Fort


Agra Fort


Agra Fort


Agra Fort


Agra Fort


Agra Fort


Agra Fort


Agra Fort


Agra Fort


Agra Fort


Agra Fort


Agra Fort


Agra Fort


Agra Fort


Agra Fort


Agra Fort


Agra Fort


Agra Fort


Agra Fort


Agra Fort


Agra Fort


Agra Fort


Agra Fort


Agra Fort


Agra Fort


Agra Fort


Agra Fort


Agra Fort


Agra Fort
Friendly little chipmunk


Agra Fort


Agra Fort


Agra Fort


Agra Fort



Next stop was mosaic tile makers shop for some overpriced tourist merchandise. I sat politely and listed to the spiel for 5 minutes and then left. The guide really wanted me to buy stuff somewhere but I declined. We parted ways and began the journey to Jaipur (via Fatehpur Sikri).

Streets of Agra
More cows


Streets of Agra
Cows hanging out in the road


Streets of Agra


Streets of Agra


Streets of Agra



Road to Jaipur
More cows on the road

swingaling

Fatehpur Sikri, India
India Day 2 (Part 2)

The tour guide was an older fellow, but he was quite good. A bit hard to understand, but he knew the site very well and didn't try to bring me to any tourist trap stores. However, I must say that the touts at Fatehpur Sikri were ridiculously aggressive. They kept approaching me one after another trying to sell me necklaces (for $10 US!) that they made themselves (yeah right). I tried to be polite about declining, but it started to wear a bit thin and I started snapping at people. I earned a few choice words in Hindi in response, but I honestly didn't care at all.

Then there was this whole thing about buying a scarf to put on the Muslim tomb and the scarf would be donated to charity or something. I don't know. But they wanted 500 INR, which is insane for a $1 scarf. I declined this too, as I was tired of people trying to take advantage of me. At this point, I started to feel like a walking checkbook and I was really starting to resent it. It definitely put a damper on the rest of the day's activities.

As you can see, the fort itself is quite beautiful, so I was glad to have seen it. But this site was by far the worst for aggressive touts.


Fatehpur Sikri


Fatehpur Sikri


Fatehpur Sikri
Bus Ride to the Entrance


Fatehpur Sikri


Fatehpur Sikri


Fatehpur Sikri


Fatehpur Sikri


Fatehpur Sikri


Fatehpur Sikri


Fatehpur Sikri


Fatehpur Sikri


Fatehpur Sikri


Fatehpur Sikri


Fatehpur Sikri


Fatehpur Sikri


Fatehpur Sikri


Fatehpur Sikri


Fatehpur Sikri


Fatehpur Sikri


Fatehpur Sikri


Fatehpur Sikri


Fatehpur Sikri


Fatehpur Sikri


Fatehpur Sikri


Fatehpur Sikri


Fatehpur Sikri


Fatehpur Sikri


Fatehpur Sikri


Fatehpur Sikri


Fatehpur Sikri


Fatehpur Sikri


Fatehpur Sikri


Fatehpur Sikri


Fatehpur Sikri


Fatehpur Sikri


Fatehpur Sikri


Fatehpur Sikri


Fatehpur Sikri


Fatehpur Sikri


Fatehpur Sikri


Fatehpur Sikri


Fatehpur Sikri


Fatehpur Sikri


Fatehpur Sikri


Fatehpur Sikri


Fatehpur Sikri


Fatehpur Sikri



We left the guide at the fort and continued onward to Jaipur.

Road to Jaipur


Road to Jaipur



The driver picked the lunch spot and did a great job again. Lunch was delicious and very reasonable (under $10 US).

Delicious Lunch


Lunch Restaurant
Rajasthan Motel
Mahwa, Rajasthan



Even as we approached the outskirts of Jaipur, the crazy road conditions did not change. A herd of cattle strolling down the highway was a common occurrence.

Highway Cattle


Highway Cattle


Highway Cattle


Highway Cattle
Life Pro Tip: Don't get between a bull and his cows

fotographer

what a wonderful report so far, having been to all the places you have so far its nice get your point of view
You are very correct about Agra, even with all the money that is given to the state, the evil people in power well ... the money disappears

You will like Jaipur, the forts and the view from the mountains is wonderful
( I use to take friends, mother in law and of course my wife when they came to India a few years ago on the almost the same trip you are dong, but we started in Mumbai and then Jaipur then Agra)

Just to let you know , most of the hotels in Agra , are really bad, and I mean really bad, sad because the hotels could be so much better

swingaling

The Oberoi Rajvilas
Premier Room with Garden Views
Breakfast Included

It was nearly 5PM by the time we reached the outskirts of Jaipur. As we approached the Oberoi, I didn't really know what to expect. I'd made the reservations while on the road to Jaipur, which was a bit of a hassle as LTE service kept dropping off. But I eventually secured a last minute reservation and when I turned up I was not disappointed in any way.

Overall, this was probably one of the best hotel experiences I've ever had anywhere. There really aren't enough superlatives to describe how good this hotel was.

By Indian standards, the cost was high. But absolutely worth every penny. The facility is lovely and charming. Beautifully landscaped with plenty of wildlife (mainly birds) on the grounds. It's peaceful and tranquil; an oasis of calm in the middle of frenetic, chaotic India. Since it was the tail end of monsoon season and a last minute booking, the room rate I paid was at least 50% lower than their high season rates. Despite that, the hotel was not very full; I saw perhaps a dozen other guests there during my stay.

I was welcomed straight away and they brought me in to do the check-in formalities. The staff were very friendly, courteous and approachable (and all spoke impeccable English). They immediately made me feel welcome, even though I'm quite a bit younger than their typical clientele. Within a few minutes, they brought me to my room; we walked, though golf cart and horse-drawn carriages were also available.

One thing I did notice was that the hotel occupancy rate seemed a bit low. Presumably that was because it was the tail end of monsoon season. That's probably also why the rate I paid was so cheap compared to their high season pricing.

Oberoi Rajvilas
Main Building


Oberoi Rajvilas
Main Building


Oberoi Rajvilas
Villas (I stayed in an identical villa)



En route to the room, the hotel's general manager introduced himself and we chatted briefly. He took great pride in the property and was pretty hands-on; it really showed. He seemed like a genuinely nice guy and also made me feel welcome. Once we got to the room, the front line staff member who assisted me (I forgot her name) offered to have a drink sent to my room (free of charge); I ordered a sweet lime juice and it was delicious.

The room itself was great.

Oberoi Rajvilas
Bedroom


Oberoi Rajvilas
Bedroom


Oberoi Rajvilas
Bedroom


Oberoi Rajvilas
Closet


Oberoi Rajvilas
Closet


Oberoi Rajvilas
Closet


Oberoi Rajvilas
Bathroom


Oberoi Rajvilas
Bathroom


Oberoi Rajvilas
Bathroom


Oberoi Rajvilas
Bathroom


Oberoi Rajvilas
Bathroom


Oberoi Rajvilas
Bathroom


Oberoi Rajvilas
View from Bathroom



I'd eaten the welcome chocolates right after I arrived. The waiter who subsequently delivered my lime juice must have noticed and he had someone bring along a few more chocolates for me. I really appreciated it. And I ate those too!


Oberoi Rajvilas
Welcome Chocolates -- Delicious!


Oberoi Rajvilas
Complimentary Fruit



After scoping out the room, I felt a bit cooped up from being in the car and decided to take a stroll around the grounds. I was sure to don bug spray, as it was getting late in the day and the mosquitoes that carry malaria would be out soon. The Oberoi also fogs for mosquitoes, but better safe than sorry.

The hotel grounds were lovely. There were peacocks everywhere. The hotel also has a helipad, tennis courts, a pool, spa and a temple.

Oberoi Rajvilas
Grounds


Oberoi Rajvilas
Grounds


Oberoi Rajvilas
Grounds


Oberoi Rajvilas
Pond Surrounding Temple


Oberoi Rajvilas
Pond Surrounding Temple


Oberoi Rajvilas
Grounds



Shortly after I got back to the room, a footman arrived with a gift from the front desk staffer who checked me in. Since I travel very light (one bag 5kg total weight), I didn't have the room to keep it but the thought was most appreciated.

Oberoi Rajvilas
Welcome Gift


Oberoi Rajvilas
Welcome Gift



It was getting on toward dinner time, but I was pretty tired from my long day of travel. So instead of going to the hotel restaurant, I decided on room service instead. The room service menu was pretty diverse with many options. The pricing was very reasonable for this caliber property, roughly on par with the prices charged by the Radisson Blu in Agra (believe it or not).

In contrast to the Radisson, this meal was excellent. And the waitstaff did not have any body odor. A welcome change indeed.

Oberoi Rajvilas
Room Service Dinner
Tandoori Chicken Appetizer with Sweet Lime Juice


Oberoi Rajvilas
Room Service Dinner
Seasonable Vegetables with Garlic Naan


Oberoi Rajvilas
Room Service Dinner
Gulab Jamun for Dessert (my new favorite)



After dinner, the waitstaff returned to collect the dishes and I had a relaxing soak in the huge bathtub before bed. I was in bed by 10PM as my driver was coming to get me at 8:30AM the next day.

I slept exceptionally well and was up nice and early. As with the Andaz Delhi, the Rajvilas also has Nespresso machines in every room. Score! After I was sufficiently caffeinated, I decided to grab some breakfast at the main building (a short 5 min walk away).

Oberoi Rajvilas
Grounds


Oberoi Rajvilas
Morning Peacocks


Oberoi Rajvilas
Peacocks really let you get pretty close to them



Breakfast (included in the room rate) consisted of a decent sized buffet spread and an a la carte menu. I retrieved a few items from the buffet, but didn't really see much I was in the mood for. Then the general manager approached me to ask if I'd like some eggs, bacon and toast. It's like he'd read my mind. I gladly accepted and the kitchen prepared me a delicious plate of eggs, crispy bacon and toast. I will say that India really knows how to do bacon correctly; everywhere I went the bacon was crisp and delicious. None of that floppy, soggy bacon one routinely sees at hotels in the US.

Oberoi Rajvilas
Breakfast
From the buffet: an Indian pastry (didn't care for it), some very good yogurt and fruit


Oberoi Rajvilas
Breakfast
Eggs perfectly scrambled, crispy bacon and multigrain toast (in the basket)


After breakfast, I went back to the room to gather my things and check out. Unfortunately, I had a bit of GI upset that morning. I'd been very careful with what I'd been eating and drinking, so I have no idea if it was food poisoning or just some general distress. Luckily, I always pack loperamide for these situations and that took care of the problem.

Anyway, I went back to the main building and checked out of the room and settled the small bill for room service. The same staffer who welcomed me the previous day checked me out and the general manager stopped by one final time. He thanked me for my stay and solicited any feedback I might have. I honestly had nothing but praise and told him as much. The staff walked me to my waiting driver and we were off for an eventful day of sightseeing in Jaipur.

If I'm ever in Jaipur again, I will absolutely stay at The Oberoi Rajvilas. It's pricey, but definitely worth the cost. It was pretty much the perfect hotel stay and exactly what I needed.