Memorable trip of royalty

When you realise you have one of the world's seven wonders in your family's own backyard and you haven't paid it any attention you cannot avoid feeling guilty.

India's Taj Mahal recently resumed its position on the prominent list of places one MUST see and I was determined to go at the earliest opportunity.

Fortunately, my lovely elder sister Shalu and sweet best friends, Pooja and Chhaya began making plans for a Delhi-Agra get-away trip.

The details were finalised, tickets bought, shopping list prepared and the itinerary sketched out.

The added cherry-on-top was our accommodation for the trip - the Oberoi Group of Hotels - proclaimed to be one of India's most exclusive choices for the more extravagant traveller.

In a bid to save some money (but sacrifice convenience and reasonable flight times) I opted to fly with Etihad Airways to Delhi, with a couple of hours stop-over in Abu Dhabi. A direct trip, of course, can be booked with Gulf Air.

We all landed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi from four different locations, at four different timings over a period of two days.

While two of us drove down to The Oberoi, the other two dropped their bags at a more affordable, yet comfortable, inn at the city's Defence Colony.

The Oberoi in Delhi is the hotel chain's original location and is situated in the heart of the city facing a lush green golf course as well as the city's prominent buildings - Rashtrapathi Bhavan, the official residence of the President of India and the India Gate, a famous World War I memorial.

As ours was predominantly a shopping trip, we hopped from one hub to the other including Lajpat Nagar, South Extention, Karol Bagh and Dilli Haat - the food and craft bazaar offering a range of handicrafts, clothes and accessories from different parts of the country.

Delhi is also an excellent destination to choose wedding attire such as dresses, jewellery and accessories which helped me for my forthcoming nuptials.

For those staying longer other must-visit places include Chandni Chowk, Janpath and the Crafts Museum. The city is also full of monuments, museums, temples, gardens and other structures rich in culture and architectural wonder. Jantar Mantar - an alluring observatory, the Red Fort, Lodi Gardens, the Safdarjang's Tomb and Qutab Minar are among the popular sights.

Two spectacular temples worth capturing on camera are the Akshardham Temple, an exclusive and grand structure completed in 2005, and the Bahai Temple, shaped in the form of a full-bloom Lotus and made in white marble.

Travelling around the city is not too difficult with its new metro providing easy access to main visitor attractions. There was also a plentiful supply of taxis alongside the colourful green and yellow LPG three-wheelers _- the auto rickshaw ... but be wise not to be cheated of all your rupees and make sure the drivers charge you as per the tariff or metre.

Mind you, if you are from Bahrain you'll be well-trained in this procedure.

After stuffing our bags with all the goodies we had purchased, we hired a cab for our next stop - Agra - which cost the equivalent of BD35.

More adventurous options would have been a bus or train journey but I was too excited to wait.

In less than three hours we entered Agra and immediately appeared to have been transformed into a bygone era. Most of the buildings boasted amazing Mughal architecture and little seemed to have been renovated or reconstructed. There were monkeys on roof tops staring down at you.

This was a city so full of history with a mystical air.

We arrived in Agra at night and checked into the Oberoi Amarvilas - a palace resort.

It is situated just 600 metres from the Taj Mahal and the moment we walked into our rooms and opened the terraced doors the expression of our faces revealed how dumbstruck we were. The view of the Taj Mahal was magnificent.

Its dome stood tall and proud. For those readers who are unaware of its history I must explain its magical aura.

Mughal emperor Shah Jahan built the exquisitely designed tomb in the loving memory of his second wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to their 14th son.

The intensity of his love was obvious - the monument took 22 years to build by thousands of Persian and Indian craftsmen.

When completed the white marble structure was embedded with precious stones and gems such as rubies, emeralds and diamonds. They were stolen over the years after the fall of the empire but that doesn't detract from its beauty today.

It remains a 'symbol of love' and few can forget the picture of loneliness portrayed by the late Princess Diana who was poignantly photographed alone for the world to see at the end of her unhappy marriage to Prince Charles, the UK's heir to the throne.

The Amarvilas resort also, other than providing a stunning view of the Taj Mahal, gives an insight into the rich heritage and expertise of the Mughal period.

A sandstone gate welcomes you to an entrance flanked by marble elephants leading into a courtyard decorated with four pools and 64 fountains.

The main building has rising domes and arches designed in different styles of Islamic architecture and the interiors further enhance the magnificence with its huge crystal chandeliers, polished teak floors, hand-knotted carpets, handicraft furniture, wood-inlay desks and lamps, brocade tapestry and oil paintings.

Agra also has other significant places of visit including its fort, Mariyam's Tomb - a tomb in red sandstone built in memory of Mughal Emperor Akbar's Goan-Christian wife, Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary and the deserted, phantom city of Fatehpur Sikhri.

Although we only had one short day in Agra, we returned with a huge feeling of mystery, mixed emotions and a billion photographs.

Before taking my flight back to Bahrain, I got myself a book on the Taj Mahal and its story. I haven't started on it yet as I am afraid if I read it too soon, I might begin to imagine myself as a Mughal princess in a previous life ... one can only dream.

FACT-FILE

The hotel is offering a special package - the 'Oberoi Exotic Vacations' until July 31.

It includes accommodation for a single person in a premier room, breakfast and dinner daily and complimentary return transfers from the nearest airport or railway station.

Guests can take up this offer at The Oberoi Amarvilas in Agra, The Oberoi Rajvilas in Jaipur and The Oberoi Udaivilas in Udaipur

The Oberoi Udaivilas in Udaipur was ranked the best hotel in the world according to the Travel + Leisure Magazine in 2007.

The Oberoi Amarvilas and The Oberoi Rajvilas were rated the 10th and 11th best hotels in the same survey.

For details visit www.oberoihotels.com.