A captivating trip by land and sea through the rich, rhythmic heart of India.
By Eris Choo
Nineteenth-century American novelist Bayard Taylor once called it a “castle in the air, brought down to earth,” while Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore described it as a “teardrop on the cheek of time, glistening spotlessly bright forever.”
But even the most eloquent words can’t prepare you for the experience of seeing the Taj Mahal in person. It’s not just the immense scale or symmetry — but how it shimmers like a dream; its marble dome glowing in the sunlight, as if it exists both in the world and beyond it.
Our guide, Ajay Paliwal, has seen the Taj hundreds of times, yet still speaks of it with wonder. “No two visits are ever the same,” he says. “In the morning, it shimmers like a mirage. In monsoon, it turns moody purple. At sunset, it blushes pink. Sometimes you think — surely, there is nothing more beautiful than this.” (As an aside, I’m certain Ajay could have been a poet — perhaps even in the ranks of Tagore.)
He wasn’t wrong. We returned at sunrise, and as the light shifted, the Taj transformed — its walls glowing from soft lilac to brilliant gold. Black kites soared above the manicured lawns. You could almost feel the love Mughal emperor Shah Jahan had for Mumtaz Mahal, the monument he built in her memory, a devotion immortalised in physical form and admired by millions each year.
Of kings and empires
The Taj Mahal was just one of many stops on our tour through India’s famed Golden Triangle — Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur — curated by luxury tour operators Abercrombie & Kent.
We began in Delhi, India’s buzzing capital of over 33 million people. Once the seat of the mighty Mughal empire, Delhi is a city of contrasts, where ancient forts and colourful bazaars coexist with modern towers and glittering malls.
One of its most evocative sites is Humayun’s Tomb, a 16th-century UNESCO World Heritage Site built by Empress Bega Begum in honour of her husband. Its red sandstone structure rises from Persian-style gardens divided by water channels, symbolising paradise. It later inspired the design of the Taj Mahal.
In Rajasthan, we detoured to the quiet village of Abhaneri. After miles of mustard and wheat fields, our bus stopped at what looked like a modest stone pavilion. But just beyond lay Chand Baori, an astonishing 1,000-year-old stepwell with 3,500 zigzagging steps descending 13 storeys. Built to harvest water, it once offered cool respite and community in the arid desert.
A city painted in rose
Next came Jaipur, the ‘Pink City’ famed for its rose-hued buildings. The streets pulsed with life, filled with rickshaws jostling for space, sari-clad women bargaining at roadside stalls, and flashes of colour everywhere you turned.
At Amber Fort, built high on a hill, we wandered through halls and courtyards once home to Rajput rulers. Hidden cooling systems, shaded gardens, and even a royal gym with sandalwood dumbbells revealed a regal lifestyle of surprising ingenuity. But what lingered was the warmth of Jaipur’s hospitality.
At The Oberoi Rajvilas, we were greeted by roaming peacocks and served dal baati churma, a rustic Rajasthani dish of baked wheat balls, spiced lentils, and jaggery. Later, at The Leela Palace Jaipur, we dined in a mirrored room reminiscent of the Sheesh Mahal at the Amber Fort. Between the delicate courses and flickering candlelight, I truly felt like a maharani — if only for a night!
Where old meets new
From Jaipur, we flew to Mumbai. A megacity by the sea, it is at once the epicentre of colonial history, the beating heart of Bollywood, India’s financial capital, and home to more billionaires than any other Asian city. Here, colonial-era buildings from the British Raj era sit shoulder to shoulder with soaring glass towers, while children in uniforms play cricket — India’s national obsession — on school fields tucked between traffic-heavy roads.
The city’s architecture alone is worth a visit. At the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus we pause to admire the elaborate Victorian Gothic façade, with its remarkable stone dome and turrets that make the train station feel more like a cathedral. Nearby, the Gateway of India, built to commemorate the landing of King George V for his coronation in 1911, stands majestically by the waterfront.
A floating sanctuary
Soon, we boarded the luxury cruise ship Crystal Symphony for the next leg of our journey: sailing down India’s southwest coast. Recently refurbished under Abercrombie & Kent, the ship blends old-world elegance with modern comfort. My ocean view suite, in nautical shades of blue and white, felt like a peaceful retreat. Mornings began with coffee and sweeping sea views. There was a quiet library I loved ducking into, a theatre with nightly shows, a hair salon and spa for a spot of pampering, and even ballroom dancing in the evenings.
Dining onboard was an experience in itself. At the new Beefbar, we shared plates of elevated street food (think jasmine tea-smoked wagyu bao) and expertly grilled cuts of meat. Umi Uma, Nobu’s restaurant at sea, was fully booked every night, and most tables had the signature black cod in miso, meltingly tender and buttery, served alongside fresh platters of sushi. For classic Italian, Osteria d’ Ovidio serves up fresh pastas, veal cutlets, comforting cioppino soups, and steamy risottos.
There are other options too, including an international buffet and Scoops Ice Cream Bar, which serves free-flow, authentic gelato. I may or may not have made it a daily ritual to get a scoop (or three) for breakfast, lunch, and dinner onboard.
Land of spices
Our final stop in India was lush and humid Goa. Formerly a Portuguese colony, Goa feels distinct from the northern cities, with a laid-back vibe and a multicultural soul. It’s also a favourite among holiday goers, thanks to its beautiful beaches and balmy weather. Local pride runs deep here, especially when it comes to food. “In Goa, we don’t ask, ‘How was lunch?’” our guide, Jonas Coutinho, says with a grin. “We ask, ‘How was the curry?’ If the curry is good, the meal was good.”
Jonas certainly knows his food: as our bus heads to the Goan interiors, he rattles off ingredients needed for a good Goan Hindu curry, with aromatics, masala, green chillies, and tomatoes as the base.
The talk about food left us hungry, and our next destination, the Tropical Spice Plantation, had a scrumptious local lunch prepared — but not before a quick sojourn around the family-run plantation, where we learned how to identify nutmeg, cinnamon, black pepper, and betel nut, among others.
Lunch was served local style, with various curries drenched over rice and bread. At Jonas’ urging, we try cashew feni, a traditional alcoholic beverage distilled from cashew apples. The strong drink made my eyes water (on top of the fiery fish curry I kept eating despite the sweat pouring off my face), but everything was just too good to pass up.
We also visited Shanta Durga Temple, dedicated to the Hindu goddess Shantadurga. Goa’s temples, unlike those in other parts of India, have a distinct architectural style, featuring domes as well as a blend of Baroque, Manueline, and Gothic elements.
In all honesty, India surprised me. What made this trip extraordinary wasn’t just the opulence of the monuments or the luxury of the hotels and cruise. It’s how each place, be it Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Mumbai, Goa, seemed to peel back another layer of India.
I arrived with preconceptions that India would be chaotic and overwhelming. And yes, it was sometimes those things. But it was also serene, soulful, inventive, and generous. I can’t wait to discover more when I return.
Travel in style
Experts in bespoke travel, Abercrombie & Kent offers personalised, seamless journeys through India’s most iconic and hidden corners. The founder Geoffrey Kent, who was born on safari and grew up barefoot in the bush of Kenya, pioneered the first modern luxury safari in Africa more than 60 years ago. Today, the company offers an extensive range of innovative and ultra-luxurious journeys around the world.
Explore India’s coastal beauty aboard the refurbished Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity under the A&K Travel Group. Both cruises offer world-class service, dining, and amenities at sea, with options for unique shore excursions. Look forward to dining at the only restaurant at sea by the award-winning chef, Nobu Matsuhisa and relax with personal butler service.
