My dear travellers, how are you today? I believe that this heat and pandemic did not hinder you in performing your daily duties. Due to the current health situation, the only thing left for us to do is look at our old pictures and remember the beautiful moments from the trip and along the way hope that we will soon be able to travel normally again.
If you follow my blog for a long time, I believe that you will remember my stories about an unusual, distant land of contrast – India. Two years ago, more precisely in February 2018, I had the opportunity to visit this far distant country. My boyhood dream was to visit one of the wonders of the world – the Taj Mahal.
The plan of the National Tourism Organization of the Republic of India was to promote different regions in India with the use of railways. It was my first long train journey and all the time during the flight to Delhi I wondered what a trip really looks like where people spend most of their time on the train itself.
My thinking was interrupted by the captain of the plane, who welcomed us to the capital of one of the most populous countries in the world. The excitement and adrenaline after several hours of flights did its thing and I tried in every way to get around the crowd and find my hosts. A warm welcome and numerous gifts brought a smile to my face. During the drive to the hotel, the hosts tried to briefly explain the route and the way of traveling to me, but my eyes were fixed on the window because I was seduced by the lights of a world metropolis such as New Delhi.
Through conversation, I learned that I was one of the first bloggers from my group to come and that the remaining members of the crew would arrive by the early hours of the morning. Insomnia did its thing, so I decided to get acquainted with the details of the trip and started reading the details about the Maharajas’ Express, a dream train that many say is a five-star hotel on wheels.
The Maharajas’ Express is the only train that provides a journey that will be remembered for the rest of your life. The National Railways of the Republic of India, together with the management of the Maharaja Express, wanted to show people the beauty of travel that dates back to the famous Indian royal era. Maharaja Express trips are specially organized throughout the year and last on average between seven and ten days. The main goal of each trip is to acquaint tourists with the national treasure of India, the incredible Indian spirit and cultural heritage. All Maharajas’ Express trips are created to be in line with the wishes and needs of clients who value their money and expect a certain level of comfort and luxury during their trip.
This unusual luxury train in India, after many years of successful work, has received numerous awards for its exceptional hospitality. The specificity of this train is the presidential suite, which is symbolically called “Navratna“, which in Indian language means “nine precious gems”. The luxury train Maharajas’ Express received its own for the precious gems of various Maharajas (kings). According to tradition, the trains of the Indian Maharajah have 14 locomotives for guests, which are called: Moti (Pearl), Manik (Rubin), Heera (Diamond), Panna (Emerald), Neelam (Blue Sapphire), etc.
A traveler on this extremely luxurious train journey can get to know and come into direct contact with the cultural heritage of India. All information and travel instructions are sent to passengers by mail to the home address before the trip, and passengers also receive a special copy of documents and brochures before the train departs. Traveling by this luxury train will be an unforgettable experience that you will remember for a lifetime.
The price of the travel package also includes the services of professional butlers, spacious cabins with fully equipped bathrooms with basic packages for daily care, TV, electronic safe and wireless internet.
Maharaja Express has several dining cars (wagons) with different themed units, where an incredible variety of world cuisines are served in gold and silver cutlery in an elegantly decorated ambience. Themed restaurants are: Peacock Restaurant (Maiur Mahal) and Haveli Restaurant (Rang Mahal). One of the many cars is reserved for the Safari bar where passengers can enjoy a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks with a number of snacks.
I have to admit that I spent a lot of time with pistachios, Indian nuts and unsalted peanuts while working on the computer during the trip. I think I spent more time in the Safari Bar than in my own room. All train services like food and drinks of all kinds are included in the price because the train service is “all inclusive” so you don’t have to carry money or the credit card with you every time.
If you decide to travel by this magical train, you can choose between four programs: Indian Panorama, Indian Shine, Cultural Heritage of India and Jewels of India. Each of these programs is unique and differs in route and duration of the trip. I am a member of the crew that was on the Indian Panorama program. If you are interested in the routes and duration of all programs, you can read all about the program tours at this link.
For all those adventurers who have the desire to get to know India and visit this country for the first time, I wholeheartedly recommend the Indian Panorama tour. Why? This program includes all the jewels of Indian cultural heritage: Agra and Fatehpur Sikri (Taj Mahal), Jaipur (pink city of winds), Varanasi (the place where the river Ganges connects the earthly with the heavenly world), as well as many others. In addition to important cultural and historical cities, you will have the opportunity to go on safari and experience the beauties of the natural wild life of India.
For years I have dreamed of visiting the Taj Mahal and after so many years my dream has been fulfilled because of that I am most grateful to have a job that I truly love and that fulfills me with the selfless support of my readers who daily follow my unusual adventures around the world.
If you want to remind yourself what my great Indian adventure looked like you can read my stories at the following links:
- India: Land of Smile and Happiness
- India: When Dreams Come True!
- India: Last Call For Varanasi
- India: Red is the Color of Joy (special fashion outfit post)
My dear travellers, once again we have come to the end post from special post about my Indian adventure with Maharajas’ Express. Time just flies so fast when you are having a good time! At the end of this post, I would like to thank my friends from Maharajas’ Express for this incredible adventure and Incredible India for their huge efforts to make my dream come true. Also I would like to say huge thank you for this great adventure.
This time, Qatar Airways recognized the quality of my work and they wanted to be part of this amazing project. I am honored to have the opportunity to work with companies that are at the top of the tourism industry and I would like to thank them for this incredible adventure and for allowing me to experience the beauty of the world in a completely different way.
How do you like this story about India? Have you maybe had a chance to explore India with Maharajas’ Express? I would like to share with me your experience! See you next week with another interesting story!
If you have a question, comment,
suggestion or message for me, you can write me down in the comments. Of
course, as always you can contact me via mail or social media, which you
can find on the CONTACT page.
Best,
Mr.M
This post was sponsored by Incredible India and Maharajas’ Express. I would like to say thank you to Qatar Airways for having me. This trip was an extraordinary experience for me!
Dear Marko, how are you? I am glad that you have shared with us another article about India. Believe me, I have always dreamed of visiting beautiful India and I read about the Maharajas Express which is really like a dream train. I am sure that traveling by that train is unforgettable and I hope that I will be able to raise enough money for one such adventure as I would love to visit all these wonderful places in India with my daughter.
You reminded me again of your beautiful pictures from India! I was with my wife in India almost 15 years ago and we toured a large part of that country. I believe it is clear to you as an adventurer that you can never travel the whole country, but you can always come back again to try to “conquer” it. Are you planning to go to India soon?
Dear Jack, I’m glad you answered! Thank you for your time and the comment you wrote to me from the bottom of your heart! Of course I am aware of the fact that one can never fully explore one country, but we can always try. Am I right? I wish you a pleasant rest of the day!
Kind regards,
Marko
India is truly a beautiful and unique country. I would like to go there soon and fulfill my dream just as you did!
Dear Lena, thank you for your kind comment. I really hope that you will visit incredible India soon and please do not hesitate to share some photos with me! 🙂
Best regards,
Marko
You look like a real gentleman on that train. You always make me happy with your pictures and your lordly attitude. I was in India a few years ago and I was just as excited about Taj. I hope that you will soon be able to continue your travels and show us some of your new adventures soon!
Indien ist eines der interessantesten Länder, die ich je besucht habe. Ich war mehrere Male dort, zuerst als junger Student, der Abenteuerlust hatte, dann mit meiner Frau und meinen Kindern. Indien ist ein Land, in das ich immer gerne zurückkehre!
Lieber Tobias, es ist eine große Freude zu hören, dass Sie so schöne und interessante Abenteuer in Indien erlebt haben. Ich hoffe aufrichtig, dass Sie bald nach dem Ende dieser Situation mit dem Koronavirus die Gelegenheit haben, das schöne Indien wieder zu besuchen!
Freundliche Grüße,
Marko
Ich hatte die Möglichkeit, mit dem Maharajas Express zu reisen, aber ich bin nicht der Route gefolgt, die Sie genommen haben. Ich habe die andere Route gewählt, die kürzere. Es ist wirklich eine Reise, an die ich mich für den Rest meines Lebens erinnern werde