“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.” — Jawaharal Nehru

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“If you come to a fork in the road, take it.” – Yogi Berra

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“Bizarre travel plans are dancing lessons from God.” – Kurt Vonnegut

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As monuments to the departed go, this is the most spectacular one you're ever likely to see. The Taj Mahal; Shah Jahan's memorial to his beloved Mumtaz Mahal after her death during the birth of their fourteenth child, almost four hundred years later is a designated World Heritage site, and one of India's most famous images.

Perceived wisdom says to visit the Taj in the morning, before arrival of day trippers from Delhi. With this in mind (and also the fact that it was a Friday when the Taj is closed for prayers), our first view of the Taj was a tantalising glimpse from the distance, from the walls of Agra's other famous site, the Red Fort. The Fort is also where Shah Jahan spent his final years; looking out at the monument to his beloved after being imprisoned by the grasping son who seized his kingdom. Eventually he was laid to rest next to his beloved Mumtaz.

Working closer to the Taj, our second glimpse was from across the river close to sunset (hint: walk past the park where people will demand 100 rupees to enter, and head down the lane to get the same view for free). The evening light lends an ethereal glow to the stunning white marble, and if you can manage to tune out the cacophony of languages and camera noise from other tourists can make for a lovely peaceful experience.

Saturday morning finally arrived, our last morning in Agra, and time for the main event. After a fairly disappointing sunrise experience at Angkor Wat earlier in the trip (crowds of people, and a temple shrouded in scaffolding), we opted to avoid the 4am start and the sunrise crowds, and get to the Taj around 9am. Entering by the east gate (not the one frequented by the tour groups), we were quickly through the security checks and into the main gardens, which were blissfully free of touts. It's important to remember to collect shoe covers outside the gate for use later on.

Unsurprisingly, it looks just like in the photos, only more luminous, and more serene. The marble seems to glow from within, and only in person can you really appreciate the coloured inlays and Muslim scripture painted on the outside. Plenty of benches are scattered around to sit and enjoy the view for a while.

History has it that 20,000 craftsmen were involved in the building of the temple. Shah Jahan and they should be righty proud to have created an enduring monument to commemorate Mumtaz Mahal and bring beauty to the world.

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The greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.” — Bill Bryson

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“Without new experiences, something inside of us sleeps. The sleeper must awaken.” – Frank Herbert

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