It was our first trip after 8 months and it had to be special. Choosing Agra had its reasons. I was helping junior to understand on monuments and a lesson on this is incomplete without showing the beauty of ivory-white marble mausoleum on the southern bank of the river Yamuna – the majestic Tajmahal.
A drive to Agra via expressway is fun, though the speed limit of 75km/hour on open road and eateries aren’t enjoyable. After our not so fun drive, except for the company of family, we reached hotel Taj Hotel and Convention Centre. A flawless and contactless check-in and we got our rooms. Sanitisers are at every entrance and everyone wears safety mask and gloves. Even before entering, we sanitize our footwears including sanitizing of luggage Well, when you are at the Taj Hotel, you can be very sure of their hygiene standards. After settling into our rooms, we headed towards their all-day dining for lunch. Their all-day dining is huge and gives you the feel of a very huge and stylish café. We finished our lunch where our favourite dishes were served quickly.
While we were chatting with GM Rahul Joshi about the current situation, he mentioned that the Taj brand has actually helped them to fight the pandemic and guests are coming because they have faith in the brand and I completely agree with him. I was also told that Saturdays/Sundays, this place is sold out and it’s big news during such time. That’s the brand power of taj and hard work placed by the employees of Taj Hotel at Agra.
I would like to mention one interesting event which happens at Taj every evening. One of the guest relations, Subrata, narrates the history of Taj in his own style and sings some melodious songs that take you through the journey of one of the greatest love story. If you are staying at Taj Agra you shouldn’t miss it.
Our room was well sanitized, with a warm welcome and we already felt that the holiday mood had kicked in and junior was super excited to be in the bathtub.
Breakfast at Palato – an all-day dining
I am a die-hard fan of jalebi and having it in breakfast is like heaven. I was promised by chefs at Taj that their badai can beat the famous Deviram’s breakfast. This definitely raised my expectations and on Sunday morning I was served piping hot badai with sabji and jalebi. I must admit that the taste was excellent and clearly better than what I had a day before at Devirams’. The crispiness, the favour and the taste, everything was just right. I can go to the Taj hotel Agra and have their badai anytime. Next time you plan to visit Agra, my suggestion is to stay at Taj and enjoy their excellent hospitality and great food.
Chinese Lunch with Chef Palash
After a chat with Executive chef Palash about our BBQ evening, he said he had prepared a Chinese lunch for us as our dinner would be heavy and hence recommended a lighter lunch. The old favourite chicken hot and sour soup was a great start on a chilly winter afternoon. Chilli chicken and crispy corn were absolutely delicious and so was the crispy mushroom. But the star dish was sliced lamb, which was cooked perfectly and served just right with sticky rice. Veg and Non-veg Thai curries were excellent, even though we ate a lot, we didn’t feel bloated. The presentation of the food too was excellent. We ended the meal with a lovely dessert – Chinese darsaan!
BBQ night at Infini pool lounge
Bonfire by the beach, lovely music, grilled meat and scotch – a perfect winter evening anyone can ask for. I was staying at Taj Agra. While there is no beach in Agra but their infini pool lounge has a complete setup and an amazing view with the right lightings that make your day memorable. Open area, grilled meat and scotch -a perfect evening with your girl or a bonfire with family and friends – This place has a lot to offer! Executive Chef Palash served us some of the finest grilled food that evening and the view was just mesmerizing. I loved their smokey tangri kebab, malai broccoli, Paneer on skewers and Bharwan Mushroom. Terrace of Taj Agra on winters gives you a perfect evening – All you need is to plan your day and sit back and relax!
Badai and jalebi at Deviram
If you are in Agra, don’t miss the badai, sabji and jalebi for breakfast. Badai is very similar to what you get in Delhi – the bedmi puri. Their subji has a thin gravy and is green in colour and their jalebi is crisp and hot. A trip to Agra is incomplete without the badai breakfast and of course, the petha from Panchi store i.e from Sadar Bazar shop is a must-have!
A visit to TajMahal
Everyone loves Tajmahal and so do we. The grandeur and beauty of this place are always mesmerizing! A trip to Agra is incomplete without a visit to TajMahal. This time we decided to head out to Taj mahal in the morning to avoid the crowd. The beauty and serenity is definitely a treat to the eye. If you love photography, then I would suggest going to Mehtab Bagh to capture TajMahal. The view of Taj is amazing from there too!
