My parents gave me this trip to India for my birthday! Well, that's how the timing worked out as I turned 30 in New Delhi as I recall. We took the long way getting there - flying from New York to Frankfurt to Singapore (we spent a day coming/going to visit some of Mom's friends).
Arrival in Calcutta was... chaotic. We landed at night during a week of Hindu religious festivals, so the streets were crowded with people, and very loud with traffic, music, singing, and dancing.
Our trip was half a tour of various Buddhist sites, and half sight-seeing. We spent many days travelling several hours to small towns generally not on the usual tourist path. We even went just over the border into Nepal to visit Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha.
Someday I'd like to return and tour the southwest part of the country, Mumbai (Bombay) to Chennai (Madras).
Here I am in front of the Taj Mahal.
A Mosque next to the Taj Mahal. On the other side is an identical building originally meant as guest quarters.
At Fatehpur Sikri.
The Mahabodhi temple in Bodhgaya.
Early morning in Varanasi, from a boat on the Ganges river.
Here I am riding in style (with another tourist and a guide)!!