Maharaja Express Rail: Make Your First New Year Resolution In The Train!

Indian Railways’ tryst with luxury happened in 1982 when the Palace on Wheels luxury train pioneered the era of luxury travel on Indian railway tracks. There was no looking back after this. With the advent of the Maharaja Express rail in March 2010, things have absolutely become more comfortable and luxurious in train travel.

Such is the excellent tour schedules of the train and the warm hospitality of the staff that the train has earned various awards at the national and the international front. The train has turned out to be the most luxurious rail in India; it rubs shoulders with the prestigious Orient Express of Europe.

There is hardly a doubt that the train has redefined luxury. It has brought to life the richness of kings and queens of the bygone era. The train, with its plush interiors and the ancient and the modern put together, creates an intriguing atmosphere. You cannot help but feel special here.

A rich train ride

The décor of suites and cabins of the train is inspired by the royal chambers of the erstwhile kings and queens of India. Luxury on wheels is not a new thing in this country. Several maharajas who reined in India had built their own rail lines with their personal trains.

For example, the Maharaja of Vadodara had gifted his son a completely functional toy train. The Maharaja of Gwalior brandished his silver model train in front of the East India Company officers. He used to make the train chug on his banqueting table.

The era of Raj saw many Maharajas with their personal carriages, which were done in sheer luxurious settings. They used these plush things for state visits, hunting trips, and nuptial stays.

The striking feature of these trains was their décor. They usually featured exquisite carvings, mirror work, designs with gems studded on them, intricate patterns, elegant tapestries, and beautiful jewel work that spell bound people. The trains and their décor spoke about the pompous lifestyles of India’s maharajas.

The Maharaja Express rail endeavors to imitate the same pomp and give its travelers luxurious pleasures.

Money buys luxury; luxury brings happiness!

People who say money cannot buy happiness haven’t stepped inside the Maharaja train!

The train is equipped with modern amenities, eco-friendly technologies, and warm services. The staff takes into account each detail with meticulousness and renders impeccable hospitality to travelers. The staff is diligent and dedicated.

Attractive offers this season

Talking about money, of course the Maharaja train is the most expensive luxury train of India; but it still does not break your bank. The train provides several attractive offers that help you save money and enjoy the luxuries of life.

The train’s 7 distinct tours offer an insight into vibrancy and colorfulness of the country called India. Well, who doesn’t know about India’s diverse cultures, festivities, holiness, and rich heritage?

India intrigues, indeed!

So, what are you waiting for? What’s the best way to begin 2018 than be in the arms of luxury? Soak yourselves in pure pleasure and pamper, as the warm winter sun casts its rays on the New Year.

Tourism Agra: The Golden Triangle

Catch the Taj Mahal under the moonlight and you will begin to believe in eternal love! The white magic of the marbled structure is such that if you are married, you would want to fall in love with your partner once again, and if you are single, you would want to seek love.

Welcome to Agra! Yes, this is the city that harbors the unique Taj Mahal.

Tourism Agra

Agra is a bustling city of Uttar Pradesh, located on the banks of the holy River Yamuna. The city harbors several important tourist destinations. They showcase India’s royal past and rich heritage. They portray the extravaganza of India’s Emperors, their hobbies, their emotions, and tales of their gallantries.

Besides the Taj Mahal, you can find the magnificent Agra Fort here. It was built in red sand stone by Emperor Akbar. It is located about 2.5 kms northwest to the Taj Mahal. It, too, is recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Site like the Taj Mahal.

A trip to North India is incomplete without a trip to Agra.

Tours that take you to Agra in luxury

Tour plans like Gems of India, Heritage of India, Treasures of India, Indian Splendor, and Indian Panorama give you an opportunity to visit this historical city. These are tours of the Maharajas’ Express – India’s most expensive luxury train and the one bestowed by several national and international awards.

A number of prestigious travel magazines look upon this luxury train of India with high regards. It has received the “World’s Leading Luxury Train” award consecutively for five years from 2012 to 2016. The train is regarded as the Orient Express of the East.

Traveling to Agra in this train is different from traveling in a regular mode of transportation. You may have been to Agra several times before, but journeying through the Maharaja train offers a unique experience. You don’t feel like a tourist. You feel like a royal guest who has come to pay a tribute to the world famous love site – the Taj Mahal.

Agra comes in the Golden Triangle

The Golden Triangle is a tourist circuit or route that connects cities like Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur. It is so called because of the triangle shape that forms on the map when the three cities are connected.

Most of the Golden Triangle tours begin in Delhi. The Maharajas’ Express offers two exclusive Golden Triangle tours: Gems of India and Treasures of India. These tours begin in Delhi and end here. The other tours contain this tourist circuit.

Tourism in Agra has received a boost due to the conceptualization of the Golden Triangle, say industry experts. The connecting cities are easy to visit and offer a fair glimpse of India’s history and culture. You get an essence of the “royal-ness” of the country.

Moreover, traveling in the Maharaja train soaks you in royalty. You feel like a king or a queen. It is an altogether different experience. A journey on board this luxury train should be in your list of things to do before you die. 

Worlds Best Train Invites You To A Royal Journey Abroad

Train journeys can be quite tedious at times. When you imagine an Indian train usually the image that immediately flashes in the mind is that of a crowded coach with passengers crammed up in the backdrop of a dusty landscape, which can be viewed through the open windows. The rattling sound of moving train makes for a good melody and lulls many a traveler into sleep, as they wait eagerly for the arrival of their destinations.

All this may seem like a norm in Indian train travel; but have you traveled in the worlds best train yet?

This is no regular train. Your ears won’t drown in the rattling sound. You won’t have to bear the dusty view. There is no crowd.

Traveling in this train can prove to be a perfect honeymoon trip for a couple, a great hangout for a bunch of friends, and an unmatched trip with pure solitude for a single. It can be one of the most cherished gifts you can give to your family or to yourselves.

We are talking about a journey on board the Maharajas’ Express. This luxury train has attained the status of being the worlds best train. It rubs shoulders with the Orient Express of Europe that is regarded as the epitome of luxury in train travel.

About Maharajas’ Express

The Maharaja train is half a mile long. It features 23 carriages. There are luxury suites, deluxe suits, and cabins in the train for travelers. The most luxurious and the most admirable is the Presidential Suite, called Navratna or the Nine Gems.

It truly is a gem of a suite. It spans a complete carriage. It defines luxury in the purest manner possible. You cannot help but think yourselves as a king or a queen inside the suite. As a matter of fact, this feeling can creep into you in any suite of the train. Every nook and corner of the train drips of sheer royalty.

Five-star dining in a moving train

The train’s regally draped dining cars – Mayur Mahal and Rang Mahal – invite you for an experience into fine dining, regal style. Swarovski -studded glasses and gold-rimmed plates speak of the bygone royal era of India. How it makes the era come to life inside the train!

You can give your taste buds a treat through various cuisines – Indian and international. You can also avail yourselves special cuisines like Jain meals, Kosher meals, Gluten free meals, Ovo Lacto Veg meals, Vegan meals, and more. Top chefs prepare food using fresh ingredients and present it in a tasteful manner that tantalizes taste buds.

As the train chugs softly through spectacular landscapes, which can be enjoyed through its panoramic-view windows, you can engross yourselves in books at the train’s mini library. If books are not your cup of tea, you can have a glass of wine at the train’s Safari Bar!

Unique features

On-board water filtration plant, 24x7 paramedic facility, and air ambulance service are unique features of the Maharajas’ Express. Its well-trained and courteous staff is like icing on the cake. All these and more contribute to making the train the best luxury train of the world.

Agra Tourism: Feel the Love Floating On Air

The rich cultural land of India has observed an array of religions, rulers and empires uniting into one. Several places here are recognized worldwide for their historical and cultural significance. One such city abounded by a large number of historical monuments is Agra, a city of Mughal Splendor which also serves as a world heritage site. If you haven’t visited the spectacular land of Agra, you’ve probably not witnessed what true love is. As soon as you step onto this epic city situated on the banks of the river Yamuna in northern India’s Uttar Pradesh state, the eventful history of this place will strike you naturally. No wonder why they say, wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow.

Agra’s Connection with the Indian History

The traces from the long gone centuries still breathe in the atmosphere of Agra. The place’s cuisine and art forms still reflect the influence of the Mughals. Delve more deeply into the historical place as you learn more about the insights of Agra’s history and cultures that you must have been less familiar with. Accommodating an adorable architecture, fathomlessly beautiful historical monuments and colourful gardens, the impressive history of Agra is closely intertwined with the Mughals. You will be able to sense the dignity of the Mughals all across the timeless city as it was the Mughal Emperors who transformed this city, previously known as Akbarabad. However, for your information, the city itself was established much before the Mughals’ visit to India. Thanks to the Emperor Akbar who laid down the foundations for the modern city of Agra. Today, the city is a well-recognized centre for art, culture, commerce and learning. Not just this, the continuous advancements allow Agra to connect to the major cities of India. This has skyrocketed Agra Tourism.

Visit The Taj Mahal - Where Love Prevails

Admit it! The image of the ivory-white marble mausoleum, the ultimate requiem of love - the Taj Mahal - has been flashing across your eyes from the time you started reading this blog. The symbol of the great Mughal Heritage tours india, the Taj Mahal is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Holding a beautiful romantic history and representing the eternity of love, Mughal emperor Shah Jahan built this eye-soothing grand monument in 1631 as a tribute to his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. Visiting this monument with that someone special will make you naturally hold their hand even more tightly. Walking around the mesmerizing landscaped gardens, all you’ll sense is love and more love.

Along with this fascinating monument, other places of interest are Agra Fort, Akbar's Tomb, Fatehpur Sikri, Swami Bagh, Miriam's Tomb, Samadhi Mankameshwar Temple and the extremely prominent Keetham Lake which supports variety of aquatic life and water-birds.

Best Time To Visit Agra

The best months to visit Agra are from October to March. A pleasant weather will welcome you and cool breezes will wrap you as you explore the historical city. The prices for hotels and restaurants increase rapidly during these months but will be overshadowed by amazing Agra spots.  Make sure to carry a plenty of warm clothes along with you, especially if you choose January among the other months to visit Agra.

If you’re planning to visit Agra in the months of April, May, June or July, you must drop the plan right now. During these summer months, all you’ll savour is the scorching sun and hot winds. Such weather might leave you exhausted and you won’t be able to enjoy other must-visit places. But an advantage here is that you’ll find hotel rates dropped down due to thin crowd.

The rainy season beginning from August continues till the start of October and is also one of the best times to be in Agra. Don’t forget to put a raincoat or an umbrella in your travel bag.

So, get packing and chip your wanderlust in Tourism Agra.

The Maharajas’ Express: Promoting Luxury Tourism In India

If you want to see unity in diversity, come to India. The country exhibits diversity in almost everything – religion, culture, cuisines, attire, customs, festivals, languages, geography, and even mentalities. Yet, India as a whole is one united country with each citizen being proud of being Indian. Perhaps this fine amalgamation of cultures and histories, of celebrations and languages, and lots more attract tourists from far off lands.

From scorching hot deserts of Rajasthan to coastal areas of Gujarat, from lush greenery of South India to caves and rocks of Maharashtra, India stuns its visitors.

Tourism India is an interesting affair. It contributes hugely to the country’s economy. At a yearly growth rate of 7.5 per cent (reported in 2015), which amounts to a revenue of about $120 billion, the tourism industry is estimated to touch $270 billion by the end of 2025.

The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report states that India is in the 52nd position out of 141 nations in tourism. India has fared well with regard to revenue from tourism and volume of international tourists.

Certain events and celebrations in India are done with such aplomb that they attract a gigantic crowd of tourists. Once such event was the Kumbh Mela of 2011. It witnessed a crowd of 75 million pilgrims. The crowd was so colossal that it was visible from space!

The icing on the cake for Indian tourism are luxury trains like the Maharajas’ Express. They have made traveling around India easier and luxurious for tourists, especially foreigners who are not accustomed to the usual chaos of regular railway life.

National Tourism Day

India celebrates National Tourism Day on January 25 every year. The celebration of a separate day as tourism day shows that the country takes its tourism industry seriously. Thanks to the joint efforts of the Railway Ministry and the Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), you can find brilliant changes in the way railways work.

The Maharaja train is an example of the sheer dedication of IRCTC to make railways conducive for foreign tourists. The idea is to give tourists a memorable experience not just in visiting various places; but during the journey too.

Exploring India luxury style

India has variety in every nook and corner. On one hand, you would see sophistication. On the other hand, you would see countryside life. This is the country where plush shopping malls and ancient monuments stand adjacent to each other. You would stroll along the bylanes of a city only to end staring at a magnificent “darwaza” built by some Emperor or a monumental structure depicting a historic tale.

This is India.

…and it becomes more interesting and extra ordinary when you see it through a luxury train like the Maharajas’ Express.

Interested?

This is the best time to book a suite or a cabin this most luxurious train of India. Do you know it is known as the “Orient Express” of the East? So, what are you waiting for? The train has started its South Indian tours. It will start its North Indian tours from October. India is calling!

Heritage Tours Of Agra: When Love Lures Tourists

Care to join the royal guests of the Maharajas’ Express? Yes, there are no passengers on board the train, only royal guests. Each has a personal butler for round the clock service. Each “owns” a plush suite or cabin for a week. Each has, at his or her disposal, two royal dining cars, a mini library, a bar, and a boutique. What more can one ask for when traveling in a train?

This is what luxury tours are made of…and the Maharaja train is one step ahead in luxury. The unmatched staff hospitality, the on-board water filtration plant, the on-board paramedic service, the air ambulance service, and differently-themed dining cars and suites of the train make it different from other luxury trains. 

The train’s Presidential Suite is the striking feature of the train. Spanning one whole carriage, the suite is the gem of all suites. No wonder it is called Navratna or Nine Gems! 

A smart choice

People interested in heritage tours to Agra and other places can choose to book a suite or cabin in the Maharaja train. It operates between October and April and this is a great time to roam around North India. It is winter in India…and the country’s winter is rather pleasant. With the warm winter sun soothing your body from head to toe, you can head to various forts, palaces, gardens, and other places of interest. 

The train’s tours are meticulously planned. The idea is to let royal guests catch a glimpse of what the real India is. It is not as impoverished and dirty as shown by the world media. India has many faces, one of them being the royal side that can make many of the world’s riches bow to it. 

Star attraction

Tourism in Agra is booming thanks to the Taj Mahal. One of the Seven Wonders of the World is situated here and has put the city on the global tourist map. Apart from this, the city boasts of a magnificent Agra Fort, an intriguing Fatehpur Sikri, and lots of other spell-binding places. 

All North Indian tour itineraries of the Maharajas’ Express include a trip to Agra. If you have been to North India and not being to the Taj Mahal, you have not actually being to India! 

There are places on the Earth wherein India is synonymous with this marbled structure of love. It is almost impossible to miss such an important tourist attraction. No wonder all heritage tours of Agra include a trip to the Taj Mahal.

You must see the Taj Mahal at night under the full moon. It transforms into a heavenly structure. The saga of love comes alive and touches the hearts of onlookers. One of the tour itineraries of the Maharaja train gives its travelers an opportunity to dine atop Taj Khema, which features the Taj Mahal at the backdrop. This truly makes a unique dining experience. 

Interested in seeing the symbol of love? Do so like a king or a queen…by traveling in the Maharajas’ Express. After all, the structure depicts the tale of love between a king and a queen.

Maharaja Express Train: There’s Nothing Like It

There is no doubt that the Maharaja Express train offers an unforgettable train journey in India. Inside the train is a world of royalty and sheer pamper. Red carpet welcome, high teas, royal dining, round the clock personal butlers, royal transportation, champagne breakfasts, and more – this is what makes a Maharaja tour.

The train helps you discover India’s bygone era of regality, romance, and opulence. There is a stark contrast in this Asian country. On one hand, you can see chaotic platforms, sleeper class of trains, and overcrowded compartments with common lives struggling to breathe. On the other hand, you could be in the Maharaja train and see the most luxurious side of India.

India’s pride on wheels

The Maharajas’ Express has many awards to its credit.

• It has won the “World Travel Award” in the category of “World’s Leading Luxury Train” for 5 consecutive years – 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016.

• It was labeled as the “Best Luxury Train” in 2010 at the CNBC Awaaz Travel Award ceremony.

• It was presented by the Seven Stars award in 2015 and in 2016 in the category of “Luxury Hospitality and Lifestyle Awards.”

• It won the First Runner Up award in the category of “Specialist Train Operators” in 2011 at the Conde Nast Traveler Readers’ Travel Award ceremony.

Monsoon Special tours

From September 2017, Maharajas’ Express will travel to South India too. Before that, the train is offering people a unique opportunity to explore the mystic land of the south through its two Monsoon Special tours.

• Southern Sojourn tour commences on June 24, 2017. The tour will begin from Mumbai and end in Trivandrum. It will cover Goa, Mysore, Cochin, Hampi, and Alleppey.

•  Southern Jewels tour commences on July 1, 2017. The tour will begin in Trivandrum and end in Mumbai. It will cover Goa, Hampi, Mysore, Chettinad, and Mahabalipuram.

Both tours are of 8 days and 7 nights.

The train is providing a fantastic offer that allows you to bring along a companion free of cost - pay only your fare! Another offer is the early bird offer, which is valid for selected departures.

A unique experience on board the Maharaja

The moment you step inside the train, you shed your “ordinary” feel and become the king or the queen. Now, this is your kingdom. You can relax in your plush suite or cabin. The Presidential Suite called Navratna is the most opulent of all. It covers on whole carriage of the train.

The train features 23 carriages. It has two dining cars named Mayur Mahal and Rang Mahal. It has a lounge called Rajah Club and a bar called Safari Bar. It also features a mini library and a souvenir shop. The train has an in-built water filtration plant. It is well connected with telephone lines and Wi-Fi. Each suite and cabin features a climate control system. Each passenger gets a personal butler, who is at your service 24x7.

It does not feel like you are in a train. The train’s excellent suspension system featuring advanced technology ensures a smooth and silent ride. Every inch of the train is draped with regal décor. They bring to life the bygone era of emperors and their lavish lifestyles.

Staff of the Maharaja Express train is well trained in hospitality. They are dedicated to making the tour a memorable experience for passengers. Their warm welcome of passengers in Indian traditional style on the red carpet at the platform leaves a long lasting impression on travelers. As you embark on one of your most enriching journeys of life, you cannot help but thank God you are in India!