Taj Mahal & Agra, India

All too often you set your expectations too high when you hear so many wonderful things about a place. Because the Taj Majal in India is one of the most famous buildings in the world, our expectations were running extremely high. The Taj Majal absolutely lived up to everything said about it. The Taj Mahal is stunningly Beautiful with a capital B.

The Taj Mahal is a love story – image that. Shah Jahan, emperor during India’s Mughal empire's period of greatest prosperity, was grief-stricken when his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, died during the birth of their 14th child – what can we say, they were in love. It can be observed from Agra Fort from where former Emperor gazed at it for the last eight years of his life, a prisoner of his son Aurangzeb. Shah Jahān's tomb was erected by his son Aurangzeb next to his wife.

Staying healthy in India... Most visitors choose bottled water that can be purchased reasonable cheaply – many hotels supply bottled water. When buying water from street vendors, make sure the lid is sealed and not refilled with tap water. Make sure you rinse your toothbrush with bottled water and keep your mouth closed when showering. It is also wise to be careful what you eat. Outside of major tourist hotels and restaurants, particularly risky things to stay away from are raw leafy vegetables and egg-based dressings like mayonnaise, and minced meat. To be safe, you should stick to boiled, baked, fried, or peeled goods.