LETTER OF THE WEEK

In 2014, two friends, my husband and I, armed with teabags and a travel kettle, visited north-east India. Starting in Kolkata, we drank tea from clay cups (the cups are smashed after drinking, the clay swept up and returned to the Hooghly River to become mud again, the original form of recycling). We journeyed to Siliguri by overnight train and on to Neora Valley, the Sundarbans and Darjeeling. We drank “bed tea” at the guest house in Neora Valley as the sun rose over Kanchenjunga, the third-highest mountain in the world (and if I missed milk in my tea, that morning I was oblivious to everything except the glow of the Himalayas). We drank ginger tea at the foot of a waterfall in Sikkim and took afternoon tea at the Windamere Hotel in Darjeeling. Then we returned home … with an unopened packet of teabags.

Sally Chester from Lincolnshire wins a £350 Experience Travel Group holiday voucher

SHOW BORDER

It wasn’t in the tour books then, but by talking to a friendly taxi driver, a fantastic discovery was made, which is often the way: the India/Pakistan border crossing’s flag-lowering ceremony at Attari-Wagah. It’s a popular excursion for all the family, with picnics laid out and multi-generations all enjoying the convivial atmosphere. Across the border, the same experience was being enjoyed and, as dusk fell, the crowds entertained themselves further with good natured cheering for their own country: “INDIA!”, closely followed by the riposte of “PAKISTAN!”. It was impossible not to be swept up in the excitement. The two flags were lowered, accompanied by an immaculate display of army marching, pomp and ceremony. Finally, a salute, a handshake and the gates were closed.

Jeff Stanners, Warwickshire

WILD AND WONDERFUL

You don’t visit India to relax! Our 18 days in April 2018 were a relentless assault on the senses. In Delhi, Jaipur, Agra and Varanasi, we experienced the delights of forts, palaces, Mother Ganges and a number of amazing World Heritage sites, including the Taj Mahal. Our travel was mainly by private car – an unmissable experience, as was the train journey from Varanasi to Katni. Thence to Bandhavgarh and Kanha National Parks where, over seven days and 11 game drives, we feasted our eyes on 11 tigers and innumerable other species. Some tigers came within patting distance of our little Maruti jeeps. Munna, tiger of Kanha, made a special, early-morning appearance for us close to our lodge. One evening, late leaving the reserve, the hair-raising drive to the exit was, to say the least, exhilarating – an emotion that typified the whole trip. John Kellie, Surrey

SPELLBOUND IN RAJASTHAN

Rajasthan was breathtaking. From the incredible beauty of the Jain temples in stunning fortified Jaisalmer in the west, to the buzzing bazaars of “pink” Jaipur in the east, we were spellbound. But it was our final destination that left us speechless. We checked into the Mughal grandeur of the Bal Samand Palace in Jodhpur only to be upgraded to the Maharani suite. From our luxurious lakeside rooms, we wandered through tropical gardens, crisscrossed by canals. Dinner was al fresco. As darkness fell, waiters brought burning braziers, illuminating sumptuous dishes. Suddenly live music filled the air. The hotel was hosting the marriage of a Mumbai diamond merchant and we were invited. We watched wedding guests perform carefully choreographed dance routines on a huge stage. Lasers and fireworks complemented the show.

Tony Clark, London