I visit my mom’s side of the family in India during Christmas every year. For the most part my visits are limited to just two Indian cities: Hyderabad and New Delhi. However on the rare occasion I do head out to take in some sights and experiences in what truly deserves to be called “Incredible India.”
Introduction: Incredible India
Focal Point: Incredible India in 8 Pictures
AMEX Centurion Lounge – DFW
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge DFW
Lufthansa A330 Business DFW-Frankfurt
Lufthansa Business Lounge Gate B21
Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge – Frankfurt
Lufthansa A380 Business Frankfurt – Delhi
Holiday Inn – New Delhi Int’l Airport
Air India Economy Delhi – Udaipur
Taj Lake Palace – Udaipur (PART 1): Arrival to Dinner
Taj Lake Palace – Udaipur (PART 2): Sunrise to Checkout
Focal Point: Lake Pichola
Hyatt Regency New Delhi
Air India Business Class Lounge – Intl Departures T3
Plaza Premium Lounge – Intl Departures T3
Air India 777 Business Class Delhi – Hyderabad
Westin Mindspace – Hyderabad
Focal Point: Golconda Fort
Focal Point: The Underrated & Beautiful Bazaars of India
Plaza Premium Lounge – Hyderabad Airport
British Airways Club World Hyderabad-London
No. 1 Lounge London-Heathrow T3
BA Galleries Lounge Heathrow – Terminal 3
AA 777W Business Class London – DFW
It is always interesting to view India through the eyes of a photographer. The contrasts, scenes, colors, and authenticity of experiences captured are truly unparalleled.
Given this, I was extremely surprised to note that foreign tourist arrivals to India number no more than 15 million. To put this in perspective, Malaysia and Thailand are countries which are less than a third of the size of India, but receive more than double the tourists. Anyway, no matter the current state of Indian tourism, it is without a doubt a destination on the rise. Here is but a brief introduction to our awesome journey to India and within the country itself:
Also here are some answers to commonly asked questions or in some cases concerns 🙂 :
- How did we get there and back?
- Since December is peak season for travel to India, we used Lufthansa Miles and More points for 4 business class tickets to India which came out to 92,500 miles each for DFW-FRA-DEL-UDR(Udaipur). LH is really the only carrier which releases seats consistently to its members regardless of season.
- The return journey cost 70,000 AAdvantage mile per passenger for BA/AA Business Class on HYD-LHR-DFW
- We spent around $150 per passenger for UDR-DEL-HYD flights
- Taxes came out to $600 per passenger roundtrip since both LH and BA both have hefty fuel surcharges and taxes.
- Where did we use points?
- We used points for all hotel stays except for the 1 night in the Taj Lake Palace which cost $650/night
- Westin Hyderabad Mindspace –> 7000 points/night w/ every 5th night free
- Hyatt Regency New Delhi –> Hyatt Annual Free Night Certificates
- Holiday Inn Delhi Airport –> 20,000 IHG points/night (40k total for 1 night)
- We used points for all hotel stays except for the 1 night in the Taj Lake Palace which cost $650/night
- Which credit cards did we leverage? (If I do include links, I don’t get any commission for them)
- Chase Hyatt Visa Credit Card –> Hyatt Annual Free Night Certificates
- Lufthansa Miles and More Credit Card (50k sign on offer)
- AMEX Platinum Card for access to American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts and Centurion Lounges
- SPG AMEX Card (30k sign on offer)
- Citi Prestige Card ($250 Annual Travel Statement Credit)
Have you been to India? What’s your favorite place or way to get there?
