British Virgin Islands: Sailing through a Caribbean paradise
6. January 2026
The Taj Mahal in Agra – a love story carved in stone for eternity
7. April 2026
On a luxurious special train through North India
Namaste in North India! That means ‘hello’. On this rail journey, you’ll be greeted with friendliness wherever you go. Whether at the Taj Mahal or in Varanasi – on the ‘Deccan Odyssey’, you’ll travel to the jewels of North India.
A grand spectacle at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus: drum music echoes through the air, dancers in turbans whirl across the platform, placing marigold garlands around every neck and marking a red dot on every forehead. This Hindu symbol – known as a bindi – marks the ‘third eye’ for enlightenment and protection. At Mumbai’s famous railway station – built in the Victorian Neo-Gothic style during the British colonial era up until 1888 and one of the largest stations in the world – the special train “Deccan Odyssey” awaits its guests. Arriving could hardly be more exciting.
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- London’s St Pancras station? No, but inspired by it. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in Mumbai is an architectural gem, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the largest railway stations in the world. This is where the Deccan Odyssey sets off.
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- Across India in two weeks: seven nights aboard the Deccan Odyssey from Mumbai to Siliguri, then on the Toy Train to Darjeeling in the Himalayas, and from there by domestic flight to Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) – a dream trip.
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- Red carpets, flowers, music and local folklore: at every stop along the route of the Deccan Odyssey special train, guests are welcomed on the platform in a manner typical of the region.
We board the blue train, which will be our home for the next seven nights: each of the 21 carriages exudes the atmosphere of a grand hotel. Outside the stylish sleeping compartments, the butlers are waiting to assist us on arrival: Is the room temperature right? Would you like a cup of tea? Men trained in the luxury hotel industry, such as 42-year-old Kunal Kesarkar, are on hand almost round the clock throughout the journey to provide cabin service.
Then we set off: whilst dinner is being served in the dining car, life in the suburbs of Mumbai glides past us outside. Women in colourful saris, children among corrugated iron huts, sadhus with long beards (monks) sitting cross-legged by the tracks, and sacred cows rummaging through rubbish heaps for food: it is an exotically colourful scene that passes by the train window. India – about nine times the size of Germany and, with around 1.45 billion inhabitants, the world’s most populous country – is a land of contrasts. Rich and poor live side by side. Although the poverty rate has fallen from 55 per cent to around 15 per cent today over the last 20 years, the situation is considered serious for millions of Indians according to the Global Hunger Index. So the view from the train window also reveals beggars, slums and a simple way of life. It is a journey that lingers in the soul for a long time.
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- A colourful sight: women in beautiful saris can be seen everywhere
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- Sadhus are regarded as holy and have devoted themselves entirely to Hinduism. They lead an ascetic life and are deeply spiritual.
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- The British-built triumphal arch known as the ‘Gateway of India’ has stood at the southern tip of Mumbai since 1924. Next to it is the famous Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, which opened in 1903 and has hosted countless celebrities from all over the world.
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- If you ask nicely for a photo, you’ll be rewarded with a smile, just like from this market vendor selling chickpeas.
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- From Kamala Nehru Park, there is a magnificent view of Mumbai and its beach. The park is part of the Hanging Gardens complex on Malabar Hill.
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- Namaste in Mumbai, outside the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. A member of staff greets the guests warmly. His turban and metal bracelet give him away: he is a member of the Sikh religion.
We arrived in Mumbai two days earlier, and one of the groups of people who work hard for a living are the 3,000 families living in the Dhobi Ghat district. Shirts, trousers and towels hang in the open-air laundry on the rooftops. One floor below, men work at around 1,000 stone troughs: 100,000 items of laundry are washed, dried and ironed here every day in the heart of this metropolis of millions. Their clients include hotels, hospitals, the Indian Railways and private households.
The clatter of the rails sounds like a lullaby in the train berth, but don’t worry – you can rely on the butler’s wake-up service: Vadodara in the state of Gujarat welcomes us in keeping with its largest industry, with cotton chains and a boat-shaped hat, the sort Mahatma Gandhi also wore. India’s famous champion of non-violence and independence hails from Gujarat, which enchants visitors with two UNESCO World Heritage mosques in the village of Champaner. Even more splendour awaits at Lakshmi Vilas Palace, said to be four times the size of Buckingham Palace in London. Our visit is staged as an unforgettable experience: as we enter, rose petals ‘rain’ down upon our heads whilst we make our way through the Indo-Saracenic splendour, with its splashing fountains, to ‘High Tea’ in the banquet hall.
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- One of the world’s largest open-air laundry districts: Dhobi Ghat in Mumbai.
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- Not all laundry in Mumbai’s Dhobi Ghat district is dried on the line. In the world’s largest open-air laundry district, tumble dryers are also used, for example for bed linen.
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- Laundry is drying on the rooftops of Dhobi Ghat. If you want to visit the community that works here, you need to ask politely at the entrance. I did just that, donated a little money, and a guide took me through the neighbourhood and up onto the rooftops.
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- Gurgling fountains, flowers, courtyards with arcades: Lakshmi Vilas Palace in Vadodara is a sight to behold.
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- A fleet of elegant classic cars, such as this Rolls-Royce, is parked outside the entrance to the luxurious Heritage Hotel Shiv Niwas Palace in Udaipur.
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- A treat for the eyes and the heart: a charming dance troupe performs folk dances from the state of Gujarat in the vast, magnificent Lakshmi Vilas Palace in Vadodara.
Over the next few days, we’ll be in Rajasthan. Here, you see India just as you imagine it. Udaipur and Jaipur are enchantingly beautiful cities with the maharajas’ vast palace complexes; since India’s independence in 1947, the maharajas have lived as businessmen and often reside in parts of their palaces. In Udaipur, we take a boat trip on Lake Pichola past Jag Niwas Island with the Taj Lake Palace, now one of India’s most beautiful hotels, which served as the backdrop for the Bond film ‘Octopussy’. At the magnificent Amber Fort, near Jaipur, built on the slopes of the Aravalli mountain range, elephants carry visitors up to the palace – a picturesque sight. However, following several accidents in which the stressed pachyderms attacked people, we drive up the mountain in jeeps.
It is pouring with rain as we reach Ranthambore National Park – not the sort of weather for big cats. The 40 or so tigers living here remain hidden in the dense jungle. But the next day, everyone’s heart beats faster: we are at the Taj Mahal in Agra. India’s landmark and symbol of great love is an architectural dream of white marble with gemstone inlays sparkling in the light, completed in 1643 as a mausoleum for Mumtaz Mahal, the favourite wife of the Great Mughal Shah Jahan. Then a change of scenery: Varanasi is the most important pilgrimage destination for Hindus and a world of its own. People stand in the murky waters of the Ganges, praying and immersing themselves. Beggars and sadhus sit on the steps of the bathing ghats, and in between, fires blaze at the two cremation sites. Here, relatives have their dead cremated, and the air is thick with smoke and a sweetish smell.
The next morning in Siliguri, West Bengal, it’s time to bid farewell to the ‘Deccan Odyssey’. But we’re moving on to our next adventure: we’re taking the train to the Himalayas.
Continued below!
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- On the banks of Lake Pichola in Udaipur stands the vast City Palace, which was built from 1553 onwards under Maharaja Udai Singh II. Much of it is now a museum, houses luxurious heritage hotels, and part of it is home to the royal family.
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- A wedding couple from the Punjab have travelled to Udaipur to have their photos taken at the palace before the ceremony. There are often two photographers present, one for the groom and one for the bride. The photos are displayed for the guests to see during the wedding celebrations.
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- Almost life-size stone elephants welcome visitors to the island palace of Jag Mandir on Lake Pichola in Udaipur. The island was once a sort of ‘party venue’ for the Maharaja, and it was here that the builder of the Taj Mahal was hidden away for a short time during his princely years.
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- Elephants carry visitors up to Amber Fort near Jaipur.
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- The Maharaja’s sprawling palace complex in Udaipur also houses two luxury hotels: parts of the Bond film “Octopussy” (1983) were filmed at the Shivniwas Hotel Palace.
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- A legendary hotel: situated on Lake Pichola in Udaipur is the stunning island palace of Jag Niwas, built between 1743 and 1746 by Maharaja Jagat Singh II as a summer residence. In 1963, it was transformed into an exceptionally beautiful heritage hotel. Only guests are permitted to enter the Taj Lake Palace Hotel. Otherwise, the only way to see the white palace complex is from a boat trip. Parts of the Bond film ‘Octopussy’ were also filmed here.
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- Columns, arched doorways, chandeliers, mirrored halls, magnificent courtyards and a palace guard in red turbans: the City Palace of Jaipur is an exotically beautiful architectural marvel.
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- Magically beautiful: The Palace of the Winds (Hawa Mahal) in Jaipur was built in 1799 from red sandstone so that noblewomen could watch the street life without being seen themselves. The palace has 953 small windows.
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- An almost fairy-tale-like marvel carved from marble: the Taj Mahal in Agra, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, attracts up to 50,000 visitors a day, most of whom are Indian.
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- Varanasi on the banks of the Ganges in the state of Uttar Pradesh is a world unto itself and an important Hindu pilgrimage site: worshippers pray and bathe at the ghats in the murky river water.
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- A sadhu (holy ascetic) is sitting on the banks of the Ganges in Varanasi and wants money for the photo.
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- Not for the faint-hearted: amongst the bathing ghats in Varanasi there are also two cremation sites where around 60 bodies are cremated every day. The bereaved must purchase around 400 kilograms of wood for this purpose. The cremation takes about two hours.
The Deccan Odyssey –
a train in Maharaja style
Thick carpets, colourful wallpaper, wood-panelled walls and comfortable upholstered furniture: the ‘Deccan Odyssey’ can accommodate 88 guests. It has 40 tastefully furnished double cabins with en-suite bathrooms, as well as two suites, each with two bathrooms. In the middle of the train are two dining carriages plus two kitchens, a bar carriage and a lounge with a television and a small library. There is also a fitness and spa carriage, including a small sauna. Here, guests can book beauty and wellness treatments as well as a visit to the hairdresser.
Simarpal Singh Virdi has been the train’s manager since 2023. “Our team consists of 48 staff members plus 10 employees from Indian Railways,” he explains. The “Deccan Odyssey” usually travels at night, much like a cruise, and arrives at a new station the following morning. The train is subject to the regular rail timetable and therefore sometimes has to wait overnight whilst the passengers sleep in their cabin beds.
The kitchen and service team work well together and do an excellent job in the two small kitchens. “We prepare everything fresh. We even bake our own bread, muffins, cakes and croissants. We only buy ice cream and frozen goods such as fish in advance. For fruit, vegetables and meat, we have suppliers who deliver to us en route,” explains the train manager. My opinion: the food and service are excellent, and there is a choice of Indian and European dishes.
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- Simarpal Singh Virdi has been the General Manager of the luxury special train ‘Deccan Odyssey’ since 2023; the train is named after the Deccan Plateau in India, which it traverses.
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- Midnight-blue upholstered benches with yellow accents: the dining car, one of two, is set for dinner. Passengers sit in comfort, and both the service and the food leave nothing to be desired.
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- Whether Indian or European dishes – the set menus on the Deccan Odyssey are delicious and freshly prepared.
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- A new member of the service team? No, I’m staying on as a travel journalist. On the last evening of every tour, there’s a Bollywood party on the train, complete with Indian costumes, dancing, a DJ, cocktails and a fantastic atmosphere. I’m delighted to have a souvenir photo with the friendly bar team, who provided top-notch service.
By steam train to Darjeeling
Amidst tea plantations and colourful colonial houses: the former summer retreat of the British offers breathtaking views of the ice-capped giant peaks of the Eastern Himalayas
The stoker shovels coal into the glowing maw. With a hiss, the steam train sets off. Cows and dogs step aside, residents leap back onto their doorsteps. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway – affectionately known as the ‘Toy Train’ – chugs past vegetable stalls and houses at close quarters, and has done so since 1881. Back then, the British had the 87-kilometre-long narrow-gauge line built from Siliguri in the West Bengal lowlands to Darjeeling at an altitude of over 2,000 metres for the burgeoning tea industry. The track zigzags its way up into the foothills of the Himalayas – often skirting the precipice, past giant trees and tea plants. About every ten kilometres, the locomotive needs fresh water to prevent the boiler from exploding: half a dozen mechanics are then busy refuelling the ‘old lady’ and tightening the odd screw here and there to ensure she can tackle the next incline. An adventurous route that has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005.
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- “Water stop”: On its way to Darjeeling, the Himalayan Railway’s steam locomotive has to stop several times to take on fresh water, whilst the stoker breaks up the lumps of coal.
Once you arrive in Darjeeling, India feels different: this town of 120,000 inhabitants is a melting pot of neighbouring cultures, with people from Nepal, Sikkim, Tibet and Bhutan. Buddhist prayer flags flutter above the streets, many people speak Nepali, and pastel-coloured houses with corrugated iron roofs cling to the steep slopes. From 1839 onwards, the British developed the remote mountain village into a ‘hill station’ to escape the sweltering heat of the then capital of British India, Calcutta, during the summer months, and to grow first coffee and later tea.
Darjeeling tea is regarded as the champagne of teas; the “First Flush” from the first spring harvest is particularly famous for its fresh aroma. Tea shops line the streets in the town centre, which consists of an almost bewildering maze of alleyways. Right at the top of the slope: 19th-century colonial estates, now often charming hotels.
But Darjeeling’s highlight is the spectacular view of the world’s third-highest mountain: the 8,586-metre-high Kangchenjunga. From ‘Tiger Hill’, the view of the glistening white giant peak as it sheds its cloud cover in the early morning is breathtaking. Anyone wishing to learn more about the roof of the world should visit the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI). The centrepiece of the museum is dedicated to the conquest of the highest peak and to Sherpa Tensing Norgay.He was the first person to climb Mount Everest in 1953, alongside Edmund Hillary, and, incidentally, was trained at a Swiss mountaineering school.
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- The Mayfair Hotel in Darjeeling was built in 1875 by a British man as a large estate on the hillside. Spacious, cosy rooms line the arcaded corridors, which are furnished with wicker armchairs and adorned with beautiful flowers. During the winter months, hot water bottles in the beds ensure a cosy atmosphere.
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- Indians visiting Darjeeling hire traditional costumes from neighbouring Nepal to take souvenir photos.
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- Culture from Tibet: Yiga Choling Monastery, founded in 1850 in Ghoom near Darjeeling in the Himalayas, follows the Dalai Lama. Tibet (China), Nepal and Bhutan are neighbouring countries.
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- The grave of Tensing Norgay (1914–1986) in the courtyard of the HMI in Darjeeling, which he directed.
Namaste in Kolkata
Magnificent buildings alongside slums and a fascinating flower market: the capital of West Bengal, which was known as Calcutta until 2001, has a vibrant energy
An hour’s flight from Bagdogra and we’re in Kolkata on the Hugli, a tributary of the Ganges. This metropolis of millions tastes of spice and sweetness, is deafeningly loud and as quiet as birdsong, and brims with youthful dynamism. Kolkata is exciting, yet Europeans often use it merely as a stopover on their way to the Far East. It is possible that Mother Teresa’s work has left us with the impression that the city is not an attractive holiday destination. A pity, because one of the places well worth seeing is her convent in the Taltala district. Founded in 1952, the headquarters of the Missionaries of Charity exudes a soothing tranquillity. Outside the door, traffic roars past with yellow taxis of the Indian Ambassador make, whilst inside, the blue house is a peaceful oasis. This is where the famous nun, who dedicated her life to the sick and the poor and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, is buried.
A little further south lies another oasis: the Victoria Memorial – completed by the British in 1921 in honour of Queen Victoria, who was Empress of India until 1901 – is a magnificent marble edifice set in a sprawling park featuring fountains. With five million visitors a year, it is one of the most popular museums in India; only the Taj Mahal in Agra attracts more visitors. Although the building is a symbol of colonial power and serves as a reminder of a time that for the majority of the Indian population is likely to be associated with lack of freedom and oppression, a queue forms in front of the Victoria statue because virtually every Indian wants a souvenir photo with the stone ex-Empress.
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- A palace in the park: the Victoria Memorial in Kolkata, featuring statues from the colonial era.
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- Indian visitors crowd around the statue of Queen Victoria under the dome of the Victoria Memorial in Kolkata to have their photo taken.
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- A place of contemplation and tranquillity: Mother Teresa (1910–1997) is buried at her convent in Kolkata.
Then a change of scene: the path to the Mullick Ghat flower market leads past palaces that have quickly fallen into disrepair in the hot, humid climate, and which once served as trading posts for the Portuguese, Greeks and Armenians. In between are simple huts and dimly lit street kitchens where the market workers live and eat. Early in the morning, the flower market is an experience for all the senses: an intoxicating scent of tonnes of fresh roses and jasmine hangs in the air. Amidst the chaotic hustle and bustle, traders and buyers call out to one another in Bengali, before carrying large bales of floral garlands along narrow paths. The market has existed since 1855 on the banks of the Hugli River near today’s Howrah Bridge, and from here you also have the best view of one of Asia’s largest flower markets.
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- View from the Howrah Bridge over the Hugli: Kolkata’s flower market – one of the largest in Asia – resembles a colourful scene teeming with life.
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- Not everyone has a bathroom: men wash themselves in the Hugli River beneath the Howrah Bridge in Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal.
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- These women turn mountains of yellow marigold blossoms into floral garlands, which are sold in Kolkata at one of Asia’s largest flower markets.
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- On the way to the flower market in Kolkata, the scene is one of poverty. The children look curiously at the foreign-looking visitors from Europe. Flowers have been sold at Mullick Ghat for 170 years.
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- Artistic craftsmanship: women weaving baskets at a market in Jaipur.
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- During a walk through the village of Ram Singh Pura in Rajasthan, the mother and daughter are happy to have their photo taken.
The trip took place at the kind invitation of Lernidee Erlebnisreisen.
It can be booked at:
As a train journey on the Deccan Odyssey without a tour operator at:
or:
There is another luxurious special train that has similar routes and prices to the Deccan Odyssey. It is called the Maharajas Express.
Entry and visa:
For India, you must apply for an e-visa; I would do this at least one week before departure. As soon as the confirmation email arrives, download the e-visa with the passport photo to your mobile phone, or print it out, or do both. Plus: Paper entry forms are no longer available, so you must complete a digital entry form (e-Arrival Card). I would also do this before departure.
Travel guide tip:
Hans-Joachim Aubert: India: The North, DuMont Verlag, approx. 27 euros
Photo credit: Petra Kirsch
