Delhi, Kullu-Manali, and Agra
Date: 19-Apr-14 to 26-Apr-14
After our wedding, we wanted to celebrate the beginning of our new life together with a memorable journey. We chose Kullu-Manali as our primary destination and decided to include Agra in our itinerary before returning home.
This trip was special for many reasons. It was our first trip as a married couple, the longest vacation we had ever taken together, and my first visit to North India. It was also my first experience travelling by air, making the journey even more exciting and memorable.
Spanning eight days and seven nights, this would become one of the most unforgettable trips of our lives.
Planning the trip
Selecting our honeymoon destination took longer than expected. Initially, we were uncertain about the amount of leave we would be able to take from work. Once we realized that we could take nearly three weeks off, we decided to make the most of the opportunity by travelling somewhere far from Bangalore.
Kullu-Manali quickly emerged as the perfect choice. Unlike many honeymooners, we were not interested in joining a package tour. We preferred travelling independently, which meant we had to carefully plan every aspect of the trip ourselves. We spent several days researching destinations, transportation options, hotels, and local sightseeing arrangements to ensure that everything went smoothly.
During our research, we came across Apple Bud Cottages, a property that offered excellent value for money and consistently received positive reviews from travellers. The hotel also had a strong rating on TripAdvisor, which gave us additional confidence in our choice. What caught our attention was a Delhi–Manali–Delhi Volvo package offered by the hotel. After comparing costs and inclusions, we felt it was a worthwhile option.
The package included:
- Three nights and four days of accommodation
- Daily breakfast and dinner
- Local sightseeing in a private taxi
- Round-trip AC Volvo bus tickets between Delhi and Manali for two people
- A candlelight dinner
- Pickup and drop arrangements between the bus stop and hotel
After discussing the details with the hotel, we finalized our stay in a Classic Room at Apple Bud Cottages. Our check-in date was 20-April-2014, and check-out was scheduled for 23-April-2014. The total cost of the package was ₹20,700. The next major expense was airfare. We booked SpiceJet for our onward journey and Air India for our return flight.
Since we were scheduled to rejoin work only on 28th April and our Manali stay would end on 23rd April, we decided to extend the trip and visit Agra. Once that decision was made, we had to carefully plan our train travel between Delhi and Agra. Based on our estimated arrival time in Delhi from Manali, we expected to reach the city by around 9:30 AM on 24th April. To save both time and accommodation expenses in Delhi, we booked a train departing for Agra at 10:20 AM on the same day. For the return journey, we booked train tickets from Agra to Delhi on 25th April at 3:15 PM.
One deliberate decision we made was not to book hotels in either Agra or Delhi in advance. Since we planned to stay only for a short duration in both cities and because they are among India’s most visited tourist destinations, we were confident that finding accommodation upon arrival would not be difficult. This approach also gave us some flexibility during the latter part of the trip.
Our return flight to Bangalore was scheduled for 1:10 PM on 26 April. With the flights, bus tickets, train tickets, accommodation, and sightseeing arrangements in place, our travel planning was complete.
Looking ahead to an unforgettable adventure
As the departure date approached, the excitement continued to build. What followed over the next eight days was a wonderful mix of mountain landscapes, snow-covered peaks, spiritual destinations, historical monuments, long journeys, and unforgettable memories.
Day-wise travel journal
The detailed travel journal for each day of the trip can be found in the following posts: