Summary
I visited India, Goa (3 days), Mumbai (5 days) , Jaipur (3 days), Agra (1 day) and Delhi (2 days) – with my wife and two young kids (10 years and 7 years old) in late December 2024 – peak season where the weather is generally best across the country. It was our longest trip as a family of four. We led the trip off with Goa to our first India wedding in India. Goa had nice temples, churches and forts to visit while we stayed along the relaxing beach. Mumbai’s amazing sites like the Gateway to India and Taj Palace complemented the wonderful restaurant and leisure scene – not to mention quality time with family. Delhi was similar where we hit our favorite restaurants, visited with family and celebrated New Years. The unique part of this trip was the visits to the forts and palaces of Jaipur and Taj Mahal in Agra. We secured car/drivers in each city but Uber is prevalent/cheap in both Delhi and Mumbai so moving around was very convenient. All in all, family time + sightseeing + shopping + dining + relaxing (with kids sleeping on flights, no one getting sick and hotel stays in each city) made this India trip our best family trip (and best India trip) yet.
Accommodations
In Goa, we stayed at the Taj Exotica Resort and Spa on the south side for the wedding – it was amazing. In Mumbai, we stayed at our favorite spot the Four Seasons Mumbai – The stay was absolutely amazing and we would certainly go back again (we continue to do so). In Jaipur and Agra, we opted for the Oberoi Villas properties – The Oberoi Rajvilas Jaipur and The Oberoi Amarvilas Agra. These hotels are uniquely amazing – they provide an oasis of peace and calm amongst a busy surrounding. The Amarvilas overlooks the Taj Mahal and even takes u there in a golf cart! In Delhi, we stayed at The Oberoi New Delhi – the newly-renovated, beautiful landmark hotel in Delhi. The Oberoi has historically been our favorite and the new upgrades make it our clear favorite now. It is also in a low-key neighborhood nestled into the Delhi Golf Club area so the surroundings are very nice. Unquestionably throughout our India hotel stays, the service was wonderful and given we traveled with small kids, the best thing we did for ourselves to help ensure everyone stayed healthy was to stay in hotels everywhere. This allowed for necessary climate control (it is hot in Mumbai/Goa, chili in Delhi), consistent sleep, amazing breakfast and home-like comforts (American-style bathrooms, bottled water etc).
Select Favorites
- Goa
- Activities: Basilica of Born Jesus (tomb St Francis-Xavier), Fort Aguada, Miramar Beach, Shanta Durga Temple
- Dining: Copperleaf Restaurant (Indian, Asian), Spice Traders (Asian), Café Chocolatti (chocolate treats), Tuscany Gardens (Italian), Thalassa (Mediterranean), Fisherman’s Wharf (International), Black Sheep Bistro (International)
- Mumbai
- Activities: Gateway to India, Taj Mahal hotel, Elephanta Caves
- Dining: Gallops (continental), Waarsa (Indian), Masala library (Indian), Masque (Indian), Native (Indian), Lyla (Mexican), Bastian at the Top (Asian), Rue Du Liban (Middle Eastern)
- Jaipur
- Activities: Hawa Mahal, City Palace, Amer Fort / Amber Palace, Paliwal Textiles, Mukesh Art Gallery
- Dining: Raj Mahal (Indian), Johri (Indian), Suvarna Mahal (Indian), House of Ming (Asian), Steam (Italian), Giodano (Italian)
- Agra
- New Delhi
- Activities: India Gate, Qutab Minar, Humayun’s Tomb, Rashtrapati Bhavan
- Dining: Indian Accent (Indian), Bukhara (Indian), Varq (Indian), La Piazza (Italian), The China Kitchen (Asian), Carnatic Café (South Indian), Dhilli (Street Food Indian), Dum Phukt (Indian), 1911 (Indian)
Recommendation
We had a wonderful visit to India although traveling so far to less familiar surroundings can be daunting and tiring especially with little kids. The key recommendations we would pass along would be to make reservations everywhere you are going, stay in hotels, avoid any fresh fruits/veggies/chutneys, stick to bottled water etc. We gave the kids all kinds of wonderful local – yet cooked – food options because they love Indian food. It is also wonderful to visit family in India because everyone is so loving and welcoming – yet our philosophy there is to spend part of the visit visiting family and part traveling (this time we added Jaipur and Agra) because there is so much of India to visit and we are not able to come often enough. It is clear that while some challenges are always the same (lot of people, cows on the road, poverty, cleanliness issues etc. ), the country is advancing rapidly and people feel optimistic and energetic. We can’t wait for our next visit! Have an amazing trip!
