A New Zealand traveller who set out expecting the Taj Mahal to be the standout attraction of his north India trip ended up surprised by another destination entirely. Sharing a ‘brutally honest’ ranking of the places he visited, travel vlogger Daniel MacKinnon revealed which cities exceeded expectations, which iconic landmarks lived up to the hype, and the hidden gem he believes deserves far more attention. (Also read: Kriti Sanon’s dreamy Sicily diaries from Cocktail 2 shoot will make you book a trip instantly; see complete travel guide )
Surprising findings from vlogger’s north India trip
Sharing highlights from his trip on June 18, Instagram post, Daniel wrote, “I went expecting the Taj Mahal to be the highlight. It wasn’t.” His journey covered a section of North India, beginning in Delhi and Agra before continuing through Rajasthan and ending in Varanasi.
Reflecting on the country’s capital, Daniel described Delhi as ‘a chaotic introduction to India, where historic old Delhi and the modern capital exist side by side’.
His next stop was Agra, home to one of the world’s most famous monuments. Despite his surprising overall verdict, he had nothing but praise for the landmark, writing, “Taj Mahal genuinely lived up to all the hype.”
The destination that impressed him the most was Jaipur. According to Daniel, the Pink City offered ‘colourful architecture, incredible palaces and the best overall mix of everything we experienced.’
‘Easily the most underrated’
In Jodhpur, he was captivated by the imposing Mehrangarh Fort, noting that the city is “dominated by the enormous Mehrangarh Fort, with some of the best views over the city.”
However, it was Jaisalmer that emerged as his biggest surprise. Calling it “easily the most underrated” stop on the itinerary, Daniel said the golden desert city “felt completely different from every other stop.”
The final leg of his journey took him to Varanasi, one of India’s oldest and most spiritually significant cities. He described it as: “Spiritual, confronting and intensely alive, with so much of daily life centred around the Ganges.”
Daniel’s route took him from Delhi to Agra, Jaipur, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer by road before he boarded a flight to Varanasi. His honest observations and appreciation for the diversity of experiences across North India offer a fresh international perspective on some of the country’s most visited destinations.
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