Can I say Agra sucks?. Review on Agra

I rarely write negative reviews. I am the glass is half-full type of positive, bubbly happy-go-lucky person. But somethings make you so frustrated that you want to scream your lungs out. My trip to Agra and the Taj Mahal was one such experience.

Go on, read more. So in Dec. last year, a very good friend and I decided to visit Agra together. When he agreed, my excitement and anticipation level went up. It was a dream come true but for what?

Agra is POORLY connected with the rest of india. The airport there hardly has any flights and the only option for international travelers is the often bumpy and rough ride which kills you, from Delhi by road.

The last 5 miles in Agra to reach the Taj Mahal is a maze through slums, shanty towns and congested streets. When you finally reach the taj complex, you're greeted by filth, animal excreta stench and "tourist guides" ready to take you for a literal ride.

Getting inside the Taj is a nightmarish experience and if you reach on a holiday or a Sunday, God will bless you for your patience. The security guys are polite but almost behave like they want to insult you for anything that they can find on you. The Taj is an over hyped monument whose fame is like the Emperor who has no clothes.

No genuine restrooms, no recreation facility no restaurant. The area in and around teh Taj can be compared to the lack of infrastructure in the Sahra deserts of Africa.

Besides 2-3 "five" star hotels in Agra, there's hardly any middle-class decent accommodation. I am middle class and I cannot afford to pay Rs. 10, 000 a night at the Taj. Am I to suffer because I am not rich?

My advice: Don't visit the Taj if you are not a big fan of architecture.

Avoid Agra like plague.

And please write, email, call the various governments to clean Agra, build better road and provide better tourist infrastructure.

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My only positive point from the whole journey was I got to spend some time with my friend.

Kaajal