Agra Tourist Traps

Our sly tourist guide wanted to reduce our time at Taj mahal ,one of the gratest monuments of all time to a mere 2 hours but thanks to the heavy down pour and fellow travelers who have the tendency to wander away ,we had almost 4 hours to enjoy this breath taking monument after a heavy afternoon shower.

So why the rush by our sly guide? Cos the next stop is....Marble factory. Our group was practically cornered to visit this factory/store where a few supposedly descendents of the ancient Persian craftsmen who originally decorated the Taj Mahal, were now currently working on marble slabs. Problem was , the chap was using a rusty iron rod to try to cut patterns on the marble slab which was not making much progress except for some serious grating sounds and the finished product were .....machine cut .....there are no more master artisans of yesteryear sad to say.....I certainly would have been honored to meet them but I am a few hundred years too late.

Unique Suggestions: If you are forced to visit as part of a group tour then enjoy the free drinks and admire the beautiful machine cut marble tables.

Some are made with inlaid blue/green material others are multicolored. The price for a regular dinning table was in the region of US 1000 and above.

Some serious negotiation will be required as the starting sums are pretty high but then again the vendors seem hopeful as some tourist seem to buying without barganing.

Guess it depends very much on our financial status , backpacker or businessman. As my friend used to say don't despise tourist who benefit the locals , it is their karma!

At all major heritage sites or attraction in India, where there is an admission charge, non-Indian citizens must pay around 10 times more than locals! It is basically 'officially' ripping-off tourists. It does not get more arrogant than that. So ridiculous. It is like lining up all the unsuspecting, hapless, happy tourists and then asking for their milk money.

Unique Suggestions: There is not much you can do about this (unless you can pretend to be a local). Just to let you know before.
By the way, I myself never paid extra, so I am not angry for any personal reasons.

Watch out for tours that go to local custom shops. Informative travels sent me to a local marble, jeweller and rug shop. Polite but very pushy in sales and they can cost alot. They must get commissions because they seem to be looked after while you are being given a tour.

Unique Suggestions: If you dont want to go, just be insistent

There are many hawkers standing outside Taj Mahal. They make a sport of fooling tourists, and they brag about it to eachother afterwards. I got this tip from my guide. But at the end I was tempted. Right before I left the place a boy came to me with Taj Mahal T-shirts. The price was 500 rupies for one T-shirt, and of the best quality, I thought. I started to bargain and the price stopped at 100 rupies. Sold! There I went away in the taxi with the T-shirt. But the 100% cotton XL label was just a fake label pasted over the real one Basic quality S (small). And the T-shirt smelled so bad that I have to throw it away. I was fooled, too. (Stupid tourist).

Unique Suggestions: Don't buy anything of hawkers outside Taj Mahal. Never!

Fun Alternatives: Buy your T-shirt or souvenir at a stall in the city. They don't fool you because they know you can come back for a complaint.

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Only drinking water is allowed to bring inside Taj Mahal because of possible garbage. They are also afraid of corrosion on the marble from the softdrinks, etc. The guards check each one by one before you enter the place.

Unique Suggestions: Don't buy any softdrinks or food on your way to Taj Mahal if you don't consume it before you enter the place.

Fun Alternatives: It is very hot at the Taj Mahal, so you need to bring water to deaden your thirst.

The queues to get into the Taj Mahal complex can be long and because each person has to go through security and have bags checked etc... the queue does not necessarily move at a speed that suits most people standing in it but, as I say, it is for security and with the Taj being a wonder of the world... it is worthy of stric security!
There are lots of men and a handful of children who, for a fee "can get you into the Taj immediately". There are two supposéd methods. The first is to simply queue jump which may not win you many friends. The second way is to take you to "slip you in through a different gateway". I saw people being led away from the main entrance towards the shops - whether they got in this way... who can say. Thing is, queueing is a bore but paying to get in via another method is forming bad habbits.

DO NOT make eye contact- that may help. These fellows, and there seemed to be at least 3 for every tourist at the Taj Mahal, catch the visitor at the entrance gates. The gates are about a 5 minute walk from the actual entrance to the Taj. There are cycle-rickshaws available, but we decided to walk. Bad choice. Not only were they offering services as "guides"-they were selling postcards, the usual touristy rubbish (like snow-domes of the Taj Mahal) and Agra Tourist Booklets. This happens throughout India- but these guys DO NOT GIVE UP!!
In the end- all that worked was a good few words that I cannot mention here.
Take ANY means of transport- avoid that walk. We took the Cycle Rickshaw on exit.

Unique Suggestions: Avoid eye contact. Don't smile at them. Be rude if you really HAVE to- they are persistant beyond belief. OR JUST RUN.

Fun Alternatives: Take the cycle-rickshaw.

When you walk up to the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort you will be bombarded by children and men and women trying to sell you nick nacs of all kids as you go into the site. If you pick up or take anyhing from these people you have to buy it.

Unique Suggestions: You have to go through the swarms of sellers to get to the site, so just say no. Do not pick up anything, to not take anything from anyone! Otherwise you will end up having to buy it. If you get into that situation and he says this price is it. Tell go 75% lower than there price and stick to it. If they say no they will take there goods back and try to sell them to you again. DONT PICK IT BACK UP! Just go. Tell them you are sorry that is your price and go. If they meet your price well you have to buy it. So DONT PICK IT UP!

Fun Alternatives: DONT PICK IT UP!