Taj Mahal, India

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 417.

Pyramids, Egypt

Judging by the scale of many of the pyramids anchored in the desert around Cairo, the word ‘modesty' wasn't in the vocabulary of ancient Egypt's pharaohs. This is particularly true of Khufu, who around 2560 BC commissioned the Great Pyramid, which dwarfs two similar structures at Giza. Khufu's gigantic burial monument is the only surviving member of the original Seven Wonders of the World, and that should be enough to tempt you to see it silhouetted against a North African sky. By the by, ‘pyramid' comes from a Greek word meaning ‘wheat cake'; apparently the pharaohs liked pointy desserts. The Mena House Oberoi is a short walk from the pyramids; a room with a view costs around US $240 per night.

The Taj Mahal was completed at Agra in 1653 by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to glorify the beauty of his favourite (but dead) wife. So, is this minaret-ringed marvelwith its domed mausoleum, white-marble calligraphy and bejewelled inner chambers a romantic dream come true, or is it a lavish folly to which the labours of 20,000 people over 22 years should not have been devoted? You be the judge. The story behind the Taj Mahal has already been dealt with on-screen by Bollywood director Akbar Khan; it's only a matter of time before the Hugh Grant version appears. Dine at the Taj Khema hotel during a full moon for unmissable views of the Taj; the hotel is 200m from the Eastern Gate.