Few countries besides India leave me feeling so exasperated and so exhausted and yet so eager to return. Though the subcontinent has much to offer the lotus-eating sybarite, it is not the place to go in search of rest and relaxation. India is a destination for those who wish to return home with stories that even future generations may remember (my cousins and I still talk about the Sikh couple our grandparents befriended at the Taj Mahal). The travel here can sometimes be challenging, but it’s often awe-inspiring and always rewarding.

Because it’s been a few years since my last visit, I wanted a classic experience of India: the iconic Golden Triangle of Delhi, Jaipur and Agra. This time, thanks to much-improved highways, my traveling companion and I turned the journey into an unforgettable road trip. Valuing my sanity and safety, I had our Travel Office arrange for drivers to handle India’s rule-challenged streets.

The Oberoi, New Delhi

We started in India’s capital territory, home to its most important airport and almost 35 million people. Guides elsewhere often pooh-poohed Delhi as too congested, but our driver whisked us around with (mostly) admirable speed. We covered a lot of ground, ranging from the crumbling ancient ruins of Mehrauli to much newer Old Delhi, dating from the 17th century, on the opposite side of the metropolis. We stayed right in between, in New Delhi.