Delhi | India Travel Photography, Part 1 of 5

On the first of October, I embarked on an incredible, if brief, trip to India to attend a friend’s wedding in Jaisalmer. Our journey went like this: Manhattan to Newark by train (1.5-hours with some hiccups). Newark to Delhi (14-hour flight). Delhi overnight. Delhi to Jodhpur (1-hour flight). And Jodhpur to the palace outside Jaisalmer (6-hour bus ride). So the travel took about four days and we were only in India for four days, but it was so completely worth it.

We kick off with some first looks at the India trip. Since we had an overnight layover in Delhi, we booked a place on airbnb for one night, and the host Nalin even provided a driver who met us directly at the airport and also drove us back to the airport the next morning. It was all wonderfully smooth.

The airbnb was located in Hauz Khas Village, which is now a very artsy and happening neighborhood in Delhi built next to a historic site.

We didn’t spend much time walking around the village since it was already midnight, but we made a quick excursion.

The next morning, I woke up early to check out the historic ruins that were literally next door to our airbnb apartment. These Islamic structures are traced back to the 13th century.

The architectural details are so beautiful.

We noticed a lot of birds flying around and then realized they were actually beautiful green parrots.

I had up until this point also seen a lot of stray dogs all along our drive and in the village. I also saw a cow walking on the side of the road and people camped up and down what seemed like the highway.

We packed up our things and headed right back to the Delhi airport to catch our domestic flight out to the western part of India.

We met up with some fellow wedding-goers on our flight. Upon arriving at the small airport in Jodhpur, we were greeted with these beautiful rose garlands and driven to a nearby hotel/palace for a lunch reception. This was just a soft introduction to our wedding festivities!

After a lovely and welcoming lunch buffet, we piled back into the bus to be driven what was supposed to be 3.5 hours out to Suryagarh Palace in the desert. Instead, it was a very haggard 6-hour drive, but we made it!

Sights somewhere on the road between Jodhpur and Jaisalmer.

Goats outside Jaisalmer…

And everywhere along the way, there really are just cows wandering around. Cows are sacred in Hinduism and are officially protected in India, so they are all over the place. Between the cows, the stray dogs, the pedestrians, the motorcycles, and the loose interpretation of lane lines, driving could be quite harrowing at times. Drivers constantly use their horn just to let other cars know they’re behind them, and passing happens often on these one-lane roads, even with oncoming traffic approaching. It’s not for the faint of heart.

But then we made it out to the palace in the desert, where the most incredible wedding experience awaited us.

Anna Wu is a wedding and portrait photographer based in San Francisco but often jetsetting around the world. Follow her on facebook for more photography and travel adventures.

India Wedding Extravaganza

Anika & Vijay’s Wedding | Suryagarh Palace | India Travel Photography, Part 2 of 5

Camel Rides at Sunset | Sam Sand Dunes | India Travel Photography, Part 3 of 5

The Golden City | Jaisalmer | India Travel Photography, Part 4

Anika & Vijay’s Wedding | Suryagarh Palace | India Travel Photography, Part 5 of 5