Welcome to our second newsletter for WWW.INDULGEDTRAVELER.COM our luxury travel/lifestyle magazine for affluent Boomers.

India is such a vast country, I'm going to continue to write about the various areas and interesting sites until you plead for a respite and want another destination. Just name a country that is of interest to you and if I've been there, I'll give you my insider's view.

There is logic and reason why India again.

I've been asked about the sub-continent so often. The subject of the country's poverty and Delhi belly are the concerns for first timers.

After 10 (or is it 11?) trips, I've never had a moment of discomfort. But that said, if I was in distress, India has the friendliest, caring hotel staff members who seem to be there to help, if needed.

An example of the "kindness of strangers", while staying at Delhi's Park Hotel (not 5 star but should be and located a few minutes from historic, Connaught Square) and not feeling my usual energetic self, other than my work appointments, I stayed close to my bed. I had come down with the common "airplane cold" and was feeling miserable. Whenever a staff member saw me in the hotel's public areas, I soon handed a cup of hot tea with lemon juice and tablespoons of honey. Cold over in a few days, I was back to the hustle and honking horns of Delhi.

Yes, there are street beggars. And obvious poverty is very visible. I'm not excusing the wide gap between the affluent much less fortunate. I don't ever write about politics or religion. But, travelers should realize that with approximately 1.4 billion people and growing, and a history that dates back over three thousand years, the traditions are not easily changed.

One just has to accept the sensory overload as an interesting aspect of any country's good, bad and ugly. Tips to avoid stomach ailments. What I do is ease into the spicy Indian food by 'schlepping' a box of crackers, small wax covered cheese which I eat for a day or two. But most importantly, I become a vegetarian during my sojourn.

As more tourist are traveling to this part of their world, food preparation is now overseen by a cautious kitchen staff. And cleanliness has become a major factor for employees in all restaurants and hotels. That said, as tempting as street food looks, I stay away from these vendors. It's the flies that land on these edibles that should be taken into consideration.

Only a three-hour drive Delhi or Jaipur, is the Taj Mahal which I have visited again and again.

Agra's sensational Taj Mahal, is worth the effort since I think it is a most beautiful site. One could stay a day or two or make this a one-day excursion…start early, stay late.

Certainly, after my numerous visits, I still have the yearning to see the Taj Mahal one more time.

I recall early one morning, taking a caleche (horse drawn carriage) as suggested by Trevor, my valet during my stay at ITC Mughal Hotel. "Why so early?" I asked vigilant Trevor. "When the sun begins to rise, the marble takes on a baby-pink hue." He was right, of course, and within a few hours the facade, studded with semi-precious stones, turns to virgin white and those colourful gem inserts sparkles in the gleaming sunshine that makes my heart beat faster and always outdoes any other edifice I've ever seen.

There aren't enough adjectives to accurately describe this fantasy-like Mughal architecture.

Another reason to get an early start? The crowds have not yet descended. However, a few hours later, tourist seem to grow as do the blossoms nearby.

And getting that perfect 'selfie', from that bench which Diana, Princess of Wales, made famous (along with a long list of many Royals who sat there before her) there's now a queue for the photo.

It may be a nail-biting drive trip, which makes you pray to survive the road madness during the t 3 hours drive, but the reward is the exquisite Taj Mahal, whose beauty, after the first glimpse and gasp, comes into focus.

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