The Baby Taj

The hidden gem of Agra in India is affectionately known as the Baby Taj - but it's more delicate and much smaller model of the move iconic monument to love up the river, and was commissioned by a woman. The main tomb here is for Mumtaz Mahal's (for whom the Taj Mahal is built) grandfather, Mizra Ghiyas Beg, and was built by his daughter some 10 years before the Taj.

It sits on the banks of the Yamuna, tucked away on the other side to the Taj, and does not get many visitors as a result. Which means you can explore the gardens and the rooms of tombs, with their exquisite detailed lattice-work and detailed designs, at peace and your own pace.

Itimad-ud-Daulah - the Baby Taj's real name - was the first monument built with the Rajasthan white marble, and the layout has very familiar features. The four directional red sandstone gates, the minarets, but with a jewelry box design for the centre piece.

We had a pretty leisurely wander around the gardens and then in through the many rooms inside, with just a handful of other people there at the same time.

The designs all around the outside and inside the tomb rooms are worth the time to take in - so elaborate and intricate. So beautiful.