The answer, like so much in India, is romantic and mystical. The story is that the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, commissioned the building after the death of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. After her death, the emperor had locked himself in his rooms and refused food for eight days. According to legend, when he emerged, his black beard had turned completely white. On his orders, construction of the tomb began in 1632 and took 22 years to finish, employing more than 20,000 workers. Known for its symmetry, the Taj Mahal sits on a raised platform surrounded by four minarets. Inside are delicate mosaic works and marble walls adorned with intricate patterns of inlaid precious stones.

When I was a student, I had wanted to backpack across India, but my career got in the way. On my 21st birthday I drew up a list of the places I wanted to visit in my lifetime. Over the years I have been ticking them off - the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Statue of Liberty in New York, Buckingham Palace in London, Sugar Loaf mountain in Rio de Janeiro, the Great Wall of China, the Red Square in Moscow. This year I decided I would finally see the Taj Mahal.

Backpacking was out - my wife only agreed to go along if we went "five star" all the way. "Don't expect me to rough it," she decreed. "No second-class train trips, cheap guesthouses or dodgy food stalls!" So I was left to plan the trip of a lifetime. With only a week's holiday, I decided to restrict our trip to three areas - New Delhi (to experience big-city life), Agra (for the Taj Mahal) and Jaipur (the Pink City ). This would allow us not only to see some of the major sights, but also allow us the time to capture the spirit of India.

We flew direct to New Delhi. All the major hotel groups are represented here - Sheraton, Marriott, Hyatt Regency, Inter-Continental, Le Meridien - but I could not resist booking a room at the Taj Mahal Hotel. This 12-storey hotel, set in landscaped gardens, provided us with the perfect respite from the frenetic, wild city outside. It is impossible not to be taken aback by the pollution, the crowds, the smell and the noise of Delhi. This assault on the senses never diminishes, but you soon become charmed by the fascinating bazaars, museums and restaurants.

With two days to see the sights, our first day was spent at the colourful shopping bazaar known as the Chandni Chowk, the heart of Old Delhi. Open since 1654, it is one of the largest markets in Asia. Clusters of shops sell anything and everything. What an experience! Down every alley you get jostled by shopkeepers, panhandlers, rickshaw-riders and beggars. However, homes open into the narrow alleys where you can spot old courtyards, stone doorways and filigreed windows.

On the second day we visited the Red Fort, also in Old Delhi. Dating from the peak of Mughal power, its red sandstone walls extend for two kilometres and are more than 30 metres high in places. Enclosed in the fort are two reception rooms - one for private meetings and one for public events. There is also the Rang Mahal, the water cooled apartment of the royal ladies, and the Pearl Mosque, a lovely, ornate dream in white marble.

On our third morning, we rose early to board the Raj Express, a luxury air-conditioned train that would take us to Agra. We enjoyed breakfast as the countryside slipped by on the two-hour journey. I had chosen to stay in one of the most luxurious hotels in the area, the Oberoi Amarvilas. Every bedroom has a glorious view of the Taj Mahal, only 600 metres away. As we checked into our room, I was transfixed by the spectacle of this monument to love. For 350 years it has evoked a sense of wonder, but only by being there can you witness its true majesty. As US President Bill Clinton said on a visit to India in 2000: "The world is divided between those who have seen the Taj and those who have not.”

That afternoon we made the first of many visits. Like a mirage, the Taj Mahal lies at the end of spectacular gardens. From a distance, it looks like it is made of fine French lace, but when you get up close you realise that what looked like painted frescoes are carvings inlaid with gems and semi-precious stones.

What the classic Taj Mahal photograph doesn't show is that the building is square and looks the same on all four sides. The fact that it seems to change colour throughout the day can be explained by the use of translucent Makarana marble. In the morning the stone is yellow, during the day it is white and in the evening pink.

On either side of the Taj are two sandstone buildings with white marble domes. One is a mosque and the other was intended as a residence. Near the mosque, we visited the Taj Mahal Museum, which contains memorabilia from the Mughal period and documents the historical background of the building. You can also see paintings of Shah Jahan and his beloved wife.

Although we kept returning to the Taj, we also visited the Agra Fort. The fort houses the palaces of the Mughal emperors. The older palace buildings are made from red sandstone covered in white stucco, while the newer buildings are of white marble. Now they are mainly home to small bats, but are still fascinating. I was surprised at how peaceful Agra was. Although the Taj draws thousands of tourists every day, it's not uncommon to see black water buffaloes and white cows strolling through the streets of the town.

After three memory-filled days we bade farewell to the Taj and headed for Jaipur in Rajasthan - flying via New Delhi. Known as the Pink City because of the colour of the walls, it was founded by the astronomer king, Sawai Jai Singh. We explored the city on foot, spending many hours at the fascinating City Palace complex with its courtyards, gateways and temples. We also visited the nearby Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds ), which overlooks one of the main streets and has great views of the city.

Jaipur is not a place to rush through - our best moments came when we set off down little inner lanes and discovered a quieter, more peaceful world hidden from most tourist eyes. Our home in this lovely city was the Rajvilas. This hotel is an oasis of opulence with its cool, regal interiors and 32-acre formal garden. It was not difficult to imagine I was one of the Rajput princes as I lay in the private pool of my villa!