Adventure holiday in India, deserts, forts & palaces
| country: | India |
| location: | Rajasthan, Golden Triangle in India |
| trip type: | A small group adventure |
| departures: | 2010: 28 Mar, 1 Aug, 22 Aug, 12 Sep, 26 Sep, 10 Oct, 24 Oct, 31 Oct, 7 Nov, 14 Nov, 21 Nov, 5 Dec, 19 Dec 2011: 2 Jan, 16 Jan, 30 Jan, 13 Feb, 27 Feb, 13 Mar, 27 Mar, 10 Apr, 24 Apr, 8 May |
| price: | From £1225 (19 days) excluding flights. We can arrange flights from the UK |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
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introduction to Adventure holiday in India, deserts, forts & palaces
This tour includes all the main highlights of Rajasthan and offers you the chance stay for five nights in old heritage hotels.
We visit the palaces and forts that give this desert state its remarkable diversity.
Taking every opportunity to get off the beaten track we enjoy a camel safari in the Thar Desert. We also visit delightful desert towns like Pushkar and Jaisalmer, explore the lovely lakeside city of Udaipur, ride an elephant to the Amber Fort and stay in a beautifully restored Mahal in Deogarh and an old haveli in Bhenswara.
The trip also spends a night in a haveli in Bhenswara, a small village rarely visited by other tourists. Our small group visit helps distribute revenue from tourism into this underdeveloped area without destroying its tradition.
We visit the palaces and forts that give this desert state its remarkable diversity.
Taking every opportunity to get off the beaten track we enjoy a camel safari in the Thar Desert. We also visit delightful desert towns like Pushkar and Jaisalmer, explore the lovely lakeside city of Udaipur, ride an elephant to the Amber Fort and stay in a beautifully restored Mahal in Deogarh and an old haveli in Bhenswara.
The trip also spends a night in a haveli in Bhenswara, a small village rarely visited by other tourists. Our small group visit helps distribute revenue from tourism into this underdeveloped area without destroying its tradition.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Delhi. Arrival transfer to hotel. |
| Day 2: | Delhi. Tour of Delhi. Overnight sleeper train to Jodhpur. (B) |
| Day 3: | Chandelao. Drive to the small heritage hotel of Chandelao Garh. Afternoon jeep safari to the surrounding villages. |
| Day 4: | Jodhpur. Continue to Jodhpur. Afternoon visit to the Meherangarh Fort, one of India's most impressive. (B) |
| Day 5: | Camel Safari. We drive into a remote part of the Thar Desert to start our camel safari. We spend the night in a beautiful tented camp. (BD) |
| Day 6: | Jaisalmer. Cross the desert to the walled medieval city of Jaisalmer. (B) |
| Day 7: | Jaisalmer. A free day to explore this amazing city with its medieval atmosphere. (B) |
| Day 8: | Bhenswara. Drive through rarely visited areas of Rajasthan to Bhenswara. Optional leopard safari in the evening. (B) |
| Day 9: | Rnakapur. Drive to the beautiful Jain temples of Ranakpur. Overnight Rnakapur. (B) |
| Day 10: | Udaipur. Drive to the lake city of Udaipur, one of the most romantic cities in India. (B). |
| Day 11: | Udaipur. Morning sightseeing tour of Udaipur. Free afternoon. (B) |
| Day 12: | Jojowar. Drive from Udaipur to the attractive small village of Jojowar. We spend the night in the beautifully restored Rawla Jojawar, a heritage hotel. (B) |
| Day 13: | Pushkar. Drive to Pushkar, a desert oasis on a holy lake. (B) |
| Day 14: | Pushkar. Day at leisure in Pushkar with its many holy men, pilgrims and temples. You may also like to take a hike into the surrounding hills. (B) |
| Day 15: | Jaipur. Continue to Jaipur, the Pink City. Afternoon excursion to the Amber Fort. (B) |
| Day 16: | Jaipur. Morning Jaipur city tour. Free afternoon. (B) |
| Day 17: | Agra. Drive to Agra by coach via the ancient Moghul capital of Fatehpur Sikri. (B) |
| Day 18: | Agra - Delhi. Visit the Taj Mahal before returning to Delhi by evening express train. Overnight in Delhi. (B). |
| Day 19: | Delhi. Tour ends after breakfast. (B) |
traveller reviews for Adventure holiday in India, deserts, forts & palaces
It was a holiday and an experience. It lived up to all our expectations of India - the sights, colours and atmosphere - and then exceeded them with the friendliness we found in the more rural areas. Do go!
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small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places. highly commended
This tourism business was Highly Commended in our 2007 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - the largest awards of their kind in the world, and organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society.Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.
how this holiday makes a difference
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Across Rajasthan our hotels are always local, transport often public and the unique one-to-one style interactions with real people are endless. We overnight in many small family run hotels, operate a policy of fair tipping (administered through a tipping kitty), use local guides with whom our relationships are longstanding and employ a mix of foreign and local tour leaders who all receive the SAME wages for the same job.
In Jaisalmer we have made a long standing commitment to a local company who operate camel safaris. Their camel men are employed on good terms and paid a very fair wage and tips are paid directly to these men. In addition to the camel men, local cooks and camp helpers are employed to set up camp overnight. The trip also spends a night in a haveli in Bhenswara, a small village rarely visited by other tourists. Our small group visit helps distribute revenue from tourism into this underdeveloped area without destroying its tradition. In Jaipur we support Balika Sadan, a girl's orphanage, which has around 30 young residents. Donations from travellers are matched by us and presented to the orphanage on an annual basis. Travellers are given information about the home and encouraged to donate left over currency and those who wish can take vital supplies and equipment for the girls. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |
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