Indian holiday, experience
| country: | India |
| location: | Kerala, The Golden Triangle |
| trip type: | A small group adventure |
| departures: | 2008: 12 Sep, 26 Sep, 10 Oct, 24 Oct, 7 Nov, 21 Nov, 5 Dec, 19 Dec 2009: 2 Jan, 9 Jan, 16 Jan, 30 Jan, 6 Feb, 13 Feb, 27 Feb, 6 Mar, 13 Mar |
| price: | From £1080 (21 days) excluding flights. Local payment Rupee 25000 (approx £302). We can arrange flights from the UK. Optional single payement £745 |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Combine a comfortable introduction to the cultures of northern India with the beauty of lush, tropical southern India.
Mughal grandeur, magical and mysterious Varanasi, the incomparable Taj Mahal, lavish palaces and vibrant bazaars. Visit some of India's more popular places as well as some of its hidden jewels while staying in lavish hotels and even a palace! Amid the green shades of a tropical paradise, encounter locals in their fishing villages, tea gardens, tribal homes and colonial enclaves.
Mughal grandeur, magical and mysterious Varanasi, the incomparable Taj Mahal, lavish palaces and vibrant bazaars. Visit some of India's more popular places as well as some of its hidden jewels while staying in lavish hotels and even a palace! Amid the green shades of a tropical paradise, encounter locals in their fishing villages, tea gardens, tribal homes and colonial enclaves.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Delhi. Explore India's British and Mughal history amid Delhi's whirlwind of colour and chaos. |
| Day 2-3: | Jaipur. Wander through Jaipur's flamboyant, pink Hawa Mahal. Head out to nearby Amber to explore the hilltop palace complex. |
| Day 4: | Agra. No other symbol of love can compare to the sheer size and beauty of the Taj Mahal. |
| Day 5: | Orchha. Deep in rural India, explore the temple-filled town of Orchha and enjoy an evening puja ceremony. |
| Day 6: | Khajuraho. Saved from desecration by their remote location, the Khajuraho temples are intriguing. |
| Day 7-8: | Varanasi. One of India's most fascinating cities is also one of its holiest. Take a boat ride on the River Ganges as the pilgrims bathe in its holy water. |
| Day 9: | Delhi. Explore Varanasi's colourful bazaars before flying back to Delhi. |
| Day 10: | Kochi. Rich in Portuguese and Dutch history, this seaside city is renowned for its gold jewellery and boasts India's oldest European church. |
| Day 11: | Munnar. Enjoy the heady aroma of tea from our hillside accommodation, surrounded on every side by lush plantations. |
| Day 12-13: | Periyar. Take a tour of a local spice plantation, and keep an eye out for deer, tigers and elephants among the exotic flowers and trees of Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. |
| Day 14: | Kumarakom. Relax by the lotus-lined Vembanand Lake and enjoy one of National Geographic's 'Ten Paradises on Earth'. |
| Day 15-16: | Alleppey. Cruise through the canals that meander through Kerala's renowned backwaters, stopping for lunch with our local friends and a traditional massage at the heritage ayurvedic resort. |
| Day 17-18: | Varkala. Cool off at the beach, admire the Arabian Sea from clifftop cafes and visit Kerala's fascinating temples, palaces and ashrams. |
| Day 19-21: | Kochi. Return to Kochi for some last minute shopping and a delicious farewell dinner. |
small group adventure holiday
This is a 'small group adventure' - on our group trips you'll be with a maximum of 11 like minded travellers and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends it's 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 people from other parts of the world as well as seeing new places! (more) 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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One of the major organisations we support in India is Deepalaya. Through Deepalaya, our Company are currently sponsoring a number of children in the slums of South Delhi to complete their schooling, an opportunity they would otherwise not be able to afford. Since 1990, the support of this organisation has enabled thousands of children to receive quality education and become professionally qualified in such jobs as teachers and technicians.
In a country where so many ethnic communities live together, it’s important to respect individual religious beliefs. Our Company wants to promote this understanding through insight into religious and cultural practices. Our leaders will take you into temples, mosques, shrines and gurudwaras where appropriate, and are able to teach the group about the etiquette and customs specific to the place visited, enabling a deeper understanding for the group of the communities and cultures encountered in India. It’s not only the humans in India that need support. Our Company is constantly monitoring the manner in which the elephants at Amber Palace in Jaipur are treated. With the help of a local organisation, Help in Suffering, and the information gathered from our leaders and passengers, we have decided to not include the elephant ride up to the palace due to the inhumane manner in which these animals are maintained. On the Agra-Jaipur highway, there are numerous sloth bears being used to entertain tourists and they are badly abused and beaten. Through our Foundation, we support the efforts of an organisation called Wildlife SOS in their setting up a sanctuary to care for these tortured bears. In voluntarily giving up the bears to the project, the owners are re-educated and re-skilled and are compensated with motorized rickshaws or welding tools. At the end of our journey travellers may donate any unwanted clothing, medicines and bandages, which are distributed to a group called Goonj. This organisation is a nationwide movement that provides help to remote villages in Assam, Bihar, Orissa, West Bengal, Uttaranchal and wherever the demand arises or disaster forces people to look for support. |
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 lead 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. |