Nepal, India and Maldives, Summit to Sea
| country: | India, Maldives, Nepal |
| trip type: | Introductory/moderate walking holidays |
| departures: | 2009: 29 Nov, 6 Dec, 20 Dec 2010: 7 Feb, 14 Feb, 26 Sep, 24 Oct, 28 Nov, 5 Dec, 19 Dec |
| price: | From £2090 (29 days) excluding flights. See below for price inclusions. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
There are few contrasts as great as trekking in the Himalaya and cruising in the Maldives - or for that matter cycling the country roads in northern India.
With this in mind we combine our superb introduction to Himalayan trekking in the Annapurna foothills and ride elephants in search of wildlife in the Chitwan National Park.
Next, we explore the cultural heart of India as we cycle through rural villages to Agra and the Taj Mahal. Finally, we head to the translucent waters of the Maldives to cruise aboard a Dhoni - a unique handcrafted sailboat. The combination of activities on this magnificent adventure throughout India, Nepal and the Maldives is not only captivating, you'll also enjoy substantial savings on this comprehensive itinerary than if undertaking them separately.
Inclusions:26 breakfasts, 18 lunches and 17 dinners Flight Kathmandu/Pokhara valued at US$88 Airport transfers Expert bilingual guide Group medical kit Good quality accommodation in Kathmandu/Delhi/Jaipur/Agra Trek pack including sleeping bag Down or fibre filled jacket and insulated mat Souvenir kit bag Bicycles between Jaipur and Agra Dhoni cruise including snorkeling gear 4 berth sleeper train in India Private vehicles All park entrance fees and trekking permits Porters to carry all personal and group equipment Porter's insurance Sightseeing & site entry fees Note: Price does not include flights Kathmandu to Delhi or Trivandrum to Male. It is possible to fly from Delhi to Trivandrum instead of travelling this section by train. Price on application.
With this in mind we combine our superb introduction to Himalayan trekking in the Annapurna foothills and ride elephants in search of wildlife in the Chitwan National Park.
Next, we explore the cultural heart of India as we cycle through rural villages to Agra and the Taj Mahal. Finally, we head to the translucent waters of the Maldives to cruise aboard a Dhoni - a unique handcrafted sailboat. The combination of activities on this magnificent adventure throughout India, Nepal and the Maldives is not only captivating, you'll also enjoy substantial savings on this comprehensive itinerary than if undertaking them separately.
Inclusions:
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Join Kathmandu |
| Day 2: | In Kathmandu |
| Day 3: | Fly to Pokhara |
| Day 4-9: | Commence trek along village and forest trails to gain uninterrupted views of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri Ranges |
| Day 10-11: | Transfer to Chitwan National Park |
| Day 12: | Drive to Kathmandu |
| Day 13: | In Kathmandu |
| Day 14: | Fly to Delhi |
| Day 15-16: | Train to Jaipur, visit City Palace, Hawa Mahal and Amber Palace |
| Day 17-20: | Commence cycling through tranquil villages, visit Sariska Tiger Reserve, the Maharajah's Palace, Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, Fatephur Sikri, Agra and the Taj Mahal |
| Day 21-23: | In Agra, train to Trivandrum |
| Day 24: | Fly to Male, commence Maldives Dhoni cruise |
| Day 25-28: | Cruising the Maldvies |
| Day 29: | Transfer to Male where trip concludes |
highly commended
This tourism business was Highly Commended in our 2006 First Choice 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.
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. how this holiday makes a difference
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Environment
By joining this trek you can be assured that you will not be contributing to deforestation or the associated soil erosion and loss of biodiversity but rather you'll be making a significant contribution by supporting our efforts to set the standards for a sustainable trekking service. We stay in tents, not lodges and teahouses. Why does that make a difference? We want to support the fragile ecosystem of the Himalayas. Many lodges and teahouses burn wood to heat their water for cooking and hot showers. This in turn contributes to deforestation, associated erosion and loss of biodiversity. That is why twenty five years ago, we pioneered the use of only kerosene above and below the tree-line – to ensure that we are loyal to our policies of making a minimal impact on the environment. Also, we want to stay off the beaten track. We believe that you will get a greater understanding and appreciation of the natural beauty of your surroundings if you are away from the hordes which follow the ‘tea-house trails.’ Our Responsible Travel Guidebook Our philosophy since 1975 has been to leave only footprints and take only photographs. To reiterate this, every customer who travels with us receives a copy of our award-winning Responsible Travel guidebook. This detailed book outlines our environmentally sustainable principles, and outlines how each customer can minimize their impact while travelling. Global Warming and Carbon Balancing The root cause of Global Warming is society's dependence on emission creating fossil fuel. Planting trees is not going to reverse this trend or cancel our carbon emissions very quickly or effectively. We believe the way to reduce these dependencies is to create clean energy production. Therefore, we support renewable energy projects like wind and solar power, and we are aligned with Climate Friendly, the gold standard setter in effective, meaningful action addressing climate change. So, while we believe that tree planting can play a small role in greenhouse gas abatement, we have gone the extra mile in promoting a longer term solution. Is this cheap? No. Is it responsible? Absolutely. Community Our pioneering Porter Policy Porters are an integral part of your trip, and we have a close association with the IPPG, IMEC and Porters Progress to improve the conditions for porters. As well as paying our guides out of season, and an above-average take-home wage, our porter welfare supplement includes insurance, all meals on trek, appropriate clothing and accommodation for ALL our porters on all our treks. Their safety and comfort is as important to us as our customers. We have committed US $3000 to sponsor the Porter Rescue Post at Machermo which has been set up by the IPPG. This facility is for the benefit of sick or injured porters in the Everest region and building has already started. No local payments policy Local cash payments are becoming increasingly popular with many operators in the adventure travel industry. This policy seems to benefit the tour operators more than the local economies or the travellers, as it avoids local taxes and transfers the costs and risks of cash handling onto the travellers. In accordance with our Responsible Travel practices, we have chosen a policy of not asking for such payments. |
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. |