Rajasthan horse trek, India
| country: | India |
| location: | Rajasthan |
| departures: | 2010: 21 Feb, 10 Oct, 14 Nov |
| price: | £1995 (15 days) excluding international flights. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
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the amazing things you'll be doing
Hills of Marwar Horse Trek
Castle Bijaipur has been converted into a fine heritage hotel and is situated in the heart of the spectacular Aravelli Hills, surrounded by forests of Jacaranda, unspoilt rural villages, lakes and ancient temples making it a perfect location for horse riding.
On this recce itinerary you will pass through many such villages and cross regions where few people live; you will stay in some extraordinary places and ride the wonderful Marwari horses. You will also visit India’s fascinating historical capital, spend two nights in Udaipur and visit Agra if you wish.
Novice riders: 7th Nov 2010 departure is especially designed for novice riders.
Castle Bijaipur has been converted into a fine heritage hotel and is situated in the heart of the spectacular Aravelli Hills, surrounded by forests of Jacaranda, unspoilt rural villages, lakes and ancient temples making it a perfect location for horse riding.
On this recce itinerary you will pass through many such villages and cross regions where few people live; you will stay in some extraordinary places and ride the wonderful Marwari horses. You will also visit India’s fascinating historical capital, spend two nights in Udaipur and visit Agra if you wish.
Novice riders: 7th Nov 2010 departure is especially designed for novice riders.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Fly London Heathrow to Delhi overnight on the excellent Jet Airways. |
| Day 2: | Delhi: Arrive mid morning at transfer to hotel in Connaught Place vicinity. After a late lunch, we will take a stroll through Lodi Gardens and visit New Delhi –the Viceroys Palace and Rajpath – before returning to the hotel. We’ll then have supper at the United Coffee House. |
| Day 3: | Delhi – Chittor: After a late breakfast we will take a visit to Old Delhi to take a stroll through Shahjahanabad. On our way we will visit the Jama Majid Mosque, the Spice Market and Chowri Bazaar and have lunch at Karims. After checking out of the hotel we will have an early supper and transfer to Nizamuddin Station to take the night train sleeper down into Rajasthan. |
| Day 4: | Chittor - Bijaipur: On arrival at Chittor station we will be met by Rawla Narendra Singh and transferred to the Pratap Palace hotel for breakfast and freshen up. And once we’ve changed into our riding clothes will met the horses and ride for 4 hours up and over the Chittor Plateau to the families his beautiful castle home at Bijaipur. On arrival we will have a swim, drinks and dinner beneath the turrets. |
| Day 5: | Bijaipur: All day at Bijaipur to relax, swim and go for walks or local rides. We will have lunch out in the garden and in the late afternoon go on a jeep safari into the nearby countryside ending with drinks at one of the nearby lakes. Dinner at the castle. |
| Day 6: | Bijaipur – Pangarh: After breakfast we will ride through the picturesque Vindyachal ranges and break our journey at halfway point on the edge of Lake Kama Kirta for lunch. On our way we will pass through small settlements of the Bhil tribe who inhabit an area that is famous its opium cultivation and Mauwaa trees. We will reach the beautiful Pangarh Lotus Lake in the late afternoon, which has ruins of Hindu temples dating back to 5th century AD and an old Maratha Fort on its edge. Overnight in tented camp at Pangarh. |
| Day 7: | Pangarh – Athana: After breakfast we make our way through the rocky terrain of Vindyachal hills with lush green fields scattered all over. We stop over for lunch at one of the most beautiful lakes in the region. After lunch we descend off the plateau and enter Madhya Pradesh to reach Athana, a small town known for its fort with typical Marwari architecture, natural dyeing and block printing. Our overnight accommodation here will prove to be a real highlight as we find ourselves guests of the Rawla and his wife in their ancient fortress home; for this fort has not been turned into a lavish hotel but is as it was 50 years ago and is like wandering round an old museum. (One of the suites has an entirely mirrored bedchamber, a chandeliered living room and a throned toilet!) |
| Day 8: | Athana – Choti Sadri: From Athana we ride across the planes of Malva known for fertile black soil that is the heart of opium cultivation in India. On our way we will stop and have chai with the farmers that will be in the fields bleeding the poppies. Crossing by the fields we will choose an appropriate place for lunch. After lunch we again enter the Vindyachal Hills and passing through small settlements of farming communities reach Choti Sadri. Overnight at an elaborate farmhouse perched on a hill above the town. |
| Day 9: | Choti Sadri – Sita Mata: Today we will be passing through one of the most primitive tribal belts of the region dotted with small settlements of the Bhil and Rajput castes. We take our lunch in the shade of a giant banyan tree beside a tiny Vishnu Temple and a small lake. After lunch we enter one of the biggest wildlife sanctuaries of Rajasthan known as Sita Mata. As legend has it Sita Mata – Khrishna’s wife – stayed in the forest here while parted from her husband. We camp near the Sita Mata temple, from where the sanctuary gets its name, beside a warm water lagoon. Swim and wash off. Overnight in the luxury tents. |
| Day 10: | Sita Mata: All day in the jungle. From our jungle camp we will head out along the river, under the canopy of fine teak trees to visit some of the tribal people that live in the sanctuary. This is a world very removed from the more populated areas, and puts one in mind of the jungle book. Taking a packed lunch we will be away for most of the day returning in the afternoon in time to enjoy a swim, sundowners and dinner. |
| Day 11: | Sita Mata – Bansi: After breakfast we ride from Sita Mata to 16th century Castle Bansi. Bansi is situated on border of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. After eight kilometres we will emerge from the forest and ride through farmland to the fabulous heritage hotel and have dinner with the Royal family – including Lalat Singh who, in the seventies was one of Indira Gandhi’s closest allies. Overnight Bansi Fort that, like Athana, is in its original state. |
| Day 12: | Bansi – Bambora: Leaving Bansi we will again ride through the beautiful rural countryside, northwest towards Udaipur. Riding back up through the hills – hills that are said to be the oldest on earth – we will take lunch and then reach small village of Kanar. Saving the best till last the old palace here is almost as big and impressive as the city palace in Udaipur. Here we will say goodbye to the horses, have a wander through the lovely pale blue town and transfer to Bambora. Here we will stay in the excellent palace hotel. |
| Day 13: | Bambora – Udaipur: Morning relaxing at Bambora, swimming etc, before we will take lunch. After that we will transfer to Udaipur and check into the Jagat Niwas Hotel. The afternoon is free for a wander, or a boat ride on the famous lake, before having dinner at the Jagat Niwas lakeside restaurant. |
| Day 14: | Udaipur: Free day in Udaipur. Udaipur, which to our minds is one of the loveliest towns in India, is a place best explored at ones own pace. Guides and itineraries will be available for those wishing to have a more structured tour of this beautiful city’s sights but the old town is small, made up of a labyrinth of alleyways and passages and getting lost is part of the fun. Tonight is a free evening to have dinner at restaurant of your choice. |
| Day 15: | Udaipur – Delhi: AM free and in the afternoon transfer to airport for flight to Delhi. On arrival in Delhi we will check into a Connaught Place hotel. Have the rest of the afternoon free to enjoy the fascinating Indian capital, a place bursting with centuries of colourful history, of old imperial splendour and modern manic mayhem. Shopping or sightseeing will round off your tour before an evening farewell dinner at the Hauz Kass Bistro overlooking the deer park. |
| Day 16: | Delhi – UK: After breakfast transfer to airport for midday flight back to London Heathrow |
travellers' tales
I really enjoyed the whole trip and cannot wait to travel with this operator again - I have no hesitation in recommending them.
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what this trip includes
Trips are on full board basis, and include transport as outlined in itinerary, twin-share accommodation, mineral water and entrance fees. how this holiday makes a difference
 In India we have developed unique relationships with many people, some of whom help us with our tours, others that simply live in the different regions to which we travel and through. Through our form of interactive, socially conscious tourism we have helped them adapt to the modern, changing world by providing an important additional income. In addition we sponsor the following projects: In Ladakh the “Ladakh Project” has brought solar lighting to families in the remote Nubra Valley; enabling them to grow and harvest crops and stockpile supplies to get them through the harsh winters. In arid Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, we have implemented tree planting schemes (a hands on experience for some of our trips!) as well as helping directly with the financing of rural village schools. In Calcutta we support the Hope Foundation, an organisation devoted to helping and improving the living conditions of street children by offering education, health services and nutrition and to help give them a better chance in life. All our tours employ the services of local guides and drivers, stay in locally owned hotels and guesthouses – often staying in our guides villages and homes, which again diverts important funds directly into the area. The wonderful thing about this kind of interactive tourism is that everyone gains – the locals financially, and our clients with the unique experience and social interaction. When you take one of our trips, we make a contribution to “Carbon Clear” – an organisation who work with hundreds of organisations to measure their carbon footprint and reduce their carbon emissions. We also support several NGOs around the world such as the TESFA community project in Ethiopia, A-Cet and Adopt-A-Minefield, which are all carefully selected to improve the standard of living for the communities we visit. |
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. |