India tour, rural India
| country: | India |
| location: | Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan |
| departures: | 2008: 18 Oct 2009: 10 Jan, 31 Jan, 12 Mar, 17 Oct |
| price: | From £1695 (16 days) excluding flights. We can arrange flights from the UK. Single supplement from £200. Agra and Taj Mahal extension available - please contact us for details |
| late availability: | Late availability 18th October departure. It's hard to imagine a more exciting, exhilarating, romantic or exotic place to visit than India. On this trip we visit rural Rajasthan, experiencing the simple village life that very few tourists witness. |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Few visitors get to experience the day-to-day beauty of rural India. We believe the time has come to step off the well-worn tourist trails and head into the heart of India, allowing you the chance to witness firsthand the life that the vast majority of Indians live.
A herd of buffalo wander back from the fields, a blue jays dart overhead, smoke rises from the cooking fires and the aromatic smell of spices flood the air. Women in brightly coloured saris carry water from the well and children play on the path. It’s that magical time when dusk settles in a thousand villages across the subcontinent and the night creeps in.
The Indians have a word for it, Godhuli… ‘the homecoming’. In these lesser-travelled areas there is a richness of life that, in terms of memorable experiences, is guaranteed to rival the opulence of Golden Triangle. On this tour you will travel in open-topped vintage jeeps and become totally immersed in the rural life, staying in many beautiful and interesting places, witnessing and take part in the life of the farmer and other local craftsmen. It is a trip on which you will rarely see another westerner that will get into your soul and stay with you forever.
This trip is on full board basis and includes international and internal flights, transport as outlined in itinerary, twin-share accommodation, mineral water, and entrance fees. However, excluded are local airport taxes, insurance, visa, alcoholic beverages, tips to the local guides and all costs of a personal nature. Maximum group size is 12 people.
A herd of buffalo wander back from the fields, a blue jays dart overhead, smoke rises from the cooking fires and the aromatic smell of spices flood the air. Women in brightly coloured saris carry water from the well and children play on the path. It’s that magical time when dusk settles in a thousand villages across the subcontinent and the night creeps in.
The Indians have a word for it, Godhuli… ‘the homecoming’. In these lesser-travelled areas there is a richness of life that, in terms of memorable experiences, is guaranteed to rival the opulence of Golden Triangle. On this tour you will travel in open-topped vintage jeeps and become totally immersed in the rural life, staying in many beautiful and interesting places, witnessing and take part in the life of the farmer and other local craftsmen. It is a trip on which you will rarely see another westerner that will get into your soul and stay with you forever.
This trip is on full board basis and includes international and internal flights, transport as outlined in itinerary, twin-share accommodation, mineral water, and entrance fees. However, excluded are local airport taxes, insurance, visa, alcoholic beverages, tips to the local guides and all costs of a personal nature. Maximum group size is 12 people.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | London - Delhi. |
| Day 2: | Delhi - Chittorgarh. Visit the Old Town and wander from the Red Fort, through the narrow alleyways, to the Jama Masjid Mosque. Overnight train to Chittorgarh. |
| Day 3: | Chittorgarh – Athana Fort. Visit small villages as we drive through green terrain to a village with a lots of rural activities and old world charm. We stay at the Athana Fort with the Royal Family. |
| Day 4: | Athana – Bijaipur. We visit a hand block printing village where they still use centuries old techniques. We stop at Pangarh for a swim, where there is a 5th century BC sun worshiping temple, and the villagers still hunt fish using spears. We stay at Castle Bijaipur, a 16th century fort run by a charming family. |
| Day 5: | Bijaipur. Tour the surrounding villages and meet many of the local people. We have lunch at a Shiva temple and pilgrimage place. Afternoon free for horse riding, cycling, massage, swimming, table tennis, volleyball etc. |
| Day 6: | Bijaipur. We visit the village of the milkman tribe, spending the day learning about their culture and helping to turn the milk into lassi. Traditional lunch served on a banana leaf plate. We attend an opium ceremony in the afternoon. |
| Day 7: | Bijaipur – Bundi. We travel towards Bundi, stopping at 1000 year old temples of the Maurya Dynasty, crossing the biggest sandstone mining area in India and visiting prehistoric cave paintings and Bijoliya, where most of the town is still live inside the 18th century fortress walls. |
| Day 8: | Bundi. Bundi is very small city still untouched by modernisation and famous for its bangle makers and brass pottery. We visit Keshoraipatan, a pilgrimage town for the local people. |
| Day 9: | Bundi - Sorsan Wildlife Sanctuary. We stop at Kaithoon, famous for its handloom saris then travel south towards Sorsan Wildlife Sanctuary where we will be spending the next two nights in large cottage tents, located on the banks of River Parban. |
| Day 10: | Sorsan Wildlife Sanctuary. Visit small villages, meeting local people and have traditional Indian lunch at a local family’s house. In the evening we will go on a game drive around the sanctuary where we will hope to spot blackbucks and the rare Godawan, or great Indian Bustard. |
| Day 11: | Sorsan Wildlife Sanctuary - Jhalawar. We visit the Jain temples at Chandkheri and lunch at the famous Gagron Fort. Jhalrapatan, more than 800 years old has some beautiful temples and a market. Right outside the city walls are the famous temples of Chandrabhaga. We then move to Jhalawar and check into the residence of the His Highness of Jhalawar. |
| Day 12: | Jhalawar – Barnagar. We continue south by river steamer and jeep towards Ahilya. We have lunch at Deepakhera, at the local royal families’ fortress and explore the village with the ruler and his sons. From here we drive to Kolvi, famous for its Buddhist complex cut into the rocks. We check into Fort Amla; the village of Amla is a government heritage village. |
| Day 13: | Barnagar. Tour villages and NGO activities with the owner of Fort Amla. |
| Day 14: | Barnagar - Ahilya. Travel to Ujjain, the city of Mahakaal then to Maheshwar, a pilgrimage centre famous for its temple architecture. We spend the evening at the ghats of Maheshwar observing the arti – or puja – as the local people and enjoying the chantings and prayers and placing the candles to drift along the river. We stay two nights at the amazing Fort Ahilya, situated right on the banks of the river. |
| Day 15: | Ahilya. All day to relax at this gorgeous location. Optional day trips to local handloom manufacturers and villages set on the riverbanks travelling by boats. |
| Day 16: | Ahilya – Indore – Bombay – UK . |
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
 In our opinion, our India trips – where we steer our clients off the main tourist circuits and into the rural regions of the subcontinent, to interact directly with local people – is responsible travel at its most immediate and effective. We stay with local families, visit local industries (learn to milk a buffalo, make a sari, cook a meal) and call on local organisation to learn more about the problems of the region and how we might help. Not only does this allow local people and visitors to interact and learn about each others culture, it ensures that the revenue generated by tourism goes directly to local communities. On this trip, which runs through Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, we involve our clients in tree planting schemes as well as help directly with the financing of rural village schools; added to this our clients will have the chance to accompany members of the Bhil caste in learning how to milk the buffalo and turn it into lassi, visit a natural silk weaving centre famed for its manufacturing of exquisite saris and cook and eat a meal with a local family – all of which will be putting money directly into the local community. In addition, on all our tours we employ local guides and drivers, stay in locally owned hotels and private homes, which again diverts important funds directly into the area. These are regions that have seen precious little from the boom in tourism, it is our aim to change this. We automatically make a contribution to climate care for every client we carry. |
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. |