India over 50s holiday
| country: | India |
| location: | Rajasthan, The Golden Triangle, Ranthambore |
| departures: | 2008: 4 Nov, 4 Dec |
| price: | From £1099 - £1249 (12 days) including flights from the UK, from £699 - £799 excluding flights |
read 1 travellers review
the amazing things you'll be doing
This India trip is exclusive to travellers over 50. Discover the natural and cultural highlights of Northern India, including the worldfamous Taj Mahal and the majestic tigers of Ranthambore. You’ll even have time to stay at a Maharajah’s palace. After a tour of Old and New Delhi you’ll discover the deserted city of Fatehpur Sikri. Then on to perhaps the world’s most famous building – the Taj Mahal. Sunrise here is unforgettable; as the early morning mists clear and the delicately carved walls change from rose pink to dazzling white. Heading south, you enter picturesque Ranthambore National Park to spot nilgai, leopard, crocodile and hopefully tiger on exciting wildlife safaris.
The holy city of Pushkar is a quiet and tranquil place. Its importance as a place of pilgrimage is illustrated by the fact that all devout Hindus should make one visit in their lifetime. At Pachar (which you won’t find on many trip itineraries) you’ll break your journey to enjoy a night at a Maharajah’s palace. Finally explore the famous ‘pink’ city of Jaipur with its heaving bazaars and the hilltop palace of Amber, before returning to Delhi. During the Pushkar Camel Fair, thousands of devotees (and their camels) take the opportunity to gather together to worship. Join the special departure (see above).
Your accommodation consists of 9 nights in hotels and 1 night in a homestay). The hotels we use are comfortable with en suite facilities. While we don’t promise luxury we do use properties of a good standard. They will be well located with good facilities.
Trip price includes: 10 breakfasts, 1 lunch & 3 dinners. You’ll try lots of local cuisine during your trip. There are plenty of opportunities to eat out at restaurants offering buffets or a la carte Indian food. Don’t worry - it’s not too spicy and Hindu culture dictates a wide variety of vegetarian fare. Most journeys will use a charter bus which will have ample room for your group. You will also travel by train – a classic way to explore India. There will be a toilet and usually the opportunity to buy tea or a snack on board.
The holy city of Pushkar is a quiet and tranquil place. Its importance as a place of pilgrimage is illustrated by the fact that all devout Hindus should make one visit in their lifetime. At Pachar (which you won’t find on many trip itineraries) you’ll break your journey to enjoy a night at a Maharajah’s palace. Finally explore the famous ‘pink’ city of Jaipur with its heaving bazaars and the hilltop palace of Amber, before returning to Delhi. During the Pushkar Camel Fair, thousands of devotees (and their camels) take the opportunity to gather together to worship. Join the special departure (see above).
Your accommodation consists of 9 nights in hotels and 1 night in a homestay). The hotels we use are comfortable with en suite facilities. While we don’t promise luxury we do use properties of a good standard. They will be well located with good facilities.
Trip price includes: 10 breakfasts, 1 lunch & 3 dinners. You’ll try lots of local cuisine during your trip. There are plenty of opportunities to eat out at restaurants offering buffets or a la carte Indian food. Don’t worry - it’s not too spicy and Hindu culture dictates a wide variety of vegetarian fare. Most journeys will use a charter bus which will have ample room for your group. You will also travel by train – a classic way to explore India. There will be a toilet and usually the opportunity to buy tea or a snack on board.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1-2: | Overnight flight to Delhi; tour Old & New Delhi |
| Day 3: | Train to Agra; visit Taj Mahal & Agra Fort |
| Day 4: | Drive to Fatehpur Sikri; birding safari in Bharatpur; train to Ranthambore |
| Day 5: | Wildlife safaris |
| Day 6: | Drive to Pushkar |
| Day 7: | Stay in a Maharajah’s palace |
| Day 8: | Drive to Jaipur |
| Day 9: | Jaipur; Palace of the Winds |
| Day 10: | Amber Fort visit; early evening train to Delhi |
| Day 11: | Free in Delhi |
| Day 12: | Fly to London |
travellers' tales
Pushkar Camel Fair at sunrise and at sunset, meeting villagers and visiting school at Pachar and seeing a tiger walk very close by at Ranthambore were the highlights. (more)
over 50s holidays
This trip has been specially designed for, and is exclusive to, travellers over 50. On these trips, the typical group size is just 12, and we never exceed 16. This means better service for you, the chance to use smaller hotels, more freedom to reach out of the way places and more of a sense of camaraderie and fun. Over half of our travellers book independently and we do not charge an additional single supplement. Most travellers are aged between 50 and 70 and there is no upper age limit. It’s attitude and a love of travel that counts!how this holiday makes a difference
|
During your trip, you will have the opportunity to visit a school in Ranthambore to offer valuable support, a project we have developed in conjunction with our local agent. The schools we support are government funded but would benefit greatly from additional support – we fund pupils at one of our partner schools in Betalghat as they are in need of warm clothing for the winter months. Gifts of stationery and clothing would be welcomed.
Betalghat is a small place in the Himalayan foothills. Here there is a school which, though government funded, is in desperate need of more financial support. It’s a primary school with approximately 50 pupils. Our first step is to provide uniforms for those children who can’t afford them. This means they cannot go to school during the colder winter months. After that we will look to buy stationery and educational resources. Clients who travel with us will automatically receive a copy of our Responsible Travel leaflet. This contains details and advice on how you can make a positive difference when you travel. We work in partnership with Plan International. Plan works with some of the world’s poorest communities where three out of four children die before the age of five. We also support Friends of Conservation – an international charity committed to working with local people to develop a balance between their needs and the wildlife with which they share the natural habitat and ecosystems. Global warming is a real issue and is a direct result of your travel. We have teamed up with Climate Care to give you the opportunity to offset the carbon emissions from your flight. You’ll be asked upon booking if you want to donate – with set amounts from £5. As a company we offset the carbon emissions from all staff travel in full. We’ve highlighted a few of the ways in which we offer our support, financially or otherwise, and now you can, too. We have set up our own foundation, which will administer funds donated by you. A small donation of £1 per person will be taken when booking a holiday and that money will be put to good use by one of our carefully selected projects. If you don’t want to make the donation, just tell us when you call. |
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. |