Pushkar Camel Fair tour in Rajasthan, India
| country: | India |
| location: | Rajasthan |
| departures: | 2010: 19 Mar, 26 Mar, 15 Oct, 4 Nov, 6 Nov, 17 Dec, 24 Dec 2011: 28 Jan, 18 Feb, 18 Mar, 8 Apr |
| price: | From £1489 - £1667 (17 days) including flights from the UK, from £1041 - £1228 excluding flights. Single supplement £275. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
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introduction to Pushkar Camel Fair tour in Rajasthan, India
Nawalgarh to Jaisalmer
Arriving in Delhi we make a tour of the new city with its wide open spaces before heading to the hustle and bustle of Old Delhi to explore the bazaars of Chandni Chowk and the Jami Masjid. We then head out on to the old caravan routes. We stop at Mukundgarh and Nawalgarh, famed for their painted merchants' houses (havelis), and Bikaner - with its Jain temple and headquarters of the Camel Corps - before arriving in Jaisalmer.
Two-day Camel Safari
We begin our own camel safari from the tiny 12th century caravan city of Jaisalmer. Traversing a starkly beautiful wilderness of dunes, rock shelves and scrubland, we may catch sight of herds of chinkara antelope. Ending the safari, Jaisalmer reappears like a vision from the Arabian Nights, its curiously carved yellow stone towers rising mirage-like out of the horizon.
The 'City of Dreams'
After exploring Jodhpur's awesome fortress and Ranakpur's holy Jain temples, we drive on to Kumbalgarh with its impressive Fort and Palace, then reach Udaipur, the 'City of Dreams'. Defended by huge iron-spiked gates against charging elephants, with an island palace 'floating' on a magical lake, Udaipur is indeed surreal to behold. We have time for optional discovery walks, cycling, a visit to the Folk Art Museum, or even a sunset cruise on the lake.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1-2: | Overnight flight to Delhi. We tour the city's highlights on arrival. |
| Day 3: | Jaipur We reach the 'Pink City' by train and discover the elegant Palace of the Winds and unusual observatory. |
| Day 4-5: | Painted houses In Mandawa and Nawalgarh we visit some of the famed painted merchants' houses (havelis). |
| Day 6: | Bikaner Visit the fort and Jain and Rat temples. |
| Day 7-8: | Jaisalmer Explore the atmospheric 'Golden City' that rises mirage-like out of Great Thar Desert. |
| Day 9-10: | Camel safari Traversing a starkly beautiful wilderness of dunes and rock shelves on our 2-day camel safari, we spend a night camping out under the stars. |
| Day 11-12: | Jodphur We visit Jodhpur's awesome fortress and lively bazaar. |
| Day 13: | Jain temples Marvel at the intricate marble carvings of Ranakpur's temples before overnighting in a Maharajah's mansion. |
| Day 14-15: | Udaipur We visit Kumbalgarh's impressive fort before reaching delightful Udaipur, where we've time for walks, cycling, or even a sunset cruise on the lake. |
| Day 16: | Delhi Fly back to Delhi for our last night. |
| Day 17: | Fly UK. Certain Oct/Nov departures visit the annual 'Pushkar Festival'. |
award winner
This tourism business won an Award in our 2008 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Daily Telegraph, World Travel Market, Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society and BBC World News.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 cultural tours
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 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 new people as well as experiencing new cultures.how this holiday makes a difference
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Environment
We support a variety of charities and projects worldwide which support vulnerable communities and habitats including Friends of Conservation, Hope Worldwide and Send A Cow. We are also actively engaged with UK travel industry bodies which promote best practice in responsible tourism, such as Tourism Concern, The Travel Foundation and AITO. Our commitment to responsible tourism is not limited to our overseas operation and we have measures to ensure our UK office operates according to our responsible tourism policy. Carbon offsets for all flights booked with us are included in the tour cost. Community Festivals express the very soul of a community, rooted as they are in local history and folklore. They’ll engage all your senses, with their din, colours, scents, tastes – the sheer rawness and spontaneity of the whole experience. This is a fabulous way to learn about the local customs and traditions and get an authentic view of the country you are travelling to in an unpackaged way. This tour offers a unique opportunity to witness the traditions of the Pushkar Camel Fair whose traditions date back centuries. Not only is this a major trading opportunity and a time for local people to let their hair down; it coincides with a great religious festival too. By using local tour leaders on this trip we’ll be able to get the kind of insight only a local can give into not only the background to both festivals but also the daily life of local people in a world that is rapidly changing. Wherever possible we like to meet the people themselves and get to learn a bit more of their lifestyle, but only where we can be sure we that we are not imposing on them. We believe learning about and respecting local people is an integral part of the travel experience. Employing local leaders also generates employment opportunities. We also support a variety of other local businesses such as restaurants, locally owned hotels and transport businesses. Our camel trek employs a large crew (and it is great fun getting to know them!) so we ensure our visit benefits a wide range of people. We aim to support development first and foremost by doing business well but there are many people in India who are unable to benefit from tourism. For this reason we also support the work of the Hope Foundation who work with some of India’s most vulnerable and needy people. We support a school in South India and an orphanage in Delhi. |
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. |
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