Rajasthan tailor made tours
| country: | India |
| location: | Rajasthan |
| departures: | This itinerary departs from the beginning of October until the end of March |
| price: | From £3390 (18 days) including flights from the UK. 1 night spent on flight |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
This route takes in the Rajasthani countryside, staying in smaller hotels that support local communities and are helping to rescue crumbling buildings from ruin. By passing through the main cities rather than staying in them you will have the chance to experience a slower, though no less colourful, way of life.
All of the main sights are included: the Taj Mahal, the Old City streets of Delhi, Meherangarh Fort which towers over Jodhpur and the Lake Palace in Udaipur, but you can escape the hectic streets for a quieter and more gentle side of India. You'll have the chance to explore small villages where you'll be offered steaming cups of chai and a chat with the locals, see the methods used on farms and spot some fantastic bird and wildlife including tigers if you're lucky. There'll be the chance to cycle out to a lake with a picnic, walk up a granite hill to see the huge white elephant that sits on the top and ride Marwari horses, a fearless breed that the Rajputs used to ride into war.
From wonderful converted palaces, such as Dungarpur in the south which is filled with 1940s furniture and original wallpaper, to two tented properties, one on top of a dam overlooking a reservoir and the other tucked inside the huge ramparts of an ancient fort, the hotels you will stay in will give real variation to the experiences you'll have on this fantastic trip.
All of the main sights are included: the Taj Mahal, the Old City streets of Delhi, Meherangarh Fort which towers over Jodhpur and the Lake Palace in Udaipur, but you can escape the hectic streets for a quieter and more gentle side of India. You'll have the chance to explore small villages where you'll be offered steaming cups of chai and a chat with the locals, see the methods used on farms and spot some fantastic bird and wildlife including tigers if you're lucky. There'll be the chance to cycle out to a lake with a picnic, walk up a granite hill to see the huge white elephant that sits on the top and ride Marwari horses, a fearless breed that the Rajputs used to ride into war.
From wonderful converted palaces, such as Dungarpur in the south which is filled with 1940s furniture and original wallpaper, to two tented properties, one on top of a dam overlooking a reservoir and the other tucked inside the huge ramparts of an ancient fort, the hotels you will stay in will give real variation to the experiences you'll have on this fantastic trip.
best time to go
The best time to visit India is from the beginning of October to the end of March. Though it is possible to visit during the hot summer months, this itinerary includes tented accommodation that is taken down during this season, so parts of the route would not be available.day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Fly to Mumbai (Bombay). |
| Day 2: | Arrive in Mumbai (Bombay) where you will be met and taken to the domestic airport for your flight to Udaipur. From here you will drive to Dungarpur, a wonderful palace on the edge of a lake. |
| Day 3: | A day at leisure in Dungarpur, you can visit Juna Mahal, the old palace which has some fantastic painted interiors, cycle, walk or go boating on the lake. |
| Day 4: | Udaipur. Drive from Dungarpur to Narlai via Udaipur where you will stop for a tour of the city palace and lunch overlooking the lake. Rawla Narlai is a tiny and beautifully converted village fort in a small village dotted with temples. |
| Day 5: | Rawla Narlai. A day at leisure at Rawla Narlai where you can walk through the village or climb to the top of the rock that towers over the hotel. |
| Day 6: | Drive from Narlai to Rohet, a small hotel outside Jodhpur. The drive is not long and you can go for an afternoon horse ride if you want to see a bit of the local countryside. |
| Day 7: | Drive from Rohet to Chhatra Sagar, a tented camp that sits on top of a dam, via Jodhpur. You will stop in Jodhpur for a tour of Meherangarh Fort and some lunch. |
| Day 8: | Day at leisure at Chhatra Sagar, the bird life here is fantastic and you will have the chance to explore the local farm and village. |
| Day 9: | Drive from Chhatra Sagar to Samode, just outside Jaipur, where you will stay in a converted palace. |
| Day 10: | Day trip to Jaipur including the Amber Fort and Palace, high on the hill above Jaipur, and the City Palace and Observatory. |
| Day 11: | Day at leisure in Samode to explore the village. |
| Day 12: | Drive from Samode to Ramathra, a restored fort with luxury tents tucked inside the rampart walls. |
| Day 13: | Day at leisure at Ramathra where you can walk, go boating on the lake and explore the local countryside. |
| Day 14: | Drive from Ramathra to Ranthambhore National Park, arriving in time for an afternoon game drive; a chance to see the wildlife in the park. |
| Day 15: | Game drives. Morning and afternoon games drives |
| Day 16: | Train from Ranthambhore to Bharatpur. Drive from Bharatpur to Agra via Fatehpur Sikri, an abandoned Mughal city, arriving in time to visit the Taj Mahal at sunset. |
| Day 17: | Sunrise visit to the Taj Mahal. Sunrise visit to the Taj Mahal and an afternoon tour of the city sights including the Red Fort and ‘Baby Taj’. Evening train to Delhi |
| Day 18: | Fly from Delhi to the UK. |
tailor made holidays
This trip can be tailor made to create a unique holiday for your individual requirements by travel experts with intimate knowledge of the destination. It is a more individual trip that will suit those who enjoy immersing themselves in new cultures and environments, with the flexibility to plan a trip at your own pace. Quality and value are the hallmark of these trips, with most services being provided on a private basis.how this holiday makes a difference
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Environment:
Khem Villas at Ranthambhore National Park is also another shining example of an eco-friendly hotel. It is run by Govardham Singh Rathore who won a ‘Green Oscar’ in 2004 for his tiger conservation program and for his work in alternative energy resources (using cow dung in biogas digesters). Other projects he was involved with have helped establish a school, hospital and an informal environmental education programme. He also supported legal aid to combat poaching and an anti poaching sting operation was put in place with the help of another NGO called Tiger Watch. This helped reveal some of the most prominent poachers in 2005, establishing the fact that 20 tigers had been killed in Ranthambhore, ultimately forcing India’s government to step up protection of the tiger. We are also a member of TOFT (Travel Operators for Tigers) who also have a PUG classification system that promotes ‘Best practice ecotourism’ within certain accommodation providers. We use a number of these PUG approved properties for example Tiger Den Resort in Ranthambhore, Shergarh Tented Camp and Singinawa Jungle Camp in Kahna National Park. Community: By staying in smaller hotels and converted palaces and forts, you are supporting the local community on a sustainable scale without adversely affecting the surrounding area. The owners of all of these hotels know and are part of their local community and all try to employ locals in order to share the wealth that even a small hotel brings. Many of the forts and palaces in India are crumbling and left to ruin and without tourism they would never be rescued and returned to the incredible buildings that they once were. Ramathra Fort is a prime example of this type of accommodation; the rampart walls were almost completely ruined and overgrown with trees and shrubbery just a couple of years ago. The owners, Ravi and Gitanjali, have lovingly restored the walls, rebuilding them in the traditional style and adding seating areas that look out over the lake and beautiful countryside. They are now looking at restoring the palace bit by bit and bringing this fantastic place back to its former glory. |
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. |