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India family holidays

COUNTRY:
India
LOCATION:
Golden Triangle in India
DEPARTURES:
2012: 1 Apr, 21 Oct, 16 Dec, 17 Dec
2013: 24 Mar, 31 Mar, 20 Oct, 21 Oct, 15 Dec, 22 Dec
PRICE:
From £1629 - £1999 (14 days ) including UK flights
MORE INFO:
From £1079 - £1199 excluding flights. From £1539 - £1839 per child including flights from the UK. From £1039 - £1169 per child excluding flights.
LATE AVAIL:
We have late availability on our 1st April departure.
VOUCHERS:
Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday
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India family holidays

India family holidays

Small group family holiday
This is a 'small group family adventure' - typically you will join several other families and travel in a group of approx. 16 people. The trips are great value and a great way for you and your children to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of time to yourselves. Most adventure kids tend to be aged between 7 and 15, but some are younger (minimum age is usually 5) and some older (perhaps travelling as part of a larger family group). Please check with the operator to confirm the minimum age for this trip

How this holiday makes a difference

On this trip: We stay in small locally-run hotels and eat in local restaurants. We use a local Indian agent, driver and a Local Group Leader. This fulfils part of our commitment to make a positive contribution to the local economy and is the best way of ensuring that our money reaches as many people as possible. Local overseas leaders offer a great way to find out more about the local culture, speak the language, understand the day-to-day life around them and help to ‘open doors’ to a fuller experience. Our entrance fee to Corbett National Park contributes to the conservation of this valuable wildlife habitat. We have also developed a programme of school visits with our local agent in India. Most schools in India rely on government funding and benefit greatly from the additional support we can provide. We assists pupils at our partner school in Betalghat. This includes clothing, maps, blackboards, water filters and other stationery on an on-going basis. You will have the opportunity to visit the school during your stay in Betalghat. If you would like to offer your assistance by taking a gift they would be delighted to receive the following: clothes, exercise books, schoolbags, pencils and crayons, erasers and similar stationary. Although you can take things out with you, goods are available cheaply locally and your Group Leader will advise on where to buy things.

Our responsible travel code: 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. If you would like a copy in advance of travel please contact us.

Charity partnerships: 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.

Carbon balancing: 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.

Our foundation: 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.

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India family holidays

Reviewed 31 Oct 2008 by Sam Daniels4 star rating

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?


It is so difficult to choose just one highlight as the trip was full of highlights and was SO varied. Our 6 year old loved the tiger safari (especially when we spotted a tiger!) and had great fun snake charming, learning Indian dancing and spotting all the birds at the Keoladeo bird sanctuary. India is an incredible country - we loved watching the world go by from our mini bus windows as we drove through rural villages and bustling towns. The Taj Mahal was incredible and the Amber Fort majestic. Whilst the going can be tough at times, it was wonderful to hear all of the children in our group chatting about their experiences and seeing their smiling faces.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?


If you are travelling with children, it is a good idea to take along a supply of snacks - all of the children in our group found some of the food a bit too spicy at times (though usually there was some pasta and milkshakes on offer!). Lunches were quite late at times, so cereal bars, biscuits etc kept the children going. Small card games and a DS console kept the children happy on some of the longer drives! We were also glad that we had good quality insect repellent with us. A lightweight fleece is a good idea for the morning safari drive and was needed at times on the air conditioned coaches!

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?


Definitely - local guides were used in each area we visited and we stayed in local run hotels. We were taken to a small scale cottage industry to do some shopping to support local craftspeople and also spent a wonderful morning at a newly opened village school where the pupils were delighted to meet us.

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?


Excellent - whilst the trip was tiring at times, it was a truly wonderful experience for the whole family (children aged 6 and 9) and we will all treasure some very special memories. Our guide was BRILLIANT and really made the trip and nothing was too much trouble for him.

Reviewed 30 Dec 2007 by Marian Warford4 star rating

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?


India is a country of huge contrasts and highlights but I would say that, although the great sights such as the Taj Mahal are an absolute must, for me the highlight would probably be the time we spent in Betalghat in the Kosi River valley. The lodge we stayed in was simple but friendly as we were the only group in the lodge the atmosphere was cosy and intimate. The area is not geared up for mass tourism and gave us an insight into life in rural India. In fact there seemed to be no other foreigners in the area. The peace of the valley and the sound of the bells chiming in the temple will stay in my mind for a long time. It was also excellent to visit the school which is supported by the tour company. The children were delighted by their new uniforms and books. Only the children attending the school received the books and uniforms but other children watching showed no signs of jealousy and seemed to be almost as pleased as those children who had received the presents. The sight of the Himalayas at China Peak was also another moment to remember.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?


India is a culture shock and an assault of the senses. I had spent some months travelling in India as a backpacker in 1980 but even so to be catapulted straight into a cycle rickshaw ride around Chandi Chowk and the Red Fort was a bit of a shock but good to be thrown in at the 'deep end'. We were part of a Family Tour and it might be a good idea for the tour company to send out information to families on appropriate dress code for girls. I had tried to discuss this with my daughter, who is 16, but it fell on deaf ears and only after a couple of days did she realise that I had been right about covering up adequately. Be prepared for the poverty which is the negative side of India but also be prepared for tremendous high points. The early morning drive in search of tigers in the Corbett National Park is absolutely freezing - the pre-tour information does warn you about it but I was not prepared for it to be so cold. Enjoy the food - I ate Indian for breakfast, lunch and dinner but western food was available in most places for those that did not want to eat spicy food all the time.

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?


I think that the holiday benefited local people as a local guide was employed, all the drivers were local as were guides around the monuments. We used cycle rickshaws, porters, local restaurants and staff and this all has a beneficial effect on the economy. We also purchased various souvenirs and so on. The company also supports the school that we visited in Betalghat. I think it is important for people to visit developing countries as long as local people are used - staying away from developing countries does not help alleviate the poverty and whilst the problems in India are immense I do feel that our small contribution did make a small difference. Some of the places we stayed did seem to be making an attempt to preserve the environment and I believe that the entrance fee to the Corbett National Park is used to maintain the parks.

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?


An excellent holiday which combined a taste of the splendour of the Mughals, rural India, a glimpse into the spiritual life of India at Haridwar and Rishikesh as well as the safari and an easy (by Himalayan standards) trek from the camp on the Ganges. I felt that the holiday should have been a few days longer so that we could have had three nights at the camp relaxing and I would have liked a night at Rishikesh to do some yoga and meditation. I only managed a very brief visit to Rishikesh while I waited for the others to complete the white water rafting which I didn't want to do. It would also be a good idea to offer an extension perhaps to the beaches of Kerala for a few days relaxation after the trip. I will certainly return to India again - hopefully in the next year or two.
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Holiday Reviews

We invite every traveller who books a holiday via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the holidays they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same holiday can have different views!

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