North India holiday, mountains and hidden villages










Please speak to us about options to amend or extend your trip. Best from June to Mid Sept.
or Join a group - Bhaba Pass and Pin Valley trekking to Spiti and Ladakh
Description of North India holiday, mountains and hidden villages
This diverse north India holiday takes travellers into a region that's brimming over with historical sites and stunning natural landscapes with the influence of the British Raj just as evident as the snow-capped peaks of the mighty Himalayas.
Travellers will be invited to play their part in preparing a two-week tailor-made holiday that's designed to incorporate many of the region's classic highlights as well as the hidden gems that can be found some way off the well-tramped tourist trail.
Social, religious and cultural customs all transpire to provide a rich and varied north India holiday that will take you overnight by train from Delhi to the temples and trekking trails surrounding the former summer citadel for the British Raj, Shimla, in Himachal Pradesh.
Travellers will do well to remember their hiking boots as the Himalayan foothills close to Shimla offer an amazing chance to experience life on the trekking trail where carved wooden houses dot the hillsides and fruit orchards and farmlands mark out a sustainable way of life far from the hectic markets and streets of Delhi.
As this is where our founding director grew up, you can rest assured that we work tirelessly to help local communities develop through sustainable tourism with numerous charitable projects feeding finances back into the rural areas where they're needed most including local schools and villages.
This really is an extraordinary two-week north India holiday and if you're planning on trekking and camping overnight in the Himalayas as well as relaxing in hot springs and gaining authentic insight into local lifestyles then right here is where you get to put your best foot forward on a flexible tailor made tour to suit you down to the ground and up to the clouds.
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4 Reviews of North India holiday, mountains and hidden villages
Reviewed on 11 Oct 2018 by Melanie Eley
How many superlatives can I fit on the page? Incredible, amazing, unforgettable, majestic and colourful. Every sense is overwhelmed! What an experience. Loved it. Read full reviewReviewed on 23 Oct 2017 by Mark Wareham
The tiger safari in Ranthambore National Park was the most memorable. Read full reviewReviewed on 17 Jul 2016 by Emmanuelle Clement
If you like trekking, this is a fantastic peaceful environment for it. Read full reviewReviewed on 07 Dec 2016 by Pete Belsey
This was a return visit to India, although our last one was in 1987. It was great to see how positive, go-ahead and prosperous the country has become, without losing the colour, the culture and the mysticism that makes it India. Read full reviewResponsible Travel
Planet
Our promise to sustain the environment:Many of the places where we travel are environmentally pristine. We work with locals and those who travel with us to take simple actions to respect and protect the natural environment for this generation and the next.
On this trip you’ll see some practical initiatives we’ve taken on educating school children in Sarahan, Kafnu and in Tattapani on how they can minimise and manage waste, particularly plastics. This involves discussing wastes with both older and young generations together - to see how what lessons from older times can be followed again.
We and those who travel with us also have responsibilities for wastes created and it’s important that we demonstrate good practice to the locals. We minimise the use of plastics: bags, bottles and other items, using instead metal bottles or re-useable bags made from natural materials. You can get involved with our Asra Charity in helping convey these important messages and by recycling these wastes in Shimla. These are simple but life-changing tasks that will keep these beautiful areas clean.
People
Our promise to support our communities:An important element of any of our trips is to enable interaction between Travellers and local communities. Our Founder Director grew up in this region and so we know a good understanding of how best to support local people and their economy.
Many of those who travel with us are keen to get involved in a meaningful way in small projects but which have long-term benefits. On this trip you’ll see some practical initiatives we have taken such as supporting villagers to continue with local crafts that help pass on traditional skills to their children, bringing communities together and providing much needed income from sales of bags, baskets and mats sourced from local materials.
We have unique access to hilltop villages where these traditional and sustainable skills are dwindling but still practiced. Working through our Asra Charity, we are looking into developing regular workshops for villagers and possibly a craft centre, to provide them with space to make items and to sustain skills built up over centuries. The involvement of our Travellers can inspire and encourage locals.
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