Maharajas Express luxury rail holiday in India

Planet

To us, travelling is about engaging with the local environs while making deep and significant connections. We put a lot of thought in working with local providers, making sure that everyone involved in your trip is committed to sharing advice on how best to leave a lighter footprint (refilling your water bottles, buying organic, recycling, etc.).

By choosing this trip you will travel by train, which is one of the most environmentally friendly ways of transport. To reduce carbon footprint, we also include transport modes like traditional rickshaws or a ride on a horse carriage to the Taj Mahal, this will give you the opportunity to meet and interact with the local community.

We are trying to keep the extra unneeded waste to a minimum in all our tours and excursions through our “bring it in, bring it out” policy for litter and rubbish such as food packaging and recycling wherever possible. We have a recycling policy in our UK and local offices and re-use or recycle the information booklets we provide to every client on arrival wherever possible. We do not produce a glossy brochure, concentrating on a comprehensive website, and providing as much information to our travellers as possible electronically, reducing the use of paper and inks.

Wildlife
By visiting the Ranthambore National Park, you will contribute to the preservation of an outstanding example of tiger conservation in India. Tigers at Ranthambore National Park have been known to even hunt in full view of human visitors. The park has a rich diversity of fauna and flora - species list includes 300 trees, 50 aquatic plants, 272 birds, 12 reptiles & amphibians and 30 mammals.

Our local partner is part of the TOFT (Travel Operators for Tigers) campaign, a ground breaking voluntary initiative to support Indian wildlife conservation efforts more effectively. Visiting the park with our partner will directly benefit the campaign, which has been able to effect nature training programmes, run workshops, advise parks and businesses, run eco-rating audits on lodges as well as putting funds into local environmental and community projects on the borders of parks. You can also make further donations if you wish, which will go towards the project.

Our tour guides receive special training in how to leave a lower impact on the nature trips and in regional conservation projects. To support TOFT and the protection of wilderness areas and tiger habitat, our guides are actively promoting the campaign´s practices such us not disturbing wildlife, keeping a safe distance to wildlife, reducing production of disturbing sounds, prohibiting feeding, avoiding litter at all times, using water sparingly and not polluting with harmful detergents, avoid being intrusive when taking photographs, dressing appropriately and in subdued colours when wildlife watching, etc.