Rajasthan Teen Adventure

This morning, you’ll start with a tour of New Delhi, where the wide boulevards and imposing buildings conjure up images of the British Empire at its zenith. The Lutyen’s designed Rashtrapati (formerly the Viceregal’s Lodge) is particularly impressive, whilst India Gate is one of the city’s most iconic memorials. You’ll also visit Raj Ghat, the site of Mahatma Ghandi’s cremation, now marked by a black marble plinth and memorial gardens, a sombre reminder of this great figure. You’ll leave the hotel by midday in order to catch the early afternoon flight south to Udaipur. Udaipur is sometimes called the ‘Venice of the East’, with its beautiful lakes and grandiose palaces that line the shore, an oasis in the otherwise stark and arid state of Rajasthan. It’s a short transfer fro the city’s small airport to your centrally located hotel. 

Lake Pichola - 2 nights (Bx2)

This morning you head south into the wilds of the Rajasthani desert, a journey of about 3-4 hours. After a quick stop for tea, you begin your horse safari into the wilderness of Rajasthan. This ride will take you out into the Aravalli hills and you will be able to see a more straightforward way of life as you follow desert paths through one of India's last frontiers. The first night you camp out under the stars and can listen to the sounds of the desert all around you. Life in the desert is more traditional and will give you a glimpse into how India might have been many years ago.

The horse riding is suitable for novices, although if you prefer not to ride, you can travel in one of the support vehicles that will travel with the horses to the camp. The accommodation at the camp is set up with good bedding and high tea served, a reminder of India's past. 

Camp (CS) - 1 night (BLD)

This morning you leave Jojawar behind, and take an old train over the Kambi Ghat pass to the highest station on the Aravalli range. This is a local gauge train down through the mountains, with panoramic views of the scrub jungle, remote hill stations and one hundred foot high bridges. You will be able to experience rural life at its best during this incredible journey. Train travel has for years been the best way to get across India, and railway tracks crisscross Rajasthan.  The train provides much needed resources to some of the most far flung corners. You return to the hotel by jeep in time for your lunch. In the afternoon, you drive across to Pushkar, one of the five Dhams or pilgrimages held in high esteem by Hindus. Pushkar itself is surrounded by lakes, and you will notice the landscape change from barren desert to a more verdant green. The lakes that surround Pushkar are said to have been formed after a battle in which the Lord Brahma killed the demon Vajra Nabh with a lotus flower, whose petals floated down to earth and landed in three places in and around Pushkar where lakes sprang up. According to legend, Pushkar Lake was surrounded by 500 temples and 52 palaces in years gone by. 

Pushkar Fort - 1 night (B)

After a few nights out in the desert, you return to the hustle and bustle of Jaipur, one of India's busiest cities. Like Delhi, Jaipur has both an old and a new part to the city, and you’ll spend most time in the old city. The streets are busy with camels and bullock-carts, and above it all monkeys make their home in the old city walls. After time to freshen up after your journey, you’ll take a city tour to see some of Jaipur’s most celebrated and impressive sights. You’ll head to the City Palace and the famous Palace of the Winds; here royal maidens once watched the streets below. They were able to see without being seen, due to the fabulous jali (lattice screens) which hid them from prying male eyes. Today snake-charmers and fortune-tellers ply their trade below the same hideaway. Close by is the 18th century Jantar Mantar, an astronomical observatory built by the city’s founder Jai Singh who, having a passion for the science, built five such wonders in major cities all over the north. (B)

No matter how many times you’ve seen it, watching the reflections of light gradually wash over the Taj continues to have a fresh impact. Early this morning, just as the city begins to wake you’ll make the short journey by auto rickshaw to the gates of the Taj Mahal. The Taj was built as a mausoleum for Shah Jahan’s beloved wife, Mumtaz, after she died giving birth to their fourteenth child, and must surely be the world’s greatest monument to love. Architects from as far afield as Europe were commissioned to take part in its creation. At first glance, the Taj appears to be simply white marble, but closer inspection reveals that the surface is inlaid with a profusion of semi-precious stones, which form stylised flowers and bowers. Words fail to do it justice - only a visit can show you its exquisite beauty.

Although Agra is best known for the Taj Mahal, it also boasts a wonderful fort, and this afternoon you will have an opportunity to wander through its pavilions, gardens and passages. Started by Akbar and finally completed four generations later by Aurangzeb, the fort is a fusion of Hindu and Islamic architectural styles, and is early evidence of the distinctive Indian style. In the Afternoon make the drive (taking approximately 5 to 6 hours) back to Delhi. On route, you'll visit the Wildlife SOS Bear Rescue Facility where the rescued bears are afforded a peaceful existence. As tonight is your last evening in India your Group Leader will no doubt organise a traditional ‘last supper’. 

Swati Deluxe - 1 night (B)