Day 1 London to Delhi
Depart from London to Delhi with British Airways on flight BA143 at
1130 hours.
Day 2 Delhi to Jaipur Arrive
Delhi at 0125 hours. You will be met on arrival and transferred to your
hotel Bristol where room is held on immediate occupancy. After breakfast
drive by road from Delhi to Jaipur, a journey of about five to six hours.
Overnight at hotel Samode Haveli for two nights (Std room).
Jaipur
is the state capital of Rajasthan and owes its name, planning and foundation
to the Maharaja Jai Singh II. In 1727, Jai Singh decided to move from his
hillside fortress at Amber to the plains, and thus Jaipur was conceived. It
is also know as the "Pink City", derived from the pink painted
sandstone from which the buildings in the old walled city are constructed.
Day 3 Jaipur Morning sightseeing tour of
Amber Fort. Afternoon visit to Jaipur city.
Seven miles outside the
city in the rugged hills that surround Jaipur is the magnificent Amber Fort.
A painted elephant will take you up to the fort through its huge gateways
and pillared pavilions. This Rajput Fortress/Palace was constructed from
1592 by Raja Man Singh II, and is a superb example of Rajput architecture.
Afternoon city tour takes you through the bazaars to the City
Palace complex, which includes the Jai Singh Museum, Hawa Mahal (The Palace
of the Winds), built in 1799. The five-story building looks out over the
main street and were originally for the ladies of the royal household to
watch life and processions of the city. Jai Singh built the Jantar Mantar
Observatory, still equipped with the ancient instruments including a very
accurate 90-foot sundial, in 1728.
Day 4 Jaipur
to Ranthambhor After breakfast depart by road to Ranthambhor a
journey of about three to four hours. Afternoon game viewing. Overnight at
hotel Tiger Den for two nights (Std Rm).
The Ranthambore
National Park encompasses nearly 400 sq km of dry deciduous forest in
southwestern Rajasthan. The Park derives its name from the fortress of
Ranthambore (built 944 AD), which sits on a rocky outcrop in the forest. In
1957 Ranthambore was declared a wildlife sanctuary and in 1974 it came under
the protective umbrella of Project Tiger. In 1981 it became a National Park.
Today it protects the finest habitats in the world for the tiger and also
has a remarkable rich and diverse flora and fauna. The mammal list has
contains Tiger, Sambar, Cheetal, Nilgai, Wild boar, Chinkara, Langoor and
Leopard, Sloth bear, Hyena and Jackal. There are at least a dozen species of
reptiles and amphibians (Python and snakes, fresh water Crocodiles, Monitor
Lizard, Tortoises), perhaps a dozen of fishes and a profusion of insect
life. Two river systems cut around the forest and its three major lakes
attract large number of birds. Two hundred kilometers of jeep able,
fair-weather roads provide excellent access to remote areas by jeeps.
Walking is prohibited inside the Park.
Day 5
Ranthambhor Morning and afternoon game viewing in Ranthambhor to
see more wildlife, including Deer, Wild Boar, Langur and Tiger.
Day
6 Ranthambhor to Bharatpur Morning game viewing. Drive to Bharatpur
a journey of about four to five hours. Bird Sanctuary, one of the finest in
Asia, with over 300 species of birds. Originally, this manmade marsh was
used for duck shooting by the Maharaja of Bharatpur. Afternoon bird watching
by boat, cycle rickshaw or on foot. Overnight at hotel Laxmi Vilas Palace
hotel.
The marshes of Bharatpur were created as an artificial lake
by the former maharaja of Bharatpur to attract waterfowl, and were the venue
for many royal duck shoots in which prodigious bags were taken.
Today
Bharatpur is one of the finest bird reserves in the world, its marshes
attracting many migratory species during the winter months, including
Bar-headed Goose, Coot, Ruddy Shelduck, and the rare Siberian Crane. During
the monsoon, the reserve is thick with nesting birds, including several
species of Egret, and the Sarus Crane.
Day 7
Bharatpur to Agra Morning bird watching. Afternoon depart by road
to Agra, a journey of about three hours. En route stop at Fatehpur Sikri to
see Akbar's Tomb. Overnight at hotel Taj View (Std Rm).
In 1596
Akbar built Fatehpur Sikri, 37 kms away from Agra, in honour of Saint Salim
Chisti who had prophesied the birth of his son Jehangir. He moved his
capital there but abandoned it 14 years later, due to the water supply going
bad. Lying on a rocky ridge two miles long and one mile wide it is an epic
poem in red sandstone with impressive public halls, private residences,
fortifications, massive gateway, pavilions and palaces.
Day
8 Agra to Khajuraho Morning tour of the Taj Mahal, the Agra Fort
and the Tomb of Itmad-ud-Daulah. Afternoon transfer to Agra domestic airport
for flight IC 7407 to Khajuraho, departing at 1335 hours and arriving at
1415 hours. You will be met on arrival and transferred to your hotel.
Overnight at hotel Taj Chandela (Std Rm).
Visit the magnificent
temples built some 1000 years ago, depicting erotic themes on their
elegantly sculpted walls. The temples are in several clusters and you will
have the chance to visit some of the most prominent and beautiful, including
the Lakshamana, Kandariya Mahadeva, Devi Jagdamba and the Lakshmi and Varah
Temples.
Emperor Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal between 1630-1653
as a memorial in white marble to his queen Mumtaz Mahal. Taj Mahal is one of
the Seven Wonders of the World and the greatest love stories ever written
with white marble and precious stones. Perhaps the most perfect
architectural monument in the world.
The massive Agra Fort was
started by Akbar in 1565, and was added to over the years. Initially it was
a military structure, with 2.5 Km long, 20 metre high double walls
protecting its inhabitants. By Shah Jahan's reign it had partilly become a
palace. This rusty red sandstone fort stands like a crescent on the bank of
Yamuna River. It is one of the finest forts in India and is a silent witness
to the rise and fall of the imperial Mughal Empire. Visit its numerous
palaces, pavilions and buildings that echo the story of Mughal Empire.
Itmad-Ud-Daulah's
tomb was built by Empress Nur Jahan, daughter- in-law of Emperor Akbar, in
memory of her father Ghias-Ud-Din Beg, grandfather of Mumtaz Mahal, between
1622-28 AD.
The rich and powerful Chandela Emperors built the
magnificent temples at Khajuraho, whose dynasty survived for five
generations before falling to the onslaught of Islam.
Almost all
the temples date from one century-long burst of creative genius between 950
to 1050 AD. The sculptures covering the temples celebrate the joy of life
and love. Each temple has a large number of spires in ascending order
representing man's aspirations towards goals. The temples are excellent
examples of the Indo-Aryan architecture, but it is the erotic carvings with
which they are so liberally embellished that have made Khajuraho so famous.
The recurrent theme of the sculptures is woman in all her glory.
Day
9 Khajuraho to Bandhavgarh Morning depart by road to Bandhavgarh a
journey of about nine to ten hours. Overnight at the Tiger Trails Lodge for
two nights (Std room).
Bandhavgarh National Park, the former
hunting preserve of the Maharaja of Rewa. The park is dominated by the
ancient Bandhavgarh Fort on a hill and is noted for its Tiger, Gaur, Sloth
Bear, Deer, Wild boar and Nilgai Antelope.
Bandhavgarh, with
Ranthambhor in Rajasthan, are among the very few national parks in India
where daylight sightings of tigers are not uncommon. Lying on the side of
the Vindhya Range of hills that cut across Central India the park is
characterized by steep forested cliffs that overlook the grassy plains. The
dominant feature of the park is the 2000-year-old fort, with relics of
temples, caves and pools overgrown with vegetation and now inhabited largely
by a few troops of Langur.
The dense stands of Sal and bamboo are
the ideal habitat for the Leopard and the Tiger. Other wildlife includes
Nilgai, Gaur, Sambar, Chousingha, and Sloth Bear and Wild Boar. The park
also provides excellent opportunities for bird watching.
Day
10 Bandhavgarh Morning and afternoon game viewing.
Day
11 Bandhavgarh to Kanha Morning game viewing. Afternoon drive by
road to Kanha, a journey of about four to five hours. Overnight at the Wild
Chalets Lodge for three nights (Std room)
Kanha's beautiful
landscape reminds you of the Jungle Book. Indeed it was the beautiful
forests near here that inspired Rudyard Kipling to write the classic book.
The park is noted for Langur, Sambar, Chital, Barking Deer, Blackbuck, Wild
Boar and Gaur. Predators include Leopard, Wild Dog and, of course, Tiger.
One of the finest national parks in South Asia, the forests of
Kanha harbour a rich assortment of wildlife including the Tiger, Leopard,
Hyena, Wild Dog, Gaur, Sambar, Black buck, Swamp Deer, Wild Boar, Langur,
Sloth Bear, Ratel, and Rhesus Monkey. The park covers 940 sq km and is one
of the first Project Tiger reserves.
Your stay will be at the
Kipling Camp, run by old India hand Bob Wright, who also manages the
impeccable Tollygunje Club in Calcutta,
Day 12 &
13 Kanha Morning and evening game viewing. Besides large animals,
Kanha is also an excellent place to watch birds including the Painted
Partridge, Shaheen Falcon and Golden Oriole.
Day
14 Kanha to Delhi Morning game viewing. Afternoon transfer to
Jabalpur railway station for train 2411 Gondwana Express to Delhi, departing
at 1540 hours and arriving at 0720 hours. Overnight on the train.
Day
15 Delhi Transfer to your hotel The Park where room will be
available.
It is believed that Delhi has been rebuilt seven times with
the ruins of one city becoming the foundations for the next. The Mughals
ruled here from 12th century. The British captured it in 1803 reducing the
Mughal rulers to puppet kings, and in 1911 founded New Delhi, which became
the capital of independent India in 1947.
The sun warmed stones of
ancient forts, tombs, mosques and palaces lie scattered across its sprawling
expanse, a reminder of an almost continuous settlement along the Yamuna
River.
Day 16 Delhi to London Depart
from London to Delhi with British Airways on flight BA142 at 0325 hours.
