MAHARAJAS, MOGHULS & THE MARIGOLD HOTEL - A Trip Of A Lifetime To The Fascinating Moghul Heartlands Of Northern India – 16 days (including 15 dinners, 6 lunches, numerous excursions & many specially arranged and highly memorable experiences)

Agra’s magnificent ‘monument to love’, the Taj Mahal • Delhi’s Jama Masjid Mosque, Gandhi Memorial, Old City Bazaars, New Delhi Government Buildings, Humayun’s Tomb & Qutub Minar Tower • Jaipur’s City Palace, Jantar Mantar Observatory, Bazaars and Galtaji, Birla, & Moti Dungari Temples • Amber Fort & Elephant Sanctuary • The Principality Of Samode • Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary • Fatehpur Sikri • Agra’s Taj Mahal, Red Fort & Cantonment Area • Orchha Fort • Khajuraho’s Temples • Evening Prayer Ceremonies On The Banks Of The Ganges • A Boat Tour Of Varanasi’s Ghats • The Buddhist Pilgrimage Destination Of Sarnath

Welcome To India! (From A Varanasi Holy Man Devoted To Shiva)

An Overview India offers its visitors one of the richest, most ancient, and most colourful cultural legacies of the world. Successive waves of civilization have flourished there, several of the world’s great religions have been born there, and architectural, cultural, religious and language traditions have all cross-fertilised there to produce wondrous new hybrids. It is also a country to which we are intimately tied, having traded with it and governed it in various ways for hundreds of years. Moreover, our language has infused its culture to such an extent that in a country of many, many languages and dialects, it is English that is deployed as a unifying ‘lingua franca’ across its vast length and depth. This itinerary seeks to comprehensively explore its Hindu, Moslem, and Christian cultural legacies offering something of an immersion in all that its highly fertile northern plains have to offer. India’s ‘Golden Triangle’ of Delhi, Agra & Jaipur forms the ‘jewel in the crown’ of this arrangement and yet so much more is offered besides. In Jaipur we offer a ‘live like a Maharaja’ experience in addition to the standard sightseeing (including the City Palace, Amber Fort, and the Royal Observatory). Our ‘Marigold Hotel’ in Jaipur is the aristocratic mansion in Jaipur of the former royal family of Diggi (Diggi Palace), where members of the family still live to this day. Highlights of our stay there will include an introductory yoga lesson, shopping for Indian clothes, a henna workshop, a VIP reception featuring mounted horsemen and traditional dancers, garlanding, a cultural show in the royal reception hall, a candle-lit private dinner, and a brief introduction to members of the princely family. En route to Jaipur we will also enjoy a visit to the palace of the Rao of Patan, where we shall lunch having been transported thereto in camel carts. In Agra we will not only visit the treasure that is the Taj Mahal and the imposing Agra Fort but we will also visit the British colonial Cantonment area for an understanding as to how life was during the British Raj. Our guide there will be a resident of the Cantonment. The son of a Sikh army officer. And we will all enjoy tea at the British colonial bungalow where he lives with his mother. In Delhi we naturally visit the magnificent Mall where the British colonial government buildings were constructed, the Jama Masjid mosque, Humayun’s Tomb, and the Qutub Minar tower. However, we also take a fascinating spin around Old Delhi in a pedal rickshaw. The only way to comfortably integrate oneself within its intoxicating throng. Beyond the Golden Triangle other delights await. We leave the Golden Triangle for example on the Shatadbi Express, an Indian high speed train that carries us into a deeper, more frozen-in-time, less affected-by-the-West, rural India. Our first destination is Orchha, the unspoilt capital of an ancient Hindu kingdom that once supplied troops to the Mughal Empire. Off and away from the mass tourism trail, Orchha offers a vision of a rural India that moves at a far slower pace than the major cities. Its faded grandeur is somehow haunting, non-‘developed’, enchantingly peaceful and authentic-feeling. Magnificent abandoned buildings form the backdrop to a relatively modest community of relatively modest means. Our next stop, Khajuraho, contains many wonderful examples of traditional Hindu temple architecture, adorned with thousands of magnificent sculptures of international renown (including a number that are surprisingly erotic). Finally we head for ‘deeply spiritual India’ in the form of a stay in Varanasi, the holiest city on India’s mother goddess river, the Ganges. We will twice take to the river in boats in Varanasi , once at sunset, to witness the spectacular priest-led evening prayers, and once at dawn, to absorb the river’s unique ambience at that time. We will also visit Sarnath whilst in Varanasi, the location at which Buddha began his teaching, and today a major pilgrimage site for Buddhists.

An Elephant Taxi At Amber Fort

Throughout our journey you will enjoy opportunities both to view Indian wildlife and occasionally to interact with it. Most notable in this respect will be our day with Elephants in Jaipur. On the morning of that day we will ride a convoy of elephants in regal procession from the edge of the town of Amber to the summit of the hill on which Amber Fort sits. Then, following our visit to the fort, we shall call at an elephant sanctuary to learn about elephants, feed them, pet them, paint them with natural dyes, and should we wish, ride them or walk with them. Monkeys meanwhile will make multiple appearances. In Jaipur they can be frequently seen skitting across the rooftops or stealing fruit from vendors. Where we’ll undoubtedly see them in greatest numbers however is during our visit to Galtaji Temple in the mountains above Jaipur, where they are so profuse that it is known as ‘The Monkey Temple’. India’s kings of the jungle, its tigers, can be pursued on an optional early morning jeep safari that explores the scenic Panna National Park, located fairly close to Khajuraho (I was lucky enough to see one during my research visit to Panna in January this year). Exotic birds meanwhile will be encountered in large numbers during our included tour of the Bharatpur Nature Reserve. Parrots will be seen flitting from tree to tree in many places. Personally I regard this tour as an optimal arrangement, offering far far more in terms of inclusions and experiences than most standard tours. Unfortunately there is simply not enough space available in this advertising to describe all that participants will see, do, and experience. I very much hope that you will feel tempted to join us and participate in ‘the trip of a lifetime’.

Traditional Dancing At The Diggi Palace Hotel

A Fascinating Khajuraho Temple Carving

Our Itinerary Day 1: PM Depart London Heathrow on an overnight flight to Delhi. Day 2: AM/PM Arrive in Delhi, transfer to the Hotel Suryaa for a 2-night stay, and rest for the remainder of the day. EVE Brief welcome meeting followed by a buffet dinner in the hotel restaurant. Day 3: AM Enjoy a tour of Old Delhi that incorporates Raj Ghat (a parkland memorial to Mahatma Gandhi), Jama Masjid (one of Asia’s largest mosques), and a tour by rickshaw of the atmospheric narrow lanes and alleyways of Chandni Chowk. PM Visit Qutub Minar (the tallest stone victory tower in India), Humayun’s Tomb (a precursor to the Taj Mahal in term of its architecture) and enjoy a drive around the imposing British Raj government buildings of New Delhi. EVE Buffet dinner in the hotel restaurant. Day 4: AM Drive to Patan, near Jaipur, and transfer to a camel cart for a visit to the family residence of the former rulers of Patan (the Patan Mahal) where a buffet lunch will be served. PM Continue to Jaipur and check in to The Diggi Palace for a 4-night stay, our very own ‘Marigold Hotel’. EVE Buffet dinner in the hotel restaurant. Day 5: AM Stop at the Hawa Mahal (or Palace of Winds) for photographs prior to driving to nearby Amber to visit its spectacular fort, once the home of the Maharajas of Jaipur. Ascend to the fort by elephant and return to Amber by jeep. PM Drive to the Elefantastic elephant sanctuary for lunch and an enchanting contact experience with elephants. EVE Buffet dinner in the hotel restaurant. Day 6: AM Visit the Jaipuri royal family’s highly ornate City Palace, (many parts of which today house museums) and the Jantar Mantar, a royal observatory. PM Enjoy free time for shopping in Jaipur’s fascinating bazaars before visiting the ancient Moti Dungari temple and the hugely impressive modern Birla temple. EVE An early evening introduction to simple basic yoga techniques in the Diggi Palace grounds is followed by a buffet dinner. Day 7: AM/PM Enjoy an exploration of the principality of Samode by jeep offering insights into rural village life. One of the Samode royal venues will serve as the location for a traditional lunch. EVE Delight in a further royal reception as a VIP guest to an evening’s dance entertainment in the Diggi Palace Durbar Hall, or VIP reception area. Dinner this evening will be outdoors at the Palace in a private area and by candlelight (subject to weather). Our hosts, members of the family of the Thakur of Diggi, will join us at some stage during the evening. Day 8: AM Depart early morning for the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, a fascinating wetlands area, for a rickshaw tour with a local guide. En route stop for traditional tea break featuring freshly made pakoras. PM After an included lunch in Bharatpur we drive to the hauntingly beautiful abandoned Moghul capital of Fatehpur Sikri to admire Moghul Emperor Akbar’s fascinating attempt to fuse the architectural styles of different traditions and religions. Continue to Agra for a 2-night stay at the Double Tree Hotel. EVE Enjoy a buffet dinner in the hotel restaurant. Day 9: AM After drinking in the indescribable beauty of the Taj Mahal we shall tour Agra’s Red Fort, the opulent stronghold from which for many years the Moghul Empire was governed. PM After lunch at an attractive local restaurant we explore the delightfully serene British colonial area of the city, the Cantonment area. Guided by a member of a local Sikh military family our tour will culminate in tea taken in a colonial residence belonging to his family. EVE Buffet dinner in the hotel restaurant. Day 10: AM Today we travel by rail and coach to the lost in time rural royal city of Orchha where we will check in to the Orchha Palace Hotel for a 1-night stay. PM Following an included lunch we will visit the palatial Orchha Fort complex and the scenically located riverside royal cenotaphs, a wonderful cluster of royal memorials. EVE A visit to witness evening prayers at the town’s major temple is followed by a buffet dinner back at the hotel.

Day 11: AM Drive to Khajuraho for a 2-night stay at the Radisson Jass Hotel or similar. PM At leisure to relax and enjoy the hotel facilities. EVE Enjoy a sound & light show at the main temple site (subject to weather conditions) prior to a buffet dinner in the hotel restaurant. Day 12: AM Optional early morning jeep safari to Panna National Park. Explore one of India’s famed tiger reserves with a local naturalist guide. There are unfortunately no guarantees of sightings. However, all the reserves tigers are ‘chipped’ and so the guides do know where to look for them. Success depends on radio signals, where the tigers happen to be, and what they happen to be doing. Tigers or no tigers the scenery is beautiful and ‘other animal species ARE available’. PM A guided tour of both the Eastern and Western groups of Khajuraho temples highlighting the detail and subject matter of their many thousands of wonderful sculptures. EVE Buffet dinner in the hotel restaurant. Day 13: AM At leisure. PM Fly from Khajuraho to Varanasi for a 2-night stay at the Radisson Varanasi or similar. EVE Drive to the Ganges Ghats to witness the dramatic daily sunset prayer ceremony from a boat on the river prior to a buffet dinner at the hotel. Day 14: AM Take an early morning boat tour of the Ghats alongside the Ganges River before returning to the hotel for breakfast. After breakfast an optional walking tour led by a local guide explores the warren of hidden alleyways of one of the oldest parts of the city revealing a ‘raw’ unadulterated Varanasi that very few tourists experience. PM Visit Sarnath, where Buddha embarked upon his lifelong dedication to teaching. One of the world’s major Buddhist pilgrimage destinations, it offers fascinating insights into the beginnings of the world’s various Buddhist traditions. EVE Buffet dinner at the hotel restaurant. Day 15: AM At leisure. PM Fly from Varanasi to Delhi and transfer back to the Hotel Suryaa for a final 1-night stay. EVE Enjoy a farewell buffet dinner in the hotel restaurant. Day 16: AM Transfer to Delhi airport for your return flight home.

The Main Courtyard At Amber Fort

The Diggi Palace Zenana (Former Women’s Quarters) Your Accommodation Although many of the hotels utilized for this itinerary achieve a 5-star rating according to Indian standards a more accurate description might be that they all achieve very good European 4-star standards, and generally offer noticeably more space than European hotels. The unusual hotel in the mix for this holiday is the Diggi Palace Hotel. This is classified in India as a Heritage hotel. This classification acknowledges the difficulty in comparing historic buildings with new builds. Generally speaking, Heritage hotels offer wonderfully atmospheric surroundings of Indian character through and through. Their architecture and protected status however in many cases prevent them from offering the contemporary functionality and standardised bedroom qualities of new-build hotels. They are however wonderful places in which to enjoy authentic Indian experiences. The stand-out features of the Diggi Palace are its beautiful gardens (with resident peacocks), its ornately decorated Durbar Hall (in which we shall enjoy our VIP Gala Night), the opportunities it offers for outdoor eating, and the various Indian experiences that it facilitates and to which it adds additional charm (we for example are enjoying an introduction to yoga and an introduction also to body painting using henna). For a feeling as to how India might have been during the British Raj, the Diggi Palace can’t be bettered.

Inclusions Prices based on sharing a twin room Supplement for a single room Included within the price of the tour: Return flights from London Heathrow, all air taxes, 15 nights hotel accommodation as described, all coach, train, boat & air transportation described within the itinerary, all itinerary content described as included above (including all entrances when described as inclusions), 15 dinners & 6 lunches, the services of a local English-speaking guide throughout, the services of a Personal Touch Holidays tour manager throughout, bottled drinking water during all coach journeys. Not included within the price of the tour: an Indian visa (obtainable on line), the optional Panna National Park jeep safari, the optional Bazaars & Hidden Alleyways walking tour in Varanasi, tips (guidelines will be issued before the tour), still & video camera fees at monuments.

The Orchha Royal Cenotaphs OnThe Betwa River Holiday Insurance

Age at date of travel 16 days Optional excess waiver 18 – 65 years £ 58.95 £6.58 66 – 74 years £ 94.95 £6.58 75 – 79 years £134.95 £6.58 80 years and over £140.95 £6.58

Premiums valid until 31.10.18

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RH14 9HW. For further details or advice, please contact Personal Touch Holidays on 01403 786200 or e-mail us at office@personaltouchhholidays.com

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