Legendary Rajasthan
India - By Air with Optional Corbett Private Air Safari Extension
Departure Dates:
- Nov 06, 2009 - Nov 17, 2009
Departure Dates
- November 06, 2009
Trip Summary
Explore northern India's exotic wildlife, architectural splendor and ancient cultures. Beginning in Delhi we'll traverse cities, villages and countryside to capture remarkable Rajasthan from every angle. You'll be awed by elegant palaces and impressive forts one day, and enjoy elephant polo in the hills another. Extend your visit with a private air safari to Corbett National Park and game drives in search of tigers and Asiatic elephants. Spectacular accomodations range from a private luxury tented camp to an exclusive palace owned by Jodhpur's royal family.
Highlights
- View the majestic Taj Mahal at sunrise.
- Delight at the brightly painted elephants at an elephant polo match.
- Discover a private, tented camp in rural Rajasthan where you'll enjoy game drives and visit local villages.
- Stay at an exclusive 17th century property hosted by members of the Jodhpur Royal Family.
Itinerary: 11 Days / 10 Nights
Day 1
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2009
Delhi, India
Arrive Delhi tonight. Upon arrival you will be received and taken to your comfortable hotel for the remainder of the night.
Lodging:The Radisson Hotel Delhi
Day 2
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2009
Delhi to Udaipur
Fly to Udaipur where you will be met and taken to your hotel and enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure. In the early evening, take a boat ride around the famous Lake Pichola. After the boat ride, enjoy cocktails while you listen to a presentation on Indian history and culture.
Lodging:Fateh Prakash Palace (B, L)
Day 3
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2009
Udaipur
This morning you will be taken on a morning sightseeing tour of the city. Udaipur, the enchanting City of Dawn, looms up like a vision in white. Visit City Palace, built in 1725, with various palaces inside such as Sheesh Mahal, Moti Mahal, Palace of Krishna, all ornately decorated. Also see Saheliyon Ki Bari - this 'Garden of the Maids of Honour' is a small ornamental pleasure garden, with an elegant lotus pool, gushing fountains, beautiful black marble on the corners of the pool and stunning bougainvilleas covering the wall of the enclosures. Also visit Jagdish Temple. This evening's private dinner takes place on the terrace of Shiv Niwas Palace, overlooking the Lake Pichola.
Lodging:Fateh Prakash Palace (B, L, D)
Day 4
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2009
Udaipur to Narlai
This morning you will be driven to Narlai (approximately 3.5 hours), en-route visiting the famous Jain Temples at Ranakpur and check in to Rawla Narlai, the beautiful heritage hotel. The afternoon is at leisure to enjoy the peaceful surroundings and gardens. You may also have the opportunity of interacting with the Jodhpur Royal family who own Narlai and previously used it as a hunting lodge before converting it to a hotel. A special Cenotaph dinner will take place.
Lodging:Rawla Narlai (B, L, D)
Days 5 - 6
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10 TO WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2009
Narlai, Jodhpur and Rohet Gargh
This morning you will be driven approximately 3 hours to Rohet Gargh, one of the finest heritage hotels in India. Situated on the banks of a lake and set in the midst of rural surroundings, it is a haven of peace and tranquility. Sprawling lawns and manicured gardens, which invite a multitude of birds and dancing peacocks, herald your entry into this oasis where the bird song is the only sound you will hear. In the afternoon you will be taken for a Bishnoi Village Safari. The Bishnoi people are known the world over for their love of animal and plant life, which they protect as a part of their religion. The next morning, you'll be driven to Jodhpur to visit the Mehrangarh Fort, followed by lunch at Umaid Bhawan Palace. The rest of the evening is yours to relax.
Lodging:Rohet Gargh (B, L, D)
Day 7
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2009
Samode
This morning you will be driven to Samode, on the outskirts of Jaipur and check in to your heritage hotel. Samode Palace is a perfect example of Rajput-Moghul architecture. The palace is built on a small hillock and planned in a progression of courtyards of increasing height. The remainder of the day is at leisure to explore the palace, its natural surroundings or Samode village.
Lodging:Samode Palace (B, L, D)
Day 8
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2009
Samode
This morning you will be taken to visit the Amber Fort and City Palace. After lunch at Samode Haveli in Jaipur, return to Samode Palace. Later in the evening, you will be driven to Dera Amer (approximately 20 minutes). Dera Amer is situated behind the hills of the famous Amber Fort. The Camp is located at the foothills of the Aravalli Range and surrounded by the wilderness of a reserved forest with no urban civilization in the vicinity, just a few hamlets housing the local villagers occupied by farming on their fields bordering a pretty lake. A local Rajput family who themselves reside in the area organize elephant polo and safaris in the jungle using their beautiful home and camp as a base. Partake in an Elephant Polo Match, followed by a surprise dinner, within the grounds of the camp, alight with flamed torches. After dinner, return to Samode Palace
Lodging:Samode Palace (B, L, D)
Day 9
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2009
Nimaj to Narlai
This morning you will be driven to Agra. En route, you will visit the deserted Mughal city of Fatehpur Sikri which was built by Emperor Akbar in 1569 and abandoned after fifteen years due to a scarcity of water. See the city's many graceful buildings, which include the Jama Masjid, the Tomb of Salim Chishti and the Panch Mahal. Later continue to Bharatpur, where you will have lunch. Proceed to Agra, where you will be taken to your hotel for check in. Just before sunset, you will be taken to visit the incomparable Taj Mahal. It is a monument of love built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan in 1630 for his Queen Mumtaz Mahal to enshrine her mortal remains. For 22 years, 20,000 men labored day and night to build this masterpiece that has held the world awestruck ever since. Your dinner tonight will be at the hotel in their speciality Indian restaurant, Esphahan.
Lodging:Oberoi Amarvilas (B, L, D)
Day 10
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2009
Agra to Delhi
This morning you will visit the Taj Mahal by sunrise, followed by Agra Fort. Later you will check out of your hotel, and be driven to Delhi (approximately 4 hours). On arrival in Delhi, check in to your hotel and enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure.
Lodging:The Oberoi Delhi (B, L, D)
Day 11
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2009
Delhi
This morning you will be taken on a tour of both Old and New Delhi. Old Delhi pulses with the energy and colour, the hustle and bustle of thronged bazaars and is laced by a maze of narrow lanes which twist and turn between tall, leaning houses full of the sights, sounds and aromas of the Indian sub-continent. You will see the famous Red Fort surrounded by shops, and bazaars, the Jama Masjid with its tapering minarets and wonderful marble domes and the Chandni Chowk. In Old Delhi you will also have an opportunity to enjoy rickshaw ride. New Delhi is a city of wide boulevards which offers ever changing perspectives of Lutyen's landscaped city. It is a city known for its formal parks, magnificent Parliament Building, the Rashtrapati Bhawan (the official residence of the President of India designed by Sir Edwin Lutyen) and India Gate. In New Delhi you will also visit Qutab Minar, the 72.5 meter high tower dating back to 13th century and Humayun's Tomb (built in the 16th century and architecturally the fore runner of the Taj Mahal). Dinner tonight will be at the ThreeSixty° restaurant of the hotel. The restaurant offers an excellent Sushi station, a Yakitori grill, a Wood Fired Oven for Mediterranean fare and a contemporary Tandoor.
Lodging:The Oberoi Delhi (B, L, D)
Day 12
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2009
International Flight Home
Early this morning you will be taken to the international airport for your flight home, or continue on to the Corbett Air Safari, an optional post-trip extension.
Post-Trip Extension: Private Air Safari to Corbett National Park
Price: $5490
Single Supplement: $1370
Day 11
Udaipur to Corbett
In Delhi board a private charter flight to Pantnagar, from where you will be driven to Corbett National Park. Enjoy a short game drive through the park en route to your lodge located in the heart of the park, where you will enjoy comfortable safari tents.
Lodging:Hideaway River Lodge Tented Camp, Corbett (B, D)
Day 12
Corbett National Park
Today provides another opportunity to explore Corbett through morning and afternoon game drives led by experienced naturalists. Although open 4-wheel-drive safari vehicles offer one way to see the park, elephant safaris can take you in search of tigers and other wildlife undisturbed by the noise of a vehicle.
Lodging:Hideaway River Lodge Tented Camp, Corbett (B, L, D)
Day 13
Corbett National Park
If you haven't yet spotted a tiger in Corbett, today brings you another chance with morning and afternoon game drives and elephant-back safaris. Corbett's successful Tiger Conservation Project, started in 1974, has created a reserve where once-dwindling tiger populations have stabilized. The ideal tiger habitats may make them harder to find, but when you see one it is in a more natural setting.
Lodging:Hideaway River Lodge Tented Camp, Corbett (B, L, D)
Days 14 - 15
Corbett to Delhi
This morning take a game drive out of the park to the Pantnagar airstrip where a private charter flight will return you to Delhi. In Delhi you will stay at the five-star Oberoi Delhi hotel for the evening, before departing on international flights home.
Lodging:Oberoi Delhi (B)
Trip Prices
Capacity: This expedition is limited to 22 guests
Program pricing is based on a minimum of 15 participants.
Dates: November 6-17, 2009
Price per person: $10,440 double occupancy, $2,700 single supplement.
Airfare Economy Class: $360 Delhi-Udaipur
Optional Post-Trip Extension Private Air Safari to Corbett National Park:
Price per person, $5,490 double occupancy; $1,370 single supplement
Cost Includes: all accommodations, meals (as indicated as B,L,D in itinerary); drinking water (bottled water not always available), coffee and tea throughout the journey; local brand alcoholic beverages at most group meals and functions, and where permitted by local law. All laundry, where available, at two night stays or more, excluding the tented camps; all activities, tours and transfers as indicated in the itinerary; all entrance fees; services of a Bushtracks expedition leader; professional naturalists in each safari camp, and local tour guides; all gratuities; airport departure taxes in India; porterage of one soft-sided checked bag weighing no more than 30 lbs.; International Travel Insurance Medical Plan including medical evacuation insurance; trip bag and amenity kit.
Cost Does Not Include: International airfare; domestic India airfare; personal expenses such as mini bar and room service charges; drinks at Amarvilas; souvenirs and telephone/fax charges; excess baggage fees; travel and personal insurance, passport, visa and inoculation fees; extra tours, meals and activities not indicated in the itinerary.
Physical Requirements: You must be in good health and prepared for travel in places without medical facilities, be mobile, and able to climb into and out of aircraft and safari vehicles. You should be capable of walking moderate distances at an easy pace and over rough terrain; be able to negotiate uneven steps without handrails; and be able to withstand hard riding four-wheel-drive vehicles on dirt roads or rough, bumpy ground. While India has a somewhat mild climate, weather can get hot and cold with average temperatures ranging between 60 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. In general, you will most enjoy the opportunities these expeditions have to offer if you are willing to dispense with a few Western amenities and travel with flexibility and a spirit of adventure.
International Airfare: Bushtracks would be happy to assist you in making your air arrangements. Itineraries and prices will be supplied upon request.
Deposit and Final Payment: A 20% deposit per person, is due upon confirming your reservation. Final payment is due 14 weeks before departure, upon receipt of invoice, and is payable by check or credit card.
Dates, schedules, program details and costs, given in good faith, and based on information available and in force in September 2008, are subject to change.
Preparing For Your Adventure
At Bushtracks, we believe that being prepared for your adventure makes a world of difference in your ability to savor your travels.
Our experienced team knows just what kind of information you'll find most valuable in your final preparations for the exciting adventure ahead. We'll include much of this in your Expedition Planner and Preparation Package, sent to you before departure. Our knowledgeable staff is on hand to answer any additional questions. So you can know before you go, you'll receive:
Detailed itinerary and typical day on safari. Learn what a "typical day" might look like, even though we all know each day holds a new adventure.
Etiquette and customs highlights. As a guest in any country it is best to be aware of local customs and expected behavior. You'll be privy to critical insights into tactful behavior and overall cultural sensitivities.
Health and insurance information. Bushtracks Expeditions automatically covers you with International Medical Evacuation Insurance and Accident/Sickness Medical Coverage. We'll also send you information on supplemental insurance and a listing of immunization requirements.
Travel tips. Keeping you safe and healthy is our number one priority. We'll help you determine food and water safety, how to avoid sun over-exposure, clothing and packing lists, tips for avoiding motion sickness, local currency exchange suggestions and much more.
Reading lists. To help you prepare for this expedition, we'll send you specially selected field guides and a comprehensive reading list.
Documents. Passport requirements and visa kits with full instructions.
Voucher wallet. Just before departure, you will receive an attractive voucher wallet holding all relevant air tickets and travel vouchers to submit to ground operators for prepaid flights, tours and accommodations.
Contact information. An extensive list of contact information so those at home can be informed on how to reach you.