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Sunday 16 November
We meet at Heathrow’s Terminal 3 at 15:00 to check in for the direct Air India flight at 18:05 to…
Included: flight, meals on flight. Not included: travel to Heathrow, other meals
Monday 17 November
…Bombay, arriving at 08:05. We are met and taken to the West End Hotel, our base for the night. In the afternoon we take a walking tour of this interesting and cosmopolitan city (or you may prefer to relax in the hotel). Included: Flight, meals on flight, transfers, walking tour and accommodation. Not included: Local transport, sightseeing, other meals.
Tuesday 18 November
After breakfast, we take the local bus up to the Nehru Science Centre, where one of the Darjeeling line’s ‘C’ class 4-6-0 locomotives is on display, together with a large display of early cars – many of them British. After this we have a City Tour of Bombay taking in many of the famous sights such as the Gateway to India, etc.
Included: breakfast, museum entry, city tour, accommodation. Not included: other meals, local transport, incidentals
Wednesday 19 November
An early start takes us out on the Deccan Express from Bombay’s famous Victoria Terminus station at 0715 for the 90-minute journey to Neral, the foot of the line up to Bombay’s hill station. We have a steam charter train running up to the interesting town of Matheran, where you have a chance to explore before we return to Neral. We travel back to Bombay by one of the ubiquitous suburban electric multiple units.
Included: Packed breakfast, rail travel, accommodation. Not included: other meals.
Thursday 20 November
After breakfast, we head back to Bombay airport to catch the 12:35 flight to Coimbatore, where we transfer to the Mayura hotel at Mettupalaiyam at the foot of the Nilgiri Rack line up to Ooty. We can walk down to the station to watch the arrival of the steam-hauled service train from Ooty. The hotel is basic, but it’s worth it to be close to the Ooty line.
Included: breakfast, flight, coach transfers, dinner, accommodation. Not included: other meals.
Friday 21 November
The early risers can nip down to the station to see the service train depart at 0710. Our steam-hauled charter train will leave Mettupalaiyam at about 09:30. After a visit to the locomotive shed at Coonoor, we continue on the final stretch up to Ooty itself. A coach takes us to our hotel for the next two nights, the Taj Savoy, reputedly the best hotel in Ooty.
Included: breakfast, rail travel, transfers, accommodation. Not included: other meals.
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