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Thursday, 8 January 2009
Meet at Heathrow Terminal 3 at 1745 to check in for the Jet Airways flight at 2045 to…
Included: flight, meal on flight. Not included: travel to Heathrow.
Friday, 9 January 2009
…Delhi, arriving at 1100. After immigration, we’ll be met and taken by coach on the three hour journey to Jaipur, where our hotel rooms will be ready. There will be a stop on the way at an Indian village for photography. We’ll be staying at the Mansingh hotel, close to the city walls.
After dinner, Graham Whistler will give a presentation covering the basics of digital photography, using examples from his own collection.
Today’s specialist subject: Village life
Included: air travel, meals on flight, dinner, accommodation. Not included: other meals, incidentals.
Saturday, 10 January 2009
After a leisurely breakfast, we’ll have a gentle walking tour of the centre of Jaipur, the Pink City. There are colourful bazaars, impressive buildings in the local pink sandstone, an amazing Observatory, with a sundial (thirty feet high) accurate to twenty seconds, the famous Palace of the Winds, and museums and palaces to visit. There will be time in the late afternoon to visit the attractions of your choice.
Today’s specialist subject: City life
Included: breakfast, walking tour, admission to the Observatory and the City Palace. Not included: other meals and sightseeing, incidentals.
Sunday, 11 January 2009
We’ll need a fairly early start to go to Amber, a local Palace built high on one of the surrounding hills. We hope we’ll be able to take an elephant ride from the ‘base station’ up the 200 feet to the Palace entrance. There is a magnificent reception, the ‘Hall of Public Audience’, a Hall of mirrors and superb views of the surrounding mountains, and the lake below. We’ll then take the coach for a four-hour journey down good roads (with lunch at an excellent roadside ‘dhaba’) to our next base in Agra, aiming to arrive in time to see the Taj Mahal at sunset. Our hotel is the Clarks Shiraz, always a popular choice. There’s plenty of choice for dinner – the posh restaurant on the hotel’s top floor (with a resident magician!) or the reasonable and interesting ‘Riao’ restaurant two doors down.
Today’s specialist subject: Historic palace
Included: breakfast, coach transfers, elephant ride (if available), Amber Palace visit, accommodation. Not included: other meals, incidentals.
Monday, 12 January 2009
A full day in Agra. The Taj Mahal is a must, of course, and we can experience its moods and apparent colour changes through the day. Agra’s Red Fort is also well worth a visit, and is full of history – and fantastic views. Jehangir’s Palace within the Fort is wonderful. There may even be some free time to wander through the town, and see some of the great inlaid marble for sale here!
Today’s specialist subject: New views of an icon
Included: breakfast, local transport to the Taj Mahal, admission to the Taj Mahal and Red Fort. Not included: other meals, incidentals.
Tuesday, 13 January 2009
After breakfast, the coach will take us on the 125 mile journey to Delhi, calling at the fortified deserted city of Fatehpur Sikri (Akbar’s capital city, which only lasted from 1571 to 1585), and the sacred Krishna temples at Vrindavan. In Delhi, we’ll be staying in the Dolph Inn, a small hotel close to the River Yamuna in the south of the city.
Today’s specialist subject: Religious sites with tact
Included: breakfast, coach travel, admission to Fatehpur Sikri and Vrindavan temples, dinner, accommodation. Not included: other meals, incidentals.
Wednesday, 14 January 2009
We’ll show you the best of Delhi! After breakfast, we’ll take a tour including Chandni Chowk bazaar, the government buildings and Rajpath, India Gate, the National Museum, Q’tub Minar tower and Humayan’s Tomb. You may even want to do a little shopping! For dinner, we’ll arrange a dance display, and a very good Indian meal at the famous Chor Bizarre restaurant.
Today’s specialist subject: Life in the capital
Included: breakfast, coach tour, admission to attractions mentioned. dinner, accommodation Not included: other meals, other sightseeing, incidentals.
Thursday, 15 January 2009
We’ll need to be at the airport for 0900 to catch the 1010 flight to Bagdogra, Siliguri’s airport at the foot of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, arriving at 1215. We’ll be met, and taken by coach to the Cindrella Hotel for lunch, and then on for the two hour drive to Jaldapara Wildlife Reserve. Accommodation here is in the basic but comfortable Tourist Lodge in the Reserve.
Included: breakfast, coach travel, flight, dinner, accommodation. Not included: other meals, incidentals.
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