I'm so excited! Young and I leave in a couple of weeks for India! We had our travel consultation doctor's appointment today. 2 shots in each arm, typhoid and malaria pills, and $700 later, we left the doctor's office. Ouch!
We leave Austin on Jan 26 and will arrive in Mumbai the evening of Jan 27. We will be in Mumbai until Sat Feb 2nd when we will leave for 2 weeks vacation to explore India. I have attached our itinerary.
Feb 2nd: Mumbai – Cochin (Kochi) – Backwaters cruise. Your domestic air tickets are couriered to your Mumbai hotel. Board the mid-morning flight to Cochin on your own. Arrive at Cochin and you are greeted at the airport by an ETI facilitator and then ushered to a waiting vehicle and its driver. The next few days plans are briefly reviewed and the facilitator hands over travel documents such as your hotel vouchers to you. You drive to Alleppey & board your houseboat. Relax and have a great time till the next morning as you cruise the amazing backwaters. The cook and other staff make sure that all your needs are taken care of, while serving you with delicious Kerala cuisine.
Feb 3rd: Backwaters – Periyar. Disembark from houseboat in the morning and proceed on a drive to Periyar National Park. Arrive at Thekkady in the early afternoon. Check into your lodge. Periyar wildlife sanctuary is located around a picturesque artificial lake that was formed in 1895 by building a dam on the Periyar River. The terrain is hilly and the elevation of the park ranges from a few hundred feet to about 6000 feet above sea level. The lake occupies the valleys of the thickly forested hills, serving as a permanent source of water for wildlife in the Park. Although it falls under “Project Tiger”, the main attractions of the park are definitely Elephants. Periyar is home to just under a thousand elephants and also over 60 other mammal species including tigers, bison, deer, wild boar, and wild dog. There are over 300 species of birds, and even 160 species of butterflies. Prominent among the birds are Cormorants, Kingfishers, Darters, the great Malabar Hornbill, and the racket-tailed Drongoes.
Late afternoon – Enjoy an boat cruise on Periyar Lake and observe wildlife.
Feb 4th: Periyar. Start your day with a guided tour of a spice plantation.
Afternoon - visit a scenic village that lies hidden in the valley behind the mountains of Periyar Tiger Reserve.You will travel in a bullock cart and the ancient local boat, a Coracle. The village is rich in bird diversity and has diverse agricultural crops such as mango, tamarind, onion, sunflower, jasmine and dozens of other fruits and vegetables. The village will take your breath away when the guides start to interpret how farming has woven itself inextricably with the culture and the life of the natives. Return to your Lodge in the evening.
Feb 5th: Periyar – Cochin. Check out of your hotel in the morning and drive back to Cochin. Arrive at Cochin in the afternoon and check in to your hotel.Evening - Drive to watch a Kathakali dance (the art of storytelling through dance) performance. After the show, you are driven to dinner with a famous Keralan chef and her family at their home. A cooking lesson is included.
Feb 6th: Cochin – Udaipur. Check out from your hotel in the morning and proceed on a City Tour of Cochin. The tour begins from the Jewish Synagogue (closed on Fridays & Saturdays) built in 1568. Next to the synagogue is Kochi’s fascinating Jew Street, with it’s collection of antique stores and other reminders of a past that has pretty much disappeared from this area.
Also visit the St. Francis Church, established by the Portuguese Franciscan friars in 1503. Vasco Da Gama was buried in the courtyard of this European church, one of the first built in India. Visit the Chinese fishing nets. More than a century old and still in use, they are a great part of this tour.
Afternoon - Board the flight to Mumbai. Connect with the flight to Udaipur.
Feb 7th: Udaipur. Enjoy a city tour, including a tour of the City Palace. At this Palace complex, explore the gorgeous rooms with mirrored walls and ivory doors, windows with colored glass, inlaid marble balconies and the peacock courtyard. Visit the temple of the Sun God and be amazed by its erotic sculptures. You also visit the lovely Sahelion-ki-bari gardens and the local Museum.Check in to your hotel.
There is a break for lunch.Late afternoon - cruise on Lake Pichola and visit Jag Mandir.Udaipur is famous for its artists and paintings, including exquisite miniatures
Feb 8th: Udaipur –Jaipur. Fly to Jaipur in the morning. Arrive at Jaipur and proceed for a city tour of the walled city of Jaipur, including the magnificent City Palace. Visit the unique Jantar Mantar magnificent stone observatory built by Raja Jai Singh in 1728. View the ‘Hawa Mahal’ (Palace of the Wind), the intriguing facade built in 1799 to allow royal ladies to view the city and bazaar from the windows. Continue the tour to visit the City Palace, the former royal residence (a part of it is still occupied by the Royal family and is not accessible to the public), built in a blend of Rajasthani and Mughal architectural styles. This immense complex also houses a number of museums that offer a large and impressive collection of miniature paintings, costumes, and armory. Check in to your hotel after the tour.Jaipur is famous for its carpets, jewelry, & handicrafts.
Evening – Watch the show at your hotel and then drive to have dinner with an Traditional Rajasthani family at their home. Or drive to a cultural show and dinner.
Feb 9th: Jaipur. Start your day with an excursion to Amber Fort & Palace, located 12 kilometers from the center of the City. Arrive at the complex well before 9 a.m. so as to be able to partake in the elephant back ascent. The Fort was originally built by Raja Mansingh and is one of the finest examples of Rajput architecture. Enjoy the ascent to the palace on the back of a brightly caparisoned elephant. Visit the chambers and hallways of the Palace which are famous for their design and decorations.From here you will proceed on a drive to Samode for sightseeing and a camel back (or camel cart) safari through local villages. Please bear in mind that there are no sand dunes in this area.
Enjoy a Rajasthani lunch (included) at the Samode Palace.A guided tour of Samode Palace and the other monuments in the area is included. Drive back to Jaipur in the late afternoon.
Feb 10th: Jaipur – Agra. Check out from the hotel in the morning and proceed on a drive to Agra. Stop at Fatehpur Sikri for a tour. This deserted, red sandstone city, built by Emperor Akbar, between 1570 and 1585, is a haunting reminder of its brief and glorious past. Visit the towering Bulund Darwaza (The Gate of Victory), which is set in the south wall. In the northern part of the courtyard is the superb white marble tomb of Shaik Salim Chishti, built in 1570.Arrive at Agra in the afternoon and check in to your hotel.
Late afternoon - Visit one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the incomparable Taj Mahal. The world’s greatest monument dedicated to love, the Taj Mahal was built by Emperor Shah Jahan in 1653 AD as a memorial to his beloved queen, Mumtaz Mahal. This pure white marble mausoleum took 22 years and 22,000 craftsmen to build.Tour the amazing monument and its surroundings till it is time to admire the sun’s rays setting on the Taj Mahal’s façade.
Agra is famous for its marble art & manufacturing of the same.
Feb 11th: Agra – Delhi – Haridwar. Check out from your hotel in the morning and visit the original red sandstone fort in North India, the Agra Fort. It was built in 1565 by Emperor Akbar, the greatest Mughal ruler of India. Its maze of courtyards, marble mosque, and private chambers all serve as reminders of the grandeur of the Mughal Empire.
From here proceed on a drive to Delhi station to board the late afternoon (3:30 pm) express train – four hour journey - to Haridwar. Arrive at Haridwar and transfer to your room overlooking the Ganga at the Haveli.
Feb 12th: Haridwar. Temple visit (Visit to Mansa Devi, Chandi Temple, and Daksha Mandir in Kankhal. Maya Devi Temple, one of the 52 Shaktipeethas revered by Hindus as the sites where the body parts of Sati fell. This temple dates back to the 11th century.Afternoon - Visit the Various Ghats of Haridwar and interact with local priests.
Ghats – endless stone steps sweep imperiously down to the water’s edge. These steps are the legendary Ghats of Haridwar. Every Ghat has a story to tell. Sit on the Ghat and watch life go by. Hindu rituals are rendered particularly sacred if performed at the Ghats of Haridwar. A newborn is named at a Namkaran ceremony and a young boy gets his head shaved at his Mundan ceremony. Newly weds throw garlands into the river. But the ones performed most frequently are the rites for the dead - Shradh and Pindadaan
Evening - consultation with an astrologer
1800 Hrs: Har Ki Pauri - Attend the Evening Arti Ceremony at Har Ki Pauri - Offerings can be arranged for you to perform the Arti.1900 Hrs: Evening Arti - Har-Ki-Pauri (“Footsteps of the God”) is the main Ghat, with bridges and walkways connecting smaller islands in the riverbed. Popular legend says that Lord Vishnu left his footprint at Har-ki-Pauri. Besides bathing at this site, the most spectacular view here is the Ganga Arti in the evening. Thousands of earthen lamps are floated in the water, which glitters like gold in the darkness.1930 Hrs: Religious Discourse
Feb 13th: Haridwar – Rishikesh - Haridwar. Experience a full day at Rishikesh with your guide and vehicle. Tour the various Temples, Ashrams, & Ghats of Rishikesh. Return to your hotel in the evening.
Feb 14th: Haridwar – Delhi – International. Check out of the Haveli and board the early morning (6:15 am) express train – five hour journey - to Delhi. Arrive at Delhi in the afternoon and check in to your hotel.
There is a break for lunch.Afternoon - Start your exploration of India with a city tour of New Delhi that begins with a drive past Safdarjang’s Tomb (1753 AD) while driving to the Qutab Minar (1193 A.D.) which is a striking medieval tower of victory of Persian architectural style and is 73 m high. Within the Qutab complex, amidst the ruins of Quwat-ul-Islam mosque, stands the Iron pillar which has stood the vagaries of weather and has not rusted over 1500 years. Later, visit the Tomb Moghul Emperor Humayun and then drive through Lutyens New Delhi which includes the Embassy area (Diplomatic enclave), Government buildings, India Gate, a golden domed Sikh Temple (Bangla Sahib Gurudwara), Birla Temple and Connaught Place, which is New Delhi’s main shopping area.
Feb 15th: Delhi – International flight. Check out from your hotel by noon. After early lunch, proceed for a city tour of Old Delhi that includes visits to the Jama Masjid (1650 AD) which is the largest mosque in India, and the amazing Red Fort (1639-48) which was the seat of the Moghul Empire for more than 250 years. Enjoy a rickshaw ride along the alleys of the ancient bazaar at Chandni Chowk. Visit the bird hospital (located at of the Digambara Jain Temple opposite the entrance to the Red Fort) at the east end of Chandni Chowk. You also visit the cremation site of Mahatma Gandhi (Raj Ghat).
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