Tigers and Thalis

This independent India tour starts off when you arrive in Delhi, you’ll be collected by your private driver and taken to your hotel. The hotel options you can choose from are either a hotel situated about half an hour’s drive from the airport or a charming hotel in Central Delhi, and ideal base to explore both the spice markets of Chandi Chowk and the modern bars of Connaught Place. Here, you can catch your breath and rest after your flight. In both hotels, you’ll have a comfortable room with a private en-suite bathroom.
 

Today your independent India tour takes you on a guided tour of this remarkable city, visiting the City Palace, the Observatory and the fairy-tale Palace of the Winds (Hawa Mahal). In the afternoon, you’ll visit the imposing Amber Fort that lies just outside the city limits. From the battlements of the Amber Fort, you’ll have a wonderful view of the rocky hills and the smaller walls and forts constructed by the Rajputs and the Mughals in the area.

The City Palace and the Palace of the Winds both stand in the ancient quarter of the city. The City Palace has several beautiful museums with fascinating collections. If you see the flag flying, it means that the Maharaja is in residence. The Palace of the Winds is a world-famous, pyramid-shaped building with dozens of windows. This is where the women of the royal harem could watch the processions in the street below, unseen by the masses.

Today is the day on your independent India tour where you will be able to see the tigers of India, you’ll depart from Jaipur and travel by car to Sawai Madhopur, near to Ranthambore. Here, you'll stay in a rustic resort set in beautiful landscape with rolling gardens. You stay in a lovely luxury safari tent with attached bathroom (non a/c). The owner will have plenty of suggestions for fun activities during your stay. Towards the end of the day, your local guide will take you to Ranthambore Fort, a massive structure full of chattering monkeys and bright green parrots. The jeep will stop to let the locals offer some souvenirs and you can support the tiger project by buying a memento (if you choose). 

Note: If you're travelling on your independent India tour in May or June, when temperatures in this area reach their highest point, you'll stay in a safari hotel with air-conditioning rather than a tent.  
 

Today, you’ll set off at sunrise in a truck-based 20-seater Canter (just ask our travel specialists if you would prefer a jeep upgrade) on the first safari of your independent India tour. This is the time of day when there are often a few tigers of India stalking around the lakes for a morning drink so, with a little luck, you’ll spot one during the safari. Even without tigers, the trip over the sand tracks of Ranthambore is an enchanting experience at dawn. There are magnificently atmospheric views of the lakes, lined with all kinds of animals lapping up the glassy water. From time to time, you’ll get a glimpse of the nostalgic hideouts of the maharajas through the undergrowth.

At the end of the morning your independent India tour returns to your hotel for lunch. The afternoon is is free to do as you please before your evening safari. 

 

This independent India tour sets off from Ranthambore late in the morning and hopefully you would have spotted at least one of the tigers of India. After breakfast you’ll be taken back to the Pink City of Jaipur by private air-conditioned car arriving in the early evening and spend another 2 nights in the welcoming family-run hotel.

    

On day 8, your independent India tour will take you from Jaipur to Shekawati (around 3 hours). The roads will become smaller and dustier as you approach. Shekawati lies in the North East of Rajasthan. It would be little more than a desolate, swirling desert region if the Marwari merchants had not decided to settle here to trade with the passing caravans. These merchants proudly built intricate houses with romantic courtyards and grand galleries. Once their houses were complete, they asked local artists to decorate them with exquisite murals and colourful frescoes. In some towns, greedy hustlers have stripped these wonderful panels, but in other areas they can still be seen in all their glory. During your trip in Rajasthan, you’ll stay in charming and very comfortable resort made of stylish and fully furnished clay huts with a swimming pool. You will also head off on a camel ride to explore nearby villages during your stay. Here, you can enjoy the peace of this idyllic spot, worlds away from the crowded chaos of the cities on your holiday in India.

It's day nine of your Independent India tour and this morning, you’ll take a guided walk through the old town of Nawalgarh. You'll be welcomed into the artistically decorated havelis to see how the owners live in an open-air museum of quirky paintings. Colourful, bizarre artwork can be found on walls, ceilings, pillars and galleries. Each haveli is completely unique. The local people rely on tourism and you can support their community by buying a small memento (if you choose).

After a tasty lunch, you could set off on foot to explore the local rural lanes or book an Indian cookery class with the family. They also offer Rajasthani tie-dye classes and bangle making at the eco-lodge, just be sure to request these extras on arrival. Or you can just relax at the lodge and enjoy the peace and quiet.

This morning, your independent India tour departs Jaipur as you head east towards Galta, a secluded mystical spot that will leave a lasting impression on you. The Monkey Temple here is a pilgrimage site that attracts flocks of brightly-robed devotees every day. The stream that trickles out of the rocks here is reputed to be water from the holy River Ganges, although this is geographically impossible. People bathe and sing on the steps (ghats) that lead down into the pools. Their voices echo through the rocky gorge, which opens into a wider valley dotted with temples that have been overrun with monkeys. This is an exhilarating sight.

After Galta, your journey continues with another 3hour drive before arriving in Bharatpur. The Singh family used this region as their hunting grounds, and the scenery is breathtaking. If you like, you can pedal through Bharatpur on a ‘sturdy’ Indian bike (cycle hire costs around $4).
 

There are hundreds of rare birds in the Bharatpur wetlands, such as the rare Siberian crane. Currently, there are several tigers here which have travelled from Ranthambore National Park. It’s unlikely that you will get the chance see them, but keep your eyes peeled all the same.

A few kilometres further on in your independent India tour you will come to the stunning Fatehpur Sikri. The great ruler Akbar set up his capital here and built a grand city, but after only 40 years the water supply became too difficult to maintain in this dry area, so all of the inhabitants packed up and moved on. They left behind a phenomenal collection of grand temples and palaces, with the ruins of old houses standing between them. Now it is an atmospheric ghost city, full of green parrots and monkeys.We’ll arrange for a guide to lead you through the forgotten city, and tell you the stories behind the monuments.

After visiting Fatehpur Sikri the next stop of your independent India tour is Agra where you have two nights at a clean and comfortable hotel on the heart of Agra. 

After breakfast you will begin one of the highlights of this independent India tour as you set off to visit another two breathtaking sites. First, your driver will take you to the Taj Mahal, a highlight of any trip to India. Standing serenely in the first light of the morning, we are sure that this stunning building will surpass all your expectations. It is one of the few buildings in the world that has the ability to move people. It was built by Shah Jahan as a token of his love for his deceased wife, and is undoubtedly the most romantic burial site in the world. After visiting the Taj Mahal, you’ll head for Agra Fort. This huge but restrained structure seems to be immersed in a dreamy atmosphere when it’s bathed in the golden light of late afternoon, which slants through the pillars and galleries. From its majestic walls and through its arches, you can see the Taj Mahal, just as Shah Jahan would have done centuries ago, when he was imprisoned here by his son. After this exciting morning your driver will take you back to your hotel where you have the whole afternoon at your own leisure.

 

This morning you need to make your own way to the train station to catch the train from Agra Central Station at about 8am on its way to Jhansi. After about 2½ hours (give or take a little in India), the train arrives into Jhansi where your driver will meet you at the station who will take you to Orchha (about 16 km away). Orchha is a charming small town of only 9000 residents and it is one of the few places in India that you can easily wander about without being approached by beggars or touts. The town is renowned for its breathtaking Ram Raja Temple, Chaturbhuj Temple and Lakshmi Narayan Temple. In the afternoon of this independent India tour you are able to have some time to relax and explore the town at your own pace.

On day 14 of your independent India tour your driver will take you to the tranquil town of Khajuraho. In the afternoon, you are able to explore the western temples of Khajuraho, principally known for their erotic images from the Kama Sutra. The temples are about 1000 years old and they are still in incredibly good condition, even though there are only 22 of the original 85 temples still left. The hotel we have selected for the night is set in 4 acres of quiet grounds.

Today your independent India tour takes you to the little town of Satna to catch the train to the city of Varanasi on the River Ganges. The train leaves about 8.15am so it’s a pretty early start, but you’ll arrive in Varanasi a little after 4pm. The journey takes about 8 hours. When you arrive in Varanasi, you will be greeted and transferred to a charming hotel that lies right on the banks of the river. The Ganges is flanked by a series of ‘ghats’ – broad stone staircases leading down to the water – that stretch into the horizon. Each ghat has its own significance. The hotel stands close to the Assi Ghat, towards the south of the town, which is used by pilgrims during a special pilgrimage route called 'Panchatirthi Yatra'.

Its an early start to the day with a early morning boat trip on the Ganges at dawn. This is an extremely special experience and you cannot help but soak up the intensely spiritual atmosphere passing through pilgrims of all ages and classes as they perform their ritual bathing just before sunrise. After the boat trip, there's a guided walk through the old centre of Varanasi. Watch out for the holy cows in the narrow alleyways.

In the afternoon on this independent India tour you’ll head for the small town of Sarnath, which is not far from Varanasi. Sarnath is another place of pilgrimage, this time for the Buddhists. It was here that Buddha gave his first lecture. After his enlightenment in Bodhgaya, Buddha came to Sarnath to preach about the Middle Way of reaching Nirvana. After this, the religious ruler Ashoka built an enormous stupa (temple) and several Buddhist monasteries to commemorate the teaching. Each Buddhist country in the world now has its own temple, which often makes the place seems like a World Expo is being held. In contrast, the village itself is small, with a feeling of tranquillity. When are finished exploring the town of Sarnath your driver will take you back to your hotel in Varanasi.  
 

On day 17 of your independent India tour you have the day is free to explore. Life and death rubs shoulders here like nowhere else on earth, and the experience is very inspiring. Seeing a cremation take place on the ‘burning ghats’ is something that you will remember forever. Next to the cremation ghat, you’ll find kids playing cricket, cows nosing through rubbish, and women beating laundry on rocks. Then, in the evening, you will be transferred from your hotel to the railway station for your overnight journey to Delhi.






 

After a unique, if bumpy, night on the train you arrive into Delhi early in the morning and your independent India tour ends here. If you have time to spare in Delhi, you can use today to explore the crowded, narrow alleyways of Old Delhi spice market, the stately Humayan’s Tomb, the greenery of Lodi Gardens, the informative Gandhi Museum and the modern bars of Connaught Place. Otherwise, you can simply make your way to the airport for your flight home to Australia after seeing the highlights of North India and of course the famous tigers of India.