The highlight of this tour is the Elephant Festival and Holi.
We will fly into Delhi the capital city which will give you the opportunity to acclimatise to the wonders of India.
From Delhi we travel on to Agra for l day. Where you be taken to the incredible monument to love ‘Taj Mahal’, which is set on the banks of the Yamuna River. No matter how amazing you think it is going to be, it will most certainly surpass all your prior expectations.
We travel on from to Agra to the pink city of Jaipur. Where you will spend 3 days visiting a glorious fort and a palatial palace. You will be taken up to the fort on the back of an elephant (optional), resplendent on a howdah (seating arrangement). As you enter the fort it serves as a reminder of the lifestyle of the former Maharajas . We will also visit the City Palace which is a rich blend of Rajasthani and Mughal architecture. Nearby is home to the Jantar Mantar an observatory begun by Jai Singh in 1728.
For the lover of all things Indian here is the opportunity to shop until you drop, as Jaipur has bustling and bountiful bazaars displaying a vast array of the crafts of India. Plenty of ideas for all those presents and memorabilia.
During our stay in Jaipur we will also e visiting outlying villages where you will see the many artisans at work, including weavers, dyers, papermakers, carpet weavers as well as traditional block printing.
We will then travel on to the spiritual and mystical town of Pushkar for 1 day. It is home to the most famous Brahma temple which is reputed to be one of few such temples in the world. Set against the edge of the Thar desert, Pushkar provides an oasis of calm and is an opportunity to recharge your batteries and relax and reflect on all that you have seen and done so far.
From here we move on to Jodhpur (the blue city) for 3 days. We will visit weavers and rug makers. This is also the place to be for the lover of Indian spices as Jodhpur is famous for its spices. The town is dominated by Meherangarh Fort which you will visit before leaving. It is from the ramparts of the fort that you will witness a sea of blue houses stretching out before you.
We travel back to Jaipur for 3 days to witness the ‘Elephant Festival’ an inimitable event held annually in this area. Staged at Jaipur Chaugan Stadium, elephants provide a varied programme as the arena is brought alive with elephants, musicians and dancers. The festival starts with an impressive procession of elephants which have been lovingly painted and tastefully caparisoned with glittering ornaments and hand embroidered textiles. The stage is then set for a day’s entertainment unlike any you will have ever witnessed.
The arrival of spring is celebrated all across northern India but especially so in Rajasthan. Holi is the Hindu festival that welcomes the spring and celebrates the new life and energy of the season. It is the most energetic Indian festival filled with fun. Called ‘The Festival of Colours’ people celebrate the festival by smearing each other with paint and throwing coloured powder and dye around in an atmosphere of great good humour. (Not an occasion to wear your best clothes!)
We then travel back to Delhi for an overnight stay before flying home.
