India and Nepal
This three week tour has the feel of an Indian Odyssey,
beginning in Bombay, the most famous city on the Arabian sea coastline,
climbing to Kathmandu high up the Nepalese peaks and ending in highly
civilised Calcutta in the Bay of Bengal.
You must visit Bombay's numerous monuments and museums (The
Gateway of India, Fish Aquarium, Join Temple, hanging gardens on the
slopes of Malabo Hills, Kamala Nehru Park, Main Bhutan (Where Mahatma
Gandhi used to stay) then to Dhobi Gnat. Also drive past Fagan church,
Flora Fountain, colourful Crawford Market and Marine Drive. Also visit
Prince of Wales Museum).
Continue to Udaipur where you can relax in the late
afternoon on a boat cruise on Pichola Lake and visit the island palace
of Jag Niwas. Visit the city, the city Palace, the Jagdish Temple, the
Sahelion Ki Bari gardens and fountains and later drive around the
Fatehsagar Lake.
Proceed to Jodhpur and visit en-route the
Jain Temple at ‘Ranakpur’. In Jodhpur, visit the Mehrangarh Fort. Then
proceed to the Jaswant Thada. At the end of the tour enjoy a short walk
through the local and vibrant bazaar of Jodhpur. Spend another day at
the Manvar Resort and take jeep ride to the Desert Camp.
From Jodhpur leave for Jaipur to visit the Amber fort, from
an unexpected view point, off the back of an elephant, as the maharajas
of old and the first British explorers. Visit the city of Jaipur.
From there leave for Agra. En route visit the ancient
capital of Fatehpur Sikri (Diwan-I-Am, Diwan-i-Khas, Panch Mahal, Jama
Masjid and Panch Mahal). Agra is the goal of a pilgrimage, its shrines
being the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort. Spend at least a morning to visit the
Taj Mahal and see the Agra Fort during the afternoon.
Proceed to Delhi which deserves a full day
tour, visiting Lakshminarayan temple, Raj Ghat
(memorial to Mahatma Gandhi). Drive past the India Gate, the president’s
residence - formerly the Viceroy's Palace, parliament House and the
Secretariat buildings. Visit the 12th century Qutab Minar, and the iron
pillar. Visit the mausoleum of emperor Humayun.
Then leave for Khajuraho. Stay overnight,
and spend a day sightseeing the Western group of temples, the Chaunsat Yogini and the Deve Jagdambe. Also visit temples of Vishwanath,
Varaha, the Eastern group (Parasvanath temple), the Javeri Temple
dedicated to Vishnu.
Stay thereafter in Varanasi, to boat on the Ganges, visit the city
itself, and Sarnath. Also visit the Mahabodhi' Buddha temple and walk around the
Deer Park.
Fly to Kathmandu. Spend enough time sightseeing
this extraordinary city, visiting the Durbar square, Hanuman Dhoka,
Mahadev and Parvati temple, Machhender Bahl, temple house of Kumari, the
vestal virgin or the living goddess. Walk around the local bazaars. Also
visit Swayambhunath. Afternoon, visit the temple of Bodhnath, the
collasal Stupa,
Pashupatinath Temple The temple of Lord Shiva. Visit Bhadgaon (Bhaktapur),
and later visit Dhulikhel, and so many other centres of profound
devotion, peaceful visits in a bustling town.
Fly to Pokhara, and spend a few days there, including a short walk in
the Annapurna Sanctuary. Relax for a day or two in absolute
peacefulness.
Fly back to Kathmandu, and take a
connecting flight for Calcutta, the intellectual capital of India. Visit
the Victoria Memorial building, Fort William, Kali Mandir,
Howrah Bridge, Belur Math, Dakshineshwar Kali Temple, Botanical Garden,
Marble Palace, Tagore House, Church of St John, Nakhoda Mosque, Raj
Bhawan, Town Hall, and St. Paul’s Cathedral. Fly back to London.
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