Our special places
We design holidays tailored to your priorities. Please contact us to discuss any destination.
Forts, Temples and Palaces
Fly to the city of Varanasi (via Delhi) where you begin your journey with a 3 night stay at the Nadesar Palace. One of the oldest living cities in India, Varanasi is a great pilgrimage centre for Hindus, and millions each year flock to the ghats to perform puja to the rising sun, following centuries old traditions, from fertility ceremonies to cremations. During your time here we can arrange for you to do sunrise boat rides on the Ganges, rickshaw rides amongst the maze of side streets and alleys and a visit to the evening puja at Dasaswamedh Ghat. Further afield you might want to visit the Buddhist site at Sarnath.
A short flight takes you south to Khajuraho; a small town, which provides an oasis of green and tranquillity in the midst of the bustle and dusty plains of central India. The temples of Khajuraho are celebrations of the stylized and refined courtly accomplishments of beauty, love and creative arts. They were built in the short span of a hundred years, from 950-1050 AD, in a truly inspired burst of creativity. The whole area was enclosed by a wall with eight gates, each flanked by two golden palm trees. There were originally over 80 temples, of which only 22 now stand in a reasonable state of preservation, scattered over an area of about eight square miles. Stay 2 nights at Taj Chandela which is ideally located for you to explore the temples at your own pace. Why not hire some bikes to explore the more remote temples and surrounding villages.
Time to head to Orchha which is a 3 hour drive from Khajuraho. Orchha is a peaceful and relatively undiscovered village and all the sites are easily reached on foot, including the cenotaphs on the Betwa River, which are also the nesting place of a healthy population of vultures and located right next door to the Amar Mahal where you stay for 2 nights.
Continue by road to Gwalior, which is known for its formidable fort that rises up from the plains. Within the fort walls are many temples and palaces, all of which are impressively preserved and can be seen on your guided visit. Stay at the magnificent Usha Kiran which was once a maharaja's palace and has been loving restored to its original splendour.
The last leg of your journey takes you by road to Chambal Safari Lodge which is at the heart of Chambal Wildlife Sanctury. Covering a 400km stretch of the Chambal and Yamuna Rivers the sanctuary provides protection to marsh crocodiles, eight species of turtle and over 290 species of birds. As well as a delight for wildlife enthusiasts, the Chambal Sanctuary has the ancient Bateshwar Temple Complex within its boundaries. During your time here you can take a river cruise to explore the Chambal Valley with a trained naturalist, visit the Bateshwar Temple Complex, take a jeep safari into remote and inaccessible areas of the reserve or take a camel safari along the river banks to see the Ater Fort.
This will leave you just enough time to hot foot it to Agra (about an hour away) for a morning visit to see the Taj before boarding a train back to Delhi for your flight home.
If you are interested in this itinerary or any of our other North India trips please call 0207 359 3938 or email Matt and we can put together a tailormade trip of a lifetime.
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