Day 1: Fly from UK
Depart from London Heathrow on an overnight flight in Business Class with Etihad to Delhi, changing planes in Abu Dhabi.
Day 2: Arrive Delhi
You will be met on arrival and driven to the sumptuous
Leela Palace, where you will check in for a two night stay.Rest of the day is at leisure: should you wish we can arrange an afternoon visit to Old Delhi.
Day 3: Delhi
With your private guide and driver, explore New Delhi this morning, including Humayun’s Tomb, (the predecessor of the Taj Mahal) and the UNESCO World heritage listed Qutab Minar. The afternoon is at leisure but on request your guide can take you to see Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi’s oldest street market to experience Delhi at its most confusing and captivating; or for peace and tranquillity opt for a stroll around Lodhi Gardens, a serene city park dotted with the crumbling tombs of Sayyid and Lodi rulers.
Day 4: Dehli to Agra
Travel by car or train (the choice is yours) to Agra this morning, where you will stay at
Oberoi Amarvilas, stunningly situated just 600metres from the Taj Mahal. This afternoon, enjoy a privately guided exploration of the city; including the UNESCO listed Red Fort and the Baby Taj. Other sights include the Kinari Bazaar, crowded with people, buffalos and even the occasional elephant; or the more peaceful Mehtab Bagh, historic gardens with ‘people-free’ views of the Taj Mahal.
Day 5: Agra to Jaipur
An early start to see the Taj Mahal at its most beautiful and least crowded: in the dawn light. Breakfast at the hotel before being driven to Jaipur, the ‘Pink City’. En route, visit Fatehpur Sikri, the abandoned former capital of the Mughal Empire, another UNESCO listed site. Check into the historic
Sujan Rajmahal Palace for a two night stay.
Day 6: Jaipur
This morning, enjoy a visit to Jaipur’s fascinating observatory, Jantar Mantar and its magnificent city palace, the seat of the Maharajah of Jaipur. In the afternoon travel just outside the city to see the charming Amber Fort, perched atop a rocky ridge and built of red sandstone, with fortified walls stretching across the surrounding hillsides.
Day 7: Jaipur to Nimaj
Travel southwest today along scenic roads with meadows, lakes, cattle and farmland rolling by, stopping at the lovely small town of Pushkar on the way, a sacred place of Hindu pilgrimage set around a holy lake. Arrive in Nimaj, a small, traditional community deep in rural Rajasthan to stay two nights in a luxury tented camp at
Chaatra Sagar.
Day 8: Nimaj
Enjoy a morning village walk accompanied by a local guide : watch potters spinning clay pots by hand, and see farmers, artisans and shopkeepers plying their trade. This is Rajasthan at its most enchanting; an unspoiled, uncommercial rural experience which for many ends up being the unexpected highlight of their whole holiday. Enjoy an afternoon at leisure or take a guided birding walk to discover some of the 200 species living in the pristine wetlands surrounding the camp.
Days 9: Nimaj to Udaipur
Continue the scenic drive south east today through ever-drier surroundings, reaching Udaipur after around five hours. Take a private launch to your hotel, the
Taj Lake Palace; a 250 year old converted palace which appears to be floating right in the middle of Lake Picchola. Check in for a two night stay then relax and enjoy your surroundings.
Day 10: Udaipur
Enjoy a leisurely morning, perhaps taking a stroll around Udaipur’s cobbled streets, and in the afternoon enjoy a guided cruise on Lake Pichola, stopping at the island palaces of Jag Mandir and Jag Niwas. You can’t miss the honey-hued City Palace bedecked with towers and balconies overlooking the lake edge and a visit here is a highlight.
Day 11: Udaipur to Cochin
Early morning flight from Udaipur to Kochi (Cochin) via Mumbai, arriving late morning. On arrival, you will be met by your new guide and transferred to
Malabar House, a boutique heritage hotel in the heart of Fort Cochin. Your afternoon is free to relax and explore. Set on the beautiful Malabar Coast, Cochin blends Portuguese and Dutch architecture with the remnants of the British Raj to create a charming jumble of a city.
Day 12: Cochin
Meet your guide for a morning walking tour of Fort Cochin, once home to traders, plantation owners and explorers of many nationalities. See the historic Chinese fishing nets, historic synagogue, colonial-era churches and old spice warehouses from Cochin’s days as the world’s foremost spice trading port.
Day 13: Cochin to Alleppey and Mararikulam
Leave Cochin this morning for a short drive to Alleppey, jumping off point for Kerala’s famed backwaters. Board a converted Keralan rice barge for a leisurely day exploring the network of canals, lakes, rivers and inlets, known as the ‘Venice of the East’. Dock in the late afternoon and take a short transfer to Mararikulam, a sleepy fishing village on a golden stretch of beach. Check into the award-winning
Carnoustie Ayurveda & Wellness Resort for two nights
Day 14 : Mararikulam
Enjoy a day relaxing at Marari Beach. The hotel’s fabulous spa offers Ayurveda treatments and Thai/Balinese massages, not to mention Yoga, sailing, archery and painting courses. Or simply borrow one of the resort’s bikes and explore the local area.
Day 15: Mararikulam to Cochin and London
Time to go home. Early this morning you’ll be collected for a one hour transfer back to Cochin to catch a morning flight to London via Abu Dhabi on Etihad in Business Class, arriving the same evening.
