ALL WOMEN ROYAL RAJASTHAN TRIP

You arrive in Delhi on your own. We shall meet with you at the airport exit, assist you to the waiting vehicle & escort you to your hotel for a check in. We then plan to spend the rest of the day sight-seeing around New Delhi – the British-built side of the city. Key monuments we hope to visit include: India Gate (a memorial arch honoring soldiers who were killed in WW1), Lakshmi Narayan Temple, Rashtrapati Bhawan (the president’s house) and Humayun’s Tomb –an exquisite example of Mughal architecture, set in a magnificent formal Persian garden.

In the evening, you are going to be a part of a cookery class by a well known culinary expert/chef; During the two hour long session, you shall learn the various nuances of Indian cooking & also enjoy a meal at the end of it all. You can test your own cooking skills in the Chef’s kitchen.

Hotel: TBA
Meals: Dinner

Today we travel to Agra – the second destination that features in India’s famed “Golden Triangle” — home to the Taj Mahal. Upon arrival you go visiting the wonder edifice, THE TAJ MAHAL even before you have checked in your hotel. Many pundits would argue that this is indeed the most famous building in the world. It is certainly the most extravagant monument ever built for love – utilizing the skills of 20,000 artisans; taking 22 years to complete. The Taj Mahal really is as spectacular as many of you may have envisaged – exquisite from every conceivable vantage-point. The attention to detail up close – the filigree, the calligraphy and the inlay – is simply mind-blowing. So too, the symmetry of the building when viewed from a far; Stay over night here.

Hotel: TBA
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner at the hotel; Lunch at a city Restaurant

First up & 40 kms from Agra, we stop to explore the fortified city of Fatehpur Sikri; Built during the second half of the 16th Century by Emperor Akbar, this so-called City of Victory was only the capital of the Mughal Empire for ten years, but it bears exceptional testimony to the great vision of Akbar, and the architects of his day. From Fatehpur Sikri we continue on to Jaipur – the colourful, chaotic capital of Rajasthan. We have plenty of time here to explore several of the city’s medieval palaces and monumental forts. But be warned — travelling between each iconic building can be an adventure in itself! Expect to see camel carts and elephants, scooters, trucks and bikes all jostling for space on the roads. We’ll visit the landmark, honey-combed pink facade of Hawa Mahal (The Palace of the Winds), the City Palace and Amber Fort plus the World Heritage listed Jantar Mantar Observatory. Here you’ll find a curious collection of huge stone “instruments” that were designed to observe and measure all manner of astronomical activity – from calculating eclipses to plotting the azimuth of various stars.

Other activities:
• Visit to the Barefoot College

Hotel: TBA
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner at the hotel. Lunch at a local restaurant

We drive to Nawalgarh today. First up, we shall arrive at the twin villages of Jhajad & Nahasinghani for a firsthand experience of how a Sanjah Chula (community kitchen concept) operates here. You would know how the underprivileged women cook & do other chores by turns under the instructions of a head Kitchen leader day in & day out & save themselves from the toxic gases & other pollutants emanating out of the cattle dung blocks & other hazardous stuff used by them before this for this cooking purposes.

Later you will enjoy Farm lunch at Hari Singh’s Farm, Village Chelasi. The cost of lunch is included in the tour. After lunch you would get to see the wonderful Heritage Conservation at Morarka Haweli Museum.

You shall also be visiting some of the famous Havelis of Nawalgarh during your stay here. Nawalgarh is well-known all over the world for its elegantly painted Havelis that are skilfully designed and carved. The Havelis are the mansions that boast of the superbly engraved wooden gates and the painted walls. The British Clock Tower is a chief landmark in Nawalgarh, which is the centre of the Shekhawati. Then there are two legendary forts in Nawalgarh. The domed stadium of the Nawalgarh fort has an aerial view of Jaipur painted on it. The Ganga Mai Temple near the gate of one of the forts is a major tourist spot.

Hotel: TBA
Meals: Breakfast at the Hotel; Farm Lunch at Hari’s farm/Local Restaurant. Dinner either at hotel or outside

En-route to Jodhpur, you stop by Nagaur for a visit to the impressive Nagaur fort (fort of the hooded cobra). A further 140 kms drive to Jodhpur may well take 2-3 hours. But we have two nights here in this city, so plenty of time to savour its many riches. Surrounded by the vast Thar Desert, Jodhpur is fortressed by an immense wall, some 10km in circumference. It is impressive, but totally overshadowed by Meherangarh, aka the Majestic Fort. This architectural wonder completely dominates the skyline, overlooking the jumble of blue-washed buildings that make up the labyrinthine Old City precinct. There are few sites more impressive that this in the world, enticing us to explore!

The winding lane ways and overflowing bazaars here are so picture-perfect at each and every turn; you could well need to purchase a spare memory card!

Hotel: TBA
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner at hotel. Lunch at a local restaurant

Other Activities
Flying Fox Experience (Zip wire Course)

This day is dedicated to Sunder Rang in Chandelao. It is a non – profit organization. Sunder rang craft project has about 36 women working with textiles doing embroidery, quilting, tailoring and making trinkets. Sunder Rang means beautiful colours in Hindi and to us that name symbolizes not only the colourful clothes of the women and the bright turbans of the men but also the richness in culture, crafts, nature and hospitality you find in Rajasthan. In 2007, the Base Camp Foundation of Norway partnered with the Chandelao Vikas Sans than (Chandelao Development Organization) to create a new organization which would provide the women of Chandelao with an opportunity to support themselves by sales of their handicrafts, to train younger women of the community in traditional skills, and to provide a focus of community development. Stay overnight here.

Hotel: Chandelao Garh
Meals: Breakfast. Lunch & Dinner

About the hotel:
Chandelao Garh is a heritage hotel which runs on ecological basis. We are on solar power for our lights, refrigerator, and hot water except for the air con. We collect all the rain water in our compound which is then used for all our work. Our plants in the garden are almost all local attracting lots of birds. The hotel along with the NGO Chandelao Vikas sans than is involved in developing the community of Chandelao and around. We have a computer learning centre for the children running on solar power which is free for the kids of the village.

On our way to Udaipur, we stop by the mighty Kumbalgarh fort; one of many built by Rana Khmbha, who reigned from 1433-68. The walls of this imposing fortified city stretch some 36km, enclosing a number of temples, palaces, gardens and forests – everything needed to withstand a long siege! We continue on to Udaipur, where the last few days of our adventure unfold. Udaipur is utterly evocative, considered by many to be the most romantic city in the country. It sits besides shimmering Lake Pichhola, surrounded by the Aravallis Hills; a likely setting for many an Indian fairytale. The old city is a maze of narrow lanes and crooked alleys and in the middle of the lake an opulent palace occupies every square meter of Jagniwas Island. We pause to admire it from a suitably photogenic view-point, and then begin exploring the city in depth, taking in a number of significant architectural delights. These include the Garden of the Maids of Honour and the imposing City Palace the largest in all of Rajasthan. We also plan to visit the Jagdish Mandir, an intricately carved Hindu temple built in 1651. We also pause at the Jain temples of Ranakpur, built in the mid- 15th Century. Chaumukha Mandir (Four-Faced Temple) is perhaps the most striking with its 1,444 columns, for no two are exactly alike. The complex is set in a deep, secluded valley filled with peacocks, monkeys and other wildlife.

See the City Place, Saheliyon Ki Bari, Crystal gallery etc during your stay. Enjoy the sound & light show on one of the days.

Hotel: TBA
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner at the hotel; Lunch Outside

You leave for Ahmedabad today. Upon reaching check in your hotel; Rest of the evening is spent at leisure.
The next day, we enjoy a full day of touring during which visit the Sabarmati ashram where Mahatma Gandhi lived during the height of India’s freedom struggle, from 1917 to 1930. The city is also well known for its beautiful mosques and The Calico Museum of Textiles – one of the finest in the world. The galleries within this complex display a stunning collection of tribal embroidery, block prints and textiles from all over India. Assuming you may want to spend some time today looking for last-minute souvenirs and gifts, we have also scheduled a visit to the town Bazaar. You also visit the Sewa Co-op before retiring for the day.

Gujarat State Women’s SEWA Co-operative Federation is the direct result of SEWA’s conviction of women’s participation. It was the 1970’s that a revolution took place. SEWA broke the rules in its innovative approach to tackle issues related to poverty especially for women. Over time, with a lot of struggles, also came a lot of successes. Numerous cooperatives were built by Sewa for common and fair trade of work.

Hotel: TBA
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner at the hotel. Lunch at a local restaurant

You fly into the capital city Delhi today after breakfast. Check in your hotel. Later leave for a tour of the Old city & capture the very essence of what India looks like in first glance. You experience rickshaw ride in the bustling Chandni chowk opposite the illustrious red fort. Walk to one of the largest spice wholesale markets of Asia winding your way through narrow lanes & by lanes. Savor the famous Paranthas in the illustrious food street. See hundreds of locals, walk alongside & greeting you with a smile. Return to your hotel for farewell dinner.

Hotel: TBA
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner at the hotel.

Your tour concludes today. You pack up in time for checking out & reaching the airport for your return flight home. We see you off & wish you a safe flight. Hope you enjoyed travelling with us.