Rajasthan, Tiger & Tajmahal Tour Travels Package
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Duration: 12 Nights / 13 Days
Places Covered: Delhi - Udaipur - Jaipur - Ranthambhore
- Bharatpur - Agra - Jabalpur - Kanha - Jabalpur - Delhi
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Day 01: Delhi
Company representatives will receive you on arrival at the international
airport in Delhi late in the night or midnight. Transfer to your
hotel. Relax.
DELHI, the capital of kingdoms and empires is now a sprawling metropolis
with a fascinating blend of the past and the present. It is a perfect
introduction to the composite culture of an ancient land. A window
to the kaleidoscope - that is India.
Overnight will be at Delhi.
Day 02: Delhi - Udaipur
Breakfast will be at the hotel. Transfer to airport for flight to
Udaipur.
Reach and check in at hotel.
The city of Dawn, Udaipur is a lovely land around the azure lake,
hemmed in by the lush hills of the ARAVALLIS. A vision in white
drenched in romance and beauty, Udaipur is a fascinating blend of
sights, sound and experiences and inspiration for the imagination
of poets, painters and writers.
Its kaleidoscope of fairy-tale palaces, lakes, temples, gardens
and narrow lanes strewn with stalls, carry the flavor of a heroic
past, epitomizing valor and chivalry. Their reflection in the placid
waters of the LAKE PICHOLA is an enticing sight.
Udaipur is the jewel of MEWAR -a kingdom ruled by the Sisodia dynasty
for 1200 Years.
Proceed for Evening Motor launch cruise on the placid waters of
Lake Pichola. From he boat you will be able to view the city of
Udaipur as it rises majestically above the lake in the middle of
the Rajasthan desert. Also visit the Jag Mandir Palace - the other
island palace in the middle of the lake. Spend some time at the
Jag Mandir Palace.
Overnight will be at Udaipur.
Day 03: Udaipur
Breakfast will be served at the hotel.
Proceed for sight-seeing tour of Udaipur in the afternoon, stopping
first at City Palace. Here you will marvel at rooms with mirrored
walls and ivory doors, colored glass windows and inlaid marble balconies
and the Peacock Courtyard.
Also visit the lovely Sahelion-ki-Bari Gardens, the Jagdish Temple
and the local folk Museum.
Relax in the evening.
Overnight will be at Udaipur.
Day 04: Udaipur - Jaipur
Breakfast will be at hotel.
After breakfast drive to beautiful Pink City - Jaipur. Lunch will
be at Kishangarh Phool Mahal Palace.
Reach and check in at hotel.
JAIPUR - The origins of the beautiful city of Jaipur can be traced
back to the eighteenth century, during the reign of Jai Singh II
who ascended the Amber throne in 1699. Jaipur today, epitomizes
the spirit of Rajputana. In-spite of growing into a bustling metropolis,
it still retains its character and history - A beautiful fusion
of the yesteryears and modernity. It is popularly known as the Pink
City because of the extensive use of the locally abundant pink plastered
stone, painted so in honor of the visit of the royal consort of
Queen Victoria. Jaipur thrills the soul with its massive forts,
magnificent palaces, exquisite temples and lush gardens.
Overnight will be at Jaipur.
Day 05: Jaipur
Breakfast will be served at the hotel.
Proceed for excursion to Amber Fort in the outskirts of Jaipur.
Elephant ride ascent to the fort.
AMBER FORT PALACE - Amber is the classic romantic Rajasthani fort
palace. Its construction was started by Man Singh I in 1592, and
completed by his descendent Jai Singh I. Its forbidding exterior
belies an inner paradise where a beautiful fusion of Mughal and
Hindu styles finds its ultimate expression.
Proceed for sight-seeing of the city.
CITY PALACE - A delightful blend of Mughal and traditional Rajasthani
architecture, the City Palace sprawls over one-seventh of the area
in the walled city. It houses the Chandra Mahal, Shri Govind Dev
Temple and the City Palace Museum.
JANTAR MANTAR - This is the largest and the best preserved of the
five observatories built by Jai Singh II in different parts of the
country. This observatory onsisting of outsized astronomical instruments
is still in use.
HAWA MAHAL - The ornamental facade of this "Palace of Winds"
is a prominent landmark in Jaipur. It is a five-storey structure
of sandstone plastered pink encrusted with fine trelliswork and
elaborate balconies. The palace has 953 niches and windows. Built
in 1799 by Pratap Singh, the Mahal was a royal grandstand for the
palace women.
Explore the city markets. Overnight will be at Jaipur.
Day 06: Jaipur - Ranthambhore
Breakfast will be at hotel.
Transfer to SAWAI MADHOPUR.
Evening free at the resort and you can relax or watch some slides
on the tiger.
Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve, at the junction of the Aravalis and
the Vindhyas, is a unique example of natural and historical richness,
standing out conspicuously in the vast, arid and denuded tract of
eastern Rajasthan, barely 14 kilometers from Sawai Madhopur. Get
in tune with nature for a luxury holiday in the heart of the jungle.
Ranthambhore - perhaps the best place in the world to sight a tiger
in the wild. The Ranthambhore National Park has had more Tiger sightings
than any other National Park in the country. It has come to be known
as "The land of the Tiger", where most of the documented
footage of this majestic beast has been recorded.
It spreads over a highly undulating topography varying from gentle
to steep slopes; from flat topped hills of the Vindhyas to the conical
hillocks and sharp ridges of the Aravalis, from wide and flat valleys
to narrow rocky gorges. An important geological feature the 'Great
Boundary Fault' where the Vindhya plateaus meet the Aravali hill
ranges, meanders through the Reserve. The National Park is bound
by the rivers Chambal in the south and Banas in the north.
Ranthambhore forest is of tropical dry deciduous type, further
classified as Dhok climax forest because of the predominance of
Dhok (Anogeissus pendulla) found nearly everywhere. Dhok is an extremely
hardy tree, capable of withstanding prolonged droughts. The leaves
of this tree are good fodder and they are browsed by herbivores,
and form a significant part of their diet. Even the dry, fallen
leaves, eaten by them, are rich source of nutrition.
Palas or Cheela or the Flame of the Forest (Butea monosperms) blooms
magnificently around mid-April. During the period, Kachida and Anatpura
provide an amazing view, like a forest on fire. Around Kamaldhar
massive Gum trees (Sterculia urens) with smooth white trunk stand
out conspicuously. Similarly, Gurjan (Lannea coromandelica) with
greyish trunks at the banks of the lakes and soft wood Salar (Boswellia
serrata) dotted atop hills are noticeable.
Fruits of Ber (Zizyphus spp.) and 'crocodile bark' Tendu (Diospuyros
melanoxylon) are highly relished by Sloth Bears.
The lakes abound with aquatic vegetation including duck weeds,
lilies and lotus. A haven for a multitude of wild animals, the Park
boasts of playing host to tigers, leopards, the elusive caracals,
hyenas, sloth bears, wild boars, crocodiles and so on. Besides,
there are over 300 species of birds, from the majestic Crested Serpent
Eagle to the exotic Golden Oriole.
Tiger, at the apex of the food chain, lord over the kingdom in
a subtle way. Solitary by nature, it operates in stealth. Therefore
tiger sightings, frequent as they are, are always a matter of chance.
However, even evidences of tiger's activities are very exciting.
The other kinds of cats found in Ranthambhore are Leopard (Panthera
pardus), Caracal (Felis caracal), Leopard Cat (Felis bengalensis),
Fishing Cat (Felis viverrina) and the Jungle Cat (Felis chaus).
Besides the big cats, the other large predators found in Ranthambhore
include Sloth Bear, Striped Hyena, Wolf, Wild dog (or Dhole), Jackal,
Indian Fox, Palm Civet, Small Indian Civet, Common Indian Mongoose,
Small Indian Mongoose, Ratel (or Honey Badger), Marsh Crocodile
and the Indian Python. There are two species of Antlers, namely
the Spotted Deer (or Chital) and the Sambhar, Deer, and, two kinds
of Antelopes, namely the Indian Gazelle (or Chinkara) and the Bluebull
(or Neelgai). Black Buck (another kind of antelope), which is rarely
found in the National Park is common in Devpura area, in the outskirts
of the park.
Overnight will be at resort.
Day 07: Ranthambhore
A full day game viewing inside the jungle. (Two safaris)
Overnight at the resort.
Day 08: Ranthambhore - Bharatpur
Breakfast at hotel. Proceed to Bharatpur.
Just 176 km from Delhi is a very special wilderness - the Keoladeo
Ghana National Park, one of the finest water-bird sanctuaries in
the world. The Maharaja of Bharatpur artificially created the lake
and wetland in the 19th century. By building small dykes and dams
and diverting water from an irrigation canal, he converted this
low-lying area into a fine wild fowl shooting preserve. In a few
years, the new wetland surrounded by marginal forests was able to
support thousands of water birds.
Commonly referred to as Bharatpur, the Park is a delight for bird
watchers. Over 375 species of birds are found here and raised paths,
camouflaged by babul trees and undergrowth make viewing easy. A
quiet ride by boat in the early hours of the morning is also unforgettable
experience. The cacophony is unbelievable as painted storks, open
bills, spoonbills, egrets, cormorants, white ibis and multitudes
of others, tend their young. Jacanas with their iridescent colors
and elegant tail feathers and purple moorhen can be seen delicately
treading over the floating vegetation.
Every year Bharatpur waits with bated breath for the arrival of
the Siberian cranes. There are only two wintering places for this
rare species one in Iran and the other Bharatpur and these beautiful
birds with their distinctive red beaks and facial patches, fly over
6400 km from their summer retreats.
Colorful kingfishers, graceful pelicans rare Siberian cranes and
Trans- continental fliers - the migratory water - fowl are amongst
the 375 species of birds found in the Keoladeo National Park. The
most spectacular nesting is that of the egrets, storks, herons and
cormorants, which make over 10,000 nests every year. This makes
outstanding bird havens of the world. The park covers an area of
28.73 km.
The story of Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary is incomplete without an
account of the migratory waterfowl. The most prominent waterfowl
coming to this park are bareheaded and greylag geese. Ducks also
create a lot of fluttering in the lakes. The ducks usually found
here are pintail, widgeon, common shelduck, shoveler, garganey,
teal, etc.
Attracted by the influx of the waterfowl the predatory birds-tawny
eagles, spotted eagles short-toed eagles imperial eagles and fishing
eagle also arrive. They all form the apex of the biological pyramid
of the sanctuary and complete the avian food chain of the ecosystem.
There are large herds of the nilgai, chital, wild boar and fear
cows in addition to a few herds of sambar.
Reach and check in at the hotel. Proceed on RICKSHAW for viewing
the birds. RICKSHAW PULLERS have been trained by the forest department
in bird watching and are knowledgeable.
Return to the lodge in the evening and relax.
Overnight will be at Bharatpur.
Day 09: Bharatpur - Agra
Early morning RICKSHAW RIDE at the Bird Park.
Breakfast at hotel. Proceed to Agra.
AGRA: Two great Mughal monarchs, Akbar and Shah Jahan, transformed
the little village of Agra into a befitting second capital of the
Mughal Empire - giving it the name Dar-ul-Khilafat {seat of the
Emperor}. Today a visitor to Agra is caught up in a world of contrasting
edifices, of red sandstone and white marble, narrow galleys and
quaint buggies, and that irresistible charm that this favorite city
of the Mughals still retains. It is not surprising, that modern
Agra still reflects its Mughal heritage most conspicuously. A walk
down the narrow bustling streets of the city will introduce the
visitor to the wafting aroma of Mughlai cuisine.
Reach Agra and then proceed to visit Taj. Enjoy battery van ride
to the Taj.
TAJ MAHAL: Little needs to be said about this architectural wonder
which is always the soul raison-de-etre for every tourist's visit
to Agra. Built by Shah Jahan, the Taj is a white marble memorial
to his beautiful wife Mumtaz Mahal. This monument took 22 years
to be completed and was designed, and planned by Persian architect
Ustad Isa. Apart from its stunning design balance and perfect symmetry,
the Taj is also noted particularly for its elegant domes, intricately
carved screens and some of the best inlay work ever seen.
Proceed for sight-seeing to the AGRA FORT - Built by the famed
Mughal emperor Akbar in 1565 AD, the fort is predominantly of red
sandstone. Ensconced within is the picture perfect Pearl Mosque,
which is a major tourist attraction.
Visit Itmadullah's Tomb built by Empress NOOR JEHAN in memory of
her father (The interiors of which are considered better than the
Taj).
Take train to Jabalpur in the evening. Overnight would be on board
the train.
Day 10: Jabalpur - Kanha
Reach Jabalpur and you would be transferred to Kanha.
This is the place that has been described by RUDYARD KIPLING in
his great book "The Jungle Book". Located in the Mandla
district of Madhya Pradesh, Kanha National Park is a tiger reserve
that extends over an area of over 940 square km. A horseshoe shaped
valley bounded by the spurs of the Mekal presents an interesting
topography. Steep rocky escarpments along the edges offer breathtaking
views of the valley. Realizing the danger on the Tiger population
in the country, the Government started the "Project Tiger"
at Kanha and in 1974 the area was declared a Tiger reserve. The
park is also the habitat of the high ground Barasingha.
In 1930s, the Kanha area was divided into two sanctuaries - Hallon
and Banjar of 250kms to 300kms each. Though one of these was subsequently
disbanded .The area remained a protected one until 1947. Depletion
of the tiger population in the year that followed led to the area
being made an absolute sanctuary in 1952.
Patient watching should reward the visitor, with a sight of Indian
Fox, Sloth bear, Striped hyena, Jungle cut, Leopard, Mouse Deer,
Chausingha or four horned antelope, Nilgai, Ratel and Porcupine
Kanha has some 200 species of birds. Watchers should station themselves
in the hills, where the mixed and bamboo forests harbour many species
and in the grassy forest clearings. Water birds can be seen near
the park's many rivulets and at Sarvantal, a pool that is frequented
by water birds and the area in front of the museum.
Excursion to Kawardha just east of the Maikala Range (up to 1100m)
to the south east of Kanha National Park, Kawardha is a small town
in Chhattisgarh (34 forts) region of M.P. In this remote area Maharaja
Viswaraj Singh has recently opened his palace to visitors. It provides
a delightfully quite unspoiled contrast with India's big cities
and with the much busier tourist circuit of Rajasthan's 'palace
circuit'. This town is in the center of the Baiga tribe, who live
in forest surrounding the town, and these are several eleventh century
temples in the immediate region.
Reach before lunch and proceed for an afternoon GAME DRIVE to view
TIGERS.
Overnight at the Kanha Resort.
Day 11: Kanha
A full day game viewing inside the jungle. (Two safaris)
Overnight at the resort.
Day 12: Kanha - Jabalpur - Delhi
Proceed for the morning Game Drive into the forest. Proceed to Jabalpur
and board train for overnight journey to Delhi.
Overnight will be on train.
Day 13: Delhi
Arrive in the morning. Check in at hotel and freshen up. Proceed
for a full day tour of Old & New Delhi.
OLD DELHI - A sight-seeing tour of Old Delhi would entail visiting
the Raj Ghat - the memorial site where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated;
Jama Masjid - the largest mosque in India and the Red Fort - once
the most opulent fort and palace of the Mughal Empire.
Take a cycle rickshaw ride from Jama Masjid to Chandni Chowk.
NEW DELHI - An extensive sight-seeing tour of New Delhi would include
a visit to the Humayun's Tomb, the Qutub Minar, a drive along the
ceremonial avenue - Rajpath, past the imposing India Gate, Parliament
House, the President's Residence and would end with a drive through
the Diplomatic Enclave.
Transfer to airport for connecting flight home.
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