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28 Days Wonders of the Indian Subcontinent Tour Package Duration: 28 Days / 27 Nights Priced From: $5,892 (All pricing reflects per-person Land Only expenses) Dates : Oct, Feb, Mar, Oct 
This all-inclusive tour is a 28-day extravaganza of spectacular scenery. Both Nepal and India contain a rich combination of natural beauty, architectural achievement and cultural diversity. Stand in front of the Taj Mahal, also known as "a dream in marble", and it seems realistic to imagine the 20, 000-man taskforce that was responsible for constructing it over 21 years. Gaze at the peaks of the Himalayan ranges that run along northern Nepal; a particular amazement is Mount Machhapuchhare, which has never been climbed because of it is considered sacred by locals. Meet the exiled Tibetans that live in their refugee camp in Nepal, or the many citizens that make up the bustling crowds of Delhi, India. The architectural styles throughout both of these two countries provide an excellent cross-section of a fascinating history that has spanned centuries. Tour Itinerary Day 1 Arrival in Kathmandu Welcome to Nepal, a country with spectacular geography and a rich cultural diversity. Within its narrow borders we will find a complete climatic range, from tropical to temperate, alpine to arctic. As many as 30 different languages and dialects are spoken among the many ethnic groups. Overnight in Kathmandu. Dinner if required. Day 2 Kathmandu: City Tour Today begins with a visit to the Swayambhunath Temple, Nepal's most significant centre of Buddhist worship. There has been a temple on this site since at least the 5th century. Swayambhunath Temple is also known as the "Monkey Temple" due to the large population of monkeys that make the grounds their home. The temple buildings are set atop a hill and offer an excellent view of Kathmandu and its valley. Many shrines surround the central stupa, its sacred eyes peering out in all directions. Here we can observe devout Buddhists following their complex praying rituals at the shrines, walking clockwise around the stupa, and chanting mantras. Later this afternoon we travel to Kathmandu's central meeting area, Durbar Square, a profusion of temples reflecting the different architectural styles dating from the eleventh century. The area also includes the Royal Palace with its gilded gates and elaborate statues. The square is alive with a multitude of nationalities, intermingled with stalls displaying a wide variety of Nepalese and Tibetan handicrafts. We will also see "Freak Street"--a famous hippie meeting place from the 60's. Overnight in Kathmandu. Breakfast and dinner. Day 3 Kathmandu: Budhanilkantha & Refugee Camp This morning we visit Budhanilkantha, situated below Shivapuri hill at the northern end of the valley about 9 km from the city center. The hub of the temple complex is a pond in which lies a 5 meter (17 feet) long great stone figure of Hindu god, Bishnu, reclining on the coils of a cosmic serpent. The figure has been estimated to have been found buried in the ground in its original state more than thousand years ago. It is also known as Bhuijasi. Hindus throng to this sacred pilgrimage almost everyday. We also visit a Tibetan refugee camp, set up in 1960 under the initiative of International Red Cross and the Swiss Development Corporation (SDC). Its main objective is to enable the Tibetan refugees to do something productive and support themselves. The carpet industry of Nepal is almost run by the Tibetan refugee families and the carpet factories have been a great source of employment for them to become self reliant economically. Apart from the carpet industry, Tibetan refugees are also engaged into handicrafts and there are many handicraft centers providing work opportunities to the families of the refugees with its profits going toward education, sanitation, and healthcare. Balance of the day at leisure. Overnight in Kathmandu. Breakfast and dinner. Day 4 Kathmandu - Chitwan Today we travel by road to the world-famous Chitwan National Park. When one thinks of Nepal it is usually of soaring, snow-capped Himalayan peaks. However, Nepal is situated along the southern slopes of those mountains and encompasses land from over 8,000 metres (over 26,240 ft) down to less than 100 metres (328 ft) above sea level. In fact, only a very small proportion of Nepal's population lives in the mountains and over 50% of the people live in the lowland Terai region bordering India. This lush band of countryside runs from the western border right across Nepal to the eastern border and is only about 50 kms (30 miles) wide. Its fertile soil and warm climate make it the most productive agricultural region in the country, and consequently most of the preserved natural vegetation is in the Chitwan National Park. The park was created in 1973, principally as a sanctuary for the Asian one-horned rhino and the majestic Bengal tiger. The park is set around the confluence of three rivers--the Narayani, the Rapti and the Reu, the vegetation mainly forest and tall grass. Overnight in Chitwan National Park. Island Jungle Lodge or similar. Breakfast and dinner. Day 5 Chitwan National Park With our naturalist guide we explore the area and learn about the inhabitants of this complex ecosystem. Bird watching is excellent in this area. One of the highlights of our Chitwan explorations is a wildlife viewing expedition while riding on the back of an elephant. Moving effortlessly through the tall grasses and underbrush, the elephants provide the best vantage point from which to see Chitwan's abundance of birds and animals. We may even be lucky enough to see a rhino or a tiger. Overnight in Chitwan National Park. Island Jungle Lodge or similar. All meals. Day 6 Chitwan - Pokhara We drive through winding gorges and across fast flowing rivers from Chitwan to Pokhara, located on the shore of a crystal blue lake with the peaks of the Himalaya filling the skyline, including Machhapuchhare, a peak that has never been climbed. Overnight in Pokhara. Breakfast and dinner. Day 7 Pokhara Valley Pokhara is an extraordinary landscape and one of the most attractive destinations in Nepal. The treasures of Pokhara include the tranquillity of Phewa Lake, spectacular views of Annapurna Himalayan range and Mount Machhapuchhare (6,977 m), luscious green hills, terraced farm slopes, countless species of vegetation, rushing rivers in a tropical-like environment. Pokhara is, since ancient times, the traditional export center for trade with India and Tibet. Merchants from remote Himalayan regions of Nepal, such as Muktinath and Mustang, still come here with mule trains. Today we admire the landscape and enjoy a tour of the area's highlights. Bindhyabasini Mandir is a local Hindu temple, dedicated to Goddess Bhagwati, on the northeast of Phewa Lake in the vicinity of the Old Bazaar, still the commercial hub of merchants from the remote Himalaya. We also visit a Tibetan village where we will see Tibetan style Buddhism, culture and crafts. After the Chinese invasion of Tibet in the 1950's over 30,000 Tibetan refugees settled throughout Nepal. Overnight in Pokhara. Breakfast and dinner. Day 8 Pokhara - Bhaktapur This morning we drive to Bhaktapur and the Kathmandu Valley, the cultural and economic heart of Nepal. We visit the medieval town of Bhakatapur. Stretched along a ridge above the sacred Hanumante River, the city grew from a collection of villages strung along the old trade route between India and Tibet. Like an island, Bhaktapur rises up out of lush green fields of rice-huddled red-tiled roofs punctured by the soaring spire of the five-storied Nyataponla temple, and set against the movie-set backdrop of the snow capped Himalaya. Bhaktapur is virtually 100% Newari and adamantly rural at heart. About 60% of its 80,000 residents are farmers, among the country's best. From the rich black soil they grow rice and other crops which are some of the highest in Nepal. Bhaktapur's deep roots in the land are apparent in the people on its streets: farmer women in their characteristic red-border black saris pleated in the front and raised high in back, revealing blue tattoos above their ankles; farmers with double baskets of giant radishes suspended from their shoulders. Overnight in Bhaktapur. Breakfast and dinner. Day 9 Bhaktapur - Kathmandu, Nepal - Delhi, India Today we fly from Kathmandu to Delhi and transfer to our hotel. The name Delhi, Dehali or Dilli is derived form Dhillika, the name of the first medieval township of Delhi, located on the southwestern border of the present Union Territory of Delhi, in Mehrauli. This was the first in the series of seven medieval cities, also known as Yoginipura, the fortress of the yoginis (female divinities). NOTE: Our accommodation in Delhi cannot be considered "central" in a conventional sense. Delhi is a huge sprawling city with many districts and centres of interest / business; our hotel is well-located for what we want to accomplish on our city coach tour. Due to variables such as festival dates (some tour codes), internal flights, and other logistical considerations, our published tour dates and / or itinerary can change without notice. LAND ONLY customers booking far in advance should always confirm dates with us before making non-refundable air arrangements. Overnight in Delhi. Breakfast and dinner. Day 10 Delhi: City Tour Today we have a full-day tour of Delhi. We start with a drive north into Old Delhi, passing along the Rajpath (King's Way) and stopping for photos at the India Gate. The 42m high India Gate, an "Arc de Triomphe"-like archway in the middle of a crossroad, commemorates the Indian soldiers who lost their lives fighting for the British Army during WWI. This landmark also bears the names of British and Indian soldiers killed in the Northwestern frontier in the Afghan War of 1919. Next we will make a visit to the Jamma Mosque. Located in the heart of Old Delhi, the largest mosque in India can accommodate as many as twenty-thousand worshippers. This imposing architectural monument, with it's three gateways and two minarets, took fourteen years to complete (1644-58). Time permitting we will enter to have a brief look inside. From here we board our cycle rickshaws for a tour of Chandni Chowk (Silver Street). Here we are given a glimpse into an old world lifestyle slowly fading from Delhi. The hustle and bustle of everyday life can be felt in the Chandi Chowk's narrow lanes. Our rickshaw ride takes us past the Red Fort (photo stop), and we disembark at the Raj Ghat, set within a beautiful park. This national monument is where the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi, was cremated. After a stop for lunch we continue our sightseeing with a visit to Humayan's Tomb, an excellent example of Mughal architecture, predating the Taj Mahal by almost 100 years. Persian in style, this is a beautiful red sandstone building inlaid with black and white marble. From here we will drive on to visit a recent architectural marvel, the Delhi Bahai Temple. Shaped like a half-opened lotus flower, this temple is mostly made of marble, and represents the youngest of the world's independent religions. We will finish our day with a visit to the Qutub Minar. Few other monuments are as closely identified with Delhi as the Qutub Minar, this first monument of Muslim rule in India. It heralded the beginning of a new style of art and architecture which came to be know as the Indo-Islamic. NOTE: There are rumours of the imminent introduction of an evening flight to Varanasi. If this does indeed come to pass, we may elect to fly to Varanasi after our Delhi sightseeing programme today in order to be better-placed for our Varanasi programme early tomorrow morning. Overnight in Delhi. Breakfast and dinner. Day 11 Delhi -Varanasi & Sarnath This morning we Fly to Varanasi. After a break at our hotel we embark on our afternoon sightseeing programme. With more than 2,000 temples and shrines Varanasi has been the religious capital of the Hindu faith since its beginning. No one knows how old it really is--when Buddha came here in 550 BC it was already a flourishing ancient settlement. The town is a maze of small streets and alleyways, hiding no fewer than 2,000 temples and shrines. Domes, pinnacles, towers and derelict 18th century palaces dominate the left bank of the Ganges River. The antiquity of Varanasi can be traced back to at least the middle of first millennium BC. Since time immemorial, it has served not merely as holy center of pilgrimage, but also as a great seat of traditional Hindu learning and culture. This afternoon we take a short journey to the buried city of Sarnath. After attaining enlightenment at Bodh Gaya the Buddha went to Sarnath; and it was here that he preached his first discourse in the deer park to set in motion the 'Wheel of the Dharma'. It is one of the most holy sites as in this place the stream of the Buddha's teaching first flowed. The Dhamekh Stupa, Dharmararjika Stupa (the Main shrine where the Buddha sat in meditation), the sacred promenade from where he preached, and the Ashoka Pillar are monuments that still stand today. Overnight in Varanasi. Breakfast and dinner. Day 12 Varanasi - Khajuraho Early this morning we take a boat ride on the sacred Ganges. Hindus regard the Ganges as the elixir of life bringing purity to the living and salvation to the dead. At dawn, thousands stand waist-deep in water praying to the rising sun. At dusk, hymns and prayers are uttered by the faithful in the light of hundreds of lighted lamps. The bathing ghats, over three miles in length, lead down from a steep bank to the river. Manikarnika burning ghat is the chief cremation centre of Varanasi. We walk back to the hotel through the narrow streets of Varanasi. Later this morning, we fly to Khajuraho, renowned the world over for its fine temples. Built between AD 950 and 1050, these temples are among the most creative examples of Indian architecture, of which only 22 of the original 85 temples survive. We visit the western group of temples, contained within a fenced enclosure and maintained as a park. The Lakshmana Temple is dedicated to Vishnu and is one of the earliest, dating from AD 930-950. It is also one of the best preserved, with a full five-part floor plan and four subsidiary shrines. We also visit the eastern group of temples. These can be subdivided into two groups: a complex of Jain temples in the walled enclosure, and a group of four temples scattered through the small village of Khajuraho. Parsvanath is the largest of the Jain temples and also the finest in Khajuraho, noted for the exceptional skill and precision of its construction and for the beauty of its sculptures. The Adinath Temple has fine carvings on its three bands of sculptures. The Shanti Nath Temple is a relatively modern one, built about a century ago, but it contains many components from older temples around Khajuraho. Khajuraho has achieved fame for the sensual appeal of the erotic sculptures, but these form only a small part of the wealth of the site. Taken in totality, the sculptures of Khajuraho depict the everyday life of the people and the court in the 10th and 11th centuries. Overnight in Khajuraho. Breakfast and dinner. Day 13 Khajuraho - Jhansi - Agra We continue by road to Jhansi, visiting the palace at Orchha, the former capital of the Bundela Dynasty. From Jhansi we catch the 18:00 train to Agra, arriving at approximately 20:00. Agra continues to be medieval in structure: narrow, crowded streets and lanes, full of colourful shops sell that all kind of goods, especially local handicrafts, including gold and silver embroidery, imitation Mughal inlay on marble, and fine leather goods. Agra Fort lies on the bend of the River Yamuna, almost in the heart of the town. It was built by Akbar as his citadel over the years 1565 to 1573 in the finest architectural style . It has imposing gates and walls of red sandstone and a moat. The fort was successively occupied by three great Mughals--Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jehan, each of whom made significant structural contributions to this complex. PLEASE NOTE: The number and order of our nights in Agra, Jodhpur, and Jaipur may vary from this itinerary depending on seasonal festival dates and other logistical considerations. The final order will be indicated on your HOTEL LIST included with your final documents. Overnight in Agra. Breakfast and dinner. Day 14 Agra: the Taj Mahal & Agra Fort Today we tour the city and visit its main attraction: The Taj Mahal, one of the world's most beautiful buildings. Called "A dream in marble," the Taj Mahal was built by Shah Jehan as a memorial to his queen Mumtaz Mahal. Shah Jehan built the Taj to enshrine the body of his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal (elect of the palace), who died shortly after giving birth to their 14th child in 1631. Construction by a work force of 20,000 men from all over Asia commenced in 1632 and the tomb was completed in 1653. Marble was brought from Makrana, near Jodhpur, and precious stones of onyx, amethyst, malachite, lapis lazuli, turquoise, jade, crystal and mother of pearl were carried to Agra from Persia, Russia, Afghanistan, Tibet, China and the Indian Ocean. The Taj is remarkable for its perfect proportions and rich pietra dura, with minute details executed with great skill. The building marks the most developed stage of Mughal architecture. The designer of this grand sepulchre is believed to be Ustad Ahmad Lahori, a master architect of the age. The calligraphic ornamentation on the Taj was authored by Amanat Khan Shirazi, a great writer of the 17th century. Agra also offers several other remarkable monuments such as the Agra Fort, as rugged as the Taj Mahal is ethereal; the perfectly-proportioned Moti Masjid (Pearl Mosque), the Jami Masjid Mosque, the Itimad-ud-daulah Mausoleum, and the Ram Bagh Garden. Overnight in Agra. Breakfast and dinner. Day 15 Agra - Jaipur (Elephant Festival, Feb/Mar) Before leaving Agra we will visit Fatehpur Sikri, an ancient capital of the Moghul Empire built by Emperor Akbar the Great between 1569 and 1585. It was later abandoned due to the lack of a dependable water supply, but remains one of the most perfectly preserved examples of a Moghul city. Now deserted, it is almost perfectly preserved, a masterpiece in sandstone glowing in subtly changing shades of pink and red as the day progresses and the light fades. The very embodiment of Akbar's unorthodox court, the city fuses Hindu and Muslim artistic traditions. Jaipur has been dubbed the "Pink City" because of the many buildings inside the old city walls that are painted pink. Scattered throughout the north-east section of the town are palaces and temples designed in a variety of styles; the city lies snugly on a bed of a long-dry lake. Our February/March departure is set to coincide with the famed Elephant Festival in Jaipur. The festival gets underway in the month of Phalgun on the eve of Holi, the Festival of Colours. The sight of mighty jumbos striding majestically is a treat to watch. The mahavats or owners proudly decorate their elephants with bright colours, jhools (saddle cloth) and heavy jewellery. Female elephants are made to wear payals or anklets which tinkle as they walk. Prizes are given for the most beautifully decorated elephant. Even more exciting is the polo match, the elephant race, the tug-of-war between elephant and 19 men and women. Overnight in Jaipur. Breakfast and dinner. Day 16 Jaipur - Amber - Jaipur Today our tour takes us to Amber, once the ancient state capital but now deserted. Located on the crest of a rocky hill behind Maota Lake, 11 km (7 miles) north of Jaipur, the Rajput stronghold was the capital of the Kuchhawa Rajputs from 1037 until 1728. Rising on the slopes of a steep hill is the Amber Fortress with its imposing facade. The interior presents a galaxy of art including the world's best Chamber of Mirrors. In the afternoon take a tour of Jaipur, one of the best-planned cities in India, built of rose-pink sandstone by the great astronomer-king Jai Singh II in 1727. The City Palace stands in the centre of the city, part of which is still the Maharaja's residence. The complex has been developed into a museum containing rare manuscripts, fine specimens of Rajput and Mughal paintings, royal apparel, and an armoury. Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds), the landmark of Jaipur, is a curious building, elaborate and fanciful, built of pink sandstone with a delicate honeycomb design. Rising five storeys high, it is composed of semi-octagonal overhanging windows, each with its perforated screen, which allowed the ladies of the court to look onto the main street without being seen. We visit the Observatory, the City Palace which now houses a museum, and the Palace of the Winds. Overnight in Jaipur. Breakfast and dinner. Day 17 Jaipur - Jodhpur OR Pushkar JANUARY & FEB / MAR DEPARTURES: On these dates we will travel to Jodhpur and have a tour on arrival. Jodhpur is a place of wonderful bazaars, where you can seek out puppeteers and dyers and get a real taste of rural Rajasthan. Our sightseeing in Jodhpur includes a visit to the massive fort which stands upon a rocky hill and engulfs the city with its 10 km (6 miles) of wall and eight gates. A fairly steep climb leads up through seven gateways. The palaces within are carved from a hard sandstone which the sculptors' chisels have carved as if it were soap. An extensive museum displays howdahs, paintings, thrones, banners, doors, weapons and a spectacular 17th century tent. Our NOVEMBER departure will travel Pushkar in order to take in the Pushkar Camel Fair. NOTE: The Camel Fair is a 15-day event, the last four days of which are open to tourists. During this time, the Department of Tourism arranges different events daily -- camel races, turban tying, folk dances, magic shows, puppet shows, etc. Unfortunately the programmes are NOT announced in advance so it is impossible for us to provide an exact listing of the activities that we will be able to witness. We choose to be at Pushkar during the last two nights of the fair, which culminates with the religious ceremonies at Pushkar Lake on the night of the full moon, the most significant and important activity. Overnight in Jodhpur or Pushkar. Breakfast and dinner. Day 18 Pushkar or Jaisalmer Oue November Departure coincides with the Pushkar Camel Fair, on the full moon of the Hindu month of Karttika, when over 200,000 buyers, sellers and gawkers have traditionally invaded this peaceful, holy village. At Pushkar, our accommodation comes in the form of large, comfortable tents with cots and private toilet facilities. BOTH JANUARY AND FEBRUARY / MARCH TRIPS will travel to Jaisalmer, the land of the Bhatti princes, born of the moon, dates back to AD 1156. The skyline holds kiosks with parapets, balconies and terraces. Jaisalmer has been called the "Golden City" because of the colour imparted to its stone ramparts by the setting sun. This morning we visit the city gates and the massive fort inside, which rises majestically above the city. The fort itself is a warren of narrow, paved streets complete with beautiful Jain temples. Our January departure is set to coincide with the famous Jaisalmer Desert Festival when the sands come alive with the brilliant colours, music and laughter. Dressed in brilliantly hued costumes, the people of the desert dance and sing haunting ballads of valor, romance and tragedy. The fair has snake charmers, puppeteers, acrobats and folk performers. Camels, of course, play a stellar role in this festival, where the rich and colourful folk culture of Rajasthan is on show. Over the years, the desert dwellers in their solitude have woven a fascinating tapestry with threads of music and rhythm and the Desert Festival is a celebration of their heritage. It is a chance of a lifetime to see the folk art forms against the landscape that has nurtured them for hundreds of years. Overnight in Jaisalmer or Pushkar. Breakfast and dinner. Day 19 Jaisalmer (OR Pushkar - Jodhpur) OCT / NOV we will travel to Jodhpur. For JAN & FEB / MAR trips will spend an additional night in Jaisalmer. Overnight Jaisalmer OR Jodhpur. Breakfast and dinner. Day 20 Jodhpur OR Luni NOVEMBER: This trip will spend the day in Jodhpur. Our sightseeing in Jodhpur includes a visit to the massive fort which stands upon a rocky hill and engulfs the city with its 10 km (6 miles) of wall and eight gates. A fairly steep climb leads up through seven gateways. The palaces within are carved from a hard sandstone which the sculptors' chisels have carved as if it were soap. An extensive museum displays howdahs, paintings, thrones, banners, doors, weapons and a spectacular 17th century tent. JANUARY & FEBRUARY / MARCH: This departure will travel to Luni for overnight. Avoiding central Jodhpur (already visited) will better-place us for tomorrow's trip to Udaipur. Overnight in Jodhpur OR Luni. Breakfast and dinner. Day 21 Jodhpur / Luni - Udaipur After breakfast we drive to Udaipur. Time permitting we will visit the intricately carved temples at Ranakpur on the way. Overnight in Udaipur. Breakfast and dinner. Day 22 Udaipur: Area Tour Today we see the lakeside City Palace, made up of eleven constituent mahals (palaces) constructed by successive Maharajahs over 300 years. Together they comprise the largest royal complex in Rajasthan. The palace, iridescent with tile and mirror inlays, includes the impressively carved Jagdish Temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The afternoon is free to browse in this beautiful city of temples, fairy-tale palaces and vast city gardens surrounding several lakes. This is only one of the seven major Rajput states to uphold its Hindu allegiance in the face of Muslim invasions and political compromises. The present nobility are perhaps the longest surviving dynasty in the world, being the seventy-sixth in the unbroken line of Mewar suzerains. A serene late afternoon drive around nearby Fateh Sagar Lake concludes an inspiring day. Overnight in Udaipur. Breakfast and dinner. Day 23 Udaipur - Mumbai: City Tour - Aurangabad A brief early morning flight takes us to Mumbai, the business capital of India (formerly Bombay). On arrival we embark upon a tour of the city. From humble obscure beginnings as a set of seven small islands, Mumbai has today risen to the eminence of India's most important commercial and industrial centre. Haji Ali's Tomb and mosque are devoted to a Muslim saint who drowned here. They are reached by a long causeway, usable only at low tide. The Mahalaxmi Temple is the oldest in Mumbai and dedicated to the three goddesses whose images are found in the sea. Marine Drive is a long gracefully curving road along the buttressed seacoast. The Prince of Wales Museum, built of blue-grey basalt and yellow sandstone, contains some excellent examples of Indian miniature paintings of the Mughal and Rajasthan Schools, as well as collections of jade and chinaware artifacts. The Gateway of India was conceived as a triumphal arch to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary for the Delhi Durbar in 1911. The city has several fine examples of colonial architecture including the Afghan Memorial Church, established in 1847 which has Gothic arches and stained glass windows; the Clock Tower, the School of Art, built in the late 1800s, where Rudyard Kipling was born; Crawford Market which has bas-reliefs designed by Kipling's father; the massive Victoria Terminus, built of yellow sandstone and granite. Also of interest are the Hanging Gardens on Malabar Hill, from where we get a magnificent panoramic view of the metropolis and the Arabian Sea. Later this evening we fly to Aurangabad. Overnight in Aurangabad. Breakfast and dinner. Day 24 Aurangabad: Ajanta Caves Hewn from the near-vertical sides of a horseshoe-shaped ravine, deep in the semi-arid hills of the Deccan, the rock-cut caves at Ajanta occupy a site worthy of the spectacular ancient art they contain. In 1819 a small detachment of East India Company troops brought the caves' obscurity to an abrupt end by rediscovering the facade of cave 10. Further exploration revealed a total of 28 colonnaded caves chiseled out of the chocolate-brown and grey basalt cliffs lining the River Waghora. The most beautiful aspects of the site are the immaculately preserved paintings. In addition to the phalanxes of stone Buddhas and other sculpture enshrined within them, Ajanta's excavations are adorned with a swirling profusion of multi-coloured murals, depicting everything from battlefields to boudoirs, sailing ships to city streets and teeming animal-filled forests to snow capped mountains. In its heyday, Ajanta sheltered over 200 monks, as well as painters, sculptors and labourers employed in excavating and decorating the cells and sanctuaries. Inspired by faith and devotion, the Buddhist monks toiled by hammer and chisel year after year. By the 8th century these caves (which date from around 200 BC to AD 650) lay deserted and forgotten until the tiger-hunting expedition of 1819. Overnight in Aurangabad. Breakfast and dinner. Day 25 Aurangabad: Ellora Caves - Mumbai The Ellora Caves lie 29 km (18 miles) northwest of Aurangabad. These rock-cut caves range from tiny monastic cells to colossal, elaborately carved temples, they are remarkable for having been hewn by hand from solid rock. The basic method of construction altered little over the centuries. First the basic dimensions of the ornamental facade were sketched into the cliff face. Next gangs of stonemasons hacked out a rough hole, through which they chiseled deep into the rock. As they worked their way down to floor level, using iron picks, the labourers left chunks of raw rock for skilled sculptors to transform into pillars, devotional friezes and stupas. Whereas the Ajanta Caves are noted for their paintings, it is the sculpture that is famous in Ellora. In terms of chronology, the Ellora Caves start where the Ajanta Caves finish. It is thought that the same builders moved from Ajanta to Ellora. The Ellora Caves are not all Buddhist like those of Ajanta; the earliest are, but during the time of Buddhism's decline in popularity, a later series of Hindu and Jain cave temples were added. Late in the day we fly back to Mumbai. Overnight in Mumbai. Breakfast and dinner. Day 26 Mumbai - Goa We have a morning flight to the former Portuguese enclave of Goa. Goa achieved fame when Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama sailed down the Malabar Coast in 1498 in search of "Christians and spices." Although he found neither, Goa became a Portuguese colony separated from the rest of India by the jungle covered hills of the Western Ghats. Goa's heartland and population is located in the alluvial strip inland from the beaches, a lush patchwork of paddy fields, coconut plantations, whitewashed churches and gently meandering rivers. Our hotel is not located on the beach in Goa. We prefer to stay inland in order to concentrate on the cultural heritage of the area. We will, however, have free time on the beach during our time here. Overnight in Goa. Breakfast and dinner. Day 27 Goa: City Tour This morning we include a sightseeing tour of Panjim. Proceeding onward to old Goa, we visit the Basilica of Bom Jesus, built in 1605 by the Jesuit fathers and still the most important church in Goa. Enshrined in a silver casket in one of its chapels, is the body of Saint Francis Xavier. Across the street is the Se Cathedral with an imposing vaulted roof, massive pillars and fourteen magnificent altars. Later we visit the Convent of St. Francis D'Assisi and the Chapel of St. Catherine. This afternoon is free to enjoy this laid-back town. Overnight in Goa. Breakfast and dinner. Day 28 Goa - Mumbai - Depart Either this morning or around midday we fly to Mumbai and connect with our homeward flights this evening. PLEASE NOTE: Many flights from Indian cities depart after midnight, ie just into Tomorrow. If this is the case re your departure, you may consider booking an extra hotel night so that you will have a place to rest prior to your flight tonight. Land Only participants with earlier flights from Mumbai need to ensure that their homeward flight connects with the afternoon arrival of our flight from Goa. Breakfast. BON VOYAGE!! Save time, money and stress! For reservations: Fill out the vacation planner to be contacted by our Nepal vacation specialist. Contact : Travelwizard.com Phone: 1-800-330-8820 or 1-415-446-5252 10/09 |
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