Festival of Wildlife 2006 Itinerary
Saturday 1st April 2006 Depart London for Delhi
Depart from London Heathrow Terminal 4 at 09:55 bound for Delhi, flying with British Airways. You will arrive at 23:00, where you will be transferred to the Imperial Hotel in New Delhi for a 2-night stay on a full board basis.
Sunday 2nd April 2006 The Imperial Hotel, Delhi
The Imperial Hotel is located in the heart of the city, in the midst of beautiful landscaped gardens. The hotel has been recently refurbished and upgraded and is one of the best and most sought after hotels in Delhi. After breakfast you can either enjoy a guided sightseeing tour of Delhi in small groups or simply relax at the hotel and enjoy the beautiful, gardens pool and spa. You will have the opportunity to see the magnificent Parliament Building and the Rashtrapati Bhawan (the official residence of the President of India), India Gate, Qutab Minar and Humayun's Tomb.
Later in the evening, at the welcome dinner, you will enjoy exotic Indian cuisine in The Chor Bizarre, one of Delhi's premium restaurants. Chor Bizarre offers the best of traditional Indian & Kashmiri cuisine. Dinner will be followed by an introduction to India and the Festival of Wildlife 2006.
Monday 3rd April 2006 Jaipur & Vanyavilas, Ranthambhore
After an early breakfast, you will be transferred to the domestic airport to connect with the flight to Jaipur. You will be met on arrival and transferred by road to the Amber Fort. Amber, built by Man Singh, embodies the Rajput belief that the fort symbolizes the strength of the King. The fort is mirrored in Maota Lake, which stands adjacent to the Dilaram Garden. You will also visit the Jag Mandir, or the Hall of Victory, Jai Mahal and the Kali Temple. This will be followed by an elephant-ride to the top of the fort. And, after a leisurely tour of this beautiful fort, you will be transferred for lunch to Rajvilas. The luxurious Rajvilas is set within thirty-two acres of beautiful gardens, pools and fountains. The Surya Mahal Restaurant of Rajvilas offers elements from Asia and Europe with Rajasthani culinary delights served in traditional silver thalis or platters.
After lunch you will be driven to the Ranthambhore National Park, located in the heart of Rajasthan. On arrival at Vanyavilas you will be met and welcomed into your home for the next 4-nights.
Unique in India, Vanyavilas is a luxury jungle resort, located beside the Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve. Like former hunting parties of old, accommodation is in tents - but tents with a sumptuous difference. There are 25 air-conditioned tents, each with teak floors, marble bathrooms and a private deck for sunbathing or outdoor dining. The tents are placed discreetly within the 20-acre jungle estate so the natural peace and beauty of the location can be fully appreciated. With two restaurants, one air-conditioned and the other outdoors, you will be able to enjoy a mixture of continental and Indian cuisine. You can view wildlife from a watchtower, listen to lectures, and in the evenings, take your seat in the amphitheatre for an evening of talks and slide shows, followed by Rajasthani music and dance. The swimming pool and therapy rooms will offer relaxation for those who can spare the time.
Tuesday 4th to Thursday 6th April 2006 Vanyavilas, Ranthambhore
Each morning and afternoon you will join one of the experts and a resident naturalist guide for a jeep/canter safari to the core area of the National Park. Ranthambhore National Park is one of the prime examples of Project Tiger's conservation efforts in Rajasthan. The forests around the Ranthambhore Fort were once the private hunting grounds of the Maharajas of Jaipur. The desire to preserve the game in these forests for sport was responsible for their conservation and subsequent rescue by Project Tiger with assistance from DSWF .
The Park sprawls over an estimated area of 400 sq kms. Steep crags embrace a network of lakes and rivers, and on top of one of these hills, is the impressive Ranthambhore Fort, built in the 10th century. Old crumbling walls, ruined pavilions, wells, and other ancient structures stand witness to the region's glorious past. The entire forest is peppered with the battlements and spillovers of the Ranthambhore Fort - tigers are said to frequent these ruins, too. The terrain fluctuates between impregnable forests and open bush land. The forest is the typically dry deciduous type, with dhok being the most prominent tree. The entry point to the Park goes straight to the foot of the fort and the forest rest house, Jogi Mahal. The latter boasts of the second-largest banyan tree in India. Tigers love to frequent the lake and the cool shades of the Jogi Mahal on the hot summer afternoons. They can be spotted quite often even during the day, busy in their normal pursuits - stalking or hunting and taking care of their young. Ranthambhore is not only home to tigers - but also Hanuman Langur, Sloth Bear, Wild Boar, Nilgai, Golden Jackal, Ratel, Mongoose, Leopard, Sambar and Chital, as well as reptiles and numerous bird species. For a relatively small area, the park has a rich diversity of fauna and flora - species list includes 300 trees, 50 aquatic plants, 272 birds, 12 reptiles (including the marsh crocodile) & amphibians and 30 mammals.
As well as this fantastic wildlife, there will be many other events, ranging from exotic dances by the tribes inhabiting the deserts of Rajasthan, to the fascinating show of the intricacies of the life of the wild habitat of Ranthambhore, the eminent lens men. You will get a chance to learn and witness the 'bawarchis' chefs reproducing some of the meals reserved for the erstwhile Maharajahs and savour their efforts. And as well as workshops & masterclasses in the daytime, in the evenings you will enjoy a selection of films, talks and slide shows from our expert.
While in Ranthambhore you will also get a chance to see the extremely talented craftsmen and women - who carve out a living by making sketches of the wildlife of Ranthambhore. A part of the purchases support the cause of the conservation and makes the people living close to the park realize that saving wildlife and its habitat does benefit them directly. You will also get a chance to visit the Prakratik Society and meet the people behind it including Fateh Singh Rathore . Should you wish, there will be an opportunity to visit two DSWF funded projects; the school and hospital community projects which provide local people with health care, education and alternative farming techniques, resulting in a marked decrease in pressure on the park, set up by Dr Goverdhan Singh Rathore .
Friday 7th April 2006 Uppal's Orchid, Delhi
This morning you will be transferred to the station in Sawai Madhopur to connect to the train to New Delhi (or you may wish to take part in one of the exciting extensions starting in Agra - see below). You will be met on arrival and transferred to hotel Uppal's Orchid to freshening up and will have use of a day room.
Uppal's Orchid 'Ecotel' is spread over an expanse of 10.5 acres. The hotel has 84-rooms. Each room has a minibar, telephone, television and attached private facilities. Other amenities include a bar, health club & spa, swimming pool, 9-hole putting golf green and multi-cuisine restaurant. Located only 7 kms form the international airport and 4 kilometers from the domestic airport it is the ideal gateway for flights.
After a farewell dinner you will be transferred to the international airport for the return flight to the UK departing at 02:10.
Saturday 8th April 2006 Return to the UK
Arrive into London Heathrow Terminal 4 at 07:05.
Please note that the exact line up of experts and speaker, itinerary and series of talks and workshops has yet to be finalized and will be done in due course.
N.B. At present we have booked private luxury canters for the group, due to new Government restrictions. By April 2006 private jeeps may be allowed back into to the park, but either way, this should not affect our game viewing.
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