Description
Day 1
Arrive in Delhi and transfer by car to a hotel to freshen up and eat. Evening train to Varanasi.
Day 2
Arrive in Varanasi in the morning and relax. Afternoon sightseeing to Temples of Sarnath and boat ride on the Ganges River for evening prayers.
Day 3
Sunrise boat trip on the Holy River Ganges and return to hotel to relax. Afternoon train to Agra.
Day 4
Arrive Agra and check in to hotel and freshen up and eat lunch. Afternoon visit to the Red Fort.
Day 5
Morning visit to the Taj Mahal and marble factory. Visit Fatehpur Sikri on the way to Bharatpur. 1 hour drive approx. Check in to hotel for 2 nights.
Day 6
All day in the famous world heritage listed Keoladeo Ghana National Park, home to nearly 400 species of bird plus insects and mammals.
Day 7
Drive to Ranthambore National Park (approx 4 – 6 hours) and free afternoon to relax in hotel.
Day 8 – 10
5 game drives in search of tigers and other wildlife and an afternoon visit to the fort.
Day 11
3 hour drive to the “Pink City” of Jaipur – relax in hotel – OPTIONAL evening visit to see a movie in the evening.
Day 12
All day sightseeing in Jaipur – Palace, Amber fort, lake and observatory.
Day 13
Morning train to Delhi – afternoon free.
Day 14
Sightseeing in Old and New Delhi. Take a rickshaw ride to the mosque in Old Delhi before visiting Raj Ghat Government buildings, India Gate and Humayun’s Tomb.
Day 15
Tour ends – transfer to airport – return home or onward travel.
Mr & Mrs Pearson –
We had a fantastic time. As first time visitors to India, it is all just mind-blowingly fascinating!
We viewed a mother and her 3 x 12 month old cubs on a kill on our 4th and last game drive in Ranthambore National Park – absolutely amazing. We passed on visiting Ranthambore Fort on one afternoon and instead, our guide Narendra, organized an additional safari drive for us. We also met Harish Kumar who was staying at the same hotel in Ranthambore – absolutely charming.
Narendra has been an absolutely outstanding guide – excellent ++. Nothing is too much trouble and he is always anticipating everything in advance. His sole concern is ensuring everything runs smoothly and we are enjoying ourselves. You would have thought the lateness of one train was down to some personal failing on his behalf! His knowledge of not just the wildlife (which is incredible), but of India generally and his willingness to share that is really appreciated.
Thanks too, to Claire, for your efforts in organizing everything from the UK.
Feedback form – Enquiry / booking procedure, service at the airport, drivers & cars, your leader – all excellent
Sightseeing & park guides – good
Jeep drivers – excellent
Hotels & food – good (Bharatpur & Jaipur hotels – excellent)
Other comments – Narendra took every care of us – Always on time and unfailingly polite
Dali Sidebottom –
Our wonderful tour guide – A credit to your company
Just to follow on from Lynda’s comprehensive review India… was amazing as always……fantastic sights, sounds and smells which have to be experienced to be believed. But Incredible India also has its downsides. Ease of travelling we are used to is hard to achieve on India’s crowded and bumpy roads….even in a relatively comfortable vehicle. This all needs to be taken account with sufficient time allowed for resting between trips and sightseeing. It is all too easy to be ambitious when planning an itinerary in the comfort of your home only to realise that journey times are longer and more exhausting than expected.
What really made our holiday unforgettable was People. Our travelling companions with whom we still remain the best of friends! All the guides at the various sights were knowledgeable and engaging. The children at the school and orphanage whose enthusiastic welcome and smiling faces belied was humbling. Our wonderful tour guide Narendra whose help and graciousness made everything so much easier. Rajpal, whose exemplary driving skills in extreme traffic conditions were matched by his endearing politeness and sense of humour. They made an incredible team and are a credit to your company.
Lynda –
UNFORGETTABLE TRIP, Spectacular, moving and unmissable!
We have just returned from a fortnight’s holiday with two other couples, ie, six of us plus driver and wonderful guide, Narendra, who proved to be a well organised, adaptable, flexible and humorous guide who solved our problems with a smile, found us some great food (and no-one was ill!) and with whom we shared many laughs.
We started in Delhi and braved the dirtier even than usual streets (street cleaner strike!) in minibus, on foot and in rickshaws! Talk about crowded! We expected a full assault on the senses and we certainly got it!
Our days were full and the contrasts and extremes, eg between rich and poor, past and present, gave us much to think and talk about The animals – cows and bulls, dogs, monkeys etc everywhere and, alongside the obvious poverty of life on the streets, had us confronting some of our own preconceived and long held views. Architecture, design and colour are everywhere, often breathtaking.
Perhaps most unexpected were the havelis in Madawa – beautiful old homes which reveal fusions of Islamic and Hindu art and culture, often using methods pinched from Italy, eg pietra dura and fresco.
The stunning Pink City of Jaipur continued to impress, again with an unexpected delight at the “Observatory” – not as we know it but a sculpture garden of huge “instruments” dedicated to telling the time and navigating the stars. One of our group had a birthday here where we stayed at the lovely Heritage hotel Narin-Nawas Palace and enjoyed a magical evening of local entertainment and dancing as we celebrated. (Should also mention that our guide and driver decorated the minibus for this special event and the balloons and decorations traveled with us from then on!) A second evening there allowed us to check out The Palladio, a venue visited by the celebratory cast of the TV series “The Real Marigold Hotel”. Recommend it!
Before getting to Agra we visited Bharatpur (birthplace of our guide!) where we toured the wonderful Keoladeo Bird Park in rickshaws. We also visited an orphanage where 45 charming children are cared for in pretty basic surroundings and a small village school where we were treated to demonstrations of their talents and proficiencies in dance and recitation – sometimes in English.
We saw the Taj Mahal in Agra from across the river at sunset and then returned to join the queues to see it at sunrise Not a disappointment (although very chilly!). Hundreds of photos taken. A further trip to the Agra Fort gave us more context to the amazing story of the constructions and histories of these fabulous buildings and their creators.
The Erotic Temples at Khajuraho wowed us all! Totally unexpected and in a surprisingly uncrowded location, the Hindu celebration of erotic love was wonderfully explained to us by another great local guide. Again, many photos taken!
Our final destination was Varanasi, often known as Benares, where the Ganges is sacred and where the Hindu daily ceremonies of prayer and cremation could be seen from our own small boat on the river. Spectacular, moving and unmissable!
For us this was definitely an unforgettable trip and there are few minor negatives which I will point out so that they can be “worked round”. For the most part it was well planned but a couple of the journeys took much longer that we had been led to believe. (Toilet breaks were sometimes limited and, well, you take your chance! Wished I had brought a Shepee!) Perhaps this is inevitable as roads are often poor and other traffic and speed limits need to be taken account of, but the result was that we skipped a couple of visits because we were too tired and achy. (NB, we are all over 60 – so this may not be relevant to younger, fitter travelers without back problems and sciatica!).
Hotels (Heritage and 4*) were mostly very good but one was dirty and unfriendly (this is being looked into by Harish). Most had kettles and only one didn’t have a fridge but a hairdryer couldn’t be relied on – or even borrowed from reception. Wine is available but expensive, the same bottle of Sula (Indian wine) ranging in price from 1500 – 2700 rupees. Personally my biggest problem was the absolutely awful coffee which seems to be the norm! Tea and chai are everywhere but not coffee as we know it. I wish I had known this and had taken more with me. Making up for lost caffeine now that I am home!
Response by Nep In Sri Travel Ltd – many thanks for your good feedback and we have taken notice of all your comments and we will not be using that specific hotel again.
Lesley Turner –
Myself and friends were actually on a bespoke trip arranged by Harish for which I cannot thank him enough. The thought and preparation that went on behind the scenes meant that we were free to relax and enjoy our first visit to the very colourful India to the full. From transport to drivers, to guides, to hotels, we were never disappointed and never had to think let alone worry as everything we could have thought of and more had been dealt with. My memories will never leave me – the traffic/drivers of Delhi (until you experience this you will not believe it), the sights and history of Jaipur and Udaipur, and the awe inspiring visit to the Taj Mahal at sunrise would have been enough but to have had the privilege of seeing tigers up close and personal as they say, in Ranthambhore was breath taking and more than I could have wished for. I could wax lyrical for pages but suffice to say this was truly a trip of a lifetime for me, arranged with care and expertise and I thoroughly recommend to any readers thinking of travelling to the areas covered by Nep-in-Sri Travel Ltd to go for it. Personally I really hope I am lucky enough to be able to use them again.
Thank you.
Sheila Jones –
I have been asked to do a review of my recent trip to India, and of course I didn’t hesitate as the trip was fantastic. The trip was triangular flying into Dehli then to Jaipur, Udaipur, Ranthambhore, Agra and then back to Dehli. Our trip was organised by Harish Kumar who put together an amazing trip and from day one we were made to feel very welcome. Excellent and comfy mini bus with a driver who made us feel safe on the mad Indian roads. Main guide (Harish Kumar) and tour guides in all locations made us feel very welcome, were informative, clear and interesting. The drivers in Ranthambhore National Park were very experienced and we were able to see six tigers on 4 game drives. Absolutely amazing. Hotels – Fabulous in all locations, clean, made us feel very welcome and were first class. Excellent selection of food for breakfast and dinner in all locations. Delicious. The choices of restaurants were excellent. Thank you so much for an amazing trip. Fond memories will be the tigers in Ranthambhore and of course the breath taking Taj Mahal. Nothing to fault, all in all – Five star rating and I will definitely recommend Nep-in-Sri Travel Ltd to friends who want to travel to India.
Ian Dyson –
I’ve recently returned from my first trip to India, visiting Jaipur, Udaipur, Rajasthan, Agra & Delhi and everyone in our group had a great trip in seeing what India had to offer. My personal favourite parts were the tiger safari in Ranthambore & also the Taj Mahal. We had an excellent guide in Harish who as his profile says on this website does seem to know everyone in India! Everything was organised very well and the hotels were all very good. All the local guides that we had for when being shown round the various temples and attractions were very knowledgeable & friendly. Our bus driver Subesh was also great in negotiating the crazy Indian traffic, which is something to experience in itself! I would definitely recommend using Nep-In-Sri Travel if you are thinking of visiting India and I will be certainly returning to see more of what India has to offer and booking with Nep-In-Sri again
Caroline Dyson –
I have recently returned from my Famous Golden Triangle tour of India with my family and friends, who have all posted excellent reviews of our trip. I thought I would write my review from a slightly different angle; travelling with my 9 month old daughter. People thought I was crazy taking a baby so young away to a place like India but in reality it was so easy thanks to the service received from Nep-In-Sri Travel Ltd. So let’s start at the beginning. Our transport, a 10-seater mini bus, was plenty spacious for us all and the company would have supplied a car seat had I not taken our own from the UK. The bus was always kept clean and tidy with water supplied. It was Bev’s birthday whilst we were away and Subesh decorated the bus so beautifully! He was a fantastic driver, so calm in all situations on the busy roads of India. I think the fact that most of us were asleep on the long journeys says it all! The hotel in Jaipur was very authentic, a traditional haveli, but it needs some updating. I have passed this feedback on to Nep-in-Sri who have taken it onboard. Our full day sightseeing was so wonderful and our local guide was very funny, knowledgeable and had perfect English. In one day we managed to see the Amber Fort, the Observatory and the City Palace. Harish paced the day very well and we were able to stop for breaks when we wanted. We also were lucky enough to see the famous block printing first hand and give it a go ourselves! We wanted to take full advantage of the various shopping opportunities, with fabric and jewellery at the top of our list. Harish took us to the best places and helped us haggle to get the best prices. One evening after dinner we went to look at a wedding taking place at the restaurant next door and we were invited on to the dance floor and made to feel very welcome – Indian hospitality at its best! We even had our picture with the bride and groom! We went on an early morning leopard safari from Jaipur, something I didn’t even know existed until it was pointed out to us – we had to go! Unfortunately there were no sightings for us – a good excuse to return another time. We then moved on to Udaipur, which is one of my favourite places in India. The streets are much quieter than Jaipur and the lakes are beautiful. I would definitely recommend the boat trip run by the City Palace, where you have the opportunity to get off at an island for food and drinks. Again our local guide was fantastic, even looking after the baby so I could have a meal and a cocktail in peace! He went above and beyond what is expected. We took full advantage of the tailoring service on offer and a number of us got dresses and shirts made, all of which were delivered to our hotel a few hours later – true craftsmanship and such good quality. We then travelled to Ranthambhore National Park and had some amazing sightings of the tigers. Harish is an excellent tiger spotter and on one occasion his beady eyes spotted the tiger first! We were the only ones around for a long time before the other jeeps spotted her, and for a short while she was ours to enjoy. The drivers we had were excellent and would do anything for us to see the tigers, driving along a rock face and through an empty river bed were just two of the things! The hotel in Ranthambhore was absolutely beautiful with a lovely swimming pool. They didn’t have a high chair but every meal time a special chair with plenty of cushions was put at the head of our table. The chef came out at every meal and asked what we would like to be cooked for the next meal. He made food especially for my daughter with no salt in it – it was incredibly kind and thoughtful of him. From there we travelled to Agra for our amazing trip to the Taj Mahal at sunrise. Our hotel in Agra was absolutely amazing, it was 5* and we all had Taj Mahal facing rooms. The buffets at both breakfast and dinner had an extensive range. It is truly breathtaking and seeing it change colour as the sun rises is so wonderful. You just can’t stop taking pictures! Harish thoughtfully organised a photographer whilst we were there so we could create some amazing group pictures which we shall all treasure. It truly is breathtaking. Our hotel in Delhi was very relaxing before our flight home. We were lucky enough to be upgraded to a Suite room which was very spacious. The hotel is situated in a lovely location and the gardens are well maintained and colourful. It is very conveniently located close to the airport too. I would not hesitate returning to India another time. South India sounds amazing and the wildlife opportunities in Gujarat sound like they shouldn’t be missed. I can’t wait to show my daughter some more amazing sights of India! I would definitely book with Nep-in-Sri Travel Ltd again. Every detail had been thoughtfully managed and from our point of view it was effortless, but we know how much hard work has to be put in to make it seem that way. Thank you so much.
Beverley Carpenter –
My friends and I have just come back from a wonderful trip to India for 10 days. We experienced the wonders, history and sites of Jaipur, Udaipur, Ranthambhore, Agra and Delhi. Our trip was organised by Harish Kumar who was brilliant. He knew everything there was to know about the cities and places we visited, and also organised other guides at important landmarks to enhance our visit. All the hotels were brilliant and the staff were friendly and helpful (even putting up birthday banners for me!). Our driver Subesh was excellent (and he also decorated the mini bus with birthday banners too). He was very calm negotiating the traffic and we felt safe on every journey. My favourite part was Ranthambore where we went on 4 game drives and saw 6 sightings of tigers – a dream come true. The Taj Mahal was breath-taking too and well worth a visit. I cannot praise Nep-in-Sri Travel, and especially Harish, highly enough. If you are thinking of travelling to India organise it through them. You won’t be disappointed.