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Day
01 :
Arrival / Delhi.
Late night arrival. Meeting
and assistance upon arrival and transfer to hotel.
Overnight
will be in Delhi.
Day 02 :
Delhi
After breakfast we explore
the cultural sights of Delhi in a luxury bus, visiting
the presidents house, Parliament, India Gate, Qutub
Minar and the Red Fort. The highlight of this days tour
would be a ride in cycle rickshaws through the bustling
main street of old Delhi. Return to hotel for overnight.
Overnight will be in Delhi.
Day 03 :
Delhi / Mandawa
After breakfast we drive to
Mandawa with packed lunches. Once we enter the
Shekhawati district of Rajasthan we would bike the last
80kms to our destination through interesting countryside
and fields. On our way we negotiate camel carts witch
carry gypsy families or hey used for camel fodder.
Welcome drink upon arrival at Hotel Rath (chariot) - a
family house converted to a hotel. Late afternoon we
explore the town on our bikes. A typical medieval Indian
town, once an important trade centre, still lives as it
used to a couple of centuries back; one main street
(wide enough to permit only a bullock cart), old
dilapidated huge mansions of erstwile traders, the
street corner barber, the tea stall on pavements, gypsy
woman in colourful costumes, the local school - no more
than a compartmentlised countyard with children sitting
with coir mats, etc are all a small part of this greatly
wibrant town. An interesting aspect of this small towm
are interesting wall painting executed more than a
century ago on the wall of the old mansions - amazingly
the painting are still intact.
Overnight will be in Mandawa.
Day 04 :
Mandawa / Nawalgarh / Mandawa
After breakfast we bike to
the small town of Nawalgarh which is quite similar to
Mandawa. An important feature of biking in Rajasthan is
that one sees more and unexpected things on way to a
destination rather than in a destination - women
carrying hey stacks over their heads (the head hardly
visible under the huge stacks), shepherds flocking their
sheeps and buffalows, ploughing of field by ox drawn
plaughs, women fetching water from wells etc. Return to
Mandawa for overnight.
Overnight will be in Mandawa.
Day 05 :
Mandawa / Fatehpur / Bikaner (225 Kms)
After breakfast we bike for
30 Kms to Fatehpur, a small town which used to be an
important stop in the medieval Indian spice route to
Central Asia. Though the glory has disappeared, Fatehpur
continues to remain a small self-contained town, with
its local school and temple. The lives of people here
are simple and most of their needs are fulfilled from
the colourful and busy local bazaars. We spend a couple
of hours biking through the market and residential
portions of the town. We drive onto Bikaner. Welcome
drink served upon arrival at the Lalgarh Palace Hotel -
the palace of the maharaja of Bikaner, only parts of
which have been used as a modern Hotel. After lunch and
a couple of hours rest we bike 10 Kms to the government
managed Camel Breeding Farm, which is probably unique to
Asia. There are hundreds of camels here and it is a
great sight at sunset as the camel came back from
grazing. We bike back to our hotel for overnight.
Overnight will be in Bikaner.
Day 06 :
Bikaner / Deshnoke / Bikaner (80 Kms)
After breakfast we ride out
to the impressive medieval Indian Fort of Bikaner. The
places within the fort make a picturesque ensemble of
courtyards, balconies, kiosks, towers and windows. A
major feature of this fort and its places are the superb
quality of stone carving - rivaling the best anywhere in
the world. We return to our hotel to pick up our bikes
on way to deshnoke. The journey would be through
interesting countryside - villages, colourful bus
station etc. At desknoke is a Temple who has huge silver
gates and marble carvings. The main interest here is
rats, which are here in hundreds and are regarded as
holy and are fed by the priests. Opposite the temple is
a very interesting obscure little village. People live
here in small thatched houses (huts) which are plastered
with cow dung. There are no roads here, only dust trails
where donkey or camel carts occasionally move up and
down. Noisy children scamper about while groups of women
eighter broom the community courtyard, fill water in
clay pichers from the community tap, light coal and wood
ovens outside their gates or just huddle together and
gossip. We explore this village on foot carrying our
bikes with us. We bike back to our hotel.
Overnight will be in Bikaner.
Day
07 :
Bikaner / Jaisalmer (300 Kms)
After breakfast we bike /
drive our way to Jaisalmer. The drive is through desert
country with scantly vegetation and life stock in view.
Water is scarce here, we would see long trains of woman
fetching water by nearby wells in bright brass pitchers.
We arrive at our palace hotel late in the afternoon and
it would be a good idea to have a quite evening today.
Overnight will be in Jaislamer.
Day 08 :
Jaisalmer
After breakfast we pick up
our bikes to explore this, one of India's exotic and
unusual towns, right out of the fairy tales of Arabian
nights - often described as 'a living museum' and 'the
Golden City' (because everything here is of yellow
sandstone). We visit some of the beautiful Havelis
(mansions) of wealthy medieval Indian merchants. Made of
yellow sandstone these huge mansions have beautiful
arched roofs with superb carved brackets and apartments
painted with beautiful murals. In the afternoon we visit
the residential portions of the Jaisalmer Fort, where
one third of the population of the old city still lives.
The design of the houses remains as they were couple of
centuries back and are the lifestyle of people occupying
them. This is because most of the families still
continue for generations of work for the ruler (only
titular now). Hence there is a sense of continuity. The
houses are arranged in narrow lanes and have small
windows from where the shy child or girl peeps. This is
the city believed to be the home of the most handsome
men and beautiful women.
Overnight will be in Jaislamer.
Day
09 -
Jaisalmer / Sam (40 kms)
After breakfast, we bike to
Sam, a dessert outpost. On our way we visit a few
typical dessert villages, which have a sprinkling of
huts. The rough terrain here does not support
cultivation. Hence the entire village work as casual
labourers in road works or other public utility
projects. Inspite of their poverty, these beautiful
people are very friendly and hospitable - inviting you
to come and have a look at their stone huts, sit on
their string cots and share a cup of tea with them. We
arrive at Sam at mid - afternoon and proceed on a camel
safari, which is perhaps the best way to explore the
undulating dunes and craters of the dessert. The
experience of the setting sun in the distant horizon,
with camel trains and dunes in the foreground is quite
unchanting. Today we would camp in the dessert, amidst
bonfires and folk dances.
Overnight In Tents.
Day 10 -
Sam / Jaisalmer / Jodhpur
After breakfast we bike
back to Jaisalmer. We would have a couple of rooms for
wash and change. The afternoon is free. In the evening
we board an overnight train to Jodhpur (D-2210,
A-0730-next day). Accommodation would be first class
cabins and bed rolls/blankets would be provided.
Overnight on Train.
Day 11 -
Jodhpur
Meeting and assistance upon
arrival and transfer to hotel Ajit Bhawan Palace. After
breakfast we pick up our bikes to visit the massive
Jodhpur Fort, set on top of a hill. The biking would
quite steep from the foot of the hill to the Fort - 3
Kms. It is most impressive and formidable fort, in a
Fort studded Rajasthan. Inside the Fort, there are a
whole series of courtyard and place apartments. The
later have a fantastic collection and elephant howdahs,
miniature paintings, folk music instruments, the
inevitable Rajput armoury, palanquins, furnitures and
costumes. The palace apartments are beautifully
decorated and have delicately carved red sandstone and
lattice work windows. In the afternoon we bike 9 Kms to
Mandore, famous due to its extensive gardens with huge
rock terraces. The dinner at our palace Hotel is
something special. Served in an open courtyard by
ethnically dressed waiters, accompained by folk music
and dance and the maharaja mixing with the guests in his
flowing robes.
Overnight will be in Jodhpur.
Day 12 -
Jodhpur / Jaipur (260 Kms)
An early morning drive /
bike to Jaipur with packed breakfasts. On our way we
would buy oranges / bananas from hawkers. The journey
would be through interesting small towns and villages.
Ploughing by hand, ox drawing water from wells,
colorfully dressed woman working on road works or
construction work - mixing cement / tar by shovels,
carrying them on their head in metal saucers. climbing
on flimsy scaffoldings etc are only some of the
fascinating sights. We arrive into Jaipur late
afternoon. We check into hotel Jaipur Palace. The
evening is free. We could visit the popular and busy
link road shopping market.
Overnight will be in Jaipur.
Day 13 -
Jaipur
After breakfast we bike up
to the Amber Fort (11 Kms). Set on the dry wrinkled
Aravalli hills, the Amber Fort is a superb example of
Rajput architecture. A slow elephant taxi takes to the
top of the Fort. The several interesting buildings
include the hall of public audience with a double row of
columns and latticed galleries above. The hall of
victory has inlaid panels and glittering mirror
ceilings. The hall of pleasure, with an ivory inlaid
sandalwood door, has a water channel running right
through the room.
Overnight will be in Jaipur.
Day 14 -
Jaipur / Bharatpur / Fatehpur Sikri / Agra
Early morning start. An
interesting stop would be at the Bharatpur Bird
Sanctuary - one of the best water bird sanctuaries in
the world. We would bike around the reserve for a couple
of hours and observe the egrets, plovers, parakeets,
kingfishers, teals, ducks, stroks etc. from here we
continue biking 20 Kms to Fatehpur Sikri. This abandoned
capital of the mughals is a perfectly preserved city at
the height of the empire's splendor. The city divided
into religious and secular sections has interesting
well-sculpted buildings. We drive on to Agra and check
into Holiday Inn. A typical magic show would be
organized for us this evening.
Overnight will be in Agra.
Day 15 -
Agra / Delhi
At sunrise we pick up our
bikes to proceed to the Taj Mahal. The rays of the
rising sun on this extravagant monument create a
dazzling effect. Besides symetry in every aspect of its
construction, the inlay work of semi precious stones
into marble in pietra dura style is absolutely
remarkable. We return to our hotel for breakfast and
then drive / bike for our last night in delhi. Check
into hotel.
Overnight will be in Delhi.
Day 16 -
Delhi / Departure
Once the bikes are packed
up, we proceed to the airport to connect our return
flight. |
