Duration : 21 Days
Destinations
Delhi : The capital city of India and your starting point.
Neemrana : Famous for its restored fortress palace known as the
Neemrana Fort Palace.
Mandawa : The compact and busy little market town of Mandawa has the
collection of some of the finest painted Havelies.
Bikaner : The camel country , the city is renowned for the best riding camels in
the world.
Pokhran : Became famous after the detonation of nuclear missiles
by India in 1998.
Jaisalmer : The golden desert city of Rajasthan.
Jodhpur : The second largest city of Rajasthan, sits on the edge of the great Thar
Desert.
Mount Abu : The only hill station in Rajasthan.
Udaipur : The
city of Lakes.
Chittorgarh : The pride and glory of Rajasthan.
Pushkar : Pushkar
is famous for the Lord Brahma Temple and camel fair, also called as
Pushkar Fair.
Jaipur : Capital
city of Rajasthan. Famous for Forts, Hawa Mahal and shopping.
Ranthambore : The gateway to the world renowned Ranthambhor National Park- the
famous Tiger Reserve
Bharatpur : The eastern gateway to Rajasthan. Bharatpur is popular for its bird
sanctuary-the Keoladeo Ghana National Park - finest in Asia rich avian
variety.
Agra: City of Taj Mahal.
Best time to visit
Oct - March.
Tour Path
Delhi (2 nights) > Neemrana (1 night) > Mandawa (1 night) >
Bikaner (1 night) > Pokhran (1 night) > Jaisalmer (1 night) >
Jodhpur (1 night) > Mount Abu (1 night) > Udaipur (1 night) >
Chittaurgarh (1 night) > Pushkar (1 night) > Jaipur (2 nights) >
Ranthambore (1 night) > Bharatpur (1 night) > Agra (1 night) >
Delhi.
Tour Detail
Arrive Delhi
After a late-evening arrival, you'll transfer to your hotel. Delhi
stands as the capital of modern India, though it is made up of seven
ancient cities, spanning the period from the 11th to 20th centuries.
Explore Delhi
Today you will be introduced to the support team for the safari and
test drive the motor bikes. We'll take a tour of Old Delhi where we can
see some of the finest monuments of Delhi like the Jama Masjid, India's
largest mosque, and the impressive Red Fort. We can also do some last
minute shopping and preparations before departure.
Neemrana
We make an early start for Neemrana. We set a leisurely pace and enjoy
the burble of the bikes as we briefly take National Highway 8 southwest
from the capital and soon enter Rajasthan. We leave the highway as early
as possible and take to the back roads, traveling only 120 kilometer for
our first day's ride to Neemrana Fort Palace. Covering some 25 acres of
land and built in 1464, it is the oldest heritage resort in all of
India.
Mandawa
Visit Nawalgarh and Dundlod en route, renowned for their painted
'havelis' (traditional homes). Peacock, The state emblem of Rajasthan,
can be spotted roaming freely while we traverse today on our way to the
Shekhawati region, famous for its beautiful havelis, those centuries-old
mansions of wealthy merchants and noblemen. As we meander around the
city, we will get enticed by the intricate frescoes and murals.
Bikaner
This day you will be heading directly to the west through arid
wastelands, approaching the Great Thar Desert which constitutes much of
Rajasthan. The strategic location of Bikaner on the ancient caravan
routes that came from West/Central Asia made it a prime trade centre in
the times of the yore. Bikaner stands on a slightly raised ground and is
circumscribed by a seven kilometer long embattled wall with five gates.
Pokharan
Today we will take you through progressively sparser vegetation and
population, to the remote outpost of Pokaran. An obscure little spot
until very recently, Pokaran is the nearest inhabited place to the site
of those notorious nuclear tests which India flaunted at the rest of the
world in 1998. The nearest you come to the site is about 65km however,
so you are not in much danger of radioactive contamination.
Jaisalmer
Our tour of Jaisalmer is divided in two days. After we reach Jaisalmer
and approach the western extremities of India near the border with
Pakistan; an amazing spectacle rises from the floor of the Great Thar
Desert. On our way is the great Jaisalmer Fort. With its incredible
array of bastions, battlements and ramparts, the color of this sandstone
fort at sunset has led to Jaisalmer becoming known as the Golden City.
The next day is for exploring Jaisalmer, perhaps with an afternoon
camel safari. In earlier days it truly was a golden city, a place of
great opulence on the caravan trading routes between India and central
Asia. A feature of Jaisalmer is the abundance of splendid havelis;
intricate carvings and works of art are commonplace and visitors are
welcome to roam freely.
Jodhpur
The 300 kilometer long journey form Jaisalmer to Jodhpur can be termed
as the longest in our itinerary but is compensated by good sealed roads
and lesser traffic hassles. The Maharaja of Jodhpur gave the world those
wonderful horse-riding breeches of the same name, which he had specially
made by the court tailor after he found it quite impossible to play polo
with the British in his long, flowing regal robes.
Our second day in Jodhpur we set out to explore this beautiful city.
Although not appearing blue from down at ground level, the view from the
huge fortress of Meherangarh Fort over the town is a true spectacle as
all the blue-washed Brahmin houses shimmer in the sunlight. We may also
visit the Umaid Bhawan Palace, a stunning Maharaja's palace now
converted into the largest ground-area 5 star hotel in India, with the
Royal Family still resident in one wing. Not to be missed are the
Jaswant Thada, A white marble memorial with beautiful marble lattice
work and the carved wooden doors of the cenotaph, the museum, and the
colorful Girdikot and Sardar Markets.
Mt. Abu
This day we proceed to Mt. Abu. In the very south of the state on the
border with Gujarat, this is the only 'hill station' to be found in
Rajasthan. The climate is a cool welcome relief from the plains below,
with the town spread along a hilly plateau at 1200 meters. Beautiful
Nakki Lake is the primary attraction in the town. The entire town is
very picturesque.
Udaipur
We will visit the superb Dilwara Temples, en route Udaipur, which are
possibly the best preserved group of Jain temples to be found in India,
with intricate designs and marble carvings unmatched anywhere else. In
the afternoon we ride to Udaipur, famous for the beautiful white
Maharaja's palace in the middle of Lake Pichola.
The next day in Udaipur is a rest day. The lake palace, like so many
others, has now been converted into a luxury hotel and we can visit for
lunch or afternoon tea to have a look around. We shall spend some time
on the lake in a solar-powered tourist launch, and the sunset over the
lake with a stunning white palace provides great photo opportunities.
Chittaurgarh
Chittorgarh, perhaps more than any other fortress, is symbolic of the
futile, idealistic chivalry which was a way of Rajput life in the middle
ages. Frequently plundered and sacked by superior invading armies, the
warriors of Chittorgarh responded by declaring jauhar, a ritualistic,
macabre suicide pact. The main places of interest in Chittorgarh are the
Majestic Chittorgarh fort, The Vijay Stambh (or 'The Victory Tower'),
The Kirti Stambh (or 'The tower of Fame') and the Rana Khumbha Palace.
Pushkar
A longish ride to the scenic lakeside town of Pushkar, famous for the
annual cattle fair and festival held every November. Thousands of
camels, horses, cattle and oxen are bought and sold with the enthusiasm
and gusto that only an Indian crowd of around 200,000 traders can
muster. It's always held at the time of the full moon in November, and
is one of the most colorful and flamboyant festivals in India.
Ranthambore
This day you will be arriving at Ranthambore, which is famous for the
Ranthambore National Park. The park is one of the finest tiger reserve
in the country under the Project Tiger. The majestic predators, assured
of protection, roam freely during the day time and can be seen at close
quarters. Ranthambore sanctuary has a large number of sambhar, chital,
Nilgai, chinkara, langur, wild boar and peafowl. Jeeps can be hired from
several places, the main ones being the RTDC for the jungle safari.
Ranthambore Fort, is another reason for visiting this place. It is well
- preserved imposing fort, built in 994 A.D. atop a steep high creek 200
metres above sea level. Ruined pavilions, walls, chhatris and splendid
monuments are interspersed within the majestic fort. An 8th century A.D.
Ganesh temple on an open land attracts thousands of devotees and is the
venue for an annual fair held on. Bhadrapad Sudi Chaturthi, fourth day
of the bright half, in the month of Bhadra.
Bharatpur
We hit the road again and head north to another sanctuary of a
different kind; Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary. Even for non-bird lovers, this
place is quite spectacular. Some 415 bird varieties have been identified
here, migrating from as far away as Siberia in huge, apparently
unsustainable numbers. Upwards of 3000 painted storks have been counted
in one square kilometer of marshland. Bharatpur was the premier Jat
State in Rajasthan. Badan Singh established and founded the fort and
palaces of Deeg in 1725. Seven years later, his son laid the foundation
nearby of the fort of Bharatpur. It was a formidable structure called
Logagarh (iron fort), which lived up to its reputation.
Agra
We move on to Agra ending our memorable journey of Rajasthan. En route
we shall visit the incredible deserted city of Fatehpur Sikri, once the
capital of the Mughal Empire for a brief period before being completely
abandoned, due to a total lack of foresight in obtaining a reliable
water source! Then we proceed to Agra in time for a sunset visit to that
most famous of all Indian monuments, the Taj Mahal. This mausoleum is
without doubt the world's greatest symbol of love, constructed between
1631 and 1653 by Emperor Shah Jahan as an eternal tribute to his beloved
wife Mumtaz who had died in 1629 perhaps not surprisingly, giving birth
to their 15th child in 17 years.
Return to Delhi
We then head off to Delhi, to end our adventurous tour. Covering the
200km between Agra and Delhi, we should do easily by around lunchtime on
this recently improved highway.