Tauck World Discovery is launching an 18-day “A Portrait of
India” grand tour next year, offering upscale, escorted travel to
Rajasthan and the Golden Triangle in the north and tropical Kerala
in the south.
Tauck has spent more than two years developing its new journey,
and company president Robin Tauck spent a month in India helping to
put the finishing touches on the itinerary. Each departure will be
accompanied by a Tauck director to handle all day-to-day travel
needs, and local experts have been enlisted to provide guests with
insider access.
“India is a highly desired, complex destination. The country
covers over one million square miles, it’s home to more than a
billion people speaking more than 20 languages and 844 dialects,
and its culture dates back to 2800 BC,” said company President
Robin Tauck. “We’re proud to have a unique, grand experience filled
with special cultural experiences. Every detail is included.”
The tour begins with a three-night stay in Delhi, and continues
to the spiritual center of Hindi India Varanasi, where guests will
experience the sacred Ganges River during an early-morning boat
ride. From Varanasi, guests proceed to Agra for a two-night stay
overlooking the Taj Mahal, and then proceed to Jaipur for a
three-night stay with a visit to the Keoladeo Ghana National Park.
Following Jaipur, the tour heads to ancient Udaipur.
Insider experiences include a dinner near the Raja Ghat along
the Ganges River in Varanasi, a houseboat cruise through the
palm-fringed canals of Kerala, and a special performance of a
400-year-old classical dance-drama by the world-renowned Kathakali
Dancers. Travelers will also visit palaces, museums, temples,
tombs, private homes, as well as six UNESCO World Heritage Sites. A
sunrise river cruise on the Ganges, a rickshaw ride through the
streets of Old Delhi and an elephant ride en route to the Amber
Fort in Jaipur also are included.
Accommodations include the Oberai Amarvilas in Agra, where rooms
overlook the Taj Mahal; the Oberai Udaivilas, set on 30 lakefront
acres in Udaipur; and the Rambagh Palace, a former residence of the
Maharajah of Jaipur.
Tauck is offering seven departures in early 2006 (Jan. 9 and 30,
Feb. 6, 20 and 27, and March 13 and 20), and six in the fall of
2006 (Oct. 2 and 23, Nov. 13 and 20, and Dec. 4 and 11). Prices
begin at $7,690 per person (double) and do not include roundtrip
airfare to India or six intra-tour flights (from $990 per
person).
