India - Extension 2: Rajasthan Adventure
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**PLEASE NOTE: To do this trip you must also book the "Ultimate India - in Style", "Taste of India" or "Sunderbans Smiles" trip
Trip Highlights
• Mandawa’s frescoed mansions and temples
• Maharajah hunting estates
• Jaisalmer’s shopping alleys
• Jodhpur’s countless bazaars and the remarkable Bishnoi people
• Meherangarh Fort
• Jain temples of Ranakpur
• The lake city of Udaipur’s white marble palaces
• The deluxe Lake Palace hotel
• Romantic Udaipur’s miniature paintings, ethnic tribal jewellery and rooftop cafes
Trip Summary
We leave Jaipur bound for the small town of Mandawa, with its many Havelis (wonderfully frescoed mansions of the Marwari traders) and temples.
We move deep into the Thar desert to see the fortified town of Bikaner and its fort and palace and incredible city walls.
Gajner, our next stop, is another former Maharajah hunting estate, standing on the side of a lake surrounded by forest.
We get lost in the maze-like streets of Jaisalmer, with its myriad shopping opportunities. Across the desert, our next stop is Jodhpur, home of the Meherangarh Fort, where we can shop for antiques, browse its countless bazaars, and explore its winding streets.
We also encounter the Bishnoi people, the indigenous people of Rajasthan, where you can learn the 29 principles of their prophet, Lord Jhambheshwar, principles that enable them to live in harmony with each other and the environment.
We drive through the magnificent Jain temples of Ranakpur and have a night at Devi Garh, near Udaipur. This glorious 18th century fort-palace – still imposingly grand with its dusty rampart of domes, turrets and balconies – reveals an interior that is gleaming, sleekly minimalist and quite breath-taking.
After one night here, we go to the stunning lake city of Udaipur, with palaces of white marble. We stay in the 5* deluxe Lake Palace hotel. Udaipur is renowned for its miniature paintings, ethnic tribal jewellery and rooftop cafes.
We have two nights here, so there is plenty of time for you to explore the Venice of the east. Places of interest include the City Palace, Jag Mandir (another island in Lake Pichola, which is known for its garden courtyard - Shah Jahan took refuge here while revolting against his father), Sajjangarh Fort, and Jagdish temple.
You have another night in Delhi where your adventure ends, after a flight from Udaipur.
* Note
Your accommodation is in high quality 4*, Heritage hotels and palaces (9 nights) and a 5* deluxe hotel (2 nights).
For a full trip description in PDF format, click here (you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader).
Other Extension Trips
India - Extension 1: Colours of Rajasthan
India - Extension 3: Ganges & Temples
India - Extension 4: Chillin in Goa
India - Extension 5: Kerala Kruising
India - Extension 6: Nepalese Encounter
