Why India?  WHY NOT?????

After visiting this beautiful country, I will surely return in the future.  There are so many other interesting and unique places in India to see!

 DELHI

Welcome to Delhi, India! a monumental city with a vibrant mix of old and new teeming bazaars, powerful Mughal palaces and forts, and intricate, ethereal towers, temples and tombs. 

Remember to wear or bring along clothing that covers shoulders and legs.

We were met on arrival at the international airport by a representative of Indus Travels and escorted by private vehicle to the hotel.

Also remember to always carry small denominations of money with you at all times in case of those short bathroom stops along the way.  

DELHI to MANDAWA

Our adventure began in Old Delhi, the Mughal capital established by Shah Jahan in 1638. At the famous Red Fort,

where Jawaharlal Nehru unfurled the flag of newly-independent India on August 15, 1947, we traded our car for bicycle

rickshaws. Weaving through the warren of crooked, congested alleys off Chandni Chowk, one of India's oldest and busiest

bazaars, we saw the traditional workmanship for which India is well known for and still thrives. We also visited Raj Ghat,

Mahatma Gandhi's serene and evocative cremation site.

 

MANDAWA to JAIPUR

Awesome morning walking tour of Mandawa. Mandawa is famous for its massive forts, beautiful

Havelis and ancient temples. The medieval ambience and vintage charm of Mandawa recalls the glory and splendor of

yesteryears. Then, afternoon drive to the Pink City of Jaipur!

Jaipur is an excellent place to enjoy unparalleled shopping and people watching. Spend time in the oldest and busiest of markets in the walled city at Johori

Bazaar, a true feast for the senses. Aromatic spices fill the air, while oxcarts, rickshaws, cows, bejeweled women and men with

shocking pink turbans jostle through the labyrinthine streets. Visit a store where you will learn about sarees and discover the

many wonderful styles and colours available.

 

JAIPUR

We drove a short distance outside of the city to photograph Amber Fort, the hilltop fortress / palace 7 miles

north of Jaipur, which was the former capital of the royal Jaipur.

Elephants carried us to this beautiful and very well preserved structure, built on four levels and surrounded by ruins, which

served as the backdrop for the Mira Nair movie Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love..

Bollywood has a new fan!  It was quite an experience attending one of these movies with the locals.

I learned a true lesson of humility this day, my friend and colleague Roberta was being followed by an older lady asking for money and she was

relentless.  Roberta took her by the hand and bought her food at the local market.  Both came away with smiles and I will never forget her face.

 

JAIPUR to RANTHAMBHORE

Close to the town of Sawai Madhopur lies the Ranthambore National Park which was at the forefront of Project Tiger. The park

covers approximately 400sq km of rolling hills, grassland, bush and woods, rivers and lakes and is very picturesque. The

landscape is accentuated by the many ruins of palaces and forts of this once royal hunting reserve.

You may get to see Chinkara, Mongoose and Monitor Lizards, however it is the larger predators that are so compelling. These include Leopards,

Hyenas, Jackals, Caracal, Sloth Bear, Marsh Crocodile and of course the Tiger, for which the park is famous.

Then it's our long awaited ride to Agra…….

 

AGRA

We visit the Taj Mahal early morning to witness its shifting facades at sunrise.  Pictures taken onsite by the photographers are worth the buy. Forget Romeo and Juliet, I encourage

you to research the history behind this magnificent structure, a true love story……which is why I would recommend this destination for honeymooners looking for

something totally different!

After breakfast, we set out to explore the Agra Fort, the work of Akbar the Great, who built it over the course of eight years (1565-1573). The fort

was successively occupied by Emperors Jahangir and Shah Jahan; the latter died here, imprisoned by his son, left to gaze at the Taj Mahal he had built, pretty sad really.

 

The children are what really left the most impression on me.  Their smiles were genuine and warranted a smile or a wave in return, this made them so happy.

Gifts for children are always welcome, carry with you small treats like granola bars to eat, pencils and note pads, toothbrushes etc.

 

India has over 1.2 billion people, Mumbai alone has over 21 million people (Canada has 34 million) so travelling in a small group always

made me feel safe, at no time during our tour did I feel unsafe.  Even bartering at the back of small shops in local markets did I feel uneasy.

It was very hard for me to close my eyes during the rides between cities, the vast wheat fields with splashes of colors from the women in their sarees  or the small 'barber shops' where men would be lined up for a shave or haircut.

 

The Golden Triangle Journey 7 night tour offered by Indus Travel starts at $883usd, airfare separate.  They also offer customized tours based on your needs.  Having their own offices in local destinations Indus Travel is able to negotiate the best price and pass on the savings to you.  We flew Jet Airways from Toronto to Delhi and had the best experience.  The crew were extremely friendly, the aircraft was brand new, the food was excellent and the stop in Belgium (mmm….Belgium chocolate) both ways was worry-free!  

 

End of March weather was the best!  Between 30-35 degrees and not too humid.

 

Indus Travels is devoted to bringing the best in both quality and value to custom tours to India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and Dubai.

They concentrate on designing tours that introduce travelers to the amazing complexity of culture and environment. They strive to offer these tours at unbeatable prices and with unparalleled comfort!

 ~ The Best of Brazil ~

"God made the world in six days, the seventh he devoted to Rio" so say the Cariocas, residents of this beautiful city.  Rio de Janeiro is a densely packed metropolis of over 9 million people.  Rio has brilliant white beaches in Copacabana and Ipanema, deep blue waters of the Atlantic, luminescent green Guanabara Bay and the bare blue slopes of Sugar Loaf to make Rio very unique.  Standing over it all, at the top of Corcovado mountain, is the huge statue of Christ the Redeemer; the best place to appreciate the city.  

Dinner in Rio included a buffet style restaurant but with one notable exception, the many waiters arrived frequently at our table with large skewers of BBQ chicken, lamb, pork, chicken hearts and cheese!  They would carve slices your chosen meats right at the table. There are many restaurants offering a lot of different choice, most are very affordable.  I felt very safe in Rio, even walking back to the hotel in the evening.

From Rio we headed south along the Atlantic coast by bus and then a 1 hour transfer by schooner to one of the picturesque, laid-back islands on the coast, Ilha Grande.  We hiked through the jungle to waterfalls and to secluded beaches like Lopes Mendes.  The beautiful white sand on the beach was so fine, it sounded like packing snow when you walked on it.  There were different kinds of monkeys, armadillos, pacas hedgehog and snakes, yes, big black snakes with yellow stripes like the one we encountered on the trail.  During our stay at the Pousada Mata Nativa, our hosts from G Adventures taught us how make the local drink Caprina, made with Cachaça (sugar cane liquor), lime, sugar and crushed ice, yummy! 

After traveling back by catamaran we hop on the bus and travel to Paraty, a lovely colonial town located on Brazil's Costa Verde or 'Green Coast'.  At its peak, Paraty was home to over 250 distilleries, and the name Paraty was synonymous with world-class sugar cane rum.  Paraty's bay is filled with over 65 tropical islands and dozens of beaches.  It started to rain on our adventure to visit these beaches but we didn't mind, the water of the bay is always the right temperature for swimming, diving and snorkeling.  Our Pousada Talisma was one of 3 Pousada's owned by sisters, it had a very warm feel to it and it was very centrally located to everything Paraty had to offer.  The Havaiana flip flops were the best priced here!

On our way to Iguassu!  5 hours by bus on twisty-turney roads up and down mountains to Sao Paolo and then an 1 1/2 hour flight to Foz do Iguaçu.  This tri-border region where Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay meet at the junction of the Paranà and Iguazù rivers is where the magnificent Iguassu Falls is located.  In order to see the falls properly you need to view them from both the Brazilian and the Argentinean side.  The Brazilian side offers the grand overview, and the Argentinean side, a closer look.  I don't think I've ever taken as many pictures of one certain tourist spot before I visited Iguassu Falls, it was spectacular!  The falls are over 2.7km long and the contrast between the green of the vegetation and the dark colour of the basalt rocks with whirring waters plunging from a 72 meter high cliff is magical.  It should come as no surprise that UNESCO declared the region a World Heritage Site in 1986.

G Adventures is committed to responsible tourism and have developed the Planeterra Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of people and communities around the world through support of international charities, local organizations and community projects in the places we visited on our tour.  G Adventures matches all individual donations AND pays all administration costs, which means that 100% of each donation is doubled and goes directly to support their projects!

This was truly one of the best trips I have ever experienced.  One of my big tips for traveling to Brazil, learn some Portugese phrases!  I found English was not widely spoken.  Prices of this tour start at $2449cad per person, including flights to Iguassu Falls,  private transfers, comfort hotels with breakfast and the most amazing local guides from G Adventures!

Please let me know if you want to know more about Brazil!  The FIFI World Cup will held here in 2014 and of course the 2016 Summer Olympics will be held in Rio de Janiero in 2016!