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world's most extravagant and beautiful expression of one man's love of a woman. Seeing the Taj at dawn is a remarkable experience, and so your visit will begin early in the morning. After the Taj Mahal you will drive to Bharatpur, where you will board the afternoon train to Sawai Madhopur, near Ranthambore. Evening arrival for a two night stay. DAY 6 - Ranthambore is considered to be the best game reserve in India for observing the elusive tiger. It has thick forest with lush vegetation and waterfalls, and boasts over 300 species of birds. Other species include leopard, crocodile, hyena and jackal. Today there will be early morning and evening game drives. Lunch is included. Afternoon free to relax. DAY 7 - After breakfast drive to the famous `pink city' of Jaipur which is set amongst barren hills and is the capital of Rajasthan. Here, India is arguably at its most colourful and exotic. Under the British, Rajasthan continued as a collection of princely states, each with its own Maharaja. Huge battle-scarred forts dominate almost every town, the most spectacular of which is the Amber Fort, eight miles outside Jaipur. Accommodation is for two nights. DAY 8 - Morning visit to the lovely Amber Fort, the old capital of Rajasthan, set high above its surrounding valley and lake. In the afternoon we have included a sightseeing tour of Jaipur. The old city itself is surrounded by a wall with seven historic gates. All the buildings are painted pink by Maharaja's decree, and the central landmarks are the City Palace and the Hawe Mahal (Palace of the Winds) which is considered to be one of the best known sights in India. Built in pink sandstone, this stunning building is of unique design, consisting of tier upon tier of curved arches, surmounting casement and trellis work through which the wind whispers. DAY 9 - Fly from Jaipur to Bangalore and transfer to the hotel for an overnight stay. DAY 10 - There will be a short tour of Bangalore. In the afternoon you will drive westwards to the fabled city of Mysore, and transfer to the hotel for a two night stay.
DAY 11 - Morning sightseeing in Mysore, including of course the magnificent Palace, seat of the Maharaja, which dominates the skyline. Mysore is famous for local crafts and aromatics, especially incense, sandalwood, rosewood and jasmine. DAY 12 - Morning departure for the drive up into the Nilgiri Hills to the famous hill station of Ootacamund (Ooty) for a two night stay. DAY 13 - Ooty was founded by the British in the 19th century as the summer headquarters for the Madras government. Stone churches, gardens, schools and the exclusive Ooty club, where snooker was invented, are reminders of the `Raj' days. You will visit the remarkable Botanical Gardens and a tea plantation during a relaxing day amidst Ooty's former colonial splendour. There are some lovely walks and splendid views. DAY 14 - Ooty has its own delightful miniature railway connecting it with the lowlands. You will take this train as far as Coonoor before beginning the full day drive to Cochin in the state of Kerala, for a two night stay. DAY 15 - Kerala is arguably the most beautiful state in India. It is a narrow fertile coastal strip with banana and rubber plantations, rice fields, gorgeous beaches, and a much more relaxed atmosphere than elsewhere. The people speak Malayalam, not Hindi, and Delhi seems a million miles away. The mountains of the Western Ghats have protected Kerala from invasion from the north, but nevertheless it has always had its own links with the western world, especially the extraordinary port of Cochin. Your sightseeing will include the Jewish Quarter and 16th century synagogue, the Dutch Palace and St. Francis Church, where Vasco da Gama was originally buried. In the afternoon, you will take a harbour cruise and have a close-up view of the amazing Chinese fishing nets which are still in use. There will be a special display of the Kathakali Classical Dance in the evening. DAY 16 - Depart Cochin for the short drive, via a visit to a coir (coconut fibre) factory, to Alleppey r for another highlight in this exciting itinerary. Here
you will take a cruise through Kerala's famous backwaters. These form a vast area of canals, lakes and channels, separated by narrow spits of land where whole communities live and farm. Your cruise will be an enchanting experience. You then continue south, visiting a rubber plantation. On arrival in Trivandrum there will be a short tour of the city before the short drive to the Kovalam beach area. Two nights' accommodation has been arranged. DAY 17 - Free to enjoy the stunning coastline. You can stroll on the beach and watch the fishermen laboriously pull in the huge nets which they lay across the entire bay. DAY 18 - Early morning transfer to the airport for your flight to the UK. As you will be flying westwards your arrival is later the same day.
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