Rajasthan Cultural Tour - Forts & Palaces
Factfile
Accommodation
Standards vary dramatically throughout the
Subcontinent and in general cannot be compared to the West. In
larger cities such as Delhi and Mumbai, the hotels we use are fully
modernised with excellent facilities, whilst in other cities and
towns the hotels are smaller but quite often have good facilities.
In the desert cities of Rajasthan, areas of southern India, small
hill towns and recently opened areas, many hotels we use are
small, privately owned properties or converted
palaces, retaining much of their original ambience, but the room
size, shape and design can vary enormously (even in the
same price bracket).
Although palace hotels often have simple
facilities and service can be slow, we ask for your patience as
this is more than compensated for by their atmosphere and charm.
Hotels in India continually try to upgrade their services and many
can suffer from building works throughout the year. We will
endeavour to obtain rooms as far away from any construction work as
possible but please bear in mind that hotels run on full capacity
during peak season and specifi c rooms can rarely be
pre-booked.
Check-in & Check-out
Times: If a flight arrives very early in the morning, you
may be taken for breakfast or sightseeing before being allocated
your room since India works on a midday-midday check-out system. We
will endeavour to get your room available as early as possible in
these instances.
Game Parks & Remote
Areas: Even when you travel off the beaten track, your
accommodation on this trip in game lodges, smaller hotels and
tented camps will be the best available. Sometimes the best hotel
may be the only hotel, which may be very modest.
In these cases we feel that the simplicity of
such accommodation is outweighed by the experience of these more
remote areas. Game park accommodation cannot be compared to that
available in parts of Africa and the Far East and is often reached
down narrow, makeshift roads, far from other civilisation.
Accommodation will often be in tents or lodges which, although have
private facilities, should not in most cases be compared to
those
available in other parts of the world.
Single Supplements: Generally
in India, single and double rooms carry the same price, which means
that single supplements for certain itineraries can seem high.
Single
rooms cannot always be guaranteed at all
hotels and lodges, especially in peak season. Often, the location
and standard of single rooms may not be as good as that of doubles.
If
you are in doubt, we suggest you ask us
beforehand to book a double room at an additional supplement. If
you are unhappy with your room whilst on holiday please query
this with a representative at the time.
Road Travel
Driving in India can seem hazardous to
Westerners due to complicated codes of conduct that apply. All of
our drivers, however, are carefully trained and experienced.
Unfortunately, roads in India bear little relation to those in the
West and are frequently narrow, bumpy, pot-holed and have stretches
which are not sealed, or which are under reconstruction. Livestock
is often seen wandering the roads and always has the right of way
which can cause drivers to swerve to avoid it. Road conditions in
India change throughout the year, due to monsoon rains and extreme
weather patterns and journey times can vary enormously at all times
of year which is beyond our control.
Most cars used will be Esteems, which
are comfortable and ideally suited to local roads. The famous
Ambassador cars, based on the old Morris Oxford but constructed
locally, are also available in most areas on request. We can
provide larger or four-wheel drive vehicles if requested, subject
to availability and an additional premium. Coaches are also locally
custom-made on truck chassis and are not comparable with European
coach standards, but they are comfortable and maintained to a high
local standard.
Please bear in mind that if sitting at
the back of a coach it is possible that the ride will be less
comfortable due to coach design. In south India there is a shortage
of air-conditioned
cars and coaches due to the high taxes
that are levied on such vehicles and it may not be possible to
arrange airconditioned transport for tours in this region. In north
India,
however, we will use air-conditioned
coaches.
PRIVATE JOURNEYS
This tour can be taken as a Private
Journey. Private Journeys are taken by one or more passengers on
the date of their choosing, subject to schedules and availability.
These tours operate exactly as per Escorted Groups except that
there is no airport representation in the UK and rather than being
accompanied throughout by a Tour Manager travellers are locally
escorted in each city/destination.
In addition to the servicesthey have
in common with escorted groups, Private Journeys offer the
following benefits:
Support on the
Ground: On arrival in the Indian Subcontinent and at each
new
destination on your journey you will
normally be met at the airport (unless you are simply
in transit), station or quay by a tour
representative. This representative will accompany you to your
hotel, help with your check-in and confi rm the itinerary for your
stay. You will be given the contact numbers of all the relevant
local representatives, so assistance is only ever a phone call
away.
Transfers by Car: For
all road journeys you will have your own car or minvan and
driver.
This allows you to travel in comfort
and to stop off along the way if you see something of
interest, want to take a photograph,
or for a break. Most cars used on Private Journeys are
air-conditioned but you will be told
in advance if air-conditioned cars are not available for any
section of your journey.
Private Guides: Most
sightseeing excursions are accompanied by your own private
English-speaking local guide. This means that you can ask as many
or as few questions as you like and take sightseeing trips at your
own pace, with the emphasis on your own particular interests.
Accommodation
Flexibility: If you would like to stay in any hotels other
than those featured
in the tour itinerary, or if you would
like to upgrade the standard of your room, this can
easily be arranged and you will be
informed of the difference in price.
Travel At Your Own
Pace: Private Journeys are very flexible, allowing you to
start road
journeys or sightseeing when you
choose - within reason.
Quick links:
rajasthan cultural tour -
introduction
rajasthan cultural tour -
itinerary
rajasthan cultural
tour - dates & prices
rajasthan cultural tour - booking
enquiry
rajasthan cultural tour - before you
go
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