The Origin of Ganges, Uttarakhand

Transcription

1 The Origin of Ganges, Uttarakhand 10 days Including 6 days of riding Best time: October-November and April-May Half board HIGHLIGHTS o Ride more than 750 km along the mountains on the legendary Royal Enfield 500cc. o Enjoy the warm welcome of the highland farmers. o Discover the wilderness of the Himalayan fauna (elephants, sambas, Langur monkeys, and a large diversity of birds) DIFFICULTY LEVEL: AVERAGE L For experienced riders who are physically fit. For the majority of time (80%) you will be riding on good quality asphalt roads. There might be a few parts of more difficult riding conditions, such as sand, pebble stones or small rocks. Also, you will be riding in an altitude of around 2000m. ROYAL ENFIELD 500CC Split between India and Mongolia, our motorcycle fleet consists of 16 Royal Enfield 500cc Machismo s (purchased in 2010) and 19 Royal Enfield 500cc Classics (purchased brand new in 2012 and 2013). All of them have a 5 level gear box, with the gear level on the left side of the bike to provide a flawless transition for our clients. Page 1

2 LOGISTICS & ORGANISATION Yourtour leader is a very experienced rider who speaks English and is familiar with the area you will visit. He is in charge of coordinating the support team (mechanic, driver, helpers ) and makes sure that the group travels safely. The tour leader is not a local guide, so, for your convenience, we advise you to bring a pocket guide with you. The entourage comprises of a tour leader and a well experienced mechanic.for groups of more than three, a support vehicle will be provided to carry the luggage and the mechanical equipment. The van can also accommodate participants (who must be registered with a pilot), if they choose to enjoy the ride in the comfort of a van. To guarantee a safe and pleasant tour, we recommend a maximum of 12 participants, including riders and pillions. We can easily welcome more participants in our A la Carte and tailor-made options. In that case, for your own comfort and safety, the content of the program and the logistics might change (itinerary, number of accompanying persons and support vehicle ). For more information, please ask your travel advisor. Page 2

3 AT A GLANCE Riding the legendary Royal Enfield 500cc, we will travel to one of the most sacred regions for Hinduism in the lower Himalayas. After taking a private vehicle to arrive to Uttarakhand region, we cross the Kumaon area by taking small roads across the mountains. As a first checkpoint, we enjoy the magnificent mountains view at the village of Kausani. Then, we continue towards the West of Uttarakhand via picturesque mountain roads towards the area of Gharwal. This tour will take us to the heart of numerous sacred Hindu places: Haridwar, Rishikesh, Ukhimat, Gopeshwar and Beijnath have sacred temples that draw numerous piligrims from all parts of India. Our journey will often take us along the sacred rivers of the state. At the end of the tour you will finish by taking spending a nice afternoon of rafting on the Ganga river in Rishikesh. The majority of riding will be done on good quality asphalt roads along the stunning view of the Himalayas. Page 3

4 YOUR ITINERARY ON A MAP Page 4

5 Day 1:Arrival to Delhi ITINERARY (Subject to changes depending on circumstances) A member of Vintage Rides will pick you up at the airport and transfer to a hotel with a private vehicle. Your room will be available from 12 pm. Overnight stay at the hotel. Day2: Delhi Corbett Tiger Park (300 m) [250 km, 6/7 h ride] Departure early morning by a private car to Corbett natural park. Arrival at the park and rest at the hotel. Overnight stay at the hotel. Day3: Corbett Tiger Park Ranikhet (1800 m) [90 km, 3/4 h ride] In the morning, we get our first glimpse on the Royal Enfield 500cc motorcycles and are introduced to the driving rules of India. Departure at noon. Small upward zigzag road to Ranikhet, a paradise in the middle of the mountains of Kumaon. Overnight stay at the hotel. Day 4:Ranikhet Kausani (1700 m ) [120 km, 5 h ride] Good and beautiful mountain roads to Almora. Peaceful and very pleasant road. We drive up towards Kausani with a superb view of the mountain range, stretching over more than 300 km. Overnight stay at the hotel. Page 5

6 Day 5: Kausani Pipalkoti (1300 m) [160 km, 6/7 h ride] Early start for the small stone temple of Beijnath near the river Gomti where you will see huge holy trouts. The atmosphere is "shanti shanti" as the locals call it. Then we take a small road on the side of a cliff along the river Pindar. We finish with a stretch of 30km on a main road to Pipalkoti. Overnight stay at the hotel. Day 6: Pipalkoti Rudraprayag (6oo m) [140 km, 7 h ride] We take a small winding road to the old temple of Gopeshwar and then to the beautifully colored temple of Ukhimat. Amazing roads along the river Manakini up torudraprayag.overnight stay at the hotel. Day 7: Rudraprayag Chamba(1600 m) [160 km, 6/7 h ride] We take a steep road along the Ganga river, which can be quite challenging depending on the season. Gorgeous landscape: the slopes of the red sandstone mountains, various waterfalls, pine forests and the stunning Tehri Lake on the last few kilometers.overnight stay at the hotel. Page 6

7 Day 8: Chamba - Rishikesh (340 m) - Haridwar (300 m) [65 km, 4 h ride] Early departure. Very well maintained mountain roads up until Rishikesh where we will have a nice rafting activity. We ride more than 30 kilometers along the River Henval. Rafting on the Ganga in the afternoon. Then 20 kilometers on main road to Haridwar, one of the most sacred cities of Hinduism, located at the point where the Ganga emerges from the Himalayas. Walks on the Ghats along the Ganga river. Overnight stay at the hotel. Day 9 : Haridwar - Delhi Back to Delhi by a private vehicle. Overnight stay at the hotel. [250 km, 5/6 h ride] Day 10 : Delhi International Airport Free time in Delhi for shopping and visits. You could hire a car for the day (ask your travel advisor). In the afternoon, we reserve one or two rooms at the hotel to store the luggage and take a shower before we go to the international airport in the evening. End of the trip. NB: Schedules of the stages are given as a rough guide. The itinerary is subject to change from one year to the next depending on the natural state of the roads. Page 7

8 CONTINUE YOUR JOURNEY You have a little more time You have found a cheaper flight which allows you to spend more days in India? Don t miss the bustling and exuberant Delhi rich in historical sites, markets and charming parks Continue your journey towards Agra and its gorgeous TajMahal, one of the 7 wonders of the world. Ask your travel advisor for more details! Page 8

9 PRICES AND SERVICES* Season 2015/2016 Fixed Departure A la Carte Option 01/04/15-10/04/15 15/04/15-24/04/15 29/04/15-08/05/15 21/10/15-30/10/15 06/04/16-15/04/16 19/04/16-28/04/16 04/05/16-13/05/16 19/10/16-28/10/16 Dates of Your choice 11/12 pers. = /10 pers. = /8 pers. = /5 pers. = /3 pers. = / pilot Be more than 4 to book : 1930 / pilot Prices are valid for all tours from 1st June 2015 to 31st May 2016 *Passengers : 300 less *Single Supplement Room : 290 PRICES INCLUDE PRICES DO NOT INCLUDE A Royal Enfield 500cc motorcycle with full mechanical assistance and spare parts Domestic transfers as mentioned in the program by private vehicle An English speaking Tour Leader (from Day 3 to Day 8) Fuel expenses An expert mechanic of Royal Enfield motorcycles A support vehicle with driver for groups with 4 participants and more; side luggage carrier for groups of less than 4 participants Lodging in standard hotels, in double or twin-shared bedrooms. If you wish to stay in a single room (extra), please inform your travel advisor at the time of registration. Meals: Half board during riding days Rafting in Rishikesh Third party motorcycle insurance Compulsory insurance, which includes repatriation assistance in case of an accident in India and legal assistance International flight tickets and airport fees Visa fees A refundable security deposit of 400 for every motorcycle Bank transfer fees Dinners Meals during days of transfer (Day1, Day2, Day9 and Day10) Drinks (chai, coffee, soft drinks ) Admission fees to monuments or temples ($30-40/person) Souvenirs, other personal expenses and tips Page 9

10 My checklist Appropriate equipment is a component of a successful journey! Travel lightly, TRY TO STAY UNDER 45LBS (20 KGS) BAGS: A sailor bag would be perfect, a walker's bag too (without steel bar). You can close it with a padlock if you want to (Don t forget to tag it before leaving with your address. Also with the address of Vintage Rides in India) A small backpack of 20 litres is advised for daily necessities such as camera, sunscreen lotion CLOTHES AND PERSONAL EQUIPMENT: 2 light pants A swimsuit Hot sweater or jacket for cold nights Sun glasses Hat Light sport shoes Flip flops Some sweats and cereal bars 4 shirts (including some with long sleeves, to protect yourself from the sun) 1 litre canteen (flask) and a flashlight (don t forget the batteries) SPECIAL MOTORCYCLE CLOTHES: Light motorbike jacket (leather or synthetic) A rain suit (just in case!) Gloves Helmet Motorcycle boots are strongly advised or trekking shoes (waterproof) PERSONAL MEDICINE: Sun screen lotion Lip balm Broad-spectrum antibiotic Paracetamol Anti-diarrhoea Elastoplast Skin disinfectant Bandages and special blisters bandage Any further question? Please contact us: info@vintagerides.com Page 10

11 Would You like to make a contribution to the community? We support a local non-governmental organisation, Project Why, which is working in New Delhi to educate children from disadvantaged backgrounds. To learn more about our involvement with ProjectWhy, please visit our website: ngo-partnership How can You contribute to this project? Purchase one of our Vintage Rides t-shirts all the money received will be passed to Project Why funds. Support Project Why with a direct donation and select from a list the school supplies You want to buy for the school. Visit their school in New Delhi, close to the Vintage Rides office, at the end of Your motorcycle tour. Page 11