KOLKATA & SUNDERBANS

Transcription

1 6 days

2 Countries visited India Tour Highlights s imperial monuments & markets Discover the real on our walking tour Cruise the world s largest mangrove forest Look out for birdlife and tigers Places visited Sunderbans What's included Airport transfers Ground transport with driver Accommodation Entrance fees to sites & parks Breakfasts and some meals (refer to itinerary for meal plan) English-speaking guides All accommodation subject to availability. Final accommodation choices will be confirmed after booking. ID 2 - P a g e 1

3 Your Itinerary Explained Date Place visited Meals The first part of the text in each day is the itinerary schedule and will explain what you will normally see/do during this day of your itinerary. The part of the day s text in italics (and comes after the three dashes ) is background information on the places or sites on that day of your itinerary. It is not part of your itinerary and may mention places that will not be visited on your itinerary. If you have any questions please ask us. Travel times where noted are only meant as a guideline. B: Breakfast L: Lunch D: Dinner Tour Itinerary Day 1 Meals Pick up early evening from airport and transfer to hotel. Rest of day free. Overnight in. N/A Day 2 Meals After breakfast depart for city tour of. Take in 's rich colonial past with visits to the impressive Victoria Memorial, St Paul's Cathedral and the High Court. Stop off at the bizarre Marble Palace and cross the famous Hoogly River, the city's main trading post. Pay respect and witness the fantastic work at Mother Teresa's Sisters of Charity, then head into one of 's most artistic areas - Kumartuli - famous for sculptures of Hindu deities which are used in elaborate Hindu ceremonies. Lunch and dinner at local restaurants. Overnight in. B ID 2 - P a g e 2

4 Often labelled the "Cultural City of India", is India's second biggest city and one of its major ports, located on the east bank of the Hooghly River. Previously named 'Calcutta', it was the former capital of the British Indian Empire until 1911 and originally designed in the style of a grand European capital. As a result, Western influences can be seen throughout the city within its colonial-era architecture: Raj Bhavan, the state governor's residence, imitates Kedleston Hall in Derbyshire, the Indian Museum is built in the Italian style, while the Victoria Memorial Hall attempts to combine classical Western and Mughal architecture. was also the centre of the Indian independence movement, and to this day still plays an important role in contemporary state politics. Day 3 - Sunderbans Meals Sunderbans After breakfast transfer to the departure point for your boat ride into the Sunderbans. Snacks and drinks served on board the boat. Check in to your cottage at the Camp. Savour an excellent lunch in the open buffet area. Leave for your afternoon boat ride along the Sunderbans many waterways and visit the watch tower. Tea/coffee and snacks served onboard. Return to camp for evening buffet dinner, followed by traditional folk dance and music. Overnight in Sunderbans. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Sunderbans is a National Park, a Tiger Reserve and a Biosphere Reserve. It is home to one of the world's largest areas of halophytic mangroves and is also a hotspot for Royal Bengal tigers, boasting one of the highest Bengal tiger populations in India. Situated in Bangledesh, two-thirds of the park fall into the district of West Bengal. The name 'Sunderbans' literally means 'beautiful forest', and the reserve is very scenic, intersected by a series of waterways, tidal islands and mudflats, and boasting a diverse range of endemic plant species. There is also a significant Watch Tower which offers panoramic views of the area. B L D Day 4 Sunderbans Tiger Reserve Meals Sunderbans Early morning tea served at your cottage. Set off on boat ride through mangroves and creeks in search of tigers. It's usually the best time to catch glimpses of these majestic predators. Breakfast served on-board. Stop off by bank, and take a canopy walk above the forest. Return to buffet lunch at camp. After a rest, take a walk to the local village, where you will see children walking home from school, beautiful thatched huts, open fields and a vibrant market place. Return to camp for tea and snacks, followed by a short film on the Sunderbans. Buffet dinner at camp. Overnight in Sunderbans. B L D Day 5 Sunderbans - Meals Morning tea served at cottage. Boat ride with breakfast on-board. as you cruise through more mangroves and creeks admiring the scenery as well as looking out for more of the Sunderbans wildlife. Return to camp for buffet lunch and then transfer to by boat and minibus. Transfer to guesthouse for dinner. Overnight in. B L ID 2 - P a g e 3

5 Powered by TCPDF ( KOLKATA & SUNDERBANS Day 6 Departure Meals After breakfast embark on a fascinating half-day walking tour of hidden. You will take in some of the lesser-known streets of famous for carpentry and metalwork. Visit the colourful flower and fruit markets, one of the largest in India. Stop off for chai at one of the foodstalls. Hop on board the water taxi that ferries passengers along the Hooghly. Visit the area first colonised in and also the house of Rabindranath Tagore, Bengal's most famous literary genius. Lunch en-route or back at hotel. Transfer to airport for return flight to Delhi/UK. B ID 2 - P a g e 4