Himalaya, India. The Sources of the Ganges

Transcription

1 Himalaya, India The Sources of the Ganges

2 TRAVEL DESIGNER Stephane Gautronneau ALEXANDRE ZURCHER More than 10 years ago, Alex Zurcher, a young French student came to New Delhi for a simple University exchange. Fast forward to today, he has set up Vintage Rides and has now expanded its presence in nine countries. An explorer by heart, he's always looking to discover new adventures around the world. An immersion deep in sacred India along the amazing roads of Uttarakhand, with the highest Himalayan summits as your backdrop. 2

3 ITINERARY A TRIP WITH UNIQUE SENSATIONS 3

4 AT A GLANCE 4-6h riding a day Routes blending culture and discovery Period April & May / October & November Duration 10 days including 6 days riding Level Intermediate English-speaking tour leader Accommodation Standard From

5 YOUR TRIP IN 10 STAGES STAGE 1 Arrival in Delhi Arrival in Delhi at Indira Gandhi International Airport and transfer to your hotel in the heart of the city. Your room is available at 1200hrs. You can either recover from the flight or go out and discover the trepidant capital of India. Overnight stay at the hotel. Delhi - Corbett Tiger Park [250 km* 6/7H driving]: Stephane Gautronneau STAGE 2 Departure early morning by a private car to Corbett Natural Park. You discover India north regions through the windows before grabbing your bikes tomorrow. Arrival at the park and rest at the hotel. Overnight stay at the hotel. 5

6 YOUR TRIP IN 10 STAGES Corbett Tiger Park - Ranikhet [90 km* 3/4H riding]: 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, up to 1800m. Overnight stay at the hotel. STAGE 3 Ranikhet - Kausani [120 km* 5H riding]: 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. STAGE 4 Overnight stay at the hotel. 6

7 YOUR TRIP IN 10 STAGES Kausani - Kund [180 km* 6/7H riding]: STAGE 5 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 30 km on a main road to Kund. Overnight stay at the hotel. STAGE 6 Kund - Chopta - Kund [110 km* 4H riding]: We take a small winding road to the old temple of Gopeshwar and then to the beautifully colored temple of Ukhimat. Overnight stay at the hotel. 7

8 YOUR TRIP IN 10 STAGES STAGE 7 Kund - Chamba [160 km* 6/7H riding]: We take a steep road along the Ganga river, which can be quite challenging depending on the season. Gorgeous landscapes: the slopes of the red sandstone mountains at 1600m, various waterfalls, pine forests and the stunning Tehri Lake on the last few kilometers. Overnight stay at the hotel. Chamba - Rishikesh - Haridwar [85 km* 3H riding]: Stephane Gautronneau STAGE 8 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. Overnight stay at the hotel. 8

9 YOUR TRIP IN 10 STAGES Haridwar - Delhi [250 km* 5/6H driving]: Last day in the Holy City: last time to wander around the city and do a little shopping. In the afternoon, you will go back to Delhi by a private vehicle. Overnight stay at the hotel. STAGE 9 Delhi - International Airport STAGE 10 Free time in Delhi for shopping and visits. You could hire a car for the day (ask your travel advisor). In the afternoon, we book one or two rooms at the hotel to store the luggage and take a shower before your transfert to the international airport in the evening. End of our services. *Riding distances are indicative. 9

10 YOUR FORMULA Join a fixed departure 2190 / pilot* 2040 / pillion* To know the dates of our upcoming fixed departures. go to - tab "Our Trips", or contact one of our travel advisors at: contact@vintagerides.com. *These rates are indicative, please refer to our General Terms & Conditions. Want to leave in a closed group? Ask us for a quote for a private tour. And enjoy 5% off your second trip 10% off your third trip and more Always in the limit of

11 MORE INFO PRICE INCLUDES 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 PRICE EXCLUDES 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 (day 1, day 2, day 9 and day 10) Drinks (chai, coffee, soft drinks ) Admission fees to monuments or temples ($30-40/person) Souvenirs, other personal expenses and tips 11

12 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. SPECIAL MOTORCYCLE EQUIPMENT: Motorcycle boots are strongly advised or trekking shoes (waterproof) Warm motorbike jacket (synthetic preferred) A rain suit (just in case!) Gloves Helmet Bandana PERSONAL MEDICINE: CLOTHES AND PERSONAL EQUIPMENT: 2 light pants 4 shirts (including some with long sleeves, to protect yourself from the sun) 2 warm sweaters or jackets Sunglasses Hat Sport shoes or trekking shoes 1 liter canteen (flask) and a flashlight (don t forget the batteries) Some sweets and cereal bars Sunscreen lotion Lip balm Broad-spectrum antibiotic Paracetamol Anti-diarrhoea Elastoplast Skin disinfectant Bandages and special blisters bandage 12

13 CONTACT US Copyrights photos: Geraldine Shandilya - Adomas Baltagalvis - Charles Davidson - Claude Doise - Pierre Duret VINTAGE RIDES INDIA C-65 Okhla phase 1 New Delhi Tel: VINTAGE RIDES FRANCE 98 Rue Baudin Levallois-Perret By appointment only Tel: CONTACT@VINTAGERIDES.COM 13