CampingCaryn

Our trip to India was incredible. It was organized with the capable help of VP Singh of Legends & Palaces. It was truly the trip of a life time. I did not want to go on a tour, but also was not prepared to travel on our own completely. VP arranged our trip personally and we had drivers and guides in each destination. All of our breakfasts were included at each hotel, but lunches and most dinners were on our own, which was nice so we weren't limited in our choices.
We flew into Delhi and we were greeted at the airport, assisted with our luggage and driven to our hotel. We stayed in the Imperial Hotel, which was just magnificent. The next day we had a 1/2 day tour of Delhi.
Day 2 in Delhi we had a full day tour, including a rickshaw ride through the spice market, Jama Masjid mosque and many other sights. That night we dined at the Spice Route Restaurant which happened to be located in our hotel. It was excellent.
Day 3 we flew to Varanasi. We stayed at the Taj Nedesar Palace, in the Persia room, which was so incredible. The hotel only has 10 rooms and it is amazing. Our days were filled with visits to the Ghats to witness the cremation rituals, the evening aarti ceremony, the early morning bathing ritual and walking around the old city. We were in Varanasi 2 days.
Day 5 we flew into Kathmandu, Nepal where we stayed at the Soaltee Crown Plaza. Not quite as nice as our other accommodations, but there weren't as many choices. We spent the next two days visiting the sights of Kathmandu. Patan City, Hiranyavarna Mahavihar, Krishna Temple, Swayambhunath (Monkey Palace), just to name a few.
Day 7 we drove on to Pokhara, which is located very close to the Himalayas. We stayed in a beautiful mountain resort, Begnas Lake Resort. We were taken across the lake by boat to our resort. The next morning we were escorted by our guide to a vista to watch the sunrise hitting the Himalaya Mountain range and turning them golden. More hiking and sights around Pokhara.
Day 9 it was back to Kathmandu so we could get back to India for more sights.
Day 10 took us to Agra where we stayed at the Oberois Amar Vilas. The Oberois hotels are top notch and we enjoyed each hotel that we stayed in more than the previous one. Agra is home to the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort. We also had a great dinner one night at the Esphahan Indian Restaurant.
Day 11 took us to Jaipur where we stayed at the Oberois Raj Vilas. On the way there we stopped at Fatehpur Sikri & Buland Darwaza, the ghost city of the great Mughul Akbar. What an incredible fort & palace. Once in Jaipur, we visited Fort Amber via elephant back, the City Palace Museum, Astronomical Park and lots of great shopping.
Day 13 we traveled on to Sawaimadhopur and stayed at the Oberois Vanya Vilas, which are luxury tents, spectacular. We had 3 game drives into Ranthambhore Park, to catch sight of the Bengal Tigers, we were sadly disappointed to not see any, but we were warned that they are very elusive. It was still a wonderful stay.
Day 15 we traveled on to Deogarh and stayed at the Deogarh Mahal. VP had booked us in the Royal Suite which was multiple rooms and very beautiful. We had time to wander the streets of Deogarh which are very colorful and interesting.
Day 16 we moved on to Devi Garh which was a real treat and I will have to share in another report. We also visited Udaipur and Mumbai before ending our incredible journey.

jacketwatch

Glad you had a thrilling experience. I too used VPS and agree that his services are excellent.

Kathie

Looking forward to more from you. It sounds like you had a great time!

cathygreen

So excited to read this report. We are traveling in February, and share much of the same itinerary (with the exception of Jaipur and Nepal), staying at the same hotels, also going to Jodphur and Udiapur with Bandhavgarh instead of Ranthambhore. It sounds like a wonderful trip- Thanks for the report!

jeep61

We are also traveling to India and Nepal in February/March. It is so good to finally read trip reports rather than the chaos of obtaining visas! Our itinerary includes the Golden Triangle, Panna, Bandhavgarh and Kanha national parks, plus time Nepal in Kathmandu and Pokhara. Thanks for sharing your experiences and enthusiasm!

uhoh_busted

Another pair of Feb travelers, here. We are really excited about our trip. In fact, on my way to the bank to wire final payment to Legends & Palaces. It is nice to see the differences in all our itineraries We felt the same about taking a tour, and I think this sounds like the perfect way to visit India, if not going to see someone who lives there.

uhoh_busted

PS -- while we WERE initially inspired to go by a friend's Road Scholar tour, and I think many people would enjoy that, we are must happier to be on our own.

juliajane

Hi,
wondering if you would do Vanyavillas again? We are thinking of staying mostly in Oberois.
Plan is
Delhi 3 nights
Agra 1 night
Vanyavillas 2 nights
shapura bagh 1 night
Udaipur 3 nights
Mumbai 3 nights

Trying to see if this is too much..would you skip Vanyavillas or is it so different from other Oberoi destinations.
J

CampingCaryn

We loved all the Oberoi hotels. The reason we went to Vanyavillas was because we wanted to go into Ranthambhore Park to see tigers. Unfortunately we didn't see any. We loved the accommodations, they were some of the most beautiful. I like your itinerary, it sounds wonderful. Enjoy.

Glad to see so many fellow travelers like my report. Happy New Year to all.

dukewilson

India is amazing country and here are many cities and states available which is very famous in all over the world and held many famous yatra in different different month . When ever you are planning for visiting then you can enjoy a lot.