India's North & South - Premium Adventure

What's Included

• Meals
  14 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 7 dinners.

What's Not Included

• Visas and vaccinations

• Travel insurance

• Tips for the Tour Leader

• Single accommodation (available on request)

Food

All breakfasts, four lunches and seven dinners are included in this trip.



India is famous for its food and there is ample opportunity to try various curries such as the familiar tandoori, biriyani and thali. If you are a vegetarian, India is a great destination. There are wonderful desserts and excellent beers, soft drinks and Indian specialities, such as lassi, a refreshing yoghurt drink.



You should allow at least 1,400-2,400 Indian rupees (US$20-US$35) per day for lunch and dinner. You can eat out very cheaply in India, but if you go to the more expensive restaurants most of the time, you will spend the top of the suggested amount. In most towns we visit, there is a good selection of restaurants and a choice between Indian and Western food. Please note, service in restaurants can be quite slow. Tea and soft drinks are very cheap in the north, a (large!) bottle of beer is approximately 285 rupees (approximately US$4). However, due to Kerala state laws, alcohol licenses are limited to one or two bars in each area and not all hotels are permitted to serve alcohol. The first day of every month in Kerala and certain holidays in India are dry days, when no alcohol is permitted for sale.



Mineral water is widely available, but drinking water is provided in a large container on the bus to reduce our use of plastic, so please bring your own refillable water bottle.

Accommodation

This trip includes eight nights in premium hotels, three nights in heritage stays, two nights in epic stays and one night on a houseboat.



The hotels used are premium or heritage quality (four to five-star, local rating). Our heritage stays have original features and offer a unique step back in time. We include two epic stays, one in the north and one in the south: the medieval Neemrana Fort-Palace and CGH Spice Village. It's worth noting that in Neemrana Fort-Palace, no two rooms are alike due to the building's ancient and protected history. The property layout is unchanged and keeps it's charm from when it was once an active Fort-Palace.



The deluxe houseboats have spacious air-conditioned bedrooms with en suites, plus a sundeck and separate dining area, although the style/layout can vary from boat to boat. Accompanying you on board will be a cook, driver and assistants. Expect traditional Keralan meals prepared for you using local produce. Houseboats have two to five twin-bedded rooms. Larger groups may be split over several boats; however, the group will come together for riverside stops and the overnight anchor point where your leader will be on-hand.



Please note, the gas water heaters on some houseboats are open-flued systems, as used in many parts of India. While this complies with Indian law, it does not meet UK standards and therefore we must inform travellers that there is a risk (while minimal) of carbon monoxide emissions. We have asked our leaders, where applicable, to install a carbon monoxide alarm, and to brief your group about keeping their rooms ventilated at night (ie window open) to ensure sufficient air circulation.

Enquire for huge savings

Rated 5* on Trust Pilot & ABTA Protected.