New Gecko’s Adventures do India Differently
Gecko’s says there’s a village in Rajasthan, India, where the Thakir (one rung down the nobility ladder from a maharajah) still takes a benevolently feudal responsibility for the well-being of his ‘subjects’. He’s developing a range of community-focused tourism experiences that encourage interaction between locals and visitors both inside and outside the gelato-coloured walls of the traditional rural village. Staying in the Thakir’s converted palace is a highlight of the new Gecko’s North India Highlights tour. And for now, there are no other travellers in town.
Getting ‘under the skin’ of a destination has always been the aim of Gecko’s adventure holidays. The company’s new range of India and Nepal trips aims to foster authentic cultural experiences and as much fun as possible – at rock bottom prices.
The North India Highlights adventure visits the most famous and colourful sites of northern India: Agra and the Taj Mahal; Varanasi – India’s holiest city where pilgrims come to bathe in the Ganges; and the monuments and markets of the ‘pink city’, Jaipur, where women clad in gem-hued saris barter for handicrafts and foodstuffs.
Travelling by train, local bus, horse-drawn ‘tonga’, motor rickshaw, bullock dray and on foot, there are detours along the way to Bharatpur bird park and various villages, as well as time in Delhi. The 15-day Northern India Highlights begins and ends in Delhi with twice-monthly departures between October and April. It costs $990 per person, twin share, land only plus a US$250 local payment.
Delving into the spiritual side of India, the new Spiritual India tour visits the holy city of Haridwar en route to Rishikesh, the ‘yoga capital of the world’ for three days of yoga practice. An overnight train then takes the group to Varanasi, claimed to be the oldest city in the world. A boat trip past the ghats is a chance to witness ancient rituals of life, death and the cleansing of sins, for which pilgrims come from across the sub-continent.
The 10-day Spiritual India trip begins and ends in Delhi, with time to explore the capital. There are monthly departures between November and April, costing $620 per person, twin share, plus a US$200 local payment.
Travellers can combine India with Nepal, contrasting the desert landscape of Rajasthan with the lofty peaks of the Himalaya on the 14-day Road to Delhi tour. There are weekly departures from Kathmandu between September and December from $990 per person plus a US$250 local payment.
All Gecko’s adventures are accompanied by a company-trained, English-speaking local leader who acts as conduit between locals and travellers, interpreting language, history, culture and landscape from a local’s perspective and expertise. For further information call 1300 854 500 or visit www.geckosadventures.com to download a brochure.
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