Tempo Holidays launches India Sri Lanka 2007-08 brochure

Private car touring, pre-planned itineraries and tailor-made product, three standards of accommodation and tours with palace accommodation are features of Tempo Holidays’ new brochure for India-Sri Lanka.

Tempo Holidays’ hallmark “Taste of” packages are offered in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Cochin and Colombo while beach packages in Goa and Sri Lanka have been added so travellers can enjoy a relaxed ending to their travels.

Major cities, regions, ancient kingdoms, hill stations, culture and wildlife are covered in the new program which includes hotels, and private car tours “Taste of …” city stays, sightseeing tours, rail, wildlife parks and backwater cruises with capacity for agents to tailor itineraries.

Tempo is offering a choice of three standards where suitable accommodation exists – Deluxe, Superior First, and Moderate First class.

Product manager, Nigel Loveday said India had developed some excellent deluxe hotels with special character, like Amarvilas in Agra, with views of the Taj Mahal.

The Tempo emphasis is on providing alternatives, mix-and-match combination itineraries.

As many Indian itineraries are regional, they may be combined to make longer programs covering several areas; so some start in Delhi and finish in Mumbai. For example, 19-days Northern India with Varanasi & Khajuraho (from $3177 per person twin share) visits Mumbai, Udaipur, Jaipur, Agra, Khajuraho, Varanasi and Delhi using moderate first class hotels (domestic flights extra).

Mr Loveday said Tempo had created these itineraries because with airlines like  Singapore Airlines flying to numerous destinations in India, it made sense to offer itineraries which complemented open jaw travel.

For example, travellers on a tour from Mumbai to Delhi could purchase a domestic flight to Chennai and travel on a 10-day itinerary through South India to Cochin, and leave India from Cochin.

This latter tour (from $1712) covers Chennai, cave temples at Mamallapuram, Tanjore, Madurai, Lake Periyar, a day cruising the Kerala backwaters and Cochin.

In addition to favourites like six-days Golden Triangle (Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, return to Delhi) from $1005 pp Moderate First Class, Tempo has some new shorter itineraries in the region.

New tours include 15-days Villages, Palaces and Monuments combining the best of Rajasthan with Agra and Delhi from $2178, or in heritage style using a selection of converted palaces, from $4590.

A five days Taste of Mughal Cities (from $1220) is also new.

The program offers a selection of modules including stays at wildlife sanctuaries (Ranthambore and Corbett), the former British hill station of Shimla, and the Sikh-holy city of Amritsar.

All tours in India are by private car with a driver/guide and step-on guides at each major attraction or city.

The eight-days Encounter Darjeeling & Sikkim private car tour, for example, is priced from $1663 per person twin share which covers hotels, all meals, transport, guides, transfers and entrance fees. Features of this tour are travelling to the foothills of The Himalayas, visiting ancient Buddhist monasteries, riding the Toy Train to Darjeeling and gazing at Mt Everest on a clear morning.

Similar private car tours covering the princely state of Rajasthan with its maharajahs palaces and traditional villages are from $985 (eight days).

The three Sri Lankan tours feature private car and driver. For example, the five- day mini tour from Colombo to the ancient site of Polonnaruwa, Kandy and the Pinnewala Elephant Orphanage is priced from $748 per person twin share.

Report by The Mole