Women Only India Tour: Fabric, Food & Fabulous + Holi 2019

There will be a warm welcome at the airport by our local airport representative in Delhi and you will be transferred to your hotel.

As our fellow travellers will be arriving throughout the day, this time is all about recovery from your international flight.

You can enjoy the facilities of the hotel or join Natasha on an optional outing to Khan Market.  Pack light! This is a great place to buy gorgeous cotton clothes both Indian and Western in style that will be super comfortable and stylish for the rest of your trip.  Designed in a U-shape you can’t get lost here!

Overnight: The Lalit, Deluxe Room

Today we will explore New Delhi and discover that it is actually not that new at all. The wide avenues of the capital are built on top of and around a graveyard of cities that have risen and fallen over time.

We will start our day visiting the 16th century Humayun Tomb. One of India’s many UNESCO World Heritage Sites, it was the first garden tomb of Asia. Like the Taj Mahal it is a testament of love built by a Queen for her beloved husband Humayun, the 2nd Mughal Emperor of India.

After soaking up some beauty and history we will avoid Delhi’s traffic and take the Metro from Jor Bagh to Green Park then jump in a mode of transport synonymous with India – the tuk-tuk to our next destination – Hauz Khas Village.

The 13th century Hauz Khas village is New Delhi’s own SoHo neighborhood with its quirky shops, art galleries and restaurants. We will have a later lunch at Naivedyam which specialises in South Indian cuisine. After lunch, we will drive through Lutyens Delhi and past the India Gate in the Rajpath returning to the hotel so you can change before dinner.

Our welcome dinner tonight is at Indian Accent where Chef Manish Mehrotra is raising a toast to Indian food of the 21st century by reviving old Indian recipes and giving them a contemporary twist.

Overnight: The Lalit, Deluxe Room
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Be prepared for an assault on your senses! This morning we explore Old Delhi by cycle rickshaw and on foot. We spend time at the 16th century Jama Masjid (Grand Mosque), the colourful markets, the labyrinth of narrow lanes to get lost in, and Asia’s largest spice market. For those who love to cook we will stop at a spice shop that has their wares in commercial packaging so that you can bring them back to NZ if you wish.

Leaving Old Delhi, we lunch at a favourite local joint before carrying on the Bangla Sahib, one of Delhi’s most prominent Sikh gurudwaras. We will need to cover our heads for the visit. If you are keen you might be able to help a roll a few roti in the gurudwara kitchen. In gurudwaras the concept of langar is practiced, and all people, regardless of race, religion or prosperity may come and eat in the gurudwara kitchen (langar hall).

From the gurudwara we will visit one of Delhi’s famed craft markets. The decision on which one will depend on timing and what events are on at the time. At these markets you buy direct from the artisans and cash is essential.

After a full and busy day, we return to the hotel. Dinner at your leisure and on your own account.

Overnight: The Lalit, Deluxe Room
Meals: Breakfast

We leave Delhi behind this morning as we zoom up the Yamuna Expressway to Agra, arriving around 1-1.30pm, you will have the chance to grab a bite to eat at our hotel’s café before our afternoon of sightseeing visiting Agra Fort and the Taj Mahal at sunset.

We will start our visit at Agra Fort which was the seat of power for the Mughal Empire und successive generations. The present structure owes its origins to Akbar who erected the walls and gates and the first buildings on the eastern banks of Yamuna River. Shah Jehan added the impressive quarters and the mosque while Aurangzeb added the outer ramparts. Visit its Hall of Public Audience and its Royal Pavilions.

The Taj Mahal is everything that has been said about it and more. Taking 22 years and 20,000 men to build, the white marble was quarried 200 miles away and was transported to the site by a fleet of 1000 elephants. Built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as an expression of his love for his wife Mumtaz Mahal, in the mid-17th century. The Taj Mahal is truly one of the wonders of the world.

Though the Taj appears to be amazingly perfect from almost any angle, it is the close-up marble inlay work, which is astounding. You will have ample time to view and be mesmerized by this outstanding piece of architecture.

Dinner at your leisure at our hotel.

Overnight: Gateway Hotel Fatehabad Road, Superior Taj Facing Room
Meals: Breakfast

This morning we will let our inner child loose and the colours will fly as we celebrate Holi. Holi is not India’s biggest festival, but it is probably the most well known outside of India. Holi celebrates the arrival of spring, the triumph of good over evil and a time of renewal.

We will join a local family who welcomes visitors each year to join them in their garden for some fun and safe Holi celebrations. Everything is supplied – from the white kurtas (these are delivered to our hotel the night before) that will get drenched in a rainbow of colours to the music and the delicious Holi sweets and snacks.

If you have light coloured hair you may want to bring an old hat with you. Applying some oil (such as almond) to you skin can also help minimise the staining. All the colours used are plant based and eco-friendly.

The rest of the day is free to rest and relax at our hotel. We don’t recommend that you head out into the streets during Holi as celebrations can get too boisterous.

Overnight: Gateway Hotel Fatehabad Road, Superior Taj Facing Room
Meals: Breakfast

The choice is yours this morning, to get up early and see the sunrise at the Taj Mahal from across the river at Metab Bagh “The moonlight gardens” or you can enjoy a sleep in. For those getting up early you will be rewarded with a gorgeous view of the Taj, away from the crowds.

After checking out this morning we will drive to Fatehpur Sikri which used to be a town larger than London when it was originally constructed in the late 16th century.

The red sandstone city complete with palaces and mosques was abandoned soon after it was built when the local wells went dry. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is an extraordinary place to wander around. Even after 300 years its buildings are in near perfect condition.

We will then carry on to Bharatpur for a relaxing lunch at The Bagh Hotel before continuing in our coach to Jaipur.

To relax after a long day, we will enjoy dinner at our hotel.

Overnight: Dera Mandawa, Suite
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Overnight: Dera Mandawa, Suite
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Leaving Dera Mandawa at 8am we will drive to the village of Bagru known for its block printing tradition where they use natural and indigo dyes to create beautiful fabrics. Here we will play with blocks and colours to create our own Bagru fabric to take home with us.

If you would like to have a quiet afternoon you can opt to be dropped off at Dera Mandawa after our morning at Bagru or alternatively join us exploring some more of Jaipur’s boutiques.

Dinner at Dera Mandawa is included tonight.

Overnight: Dera Mandawa, Suite
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

We have an early breakfast today, as we will need to depart for the airport by 6.45am. Arriving in Mumbai late morning, we will check into our hotel by lunchtime and a bit of downtime before we head out to do some sightseeing.

Mumbai is a seething mass of humanity and unrelenting traffic. Ornate Victorian-Gothic buildings provide a backdrop for noisy street vendors and office wallahs rushing to work. Wide leafy boulevards are lined with monumental British construction but not all the grand architecture was courtesy of the Raj – wealthy Jains and Parsis have also left their mark.

Always at the centre of the action, Bombay was at the forefront of the independence movement and it was from Gandhi’s house here that he coordinated the struggle.

Again, it is good to give the taste buds and the stomach a break from all the delicious Indian food, so grab a bite to eat at the hotel’s café for our lunch.

This afternoon we will tick off all the main sights of Mumbai such as the Gateway of India, the Dhobi Ghat and Mani Bhawan.

We will head straight to dinner at a local Zoroastrian Restaurant to sample its Laganu Bhoonu – an assortment of various dishes that are served at Zoroastrian weddings. This is a casual local eatery, so we don’t need get changed/dressed up and it will ensure that we can be back at the hotel for an early night

Zoroastrianism, the world’s oldest monotheistic religion was once followed by millions in ancient Persia. Today there are as few as 124,000 adherents worldwide with Mumbai now at its heart with around 70,000 followers.

Overnight: Trident Nariman Point, Premier Room
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Our breakfast will be a traditional Marathi one enjoyed with a local family in their home.
The middle of the day is free to relax, and you can enjoy lunch in your own time at the hotel.
For those keen to explore some more there is an optional excursion this afternoon to discover some of Mumbai’s most unique nooks and crannies like Mutton Street which is a paradise for artists, designers, decorators and antique hunters.

Dinner tonight is at the very cool Bombay Canteen.

Overnight: Trident Nariman Point
Room Category: Premier Room
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Later, we give another much more well-known Indian art form a go – Bollywood Dancing! There is no doubt there will be a few laughs as we learn of the latkas and jhatkas that Bollywood, the world’s biggest film industry, is famous for.

This afternoon is free to explore or relax at the hotel.

This evening, at Trishna, you can sample a range of dishes from the Mumbai and the Konkani Coast. This is an old school joint in the narrow lanes of the Fort area but continues to be on the ‘must eat here lists’ of many local and international foodies.

Overnight: Trident Nariman Point
Room Category: Premier Room
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Today we transfer to the international airport for your onward flight or to the domestic airport if you are joining our extension to Varanasi.

For those wanting to extend their time elsewhere in India or one of her neighbours, please talk to us and we can help craft the perfect extension to your tour.

Meals: Breakfast