This is the plan. Into the lap of the Gods!
DAY ONE -Sunday 9th Feb
Leave Heathrow London British Airways BA 0199 departs 21.35 for Mumbai
DAY TWO -Mon 10th Feb
Land in Mumbai - about 8 hour flight - transfer to domestic airport and catch connecting flight to Jaipur (hour and half)
The first half of the trip is the tour of Rajasthan ( Up to morning of day 16). This is organised for us by Truly India Travel - tel 00911143084532 - ask for Ajay - we have our own driver just for us to tour in the Golden Triangle and stay in hotels organised by the tour company, therefore nothing much to organise, just go with the flow! This sounds like we are talking big money. On the contrary, local guys can do it much cheaper, it would appear, and so maybe, you can treat yourself a bit more?
The first half of the trip is the tour of Rajasthan ( Up to morning of day 16). This is organised for us by Truly India Travel - tel 00911143084532 - ask for Ajay - we have our own driver just for us to tour in the Golden Triangle and stay in hotels organised by the tour company, therefore nothing much to organise, just go with the flow! This sounds like we are talking big money. On the contrary, local guys can do it much cheaper, it would appear, and so maybe, you can treat yourself a bit more?
DAY THREE- Tuesday 11th Feb
day in Jaipur (spend 2 nights)
DAY FOUR Wednesday 12th Feb
Arrive Pushkar with holy lake - spend one night
DAY FIVE - Thursday 13 and 14th feb in Udaipur
Udaipur - city of lakes and palaces
DAY SIX Friday14th Feb
Still Udaipur
Spend Valentine's day in most romantic city in the world
DAY SEVEN - Saturday15th Feb
Mount Abu for Jain Temples
DAY EIGHT- Sunday 16th Feb
Still in mount Abu
DAY NINE Monday 17th Feb Spend one night in Jodhpur
DAY TEN - Tues18th Feb 2 nights in Jaisalmer on edge of desert
DAY NINE Monday 17th Feb Spend one night in Jodhpur
DAY TEN - Tues18th Feb 2 nights in Jaisalmer on edge of desert
DAY ELEVEN Wednesday 19th Feb
Still in Jaisalmer
DAY TWELVE - Thursday 20th feb
Bikaner still edge of desert - camel safari maybe
Also rat temple.
DAY THIRTEEN -Friday 21st Feb Mandawa - stop on the way back towards Agra
DAY FOURTEEN - Saturday 22nd Feb Agra and Taj Mahal
DAY FIFTEEN -Sunday 23rd Feb Agra or Delhi ready for early flight to Varanasi (DISTRICT OF UTTAR PRADESH)
SECOND HALF: Organised meticulously by us. (Watch it all fall apart!)
DAY SIXTEEN- Monday 24th Feb Catch internal flight Spice Jet SG116 from Delhi to Varanasi or old Benares on the Ganges river fly at 6.55- staying in Rahul Guesthouse Tel 0091 542 23 666 14
DAY SEVENTEEN -Tuesday 25th Feb Spend day in Varanasi
DAY EIGHTEEN- Wednesday 26th Feb Fly back to Delhi - end of first stage- spend night in centre Delhi near Bazaar - Smile Hotel Tel: 0091 9999 276591(or 2)
DAY NINETEEN- Thursday 27th Feb - internal flight to Kochi in province of Kerala South West India. Stay 4 nights in Greenwoods Bethlehem guesthouse Tel : 0091 484 324 7791 and visit Fort Kochi and the Keralan backwaters ( Rick Stein's curry programme)
DAY TWENTY - Friday 28th Feb Kochi - visit the old Portuguese town- ancient centre of spice trade since roman and greek times. Big port
DAY TWENTY ONE Saturday1st March Kochi- visit the backwaters
DAY TWENTY TWO Sunday 2nd March Kochi more backwaters or the Fort
DAY TWENTY THREE Mon 3rd March travel by train or bus to Coimbatore - stay one night awaiting connection to toy train (district of Karnataka). Legends Inn. 00914350000
DAY TWENTY FOUR - Tues 4th March Take Nilgiris Mountain train or Toy train to Ooty hill station. tea growing area - Stay night in Ooty in Lymond House Tel: 0091 97 3944 7562
DAY TWENTY FIVE - Wed 5th March Travel from Ooty to Mysore by bus (visit Maharaja's palace) Stay at Rooftop Retreat Home stay. 00918892454245
DAY TWENTY SIX - Thursday 6th March in Mysore.
DAY TWENTY SEVEN- Friday 7th March in Mysore
DAY TWENTY EIGHT- Sat 8th March Afternoon- leave Mysore by train ( Shatabdi Express) to Bangalore 2 hours. Change trains for 10pm train to Hospet (overnight)
DAY TWENTY NINE Sun 9th March Catch bus to Hampi and stay in Rocky Guesthouse - 0091 5422366614
DAY THIRTY Mon 10th March Spend day in ruins of Hampi Stay in Rocky Guesthouse
DAY THIRTY ONE Tues 11th March more time in ruins of Hampi
DAY THIRTY TWO Wed 12th March In the morning take the train from Hospet to Madgaon in province of Goa Catch bus to village of Benaulim for final stage of beach holiday
DAY THIRTY THREE Thursday 13th March Goa beach. (Heaven Goa Guesthouse. Benaulim. 0091 8322772201
DAY THIRTY FOUR - Friday 14th March more chill out in Goa beach
DAY THIRTY FIVE Saturday 15th March Goa beach
DAY THIRTY SIX - Sunday 16th March Goa beach
DAY THIRTY SEVEN Monday 17th March Last day on beach Goa
DAY THIRTY EIGHT Tuesday 18th March Catch internal flight from Goa to Mumbai Go Air airline internal flight no G8372 - departs 4.30pm- STAY night in Mumbai near airport at Anjali Inn - Tel 0091 222851 7591- opposite Mcdonalds
DAY THIRTY NINE Wednesday 19th March Return to London from Mumbai Flight BA 0198 leaving Mumbai 13.50 Mumbai time. Arrives Heathrow Wed 19th at 18.05 London time
DAY FORTY: Decompress.
DAY THIRTEEN -Friday 21st Feb Mandawa - stop on the way back towards Agra
DAY FOURTEEN - Saturday 22nd Feb Agra and Taj Mahal
DAY FIFTEEN -Sunday 23rd Feb Agra or Delhi ready for early flight to Varanasi (DISTRICT OF UTTAR PRADESH)
SECOND HALF: Organised meticulously by us. (Watch it all fall apart!)
DAY SIXTEEN- Monday 24th Feb Catch internal flight Spice Jet SG116 from Delhi to Varanasi or old Benares on the Ganges river fly at 6.55- staying in Rahul Guesthouse Tel 0091 542 23 666 14
DAY SEVENTEEN -Tuesday 25th Feb Spend day in Varanasi
DAY EIGHTEEN- Wednesday 26th Feb Fly back to Delhi - end of first stage- spend night in centre Delhi near Bazaar - Smile Hotel Tel: 0091 9999 276591(or 2)
DAY NINETEEN- Thursday 27th Feb - internal flight to Kochi in province of Kerala South West India. Stay 4 nights in Greenwoods Bethlehem guesthouse Tel : 0091 484 324 7791 and visit Fort Kochi and the Keralan backwaters ( Rick Stein's curry programme)
DAY TWENTY - Friday 28th Feb Kochi - visit the old Portuguese town- ancient centre of spice trade since roman and greek times. Big port
DAY TWENTY ONE Saturday1st March Kochi- visit the backwaters
DAY TWENTY TWO Sunday 2nd March Kochi more backwaters or the Fort
DAY TWENTY THREE Mon 3rd March travel by train or bus to Coimbatore - stay one night awaiting connection to toy train (district of Karnataka). Legends Inn. 00914350000
DAY TWENTY FOUR - Tues 4th March Take Nilgiris Mountain train or Toy train to Ooty hill station. tea growing area - Stay night in Ooty in Lymond House Tel: 0091 97 3944 7562
DAY TWENTY FIVE - Wed 5th March Travel from Ooty to Mysore by bus (visit Maharaja's palace) Stay at Rooftop Retreat Home stay. 00918892454245
DAY TWENTY SIX - Thursday 6th March in Mysore.
DAY TWENTY SEVEN- Friday 7th March in Mysore
DAY TWENTY EIGHT- Sat 8th March Afternoon- leave Mysore by train ( Shatabdi Express) to Bangalore 2 hours. Change trains for 10pm train to Hospet (overnight)
DAY TWENTY NINE Sun 9th March Catch bus to Hampi and stay in Rocky Guesthouse - 0091 5422366614
DAY THIRTY Mon 10th March Spend day in ruins of Hampi Stay in Rocky Guesthouse
DAY THIRTY ONE Tues 11th March more time in ruins of Hampi
DAY THIRTY TWO Wed 12th March In the morning take the train from Hospet to Madgaon in province of Goa Catch bus to village of Benaulim for final stage of beach holiday
DAY THIRTY THREE Thursday 13th March Goa beach. (Heaven Goa Guesthouse. Benaulim. 0091 8322772201
DAY THIRTY FOUR - Friday 14th March more chill out in Goa beach
DAY THIRTY FIVE Saturday 15th March Goa beach
DAY THIRTY SIX - Sunday 16th March Goa beach
DAY THIRTY SEVEN Monday 17th March Last day on beach Goa
DAY THIRTY EIGHT Tuesday 18th March Catch internal flight from Goa to Mumbai Go Air airline internal flight no G8372 - departs 4.30pm- STAY night in Mumbai near airport at Anjali Inn - Tel 0091 222851 7591- opposite Mcdonalds
DAY THIRTY NINE Wednesday 19th March Return to London from Mumbai Flight BA 0198 leaving Mumbai 13.50 Mumbai time. Arrives Heathrow Wed 19th at 18.05 London time
DAY FORTY: Decompress.
