| November 2016 |
unique ways to showcase Indian Subcontinent |
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| Discover,
Dream, Experience |
India has myriad destinations, activities, experiences, colours and a vibrancy rarely experienced elsewhere in the world. In each newsletter we will focus on slightly more off beat destinations, experiences and hotels to showcase the best of off-beat India. |
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| Experience: Enfield Motorbike Tour |
| A motorcycle tour in Madhya Pradesh offers everything a passionate rider wants. A one thousand kilometre adventure starting in Orchha and then heading on to visit some of the most stunning wildlife parks in the country. Turn your Classic Enfield Bike on and reach the tiny village of Bijawar passing through small country roads and forests. Opt for a Khajurao Royal Enfield tour to explore the treasure of erotic sculptures or visit forts of Kalinjar or Ajaigarh. From there ride on to Bandhavgarh and Panna National Park to witness the rich wildlife which India has to offer. The tour also includes a trip to Kanha National Park and Pench National Park and ends in Nagpur. A unique and exhilarating experience. |
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| Visit: Jawai, Rajasthan |
| Jawai, whilst not being a designated national park, is one of the best destinations for leopard spotting in India. Made up of hills and boulders, nomadic tribal lands and an ancient dam, grasslands and age old villages, this area is an unspolit, magical area in Rajasthan, a fabulous destination in its own right, the opportunity to spot leopards in their natural habitat, a wonderful bonus. Located within easy reach of the famous Kumbalgarh Fort, the impressive Jain Temples at Ranakpur and the romantic city of Udaipur, a chance encounter with a leopard adds an exciting twist to the usual cultural circuit. |
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| Festival: World Sacred Sufi Festival |
An extraordinary location, the imposing, impressive Meherangarh Fort in Jodhpur forms the back drop for one of India’s most extraordinary festivals, the World Sacred Sufi Festival. This is a unique festival which features incredibly rare talent from India as well as the most beautiful and sacred traditions from the Orient, the East and Africa. Captivating music, spirituality, freedom of expression through movement dance and poetry, a melange of the ancient and modern, all take place in the incredible desert setting of Rajasthan.
Sting is a patron for this event and Alain Webber, a renowned festival director masterminds the whole extravaganza, turning it into an unforgettable masterpiece. Breath taking performances by poets and singers from Iran, drums from the deepest regions of Africa, songs from the nomadic steppes of Mongolia, Jews harps from China, Sufi singing and dances from the Nile reverberate across the desert. Feb 17 – 18 2017 |
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| Stay at: The Rajbari Bawali |
Just over an hour away from Calcutta, but a world away in time, lies the Rajbari Bawali. The former home to the Mondal family, whose history dates back to Akbar the Great, this palatial structure has been lovingly, painstakingly and sensitively restored to recreate an extraordinary era; a time when the Zamindars, whose wealth was renowned, lived an extravagant, opulent life, yet one which also contained, music and dance, art and literature.
The palace is surrounded by crumbling temples being ravaged by nature and a seemingly timeless village, a stroll around which reveals the simple lifestyle of the rural folk of West Bengal. Families bathing in the village ponds, puffed rice being cooked traditionally over black sand, intricate embroidery being worked upon in a tiled shack, and a priest who doubles up as the paan wala. Clouds of butterflies and the iridescent flash of a kingfisher, just one of over 50 species of bird found here, accompany you on your explorations, along with smiles of the local villagers, who delight in meeting visitors to their home. |
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