INDIA INDIA – BHUTAN – NEPAL – SRI LANKA TOURS – BEACHES – LUXURY TAILOR-MADE by Established 1968 2018 – 2019 FIRST EDITION Dear Guest, Welcome to our 2018 – 2019 Simply India Holidays brochure, brought to you by Somak Holidays. This brochure features a wide selection of tailor-made holidays, covering the exciting and colourful destinations that majestic India has to offer. What’s more, we have included some new itineraries, so that you can combine your India trip with an extension to Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Dubai and the Maldives or even enjoy a stand-alone holiday. Whilst in India, take advantage of the great offers available with our Oberoi and Taj itineraries, taking full advantage of the “Exotic Vacations” and “Incredible Escapes” programme deals. Or combine your trip with one of the luxury trains, an opportunity to see the country in a whole new light. Whether you are after a trip to make the most of the scenery, culture and wildlife, or you would rather just chill at the beach, we have something that will appeal to you. We can show you the very best that India has to offer at surprisingly low prices, so don’t hesitate to contact our friendly and knowledgeable team to assist you in creating your ultimate dream Indian holiday, or contact your preferred travel agent. Happy travelling! Suresh Sofat Chairman Welcome to India Jammu & 42 Kashmir China 40 41 Himachal 38 Pradesh 39 Punjab Uttarakhand Pakistan Haryana Nepal Arunachal 44 Pradesh 45 Bhutan • DELHI 47 1 5 • Kathmandu 37 • Thimphu 43 46 6 Jaipur • 3 • Agra Sikkim 4 Assam Rajasthan 10 35 36 13 Nagaland 2 Uttar Pradesh 12 Meghalaya 9 Bihar 5 14 11 Manipur 7 15 8 M 19 i 6 Tripura z 21 18 Jharkhand o r 20 West a Myanmar Madhya Pradesh m Gujarat Bengal 17 • Kolkata 16 Chhattisgarh 22 Odisha Maharashtra BAY OF BENGAL 23 Mumbai • Andhra Pradesh INDIA 25 Ooty Goa 1 Bikaner 26 Mahabalipuram 2 Pushkar 27 Pondicherry 3 Fatehpur Sikri 28 Tanjore Karnataka 4 Ranthambore N.P. 29 Madurai 30 Trichy Bengaluru • • Chennai 5 Mandawa ARABIAN SEA 6 Jaisalmer 31 Munnar 24 26 32 Periyar N.P. 6 Bandhavgarh N.P. 27 33 Kumarakom 7 Chittaugarh 34 Allepy K 25 Tamil Nadu 8 Udaipur e 28 35 Darjeeling r 9 Jodhpur a 30 36 Kalimpong la 10 Lucknow Kochi • 31 29 37 Gangtok 32 11 Varanasi 38 Amritsar 33 12 Jhansi 34 39 Shimla 13 Gwalior 40 Manali Trivandrum • Sri Lanka 14 Orchha 41 Dharamshala 15 Khajuraho 42 Ladakh INDIAN OCEAN 16 Pench N.P. 17 Maheshwar NEPAL 18 Satpura N.P. 43 Chitwan N.P. 19 Dhar 44 Pokhara 20 Kanha N.P. 45 Bandipur 21 Bhopal 22 Ajanta BHUTAN 23 Aurangabad 46 Paro 4 Map locations are approximate and are not intended to be definitive. 24 Mysore 47 Punakha Imperial India Amanda and Justin from Somak hosted a great group of travel agents on an educational trip to experience the wonders of India’s iconic “Golden Triangle”, visiting the cities of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. Delhi Nothing can prepare you for the assault on your senses when you visit the amazing city of Delhi. From the exotic scent of aromatic spices to the sight of the colourful markets and the incessant tooting of car horns, you will be in for a unique experience. Delhi is a city of two halves, the old and the new, from the days of the early settlers, through to the Mughal, and eventually, British empires, before we get to experience the city that we see today. New Delhi Our first stop as we passed through Delhi’s suburbs was to Gandhi Smriti, the memorial to Mahatma Gandhi, affectionately referred to as the “father of the nation”. This was the former residence of Gandhi in the final months before his assassination in 1948 on this very site. After a busy life in legal and political circles, Gandhi led India’s independence movement against British rule. The memorial, including the room where he lived, is combined with a museum charting the history of his life and a set of footprints marks the path he took on that fatal day from his residence to his place of prayer. We continued on to the area popularly known as Lutyens’ Delhi, due to the design and creation of the Parliament Buildings led by the British architect Edwin Lutyens under colonial rule. From in front of the impressive Rashtrapati Bhawan Palace, you have a spectacular view down the Rajpath, Delhi’s nod to Paris’ Champs Elysées, culminating in the sight of India Gate, which, akin to Paris’ Arc de Triomphe, commemorates the soldiers who laid down their lives in the World Wars. India Gate is a real focal point for locals to congregate. We arrived just before dusk and the crowds were already building. Families with children came to play in mini battery- operated cars, the street-food vendors were in attendance, offering a selection of hot snacks to nuts and candy floss, music was blaring from the speakers, and of course you could India Gate definitely find someone to sell you a bargain souvenir or two. The group enjoyed the following private tour: Our final stop on today’s tour was a real highlight. We visited the Bangla Sahib Sikh Temple, impressive from the outside and Flight from Heathrow to Delhi beautifully ornate inside. We spent a few minutes taking in the 1 night Delhi music and orations during the on-going service before heading 2 nights Agra to the kitchens at the side of the temple. Every day 15,000 – 20,000 people share a meal on long mats spread out in a huge 2 nights Jaipur hall. The food is donated voluntarily, and as such, is considered 1 night Delhi “blessed”. Therefore, you won’t expect to find Delhi’s poor here, but rather, extended families spending time together. Flight from Delhi to Heathrow Bangla Sahib Sikh Temple www.simplyindiaholidays.co.uk 7 Old Delhi We passed the iconic Red Fort, and busy local markets offering a range of clothes and shoes, to fresh vegetables and spices. In no time at all, we reached the walls of the Jama Masjid Mosque, where we left our shoes and covered up our exposed limbs. The symmetry of the mosque was very evident and its importance as a symbol of continuing worship was also recognised. Immediately after this visit, rickshaws were claimed and we negotiated the narrow lanes of Chandni Chowk. Our driver jostled with oncoming rickshaws, motorbikes and market carts, while our eyes were drawn to the crazy mass of electric wires overhead, some of which were being used by monkeys as a convenient conduit across from one building to another above us. As our rickshaw made its way through the bustling market, our senses were now concentrated on the aromas of spices and the vibrant colours of the textiles and other goods on offer. Jama Masjid Mosque 8 For more information or to book, call 020 8423 3000 or contact your travel agent. Taj Mahal Agra Having been dropped off at the outer entrance to the complex, On arrival, we were whisked off to a fantastic interactive show a jeep shuttle took us the several hundred yards to the boundary that would prepare us well for the following day’s adventure. of the main site. The weather was amazing, so our first glimpse Every evening there is a musical performance entitled of the Taj Mahal was everything we had expected, and more! “Mohabbat E Taj” which depicts the romantic love story of Our guide gave us an introduction to the visit and then left us Emperor Shah Jahan and his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, and free to experience the whole site in our own time, so we were following her death, the Taj Mahal would become her able to take photos and experience the incredible views from everlasting memorial. It is a very touching story showcasing the every conceivable angle. It is only when you get close up that lavish lifestyle of the Mughal Empire. you can see the intricate detail of the ornate artwork that you cannot appreciate from afar. Our next stop was the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Agra Fort, again echoing the might of the Mughal Empire. We were treated to a show around of the Oberoi Amarvilas, a lovely property whose rooms all overlook the Taj Mahal. We were offered “a cup of tea and a slice of cake” which turned out to be a full-blown afternoon tea including a mix of tasty savoury and sweet delights. We thoroughly enjoyed this experience and would recommend it as an optional extra, and would be very happy to book it in advance for you. Agra Fort Taj Mahal Our guide offered us the choice of a dawn visit to the majestic Taj Mahal or a slightly later visit after breakfast. Whilst in the past the gates were opened before dawn to allow for a sunrise photo opportunity, this is no longer the case, and the gates open at dawn, but after going through the security precautions, the sun is already up, and our guide explained that we could have an equally amazing experience having had breakfast first, which we all decided was the right choice. www.simplyindiaholidays.co.uk 9 Road to Jaipur Our first stop was at one of the oldest and grandest stepwells of Rajasthan at Abhaneri, and we really had no idea what to expect. It is an impressive well with sets of steps along each side, which gives the idea of an inverted pyramid.