India The birthplace of YogaYoga
Hosted by Melanie Rae Birch & (North Shore yoga instructor) Christine Aske (Maritime Travel Manager)
Departure: 01 Mar, 2014 Tour Days: 15 Days
Cities: Vancouver • Delhi • Varanasi • Haridwar • Rishikesh • Haridwar • Delhi
Tour Cost: Per Person on Twin Sharing: CAD 3599 Single Supplement: CAD 795 Tour Package Includes: Melanie Rae Birch (North Shore yoga instructor) • Roundtrip International air in Economy class, YVR/DEL/YVR, inclusive of taxes Email: [email protected] • Accommodation at superior hotels Certified yoga teacher and seasoned • Meet and greet on arrival in Delhi traveller, Melanie, spent most of 2004 • Breakfast daily backpacking and chasing the monsoon, from Trivandrum to Leh. She did her yoga • All transfers and sightseeing as per the itinerary. teacher training in Kerala studying at • English speaking tour director Vijnana Kala Vedi Cultural School. Along • Rickshaw Ride in Delhi. with yoga, she studied dance, cooking, • Boat Ride on the Holy River Ganges in Varanasi. and languages. Melanie has a special place • "Aarti Ceneremony" on the in her heart for India. banks of the River Ganges. “Everyone should go to India once in their • Entrance fees to monuments lives. It's like going to 100 countries in 1. • Train Fare: India has a beauty that defies explanation" • Optional daily yoga with Melanie • Special dinner in Varanasi
Deposit of 500.00 per person Christine Aske required at time of booking. Full payment (Maritime Travel Manager) required 90 days prior to departure. Minimum Contact: number of bookings required to guarantee Maritime Travel departure. 714 Park Royal North Maritime Travel insurance recommended West Vancouver B.C. V7T 1H9 To book contact: Tel: 604 922 9683 Email: [email protected] www.maritimetravel.ca Tour Lodging Info: 13 Nights Accommodation
Place Nights Dates Hotel Delhi 02 Nights 02mar - 04mar Royal Plaza Varanasi 03 Nights 07mar - 07mar Ramada Train 01 Night 07mar - 08mar Overnight on Board the Train Rishikesh 07 Nights 08mar - 15mar Hotel Ganga Kinare
TOUR ITINERARY:
DAY 01: 01MAR DEPART VANCOUVER and the Jama Masjid, one of the largest mosques in India. Board your international flight to Delhi, India. Afternoon visit Qutb Minar, a stunning 240-foot minaret - the tallest in the world - surrounded by an elaborate complex built DAY 02: 02MAR ARRIVE DELHI in the Indo-Islamic architectural tradition. Welcome to Delhi, India! a monumental city with a vibrant mix Overnight in Delhi. of old and new teeming bazaars, stately British boulevards, powerful Mughal Palaces and Forts, and intricate, ethereal DAY 04: 04MAR DELHI-VARANASI (By Flight) Towers, Temples and Tombs. After breakfast, transfer to Delhi airport to catch your flight to You will be met on arrival at the international airport by a the ancient city of Varanasi, the center of Hindu culture. A holy representative of Indus Travels and escorted by private vehicle to city dedicated to Shiva, Varanasi has survived the centuries the hotel. While the room keys and check-in are organized, our because of its sanctified place in Indian religious life. Late this representative will brief you about the tour program and hand afternoon take an excursion to the Buddhist pilgrimage site of over the documents to you. Sarnath. At the museum, see excavated pillars from the Maurya Overnight in Delhi. dynasty (323-185 B.C.) and ancient stupas. Late evening cruise the Ganges River at sunset to witness the evening aarti prayer DAY 03: 03MAR DELHI ritual. Overnight in Varanasi. After breakfast, our adventure begins in Old Delhi, the Mughal capital established by Shah Jahan in 1638. At the famous Red DAY 05: 05MAR VARANASI Fort, where Jawaharlal Nehru unfurled the flag of newly- Take an early morning boat ride to see pilgrims gathering on the independent India on August 15, 1947, we trade our car for Ghats to bathe in the sacred Ganges as the city begins to come Bicycle Rickshaws. Weaving through the warren of crooked, alive in the misty light of dawn. After breakfast, take a walk congested alleys off Chandni Chowk, one of India's oldest and through the narrow lanes of the old city. busiest bazaars, we will see that the traditional workmanship Overnight in Varanasi. for which India is well known still thrives. We will also visit Raj Ghat, Mahatma Gandhi's serene and evocative cremation site, DAY 06: 06MAR VARANASI DAY 09: 09MAR After your breakfast this morning, the day is at leisure. After breakfast this morning, take a sightseeing tour of This evening we have a sumptuous Vegetarian Dinner at the Rishikesh visit Lakshman Jhula, Ram Jhula, Raghunath Mandir Amrit Rao Peshwa Haveli. & Triveni Ghats. In the late evening, visit the Ghats for an Aarti Disembark at the Rajghat for a splendid evening with the theme dedicated to the Goddess Ganga. "Relive Benares" at Amrit Rao Peshwa Haveli - a heritage Overnight in Rishikesh. mansion built in 1807 as a Brahmin refectory to feed the DAY 10-14: 10MAR -14MAR RISHIKESH Brahmins (priests). The entire Haveli with the adjoining temple Leisure time, enjoy guided meditation, daily Aarti, yoga, complex is illuminated and aesthetically decorated all around complementary bikes or simply recharge in Rishekesh with lights, flowers and earthen diyas (oil-lamps). Thousands of Overnight in Rishikesh. diyas are set afloat on the river. Enjoy the special evening with Vedic chants by priests and a classical dance performance. A DAY 15: 15MAR ISHIKESH-HARIDWAR magical and once in a lifetime experience of spiritual & HARIDWAR-DELHI (By Train) DEPART DELHI traditional Varanasi! After breakfast, proceed for Haridwa sightseeing tour including Overnight in Varanasi. Har Ki Pouri (Ganga Ghats) and the local bazaar. Later transfer to the railway station to board the train for Delhi. DAY 07: 07MAR VARANASI-HARIDWAR (By Train) On arrival in Delhi, transfer directly to the international airport his morning, transfer to the railway station to board train for to board your international flight. Haridwar. Overnight on board the train.
DAY 08: 08MAR HARIDWAR-RISHIKESH Add 5 day post trip extension to Taj Mahal & Jaipur Arrive into Haridwar early this morning and proceed for Delhi | Agra | Jaipur Rishikesh. Check in at the hotel. Rest of the day is at leisure. Cost: CAD 1125 / Person on twin sharing Overnight in Rishikesh.