When you come back from India it takes a while to collect your thoughts. It’s taken a few days for me sum up my 9-day trip to Rajasthan because the whole experience was so overwhelming, in all the right ways. Also, I knew that once I started to write it all up then it really was over. What I wouldn’t give to be able to time-travel and go back and do it all again.
I don’t know how you start to summarise a week-long trip when you see a tiger and a leopard in the wild and those moments weren’t the trip highlights – better was still to come!
Newmarket Holidays are the organisers of this trip which was loosely based on their tour called ‘India Rajasthan - Grand Palace & Historic Fort Stays - Premier Collection’ while Miles Morgan Travel allowed me to go as an educational experience and what an education it was.
India has always been a place I was interested in visiting but the idea also seemed fanciful; I’d need to find a like-minded person to visit with and then there are always those fears. However, you will have already gathered I am ready to return at a moment's notice to where the people and stunning sites and sights worked their way into my soul. As for my fears - they were unfounded. My abiding memory of scent of India is the fragrance of jasmine, marigolds and incense. I even bought jasmine incense at the airport so I could be transported quickly back in my mind whenever I wanted.
As for finding that like-minded person to travel with, well that’s not an issue with an escorted tour with a company like Newmarket. Whenever I have travelled with work over the years, I’ve always been familiar with the person or people I was travelling with, but this time I didn’t know a soul and so I did have nerves when I turned up at the airport. Nine days with strangers was out of my comfort zone, but nine days later I was incredibly sad to say goodbye to my newfound friends from all over the UK. We have shared memories and experiences that I will always cherish. We supported each other, we were curious together and we laughed together and were in awe together. My lesson learned is, if I want to go somewhere, see something or do something, don’t delay - do the tour solo and come away filled with memories – and friendships.
How did I gently fall in love with India? Well, it happened as we travelled Delhi to Ranthambore National Park to Udaipur to Jodhpur and back to Delhi. It was the kind and welcoming faces of the people and the sights that will be burned in my brain forever. We raced around the streets of Jodhpur in a tuk-tuk, a crazy whirl of colour, sound and adrenaline! There was also a tour the of the lanes of Delhi on the back of a cycle rickshaw, passing by vibrant stalls, dodging dogs and witnessing local life as stalls were being opened and stocked up ready for a bustling day ahead. We toured through historic forts, stunning palaces, bustling cities and rural villages.
The sunrise safari through Ranthambore National Park was an early start but the payoff was a glimpse of the elusive tiger in the wild. We saw it, cameras came out and jaws dropped and then it stalked off into the jungle not to be seen again. However, a real treat was the leopard that was curled up under and tree and then woke and wandered at a leisurely pace up the hill side giving us a real sense of its size and power. There were plenty of other animals too, but the highlights were by far, the big cats.
So, what could beat seeing a tiger in the wild? It should be hard to pick a favourite when every moment was mesmerising, but I do have an evening that will rank as one of my all-time highs. We took a sunset cruise on Lake Pichola in Udaipur and circled the Taj Lake Floating Palace. For Bond lovers you may have recognised the nod to the theme tune of Octopussy and this was the home of the title character, Octavia. I loved this film growing up, so enjoyed my Bond Girl moment until I transformed to Bat Girl. As the sun set behind the mountains the skies came alive with thousands of bats that emerged from the trees and flew over the lake in search their evening meal. The whole tour group were in awe at this natural wonder with a literal real-life film set. It is a night that future adventures will be hard pressed to beat!
The biggest lesson of this whole experience came from our phenomenal, personable and attentive tour manager Rishi is to ‘walk like a cow’ to cross the street. The cows everywhere and they walk across busy like they own the country! Rishi’s advance translates to: just go and don’t hesitate and don’t stop – and that’s now my advice to you, if you want to go to India – be a cow and just ‘Indi-Go’. Going with the security of a company like Newmarket Holidays can’t be underestimated. They have amazing connections and support network in the country; we met the people they work with, and they are incredibly passionate about that they do. And more importantly you might end up travelling long distances to see the sights on trains or luxury coaches so the tour managers that accompany you are not only there for safety and support, their commentary as you navigate the world’s 7th largest country will keep you entertained and also give you an insight into the lives of the people that live, work and play in the place that I am sure you won’t ever regret visiting and be yearning to go back to – just like I am right now!
Want to learn more about India and Newmarket Holidays? Give me a call on 01452 345 623 or come in for a chat at Miles Morgan Gloucester.
