A Family Adventure to Rajasthan visits the colourful and chaotic city of Jaipur, where you will spend three nights in a magnificent old town house (Haveli), owned by the Samode family.
Visit the Blue City of Jodhpur for an incredible zip-line experience at the majestic fort before you arrive in Narlai for a leopard safari. Complete your adventure in the Lake City of Udaipur for a traditional cookery demonstration, a private boat ride and an exclusive movie night.
Transfer on arrival to award-winning Samode Haveli, the city’s finest haveli turned hotel to relax after your journey.
Overnight: Samode Haveli
Meet your guide and explore the landscapes on bicycles and across some extremely beautiful landscapes in the heart of Rajasthan. Ride along unexplored country roads and through mustard fields with desert berries on either side, before you return to your hotel for a well-deserved breakfast and some time to relax. Later, continue to the magnificent Amber Palace and stepwell and block-printing museum before being taken to a studio to meet a fully-fledged Bollywood dance teacher, where you will be taught some of the basic techniques of Bollywood dancing.
Overnight: Samode Haveli
Rise extra early for a private yoga session in the park as the sun rises, before you board a rickshaw to visit Jaipur's incredible wholesale flower market, otherwise known as Phool Mandi. Watch as local farmers carry in huge sacks bursting with fragrant, brightly coloured roses and marigolds, which are traded in front of you, before you enjoy a visit to the City Palace, once the seat of Kings, with private access to the rooms of the inner palace. In the evening, visit Dera Amer which sits in the hills behind the Amber Fort, for dinner and to spend a couple of blissful hours in the company of Laxmi, the resident elephant who you can bathe and accompany on her stroll before bed.
Overnight: Samode Haveli
Continue your journey by road to the Blue City of Jodhpur. Your journey will take you through rural villages and you will get to see parts of the country that are as far from commercialism and tourism. On arrival, check-in to The RAAS hotel, your home for the next three nights.
Overnight: The RAAS
After a delicious breakfast, transfer to the majestic Mehrangarh Fort, which stands in splendour a hundred feet up on a perpendicular cliff, four hundred feet above the sky line of Jodhpur. After visiting the fort itself, zip line over the battlements & lakes, for a completely different perspective and a great deal of fun. In the evening and before dinner, watch a traditional Tera Taali dance performance, which is a one of the very old performing arts of Rajasthan. This dance form is an eclectic mix of movement and sound and is quite mesmerising to watch.
Overnight: The RAAS
This rural safari is something very special. It is completely un-commercialised and provides a private look into rural life in Rajasthan, with a succession of visits to people who are delighted to welcome you into their homes and to show you their skills, their way of life and to meet their family. Witness several different aspects to life in the area and be warmly welcomed everywhere, including at the village school. Return to RAAS for the rest of the day at leisure.
Overnight: The RAAS
Continue the journey south to Narlai, deep in the Rajasthani countryside. On arrival, check in to your gorgeous heritage rooms and spend the rest of the day by the inviting pool. In the evening, you will be transported by an ox-cart through the village to where your delicious traditional Rajasthani dinner will be served, at the wonderful 6th century stepwell, lit with hundreds of flickering candles. Dine to the music of a holy man playing traditional melodies.
Overnight: Rawla Narlai
Before breakfast, board your safari vehicle and head out into the countryside on a leopard safari, to the sound of the calling peacocks. Vegetation is sparse in this region, making leopard sightings a regular occurrence. The big cats here roam free and these sometimes elusive creatures can usually be seen basking in the open, which is a real thrill to witness. Before you return for breakfast, visit Seli Dam, which is home to a huge amount of wildlife and birdlife. The remainder of the day is at leisure.
Overnight: Rawla Narlai
Enjoy a full day at leisure to relax and to do as much or as little as you please. A pool, sensational spa and manicured gardens are ample reason to stay put, but the best of Rajasthan is easily explored from here, including world-heritage temples and forts, hiking trails and tiny villages.
Overnight: Rawla Narlai
After breakfast, transfer by road to the Lake City of Udaipur stopping en route at the village of Ranakpur on the western side of the Aravali Hill, which houses a spectacular Jain Temple. A place of worship for followers of Jainism, the temples are elaborate and intricate with incredible architecture. Jains live by 35 rules of conduct, and a visit to Ranakpur allows one to explore and understand the history and beliefs of these very gentle individuals. Continue on to RAAS Devigarh and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.
Overnight: RAAS Devi Garh
Meet your guide for a morning at the magnificent City Palace, one of Rajasthan’s architectural marvels. Built over 400 years ago, the palace sits beautifully on the banks of Lake Pichola with its many towers, domes and arches. At lunchtime, visit a local family for an authentic cookery lesson and enjoy the fruits of your labours before you retreat to the lake for a private cruise. Sail around the lake and see the city from an entirely different perspective, before you cruise past the whitewashed Taj Lake Palace and the picturesque ghats with their distinctive steps still used by the locals. Return to your hotel to relax.
Overnight: RAAS Devi Garh
A full day at leisure to explore the local village, relax in the spa or ride through the streets of Delwara and along the country road that winds around the outskirts of the village at the base of the Aravalli hills. In the afternoon, you might decide to make your way to the lawn, which offers the perfect spot for a game of croquet with magnificent views of the palace, before you enjoy your own cinema night with a large screen in a private room, comfy sofas, popcorn and a movie of your choice.
Overnight: RAAS Devigarh
At the appropriate time, your will be driven to Udaipur Airport to check-in for your flight home.
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