India - The Last Word

• Beautifully executed and designed Tour from Scenic Tours, Claire Yogesh and Ground operators.

• Smallish group of travellers 23 at beginning of tour and 19 for the last week. A good mix of personalities who cared about the tour and each other.

• India herself ...vast....cacophony of sound.....the smells of perfumes, sandalwood........cremations by the sacred Ganges......the colours of saris worn by women carrying extraordinary loads on their heads while the men stand around.......the ancient monuments.... the fabled Taj Mahal as beautiful and ethereal as described........The forts at Agra, Delhi, Amber and Jaipur........Merenghah Fort, The City Palace of Jaipur and Udaipur......walking down the main street of Pushkar with cattle competing with street side stalls.......The Oberoi Amarvilas and Vanyavilas, The Taj Lake Palace Palace Hotel, The Imperial Delhi, The Rambagh Palace hotel and the Raas Hotel in Jodhpur.........We rode on Camel, Elephant, Cycle rickshaw, auto rickshaw, Bullock Wagon, Coach and foot......the Jain Temple at Ranakpur........The Lodi gardens and Qutb Minar in Delhi.....Cultural events both authentic and touristic.......

In short a wonderful not to be missed experience and another to be crossed off our bucket list. Despite the endless stories of rape and religious extremism a largely peaceful and serene mass of over 1 billion striving human beings with a lengthy and continous presence in a land of great contrasts.

Thank you Claire, Yogesh, our driver and Bret Lemish from Scenic Tours who put this whole adventure together.