India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (32 page)

9 Special-Interest Trips & Escorted Tours

ACADEMIC TRIPS & LANGUAGE CLASSES

Ekno Experience
(
www.eknoexperience.com
) is based in the Himalayan region of northern India and has a number of learning packages for travelers interested in spirituality, Buddhism, Tibetan culture, and more esoteric activities such as reiki, tarot card reading, meditation, and yoga

ADVENTURE & WELLNESS TRIPS

With huge swaths of Himalayan mountains; a massive coastline; an age-old traditional health system that has massage as one of its keys components; a wealth of spiritual and mystical knowledge systems; wildlife reserves sheltering tigers, elephant and unbelievable birdlife; and an ever-expanding market for daring and adventurous fun, India is a formidable destination for anyone looking to combine their vacation with a more rigorous and intense experience. Whether you’re looking to sweat from exertion or rejuvenate mind, body, and soul, you’ll find your fix somewhere in this diverse destination.

Innovative U.K.-based travel agency
Black Tomato
(
www.blacktomato.co.uk
) will put together just about any sort of trip you care to imagine, and they’re always up for a challenge. They do off-the-beaten-track tours quite well, and are good at combining luxury with adventure activities and more daring travel experiences. Their website is a good place to start if you’re looking for ways of injecting your trip with some added adrenaline: Their 10-day “India + Extreme Thrills” itinerary, for example, includes hot-air ballooning, zip-lining over an ancient fortress city, tiger tracking on elephant back, and an Enfield motorbike safari.

HIKING & ADVENTURE
Start off by looking at what
Shakti
(
www.shaktihimalaya.com
) is offering, especially for its admirable approach to responsible tourism. If none of its programs suit you, try
Mountain Kingdoms
(
www.mountainkingdoms.com
) or
TransIndus
(
www.transindus.co.uk
), although the latter’s itineraries are not limited to outdoor excursions.
Steppes East Ltd.
(
www.steppeseast.co.uk
) is another reputable option; it lets you conveniently create your personal itinerary online. Other Himalayan trekking outfits are
Aquaterra Adventures
(
www.treknraft.com
),
Mountain
Travel/Sobek
(
www.mtsobek.com
), and
Adventure Center
(
www.adventurecenter.com
); the latter two also have general adventure expeditions. Another interesting homegrown Indian adventure specialist company is
18 Days
(
www.18days.in
), which organizes a variety of treks (some of which are for women only) and river adventures, most of which happen in the Himalayas; all their trips typically last 18 days, but they offer shorter versions for those with less time.

CYCLING TOURS
Kerala Adventures
(
www.keralaadventure.com
) arranges bicycle tours in South India, designed to enable you to get under the skin of the local culture; besides traveling along back roads and country byways, you’ll mingle and interact with local people, have the opportunity to stay in regular homes (or in tented camps), and dine at family tables.

ON HORSE, ELEPHANT, OR CAMEL BACK
Wilderness Travel
(
www.wildernesstravel.com
) specializes in Rajasthan camel safaris and elephant expeditions.
Equine Adventures
organizes riding vacations in Rajasthan (
www.equineadventures.co.uk
). In the Himalayas, Nitin Gupta of
Dusty Trail Adventures
(
http://dustytrail.in
) designs superb high-altitude horseback trails.

WILDLIFE, BIRDING & BUTTERFLY VACATIONS
Wildlife enthusiasts can check on the numerous options for group bird- and wildlife-watching trips from
Naturetrek
(
www.naturetrek.co.uk
). For small, high-end, exotic bird-watching tours of India, look no further than
Victor Emanuel Nature Tours
(
www.ventbird.com
), based in Austin, Texas; the tours are usually sold out as soon as they come online. Victor often includes the “Palace on Wheels,” a weeklong journey through Rajasthan (including Agra) in a luxury train (for standard Palace on Wheels tours, see “Getting Around,” earlier in this chapter), and there are wildlife trips to more exotic corners of India, such as Assam. In South India, highly recommended tour and travel operator
Kerala Adventures
(
www.keralaadventure.com
) organizes all kinds of specialist vacations with naturalists and guides specially trained to take wildlife, birding, and butterfly enthusiasts’ interests into account. In fact, Kerala Adventures is the operator that many specialist operators use to create their itineraries, merely adding their commission to what Kerala Adventures quotes. So dealing directly with Kerala Adventures will save you money. You can enjoy a trip dedicated purely to nature, or combine a wildlife/birding tour with other kinds of activities and general sightseeing.

DIVING
For diving adventures in Lakshadweep, take a look at the packages offered at
www.diveworldwide.com
.

HERITAGE & WEDDING TOURS
Travel writer
Dagmar von Harryegg
is based in Australia but is passionate about India, particularly the desert states of Rajasthan and Gujarat, where she has developed an extensive network of contacts and friends, from elephant
mahouts
to reclusive princes. She offers personally tailored special-interest trips (anything from yoga or bird-watching to Bollywood and/or classical dance lessons) for a maximum of eight travelers—preferably friends, thereby ensuring a flexible timetable “cruising in wonderfully old-fashioned Ambassador limousines with overnight stays in off-the-beaten-track destinations.” She also arranges large Hindi-style traditional weddings for couples looking for a really memorable nuptial celebration. Most trips take off in Delhi and can include a visit to the Taj Mahal. For information, contact Dagmar at [email protected].