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13 days Fares from �2995 |
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13 days Fares from �2995 |
| Tour & Cruise 579B(T) | |
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Wed 27- Thu 28 Dec London - Chennai (Madras) | Fly from London to Chennai and stay overnight at the luxury Taj Coromandel. |
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Fri 29 Dec Chennai (Madras) (for Mahabalipuram) | Embark Minerva this morning. Join our excursions in Chennai including Fort St George with its excellent Raj memorabilia and visit the intricately sculpted shore temple at Mahabalipuram. You may prefer to opt for our full-day supplementary excursion inland to the holy city of Kanchipuram. |
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Sat 30- Sun 31 Dec At Sea | Settle in on board and explore your floating country house hotel � you�ll be suprised by the variety and spaciousness of the public rooms. Listen to an informal talk by one of our Guest Speakers, pamper yourself in the beauty salon, play a hand in the Card Room or relax with a book from our Library by the pool. |
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Mon 1 Jan Hooghly River | We begin our transit up the Hooghly River, a branch of the holy Ganges, where we will catch a glimpse of local life. |
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Tue 2- Wed 3 Jan Calcutta - Delhi | We arrive in the extraordinary city of Calcutta on Tuesday. Our excursion includes of the Raj, the Maiden area, the huge green expanse teeming with local life and the Kali temple at Kalighat (the origin of the city's name). Explore the enormous India Museum, founded in 1875, or wander through the "New Market", where you are bound to find a bargain. On Wednesday evening we disembark Minerva and fly to Delhi and transfer to the Hotel Taj Palace for two nights. |
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Thu 4 Jan Delhi | Today we will explore New Delhi, Luyten's spacious tree-lined city of monumental buildings; and Old Delhi, built in Mughal times, focusing on the Red fort and the Jama Masjid. |
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Fri 5 Jan Delhi - Jaipur | We depart early in the morning by train for the romantic pink city of Jaipur. Our afternoon's programme of sightseeing in Jaipur includes the Jantar Mantar (astrological observatory), and the City Palace, a blend of Rajasthani and Mughal architecture. We stay at the Hotel Jai Mahal for two nights. |
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Sat 6 Jan Jaipur - Amber - Jaipur | We see the palace of the winds on leaving Jaipur for Amber. The fort there is a superb example of Rajput architecture, stunningly situated on a hillside and overlooking a lake, which reflects its terraces and ramparts. We return to Jaipur for an afternoon at leisure and the chance to enjoy the comforts of this palace hotel. |
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Sun 7 Jan Jaipur - Bharatpur - Fatehpur Sikri - Agra | This morning we visit the World Heritage listed bird sanctuary, the Keoladeo Ghana National Park, at Bharatpur. We continue to the magnificent fortified ghost city of Fatehpur Sikri, capital of the Mughal Empire from 1571 and suddenly abandoned just 14 years later. We stay at the Hotel Taj View. |
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Mon 8 Jan Agra - Sikrandra - Delhi | 
This morning we visit the magical Taj Mahal, described as the most
extravagant monument ever built for love, as well as the massive red sandstone Agra fort. Explore the tomb of Akbar the Great at Sikandra en route to Delhi.
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| Tue 9 Jan | Arrive in London after an overnight flight. |
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Dr Robert Anderson The many different aspects of Indian art, history and religion are amongst his favourite interests. He will look more closely at these in relation to the areas visited.
Professor Martin Biddle OBE Professor of Medieval Archaeology, University of Oxford, his talks will give an insight into the spice routes across the Indian Ocean, the origin of India's language and civilisation and discuss what happened when the Europeans arrived - and stayed.
The Revd Rupert Bursell Canon of St Albans Cathedral and Chancellor of the Dioceses of Durham and St Albans. He will explore the history of India through the ages.
Dr Katharine Frank A writer and lecturer, Dr Frank has just completed a biography of the Indian Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi. Her talks will focus on the politics and recent history of the sub-continent.