DAY 1
Tuesday 17 February 2015
Home – Delhi (D)
Your Ross Garden Tour leaders Peter Whitehead will meet you at Sydney International Airport for the Singapore Airlines flight to New Delhi.
India’s dynamic capital is a thrilling mix of old and new. It’s both a modern capital and an ancient city, continuously inhabited for more than 26 centuries. Fittingly we are staying in a hotel that combines fascinating history with contemporary appeal. The Imperial has won plenty of awards, including ‘Best Luxury Hotel in India’ in the World Luxury Hotel Awards. You’ll love the stories embedded in the walls here. This is where Mountbatten met Ghandi and Nehru to discuss the partition of India for instance, and the Nehru family kept a permanent suite in the hotel. We’ll explore a little of what the Imperial has always offered its guests. Enjoy the welcome dinner this evening.
Accommodation: Hotel Imperial, Delhi
DAY 2
Wednesday 18 February 2015
Delhi (B/L)
We’ll visit the astonishing, 70m-high Qutb Minar complex. This 12th century monument marks the site of the first Muslim kingdom in northern India.
Then a visit to the 16th century tomb of the 2nd Mughal Emperor, Humayun, which is tucked away in 100 acres of glorious Mughal gardens. This is the building which is said to have inspired the design of the Taj Mahal!
Lunch is at The Lodi Gardens, a calm space amid the chaos and crowds of Delhi. After lunch we’ll wander through the gardens, which are filled with water features, fountains and monuments. We’ll have a chance to get some great shots of the majestic neem trees that are such a feature of Delhi. Tonight we are free to relax and enjoy the luxury of the Imperial, or to head out and explore some of Delhi’s delights.
Accommodation: Hotel Imperial, Delhi
DAY 3
Mon 17 Feb 14
Delhi (B/L)
We start our day in Old Delhi, an area rich in cultural heritage. After a moment of reflection and serenity at the beautiful 17th C Jama Masjid we’ll immerse ourselves in the frenetic pace of Meena Bazaar and Chandni Chowk, a souk-like bazaar of narrow streets and crowded alleyways. Having had a glimpse into daily life in Old Delhi we’ll meet up with a food expert for a visit to Asia’s largest wholesale spice market, Khari Baoli. This is total sensory overload as spices, pickles and chutneys scent the air and the place teems with rickshaws, spice dealers and shoppers. It looks like chaos but has a logic all of its own. After all, it’s worked for hundreds of years!
We can’t leave this part of the old city without a walk through the Paranthe Wali Gali – literally ‘The lane of fried bread’! Delicious traditional parathas are sold here, accompanied by chutneys and curries.
After an exhilarating rickshaw ride through the narrow lanes of the old city to the exterior of the Red Fort, we’ll visit the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial at Raj Ghat on the banks of the Yamuna River.
The rest of the afternoon is yours to relax by the pool, try out the Imperial’s award-winning spa or consult the in-house Vedic astrologer. Later in the afternoon you might like to join us in a visit to the Gurudwara Bangla Sahib Sikh Temple, to witness the devotees at prayer, and check out the temple’s amazing communal kitchen.
Accommodation: Hotel Imperial, Delhi