A FEAST FOR THE EYES


PARK WILDLIFE Can you spot the


single-horned Asiatic rhinos in Nepal’s Chitwan National Park? How about the elusive Bengal tiger? We know you’ll see elephants... because you’ll be riding one! In the forests of India’s Bandhavgarh National Park, rare tigers, jungle cats and


leopards hunt antelope, gazelle, deer and wild boar as hyenas wait for leftovers and wild dogs mark their territory. Meanwhile, porcupines and sloths hang out in the trees, and Indian bison (Gaur) stand their ground. Keep your eyes peeled.


MT. EVEREST The highest mountain on


Earth at 29,035 feet above sea level, Mount Everest, located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas, is the stuff of legends. Its summit straddles the border separating China and Nepal and it towers over Kathmandu. During


a three-night stay at a family-run Nepalese inn nestled in the foothills, you will talk with a Sherpa who conquered Everest on foot and, weather permitting, you’ll take in the majestic mountain on a flightseeing excursion in the Himalayas.


LOCAL COLOR Experience a kaleidoscope


of color. In Delhi, gardens modeled after paradise bloom in a rainbow of hues, and sandstone forts are ablaze in red. Agra’s most famous marble monument is bathed in white, and everywhere women dress in multi-colored saris. In


the green national parks of India and Nepal, furry residents wear orange and black stripes, and birds sport brilliant plumages. Nepalese flags fly in technicolor, monks dress in saffron robes, and temples gleam in gold and silver.


Visit one of the world’s great tributes to love, the Taj Mahal


and monuments to love – the Taj Mahal, built by the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, as a memorial to his wife. A perfectly symmetrical building, the monument’s marble relief work is inlaid with precious stones. Your stay at The Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra will take you back to a grand era of emperors. Meals BD


10. THE TAJ MAHAL AND AGRA FORT This morning, explore the Taj Mahal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a jewel of Muslim architecture renowned as one of the “wonders of the world,” on a sunrise visit or after you have breakfast – or both! Next up is a visit to the city of Agra and the 16th-century red sandstone Agra Fort, an enormous complex of fairy tale palaces and mosques once surrounded by a deep moat. This evening’s Maharajah dinner requires special preparations, with ladies being shown how to wear their choice of a traditional sari (with a delicate touch of henna painting) as the gentlemen put on a traditional turban. Meals BLD


11. THE TEMPLES OF KHAJURAHO Fly to Khajuraho for an overnight stay. This small town is the site of a group of temples built between the 9th and 10th centuries by the Chandella Dynasty, praised by UNESCO for striking a perfect balance between architecture and sculpture. Meals BLD


12. BANDHAVGARH NATIONAL PARK Drive to Bandhavgarh National Park, a wildlife reserve where leopards, deer, jungle cats, wild dogs, and tigers live – although it’s very rare to spot the elusive tiger, a master of camouflage. After lunch go on a jungle safari in an open-topped Jeep for a chance to catch sight of the wildlife. Dinner is served at your lodge. You’ll stay three nights in this national park. Meals BLD


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