INDIA & NEPAL: Colors, Scents & Senses

Kosherica invites you to the lands of the Taj Mahal and Mount Everest. India is a manifold assault on all the senses. No matter how prepared one is, or how open to new experiences, or how much one is willing to be free of all past cultural bonds, India will astound you with its size, its volume and its interminable diversity. Colorful, pungent, boisterous, musical, exotic - India is one of the most intricate and complicated dramas ever to be performed on the world’s stage. Nepal, conversely, is lofty and elevated, spiritual and sacred, nature’s ultimate spectacle. Nothing in this subcontinent is as expected and the only thing that can be anticipated is that the unimaginable will come to be.

Itinerary

Day 1: Thursday: Arrival to Delhi

Arrival to Delhi, transfer to Hotel for Overnight.

Day 2: Friday: Delhi – Jaipur

Early morning departure to Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan. It is known as the "Pink City" because of the rose-pink color of the local sandstone used in its construction. Along the way, we'll learn about the village life in India. Upon arrival to Jaipur, we'll prepare for Shabbat, Shabbat services and Shabbat dinner. Overnight in Jaipur.

Day 3: Shabbat: Jaipur

After Shabbat services and Shabbat lunch, we'll take a walking tour through the local markets of this busy and bustling city. After Shabbat we'll go out to a true Bollywood experience, a night at the movies at India's famous Rajmandir cinema.

Day 4: Sunday: Jaipur

Although Jaipur is an 18th century city, and the fortifications give it a medieval atmosphere, its well-planned layout is modern. After breakfast we'll visit the Amber Fortress. The trip up the hill will be on the backs of Elephants! From there it will be on to visit the Maharajah's city-palace, situated in the heart of the city, with its charming gardens, surrounded by high walls. Continuing on to the ancient astronomical observatory, we'll finish the day at the Palace of Winds (Hawa Mahal), a uniquely designed five-storey structure with tiers of overhanging balconies.

Day 5: Monday: Jaipur – Fatehpur Sikri – Agra

This morning we'll visit the fascinating milk market in Jaipur and after that we'll head out onto the highway to Agra, home of the Taj Mahal. On the way we'll stop at the ghost town of Fatehpur Sikri. This used to be the capital of the great Emperor Akbar. During his brief stay here, a great complex of palaces and mosques were built, but Akbar was forced to give up the city due to a scarcity of water, and it became a ghost town. Overnight in Agra.

Day 6: Tuesday: Agra

Unquestionably the world's most magnificent monument, the Taj Mahal was built in the 17th century as a tribute to love and considered one of the man-made wonders of the world. It took over 20,000 laborers more than 20 years to complete this magnificent edifice. From here we'll continue to Agra Fort where the builder of the fort was jailed by his son, and from there we'll make our way to the white marble temple Dayalbagh. Construction of the temple began in 1904 and it has yet to be completed.

Day 7: Wednesday: Agra – Delhi – Varanasi

This morning we'll travel back to Delhi from where we'll board a flight to Varanasi. This holy city sits on the banks of the sacred Ganges River. It's an ancient city that serves as a major attraction to many pilgrims from all over the world. Upon arrival we'll start by walking the winding alleyways of the city as we make our way to the temple of "Mother India." In the evening we'll make our way by rickshaw to the Ganges River where we'll watch the Deempala ceremony, a loud, colorful and most impressive religious ritual that takes place at the end of each day on the banks of the river.

Day 8: Thursday: Varanasi – Kathmandu (Nepal) – Nargarkot

At sunrise, we'll take a cruise down the Ganges River from where we'll watch the multitudes coming down to the river for their morning purification rituals. We'll return to the hotel for breakfast and after that we'll go out to one of the local Ashrams. From there it's onwards to Saranat where Buddha gave his first sermon regarding the middle path to Nirvana. We'll make our way to the airport for our flight to Kathmandu in Nepal. Transfer to our hotel in the mountains for overnight.

Day 9: Friday: Nagarkot – Kathmandu

We'll get up early to watch sunrise over the Himalaya (an once-in-a-lifetime experience, if the weather permits it) and then continue on our way to Bhaktapur, a center of medieval art & architecture. We'll continue to the largest Buddhist Stupa in Nepal, Bodnath. We'll also visit the market of the Tibetan exiles in Kathmandu. If there's time, we'll try to visit one of the Buddhist monasteries in the area. Return to Kathmandu to prepare for Shabbat, Shabbat services and Shabbat dinner.

Day 10: Shabbat: Kathmandu

After Shabbat services and lunch, we'll take a walking tour of the old city of Kathmandu.

Day 11: Sunday: Kathmandu

This is a free morning to wander the amazing streets and fascinating marketplaces of Kathmandu. Alternately, for a fee there is a possibility to take a short flight over the Himalayan Mountains and the Everest, and view this colossal and spectacular mountain range from the heavens. Afterwards we'll make our way to Swayambhunath, a 2000-year old temple of monkeys. From there we'll continue to the ancient city of Patan which sits high overlooking the Kathmandu valley. We'll also visit some of the village sin the valley. As we walk through the narrow alleyways it will seem as though time has stood still in the part of the world. We'll see how the local inhabitants run their lives and their businesses on the street.

Day 12: Monday: Kathmandu – Delhi

This morning we'll fly back to Delhi. Upon arrival we'll take a rickshaw-bike tour of the old city. We'll ride through the colorful market of Chandni-Chowk until we arrive to the great mosque of Jima. We'll visit the site where Mohandas Gandhi, father of the modern Indian nation was cremated. From there we'll continue to visit the Jewish cemetery as well as some of the synagogues that serve the small Jewish community that still remains in Delhi. Afterwards, we'll take a tour of the other side of the city, New Delhi, with its many government buildings and British-influenced architecture.

Day 13: Tuesday: Delhi – Amritsar

We'll continue our tour of this huge metropolis with a stop at the famous Qutab Minar, a 12th century stone tower. On to the tomb of the second Moghul King, Humayan, built in 1265 by his widow. We'll visit the lotus shaped Baha'i Temple and wander through the interesting markets of Delhi. In the afternoon we'll take the air-conditioned Shabtabi Express Train to Amritsar. The city was founded over 400 years ago by the Sikh Guru Ramades and has served ever since then as the foremost and sacred city of the Sikh religion.

Day 14: Wednesday: Amritsar

Today we'll visit the complex of the Golden Temple. This is an experience filled with color, gold and music. We'll visit the intricately designed buildings, the purification pool, the kitchens and the gigantic dining halls that feed thousands of people daily. In the afternoon we'll make our way to the Indo-Pakistani border to watch the fascinating border closing ceremony that takes place here daily. In the evening we'll make our way back to Delhi.

Day 15: Thursday: Delhi – Home Gateway

Today we have a free day in the city until the time to transfer to the airport for our flight to our home gateway.

Price Includes

• Domestic Flights
• Travel by Express Train
• First class or best tourist class hotels available
• Breakfast and dinner daily + supplies for preparing sandwiches for lunch
• Entry to all sites mentioned in the itinerary
• Professional, experienced, observant, English-speaking guide
• Local guides as required

Price Excludes

• Visa to India (2 entries, about $120)
• Visa to Nepal ($30 to be paid in cash upon arrival to Nepal)
• Nepalese Exit Tax of $25
• Optional sightseeing flight over the Himalaya (about $125)
• Tips for local service providers ($130 to be collected in India)
• Evening entertainment not included in the itinerary
• Insurance
• Tip for our guide ($3 per person per day)

Important TO Know
There may be changes to the schedule and hotel reservations dependent upon international and domestic flights. We will make every effort to visit every place mentioned in the itinerary. In any event of fault relating to flights, cruises, sailings or other mode of transportation, the responsibility lies with the service provider alone.

Kashrut on Tours
Kosher food is provided to our travelers on all our tours. We work with the local Rabbinate to provide Hashgacha for all local ingredients and fresh meat and poultry. In some cases, we fly in kosher food from Israel and other sources, depending on the destination of the tour. We do not guarantee Pat Israel and Chalav Israel for all destinations.

In many destinations we have our own crockery and cutlery. Where we don't, we provide disposables at the meals. When we cook in Hotel kitchens, we ensure proper Kashering and we use our own kitchenware on kashered and covered surfaces. All this is done under the strict supervision of our trained staff/guides who function as our Mashgichim.

Our travelers enjoy gourmet meals prepared by our team including fresh local fish, fruit, and vegetables. This is an integral part of Jewish travel. We make great efforts to assure that our travelers will experience local foods first-hand, while maintaining stringent observance of Kashrut laws on all occasions.

Rabbi Menahem Fogel
A native of Tel Aviv-Jaffa, Menahem Fogel served as a pulpit rabbi in South Africa and Canada before returning to Israel in 1984 to take up the position of spokesman of Yad Vashem, in Jerusalem, a position he held for six years.

Since that time he has held senior positions in both the public and private sectors developing interactive computer systems for museums around the world. He also lived and worked in the USA, Netherlands, Austria, UK and India. A lifelong yearning for travel led to his becoming a Tour Manager in 2000 and developed expertise tourism to Japan & China, Alaska, Canadian Rockies and Africa. Recently he took on the added role of Rav Hamachshir for The Kosher Travel Club to ensure the highest standards of Kashrut are implemented on all our Kosher Tours.

Date And Prices

Terms

• 90 days before departure bookings are refundable less a $100 administration fee
• 60-90 days prior to departure: $500 + $100 per passenger
• 30-60 days prior to departure: $1,000 + $100 per passenger
• Less than 30 working days prior to departure: 100% of total - no refund
• We strongly recommend purchasing Travel Insurance.