India tours for the season November 2019 to February 2020 - Outline

Hi

Thanks for your interest in Focus On India Tours on Meetup. Here is our program for the 2019 - 2020 season.

Jean-Philipe
indiajp.ca

The Great India Yatra, up to three months, mid November 2019 to mid February 2020

This season we are offering the North India Yatra (tour), mid November 2019 to mid December, and the South India Yatra, early January 2020 to mid February.

You can combine the one month North India Yatra, three weeks in Goa for Christmas and New Year's, and the month-and-a-half South India Yatra for the Three Month Great India Yatra.

General Notes

For both northern and southern tours, minimum 4, maximum 10 participants.

$500 deposit to hold your place.

Full refund if we have to cancel your tour.

$250 refund if you cancel (full refund if you replace yourself).

You can earn a finder's fee for anyone who signs up due to your recommendation, payable in cryptocurrency, currently 0.5 LTC (Litecoin).

North India Yatra

Depart Canada/USA on Thursday November 14, 2019 to Delhi (DEL).

Tour is up to 4 weeks. You can book your tour for any length (15 days minimum) and we will work out with you the most convenient airport for your departure from India.

Options: return from Delhi, Mumbai (BOM) or Goa (GOI).

We travel by luxury a/c van or a/c train depending on the itinerary sector.

The detailed schedule and itinerary will be finalized in consultation with the first four participants to sign up.

Delhi

Option: Simla

Agra

Option: Fatepur Sikri

Jaipur

Option: Pushkar

Udaipur

Jodhpur

Option: (15 day tour) to Delhi, return to Canada/USA

Option: to Mumbai or Goa

Option: return to Canada/USA from Mumbai or Goa

Option: Goa last half of December (up to 3 weeks) on your own. We will help you find suitable accommodation, but there are no other tour services provided, nor tour charges.

Option: Sat Jan 4, 2020 to Chennai to join South India Yatra.

South India Yatra  

Depart Canada/USA on Thursday January 2, 2020 to Singapore (SIN)

Sat 4: assemble* at SIN airport, fly to Chennai (MAA)

*  (If you wish to travel in southeast Asia on your own or with Jean-Philipe October through December, you can meet up with the group at SIN airport.)

Tour is up to 6 weeks. You can book your tour for any length (15 days minimum) and we will work out with you your most convenient departure airport from India.

Options: return from Trivandrum (TRV), Kochi (COK), Goa (GOI), Bengaluru (BLR), or Chennai.

Usually we stay minimum three nights each destination. Exceptions: Madurai and Kanyakumari are overnight stops.

We travel by luxury a/c van from Mamallapuram through Tamil Nadu and Kerala up to Fort Kochi, then by train to Goa (overnight), Hampi (day train) and Mysore (o/n), then by van in Mysore and to Ooty, then train (o/n) to Chennai.

(Draft dates subject to refinement)

Jan 4-9 Mamallapuram

10-12 Pondicherry / Auroville

13-16 Trichy for Pongal festival

17 Madurai (overnight stop)

18 Kanyakumari (o/n)

Via Kovalam/Trivandrum

19-22 Varkala

23 Day backwater boat trip Kollam to Alleppy  (option: overnight houseboat ex Alleppy)

24-26 Ft Kochi

Train Ernakulam (ERS) to Goa (MAO) with 1A
Su #12977 Maru Sagar 2025/1120
WSu  #12224 Duronto 2130/0845
TThSa #12431 Rajdhani 2315/1200

28-30 Goa

31 or Feb1 Trains MAO to Hospet (HPT)
TThFSa #18048 VSG HWH Exp 0750/1450
Fr #17420/17022 VSG TPTY /VSG HYB Exp 0935/1745

1-4 Hospet / Hampi

4 Train HPT to Bengaluru (SBC) to Mysore (MYS)
D #16591 Hampi Exp 2115/0910

5-9 Mysore

10-12 Ooty

13 Nilgiri Mountain Railway narrow guage "Toy Train" Ooty (UAM) to Mettupalayam (MTP)
D #56137 1400/1735

Overnight train MTP to Chennai (MAS)
D #12672 1945/0505

14-15 Chennai

Prices

All prices are in CAD.

$200/person/day, twin share basis, for tours of 15 days.

10% discount for days 16 through 30 (i.e. $180/day).

20% discount for days 31 onwards (i.e. $160/day).

No charge for day of departure from India.

Additional 10% discount for booking the entire three month tour.

Single room supplement 25% (includes Enhanced meal plan).

Deposit of $500 to hold your place. Full payment is due three months before departure date from Canada/USA.

Tours and flights can be booked through our travel partner Maritime Travel, 595 Bute St, Vancouver, attention Hana Talimalo. You can book your own flights if you prefer.

OCO / Own Cost Options

Excursions and admission fees noted as OCO, or not listed on the itinerary.

Examples:
Taj Mahal entry fee
Overnight houseboat ex Alleppy
Paid sites at Hampi
Mysore bird sanctuary (entry Rs400, group boat 400, own boat 3000 up to 4 pax)
Personal excursions on Down Time Days

Personal expenses such as alcohol, laundry, shopping, snacks and beverages other than at meal times.

Standard meal plan includes:

6 breakfasts, 6 vegetarian lunches per week
1 non-veg dinner per week

Enhanced meal plan option at $25/day extra:

All meals (3 x 7), including non-veg choices (chicken, mutton, seafood)
One alcoholic beverage per day
Occasional snacks and specialty coffees
Other perks to be determined

Other notes

Usual mealtimes:  breakfast 8am, lunch 1pm, dinner 7pm

One designated Down Time Day per week with no scheduled activities. We can suggest side trips, excursions and activities for these days.