Follow the adventures of the Whittle family in India

I have just read the wonderful and inspiring story of the Whittle family, Geoff and Cherie, James (9) and Olly (11), who rather radically decided to leave their home, family and friends in the UK to live in India to help save the tiger.

After a tough time in the UK, with rising debts and a failing business, they decided to make a radical change to their lives and move to India where they spent a total of seven years, set up two charities and dedicated themselves to helping to save the tiger.

Their book is a wonderful collection of often funny, sometimes moving, anecdotal stories and a fascinating insight into life in India. With their two teenage children, it was not easy as they came up against Indian bureacracy, the climate and the tigers themselves (with a few narrow escapes!) as they learnt to survive in a jungle environment.

Although they have since returned to the UK in 2003, their work continues through the two charities they set up whilst in India and they continue to raise funds for these two worthy causes.

You can download a copy of their book for just £2.85 from their website.

20% of all sales go to their two charities: Patchwork Kids (Education for marginalised children in India and Africa) and Lifeforce (Tiger Conservation).

Visit the “No worry, chicken curry” website »

Rick Stein in the Far East

Tonight at 8pm on BBC2 is the first in a series of programmes which sees the chef Rick Stein undertake an epic culinary journey by river, sea and overland to discover the diverse food cultures of the Far East.

“I’m here to discover not just the food,” Stein promises, “but what makes places like Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam tick. What’s so special about Bali, Sri Lanka, Malaysia or Bangladesh? Well – the food of course. But beyond that it’s the people. People talking about food…”.

Tonight’s programme is set in Cambodia where Rick discovers the delights of the country with its sugar palms, paddy fields and small villages, as well as its more difficult past blighted by the Khmer Rouge.

He samples delicious fresh swimmer crabs cooked with peppercorns and learns to cook Cambodia’s most famous dish, fish amok, with lemongrass and coconut, as well as presenting recipes that you can try at home. He also visits the magnificent temple of Angkor Wat before travelling on a rice barge down the mighty Mekong River to Vietnam, where next week’s programme will be set.

Last night Rick appeared on the The One Show on BBC1 talking about his new series.

If you miss any of the episodes of Rick Stein’s Far Eastern Odyssey, they will be available to watch on BBC iPlayer (for UK viewers only).

If you would like to travel in Rick’s footsteps and discover some of the delicious foods of the Far East for yourself please call one of our dedicated country specialists on 01993 838  000 or contact us online.

Tiger's Nest Monastery in Bhutan.

On friday afternoon I popped along to another of our client seminars, ‘Himalayan Treasures’, which was presented by Chris Moore from our North and Central Asia department, and Camilla Brent-Smith and Iona Laing from our Indian Subcontinent team.

The seminar focused on the type of trips available throughout Tibet, Bhutan and Nepal and it was really interesting to see the diffent options available in each country. I am not particularly familiar with any of these countries and the seminar was a great introduction to the Himalayan region.

From a journey towards Everest Base Camp in Nepal to the spectacular sights of Tiger’s Nest Monastery in Bhutan or a trip along the Friendship Highway in Tibet, there’s definitely a lot to be gained from a trip to any one of these three countries.

I think the most interesting thing I learnt from this seminar is just how different these countries are and a trip here would be well and truly off the beaten track – perfect if you’re looking for a bit of adventure on your next holiday!

If you’re interested in finding out more about a trip to Tibet please contact our North and Central Asia department on 01993 838 200. If you would like to speak to someone about Bhutan or Nepal please contact our Indian Subcontinent Team on 01993 838 300. Alternatively fill in the quote request form online.

If you fancy popping along to one of our client seminars and finding out a bit more about the destinations that we cover, take a look at the seminar programme on the website.

Kate and Dan, two of the Indian Subcontinent team, at the barbecue!

Yesterday the Indian Subcontinent team continued their fund-raising efforts, this time concentrating on their second chosen charity, the World Land Trust.

As Becki, one of the Indian Subcontinent specialists reports …

After a week (and a bit!) of car washing, the India team turned their charitable attention to something rather more fun – a Hot Dog sale! Thursday lunchtime found us barbecuing 150 fine sausages to sell to the rest of our Audley colleagues – and it certainly went down well!

£210 was raised in aid of our second charity, the World Land Trust which is working with the Wildlife Trust of India to create a vital network of corridors for the movement of the elephant population which is at threat due to the loss of its natural habitat.

This £210 will allow them to secure 4 acres of land – not bad for a couple of hours work!

Contact one of our Indian Subcontinent specialists on 01993 838 300 to discuss planning a trip to India to see elephants or contact us online.

To find out more about our tailor made wildlife holidays to India.

Frankie and Joe, two of our Indian Subcontinent specialists, busy washing cars!

There have been lots of fund raising efforts going in the office recently from quizes to barbecues and cake baking to raise money for the different charities that Audley supports as part of the ‘Audley Charity Portfolio’. Each department supports a chosen charity applicable to the countries that they cover. Find out more about Audley’s Responsible Travel policy.

Last week the Indian Subcontinent team organized a car wash in aid of their chosen charity CINI (Child in Need Institute) which works to break down the cycle of poverty, malnutrition and ill health. It focuses on the most fundamental issues facing poor women and children in India, bringing about sustainable improvements in nutrition, health, education and protection from exploitation.

Camilla, one of our Indian Subcontinent specialists involved in the car wash told me the following:

We’ve still not got completely final figures for the car wash but I think we can safely say that we’ve raised over £350, which is amazing!

We’re raising for CINI but specifically the money has been going to the Emergency Ward and Nutrition Rehabilitation Centre in Calcutta. The effects of the financial crisis have been severe in West Bengal, pushing up the price of basic food staples such as rice and wheat by as much as 40%, which has increased the risk of malnutrition. The charity has also lost a major donor this year, to the tune of £25,000, so is in even greater need of every penny raised.

575 children, some of whom were admitted at life threatening low weights, have been nursed back to health during the year. This isn’t the only aspect of the charity’s work, they have also been working with the children’s mothers to teach them how to ensure that their children get a balanced diet on the tightest budgets, preventative healthcare measures that they can take home to treat some minor illnesses and ailments. This helps to prevent the reoccurrence of malnutrition in vulnerable families and reduces their expenditure on healthcare, so allowing more money to be spent on food.

For more information visit the CINI website.

Camilla, Audley Indian Subcontinent specialist

Contact one of our Indian Subcontinent specialists on 01993 838 300 to discuss planning a Responsible Travel trip to India or contact us online.

To find out more about our Responsible Travel tailor made holidays to India.

Image courtesy of the British Museum: Death of Vali; Rama and Lakshmana Wait out the Monsoon (detail). Illustration from the Ramcharitmanas of Tulsidas (1532–1623) Jodhpur, c. 1775; 62.7 x 134.5 cm. © Mehrangarh Museum Trust.

To celebrate Indian Summer, a season of exhibitions and events at the British Museum and the opening of the special exhibition ‘Garden & Cosmos: The Royal Paintings of Jodhpur’ from 28th May to 23rd August 2009, Audley clients can receive the special discount price of £3 on all Indian Summer lectures including Sacred landscapes in Indian tradition with Dr Anna Dalapiccola and India: Landscape and culture with broadcaster Michael Wood.

The exhibition is a rare chance to see paintings from the royal collection of the Mehrangarh Museum Trust, Jodhpur.

For more information and to book tickets call +44 (0)20 7323 8181 or visit The British Museum website.

To find out more about a tailor-made trip to see the arts of India visit our website, call one of our India specialists on 01993 838 345 or contact us online.

Tiger in Ranthambhore National Park

Today I went to the Audley seminar on ‘Wildlife of the Indian Subcontinent’. I must confess I have a big vested interest here as I was lucky enough to get to travel to India with Audley last May and one of the highlights of my trip was visiting Ranthambhore where my sister and I were really fortunate in seeing 8 tigers! Incredible and everyone kept on telling us we had been very lucky! We also saw lots of other amazing wildlife. I also work on the Indian Subcontinent on the website so am always interested in finding out more about this fascinating area of the world.

Visit our Audley Seminar Programme for more information on seminars coming up or call us on 01993 838 000 to find out more.

Obviously the Indian Subcontinent is best known for tigers and if you are lucky enough to see one on your trip it will be a definite highlight but it can never be guaranteed, although as the saying goes ‘You may not see a tiger but a tiger will always see you!’ There is a multitude of other wildlife in the Subcontinent including leopard, Asiatic lion, rhino, wild ass, elephant, deer, wild dog, birds, marine life and more. You can see wildlife on a game drive from a jeep, on an elephant back safari and from a boat.

Mother lion and her 3 month old cubs at Gir

There are many parks in the Indian Subcontinent, with each park best for some types of wildlife and at certain times of the year. Look at our Indian Subcontinent Wildlife Interactive Map to help you choose which park you’d like to go to and at what time of the year, as well as discovering the different accommodation options.

We heard about a typical day on safari, when you are woken early with tea and biscuits at about 5.30am before your game drive, when you have breakfast out in the park. Having experienced this I can say that there’s nothing quite like stopping for breakfast at the top of a ridge overlooking the park, in my case in Ranthambhore, after a few hours of wildlife spotting! After your game drive you return to your lodge for lunch and a few hours of relaxation followed by your afternoon game drive before returning to your lodge for drinks and then dinner. 

We heard more details about the main parks, including Kaziranga which is renowned for its rhino, as well as swamp deer and wild elephants and can also be easily combined with a relaxing cruise on the Brahmaputra river.

Rhino in the grass

Ranthambhore is one of the most famous parks and has a beautiful fort and a perfect fusion of nature, history and wildlife, with the tiger at the top of most people’s list! It combines really well as part of a Rajasthan trip. (I did this with visits to Agra, Delhi and Jaipur).    

Central India has some wonderful parks, with Bandhavgarh, which is one of the best parks in this area for tiger sightings, as well as Kanha, which was the setting for the Jungle Book and Pench which is less busy and great for birds.

Gir is the home of the Asiatic lion, while the endangered wild ass are only found at the Little Rann of Kutch.

Nagarhole in Southern India has wonderful scenery and fits in well with a Southern India itinerary and offers some wonderful boat safaris.

Outside India, the other countries in the Subcontinent also offer wonderful wildlife opportunities from the black necked cranes in Bhutan, to the onehorned rhino in Nepal’s southern National Parks, elephant and leopard in Sri Lanka and prolific marine life in the Maldives and Andaman islands. 

India is a wonderfully diverse and varied country and a wildlife trip combines well with discovering India’s fascinating culture, as well as the wildlife and culture of the Indian Subcontinent as a whole.

To find out more about a trip to see the wildlife of the Indian Subcontinent please contact one of our dedicated Indian Subcontinent Wildlife specialists on 01993 838 350, visit our website or contact us online.

We have just released a special offer on a relaxing Indian cruise on the Brahmaputra River in December 2008.

An excellent way to explore northeast India with the opportunity to visit the Kaziranga National Park, the cruise will take place aboard The Sukapha, a 38 metre long passenger boat.

This offer includes up to a 20% saving on the usual price of this trip.

Click here for full details of this excellent offer.

Indian Forts map

India is famous for its fort cities. Jodphur and Jaisalmer are both well known. There are countless smaller forts around North India which you can stay in and experience the world of a bygone era.

We have just launched a special website feature including an interactive map showing the location of some of our specialist’s favourite Indian Forts.

Visit our guide to Indian Fort accommodation to find out more.

Plan your trip with our interactive wildlife map

We’ve just launched a new section on our website all about the wildlife of Indian Subcontinent. It’s amazing what diversity of wildlife there is in this region – it’s not just all about tigers.

While tigers would be the obvious attraction for a lot of people, there is plenty of other wildlife which is also of interest. You can find out all about it using our new interactive map which allows you plan your trip to the region depending on what wildlife you are interested in and when you want to travel.

Simply select a month of travel and the wildlife that interests you and the map will highlight parks and places which offer exceptional viewing opportunities.

Once you’ve identified a park of interest you can click to see the accommodation options including pictures and details.

Try it out for yourself on our website.

Joe

Joe Parkes has recently joined the Audley team and has been entertaining us with his travel tales and his love of all things south Indian so I thought I would ask him to pen a few words so you can you share in his enthusiasm for this wonderful region.

“India is a country that never fails to amaze me. I have been lucky enough to travel the length and breadth of this beautiful, enormous country and have a lifetime of memories. Highlights include trekking in the mighty Himalaya, snorkelling in the seas off Goa, hurtling through the thronging streets of Calcutta, Delhi and Bombay in an auto-rickshaw, an early morning boat cruise along the ghats in Varanasi, and glimpsing tigers in Ranthambhore National Park. However, it is the South of India that has captured my heart.I love the lush, tropical greenery of Kerala with its warm, friendly people, delicious food and laid-back lifestyle. Whether floating down the delightful canals and waterways in the backwaters on a converted rice-barge or sampling the local tea around Munnar it is hard to imagine a more enjoyable place to be. In comparison to Kerala, the state of Tamil Nadu has made a relatively small impact on the world of tourism.

Indian Temple Complex, Tamil Nadu

However, it is certainly not short of attractions for those travellers wishing to escape the well-worn tourist trails of Rajasthan and Kerala.  Famed for its ancient temples and detailed rock carvings, Tamil Nadu is a state steeped in tradition. Religion is taken very seriously here and pilgrims pour into the ancient sites of Kanchipuram, Chidambaram, Trichy, Tanjore and Madurai in numbers far exceeding the numbers of tourists visiting these sites. The temple architecture is fascinating; from the brightly coloured and steeply stepped gopurams such as those in Madurai, to the 7^th century rock-hewn temples in Mahabalipuram. There is, however, more to Tamil Nadu than just temples, temples, temples.

The area collectively known as Chettinad is an extraordinary blend of rural Indian life and majestic Chettinadu mansions that hark back to a former, more glorious time. These houses are built using Burma Teak, beautiful local tiles, and Italian Marble and have spacious courtyards and large high-ceilinged rooms. On a guided tour it is possible to visit some of these mansions, as well as see local artisans at work producing tiles and pottery, and visit small, rural villages.

The palace in Chettinad is a delightful blend of architectural styles and although predominantly white has some wonderful splashes of colour as well. So wonderful is the palace in fact that Ms. Amrita Gandhi (great-grand-daughter of Mahatma Gandhi) was staying there whilst filming a television series in the area! My colleague Daniel and I were lucky enough to make her acquaintance. Pondicherry is steeped in French influences and is a fascinating place to visit during a journey through Tamil Nadu. Highlights include beautiful French architecture, a windswept promenade, fabulous shopping opportunities, and Auroville, described as an experimental township conceived as ‘an alternative exercise in ecological and spiritual living’.

Locals, Tamil Nadu

One of my favourite things to do in Pondicherry is eat dinner at the rooftop restaurant at The Promenade hotel. The food is delicious and the cooling sea-breezes and sound of the waves make for a wonderful dining experience. A journey through Tamil Nadu truly is an eye-opening and memorable experience and one that is only heightened by the incredible warmth and vitality of the Tamil people.”

A two week Tamil Nadu itinerary starts from £2,000 per person. If you wish to discuss a trip to Tamil Nadu further please contact Joe Parkes on 01993 838 331 or by email at joe.parkes@audleytravel.com

“The South of India is best described as the steamy, tropical Hindu heartland of the Subcontinent, a place so far removed from the soaring mountain peaks and sun-blasted deserts of the North that you could be forgiven for thinking you had been transported to another planet.

Life is slower and gentler in the South, the sea-kissed coastline, fertile plains, and undulating tea and spice plantations providing the perfect back-drop.
This is the India for those seeking the laid-back beach life of Goa; the magical ancient Hindu temples in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka; the sprawling urban jungles of Mumbai and Bangalore; the lush green backwaters of Kerala; the trekking and wildlife opportunities of the plains; and the unspoilt rural culture of Andhra Pradesh.

South India presents the traveller with a smorgasbord of experiences, from the cultural to the gastronomic, the active to the wonderfully in-active. Bustling temple towns, palm-fringed beaches, unique ethnic groups, traditional rural cultures, colourful festivals and national parks teeming with wildlife are just some of the many draw-cards.

For me, the main reason that I have fallen helplessly in love with the south of India, lies in the incredible warmth and friendliness of its people. Everyone you meet, from the fisherman hauling in his catch, to the groups of immaculate school-children holding hands as they walk to and from school, greets you with a dazzling smile and a friendly ‘hello’.

Wherever you go in South India you are guaranteed an assault on your senses and a lifetime of memories. Chances are you will find yourself drawn back time and time again just as I have done!”

To discuss your own South Indian adventure please contact Joe Parkes, Kerala and Tamil Nadu specialist, on 01993 838 331 or by email:  joe.parkes@audleytravel.com

My family’s history is so interwoven with the Subcontinent that it seemed almost familiar before I arrived. My grandparents honeymooned in the Himalayan foothills, they were stationed in Calcutta during the days of the British Raj, and my mother was born there! She even remembers as a small child going on family holidays up to the cooler cedar forests of Shimla to escape the heat and dust of the summers in the lowlands. Having grown up with these tales, I eventually embarked on my own trip that went from the princely northern state of Rajasthan to the southernmost tip of KanyaKumari.

I was so surprised by the country’s diversity; there really is something for everyone. Cities such as Chennai, Calcutta and Delhi have an abundance of monuments, memorials, museums, forts and colonial architecture to marvel at, and the spirituality of the country is also overwhelming – to witness one of the aarti (offering ceremonies) performed on the ghats of the River Ganga is an assault on the senses, with plumes of incense and a cacophony of cymbals accompanied by a flotilla of candles. If you travel during one of the festivals you will be in for a spectacle – my favourite is Holi, the festival of colours, where the streets come alive with playful skirmishes of coloured powder!

I was introduced to local cultures on walks through the eucalyptus woodlands of Ooty hill station and past Toda tribal villages, or on treks through the tea plantations of Munnar where I helped tea pickers pluck tea leaves and buds. My favourite place in Kerala is the fabulous tropical backwaters, which I have explored by kayak and on lazy days cruised along on a rice barge and watched the river scene unfold: fishermen diving for molluscs, children playing and country canoes piled high with wares being paddled to market.

Next year I am looking forward to trekking the passage between the western Himalaya and the Tibetan plateau in the northwest area of Ladakh, otherwise known as ‘Little Tibet’ for its rich Buddhist culture with whitewashed gompas (monasteries) festooned with colourful prayer flags and wheels. I’ll be reaching Ladakh overland from Delhi via Shimla and the Himalayan foothills, finally retracing my grandparents’ and mother’s footsteps!