Indian Subcontinent team car wash for charity

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.

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‘Indian Summer’ Season at the British Museum Offer

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.

Audley seminar: Wildlife of the Indian Subcontinent

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.

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Brahmaputra River cruise special offer

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.

Stay in an Indian Fort

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.

New Indian Subcontinent Wildlife Interactive map

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.

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Tamil Nadu is India’s hidden gem

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. Continue reading »

Why I Love South India

I was recently chatting to Joe, one of our South India specialists, about this amazing region of India and what he loves about it. Afterwards, he emailed me this article for the Audley blog which I thought I would share with you:

“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. Continue reading »

In my family’s footsteps

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! Continue reading »