Events..........................
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Member of The Adventure Tour
Operators Association of India
Arch of Europe Award for Technology and Quality - Gold Category -
Frankfurt 2002.
The Quality Star Award for Leadership in Tourism - Gold Category -Madrid
2004
Referrals
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TRAVEL TRENDS
March
1997
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GEOGRAPHICAL
November
1998
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TRAVEL LEISURE
April
- '94
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| Getaways
- Horse Safaris, Aravallis, Rajasthan
What better way to experience
the vast spaces of Rajasthan than on horseback? All you need
to be is a keen rider possessing a penchant for the outdoors.
And, if that's your beat, take this exotic holiday - a horse
safari in the Aravalli foothills.
Your safari base is Kotdi, about
2 1/2 hours drive from Udaipur. A 200-year-old castle turned
into a heritage hotel, it offers comfortable and modern accommodation.
This is where the stables are.
Your safari takes you through
the historic Godwad region. Several itineraries are possible
according to preferences and riding abilities. At night you
stop in forts, castles, rawlas and havelis which dot the region.
Tales are woven around bonfires, royals host you and tribal
dancers create enchanting spells. In the day you ride through
Kumbalgarh wildlife sanctuary. Kumbalgarh fort towers in the
distance and wild animals dart across. We also ride by lakes,
through villages and scrubland, stop by temples, cenotaphs…..
covering some 30 km every day.
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The horses belong to Khem,
an aristocrat who twice a year takes time out from playing polo
and golf to lead riders through Rajasthan . Our horses have
an eclectic collection of names including Rhanigandha and Roger.
There is even one called Princess Diana. Mine, a tall black
Marwari with sleepy eyes, is Mohur, or "gold coin"……..….."We
gallop through the sunshine, making tracks across the dusty
plains and revelling in the space and freedom. We follow sunken
lanes and breathe in the scent of history, provided at intervals
with cold drinks and smiles of encouragement from Arun, our
expedition organiser. Dusty, a research associate from Massachusetts
in her mid-60's is overwhelmed with the experience. "I have
ridden all over the world," she says, "in Africa, Mongolia,
Europe, America. But India is the culmination of my dreams and
I love the riding." Ricardo, a mechanical engineer from Brazil,
nods in agreement. "It is such a privilege to be here, to glimpse
this way of life from horseback." He doesn't feel as intrusive,
he says, as he would do in a car. "It is simply a wonderful
way to see the people and the places."………
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Hoofing
it in Rajasthan - with Tama Janowitz:
…" Everyone in the village
turned out for our arrival; even the cows, dogs, and goats appeared
greatly interested. The charming little palace-(Rohetgarh) -
has an ornately painted entrance that opens to a wide verandah
and an expanse of lawn. Inside we are greeted by Khem and Somi
Singh - cousins who are Rajputs, members of Rajasthan's centuries-old
warrior clan. Khem in his late thirties, leads the horse trips.
Day 6: Stars at the Palace: …Sardar Samand, an Art Deco
Palace- 40 miles southeast of the city of Jodhpur. Since its
owner , the Maharaja of Jodhpur, is in residence for only one
week each winter, the Palace is rented out the rest of the year.
The group rode a half day, and when they arrived, hot and dusty,
everyone dove into a beautiful celadon swimming pool perched
on an open air terrace seemingly miles above the ground. As
always, the horses were whisked away by the grooms to be unsaddled,
brushed and fed. As afternoon faded into evening, the stars
became indescribably bright. This mountain-top palace seems
to be the only habitation in the area - or the only one with
electricity……
Day 10: …….This jungle is part of the Kumbhalgarh Sanctuary,
and when we stopped for lunch on the side of a ravine, a 12
foot crocodile was basking in the pool below. The climb to the
fortress, an enormous 15th century citadel with more
than 300 temples within it's walls, took all day. From the ramparts,
where we are now, we can see the string of mountains beyond
and catch a glimpse of the flat desert plain that took us the
whole week to traverse. On this mountain I feel a momentary
sense of accomplishment, of possibility. Though we have an evening
left at The Aodhi Lodge in Kumbhalgarh, and will say good-bye
to our horses in the morning, before driving down to Udaipur,
the trip for me is over: it seems there is nowhere higher to
go. |
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VACATIONS
& TRAVEL
Spring
2000
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DESTINATION
INDIA
Nov/Dec 1999
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Riding
with Maharaja's - Dagmar F. von Harryegg:
A fantastic
sight awaits us next morning. The horses are already saddled
with an uniformed groom en garde at their side, recreating
the fantasy of royal caravans and the images of a journey
into the past. Khem Singh, belonging to the clan of Rajputs,
guides our group, followed by a support group fit for a Hollywood
movie. More than once we pass women clad in bright and vibrant
coloured saris walking extraordinary long distances, full
brass water pots precariously balancing on their heads.
………Before
trotting off again, we pay the royal cenotaphs a visit contemplating
what life must have been for the brave women who committed
sati throwing themselves onto the funeral pyre of their husbands.
No wonder, passing through the picturesque Godwar region,
dotted with hilltop fortresses, galloping on sandy desert
tracks the ghosts of warrior princes are our invisible companions.
……
……..Crossing
the dense forest of the Kumbalgarh sanctuary with hordes of
monkeys swinging from branch to branch, the mighty 15th
century Kumbalgarh fort appears in the distance. …..
…... While
our horses are again whisked away by their grooms, we relax
at the swimming pool in the serene gardens of the Aodhi Hotel,
reflecting upon the experiences of two extraordinary equestrian
adventures.
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Exclusive
Vacations on Horseback:
(Ghanerao Tours is outfitting
exclusive vacations on horseback. The safaris operating around
Udaipur and Jodhpur in Rajasthan propose a unique way of touring
a state rich in culture, heritage and art forms.)
The proposed itinerary covers
varied parts of the state, exposing the traveller to a multitude
of fascinating sights. The area covered, Godvad, has been
a historically strategic region. This fertile land, at the
foothills of the Aravallis, comprises of many villages.
At one end of Godvad are the
green Aravalli hills dominated by one of the greatest bastions
of Mewar - Fort Kumbalgarh. At the foothills there is a wildlife
sanctuary, the lower boundary of which is dotted with lakes,
temples, monuments which include the renowned Jain marble
temples of Ranakpur. Further north-west are farms and villages,
after which the land becomes semi-desert in character. The
other end of this region is covered with innumerable fighting
forts.
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