JANUARY 2009 ISSUE
Report from the Road: Family Travel — India
Private Journey: Indian Summer
Feature Trip: Pushkar Camel Fair
Quest Nature Tour: India — Tigers, Temples and the Taj
GastroNomad Tour: Indian Cuisine
News: India by Design, Spain and Vietnam |
“Rajender’s Radical Rajisthani Road Trip” - That’s what my two teens called our holiday trip to northern India. Let’s face it: we love them, but finding the right (not lame!) holiday destination is a challenge. I toured Rajasthan and the Taj for two weeks in December and based on my own recent experience, I can guarantee that India has all the components of a great family holiday.
 What they loved: dodging cows, camels and elephants on the streets in Udaipur, the elephant ride to the Amber Fort in Jaipur, sighting a Bengal Tiger at Ranthambore N.P. and cavorting with monkeys at Ranthambore Fort. A pleasant surprise for me, they soaked up all the rich pageantry of India’s past and the contemporary challenges, chatting with all the waiters and the school kids we met along the way.
What I loved: being able to expose them to all this effortlessly in comfort and safety. We had our own car and driver, a rep. to meet us at each stop to make sure all was well and fabulous guides along the way. I’ve taken them to Europe and the Caribbean, but, as teens, they were ready for more. I can truly report that no other destination was as fulfilling or as much fun at India.
I’d be happy to share what I’ve learned about India as a family destination (and my latest shopping suggestions – since the kids were in such a good mood I was actually able to check out some amazing shops). Please be in touch: laurielle@worldwidequest.com.
Laurielle Penny
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This summer stay in the lap of luxury and make all your dreams come true!
We think India is the place to be all year round. And to convince you, we've crafted a unique program that features the most exclusive and luxurious Palace hotels and Vilas properties. Lauded in numerous architectural magazines around the world, these remarkable hotels have raised the standards of accommodations to new heights. Stunning architecture, elegant furnishings, superb service and sumptuous dining combine to provide a truly memorable experience.
Consider this:
1. It's not as hot as you think - no hotter than Miami!
2. You can stay in the finest luxury hotels at the price you'd pay for four star accommodation at other times of the year
3. Fewer crowds mean more time to enjoy these fabulous hotels to their fullest (and see all the great sights with your private guide and without line ups!)
These luxe hotels will spoil you for ever - don't you deserve it?
This special Private Journey is available from May 15 - September 31, 2009.
Please contact Laurielle to set your dates
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We’re delighted to see India back in the news for so many positive reasons. India was named one of the Top Destinations for 2009 in a recent Globe & Mail Travel Report. And the Globe’s award winning Stephanie Nolan, who has written so many engaging and insightful stories from Africa, is now posted to Delhi and will be regularly reporting her thoughtful commentary on this complex country.
“The White Tiger”, a powerful novel by Aravind Adiga, is the winner of the 2008 Man Booker Prize. The story of the hero's "journey from the darkness of village life to the light of entrepreneurial success is utterly amoral, brilliantly irreverent, deeply endearing and utterly unforgettable" (The Man Booker Prize). It's jumped to the top of the WQ recommended reading list for India. And the film “Slumdog Millionaire”, a fabulous tale in which an uneducated orphan from the slums wins a pot of gold on a game show that hinges on worldly knowledge, is raking up the awards.
With all this India in the news, we thought it would be fun to devote this newsletter to some of our different ways of taking you to India.
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As we shovel out our driveways this snowy January, who could blame us for thinking of warmer climes. What if all that snow were sand? Here’s one way to make that happen: start planning for your desert adventure.
India’s Pushkar Camel Fair is the big event every fall in the Rajasthan Desert and a WQ classic trip. Check out the photo book of Lewie’s most recent trip there in November. You’ll get a feel for what a great trip this is.
The Fair takes place in the Hindu month of Kartika and brings together camel and cattle traders, religious devotees, sadhus, musicians, acrobats and folk dancers. Rows of temporary stalls are set up where you can buy everything from arts and crafts (think fabulous silver jewelry) to cows and camels! Lewie says it's one of his favourite ways to experience the authentic face of rural India. Plus all you ever wanted to know about camels… |
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Our QNT naturalist leader Roy John is just back from tiger viewing in India with our intrepid group of travelers. One of many highlights: riding an elephant to see a tiger up close! Roy reports that they saw 208 species of bird, 26 mammals (including 13 separate tigers), 8 herptiles and 15 butterflies. Check out Roy’s list of sightings here.
As amazing as the wildlife was, Roy tells us that the contact with the people of India was also a big part of the trip, whether it was in the winding streets of Old Delhi, on the train or in the elementary school the group visited. Join Roy this November when he returns to India for great wildlife viewing and more! |
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Love the spice of Indian food? Interested in learning more? Join cookbook author Linda Stephen as she travels Northern India meeting celebrity chefs, cooking in family homes, exploring markets and getting a real taste of Indian cuisine.
If it’s true that the way to a lover’s heart is through the stomach, then what better way to get an intimate view of a country than through its cuisine? Plan now to join Linda next February for a very special trip to northern India.
And in the meantime, readers in the Toronto area will want to visit Holly Dyment’s favourite Indian restaurant, Banjara at Bloor and Christie. |
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 New dates for Holly Dyment’s “India by Design”.
Holly’s amazing shopping trip to Northern India is set to go on November 1, 2009. I’ve just come back from India and wow! The shopping opportunities are truly extraordinary. You won’t want to miss this. And we’ve made some changes to the trip to give you an even bigger shopping budget!
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 GO SOUTH: COPPER CANYON, MEXICO AND ARIZONA
If you can't get to India just now, you can still get a taste of warm weather on Quest Nature Tours trips in March. Don Shanahan is taking a small group to Mexico's Copper Canyon - a land of breath-taking vistas from the bottom of its magnificent, wild canyons to the top of its pine-covered highlands. And Tony Beck is going to Arizona to watch the awakening of the desert in the spring - a kaleidoscope of colours that's sure to cure you of the winter blues. We still have space available for you. Please call Pamela at 1-800-387-1483 or email her at pamela@worldwidequest.com for more details.
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 What do Toronto and Laguardia, Spain have in common?
Incredibly they’re both home to stunning works by award winning Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. If you liked Toronto’s BCE Place, designed by Calatrava in 1992, you’ll love the Bodegas Ysios in the Rioja region of northern Spain. Our favourite wine connoisseur Chiara Gai tells us that the vineyard also produces an inspiring Rioja that she calls “a brooding velvety wine of tremendous opulence and character”. Join Chiara in October to visit this winery.
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