Part 2--
This entire trip was wonderful. There was a very slight change in the Delhi itinerary from the Portrait tour – but nothing anyone would miss. The only thing noticeably missing was the street conditions. They were much better. India was (almost) clean. This was in part due to the massive clean-up they conducted to host the G20 Global Summit this past September. I had the same lovely in-country guide as my Portrait to India tour – Ms. Samidha wearing a beautiful Saris w/her decorated umbrella each day.
The Delhi hotel for this tour is The Imperial as opposed to the Leela Palace which is used for the Portrait Tour. The Imperial Hotel is lovely with its British Colonial charm and its history displayed on art throughout the hotel. It is marketed as a museum as well a hotel. Service, food, and location of the hotel was great. I had a few wonderful evenings relaxing at the pool (also with wonderful service). The spa was good – but didn’t compare to the Ayurveda spa treatment at the Dwarika’s resort in Nepal…OMG.
I was highly disappointed in the Spice Route restaurant. The food was mediocre at best. I dined there on my previous Portrait of India tour and the food and service was excellent. This time, they were not on their game. And it wasn’t just me and the person I was dining with. The family of five and another couple also dined there on the same night and made a similar comment. We told the TD our concerns and he said he would speak to the hotel management. Perhaps they were just having a bad night.
That said, if I had the choice, my hotel preference is the Leela Palace. The rooms are nicer (much bigger), the staff friendlier, the beds more comfortable, the bathroom with the slightly warmer temperature than the rest of the room was a delightful touch and the Christmas decorations were magnificent. The in-country guide told us The Imperial Hotel would put up their Christmas decorations later in the month—how much later—as I arrived on December 14th? There were a few decorations, but nothing compared to The Leela Palace (I understand this is not an issue for those traveling outside of the Christmas holiday season and yes, I also understand Christianity in India makes up only 2% of the population)…..but the Leela Palace made the effort and they gave each Tauck guest a beautiful elephant in nice wooden box inscribed with the hotel name (we didn’t receive a gift from the Imperial)—ok, perhaps I’m being petty, but, my tour, my opinions 
.
The Nepal portion of the trip is amazing. The service and kindness of the Nepalese people is un-matched. The views from each of the resort properties were one of a kind. They were remote, but you didn’t have a reason to want to venture out and do anything on your own. For those of you asking about yoga and meditation. The answer is: Yes, those activities are available; however, you will barely have time to enjoy them without forgoing a Tauck activity. The only real time you will have is if you add a day before or after the tour. The TD provided his list of highly recommended things to do in Delhi and Mumbai; otherwise, the days are filled to the brim. This option does not allow you time to enjoy the many options offered at the Dwarika resort properties. It was hard to find time to just sit on your private terrace and admire the Himalayans (an extra day here would have been much appreciated).
Be warned, the drives getting to/from Nepal & India National Parks were very long but they were very comfortable. Make sure you pick the right traveling companions – that makes all the difference in the world. There were three persons to a car. There were three single ladies on my tour – we all had a lovely time together.
Tauck provided the traveling Campervan toilet for the ladies to have a comfortable and sanitized bathroom option – this was great. It even had a seated sofa area for the ladies in waiting.
The drives inside the National Parks were very very bumpy. There are five zones. For each game drive, the naturalist is given a zone they can drive through. This cannot be changed. We had an opportunity to drive thru Zones 1-3. The other zones are much further out. Security is strict. For each drive, the naturalist must present your passport to the park authorities. You cannot change the safari vehicle you are assigned to on the first day—I hope everyone gets along, because there is no changing under any circumstances!
The game drive weather was perfect. Very pleasant during the day and evening and slightly cooler in the morning. Surprisingly it was not extremely cold during the game drives in the morning. I wore layers for the morning drives. There were blankets and hot water bottles for your lap which made the drives the ultimate in comfort. I usually wore my sports bra (ladies), a cashmere tank top, an Icebreaker 260 merino wool base layer top, a Smartwool merino wool top layer, a marmot 800 down fill down jacket (very lightweight and foldable) and a slightly heavier, still foldable down jacket. By mid-morning, the slightly heavier jacket was removed. For the later afternoon drive, I removed the tank top, and I didn’t wear either jacket, but I carried the 800-fill lightweight jacket in my collapsible backpack. Many dinners and evening activities were held outdoors. The weather was pleasant. I didn’t wear a top layer but a few people wore light jackets.
Please do not forget your sunglasses, sun hats and sunscreen for the game drives. No bug spray was needed.
Happy New Year & Happy Travels--Robin
Part 3 - next post (exceeded character limit)
