DESTINATIONS INDIA
Geton
track
Janine Kelso tests out
luxury train travel in India
Train travel is not fast in
India: think old-fashioned
locomotives rather than
Japanese bullet trains.
But the country has a
staggering 37,000 miles of track and
7,085 stations. Taking a rail journey
off ers a laid-back and romantic way
of seeing the country’s dramatic
vistas. What’s more, there are plenty
of luxury trains to cater for
well-heeled travellers. Here’s a
taste of what’s on off er.
Palace on wheels
Travel like royalty on this lavishly
decorated train as it makes its way
through Rajasthan, taking its guests
back to a bygone era of maharajas.
Stopping to visit the region’s palaces
and forts, the train is all ornamental
ceilings and swish saloons, twinned
with top-rate service and fi ne dining.
Hailed as one of the world’s top
rail journeys, the train departs Delhi
every Wednesday, visiting the cities
of Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and
Udaipur, before a fi nal stop in Agra
to see the Taj Mahal. Book your seat
at least six months in advance.
SAMPLE PRODUCT: Tropical
Locations off ers a 10-day journey
aboard the Palace on Wheels for
£2,598 per person until March 31
2009, including fl ights, full-board
accommodation and guided
sightseeing with private driver.
(0845 277 3344
8tropical-locations.com
Deccan Odyssey
Launched in 2004 with room
for 96 passengers, this fi ve-star
train runs a seven-day tour of
Maharashtra, in west India,
66 | Travel Weekly | November 7 2008
AND FOR SOMETHING A BIT DIFFERENT…
Small but perfectly formed Britishbuilt
Toy Train puff s its way from
North Bengal to Darjeeling Hills,
passing terraced fi elds, small
villages and houses on stilts. Over
100 years old, the train’s top speed
is 20mph, but the leisurely pace
means passengers can appreciate
including daily excursions to forts,
palaces and beaches. There are
13 air-conditioned carriages, each
with four twin cabins. Every
bedroom has a CD and MP3
player and an en suite bathroom.
Meanwhile each carriage has a
sitting area with a library and TV
plus a butler who serves drinks and
snacks. There’s also a beauty salon
and spa on board.
The train doesn’t operate during
the monsoon season, which lasts
from May until September.
SAMPLE PRODUCT: Kirker Holidays
off ers an 11-day India tour, including
seven nights on the Deccan Odyssey
for £2,445 per person until December,
including fl ights, accommodation,
all meals and excursions.
(020 7593 2288
8kirkerholidays.com
the landscape. Since it started
running in 1880, the train line has
transported heads of state, kings
and queens. The train stops
at the hill stations of Shimla,
Darjeeling, Ooty and Matheran.
SAMPLE PRODUCT: Explore off ers
a 16-day tour for £1,695 per person,
departing February 7 2009,
featuring a trip on the Toy Train
to the hill station of Shimla, as
well as the Taj Mahal and historical
sites of Calcutta, including fl ights,
transportation, 13 nights’ bed
and breakfast and one night on
a sleeper train.
(0844 499 0901
8explore.co.uk
Golden Chariot
India’s newest luxury train off ers
seven-night round-trip tours that
begin and end in Bangalore, taking
in the beaches of Goa and the
stunning landscape of Karnataka
including Mysore, the Imperial City
of Palaces, Nagarhole National Park
and Belur. Accommodating 90
passengers, every double and twin
air-conditioned cabin has silk
sheets, DVD player, plasma TV and
en suite bathroom. There’s even a
gym so passengers can appreciate
the scenery while burning off meals
eaten in the train’s two restaurants. If
you prefer a more relaxing ride,
make a beeline for one of the train’s
massage rooms for a traditional
herbal treatment.
SAMPLE PRODUCT: Cox and Kings
off ers a 10-night Golden Chariot
itinerary combining seven nights’
full-board on the train with three
nights’ bed and breakfast in
Bangalore, for £2,795 per person
in April 2009, including fl ights,
transfers and all excursions.
(020 7873 5000
8coxandkings.co.uk TW
Travel like royalty in the
Palace on Wheels
Every double cabin is equipped with a
DVD player, TV and en suite bathroom
www.travelweekly.co.uk
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