11 Nights - Luxury India Tour, The Golden Triangle & The Ganges

18 March 2020

Delhi / Mumbai

The Taj Mahal Palace Superior City View Tower Wing – Single / Double

This morning you will be transferred to Delhi domestic airport where you will board the flight AI-865 (10:00 AM / 12:15 PM) for Mumbai.

Upon arrival you will be met and proceed for Dharavi Slum tour.

One of the world's top ten centres of commerce, Mumbai is the financial and entertainment capital of India. Lying on the gorgeous Konkan coast of India, they say for Mumbai that the city never sleeps. Mumbai is a melting pot of many cultures and offers great diversity.

This afternoon visit the Entrepreneur’s Entourage –The Real Dharavi Slums.

The mind behind the greatest business ideas in the city are not found in big corporate boardrooms, but inside tiny 100 sq. ft. homes. The epic center of Mumbai’s dizzying economic growth doesn’t lie behind glass facades of skyscrapers, but in a run-down neighborhood of Mumbai. The people here might not be your suit-clad businessmen, but are owners of multi-million dollar companies. These are the people of Dharavi –One of Asia’s largest slums.

In spite of the all the grunginess and squalor, Dharavi is the most bustling and economically proficient part of Mumbai. With thousands of small scale industries thriving in the area, Dharavi generates revenue of a staggering billion US Dollars annually.

An erstwhile marshy fishing village, Dharavi creek dried up when a dam was built was built in the neighboring area. This gave way for the migration of potters from Surashtra, Tanners of Tamil Nadu and Artisans of Uttar Pradesh to practise their art and run their business, while setting up homes in Dharavi. As years rolled on, communities thrived economically, which is seen even today in the labyrinth of Leather Goods, Embroidered Dresses and Clay pots of various designs, among others cottage industries. Apart from the mentioned industries, you will also tour the cardboard industries, recycle industry and the Popaddam industry, to understand the indispensable contribution of Dharavi to Mumbai’s well-being.

Dharavi nurtures a thousand migrant dreams, making it possibly the only slum in the world where people come in vast numbers to make a living. Exploring this part of Mumbai gives insight into the industrious nature of the people, and zeal for life coupled with a hope for a better future.

Your co-explorers, who are natives of Dharavi, are educated, employed, speak impeccable English and more importantly, are very happy. We assure you, after the tour, you won’t call Dharavi a ‘slum’, but a land of opportunity.

Later you will be transferred to the hotel and check in.

Your stay in the city has been arranged at The Taj Mahal Palace.

The Taj Mahal Palace opened in Mumbai, then Bombay, in 1903, giving birth to the country's first harbor landmark. The flagship hotel of Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces overlooks the majestic Gateway of India. Each of the rooms 550 rooms & suites between the palace and tower wing is a striking blend of nostalgic elegance, rich history and modern facilities. Relish authentic Indian cuisine at Masala Kraft; world famous Japanese dishes at Wasabi by Morimoto; exquisite Eastern Mediterranean at Souk and Chinese at Golden Dragon. Dine all day at Shamiana and choose from the exotic range of sumptuous desserts at La Patisserie. Unwind with a refreshing meal at Aquarius, the poolside restaurant; and visit the stylish Harbor Bar. Other amenities include spa, Taj Salon, large outdoor pool. Located an hour away from the domestic & international airports, it has a central location in South Mumbai.

MEALS: B

19 March 2020

Mumbai

The Taj Mahal Palace Superior City View Tower Wing – Single / Double

This morning please meet the Abercrombie & Kent guide at the reception area of the hotel and proceed for visit to Elephanta Caves and city tour of Mumbai.

Walk down to the Gateway of India for an introduction to the Indo Saracenic architectural styles that influenced many of India’s monuments. From here we board a launch for a half-hour journey across Mumbai harbor to the cave temples on Elephanta Island. Excavated during the 9th century, the caves are dedicated to the trinity of Indian deities – Bhrama, Vishnu and Shiva. Some of the sculptures were destroyed when the island was used as bivouac for the Portuguese who used the images for target practice.

IMP – Elephanta Caves remains closed on Monday.

This afternoon we will visit the Prince of Wales Museum, the dome of glazed tiles giving it a very Persian and Central Asian flavor. The whole is Indo Saracenic in keeping with the Gateway. At the museum we will be walk through the excellent archeological section which has a well displayed section on the Indus Valley civilization, a sophisticated and advanced people who inhabited the Indus Valley from 8500BC to 3500BC. In 2000 BC the main city of Mohenjo Daro was deserted and within the next 250 years the entire civilization disappeared. The museum also houses an excellent collection or jade and silver jewelry and Indian miniature paintings. On the way to the Hanging Gardens we will pass the Victorian Gothic buildings of the city, stopping at the most remarkable of them all, the Victoria Terminus built in 1878. The frontage is symmetrical with a large central dome flanked by two wings. The dome is capped by a 4m high statue of Progress. The booking hall with its arcades, stained glass and glazed tiles was inspired by London’s St Pancreas station. The Hanging Gardens offer a panoramic view of the harbor and a glimpse of the Towers of Silence, the rather unusual crematorium of the Parsi community. We stop for pictures at the Dhobi Ghat a sight unique to Mumbai and end at Mani Bhavan. This is a private home where Mahatma Gandhi used to stay and today is a museum dedicated to him and his achievements.

MEALS: B

20 March 2020

Depart Mumbai

Program Ends

This morning you will be transferred to Mumbai International Airport to board flight for onward destination (Flight details to be advised)

Room will be available till 12 Noon.

MEALS: B