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SLOW LOVE LIFE Journey to India February 1 - Arrival Delhi You will be met on arrival and transferred to your hotel facing Humayun’s Tomb.
February 2 - Delhi After breakfast, visit Qutub Minar. Afternoon visit Sanskriti, the Museums of Everyday Art. Sanskriti literally means 'the process of cultivating.’
The Foundation has been working towards cultivating an environment for the preservation and development of the artistic and cultural resources not only of India but of the world as a whole. The belief in the positive function of culture as a universal and unifying force is intrinsic to Sanskriti. The Museums of Everyday Art, Indian Terracotta and Textiles are a conduit for the preservation and presentation of indigenous heritage, craftsmanship, aesthetic functionality and cultural practices.
February 3 - Delhi Morning Tour: visit the Crafts Museum and the Dilli Haat to witness local artisans and craftspeople.
Visit Humayun’s Tomb. Evening: private initiation into Indian yoga and meditation.
SLOW LOVE LIFE Journey to India Logistics Trip Leader:
Until November 2007, Browning was the editor-in-chief of House & Garden, a magazine of 950,000 readers, when her sudden job loss catalyzed a major life transition. She has chronicled this journey in her book SLOW LOVE: How I Lost my Job, Put on my Pajamas and Found Happiness. Browning’s life change ushered her into new appreciation for savoring the small moments that make up our days. She blogs about her newfound experiences at SlowLoveLife.com. The SLOW LOVE LIFE Journey to India is Dominique’s inaugural trip with Elevate Destinations. Inclusions:
Exclusions:
Arrival: Please plan on arriving in Delhi on February 1. You will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. Travel insurance: Travel insurance is strongly recommended, to cover emergency medical expenses and unexpected trip cancellation. Please contact our partner www.csatravelpro.com. Agent Code: W8000402 Currency: The units of Indian currency are the Rupee and Paisa (100 Paisa equal 1 Rupee). Paper money is in denominations of Rupees 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1000. Coins are in denominations of Rupees 1, 2 and 5. Tipping: Many travelers view tipping as a difficult subject, though this need not be the case. The first thing to remember is that tipping is not compulsory, nor are there any fixed amounts. The bottom line in determining whether and how much to tip is to ask yourself how much the individual did to make your travel more enjoyable. Climate: India has three major seasons: winter, summer and the monsoon. The winter months (October to March) are pleasant in most of India, with bright sunny days and cool nights. In the northern plains however, the minimum temperature at times drops steeply.
Dress: Light and loose, easily laundered clothing is best. India does not have a very formal dress code, though some hotels and clubs could insist on a minimum of formality in their dining rooms - long trousers and a conventional shirt usually suffice. When touring, avoid revealing tops, short skirts and all but the baggiest shorts. Drink: We advise that you drink only sealed bottled mineral water and drinks. Language: English is widely spoken throughout India; however the official language is Hindi. Staff at airline, railway, telecommunication counters and offices is usually fluent in English. Most direction signs usually have an English version too. Indian Standard Time: 5 hours and 30 minutes ahead of GMT. Electricity: 220 V. It is advisable to carry a universal adaptor.
SLOW LOVE LIFE Journey to India February 10 - Rohetgarh via Ranakpur Temples to Shahpura Bagh The Ranakpur temples, 15th century marble temples mainly for the Jain faith, are set in a secluded wooded valley of the Aravalli Hills. The temples are particularly noted for the grandiose scale of their architecture. The secluded wooded setting, home to peacocks, langurs, and numerous birds, complements the buildings wonderfully. This is a popular pilgrimage centre.
Proceed to Shahpura, the summer residence of the rulers of Shahpura. Shahpura Bagh is a boutique homestay where clients arrive as guests and leave as friends. The 19th century Nahar Niwas, one of the two residencies on the estate, remains the family home, warm and gracious, offering an experience of traditional personalized hospitality: of being welcomed into the heart of an ancient lineage. Shahpura Bagh is a 30-acre Retreat surrounded by two lakes in the North and West adjoining the town of Shahpura (District Bhilwara). The 1880’s Heritage-Country Residency was built as a summer Residence for the Rulers of Shahpura and is now a singular Heritage hotel. Raytia Estate boasts well-appointed rooms with en-suite bathrooms, as well as authentic home cooked Rajasthani food prepared over fire. The hosts ensure that every guest receives personalized attention. Activities include drives to Artisan villages as well as cultural shows to imbibe the rich multicultural society. The Shahpura District abounds with more than 300 lakes and the three large man made lakes are a migratory paradise, which ensures a heady mix of Desert and Oasis.
February 11 -Shahpura Bagh Legend has it that, in the early 1900’s, Rajadhiraj Nahar Singh of Shahpura mortgaged the family’s private property and jewels to bring water to his people. Today, the lakes he created form the heart of a verdant wetland refuge - historic, picturesque, tranquil - an idyllic setting where man and nature have come to understand each other. With over 250 small lakes, Shahpura is a bird watching paradise with over 180 species of birds. Activities include boating, photography, walks & sundowners adjacent to numerous lakes.
The Shahpura region has a rich varied landscape dotted with many man-made lakes, rustic original quaint villages and friendly innocent people un-spoilt by modernity. Long warm days in the sun and fresh air alongside lakes teeming with wild fowl remind you of earlier carefree days of youth. Whether you are drifting away in a boat surrounded by reeds, daydreaming on a comfortable charpoy at the farm, or just taking in the rural scenery, staying here will bring you the joys of "the simpler life of bygone ages."
Spontaneous excursions trace the history of the region through neighboring forts and legends, rambles transform into safaris in the flash of a beckoning wing - the surrounding wetlands are a birdwatcher's paradise, tempting even to the uninitiated!
SLOW LOVE LIFE Journey to India February 7 - Jaipur – Nimaj After breakfast, drive approximately 230 kilometers to Nimaj, and check into the remote charming, Chattra Sagar Tented Camp, which is picturesquely situated on the banks of a reservoir. Owned by the Thakur of Nimaj, and run by his two nephews, Harsh and Nandi Singh Rathore, this tented facility offers bird watching and nature walks and wonderful views of the Aravalli ranges. After lunch at the camp, Harsh or Nandi will take you on a short orientation tour of this very unusual site.
February 8 - Nimaj A truly magical place, comprised of delightful tents pitched on a dam, overlooking a lake teeming with birds (seasonal) and surrounded by grasslands replete with wildlife. The charming Nimaj family is personally involved in looking after guests and the gorgeous tents are amongst the best of their kind, sited in a location that is truly exceptional. They are very pretty and comfortable with fabulous stone bathrooms, a small sitting area and a dressing room. Each tent faces directly onto the lake and whilst sitting on your verandah you are rewarded with glorious, uninterrupted views and virtually no sign of habitation – a rarity in India!
The food served is cooked by the gentle ladies of the house and is guided by family recipes passed down over generations. The result is a constant culinary feast and some of the finest home cooking in Rajasthan. A stay here allows you to experience rural Rajasthan in a way that few other properties do. Accompanied by one of your hosts, wander out to explore the farm, local temples and meet the villagers. Take a drive through the grasslands, spying myriad bird species, herds of blue bull and other animals. Return in the evening to a sundowner on the hill and al fresco dining under an incredible canopy of stars. Chhatra Sagar was created to harvest rainwater to recharge the underground water system. By installing artesian wells, the same water could be drawn out for agriculture purposes, which made the area fertile. Over the past two decades, due to the irregular usage of water from excessive agriculture and over growing crops which require a lot of water, the underground water system has failed, and people who have been settled here for over two centuries have had to look for different source of earnings. One hundred percent of the staff at Chhatra Sagar is from the local community. The owners are the fourth generation of Thakur Chhatra Singh who created this water harvesting system, and the staff here is the fourth generation of the people who assisted them and named the system Chhatra Sagar. Chhatra Sagar has begun to educate farmers to return to growing crops which required less or no irrigation, and which can be grown by properly harvesting the monsoon water. They have also educated farmers to grow less 'thirsty' vegetables. Even if the government prices are low for such vegetables, Chhatra Sagar commit to buying them at a high price. This, in turn, contributes directly back to their water conservation program. Being nature lovers themselves, the family at Chhatra Sagar has returned all their agriculture land back to nature - it has been re-wilded. The land now has 15 different types of grass and all indigenous trees, which have once again gripped the soil, which now provides most of the ingredients for the food served at Chhatra Sagar.
February 9 - Nimaj – Rohet Garh via Salawas Salawas is a small village 22 km from Jodhpur and is famous for rugs made by the local craftsmen. Here we take you to the local hut of Roop Raj, a charming villager who has formed a cooperative of 50 villages, reviving the art of durry making. A Durry is basically a floor cover, somewhat resembling a drugget, woven on a loom using cotton or silk yarn, or goat or camel hair. It may be used as a throw rug, or a bedside rug, or to cover corridors and passages, or even to replace a carpet. A hundred year old tradition of Durry weaving continues. Roopraj's Durries come in a wide range of sizes, designs and colours. The warp and weft are cotton yarn, and the interlocked weave of dhurries, makes them reversible. A variety of traditional designs is offered. And what's more, Roopraj's Durries have fast colours that make them completely washable, to suit the practical needs of the modem home. They are light in weight, and easy to maintain.
Situated on the edge of the Great Thar Desert, just south of Jodhpur, the lovely, family run fort of Rohet Garh is an ideal choice for those wanting to stay outside the city, in a rural environment. Very much a family concern, it is an extremely friendly place with rooms scattered around the premises and facing onto the gardens or overlooking the lake. The rooms all vary in shape and size and have been very prettily decorated in Rajasthani fabrics in varied colors. A glistening swimming pool occupies one of the courtyards, overlooked by the open-sided dining room and gorgeous upstairs, tented dining terrace. Throughout the premises there are peaceful gardens and courtyards for quiet contemplation. Alternatively, the stunning roof terrace overlooking the lake is the perfect place to sit and sip a drink in the evenings or to rest on comfortable mattresses during the daytime. The family is highly respected locally and are great lovers of nature and the outdoors, and will take you out to visit the desert villages and farming communities. They are also keen horsemen: Rohet offers some of the best riding safaris and horses in Rajasthan. Similarly, the grand, desert picnics they arrange are second to none. This is a place of great charm and character, steeped in family history. Here we will arrange a cooking demonstration and the same food will be served to the guests. The owners of Rohet Garh have been very successful in employing local people by making them their partners in tourism through local activities, hence making it mutually beneficial all around. The simple rural folk that they work with are also employed in all their hotels. Rohet's signature program, The Village Safari, was pioneered by Rohet Garh to facilitate insight into rural Rajasthan and to invite guests to become genuinely and unobtrusively closer to local people. This is made possible as the family has always been very involved in the local government and welfare systems and is much respected by all villagers. Their Village Safari is now copied in lesser ways by many others. It offers their guests a chance to interact with the local village folk and visit their homes in a genuine and authentic way, as part of the family's daily rounds.
SLOW LOVE LIFE Journey to India February 12 - Shahpura Bagh – Udaipur Drive to the beautiful fairytale city of Udaipur with its marble palaces and lakes. Check into the Shiv Niwas Palace. The crescent-shaped palace was built in the early 20th century, in the reign of Maharana Fateh Singh (period of reign: 1884-1930), and has been meticulously maintained and preserved for guests like you. The palace was reserved exclusively for visiting dignitaries and guests of the House of Mewar. Today it is a Grand Heritage Palace for guests, combining the elegance of the last century with modern 21st century amenities.
Shiv Niwas Palace offers beautiful, yet differing suites and rooms to choose from 17 individually decorated suites carry original furniture and portraits that have been with the royal family for generations. All the suites look out onto the natural panorama of Udaipur. Unparalleled splendor and spaciousness characterize each room. Guests to Shiv Niwas Palace like to return time and again. The hospitality is unchanged from the not-so-distant times when Shiv Niwas Palace was a royal guesthouse. The distinctive character of Shiv Niwas Palace contributes substantially to the success of events of all types. Events benefit from a unique combination of history, luxury, impressive architecture, personalized service and the finest cuisine.
February 13 - Udaipur Boat ride on Lake Pichola and we will try for a personal meeting with either the Maharaja of Udaipur or his daughter, Princess Padmaja. We will also try and get a private audience to the personal art collection of the family.
Eight kms north of Udaipur is a lively ethnographic crafts village with artisans, folk performers and replicas of traditional houses. Here we can also arrange a short camel ride.
February 14 - Udaipur – Delhi by flight. Delhi departure. Depart by flight to Delhi and onto the international airport for a late night departure, or continue on to Wellness Retreat in Southern India (February 15-March 25).
SLOW LOVE LIFE Journey to India February 4 - Delhi – Jaipur Check into the Samode Haveli. The town house of the Samode family, this is another little gem, lying in the heart of Jaipur. Oozing charm and character, it is home to some fabulous frescoes. With its pretty courtyards and leafy garden, it is difficult to believe that this sanctuary gives onto the bustling city streets. The bedrooms, some ingeniously created out of hidden parts of the palace, are located throughout the rambling building and are superbly decorated, according to the owners’ impeccable taste – modern Rajasthani style at its best. Two of the suites are covered almost entirely in mirror-work from ceiling to floor and wall-to-wall. The exquisite swimming pool, with a beautiful poolside bar and supremely comfortable ‘salas’, is one of Jaipur’s finest and is a draw in itself. Perfectionists to the end, the family is constantly thinking up mouth watering new menus and looking for new wines to stock – any gourmet would be satisfied here.
Samode Haveli is active in supporting and giving employment to people from Samode Village and nearby villages. The gentle and caring staff will do their utmost to look after your every whim. Each guest will receive constant attention. A sense of peace pervades the whole property. Waiting to welcome you, Samode Haveli is the only option for anyone wanting a delicious little boutique hotel in the middle of the old city. Visit the Virasat Foundation that works with and for traditional artists in Rajasthan, a state rich in historic habitations, traditional arts, crafts, and cultural resources. It has pioneered a holistic, culture-based and cross-sector approach to livelihood generation through its various activities, events, advocacy forums and networks, always employing specialist skills and best practices.
February 5 - Jaipur Excursion to Sanganer, a small town on the outskirts of Jaipur to visit block printers. Sanganer is located at a distance of 16 kms from Jaipur on the Tonk road, and is renowned for its crafts and hand-printed textiles. Sanganer forms a major part of excursion from Jaipur. In order to enter Sanganer, one has to drive past two massive Tripolias (Triple Gateways) on the Tonk Road. Sanganer boasts of ruined palaces and Jain Temples, which are carved with refinement. Sanganer is well known as the largest center of the handmade paper industry. It manufactures supreme quality handmade papers and hand printed textiles by using units of block and screen printers. Traditional small floral prints form the specialty of Sanganer block printers. One can explore the Kagazi Mohalla of Sanganer, which is prominent for expert artisans. These artisans are known as 'Kagazis'.
This evening, we will arrange a private elephant safari in Dera Amber through the quiet of the wilderness. The scenery is beautiful and it really is a special experience before sunset. The ride will culminate in a forest clearing and a torch-lit private dinner.
February 6 - Jaipur Visit the blue pottery artisans. The art of making blue glaze pottery came to Rajasthan via Kashmir and the name comes from the eye-catching Persian blue dye used to color the clay. The Jaipur blue pottery, made out of Egyptian paste, is glazed and low-fired. Some of this pottery is semi-transparent and mostly decorated with animal and bird motifs. The color palette is restricted to blue derived from the cobalt oxide, green from the copper oxide and white, though other non-conventional colours, such as yellow and brown are sometimes included.
We will also visit the Anokhi Museum of Hand printing, begun in 2005 as an attempt to focus on the existent tradition of hand block printing throughout India and especially within the local regions of Jaipur, Sanganer and Bagru. It is dedicated to the collection, preservation and interpretation of printed textiles. Anokhi's roots lie in Jaipur, a city whose founders were enlightened patrons of the arts and crafts. Skilled craftsmen were invited to settle here and were ensured a secure livelihood. In the Jaipur tradition, Anokhi tries to maintain an open and honest relationship with its craftspersons. It helps them to work in conditions of their own choosing and commits itself to providing them with sustained work. Anokhi has been restored by John and Faith Singh.
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SLOW LOVE LIFE Journey to India
Dominique Browning is a writer, editor and consultant in the newspaper and magazine fields. She has worked with and written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, New York magazine, O, the Oprah magazine, Departures, Food &Wine, Travel & Leisure, Body + Soul, Wired and On Topic, among others. She writes a monthly column about environmental issues for the Environmental Defense Fund website. 
