India and Bhutan Highlights

Trident Nariman Point Hotel
The 5-star Trident Nariman Point enjoys a fabulous location on Marine Drive, from where it overlooks the Arabian Sea. It features all the facilities you would expect of a hotel of this size and category, including outdoor pool, fitness centre, spa, and a selection of dining venues, including Japanese, Mediterranean, and Indian restaurants.

The Trident’s 555 rooms and suites are generously sized and enjoy views of either the sea or city skyline. 

Trident Nariman Point is situated within easy reach of Mumbai Central Railway Station (15 minutes by car) and Mumbai’s International Airport (45 minutes).

This afternoon, embark on a guided tour of Mumbai, starting with a drive along the waterfront and Marine Drive, with stops at the Gateway of India, built in 1911 to commemorate the visit of George V, and Mani Bhavan, the former home of Gandhi. Time allowing, you might also like to visit the Prince of Wales Museum, one of India’s premier art museums, before ending the tour with a visit to Babu Amichand Panalal Adishwarji, Mumbai’s largest Jain temple.

The Claridges, New Delhi
Dating back to 1952, the Claridges is an upmarket 5-star hotel offering luxurious accommodation in Lutyens’ Delhi – New Delhi’s diplomatic district – placing it within easy reach of Connaught Place, the Delhi National Museum and Lodhi Gardens.

The Claridges is a low-rise complex of three main buildings sheltering a pool and courtyard. It sits on a three-acre site, amid carefully-tended gardens and manicured lawns. 

The Claridges Hotel blends old-world charm with contemporary facilities and furnishings. Its 137 rooms and suites are decked out in colonial deco style, with wood panel flooring, dark wood furnishings and white & cream upholstery. Each room is equipped with a plasma TV, minibar and en-suite bathroom with bath/shower.

The Claridges also houses a large swimming pool, a high-end shopping arcade, and a fabulous selection of fine-dining restaurants, ranging from the Sevilla, specialising in Mediterranean cuisine, to Dhaba, which celebrates North Indian food culture.

Evening at leisure.

While exploring the market, take the time to visit Jama Masjid (1656 AD), the largest and grandest mosque in India, and the last architectural achievement of the Mughal Emperor, Shahjahan.

After lunch, drive through Lutyen’s Delhi, passing Rashtrapati Bhawan, the India Gate and the Old Secretariat and Humayun’s Tomb.

A UNESCO world heritage site, Humayun's tomb is an extensive collection of buildings built for the Mughal Emperor Humayun, after being commissioned by his wife Hamida Banu Begum in 1562. It was the first garden-tomb to be built in India, and is located in Nizamuddin East. Its distinctive design and structure, as well as its red sandstone building blocks, would inspire later Mughal architecture.

You’ll be returned to your hotel at the end of the tour. Evening at leisure.

Check into Kaziranga Infinity Wilderness Resort for two nights (full-board basis).

Kaziranga Infinity Resort
Kaziranga Infinity Resort is a small, intimate jungle lodge set within a bamboo thicket on the outskirts of Kaziranga National Park. It’s a lovely base from which to explore the park, offering daily game drives into the park interior.

Infinity Resort accommodates its guests in 16 raised bungalows, most situated overlooking the lake. Constructed from bamboo, teak and grass thatch, the rooms have an earthy quality in keeping with the surrounding environment. All are en-suite and fully air-conditioned.

Infinity Resort’s main hub is the Long House, a double-storey building housing restaurant, spa and library. It opens onto the pool deck with bar, where guests can relax between game drives.

Evening at leisure.

Kaziranga is among India’s most picturesque national parks, famed for its tall grasslands and alluvial floodplains. It protects a number of endangered species, including Indian tiger, leopard, and the Eastern swamp deer, or Barasingha. Most notably, it is a primary refuge for the one-horned rhinoceros (Kaziranga protects an estimated 1,800 one-horned rhino, approximately two thirds of the world’s population).

Embark on a morning game drive after breakfast, returning to the lodge for lunch and rest before heading out again early evening for a sunset drive.

On arrival in Guwahati, check into the Prabhakar Homestay (B&B basis; standard room) for one night.

Prabhakar Homestay
Set amid beautifully-tended gardens in the hills above Guwahati, Prabhakar is a charming homestay-turned-boutique hotel with room for just eight guests in its four guest rooms.

Prabhakar is owned and managed by Sheila and Mahesh Bora, who have converted their home into a cosy bed & breakfast. The Boras are generous but unobtrusive hosts, and are quick to make guests feel at home.

Prabhakar’s lounge and dining areas are situated on the ground floor and open onto a lovely terrace and garden. The guest rooms are situated on the first floor – some open lead directly onto the balcony with a view of the city. All are en-suite.

Hotel Kisa
The small, family-owned and managed Hotel Kisa is one of Thimphu’s top boutique hotels. It enjoys an enviable location close to the centre of town, with views of the city and, beyond it, the Himalayan range.

Blending traditional Bhutanese and contemporary architecture, Hotel Kisa is a stylish retreat accommodating only a relatively small number of guests in its 35 rooms.

The en-suite rooms are spacious and tastefully furnished, with polished wooden floors and marble bathrooms.

Later this afternoon, after you’ve had time to settle into your hotel, drive to Kuensel Phodrang, or Buddha Point, in the high hills overlooking Thimphu. The site of a towering 50 metre bronze Buddha (the largest of its kind in Bhutan), Buddha Point offers fabulous sunset views of the city.

Return to your hotel for dinner and overnight.

Start the tour with a visit to the National Library and Archives, a repository of priceless Buddhist manuscripts, before continuing to the Textile and Folk Culture Museum, where you can learn more about Bhutan’s folk traditions and material culture. Time allowing, you might also like to include a visit to some of Thimphu’s famous workshops, which specialise in mask making, metal craft, weaving and ceramics.

In the afternoon, visit Trashi Chhoe Dzong, the ‘fortress of the glorious dharma’. This spectacular dzong, which sits just north of Thimphu on the banks of the Wang Chhu River, is the centre of Bhutan’s religious and political life, housing both the King's throne room and National Assembly Hall. Constructed in the mid-seventeenth century by the father of Bhutan, Ngawang Namgyal, it was reconstructed in the 1960s in the classic Bhutanese fashion, without nails or architectural plans.

End the day with a visit to the King's Memorial. A popular meeting point and site of daily pilgrimage, the whitewashed chorten, or stupa, is decorated with a gleaming golden finial and intricate mandalas. Many locals gather here in the evening, and can be seen turning the giant prayer wheels and paying their respects at the shrine.

The hike to Taktsang Monastery (Tiger’s Nest) takes around 3 hours. It’s a scenic route with beautiful views of the Paro Valley all the way.

During the hike, there will be plenty of time to stop and admire the scenery (and to catch your breath!), as you make the long ascent up the pilgrimage route to the iconic temple at its summit.

Though the walk is tough, Taktsang will prove ample reward for your efforts. Perched on the edge of a sheer cliff face, 900km above the Paro Valley, it’s a miraculous feat of design. Allow an hour to explore the monastery in full, before trekking back down to the trailhead and then continuing on to Paro. Please note that photos are not allowed within the temple rooms.

You sleep tonight at the Village Lodge (full-board) in Paro.

Village Lodge
Situated just outside Paro, amid the farmer’s fields of the Paro valley, the Village Lodge is a traditional Bhutanese farmhouse that has been converted into a fabulous country lodge. It offers nine spacious guest rooms, simply decorated in traditional Bhutanese style but furnished to modern standards with underfloor heating and full en-suite facilities, including lovely stone baths.

The Village Lodge is the perfect spot to relax after the morning’s invigorating trek. There’s a pretty terrace overlooking the valley, and a cosy bar to retreat to in the evening. The restaurant serves traditional Bhutanese cuisine.

On arrival in Agra, check into the Trident Agra Hotel for one night (B&B basis; deluxe).

Trident Agra Hotel
The Trident Agra is an upmarket city hotel offering 137 generously furnished rooms and a wealth of facilities in the heart of Agra. It is less than a mile from the Taj Mahal, and within easy driving distance of Agra Fort.

Facilities include swimming pool, fitness centre, bar, coffee shop and multi-cuisine restaurant.

This afternoon, travel to the deserted city of Fatehpur Sikri, just outside Agra, where you can explore the old city palace, mosque and the administrative lay-out in the company of an experienced local guide.

Situated on the banks of the Yamuna River, Agra Fort was one of the most important and fiercely defended strongholds of the Mughal Emperors. It’s also, quite simply, a spectacular piece of Mughal architecture, comprised of multiple palaces and halls, as well as two mosques.

After lunch in Agra, begin the journey back to Delhi International Airport in time for your homeward flight.