February 2010 Itinerary

Feb 20 Arrive in Delhi and spend the night at Claridges Hotel, or similar.

Feb 21 Relax the morning away at your leisure in and around your hotel. Enjoy Delhi’s beautiful sights and sounds with an afternoon tour of the city. In the evening we will depart for the Thar Desert on the overnight train to Jodhpur.

Feb 22 Sunrise arrival in the” Blue City” of Jodhpur. The city , once the capital of the former princely state of Marwar and an important stop on the ancient Silk Road boasts lively color and culture. We will transfer via coach to Fort Chanwa Luni for an introductory breakfast to RRI and its 15 day program. Built in 1894 this Majestic Fort will serve as our initial base camp and departure point for the Relief Ride. Stroll around touring the fort, after light refreshments in the afternoon we’ll gather around to meet the horses for a casual afternoon ride.

Feb 23 Help prepare for the relief mission by organizing 15 days worth of relief supplies for the journey. In the afternoon we will partake in a Puja (Journey Blessing) followed by a short casual ride around the outskirts of Luni.

Feb 24 Morning departure for Roopawas. The first leg of the trip will take us through several small beautiful villages in the Mewar region. Lunch will be taken under the shade of trees while en route to our camp in Roopawas.

Feb 25 In the morning we will ride to the local school in Roopawas to treat children with de-worming medicine and deliver much needed educational supplies to the school. Before riding back to camp we will distribute livestock to the villagers of Roopawas.

Feb 26 Full day ride from Roopawas to Hemawas. The terrain here is soft and sandy and good for easy riding. As we approach Hemawas there will likely be Blue Bulls grazing in this area. Our campsite is set under the shade of trees with an incredible panoramic view of a mountain range.

Feb 27 Enjoy a restful day around our beautiful campsite where we will partake in horse games such as Musical Horses or Horse and Ball. We will head out for a sunset ride in the late afternoon.

Feb 28 The ride from Hemawas to Baanta will be a long day’s ride. We will travel through a beautiful semi shrub desert with dunes. The desert will heat up very quickly, calling for an early departure. When the sun reaches its highest point, making the desert feel like an anvil, we will seek refuge under a cluster of desert trees to have lunch and rest. We will overnight at our tented encampment on the outskirts of Baanta.

Mar 1 After riding into Baanta we will visit a local school to treat children with de-worming medicine and distribute educational materials. The afternoon will be spent at our leisure. Prepare yourself for a cultural immersion in the evening as we dine with a local Rewari tribe. The story of their origin has it that their men, instead of marrying women, married celestial apsaras, the daughters of the gods.

Mar 2 Ride from Baanta to Bordi. Along the way we may see the khejri trees commonly found in this district. The khejri tree’s leaves provide fodder for livestock, and give gum, both of which have commercial value. The Khejri tree has been traditionally protected by the Bishnois of Rajasthan, for its value in checking soil erosion.

Mar 3 We will conduct our first dental camp offering minor surgeries and treatments to villagers of Bordi. The camp will open it doors at 10.00 am and will close by 4.00 or until the last patients have been treated. We will overnight at our tented encampment on the outskirts of Bordi.

Mar 4 We will depart Bordi for Narlai. This leg of the ride is stunning as it takes us through breathtaking landscape of large rock outcroppings and dunes shouldering the Aravelli hills. We will overnight in Narlai at Rawla Narlai, a remarkable fort that sits at the bottom of a gigantic [350 ft high] single rock of granite dotted with caves and temples. It is crowned by a statue of a white elephant, proud guardian to the open desert on one side and the crumbling Aravali hills on the other.

Mar 5 Early morning educational program at the school in Narlai. After a delicious lunch at Narlai we will travel via coach to the sacred village of Pushkar. The village is the home of the only Brahma Temple in India as well as hosting the famed Pushkar Camel Fair. Overnight Pushkar.

Mar 6 Early morning departure from Pushkar to Jaipur. Check into Alsisar Haveli. Afternoon at your leisure by the pool or touring Amber Fort.

Mar 7 Check out by 12.00. Post lunch departure by coach to Delhi/transfer to airports for return flights.

THIS ITINERARY IS FLEXIBLE. CHANGES MAY OCCUR DUE TO WEATHER OR OTHER UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES.