Family History Tours
Have you got family connections in India? Did ancestors of yours serve out there in a military capacity, or the administration, or as planters or missionaries? Are you researching their lives?

How about taking a trip to India to walk in your ancestors’ footprints?

We can arrange every detail of your visit once you have arrived in India – all you need to do is tell us where you would like to go and what you want to see. If it is still in existence, we will find it!

We have a large network of contacts throughout India, and, for instance, can sometimes have a grave pin-pointed before we reach the cemetery. However, many of the British cemeteries have not been restored, and sometimes disappointments are experienced.

Your Family History tours will last for as long as you wish to make them.
Our service begins upon your arrival at the airport when you will be met and transferred to your hotel.
If you should wish to see the Taj Mahal, then we will incorporate it into your itinerary.
Another advantage for you is that if you want to see more of India, we can easily extend your stay, and would be happy to do so.
All your travel within India is managed, and bookings are made, by the foremost tour operator in the country - Le Passage to India <www.lepassagetoindia.com>
Your hotels will be at whatever level your budget and preference require. Mid-range, Heritage or 5-star luxury. Everything is available in India!
Philippa Waterfield personally escorts every tour, and where sight-seeing is undertaken, local guides are engaged.
   

Equine Tours

Your holiday will be full and varied and will include visits to thoroughbred studs where there are some beautiful horses and superb imported stallions. The climate and shortage of green feed makes horse-management different and interesting, so although some studs are similar to those we know, others are run very differently.

Spend a day at the races at Pune, Mumbai or Delhi. These are pretty, informal race-courses - very professionally run, and great fun.

In the polo-playing cities of Jaipur or Delhi we will visit the polo clubs and watch a match. Then, if you have played polo, tuition can be arranged, some stick & ball practice, and you can play a chukka. To actually ride an elephant and play Elephant Polo is an opportunity not to miss, and you can do this if you’ve never ridden a horse!! You will have the rare opportunity of visiting the Equine Department at Jaipur’s famous Apollo School of Veterinary Medicine.

At Jodhpur, the old capital of Marwar region, we will visit the unique and remarkable Marwari horses and meet families who play polo or compete in Endurance riding and are steeped in horses. In Bikaner we shall visit a breeding programme of Marwaris and also a large collection of French donkeys. The adjacent camel-breeding farm is fascinating, where work is being done to preserve the small, black Bikaner camels. And if you wish you can see the rats in the nearby temple where they are worshipped, and even fed (but you don’t have to!).

I want to take you to the famous Shekhawati District because it is one of my real favourites, and you’ll love it. You’ll see so many wonderful Marwari and Kathiyawari horses. They are tough, strong, forward-going, full of stamina, and are distinguished by their pointed ears which meet above the poll. Their breeders are keen to promote them and already some horses have been exported to the USA.

You will be warmly welcomed by members of the breed society, and we shall stay in either a fort or a palace. If you wish, you can ride a Marwari through the desert for half a day. The region is noted for its wonderfully-painted old houses (Havelis), and you will be able to visit these exquisite works of art. We will also see performances by the elegant dancing Marwaris, and demonstrations of tent-pegging - an exciting, incredibly fast sport.

Some tours will move on to the Punjab to meet local horsemen. The Sikhs are proud people who love their horses and look forward to showing them to you.

Of course, as we travel we shall see distressing sights where ponies, donkeys, bullocks and camels are pulling over-loaded carts. The British charity The Donkey Sanctuary supports work in India, and we will be able to visit their base. There is a pony rescue-centre also.

Every tour group will attend different equestrian events, depending on the time of year. It may be the national Endurance Championships, a three-day event, a horse show or a horse fair in the Punjab - where the Sikh warriors gallop around wielding their swords. In Rajasthan the Pushkar Camel Fair (Oct/Nov) and the Balotra Horse Fair (Mar/Apr) can be included.

The Indian horse community is so keen to show the outside world its horses, its horsemanship and its progress, that the welcome you enjoy will be warm and wonderful. And all the time you will be traveling around India - by road or rail or ‘plane, experiencing new sights, sounds and smells.

You will not want to leave, and will probably wish to return for more. And you will have new friends for life.
Your India’s World of the Horse tour will last for two weeks, starting in Mumbai or Delhi and finishing in Delhi.
Our service begins upon your arrival at the airport when you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Two nights in Mumbai or Delhi to experience some of the joys of these vibrant cities - then the Horse Tour ‘proper’ begins.
You finish in Delhi where we shall show you more sights. If you should wish to see the Taj Mahal, you will need to stay for an extra night.
Another advantage for you is that if you want to see more of India, we can easily extend your stay, and would be happy to do so.
All your travel within India is managed, and bookings are made, by the foremost tour operator in the country - Le Passage to India <www.lepassagetoindia.com>
Your hotels will be mid-range or Heritage properties. Although we may stay in 5-star luxury for your first and final nights!
Philippa Waterfield personally escorts every tour, and where sight-seeing is undertaken, local guides are engaged.
   

Philippa Waterfield’s friends and contacts within the horse-world of India mean that India’s World of the Horse holidays are unique, exclusive & special. “On my tours you do not just see the people of India’s equine world, you meet them and get to know them.”

Does this sound like your sort of holiday?

Yes? Contact us with the approximate dates when you wish to come to India (October to March), and we will put together an itinerary to match your dates. The ideal number for a Horse Tour group is 10 people (minimum eight; maximum twelve). Maybe you would like to get together with some friends; otherwise come alone, and enjoy the company of like-minded fellow travellers. We look forward to hearing from you.

Is there anything for “non-horsey” family members to do?

At almost every location we can arrange side-trips for members of the group who would like a more varied holiday.


Land Rover Tours

An exciting prospect, which should be ready by 2011, is the opportunity to travel along the beautiful, mountainous Nepalese border near Darjeeling, in vintage (Series 1 & 2) Land Rovers, which still ply as local taxis between remote mountain villages. You will be able to drive these vehicles, off-road, through tea plantations in the foothills of the Himalya.

Tailor-made Tours
We can arrange a holiday for you to most parts of India which can be designed to your personal requirements.

Whether you are a large group or someone traveling alone, contact us to tell us your requirements. If you are not quite sure where to go, Philippa will be happy to talk to you and make suggestions. Holidays can be designed for a few days or for many weeks, and with varying budgets in mind.

India is a land of contrasts, and has attractions for everyone - let us help you find yours and guide you to the most memorable holiday.