Journey to Eastern India
Uttar Pradesh, Orissa and West Bengal(16 days / 15 nights)
From the state of Uttar Pradesh to Orissa, from West Bengal to Andhra Pradesh, this tour will take you beyond the usual tourist trails. Discover Varanasi, the world's most spiritual city on the banks of the Ganges. You will also visit the great and mysterious Calcutta, still a great testimony to the British apogee in India. You'll discover more than just temples: marvellous lakes where you can fish, villages lost in the mountains and sacred waters in the middle of the jungle. An adventure tour to discover a unique and authentic world.
Itinerary :Delhi-Varanasi-Calcutta-Bhubaneswar-Puri-Konarak-Barkul-Gopalpu-Taptapani-Rayagada-Kothgarh-Chatikona-
aypore-Vishakhapatnam
Day 1 Paris / Delhi
Flight from Paris to Delhi. Arrival in Delhi, welcome at the airport and transfer to the hotel. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 2 Delhi / Vârânasî
After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to the airport for a domestic flight to Vârânasî. Arrival in the oldest city in the world and welcome at the airport. Check-in at the hotel. Lunch at the hotel. Depending on your arrival time, you will visit Sarnath, the place where the Buddha gave his first sermon. Return to Vârânasî. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 3 Vârânasî / Calcutta (night train)
Very early in the morning you can take a boat trip on the Ganges, to admire the sunrise with music coming directly from the temples. Return to the hotel for breakfast. You will discover the Kashi Vishwanath temple, a famous temple dedicated to Shiva and located on the banks of the Ganges. You can also discover other temples dedicated to other deities, such as the temple of Durga, Bharat and Tulsi Manas.To discover Vanarasi properly, take your time to soak up its exotic and mysterious atmosphere. At your leisure, you can wander through the maze of bustling streets, continue your visit to the many temples or take a closer look at life in the Ghats, contemplating the stream of devotees, from the humblest to the wealthiest, going about their business. They come here to receive the darshan (vision that brings blessing) and bathe in the sacred waters. Lunch during the visit, followed by a transfer to Vârânasî station to catch the night train to Calcutta.
Day 4 Calcutta / Bhubaneswar (Night train)
Arrival in Calcutta, welcome at the station. Breakfast at the station. You will visit the fascinating city of Calcutta. This stop will give you the opportunity to feel the pulse of Bengal's fascinating culture and to perceive the grandeur of an extraordinary colonial city. Lunch during the visit, followed by transfer to the station for the night train to the capital of Orissa, Bhubaneshwar (option to fly if you wish).
Day 5 Bhubaneswar
Arrive in Bhubaneshwar, meet at station and check into hotel. Breakfast at the hotel. You will then set off to discover the city of 500 temples. Bhubaneshwar means "Master of the World" and refers to Shiva, to whom most of the temples are dedicated. Bhubaneshwar is a tranquil, verdant city where modern buildings stand side by side with extraordinary ancient temples. This former capital of the Kalinga kingdom once boasted 7,000 sanctuaries built between the 8th and 13th centuries. Some of the oldest are real gems, such as the Parasumeshwara, the Mukteshwara, the Rajarani and the Bindu Sagar. Excursion to the Khandagiri and Udayagiri hills, home to ancient Jain and Buddhist monasteries carved out of the rock in the 2nd century BC. Lunch during the visit. Return to Bhubaneshwar for the night. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 6 Bhubaneshwar / Puri
After breakfast, you will set off towards Puri. On the way you will stop off in the village of Pipli, famous for its tradition of appliqué handicrafts (hangings decorated with figures cut from coloured cloth). You will then continue on to Puri. Puri is one of the 4 Dham, Hindu pilgrimage shrines in India located at the 4 points of the compass (along with Badrinath in Uttaranchal, Dwarka in Gujarat and Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu). The atmosphere is quite astonishing, combining religious life around the great Jagannath Mandir temple with beach life along Marine Drive and the long white sandy beach. The Jaganath Mandir is dedicated to Jaganath, incarnation of Vishnu, and dates back to the 10th century. Please note that it is not open to non-Hindus, but you can soak up the fervour of the pilgrims as you stroll around it. Lunch during the visit. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 7 Puri / Konarak / Puri
Breakfast and departure for Konarak. Dedicated to Surya, the Sun, the Konarak temple is a spectacular example of religious architecture. It was built in the mid-13th century as a chariot to transport the sun god. Around the base are 24 gigantic carved stone wheels, each more beautiful than the last, and 7 stone horses pull the temple. The base of the temple, the walls and the roofs are entirely covered with sculptures and there are many erotic statues reminiscent of Khajurâho. The temple is magnificent day and night, illuminated. Lunch during the visit. Return to Puri. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 8 Puri / Chilka Lake / Barkul
After breakfast, departure for Chilka Lake. The drive to Chilka Lake will take you through some very picturesque countryside and attractive villages. Chilka lies in the heart of the coastal region of Orissa. The lake covers some 1,100 km², making it the third largest in the state. It has numerous islets and is home to a remarkable wealth of life. It's a birdwatcher's paradise in winter, when migratory birds take over. Sunrises and sunsets over the lake are unforgettable experiences. Lunch during the visit. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 9 Chilka Lake / Gopalpur
Get up early to watch the birds on the lake and visit the Kalijai temple, dedicated to the goddess of the lake and set on a small island. You can also admire the work of the fishermen who search for fish, prawns and crabs, as well as migratory birds in winter. After breakfast, you'll set off for Gopalpur-sur-mer, an ancient seaport rarely visited by tourists. Beautiful dunes covered with casuarinas and coconut plantations separate the town from the sea. Lunch during the visit. Overnight in Gopalpur: this will be your last night of "luxury" before embarking on the more adventurous journey into the tribal regions.
Day 10 Gopalpur / Taptapani -/Rayagada
Breakfast and drive into the jungles of Orissa to Taptapani. The town takes its name from the hot springs nearby. Then lunch. In the afternoon, drive to Taptapani. Enjoy the small hot springs in this peaceful village. The very hot springs, which come from sulphurous springs discovered in a forest environment, are now channelled to fill a pool suitable for bathing. An altar dedicated to the goddess Kandhi is located in the original pool: it is reputed to cure infertility. You can also visit the village of Chandragiri, 36 km away, where a community of Tibetan refugees earn their living weaving carpets. Continue to Rayagada. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 11 Rayagada / Kothgarh (TUESDAY) / Rayagada
After breakfast, you will take an all-day excursion to the tribal area of Kothgarh (approx. 180 km). Most of them speak Kuvi, a language derived from South Indian Dravidian. Human sacrifices have now been replaced by animal sacrifices, during which blood is offered to the supreme goddess, represented by a piece of wood or a stone, who must ensure the fertility of the soil. Members of this tribe still use bows and arrows to protect themselves from wild animals. Tuesday is the weekly market day. Lunch during the visit. Return to Rayagada at the end of the day. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 12 Rayagada / Chatikona / Jaypore
Breakfast, followed by a day's drive from Rayagada to Jeypore (250 km - approx. 7 hours). Along the way, you will stop at several Dongariya Kondh villages. Lunch en route. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 13 Jaypore / Onukudeolli market (THURSDAY) / Jaypore
Then breakfast. Day trip to the village of Onukudeolli (170 km), where a colourful market is held every Thursday, attended by the Bondas ("naked men") of Tibeto-Burman origin. They live in isolated hills, where they have entrenched themselves. They grow rice in shifting cultivation and rear cows and goats. You can only meet them when they come down to the local market, so time your visit to coincide with the weekly Thursday market. Bonda women are noted for their jewellery and other ornaments, as well as their shaven heads decorated with leaves. Gadabas, who also belong to the ancient Mundari dialect group, can also be found at this market. In the afternoon, visit the villages of Ridal and Gutalpara, with their painted houses, traditional villages of the Bada-Gadaba tribe, whose ritual dance is called "Dhemsa". It is sometimes possible to attend the dance during a local festival. Lunch during the visit. Return to Jeypore at the end of the day. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 14 Jaypore / Kundali market (FRIDAY) / Jaypore
Breakfast and excursion to the market in Kundalli, a village belonging to the Parajas tribe, recognisable by the flowers hanging from their women's hair. They have long been considered a "civilised" tribe, due to the proximity of their villages to urban centres. Lunch during the visit. Return to Jaypore in the late afternoon. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day15 Jeypore / Vishakhapatnam
Breakfast and departure for Visakhapatnam, a major port on the Andhra Pradesh coast. The road alternates between agricultural areas and hills covered in thick jungles. We pass through the town of Khairaput in the centre of the Bonda tribal region. Lunch en route. Arrival in the evening. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 16 Vishakhapatnam / Delhi / Paris
Breakfast then transfer to Vishakhapatnam airport for your flight to Delhi and on to Paris. End of our services. Arrival in France.
