hosted by dana kinter
a private tour designed and operated in conjunction with local rajasthan tour operator travel brew.

namaste

welcome. this tour has been designed to feature arts and handicrafts of the cities and villages we are visiting within the context of india's history, art, architecture, spirituality, aesthetics and rich cultural heritage. please refer to the itinerary for a day by day run down of activities and tour details. these trip notes act as a faq and should be read in conjunction with the tour itinerary.

this art tour adventure is offered by host dana kinter as a private tour designed and operated in conjunction with local rajasthan tour operator, travel brew. by utilising the services of a licensed, well-resourced, ethical and highly regarded tour leader we ensure our guests (and our) peace of mind.  this tour will be accompanied by host dana kinter.

1.itinerary disclaimer

some changes to the itinerary may occur due to inclement weather, timetable changes or circumstances beyond our control. while we do our best to prevent this from happening, it may be unavoidable. it can also happen with little notice, so please bear with us if we have to make modifications to the itinerary. as the itinerary was developed months prior to departure, minor amendments may occur. we will always keep you fully informed regarding changes to this itinerary.

2.included activities

included activities are those specifically listed in the itinerary, any marked as optional are at an additional cost. activities not outlined. activities not outlined in the itinerary are at your own expense and are undertaken at your own risk. none of the activities are compulsory, however if you wish to take time off from the itinerary the cost of those activities will not be refunded. of course, we hope you'll enjoy and participate in our itinerary. we have included several free time periods where possible for you to pursue your own interests.

3.accommodation

we aim to provide authentic, memorable insightful experiences of the incredible places we visit during this journey as well as an insight into india's colourful history, elegant architecture and diverse culture. accordingly we have carefully selected boutique and heritage accommodation venues including heritage hotels, havelis (mansions with central courtyard), and culturally-inspired resorts. trip advisor places our accommodation venues between 4 and 5 stars. all of our lodgings have ensuite bathrooms. some swimming pools. the names of our hotels are noted on the itinerary. on rare occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to circumstances beyond our control. a similar standard of accommodation will be arranged in these circumstances. heritage hotels are a wonderful way to experience indian hospitality harking back to the days of the maharajah. please be aware that each room is unique, bathrooms have often been retrograded, some rooms are bigger than others, rooms may have different views or out looks and we may occasionally be allocated rooms without windows. these properties are different from a standard hotel and thus may not have some mod cons such as televisions and elevators.

4.arrival

check in time is generally 2pm and check out is 10am. if you arrive before 2pm and your room isn't ready, or your flight at the end of the tour is later in the day, hotel reception staff can assist with storing your luggage.

5.flights

flights to and from india are not included in the trip price. please don't book flights until you have received confirmation that you have a place on the tour, have paid your deposit and received confirmation that the trip is proceeding.

6.arrival flights

flights for the tour should arrive at delhi airport (del). please be sure you arrive in plenty of time for our 6pm welcome meeting on day one, allowing for possible flight and traffic delays. if you need some help with booking flights or a visa i can help to my best.

7.departure flights

flights should depart from delhi airport (del) our tour finishes on the morning of 16 march 2025 in delhi. there are no activities planned for that day and you are welcome to depart at any time.

8.arrival and departure transfers

your arrival airport transfer in delhi is included in the tour costs. details of your arrival transfer will be provided closer to departure. delhi international airport is approximately 35 minutes drive from our starting point hotel, although it will depend on traffic conditions. departure airport transfers from delhi at the end of our trip are not included in your trip costs. the final accommodation in delhi has been chosen because of its close proximity to the airport in aerocity, a 10 min drive depending on traffic conditions. our hotel reception can also assist you with this upon arrival, alternatively we can book an uber.

8.transport

much of the travel on this tour will be by private air-conditioned coach, but we will also have a jeep ride, a boat trip on pichola lake, a domestic flight udaipur to delhi and tuk tuk and rickshaw. drivers engaged by our tour operator travel brew are experienced and well trained. our tour leader has complete authority to remove groups from local transport if the driver is not driving safely. if you feel uncomfortable with your driver, please let the tour leader know. please always wear a seatbelt where available. on longer travel days, regular stops will be made for meals and bathrooms, sightseeing and photos. distances in india do not reflect the driving time. meal breaks may sometimes be delayed, depending on our location and suitable restaurants. 

9.flights

airlines in india are of excellent quality. to enter any airport in india you must have a copy of your flight ticket and passport. our tour leader will have all of our flight tickets and will ask for a passport before the flight.

10.food

there is a huge choice of restaurant and street stalls serving traditional and local indian food. usually a choice of indian, western and chinese style food. our local tour leader will be able to guide us to restaurants that have appropriate hygiene standards and suit your dietary requirements. we will endeavour to cater for specific dietary needs. for those suffering from particular food allergies, our local tour leader will endeavour to disclose to their fullest knowledge the main ingredients, however it is your personal responsibility to ensure that you do not ingest any foods that you are allergic to. vegetarians and vegans are very well catered for in india. we have left dinner meals open and will be flexible with the group, our days are quite full. each night we will have the option of going out for a meal together, dining in the accommodation restaurant or you may like to rest up and have an evening relaxing in your room. this is a nice way to end the day and mostly we head out to eat as a group.

11.water

it is not safe to drink water in india, this includes brushing your teeth. if in doubt, ask our tour leader. most of our accommodations will have filtered water stations where we can fill our water bottles or they provide water bottles each day.

12.toilets

all our accommodation will have western toilets, in public areas, we will ensure to our best ability to find western toilets.

13.workshops

the workshops and activities in this itinerary are not necessarily formal classes with trained teachers. it's more about personal interaction and cultural exchange and learning directly from authentic, traditional artisans at their workplace, village, home in their own style. no skills are necessary for these workshops and are catered for the general public with a focus on enjoying a new experience and interaction. please do not feel any pressure and enjoy yourself.

14.health fitness and mobility

while this tour doesn't require a special level of fitness, participants are advised they will be required to negotiate their arrival and departure airports without personal assistance, manage their own luggage for brief periods, embark and disembark our bus, jeeps, tuk tuk and rickshaw without assistance, manage flights of stairs without assistance, undertake walking tours including uneven surfaces, stand for periods of time in tourists venues/museums, cope with long travel day. you must carry your own personal first aid (headache, band aids etc) in addition to personal medication. for legal reasons myself or our tour leader are prohibited from dispensing any type of drugs including antibiotics or headache tablets. 

15.vaccines
traveldoctor.com.au is a good reference

16.covid-19

the safety and the well being of our travellers, tour guides, suppliers, artisans and the local people we visit remains our highest priority as we travel. if you are unwell prior to travelling please stay at home and contact us to make alternative arrangements. if you are displaying any symptoms or have any health issues at any time during our tour we will follow the advice from local health authorities at the time to determine whether medical assistance, testing, isolating, quarantine or further action is required. please note we will help you get all the assistance you need, any expense for testing treatment or self isolation will need to be covered by you and your travel insurance.

17.safety

smarttraveller.gov.au  our tour operator and local guide have the authority to amend or cancel a part of the itinerary if it is deemed necessary due to safety concerns. your leader will accompany you on all activities, however you will have some free time to relax or explore at leisure. while your leader and host may assist you with the available options in a given location, any optional activities you undertake that are not part of your itinerary, your host and guide make no representation about safety of the activity or standard of the operators running them. the decision to participate in any activity which is not part of the itinerary is at your own discretion and risk. personal belongings please leave valuable jewellery at home, many but not all hotels will have a safety deposit box in rooms. a lock is recommended for your luggage.

18.travel insurance

travel insurance is compulsory for all travellers on this tour. we strongly recommend you take out travel insurance at the time of booking in case you have to cancel for any reason. we recommend that you take out travel insurance as soon as you pay your deposit and supply your insurer with your expected travel dates. please be sure to carefully note the circumstances under which your chosen insurer will cover your cancellation. at a minimum you are required to be covered for medical expenses including medical repatriation. we recommend that the policy also covers personal liability, cancellation, curtailment and loss of luggage and personal effects. you will not be able to join the tour until evidence of travel insurance and the insurance companies 24 hour emergency telephone number have been provided.

19.passports and visa

your passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the duration of your trip. please ensure the name on your passport matches the name on your booking and airline tickets. visas are the responsibility of the individual traveller. entry requirements can change at any time, so it's important that you check the latest information, specific to your nationality, with the indian consulate in your home country. an e-tourist visa (evt) is available for holders of passports for a number of countries. the evt facility allows travellers to pre-register and pay for their visa prior to travel to india. please visit this official website

indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html

once you get your visa please make sure the visa expiry date is after you expected travel date.

20.money

cash is the most convenient and the cheapest way to obtain local currency in india is at an atm and they are readily available where we are visiting. credit cards are mainly used at major hotels and shops.

21.gratuities and tips 

if you are happy with the services provided, a tip - though not compulsory - is appropriate. many travellers find the need for tipping tiresome and embarrassing, particularly if they don't have the small change. at our group welcome meeting our tour leader will discuss a running group tipping kitty where everybody contributes an equal amount and the tour leader pays the tips. the amount to budget for the tipping kitty on this entire trip is approximately 8000inr per person ($140au). the tipping kitty does not include the tip for our local tour leader for 13 days so you may wish to set aside some funds for this. it is customary to tip your tour leader at the end of the tour, for outstanding service provided throughout your trip. it is suggested around 600-700inr ($10-$12au) per person per day. you are free to tip more or less as you see fit, depending on your perception of service quality.

22.as a guide for when you're not on tour

some restaurant bills include a service fee, but otherwise a tip of 10-15% is a reasonable tip.

for luggage porters at hotels 50 inr - (local currency) is reasonable.

for hotel housekeeping staff (pre and post tour) leave 20-30 inr under the pillow each morning.

for arrival /departure airport transfers a reasonable tip between 200-500 inr per transfer.

23.phone and internet

wifi is generally available in most parts of india and at most accommodation we use. sometimes it isn't available in rooms and only in public areas or reception. please ensure you have internet access at all times during our tour, not just when we are in the rooms. we can set up a whatsapp group the week before departure to enable us to stay in touch while we travel. please install whatsapp on your phone a week before. an e-sim is a great idea. this is the e-sim i have used. https://www.airalo.com/

24.group leader and host

on this tour you will be accompanied by a local english speaking tour leader and your host dana kinter. the aim of the guide and host is to take the hassle out of your travels and help you have the best trip possible. your leader will provide information on the areas we travel through, provide suggestions for things to do and see and recommend great local eating venues. dana kinter will provide workshops, activities, shopping places and experiences additional to those on the itinerary. 

25.what to bring

a suggested packing list will be provided closer to departure, generally speaking you should pack as light as possible as you will be expected to manage your own luggage. it is recommended to keep your luggage under 15kg. our internal flight udaipur to delhi weight baggage allowance is 15kg - we can purchase additional at the airport at your expense. we recommend dress conservatively, comfortable, loose fitting lightweight natural fabrics. clothing should cover chest, upper arms, legs and backside. aim to cover upper arms to below knees as a minimum for modesty and religious respect. no shorts, mini skirts or revealing necklines. a lightweight shawl/scarf can be used as extra cover up at religious sights.