Wild and Exotic exclusive riding and fishing itineraries

Wild and Exotic Indian forts and palaces ride with Diwali Festival and Pushkar Fair 3 - 19 November 2010

This riding adventure incorporates a cultural tour of Rajasthan, a beautiful Indian state rich in history and intrigue. The ride presents the perfect opportunity to visit the forts and palaces for which Rajasthan is famous, together with an exploration of the surrounding countryside. The itinerary also includes a visit to the celebrated and colourful Pushkar Fair, which takes place each year in October and November.

Wednesday November 3 2010: British Airways flight BA0247 departs London Heathrow at 15:15hrs.

Thursday November 4: On arrival of British Airways flight BA0247 into Delhi at 04:55hrs you will be met and transferred to Hotel Vasant Continental or similar. (Rooms will be available from 12 noon). The afternoon will be spent on a half day sightseeing tour of Delhi.

The old city of Delhi, which was built by Shah Jehan in the 17th century, stands today as the epitome of the whole history of Indo- Islamic architecture. New Delhi was designed and constructed by the Sir Edwin Lutyens and Sir Herbert Baker families and is a mixture of east and west. The public buildings in red sandstone are in the Moghul style. It has a circular Parliament House and an imposing Central Secretariat in two blocks which stand at the approaches to Rashtrapati Bhawan, the residence of the President of India.

Delhi is today the political, economic and cultural capital of the World's largest democracy and has also become one of the greatest tourist centres of the World.

In New Delhi you can visit Humayun's Tomb aptly called the predecessor of the Taj Mahal, drive past Safdarjung's Tomb, the Qutab Minar, which is 72 meters high and is one of the perfect towers of the Persian World. Nearby, amidst the ruins of the Quwut - ul - Islam Mosque stands the Iron pillar which has withstood the vagaries of the weather and has not rusted over in 1500 years. An orientation drive through New Delhi would include the Embassy area, Government Buildings and Birla temple. Drive past Jantar- Mantar Astronomical observatory and through Connaught Place, New Delhi's main shopping centre.  Overnight: in Delhi.

Friday November 5: Today is the date of one of the most important festivals in India called the Diwali and you will be here to witness this grand festival: Diwali, or the Festival of Lights, is held and celebrated every year in honour of Lord Rama's return to his capital Ayodhya after an exile of fourteen years. Lord Rama is one of the Indian gods; he is the hero of the Ramayana and a reincarnate of Lord Vishnu. Thousands of years have elapsed, and yet so ideal was the kingdom of Rama that it is remembered to this day. Consequently, to commemorate the return of Ram, Sita and Lakshman to Ayodhya, people celebrate Diwali by letting off fire crackers and by lighting up their houses with earthen diyas (lamps) or other lamps in the grandest style, year after year. On the day of Diwali prayers are offered to Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed God and to Goddess Laxmi, the Goddess of wealth. It is believed that the Goddess of wealth will grace your home or business on this day. It is well worth taking a walk in the market areas as the shops are beautifully decorated and crowded with people in lovely dresses and costumes.  At night, the whole town is lit up with earthen oil lamps and candles and the explosion of fire works reverberate within the other sounds of celebration. Overnight: in Delhi.

Saturday November 6: After an early breakfast, you will be driven to Dundlod (duration six to seven hours). On arrival at Dundlod you will be transferred to the Dundlod Fort where you will stay for two nights.

Dunlod Fort is in the heart of the Shekhawati and was built in 1750. This majestic fort surrounded by a moat is a mix of Mogul and Rajputana architecture. The majestic Diwan Khana (the Audience Hall) is furnished with Louis XIV furniture. This old building has been beautifully maintained and modernised to afford maximum comfort.  It has a huge and impressive banquet hall with each bedroom arranged differently with its own character and charm.  The Fort is located on the edge of a small village of the same name.  Overnight: at Dundlod Fort.

Sunday November 7: Today will be spent in Dundlod and you can try out the horses riding in and around Dundlod. In the afternoon, after a short ride around Dundlod, visit one of the best Marwari Horse breeding farm and stables in the country.  Overnight: at Dundlod Fort.

Monday November 8: Today you will ride to Mandawa (a distance of approximately 22 kilometres) passing through several villages, farmers' dwellings and farmlands. The terrain is soft and sandy and very good for riding. On arrival at Mandawa you will be transferred to the hotel Castle Mandawa, a remote feudal principality in the centre of the Shekhawati region, which was a trading outpost for the ancient caravan routes that stopped here from China and the Middle East. The Rajput ruler of Mandawa, Thakur Nawal Singh, built a fort in 1755 to protect this outpost. The township that grew around the fort soon attracted a large community of traders who settled here. When the caravan traffic ceased in the late 18th Century, the traders created business empires in other parts of the country, but returned to Mandawa to build palatial mansions in their home town. Like many historic homes, Castle Mandawa is a curious mixture of the old and the new. Medieval turreted towers and planquin- roofed balconies blend with modern comforts in period rooms. Family portraits, antique cannons and arms add to the charm of this family- run resort where tradition still runs strong. Even time is measured by a different clock....a huge brass gong is struck by the resident timekeepers at the fort every hour!  Overnight: at Castle Mandawa.

Tuesday November 9: Today you will ride to Nawalgargh (approximately 25 kilometres). On arrival into Nawalgargh you will be transferred to the Roop Niwas Palace.  Later that day, you will visit the frescoed havelis. Dundlod, Mandawa and Nawalgarh are a part of the Shekhawati region which is known as Rajasthan's open air Art Gallery.  No other region in India or even perhaps, in the world, has such a large concentration of high quality frescoes as the region of Shekhawati.  Before its development, this semi-arid region had only its blank monochromatic palette to offer.  No school of painting thrived until history and circumstances took up this colourless page and made it blossom with art for almost two centuries: from 1750 to 1930.  The town of Nawalgarh was founded in 1737 A.D. and exudes an old charm with its colourful bazaar having the largest number of painted Havelies in the Shekhawati region.  The various havelies are covered with frescoes depicting the whole gamut of social and religious life where history is painted with a sense of humour.  Overnight: at the Grand Haveli.

Wednesday November 10: Today is a ride to Bhairon Ji Temple (a distance of about 38 kilometres), passing through several villages and past farmers' dwellings. Today, the landscape changes dramatically as the ride takes you close to the great Aravali range of hills. After lunch, the ride for some of the time is through farm lands and it then follows a dry river bed running parallel to the Aravali hills.  Overnight: in a tented camp near a small temple.

Thursday November 11: Today you will ride to Bajore.  The ride takes you through varied terrain consisting of flat lands and sand dunes, and passes through quaint villages and farmland. After lunch you will be transferred to view a large salt water lake with the local hills providing an attractive backdrop. Overnight: in tented camp near Kochor village.

Friday November 12: Today you will ride to Danta (a distance of approximately 20 kilometres).  Today's ride is a short one that takes you along a huge lake and across a  spectacular landscape of sand dunes, hills and farmlands, through several villages and past a few ancient forts until you reach Danta Fort. The ancient village of Danta is surrounded by two fortresses on top of a hill one of which is now a hotel called the Dera Danta Fort.  Overnight: in Dera Danta Fort.              

Saturday November 13:  After an early breakfast, you will bid good bye to your horses and grooms and you will be transferred by road to Pushkar (a journey of approximately four hours).  On arrival into Pushkar you will be transferred to the Pushkar Resort or similar hotel.

After lunch, you will visit the Pushkar Fair which at this time, will be at its peak, showing a wide variety and number of various animals and livestock. Excitement, gaiety and a keen sense of competition fill the air as the long journey to Pushkar begins. Spirited columns of people with camels, horses, bullock-carts, cars and jeeps head for Pushkar soon after the festival of Diwali. The origin of the Pushkar Fair is lost in myth. It is believed that Brahma, the creator, was in search of a place to perform a Vedic yagna (sacrifice).  As he pondered, a lotus fell from his hands and water gushed from the spot. On this evening, the date of the full moon in November, the faithful bathe in the holy waters of the Pushkar Lake on Kartik Poornima.  On its banks, a stupendous throng of  200,000 people and some 50,000 cattle become a part of the annual Pushkar fair. A city of Pilgrimage from time immemorial with over 500 temples and 52 bathing ghats (steps leading into a  river or lake which are linked to the lunar calendar), enclose the lake. Each ghat has its own miraculous qualities and powers of healing.  Pushkar begets a legacy of timeless architectural heritage and radiates an ambience of peace and spirituality that casts a lure to visit again and again. The fair offers a matchless opportunity to trade in cattle and leather goods.  Womenfolk shop for bangles, clothes, utensils and sundry household items.  The most dramatic events of the festivities are the cattle auction and the camel race. Sports involving the camel - the friend of the desert folk of Rajasthan are legion,   equally diverting are the gaily dressed rural folk. Overnight Pushkar Resort.

Sunday November 14:   Today you will have a full day in Pushkar visiting the fair and town. Overnight Pushkar Resort.

Monday November 15:  After breakfast, you will be transferred by road to Jaipur (about 3 hours drive). On arrival at Jaipur, you will be transferred to the Hotel Narain Niwas Palace. The afternoon will be spent sightseeing in Jaipur.  

The rose-pink capital of Rajasthan is surrounded on all sides by rugged hills, crowned with forts. Enclosed by embattled walls, the city was built early in the eighteenth century. The Maharaja's palace stands in the centre of the city amidst lovely gardens. Houses with latticed windows line the streets, their rose-pink colour lending enchantment to the scene and appearing almost magical at sunset. Jaipur is aptly called the "Pink City of India". It takes its name from the famous Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh, who founded the city in 1728. A keen astronomer, he built an observatory which still exists and is equipped with quaint masonry instruments of remarkable size.  Jaipur is noted for its craftsmen skilled in the art of cutting precious stones and famed for its garnets and rubies. It is equally well known for brass inlay work, lacquer work and printing on muslin.

You will have the opportunity to visit the City Palace which now houses a museum containing rare manuscripts, paintings and an armoury, the Jantar Mantar observatory- built in the 17th century by Jai Singh- with a sundial 90ft.high, the Museum amidst the Ram Niwas Palace Gardens founded in 1876 with a large collection of antiques, the palace of Winds; a landmark of Jaipur made of pink sandstone and of unique design.  Overnight: at the Alsiar Haveli or similar in Jaipur.

Tuesday November 16: The morning will be spent sightseeing at the Amber Fort. Twelve kilometres from Jaipur, lies the city of Amber with an ancient imposing fort/palace overlooking the lake at the entrance to a rocky mountain grove. Built in the 17th century, the palace is a distinguished specimen of Rajput architecture, the Jai Mandir (hall of victory) is so delicately ornamented with fine inlay work that it glows. The fort of Jaigarh crowning the summit of a peak is of amazing beauty and grandeur. In the afternoon you will be at leisure to rest, shop or do more sightseeing. Overnight: in Jaipur.

Wednesday November 17: After an early breakfast, you will be transferred to the city of Agra visiting Fatehpur Sikri on the way. The deserted city of Emperor Akbar literally means "The City of Victory". The audience halls, palaces, and mosques are still in a state of unaltered perfection as are the tombs of Shiekh Salim Chisti, Panchmahal and the Buland Darwaza. On arrival at Agra, you will be transferred to the Hotel Jaypee Palace. 

This afternoon is devoted to sightseeing at Agra, the Agra Fort and the city.  Just over 200 kilometres from Delhi and lying on the river Yamuna, Agra is famous the World over as the "City of the Taj". The fort, built by Emperor Akbar, the maze of courtyards, mosques and private chambers of the fort, echo the story of the Mughal Empire. Moti Masjid, Jasmine Tower and Itmad-ud-Daulah reflect the skills of the ancient Indian architects and artists.  Overnight: Jaypee Palace in Agra.

Thursday November 18: This morning you will visit the Taj Mahal and Sikandra.  One of the seven wonders of the world, the Taj Mahal built by Emperor Shah Jehan in memory of his beloved consort Mumtaz Mahal, is a beautiful mausoleum of pure white marble and an architectural marvel. The Taj by moonlight is a breath-taking sight. Sikandra is the tomb of Akbar the Great, built in red sandstone inlaid with marble and is a striking sight. After lunch, you will be driven to Delhi (a drive of about four to five hours) and transferred to the Vasant Continental hotel or similar near the International airport. Two rooms will be made available for washing and changing. After dinner, you will be transferred to the international airport in time for your international flight home, which departs Delhi very early the next morning.

Friday November 19: British Airways flight BA0142 departs Delhi at 03:30hrs and arrives into London Heathrow at 07:15hrs.

Notes:

The price of this ride is £2515 per person, based on two people sharing accommodation and providing at least 8 people participate on the ride. A single supplement of £745 may occur for those not prepared to share accommodation.

The cost includes all accommodation as described in the itinerary or similar on full board basis except in Delhi, Jaipur and Agra where it will be on bed and breakfast basis, all transfers by and sightseeing by non AC car/coach, all riding arrangements, English or French speaking guide in the cities, monument entrance fees in Jaipur and for one visit to the Taj Mahal in Agra and Fatehpursikri. The cost also includes one bottle of water per day during the ride. The cost includes all luxury taxes/VAT and also 4.98 % service tax payable to the Government.

The cost does not include lunches/dinners in Delhi, Jaipur and Agra, camera fees if any and monument entrances fees in Agra ( except for one visit to the Taj Mahal ) and items of personal nature such as visa costs, fees, tips, laundry, drinks.

The cost of the international airfares as per the itinerary is £175 plus taxes per person and is subject to availability.

Please note that it is the responsibility of the client to ensure they obtain the correct visa prior to travel. Wild and Exotic will assist with visa applications if instructed but cannot be held responsible for a client's failure to obtain a visa for whatever reason. A valid visa is required for this holiday and information regarding visa applications to India can be obtained by visiting the following websitehttp://www.hcilondon.net/

The contact details of our ground handlers in India for the purpose of your visa application are:

Arun Deo Sanger 
112-B, AASHIRWAD COMPLEX,
D -1 (K -84), GREEN PARK (MAIN),
NEW DELHI - 110 016
Phones: +91 - 11- 26534450
Telefax: +91-11- 26534339

Mr Vipin Khattar
C-16, SHYAM NAGAR,
New Delhi - 110018
Phone (+91) 11 25925277
Mobile (+91) 9810587135

Neither Wild and Exotic nor the operators or suppliers can accept any responsibility for changes to itineraries or dates that may arise due to weather or unforeseen circumstances such as changes, disruptions or delays to airline flights for whatever reason. This holiday is subject to Wild and Exotic's terms and conditions, a copy of which is enclosed with your booking form.

  Wild and Exotic Emerald Coast ride 26^th November - 6^th December 2010

During this ride we will explore miles of remote and scenic countryside, including pristine beaches, rolling sand dunes, pine forests, fresh water lagoons and palm studded grasslands. Accommodation during this adventure through a country the combined size of England and Wales that is home to just 3 million people, is at comfortable working farms and traditional estancias where we will be wined and dined according to the best traditions of rural hospitality. The ride is accompanied by skilled gauchos, and at this time of year the myriad wildlife watching opportunities should include the sight of whales cruising offshore in the South Atlantic Ocean.

Friday November 26 2010: Under your own arrangements you will check into TAM airlines flight JJ8085, which departs London Heathrow at 21:05hrs.

Saturday November 27: On arrival into Sao Paulo at 07:20hrs you will connect with TAM airlines flight JJ8046, which departs at 09:25hrs. On arrival into Montevideo at 12:00hrs you will be met and transferred to the hotel.  The guides are on hand to help plan the day which can be spent wandering along the unique ‘Rambla' - a very pleasant, wide boulevard with beaches, along the river estuary - soaking up the sun, exploring the old part of the city, visiting the gaucho museum, galleries and shops with local crafts and tack and also getting acquainted with one of Uruguay's best kept secrets: the excellent wines. The city is very safe and you can explore at your own pace or a guided city tour can also be arranged, taking in the wonderful theatre and Main Square, learning about the country's history along the way. A traditional ‘asado' lunch is included in the old town at the converted old port market, now a place full of lively restaurants where the locals congregate for leisurely lunches. Musicians play in the sunny streets and you can often hear the local music - candombe and also tango, which is very popular here in Montevideo. Overnight: comfortable hotel in Montevideo's centre. (L)

Sunday November 28: After an early breakfast, you will be driven north-east to Rocha, the most beautiful province in Uruguay with its pristine beaches, emerald shores and network of lagoons. You are right on the Brazilian border and, just before your arrival at the country hotel, you pass through Chuy where the official boundary between Uruguay and Brazil runs down the middle of the main street. The locals speak a strange mix of Spanish and Portuguese, on one side of the street the shops have signs in Spanish and on the other in Portuguese!  You will arrive at the country hotel, built in the same stone as the nearby Portuguese fortress, in time for lunch (4-5hrs). From the hotel, you can admire the views out across a huge stretch of water - one of the largest fresh water reserves of South America, the "Merin Lagoon". Once inside the imposing walls of the hotel, you will appreciate the comfortable rooms and enjoy the delicious food, a far cry from the austere life in the nearby fortress!  In the afternoon, you will meet your horses and ride around the rocky hills of San Miguel Reserve (3hrs) enjoying a wonderful panoramic view of the area from the top of the boulder-covered ‘Cerro Picudo'. This area is home to a wide variety of birds including several species of vultures that, rather unnervingly, soar overhead in large numbers.  The park is a very important flora and fauna reserve now protected from the effects of modern agriculture and is also home to pure Cimarron cattle and Uruguayan criollo horses, giving you a chance to see this wonderful native breed of horse and its gorgeous colourings. You will also ride to the granite fortress built in 1734 by the Spaniards, and rebuilt after its destruction by the Portuguese in 1737.  You will stay at "Fortín de San Miguel" where you can enjoy the pool, the gardens and visit the ‘pulperia' - the traditional meeting point for the gauchos from miles around (AB, L, D).

Monday November 29: In the morning you will ride out of the hotel, through the customs post and along the Uruguay-Brazil border, riding for several kilometres in Brazil! Then you will turn south along a track and cross the wide, flat expanse of the arid pasturelands. There are opportunities for long canters across the flatlands and you often pass a horse and cart heading into town for weekly supplies. The ride passes fields covered with bizarre conical shaped mounds, the result of very industrious termites.  Rheas graze in the fields and you may occasionally spot their enormous eggs; birds of prey hover overhead as they hunt. The burrowing owls sit watching you on their earth mounds, field flickers and woodpeckers are busy drumming holes in the trees while oven birds build mud nests on top of the fence posts. Lunch is a delicious picnic under the shady trees at a large estancia then, after a siesta, you will ride on to the beach for an incredible ride along the wonderful, isolated shores of the Atlantic Ocean (7hrs riding). Visitors seldom reach this beach so you can enjoy a long, exhilarating canter with no signs of habitation as you ride along the pure, firm sands at the waters edge and you can ride into the sea. You will arrive 12km (8 miles) further south at "La Coronilla", normally riding right to the ocean front hotel. Overnight at Parque Oceanico, situated next to the beach, where they have indoor and outdoor swimming pools (AB, L, D).

Tuesday November 30: Today you will ride your horses along another beautiful part of the coastline to Santa Teresa Fort. Crossing the forested Santa Teresa National Park you arrive at the imposing restored fort which is the centre piece of the park - started in 1762 by the Portuguese to defend the edge of their territories then completed by the Spaniards who took it by assault just a year later. This was just the start of a succession of conquering, losing and re-conquering the fort; it was not until 1825 that the newly formed ‘Uruguayan nation' finally captured and held the fort.  The fort is surrounded by 3000 hectares of forest containing over 2 million trees, the majority introduced from other parts of the world and, after lunch in the open air, you will enjoy riding along the forest trails down to the beach. The ride passes a shipwreck buried in the sand - one of many along this treacherous coast. Indeed, Polonio, where you will ride to later in the week, is named after a Spanish galleon that went down just off the point. Luckily ‘Beagle' with Charles Darwin aboard did not succumb to this fate and Darwin spent quite some time in Uruguay collecting species and most likely starting to formulate his theories of evolution. Most days there is the wonderful sight of dolphins feeding in the bay.  You will spend 5-6 hrs riding. You will leave the horses and be transferred (10 minutes) back to your hotel located next to the beach for barbequed fresh fish, Uruguayan wine and a second pleasant night by the ocean, drifting to sleep with the sound of waves (AB, L, D).

Wednesday December 1: After an early breakfast, you will be driven a short way towards the famous "Laguna Negra" and later in the day, before enjoying a wonderful barbeque at the lakeside, you can go into the lake, bareback if you wish.  You will meet the horses and set off through an area of palm tree forests and to the lakeshore, passing bird-filled wetlands on the way - you will surely see black-necked swans, spoonbills, ibis, herons, egrets, storks and a legion of other birds (migratory birds arrive here from as far as Alaska and the Falkland Islands). Despite a number of stories, no one knows how the palm trees got here - some 300 years old; they are not native but the band of palms gives the landscape a very unique look. During the trip you will pass roadside stalls selling the palm fruit and the less innocent ‘hooch' brewed from the palm nuts. The cloudy, sticky liquid is so potent that if you leave the cap off the old bottles it is sold in, the liquor evaporates in a flash!  After a typical lunch on the lagoon shores, you will ride on into a dense forest of strangler figs, as sinister looking as their name suggests, through a protected area of native vegetation and into the Don Bosco hills from where you will be able to enjoy an incredible view of the unique expanse of palm groves and Laguna Negra. You will meet the vehicle and head to a wonderful working estancia a little further inland (40 minute drive). Overnight at Estancia El Sauce (AB, L, T, D).

Thursday December 2: El Sauce is a working estancia run by its owners who are also your very hospitable hosts. You will be enjoying a full day's riding (6-7hrs), with plenty of chances of fast paced riding for those who wish, around the farm seeing the rice fields and other crops on the property. Once again in very distinct scenery, you cross creeks and flatlands and ride past the various crops and to the herds of cattle. The owner often joins the ride as he checks the land and his animals in the company of the gauchos that work with him.  The estancia, built in 1920, is very comfortable - it is not a hotel but the family house in which you have been invited to stay as guests of the owners, offering one an incredible experience and a very special insight into the life in the country. For example, guests can sample the ‘mate' sipped hot out of a dry gourd. The gauchos and their ‘mate' are inseparable and a very sociable ceremony has developed around drinking ‘mate'. In addition to the cattle grasslands this estancia has a large area of marshlands which, along with the rice crops, create habitats teeming with bird life (nearly 500 species in this area). This gives you another chance to see the graceful black-necked swan (largest population in the world found here), the rare white goose and many ducks and other birds such as the largest bird in South America - the ‘ostrich-like' nañdu (Rhea). Otters, coypus and capybaras inhabit the marshlands and streams. At several points on the trip you should see the roseate spoonbill with very bright pink pigment which, although rare in the world, is quite common in Uruguay. Overnight at this authentic working estancia, with a swimming pool (AB, L, T, D).

Friday December 3: Today your ride takes you along the beach and into the desert! (5hrs riding) Having visited an excellent local store selling wonderful leatherwork (including tack and riding boots), gaucho's clothing and crafts, you meet your horses and ride to the coast through the grass covered dunes and across rocks close to the roaring sea. You canter along the firmer beaches and ride along in the water to Cabo Polonio, an enchanting fishing village which can only be reached by horse or four wheeled drive vehicles.  Here, you can walk round to the lighthouse and view the huge colony of sea lions sunning themselves on the rocks.  They make up one of the largest populations of sea lions in the world. While riding along the beautiful sandy beaches occasionally you may spot a migrating Franca whale. After a swim in the sea and a delicious lunch at a restaurant in an idyllic location right on the waters edge, you will ride on into the dramatic landscape of the sand dunes. After one last canter, you will leave the beach, pass between huge sand dunes and ride through an area which has been declared a Biosphere Natural Reserve by UNESCO. The sand dunes and daunting sand walls are quite an unexpected sight. Reaching a picturesque estuary you will turn and ride through the pine forest. You will say goodbye to these horses and you will be driven south to a wonderful working estancia ‘ El Charabon' in the rolling hills, set back a little way from the coast  for a stay of two nights (AB, L, T, D).

Saturday December 4: The day starts with breakfast out on the veranda with homemade bread, jams and cakes, admiring the views out across the hills. You can take a close look at the rheas, the estancia has some of these native South American birds as pets. Armadillos often pop up out of holes ruining Jorge's (the owner) beautifully manicured lawns. The ride today takes you through the scenic estancia lands traversing the eucalyptus forests and grasslands then across the huge fields of the neighbouring estancias, towards the coast. There is the chance of some long canters as you ride across the flatlands. You can enjoy the glorious blue skies and tranquility as you gallop across the pastures, often sighting the abundant wildlife. A game of armadillo jumping often inadvertently gets underway, as the little armour-plated animals make a dash for their holes as the horses approach. After a picnic lunch, you can return to the estancia on horses and relax around the pool or take the minibus to the nearby beach for a late afternoon swim in the sea, sunbathe or stroll along by the ocean returning to the estancia for tea or drinks in a prime location to admire the sunset over the surrounding hills and then gaze in awe at the star-filled southern hemisphere sky. Tonight you will enjoy another delicious dinner with our delightful hosts and overnight at the estancia (AB, L, T, and D).

Sunday December 5: After a leisurely breakfast you will be transferred back to Montevideo in time to check in to your international flight home. TAM airlines flight JJ8047 departs at 14:00hrs and arrives into Sao Paulo at 16:25hrs, allowing you plenty of time to connect to your onward TAM airlines flight JJ8084 to London Heathrow, which departs at 23:40hrs (AB and L).

Monday December 6: TAM airlines flight JJ8084 arrives into London Heathrow at 13:00hrs. End of Wild and Exotic services.

Notes:

The cost of this itinerary is £1780 per person based on two people sharing accommodation and 4 or more guests joining the ride. The price is inclusive of all activities described, together with meals as shown on the itinerary (AB = American Breakfast, L = Lunch, T = Afternoon Tea and D = Dinner). The price does not include flights to Uruguay, airport departure taxes, items of a personal nature, gratuities, and visa fees.

The cost of the international airfares as per the itinerary are available from £902 per person including taxes  subject to availability.  Alternatively guests on this ride might like to consider flying with British Airways to Buenos Aires for a short stay in this fabulous city from which Montevideo is accessible by ferry. Please contact us for more information.

UK citizens currently do not require a visa to visit Uruguay for a stay of less than 90 days.

Neither Wild and Exotic nor the operators or suppliers can accept any responsibility for changes to itineraries or dates that may arise due to weather or unforeseen circumstances such as changes, disruptions or delays to airline flights for whatever reason. This holiday is subject to Wild and Exotic's terms and conditions, a copy of which is enclosed with your booking form.

Wild and Exotic itinerary for Exclusive Trans Andean ride

This riding adventure begins in Argentina and crosses the Chilean border using the remote Vuriloche pass. The landscape we pass through on our way to the Pacific Ocean is one of shimmering blue lakes, glacial rivers, ancient forests, piping hot springs, and remote farmsteads several day's ride from civilisation, with the snow capped Mt Tronador and her 7 hanging glaciers forming a dramatic backdrop to our adventures. The route incorporates the best components of our previous expeditions through the Andes, and promises to be an unforgettable journey through a unique landscape, unblemished by the passage of time.

Day 1: Depart London Heathrow

Day 2: On arrival into Buenos Aires the following day you will be met and transferred to the Park Plaza hotel, located in the fashionable and exclusive Recoleta area of Buenos Aires. Remainder of day at leisure to explore the fascinating and beautiful city of Buenos Aires. Overnight Park Plaza hotel and there will be a meeting to discuss the ride this evening in the bar of the hotel. Dinner this evening according to your own arrangements. www.parkplazahotels.com

Day 3: We will be collected from the hotel after an early breakfast and transferred to the domestic airport for the flight to Bariloche. On arrival we will meet our guide Sebastian de la Cruz, and transfer to Los Baquearnos on the shores of Lago Gutierrez where we will receive out saddlebags, ponchos and other equipment. We will set off on our Argentine horses towards Lake Mascardi, and then head uphill past the remote Llum Lake where we pause for a picnic lunch. After a further three hours riding we reach the vista point overlooking Lake Mascardi, with views to Pampa Linda and the distant snow capped Mt Tronador. We ride down steep paths through bamboo-like coligue cane and native lenga and coihue forest to the north shore of Lake Mascardi where we will find a campsite set up for the night in an idyllic location besides the lake.

Day 4: After breakfast we continue the ride, first riding along the edge of the lake, and then following the Rio Manso upstream. This river emerges from the huge glaciers that characterise the Eastern face of Mt Tronador, and we will ford its creamy white waters many times during the three-hour ride to the Pampa Linda Inn. The ride also passes through secluded glades and across sweeping alluvial plains rich with beautiful native flowers such as the orange Chilean lily, blue lupins and clumps of wild fuchsia. This path is part of the old Indian road leading to the Vuriloche pass into Chile, first discovered in the 15^th century by Spaniards hunting for Indians for the slave trade. After being closed to foreigners for 200 years the Jesuit missionaries attempted to re-open it, however local inhabitants ensured that the pass remained secret by murdering those who discovered its whereabouts. By the time of colonization in the 17^th century, the Jesuits realised that the Indians were using an easy passage across the Andes, because every year before winter they appeared with guanaco skins from the Patagonian windy steppes. We spend tonight Pampa Linda Inn, with magnificent views of Mount Tronador.

Day 5: Today fresh horses are ridden up the steep winding path that leads to the rocky slopes of Mt Tronador. As the altitude increases the huge trees become shorter, until they give way to stunted shrubs and eventually no vegetation at all. After a picnic lunch overlooking a glacier and the waterfalls that plunge dramatically off its face, you may leave your horse in the care of a gaucho and walk up beyond the snow line to the tiny Otto Meiling mountain hut that climbers use as a base to tackle Tronador's 3478 metre peak. Pause here to savour a well deserved cold beer before heading out across the snow for a closer look at the magnificent glacier. After returning to Pampa Linda there may still be time to visit a black glacier, and for the energetic a brisk twenty-minute walk to where the main waterfall crashes violently against ice and rock after a fall of several hundred feet. Overnight Pampa Linda Inn. 

Day 6: Today all traces of civilization are left behind during the long ride into Chile through the Vuriloche pass. The trail first crosses the Manso River, and then heads south through local coihue forest and thick canes before picking up the course of the tiny Cauquenes River, whose source lies within the swamps of the Mallin Chileno - the boggy meadow. The path twists steeply further and further uphill, beneath trees festooned with eerie beards of lime green lichen, before crossing the watershed into Chile at an altitude of 1454 metres. Shortly after emerging from the lenga trees riders are faced with a wide expanse of soft ground that comprises the boggy meadow - beyond lies a small wooden hut and customs control. After a picnic lunch, and clearing immigration the ride continues around the shoulder of the mountain into a remote and beautiful valley beneath Glacier Blanco. Tents are pitched amongst the wild strawberries close by Huenchupan's hut, named after an Indian who once farmed this forgotten land.  Dinner is prepared over a campfire as the setting sun illuminates Mt Tronador's white pinnacle - Tronador means thunder in Spanish, and the noisy rumble of distant avalanches is a feature of this campsite. The horses are driven back to Pampa Linda by our Argentine gaucho and his pack of dogs. At some stage in the evening the Chilean gauchos emerge from the valley below, leading the smaller Chilean horses to be used for the remainder of the journey. Overnight in tents.

Day 7: After breakfast of piping hot porridge the ride heads down the Rio Blanco valley, and a steep and twisty descent to ford the fast flowing Rio Traidor below. Lunch is taken at an enchanting wooden farmhouse, two-day journey on horseback from civilisation. Enjoy delicious home made bread, fresh pasta and local wine, and afterwards relax beneath the shade of the apple trees. Within an hour of leaving this farm, riders must dismount in order to negotiate "La piedra del Buitre", a treacherous rocky slope, which the clever ponies scramble over like mountain goats. We continue to the junction of Rio Esperanza and Rio Blanco, before arrival at La Junta farmhouse in time to enjoy an asado style barbeque prepared by the farmer and his family. The highlight of a stay here is a visit to the natural thermal baths, where piping hot waters pour out of the cliff face into deep pools besides the Rio Esperanza. Immerse yourself in nature's hot baths then plunge into the glacial cold waters that flow only feet away. You can choose between spending the night in tents, or in a specially converted barn.

Day 8: Today is a non-moving day given over to relaxation and leisure. Depending on weather conditions you may choose between relaxing amidst the glorious scenery of La Junta, enjoying the hot spring baths or alternatively an exploratory ride of La Esperanza valley. We may ride in a southeasterly direction to search for the forgotten pass into the Cochamo valley, through a landscape of magnificent Alerces forests, and break for a picnic lunch in wild and remote surroundings. After returning to base, you can choose between spending the night in your tent, or the specially converted barn.

Day 9: Today we begin with a traditional Chilean breakfast inside the family farmhouse before fording the Esperanza River and riding down the north bank of Rio Blanco valley, crossing the river further downstream using a narrow bridge that straddles a steep and rocky canyon. The ride passes through deep cuttings as it meanders down a precipitous trail hundreds of years old on its descent to the Rio Bandurrias. The trail here provides challenging riding - horses and riders will have to proceed carefully and slowly to negotiate the various obstacles in their path.We break for lunch at Bandurrias, home to senor Velasquez and his family. Afterwards we continue riding westwards through a landscape of wild Valdivian cold rain forest, characterised by gigantic ferns and dense green foliage on our way to camp beside the River Bolsillo.

Day 10: After breakfast we set off for the last leg of our riding adventure, riding down the valley towards Lake Cayuthue, which lies in the crater of an extinct volcano and is reached by climbing a steep pass through dense cold rainforest. We will enjoy a picnic on the shoes of the lake before riding northwards for a further hour to the Todos los Santos Lake where we will celebrate the end of our epic journey through the mountains, and bid goodbye to the horses that have carried us so well. We then travel by boat down the Cayuthue fjord, which affords stunning views of the Osorno Volcano, before arriving at Hotel Petrohue, which les at the foot of this volcano and besides the Petrohue River, which flows into the Pacific Ocean at the northern end of the Reloncavi Fjord. Overnight Petrohue hotel. http://www.petrohue.com/

Day 11: Today we start early for the journey to Villa Angostura, visiting Puerto Varas besides Llanquihue lake en route to Osorno, 70 miles north, then crossing the border and clearing customs back into Argentina. We will have lunch in a typical Chilean restaurant before crossing the border into Argentina. We arrive at Villa La Angostura early in the afternoon, and transfer to Luma Casa de Montana for an overnight. http://www.lumapatagonia.com.ar/

Day 12: Morning to relax after which we will be transferred to Bariloche airport in time to check in for afternoon flight to Buenos Aires. On arrival we will be met and transferred to the Park Plaza hotel in Recoleta for an overnight stay. www.parkplazahotels.com

Day 13: Transfer to the airport for your flight back home.

Day 14: Arrival into London Heathrow. End of Wild and Exotic services

Notes:

We have two set departure dates for 2011:

28th January - 10th February 2011
25th February - 10th March 2011

The price for this holiday is £2930 per person based on double occupation and a minimum of 8 participants joining the ride. There is a single supplement of £300 for anyone not able to share a room. The price includes all land and boat transfers, accommodation and full board as per the itinerary except in Buenos Aires where the accommodation is bed and breakfast only. Local wine, beer and spirits are included whenever nights are spent under canvas. Guests must run a bar tab for other drinks, and settle with the hotel or inn on departure. The price does not include international or domestic flights, items of a personal nature, gratuities, and visa fees. UK and USA visitors to Argentina and Chile currently do not require a visa for stays of up to 90 days.

Please note that normal hotel check in is usually around 12 noon. An early check in can be arranged on request for an additional charge, although rooms may often be ready before 12 noon in any event. Please also note that a group transfer into the Park Plaza hotel on the arrival day has been arranged, guests arriving at different times may request separate transfers for an extra charge. The same applies for the transfer out of the hotel to the international airport at the end of their stay.

We strongly recommend guests on this ride fly to Buenos Aires with British Airways. British Airways return international flights cost from £755 per person, excluding taxes and subject to availability.

Passengers flying the international leg with British Airways will need to fly the domestic leg with Aerolineas Argentinas. Prices for the return flight from Buenos Aires to Bariloche from £242 per person, including taxes, subject to availability plus a booking fee of £20 per person.

Passengers flying the international leg with Aerolineas Argentinas benefit from the reduction on the cost from Buenos Aires to Bariloche. The total for flying the entire journey (London Gatwick / Buenos Aires / Bariloche / Buenos Aires / London Gatwick) with Aerolineas Argentinas from £745 per person plus taxes subject to availability.

For passengers flying the international legs with Aerolineas Argentinas the baggage weight allowance on both international and domestic flights is 32kgs for economy passengers and 40kgs for business class passengers. For passengers flying the international legs with any other airline the baggage weight allowance on all Aerolineas Argentinas domestic flights is 15kgs in economy and 30kg in business. 

Tented accommodation is based on two guests per tent. Guest's tents will be numbered and you will have the same tent throughout the ride. A camp assistant will be on hand to put up tents and wash up cutlery etc after meals. Locked suitcases containing belongings not needed for the ride can be left at Pampa Linda on Day 4 and collected at Luma Casa de Montana at the end of the ride on Day 11.

Guests will be provided with sleeping bags, ponchos and waterproof trousers at the start of the ride.

This itinerary may vary according to weather or other circumstances. Weather conditions in the Andes Mountains can be unpredictable, and the decision of your guide must be respected at all times.

Neither Wild and Exotic nor the operators or suppliers can accept any responsibility for changes to itineraries or dates that may arise due to weather or unforeseen circumstances such as changes, disruptions or delays to airline flights for whatever reason. This holiday is subject to Wild and Exotic's terms and conditions, a copy of which is enclosed with your booking form.