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Festival Specials | Glittering Diwali.

10 Nights

 

Holiday Highlights

This special small group holiday offers fascinating insights into life in the foothills together with the opportunity to join in with traditional celebrations. Experience the bright colours, music and dancing as the springtime festival of Holi is celebrated in the Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary, or, in autumn, enjoy the magic of Diwali, the festival of light. Stay in charming mountain villages, enjoy some wonderful walks and experience the traditional, joyous festival celebrations.

Please note, this holiday has fixed departure date: For Diwali from 9th November 2023 to 18th November 2023.

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Itinerary | Day by Day

We look after you from the moment of your arrival at Delhi airport. Your holiday includes transfers and rail
journeys to the hills, accommodation in the village guesthouses and at Khali Estate with all meals provided and
your own guide through the hills. We have devised each of our holidays to provide a good balance between
activity and relaxation; please feel free to tailor your holiday to your exact requirements.

DAY 1 | Outward Journey

Meet and welcome at 12pm at Delhi guesthouse. The afternoon is yours to meet the group or explore the city at your leisure. Night in Delhi hotel.

DAY 2

An early morning train takes you to Kathgodam, from where you have a road transfer (4 hrs) to Khali Estate for dinner and overnight stay in twin room garden bungalow.

Day 3 | In the Binsar Sanctuary

From Khali enjoy a trip to the nearby town of Almora to explore the markets, alive with colour for the festival. Spend a second night at Khali

Day 4 - Day 8

Meet your guide who accompanies you for the rest of your stay. From Khali head through the pine-forest to experience the individual character and warm hospitality of the Binsar villages. You stay in four of the five villages and in one of them for two nights, and enjoy some wonderful walking with splendid views. You stay in simple twin rooms in the village guesthouses with breakfast, picnic lunch and dinner. You walk between villages in the company of your local guide with your luggage carried by village porters. Get to know the communities and experience the traditional festival celebrations.

Day 9

Walk back to Khali Estate for another night stay.

Day 10 | Homeward Journey

A road transfer (4 hrs) takes you to Kathgodam to catch the day train to Delhi. Overnight Delhi guesthouse.

Day 11

Transfer to Delhi airport for flight home.

Festival Specials

10 Nights
£ 1085 per person
  • All meals at Khali Estate and in the villages
  • B&B in Delhi Guest house
  • Guide and Porter services
  • Picnic lunches
  • GST
Popular
"One of our personal highlights was meeting all the local people in the Binsar Sanctuary. Everyone at Khali estate, our guides and all the local villagers were extremely welcoming, generous, kind and informative. We felt extremely well looked after, with no shortage of amazing food and tea. Meeting all these people really made the trip an amazing experience for us."
5/5

Moderate walking

Mixed Terrain

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Where In India?

ABOUT THE BINSAR SANCTUARY AND THE VILLAGES

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Binsar lies in the Himalayan foothills at the centre of the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand State. It lies about 20 km from the district capital of Almora. Binsar is named after the Bineshwar temple. Binsar comprises sequence of steep, pine-clad and terraced hills with picturesque villages clinging to their sides. Elevations range from around 1,200 m in the main valleys, rising up to 2,500 m at the ‘Zero Point’ summit. Binsar is overlooked by the great snow-capped, majestic peaks of Nanda Devi, Trisul and Panchachuli. Binsar occupies a special place in Village Ways history. It is where, from 2002, we developed the concept of establishing community- based holidays in partnership with villagers in the neighbourhood of Khali Estate. In 2003-04 five villages joined Village Ways in this pilot project: Risal, Gonap, Satri, Dalar and Kathdhara. A sixth village, Matkanya, joined later in 2012.