The Dental Study Tour is an opportunity to combine sightseeing with a wide range of professional visits ranging from prestigious All India institutions to smaller clinics.
The tour, led by Dr Ashok Sethi (programme director for the Diploma in Implant Dentistry of the Royal College of Surgeons of England), visits Delhi, a city of contrast between the ancient and the new; Agra, home to the Taj Mahal; the pink city of Jaipur; the blue city of Jodhpur, dominated by Mehrangarh Fort and the whimsical ‘Venice of the East’, Udaipur.
The tour starts in New Delhi with sightseeing including India Gate and magnificent Rashtrapati Bhawan, the President’s House, which is larger than Versailles and encompasses exotic gardens.
Next morning visit the Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences and hear a lecture from Ashok Sethi on the current practices of implant dentistry, with a partner programme visiting the beautiful Lodi Gardens. After lunch explore Old Delhi, which was the capital of Mughal India and contains some medieval treasures. Visit Jama Masjid mosque, take a rickshaw through the narrow lanes of the Chandi Chowk to visit the spice market and Jewellers’ Lane and see the Red Fort.
The next day visit a dental clinic in Delhi with a lecture by Ashok Sethi on the changing paradigms within implant dentistry. After lunch drive onto Agra, the centre of the Mughal Empire and most famously the home of the Taj Mahal.
The tour coincides with the full moon so it’s possible to experience the Taj Mahal bathed in full moonlight.
Rise at dawn the next day to take horse drawn carriages to India’s most famous monument, the Taj Mahal. The central Taj structure is made of semi-translucent white marble, carved with flowers and inlaid with thousands of semiprecious stones in beautiful patterns.
Later visit the imposing Agra Fort, a massive red sandstone edifice where Shah Jehan ended his days imprisoned by his own son.
Continue onto the ‘Pink City’ of Jaipur, home to stunning hilltop forts and glorious palaces amidst the dusty pink buildings of the old town. On the way, stop to visit the abandoned city of Fatehphur Sikri, built at the behest of Mughal Emperor Akbar the Great in 1571 and abandoned less than twenty years later. The beautiful red sandstone city remains perfectly preserved after hundreds of years.
Arrive in Jaipur and the next morning starts with Ashok lecturing on the changing needs of dental patients, before visiting the Chakrabadi Ayurvedic Clinic. In the afternoon visit an elephant camp. Here you will bond with the placid giants by feeding, washing and even painting them in traditional Indian style, before taking an elephant ride.
Visit the Jaipur Government Dental College and Hospital the following morning, with an accompanying lecture by Ashok, before travelling by jeep up to the Amber Fort in the afternoon. Take a city tour of Jaipur later in the day, visiting the famous Hawa Mahal (Palace of the Winds), where the ladies of the harem were kept sheltered from prying eyes, the City Palace Museum and Jantar Mantar, a fascinating observatory dating back to 1693. Finish the day with a Bollywood movie at the wonderful local cinema, Raj Mandir.
Drive to Ajmer the next morning to visit The Barefoot College, our supported project, where you will learn of their inspirational rural education programmes.
Take the train to the spectacular ‘Blue City’ of Jodhpur, its 16th century heart dominated by the magnificent Mehrangarh Fort overhanging the city.
In the morning take a tuk tuk ride through the old city past cotton, vegetable and spice bazaars to the craft market, then on to Mehrangarh Fort. Take a jeep safari into the desert and visit the tribal Bishnoi villages
Drive next morning to the wonderful city of Udaipur, which lays claim to being Rajasthan’s most seductive city. Stop en route at the beautiful Jain Temple at Ranakpur.
Udaipur’s nickname is ‘The Venice of the East’ for its combination of whimsy, splendour and waterside vistas. The centrepiece of the city is the floating Lake Palace, set in the middle of magnificent Lake Pichola at the heart of the city, which also featured in the Bond film ‘Octopussy’.
Visit the imposing City Palace next morning, with its balconies, towers and cupolas towering over Pichola Lake, and visit the exquisite collection of rare crystal at the Crystal Gallery, spread across the upper gallery of the glittering Durbar Hall Sabhagaar, featuring extravagant items such as crystal chairs, sofas and beds. In the afternoon visit the fantastically carved Indo-Aryan Jagdish Temple, dating from 1651, and the Saheliyon-ki-Bari, a quaint little ornamental garden with fountains, kiosks, marble elephants and a pretty lotus pool. Take a boat cruise across Lake Pichola in the evening.
Ranthambhore Tiger Spotting Extension
24 – 27 February 2014
Stay at luxurious Nahargarh Fort, set within the lush Ranthambhore National Park. This small tiger reserve has one of the country’s largest Bengal Tiger populations as well as leopard, sloth bear, wild boar, langur, nilgai, crocodiles and many species of birds.
The ground only cost of the tour is £1,995. The ground only cost does not include international flights or transfers on arrival and departure.
Dates: 12 – 24 February 2014 + optional extension to 24 – 27 February 2014
Tour Leader: Ashok Sethihas pioneered the art and science of surgical and restorative implants in the UK and internationally for 25 years. He is the Programme Director for the Diploma in Implant Dentistry of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. He has recently co-authored ‘Practical Implant Dentistry’ with Thomas Kaus, which is published by Quintessence International. Ashok has led successful study tours to Vietnam, Cambodia and Chile.
More details and brochure: http://www.jonbainestours.co.uk/itinerary.php?tour_id=27