Welcome to Enchanting Journeys

Namaste & welcome to incredible Republic of India - one of the friendliest countries on earth, combining glorious architecture with a warm-hearted welcome.

With its sumptuous mix of traditions, spiritual beliefs, festivals, architecture & landscapes, your memories of India will blaze bright long after you have left its shores.

Arrive in Mumbai - India’s financial capital, location of the movie industry (& the site for the most expensive house in the world, only a paltry billion $ +).

After you exit in the Arrival Hall at Terminal? - Mumbai Chattrapati Shivaji Airport subsequent to Immigration, & Customs, & you will be met by The Journeys representative who will ensure your comfort & discuss the program for the next week aboard the luxury ‘hotel on wheels’ & transfer you to the departure point.

Depending on the arrival time, you might have a few hours to spend before your Check-in for the iconic train experience (we would be happy to offer suggestions & make arrangements). 

Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay, is India's economic, cultural & cosmopolitan capital. It is the most populous city in India. Located on the northern portion of India's western coastline, the Konkan coast, Mumbai is the major port, financial powerhouse & cultural producer among Indian cities. As such, it is responsible for the plurality of India's trade functions & tax revenue. Dreams of Mumbai's economic opportunity continue to draw countless migrants from every corner of India & increasingly, the world to the city: it is known for some of the largest informal housing settlements (as well as the world’s most expensive home) in Asia & some of the starkest income disparities in the world.

However, unlike most major Indian cities, Mumbai's urbanism - its exponential urban growth & population density - is a relatively recent phenomenon.

Mumbai is big. Full of dreamers & hard-labourers, starlets & gangsters, stray dogs & exotic birds, artists & servants, fisher folk & crorepatis (millionaires), and lots & lots of people. It has India’s most prolific Bollywood film industry which produces over 400 films a year & is therefore, the largest movie industry in the world. The actors enjoy their god-like statuses & dwell in exclusive mansions on Malabar Hill. It is also a fashion epicentre & has the largest tropical forest in an urban zone

The heart of the city contains some of the grandest colonial-era architecture on the planet but explore a little more & you will uncover unique bazaars, hidden temples, hipster enclaves and India’s premier restaurants & nightlife.

Its most recognizable monument is the Gateway to India, built to commemorate the visit of King George V & Queen Mary in 1911. From there, you can catch a boat to the Elephanta Island, a UNESCO world heritage site where you can see rock-cut temples & caves dating back to the 6^th century. There are many museums, art galleries, bazaars, parks & temples.

In time, you will be transferred by 03:30 pm to the departure point where you will begin your journey of a lifetime.

Arrive at the Station where you will be accorded a traditional ‘Indian’ welcome.

In India we say “Atthi Devo Bhava” which means “the guest is equivalent to God'. You will be greeted by flower garlanding & a tilak on your forehead. You will receive a traditional Indian welcome with garlanding, turban & tikka and with a refreshing a refreshing drink (non-alcoholic). .

Flower garlanding is generally offered as a mark of respect & honour to welcome visitors & also or in honour to the Gods &Goddesses. Tilak is a ritual mark put on the forehead as a form of blessing, greeting or auspiciousness. The Tilak is usually made out of a red vermilion paste (kumkum) which is a mixture of turmeric, alum, iodine, camphor, etc.

Assemble at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus - undoubtedly one of the famous Gothic buildings & an integral part of Mumbai’s skyline, to complete the registration process & Check-in formalities for the exotic Maharashtra Splendor journey.

Subsequent to completing the registration process & Check-in formalities, you will be shown to your delightful cabins.

Welcome aboard Deccan Odyssey.

The tour of a lifetime starts in the evening with a ceremonial welcome as you board. As you are introduced to your fellow travelers, feel free to relax in your new palace and explore every bit & acquaint yourself with its various facilities. Relax with a drink at the bar over a tete-a-tete with other guests.

As you settle in, the Deccan Odyssey shall depart Mumbai for Nashik.

Enjoy dinner on board.

Overnight.   D

Reach the holy city of Nashik, which is rapidly gaining the status of being the wine capital of the country, as you enjoy your breakfast. 

After breakfast on board, disembark & spend the morning walking along the nearby Godavari Ghats, observing several important Hindu rituals being performed.

Continue on through the lively market next door, which sells everything from cow dung cakes, lentils to dried seafood to freshly caught catfish & many things in between.

Later, drive to the Grover Zampa Vineyards for an exclusive tour of one of the finest Indian wine producing facilities. Walk through vines laden with Chenin, Chardonnay & Pinot Noir grapes.

Be taken through the age old ‘methode traditionnelle’ used to make one of the best known brands of sparkling wines in India. Allow the sommelier to acquaint your taste buds with their finest creations of white, red, rose & sparkling wines and experiment pairing them with your meal at the vineyards.

After a sumptuous lunch at the vineyard, return to the Deccan Odyssey and set forth for Aurangabad, a multifaceted city with a mythical past.

Balance of the day is at leisure to relax or enjoy some of the activities available on board.

Deccan Odyssey enters Aurangabad, the industrial town of Maharashtra in time for breakfast.

.

Aurangabad named after the last Great Mughal Aurangzeb, is a historic city in the state of Maharashtra which derives its name from the last of the great Mughals, Aurangzeb, who was the governor of the Deccan province in his youth and went on to become the emperor of India. The city is famous for being the entry point to the world famous caves of Ajanta & Ellora, which have been declared World Heritage Sites by the UNESCO. The city itself has deep Mughal influences and there are several monuments of note here; the Daulatabad Fort, Bibi-ka-Makbara and the city’s 52 gates, each with its own history, amongst them.

Post breakfast on board, embark on a scenic drive which takes you to the Ellora Caves, carved into the side of a basaltic hill 30 km from the city.

The finest specimen of cave-temple architecture in India, the site encompasses 34 rock-cut shrines with intricate interiors and ornamental facades, representing Buddhist, Jain and Hindu art dating from the 4^th & 5^th  century AD. The 12 caves to the south are Buddhist, the 17 in the centre Hindu, and the 5 caves to the north are Jain. The most remarkable is the Kailash temple, meant to be a replica of Shiva’s celestial abode on Mt. Kailash. It is the best example of rock cut architecture and an engineering marvel.

After exploring Ellora, return to the Train Station to board the Deccan Odyssey.

Savour a leisurely lunch on board.

Balance of the day is at leisure. Lay back & relax with your favourite cocktails from the bar on board or perhaps catch up on your reading as the train departs & sweeps past Maharashtra’s hinterland with its ever-changing colors & landscape.

In the evening, enjoy a sun downer at the Mumbai-Hi before dinner is served.

As you enjoy a delicious breakfast on board, the Deccan Odyssey arrives at Jalgaon station.

Disembark & drive to Ajanta Caves, another UNESCO World Heritage site.

The site has 30 rock-cut Buddhist caves that are beautifully carved and feature sculptures and paintings of Buddhist religious art. These paintings and sculptures depict universal pictorial art.

Come back to the train in time for lunch as the Train leaves for the colourful city of Kolhapur.

Balance of the day is at leisure to relax or enjoy some of the activities available on board. Watch a movie, learn the rules of ‘carrom’, a popular Indian board game, from a Deccan Odyssey team member or book yourself a relaxing massage in our spa on board.

In the evening, watch the tapestry of rural India unfold as you sip a sundowner before dinner.

The Deccan Odyssey rolls into Kolhapur this morning, a city of many hidden treasures, all waiting to be discovered!

Relish breakfast on board and spend some time at leisure.

A late start leaves the morning free for you to enjoy a languid brunch on board before you disembark for a full day tour of the city.

Visit the New Palace Museum, a lovely basalt and sandstone octagonal Palace from the 19^th century. Behold its beautiful architecture and memorabilia of the Kolhapur rulers. Continue to the Town Hall Museum, a somber neo-Gothic building, its front porch flanked by towers with steeply pyramidal metal roofs.

Explore the local markets for a pair of beautifully handcrafted Kolhapuri chappals that you can carry back with you as a souvenir, before you proceed to a special venue for tea followed by Lavanya Sandhya, a vibrant folk performance. You will then walk into one of the oldest mud wrestling pits of the city to watch students who still practice wrestling with mud smeared over their bodies.

Visit the 1300 year old Mahalakshmi Temple, also called Shakti Pethas, or place associated with the Goddess Shakti, said to be the consort of Lord Vishnu. Following your temple visit, witness a traditional martial arts performance called ‘Mardani Khel’ literally translated to mean masculine game.

After your sojourn into Kolhapur, you return to the Deccan Odyssey by early evening.

Balance of the evening is at leisure to relax or enjoy some of the activities available on board.

Today you arrive at Goa, India's smallest state, with strong Portuguese influences, having been a colony of Portugal till as late as 1961.

Having been the meeting point of races, religions and cultures of East & West over the centuries, Goa has a multi-hued and distinctive lifestyle quite different from the rest of India and is home to India's finest beach resorts and famous for its Portuguese architecture. Beguiling white sands, fresh & spicy seafood, and a cold drink under a glowing sun is Goa at its charming best.

Shaped like the new moon, Goa’s beaches are known the world over. Fringed by swaying palm and coconut trees with cool and comfortable shacks offering a variety of refreshments, Goa’s 103 km coastline is blessed with the most enchanting beaches lapped by the Arabian Sea. And almost all of them are swimmer friendly with the assured presence of lifeguards on all the popular beaches.

But then Goa is much more than just beaches and sea. It has a soul which goes deep into unique history, rich culture and some of the prettiest natural scenery that India has to offer with its own traditions, culture, architecture and its share of monuments. Studded with churches all over due to its past of foreign connection, the striking Renaissance cathedrals in Old Goa, ancestral homes surrounding the ragtag city of Margao, the ornate Hindu temples of Ponda & Panaji's Portuguese historic district, engross every world traveller.

Disembark after breakfast and drive to Fontainhas, the Latin Quarters in Panjim which still have some well-preserved houses built in Portuguese style architecture. Experience the UNESCO World Heritage Walk around Fontainhas with its winding alleyways adorned by tiled-roofed houses in spectacular shades of blue and red.

Ride into the raucous Panaji vegetables, fruit, fish and meat market for a taste of the local bazaars after which you will head over to Ribandar, the erstwhile capital of Goa, for a walk through ancient churches and the ruins of the once lofty St. Augustine tower that continues to valiantly withstand the vagaries of nature.

Drive to the Sahakari Spice Plantation for a traditional Goan feast, a meal that has Hindu origins but is heavily influenced by 400 years of Portuguese rule and pays ode to the fruits of the Arabian sea - chonak, modso and mackerel washed down with some ‘feni’, a potent liquor made from cashew.

After lunch, enjoy a Goan folk performance and a tour of the plantation.

Complete your day in Goa with a visit to an old Portuguese house and get another peek into Goan life.

Return to the Deccan Odyssey.

Depart & watch one of the most scenic railway route in the country as the Train transverses through the Konkan region, bound by the Arabian Sea on the West & Sahyadri hills on the East, a marvelous feat of engineering, that made it possible to tunnel the tracks through the seemingly insurmountable hills

You enter the most breath-taking destination of the Konkan Coast, Ratnagiri, as you enjoy breakfast on board.

A land so blessed by sun and fertile alluvial valleys that it is abundant with a bounty of cashew nuts, Alphonso mangoes, coconuts, bananas, jackfruits & rice.

Disembark after breakfast & leave for Ganpatiphule temple. thus called because of a legend about Lord Ganpati who took umbrage at a remark made by a native lady, and moved to Pule (Marathi for a few km ahead of the town) from his original abode of Gule. This revered temple of Ratnagiri,it is immensely popular among both locals & tourists. The temple houses 400 year old idol that is believed to have sprung from the soil.

Spend time at the adjacent beach & take a stroll around the lovely coastline of the Konkan coast.

Return to the Train lunch & relax for an hour.

Later, you will be driven to see some mango & cashew plantations.

Take a walk through the plantations and soak in the goodness of nature. Explore the ‘wadas’ or the local Maharashtrian neighbourhood & experience the local market.

After enjoying this long beautiful day or afternoon, head back to the Station to board Deccan Odyssey.

Early morning, arrive at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus Railway Station, Mumbai.

Enjoy breakfast on board before disembarking at 08.30 am & bidding farewell to the unforgettable experience aboard Deccan Odyssey. The senior train officials will say adieu with a traditional ceremony.

On the Platform, you will be met by a Journeys Rep, who will provide the transfer to Terminal 1 - Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. We strongly recommend that you stay an extra night at least & discover this wonderful city ‘that never sleeps’.

Finally, the mystical experience through the grand vistas of India comes to an end and it is time to say good-bye. If you are leaving in the evening, you can spend the balance of the day exploring independently or catching up on your shopping before being transferred to the airport for your onward flight.  B

***        End of Services      ***