Join us to explore India through Rudyard Kipling’s eyes, gaining a better understanding of the culture, characters and setting of The Jungle Book, as well as Kipling’s poetry. Expert lecturer Dr Sarah Shaw, Faculty Member at Oxford University’s Oriental Institute, will accompany the tour, which takes in the bustling metropolis of Bombay (now Mumbai); and the wild jungles of Maharashtra with their tigers, monkeys and leopards. The journey will then continue by train to Shimla in the foothills of the Himalayas – a popular summer holiday retreat and well known for its Victorian architecture.

Highlights

• Stay at The Bagh a orest retreat and luxury resort in Kanha National Park and witness Indian wildlife at first hand
• Visit a tribal village market
• Encounter Kipling’s inspiration for Shere Khan in the Bhandavgarh National Park, renowned for its Royal Bengal and White Tigers
• Ride the toy train of the Kalka-Shimla railway, with its 120 tunnels and breath-taking mountain views
• Find inner peace at Amritsar’s magnificent Golden Temple, also referred to as ‘Sachkhand’ (abode of God) and a marvel of excellence that bejewels the sparkling legacy of Indian architecture
• Enjoy a series of short lectures about Kipling and his work, as well as carefully chosen poetry and short story readings from your trip scholar, Dr Sarah Shaw