A few months ago, Vanessa and I became fascinated with the idea of taking an international horse trek. (See "Ride of a Lifetime," Life's Lessons on the Trail, November/December '08.) We decided to visit northwest India and take a horse safari in Rajasthan to the world-famous Pushkar Fair.
Although we've traveled internationally in the past and booked flights overseas, we were humbled by the realization that we had virtually no knowledge about traveling to or within the Indian subcontinent. So we decided to employ a travel service that specialized in international horse safaris and seek the counsel of an international travel health service.
Armed only with the introductory information provided by the television shows Equitekking and Passport to Adventure, we began our quest to learn about traveling to rural India and taking horse safaris.
Our first stop was the local book shop to pick up a copy of the Lonely Planet guidebook, India. With 600-plus pages of pictures, maps, and anecdotal stories, it's an easy-to-read, up-to-date reference on travel and basic survival.
The Internet, specifically The Google and YouTube, became an indispensable resource in our planning. With the India guidebook at her side, Vanessa spent hours online researching and bookmarking sites. Each night, we'd go over her findings, taking notes in a black-and-red bound notebook.
Happily, we learned that there are several travel services to choose from that specialize in international riding adventures. And we were sobered to learn of the health risks posed by travel to India. Travelers are exposed to malaria, hepatitis, polio, dengue fever, and digestive disorders, to name just a few.
Trip preparation quickly became serious business. We needed to make informed decisions to assure a smooth, seamless travel itinerary that would maximize our equine adventure experience and minimize our health and safety risks.
At Our Service
After sending a number of e-mails and making follow-up telephone calls to various companies, we chose the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based travel service, The Compleat Traveller (www.ridingholidays.com).
The owner, Artie Sacks, gained our trust as a knowledgeable equestrian who'd traveled throughout India and on horseback in other countries. Artie gave us insights about the Indian culture and international travel; he's savvy, informative, personable, and always a joy to talk to.
Artie has authored two books on international riding holidays and belongs to the prestigious Long Riders Guild (www.thelongridersguild.com), the world's first international association of equestrian explorers who've ridden more than 1,000 continuous miles on a single equestrian journey.
Normally, The Compleat Traveller takes care of all the arrangements and itinerary negotiations for its clients. However, because I'm a journalist, Artie thought I might want to learn how he develops itineraries for equine adventures. We welcomed the opportunity to peer inside the process.
Artie introduced us, via e-mail, to Ute at Princess Trails (www.princesstrails.com), a small Indo-German family business owned by Ute's husband, a member of one of the oldest, most honored families of nobility in Udaipur. They'd be hosting our seven-day safari from Udaipur to the Pushkar Fair. Artie worked with us during the planning, making suggestions and interacting with Ute and us throughout the entire process.
