by James Ruggia
Last updated: 11:00 PM ET, Wed March 18, 2015
When you consider the demographic that has the time and money to travel in India without a back pack, you really couldn't find a better promotional vehicle than The Best Exotic Hotel film and its highly acclaimed sequel, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.
Geringer Global Travel is so enthralled with the potential that it's offering the 14-day Best Exotic Marigold Hotel Returns Tour. The tour promises to "follow in the footsteps of the cast" as they experience the eclectic sounds, sights, tastes and smells of India. "I sell a lot of India to retirees in their 60s and 70s, the same group of people that are attracted to that movie," said Sue Geringer, the company president.
The basic plotlines of both films follow a group of British retirees, played by a veritable pantheon of senior British actors, as they lightly seek love, redemption and meaning in the late years at a hotel that they've made into a second home. The sequel adds an American element when Richard Gere joins such British stars as Maggie Smith and Judy Dench.
Geringer describes the tour as basically a "first-time tour of India with a hook to the film. For many people, India is a one-time journey and so this package provides them with what a first time traveler needs to see." The tour visits Delhi, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Agra, Udaipur and other places. It can also be extended with a visit Khajuraho, famed for its spiritually erotic temple sculpture.
Those who book the tour by May 1 will save $150 per person. Pricing for this 14-day itinerary begins at $2,740 land only per person double (not including the savings). Tour highlights include a half-day tour of Ravla Khempur, the hotel that serves as the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel in the film; lunch at the Castle Kanota, the Viceroy Club in the movie; a rickshaw tour of Chandni Chowk; a sunrise viewing of the Taj Mahal; a cooking demonstration and dinner with Thakur Durga Singh, the current custodian of Dera Mandawa Hotel in Jaipur; and a jeep ride through Rohet Village where guests will meet with the Bishnois people.
Getting There
Upcoming schedule changes by Etihad Airways will make getting to India more convenient. Beginning March 29, the airline's flights between Chicago, New York, and Toronto, will observe new departure times that will enhance overall connectivity for flights to and from the Indian subcontinent, and establish new connections to key markets such as Dhaka, Kathmandu, and Kolkata. The new times also all connect with key Etihad Airways' destinations in the Indian subcontinent which include Colombo, Delhi, Karachi, Lahore, and Mumbai. Chicago, for example, will see the daily EY151 flight from Abu Dhabi move from a 9:30 a.m. departure to 3:40 a.m. The return flight EY150 from Chicago to Abu Dhabi arrives at 12:20 p.m.
Passengers on the retimed outbound Chicago flight will continue to be processed through United States Preclearance at Abu Dhabi International Airport, following the recent expansion of the facility's hours of operation to include early morning flights to the U.S. Passengers on all Etihad Airways flights from Abu Dhabi to the United States, which also includes Dallas-Fort Worth, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, and Washington D.C. are processed through U.S. preclearance. The schedule changes for Chicago and Toronto have been made in conjunction with Etihad's key partners, American Airlines and Air Canada in North America, and Jet Airways in India.
Kevin Knight, Etihad's Chief Strategy and Planning Officer said, "The new schedule will create a more even balance of Etihad Airways' flights to North America across the early morning and mid-morning banks. This will result in fewer passengers transiting through the hub at peak periods and will enhance the customer experience."
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