INDIA SPECIALIST, COX & KINGS, LAUNCHES NEW BROCHURE FOR 2014 FEATURING NEW ESCORTED TOURS, A LUXURY TENTED CAMP AND EXTRA TAILOR-MADE IDEAS

Cox & Kings, the world's longest established travel company, has launched its new India & Beyond brochure, the first in the collection of brochures for 2014. The programme features an extensive range of escorted group tours and tailor-made private holidays throughout India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives, including a new group tour to Kashmir, a luxury tented camp and suggestions for venturing away from the trodden tourist path.

NEW: KASHMIR: For 2014, Cox & Kings is reintroducing tours to Kashmir for the first time in almost 25 years. Cox & Kings' CEO Peter Kerkar says, "I am delighted that at long last, we are able to offer Kashmir to our clients again. Previously, this stunningly beautiful region had been one of the most popular areas in India for Cox & Kings' travellers. Changes to the British Foreign & Commonwealth's travel advice last year, coupled with signs of investment and infrastructure improvements to the region, have enabled our return to the region and we will be promoting escorted and private tours around Srinagar and the Dal Lake."

Srinagar, set against the spectacular Himalaya, is a culturally-rich city steeped in history and renowned for its scenic lakes, Mughal gardens and charming traditional houseboats. Srinagar: Heart of the Kashmir Valley is a 9-day / 7-night escorted tour priced from £2,395 per person including a two night stay in a traditional Kashmir houseboat and a traditional 'shikara' cruise across the Dal Lake to explore narrow canals and waterways, pass colourful floating gardens and markets and visit isolated villages that have remained virtually unchanged for centuries.

NEW: THE ULTIMATE TRAVELLING CAMP: This new luxury tented camp, opening in August 2013, is movable and will open up travel to some of the most remote and captivating corners of India in style. The spacious tents are modelled on African safari tents and will be fully air-conditioned and centrally heated. The chef will prepare excellent Indian cuisine and a wide range of activities will be offered.

The Chamba Camp, Thiksey in Ladakh, the first of the camps to open, will be in the shadow of Thiksey Monastery. Activities will include boat trips on the Indus River, local polo games, walking, picnics and bird watching. A 10-day / 8-night trip, including 5 nights' full board at the camp, is priced from £3,595 per person including flights, transfers, excursions and accommodation with breakfast daily.

After Ladakh, the camp will travel to Kotwara, near Lucknow, to learn about Awadhi cuisine and Sufi Music. At Maksudpur near Bodh Gaya, it will visit historic forts and ancient sites, including the Barabar rock-cut cave temples, which are perhaps the oldest in India. It will also travel to the edge of the secluded Dudhwa National Park famed for its outstanding Indian wilderness, where you can take an elephant-back safari and go in search of tigers, sloth bears and rhinos; and will then travel to Nagaland in the remote north-eastern corner of India to watch the colourful Hornbill festival. The camp will return to Leh during the summer months where it will coincide with the Kalachakra festival, which in 2014 will be led by the Dalai Lama. The tantric teachings of Shakyamuni, performed during the festival, involve a series of prayers, meditations, dances, chants, vows and the creation of beautiful sand mandalas.

ESCORTED TOURS: 2013 is showing positive year-on-year increases in passenger numbers for escorted tours to India compared to 2012. Numbers have increased by almost 30% in 2013 for the Grand Tour of Northern India, a 15-day / 13-night tour priced from £2,345 per person in 2014, and booking numbers on the Forts and Palaces of Rajasthan tour have more than doubled. This tour has additional festival departures in 2014 to now include the Jaipur Literary festival, considered the largest in Asia, as well as Holi, Diwali, Pushkar and the World Sufi festival. The 15-day / 13-night 2014 tour is priced from £2,095 per person.

PRIVATE TRAVEL: 2013 has seen a 15% growth in private tailor-made travel across the Indian subcontinent, with travellers increasingly wanting to explore areas away from the usual tourist areas. With the new British Airways flight to Colombo launching earlier this year, demand for trips to Sri Lanka has also increased. Balaji Kandasamy, Cox & Kings' India product manager, says there is increased interest in more obscure areas. "People want good standard hotels, but are more open-minded about venturing away from the crowds and see some of the Indian subcontinent's hidden gems. A lot of our clients have travelled to the region with us before and want to return to explore places off the beaten track wanting local and authentic experiences. Our specialist sales team can advise hotels to suit a variety of tastes and budgets, including homestays, lodges, tented camps, converted forts and palaces or havelis".

Please note that all quoted prices include international flights from London, transfers, excursions and accommodation with breakfast daily unless otherwise specified.

Please see www.coxandkings.co.uk/indian-subcontinent for the full programme to the Indian Subcontinent.

For more information or images, or to request a copy of the brochure, please contact Katie Parsons on 020 7808 5694 or email katie.parsons@coxandkings.co.uk   

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NOTE TO EDITORS

Cox & Kings is the world's longest established travel company. Its history stretches back more than 250 years to 1758 when Richard Cox was appointed regimental agent to the Footguards (later the Grenadier Guards). The company's fortunes grew hand in hand with the British empire and by the early 20th century the company was acting as agent and banker throughout the armed forces and as a shipping agent. In 1922 Cox & Co merged with the Henry S King bank, which had strong connections with India. The bank became part of Lloyds and the shipping agency grew separately, evolving into the modern travel company.

Today, built on the high quality service and attention to detail established by Richard Cox in the 18th century, the company continues to flourish as an independent tour operator, with operations in London, the US, Japan, Australia and throughout India. Cox & Kings organises escorted small-group tours and private tailor-made travel in the Indian Subcontinent, Latin America, the Middle East, the Far East, Africa, Europe, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific, and the Caribbean.