Traveling in South India by Golden Chariot - the Palace on Wheels

If you want to travel like a king in palatial facilities, the luxurious train of South India, known as The Golden Chariot is the place for you. This palace on wheels train of Southern railway has been recently started in India. It has completed its three commercial journeys by now. Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation and the Indian Railways have joined hands together in starting this latest luxury carrier. The total expenditure in making this train is around 400 million Rupees equivalent to $ 10 million. It started its first commercial trip on February 2, 2008. The green flag was shown by the President of India, Mrs. Pratibha Patil to this maiden trip of the most beautiful train.

The entire trip of this train is for seven days and seven nights in all. It starts from Bangalore and passes through Mysore, Shravan Belgouda, Belur, Halebidu, Hampy, Badami, Aehol, Pattadcal, Goa, and reaches finally to Bangalore. All these places are the most famous and prominent tourist's places of India. Places like Shrirangpattam in Mysore, Kabini forest reserve, and the Belur Math and the city of Belur are covered in this journey. The 80 feet tall statue of Lord Bahubali at Shravan Belgouda, engraved in a large single rock, is one of the wonders of the world. The final destination of Goa covers all the beautiful beaches of Goa along with the visit to most famous church of Saint Xavier's. When you end your fantasy journey at Bangalore after seven days, you shall feel that you were treated like a royal king all through the journey.

There are nineteen thematically designed coaches in all in this royal train. Out of these, the eleven coaches are for the passengers, one couch is for holding various conferences, two dining cars, one fully equipped lounge bar called Madira, and one fully equipped health club with steam and sauna bath facilities, and three luxurious suites for the passengers. Each and every type of the food delicacies are served on this train. In particular, royal South Indian cuisines are the best out of all in the restaurant of the train. There is also a provision for the most famous Ayurvedic spa/massage for all the passengers during the journey itself. The train has total capacity of 103 passengers with fifteen couples. Each passenger cabin has color plasma television set, DVD player, satellite channels, the bathrooms with hot and cold showers, telephone connection and the inter net facilities in each cabin. The interior design of each couch is made similar to the palaces of Karnataka. Each couch has bullet proof glasses and the most modern fire fighting apparatus. The most memorable experience of the trip is the night dinner in the open forest of Kabini. The tourists are given traditional South Indian welcome at all the stoppages by the local residents. There are specially trained guides in each couch who are familiar with many foreign languages. There is a provision of a specialist doctor on board to treat any emergencies during the travel. All the facilities of this super luxury train is equivalent to any seven stars hotels in the world. The total tariff for this journey is $ 2100 for all the seven days. If you wish to pay the charges in Indian Rupees, then, you will have to pay Rs.110000 per passenger. The tickets for this train can be booked on line from USA and Canada.

If you are willing to travel by this train, you might have to wait for around one year as all the trips up to end December, 2008 are fully booked. This has tremendously increased the morale of Indian Railways and hence, is now fully ready to offer all the facilities that of a king to each and every traveler.

Are you willing to travel in this moving palace and live like a king for at least seven days and seven nights?