Jaipur and its palaces, Agra and the Taj, Varanasi and the Ganges, Khajuraho and its temples, the prehistoric paintings of Mandu, the caves of Ajanta and Ellora all of the most famous places of classic India are rolled up into one trip! And there is more&magnificent hotels, esoteric religious ceremonies, fascinating museums, and the warmth and friendship of the Indian people.

A tapestry of colors, legends, people, music and dance, Rajasthan is a mosaic of distinct landscapes. On this trip, enjoy the gracious, gentler and slower lifestyle of the area  sampling the folk art of the Shekhavati area, the Rat Temple of Bikaner, the desert citadel of Jaisalmer and the dignified beauty of Udaipur. Stay at small palaces and hunting lodges managed by the families who own them.

Be part of the real Pushkar and Nagaur festivals, not those designed for tourists, and enjoy them in the finest of Rajasthani luxury. Sit with herders, watch the festivities, talk with families and take a camel safari through the magical Thar Desert, then spend nights in castles, palaces, and hotels that not only mirror Rajput glories, but rival the best hotels in the world.

Picture yourself flying over the Himalayas and landing in Leh, the capital of Ladakh. Spend time attending a healing session with a Ladakhi oracle, visiting ancient monasteries, driving talus-strewn roads that are dwarfed by the jagged peaks above you, and participating in the Hemis Festival in June or the Ladakh Festival in September.

An Indus Valley civilization more than 8,000 years old, remnants of the Buddhist Emperor, Ashoka, the first British commercial outpost in India, and the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi this is the fascinating state of Gujarat. The area is known for its silk, handicrafts, and fine carved furniture, as well as its unique wildlife and pilgrimage sites. Travel to the legendary city of Bhuj and the Rann of Kachchh, the cities of Ahmedabad and Surat, the flat barren plain of Surashtra, and the charming former Portuguese island of Diu.

Venture inside the rarely visited tribal worlds of Chhattisgarh and Orissa, as yet unaffected by the 21st century. Attend a 'hat' or lively open air market, a social event which attracts villagers from miles around. Explore settlements where each tribe has its own distinct culture, dances, dress, jewelry, folk art and way of life. Be mesmerized by the wealth of exquisite temple architecture, wildlife, stunning scenery, and visit the battlefield where Emperor Ashoka forswore violence and became Buddhism's most ardent propagator.

Imagine yourself photographing the source of the Sacred Ganges high in the Himalayas; Rishikesh, where the Ganges enters the floodplains; Alahabad, where the mythical Saraswati River surfaces to join the Ganges and the Yamuna Rivers; and Varanasi, most holy of Indian cities. Combine these sites with a magnificent trek up onto the Gaumukh Glacier and a rafting trip down to the Prayag, the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna. All along the way, there are the people, you, and your camera.

Kala Pattar, Gokyo Ri, the Tawache Towers this is the Everest area as it should be seen. You will camp away from most of the tourists, visit the monasteries, and sip tea with the monks. Meet the Sherpas and the mountaineers who have made Nepal famous. In the spring, you can enjoy the radiant color of the rhododendrons. In the fall, you can relish the brilliant clarity of the snow-clad mountains.

Voyage from fascinating Calcutta up to the Himalayan jewels of Sikkim and Darjeeling, then cross the border into isolated Bhutan. Join the locals in celebrating such festivals as Tsechu in Paro and Jambay Drup in Bumthang. Visit and sleep at a private tea estate, watch the sun rise on Kanchenjunga, dine with Bhutanese courtiers, and sip tea with the monks.

Live the Rajput heritage, sleeping and eating in forts and palaces, and meeting with former rulers. See Rajasthani craftspeople at work, visit desert tribes, take country train rides, and do an overnight camel safari. Travel to Rajasthan's most exotic cities, beginning with Agra and the Taj Mahal. From the Taj, it's on to Jaisalmer, Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Udaipur, where you can celebrate Dussera in the fall.

Enjoy the many faces of Nepal without trekking. Meet pilgrims at Buddhist and Hindu temples, sit down with a Living Goddess, and visit the palaces of Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur. Fly to Pokhara and the new Tiger Mountain Resort in the shadow of Machapuchhare, walk to Gurung villages, take boat rides, and ride horses. Drive to Tiger Tops Lodge in Chitwan Royal Animal Park, where you'll search for tigers, ride elephants, and visit some of the holiest places in Nepal Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha, and Janakpur, birthplace of Sita, and home to the renowned Janakpur Woman's Craft Development Center.

This summer trip is an opportunity to meet the masters, meditate, study, and follow your mind. Visit sacred sites, receive blessings from the foremost religious masters in Bhutan, and walk down the paths where Guru Padmasambhava meditated and Terton Pema Lingpa discovered treasures.

The Sunderbans borders on Bangladesh and is where the Ganges enters the Bay of Bengal and flows in and around thousands of small islands, some inhabited and some empty. It is an area inhabited by wild Bengal Tigers and huge crocodiles, and where people make their living primarily from fishing. It is here that READ has chosen to build its first library in India, in the tiny town of Ullon, led by a charismatic Ashoka Fellow, Kapilananda Mondal. Travel with READ founder, Toni Neubauer, first to Ullon and then head north of Kolkatta to the antithesis of the Sunderbans  Sikkim and Darjeeling, for a taste of the Himalayas and some very good tea!

This intimate view of intriguing Nepal offers a unique opportunity to see how READ Global can change a country, one village at a time. You'll get inside the culture by spending time with a host of Nepalis, from farmers, local officials, monks and saddhus, to university chancellors and former ambassadors. Travel from bustling Kathmandu to the serene mountains of Mustang and down into the jungles of the southern Terai.

The wisdom of yoga, meditation, and Ayurveda goes back thousands of years to the Vedas gifts India gave to the world& and to you! Join the yoga, meditation, and chanting classes at the Shivananda Ashram near Trivandrum. Then take an overnight houseboat to Amachi's ashram and spend several nights absorbing her teachings and attending her darshans, if she is present. End your stay with three days at an ayurvedic health resort enjoying lessons, massages, and cooking.

Enjoy the real Pushkar and Nagaur Festivals, not those designed for tourists. Sit with the herders, watch the festivities, and talk with families. Take a camel safari through the magical Thar Desert to the sandstone city of Jaisalmer, spend nights at the luxurious Lake Palace Hotel in the middle of Lake Pichola, ride a narrow gauge train through the Aravali hills, and sip tea with Rajput nobility.

Bathe in the shadow of spectacular Nanda Devi, then walk on old village trails past Kumaon homes, along terraced fields, waterfalls, a winding stream, traditional irrigation channels, and 1,000-year-old temples. Stay in villages where ancient traditions and cultures thrive, where people are friendly and have seen few tourists, and where you become a part of the family.

This far eastern area is one of the least traveled parts of India. Visit the home of the Khampti, descendants of Thai migrants, the Mishmi, who are nature worshippers, the Tai Phakial village, also related to a 13th century Tai Ahoms, and the Angami tribe a branch of the Nagas. Roam Dibru- Saikhowa and Kaziranga National Parks, enjoy the famous Assam tea factories, cruise the Brahmaputra in search of gangetic dolphins, and stop off in Majuli, the largest inhabited river island in the world.