Robert Svoboda quides listeners through the city by walking into the sacred Ganges and then boarding a boat. Svoboda’s explanation of what visitors would see there is seasoned with background noises, prayers and greetings in Hindi, and bits of music. Exceptionally well paced for both comprehension and appreciation, the audio tour is augmented by a 60-page hardcover booklet rich with black-and-white pictures and the text of much of the presentation.

The smooth, precise enunciation of Robert Svoboda’s narration inspires confidence in the journey ahead. The first Westerner to earn a license to practice Ayurveda, Svoboda lived in India off and on for 13 years and knows it well. He’s clearly reverent toward the river, the bathers, and the beggars. But if you’re observant, you’ll detect his amusement at the cosmic joke that is life itself and his frequent cues to expand your awarness to accommodate relative and ultimate levels of reality– all in the name of maximum enjoyment and spiritual transformation.