India

North India

21 Itineraries

Enchanting Rajasthan represents India at its most vibrant and colorful, explore the Golden Triangle teaming with historical splendour or head off the beaten track to the many hidden gems, miniature forts and desert camps of rural Rajasthan.

East India

9 Itineraries

The East of India is an area of improbable diversity, one of the last frontiers that has much to reward the intrepid traveller, reaching from the Himalayas heights down to the Bay of Bengal, via the wild mangroves and swamps of the Sundarbans.  The revered Ganges River snakes its way through the flat basin of Bihar, including the remarkable holy city of Bodhgaya, the sacred Buddhist place where the Buddha gained enlightenment.

At the very north-eastern tip, you will find the Seven Sister states home to the water-colored, tea plantations of Assam, the ancient tribes of Nagaland and the magnolia clad mountain sides of Sikkim peppered with monasteries wrapped in fluttering prayer flags, overlooked by the great Himalayas.  Nearby Darjeeling is set high up in cool, misty tea plantations where gentle walks and journeys on the celebrated Toy Train are a must.  Drink in the tea scented countryside as the ‘toy train’, gently loops through the terraced tea plantations to the Victorian resort of Darjeeling.  Step back in time at the impossibly charming Glenburn Tea Estate, boasting bedroom views of the spellbinding Kanchenjunga.

Central India

13 Itineraries

Landlocked central India is a less-visited region, challenging yet rewarding to explore. Much of remote and uninhabited Madhya Pradesh is covered in dense forest where tigers reside in the verdant National Parks, whose grasslands, savannahs and forests inspired Kipling’s ‘Jungle Book’.  This is the very heart of India.

This region holds the largest wild population of the mighty Bengal Tiger and there are many wildlife parks to discover such as Bandhavgarh National Park, Kanha National Park, Satpura National Park, Panna and Pench National Park.  Here you can choose from a wealth of wilderness dwellings from the Taj luxury tented camps, to the boutique lodges such as Samode Safari, Jamtara and Sarai by Toria.

Central India is also home to the state of Chhattisgarh, a remote forested state known for its waterfalls and temples.  The capital Raipur is home to the pretty Kawardha Palace, offering an authentic chance to go off the beaten track and discover rural central India.

South India

11 Itineraries

The Tropical South offers a laid-back gentle introduction to India. The fertile state of Kerala is surrounded by a profusion of natural landscapes; coconut palm-backed beaches, cool tea plantations, bright green paddy fields and lush waterways teeming with exotic bird life.  Here there is a gentler pace of life: spend your days drifting through the latticed canals on a private houseboat, relaxing on the Malabar Coast, or soaking up the architectural styles of Fort Cochin.  Well known for its Ayurvedic spas, yoga retreats and Malabar fish curry this is the place to unwind.

North of Kerala is the dry plateau of Mysore, in the state of Karnataka, where scents of sandalwood and jasmine swirl round the lavish Hindu Maharaja’s Palace. Karnataka is home to amazing ancient cultural sites, rain forested hills and untouched beaches.  Since the infrastructure of this fascinating state may be a little tricky, why not hop aboard the Golden Chariot luxury train which effortlessly weaves it way throughout the land stopping at all the major sites along the way, from garden city of Bangalore to the champagne sands of colonial Goa and of course the highlight, the primordial city of Hampi with its colossal ruins that are scattered throughout the boulder strewn landscape, the last remnants of the Vijayanagara Empire.

West India

10 Itineraries

Bounded by the scorching Thar Desert and cooled by the Arabian Sea, West India is rich in natural resource, golden beaches, mist shrouded jungles, desolate salt plains and the bright lights big city commercial capital Mumbai.  This is the birth place of Gandhi, and many a dream.

Goa in particular is famed for its kilometers of palm-fringed golden coastline.  A former Portuguese colony where ruined forts, baroque churches, vibrant night markets and fabulous seafood are the draw to this, the most popular seaside resort in the country.  Choose between the larger beach resorts of the south, nestled amongst sleepy fishing villages, or head north to the colonial mansions turned boutique hotels.

Metropolitan Mumbai lures visitors with its cosmopolitan nightlife and vivid bazaars whilst juxtaposing its rich heritage.  Highlights include the colonial architecture of the ‘Gateway of India’ and the ancient art carvings on Elephanta Island.  This immense, maximum city is one of the most dense urban jungles in the world.  Here mighty high rises give way to gothic manions and the Victorian, Indo-Saracenic architecture of the past.