India luxury travel map & highlights

Shanane Davis, Director of our supplier, True Luxury Tours, which specialises in high end trips to India.

“My family has been in conservation patronage for four generations, and I would say that of course the Taj Mahal is wonderful but there are other buildings which are architectural masterpieces at a finer level. Do not miss Fatehpur Sikri nearby because architecturally it is a perfect mix of European, Jain, Rajput and Islamic influences. And although Agra is quite a difficult city, and not a very good representation of India, these buildings are definitely worth honouring. The Royal Art Collections are something not something many tourists know about, but they are in most of the provinces and open to the public to go as museums. These are in extraordinary palaces still owned by the erstwhile royal families, but they are open to the public. Seeing them with a guide who really has in depth knowledge is a wonderful experience and not usually on traditional tourist itineraries.”

“Bare legs and shoulders and low cut blouses are complete faux pas. A lot of tourists do it because they don’t realise, or because it is hot. But I recommend long cotton trousers or long cotton skirts, and cotton t-shirts that aren’t low cut. Indian people are very welcoming of other cultures and quick to adapt, but this issue of clothing is something they really don’t understand. And of course, with light cotton you are actually cooler than if you are less dressed, because the sun isn’t hitting your skin directly. Also bring a cotton shawl to cover your head when going into temples or mosques. “

Rajat Kumar, Managing Director of our supplier ExplorIndya: "I would ask that people do not tip excessively. There is nothing wrong in sharing the wealth, but money has a different value here and when you give excessively people start expecting things unreasonably. They start to believe that they deserve more than they are due, and this becomes a perverse culture in hospitality. Just because the converted value of the service or product is far less than what it might be in your country doesn’t mean that it isn’t in keeping with the standard of living here. If a beer costs a tiny amount, that doesn’t mean you should have to pay four times the amount just because you like the face of the person serving it. It creates a perverse culture in a tourist driven economy, with people becoming greedy, as the level of expectation gets raised across the board. We give our guests very detailed tipping guides to help them tip responsibly.”

Diana Syrett, Managing Director of one of our top suppliers, Kerala Connections: “If you give a tip, don’t expect a thank you. Sometimes our customers are worried that they haven’t given enough, but it is not in Kerala culture to say thank you. The cultural thing is that the pleasure is for the person giving the gift, and therefore you don’t have to thank them. So, generally, thank yous are few and far between; please don’t think people are being rude, it is just their way."