Tailor made vacations in India
Tours & vacations in 2018 & 2019

Memorable parts? Experiencing the rich variety and beauty of Kerala Tips? Give yourself enough time in each place to really experience it and do some walking - don't travel too quickly! Local benefits? Yes - by staying in homestays we felt the money went into the hands of local people rather than big coimpanies Overall rating? It was great - smoothly organised, relaxed and enjoyable but we experienced much of the rich variety and beauty of Kerala (more)Lonica Vanclay

Memorable parts? Taking a traditional, herb-infused hot stone bath outside overlooking the valley Driving on the roads was also either thrilling (the views) or terrifying (the conditions). Luckily our driver was highly skilled. Don’t always expect seat belts by the way. Tips? Be prepared to be welcomed enthusiastically. And remember to take warm clothes. It can get chilly up in the mountains. Local benefits? Definitely. Incomes are low and life is close to subsistence level.... (more)Katherine van Haeften

Remarkable - This was a wonderful vacation - The itinerary put together by Shanane gave us everything we wanted and more!! (more)Scott Paget

We had the most marvellous vacation ever, as everything had been superbly and seamlessly put in place by our tour organiser. Everything about the trip was exciting and memorable, because it was so different from Europe in every possible way. Of course, the Taj Mahal was a highlight, but so were the Aravelli hills, the city of Bikaner... (more)Annette Jones

The safari to Koeladeo National Park was the most memorable moment. One of the best vacations we have ever been on. (more)Jane Fisher

Probably the most exciting thing was seeing two tigers (on separate visits - one on the boat safari and one on a land safari) in Nagarhole National Park - astonishing. But equally memorable was the temple tour in Madurai - it felt a privilege to visit when so many pilgrims were also worshipping at the temple. (more)Lynn Crowe

My stay at the Wild Mahseer in Assam was very special. Great hospitality, beautiful lodgings and interesting environmental projects. (more)Liz Mcmanus

I have told the vacation provider that they do a great job . (more)Joel Montague

The relaxed pace and seeing how different Southern India is compared to the north. (more)Susan Munson

I would give this vacation a 5 star rating. From the flights to the hotels/homestays - everything was just amazing. (more)Karen Dickinson

Memorable parts? History and culture. I enjoyed the amazing hotels we stayed in that were beautiful locations and historical. Tips? Due to distance between locations, ensure there are two nights at every hotel. There is significant time spent driving (in a car) between each location. If flying from Delhi during December / January be aware of fog delaying / cancelling flights. Local benefits? We visited local communities (e.g. Bishnoi, Samode) but not sure how it benefitted... (more)Tracey Warren

For us the nature based activities and birdwatching were tremendous. We had some really good guides and got to see tigers and a leopard which is very rare. The people, the culture and the environment were very exotic to us. (more)Dianne Reidy

Seeing the Taj Mahal at Sunrise is an unforgettable event in our lives. Many special rare species of birds seen on our Birding Himalyan tour...Superbly organised. (more)Michael Clark

The bird watching was excellent...Bird guides were very good too, and all knew their local birds. However outstanding was Sunil (Kumar?) in Nainital. His excellent English made our outings a great pleasure (more)Jacky Davis

Very good trip. (more)Frances Kirkham

The highlight was seeing Kerala from the bike view - the roadside coconut drinks and the birds. (more)Helen Davies

The sheer diversity and the immediacy of exposure to the people and landscape, and (for us), the exotic birdlife, made this a complete adventure. One can't experience all of that through a car window. (more)Keith Lough

Staying at Bagheera camp was the most memorable part; the safaris we went on were all amazing, the highlights being the sunrise over the wetlands and seeing a leopard and cubs. (more)April Finka

Very good...The sightings of the Desert Cat and the Leopard were fantastic. Roopangarh Fort was spectacular. (more)kate Wilson

Memorable parts? There were many memorable experiences - our rickshaw ride through the Dehli markets was definitely a highlight....what a culture shock! The noise, smells, heat and totally manic traffic dodging around cows in the streets is imprinted on the memory. Seeing the rural life in Rajasthan was amazing - how the locals live in their mud houses, working on the land by hand, and how friendly the people were to us. Staying in a Maharaja's palace was an experience. Seeing the Taj... (more)Janine Jackson

There were several memorable parts to our vacation, 24 hours on the boat in the Kerala backwaters, a couple of days in the hills surrounded by beautiful tea fields, a cycle rickshaw tour of a city and two days in a bungalow on the shore of the Arabian Sea to name a few. (more)Sheila Thomas

The most memorable was meeting great people. A great vacation thanks to India and its wonderful people. (more)Germaine Hughes

Memorable parts? My wife and I went on this trip with our 17 year-old son. Even as seasoned travelers to India, we would never have been able to do this trip on our own because this part of central India really doesn't have much tourist/traveler infrastructure. Cycling from village to village was absolutely fantastic. Our wonderful guide, Saurabh, based in Raipur, was not only brilliantly organised and wonderfully knowledgeable about wildlife, architure, people, plants, birds, customs etc.... (more)Jonathan Drori

Memorable parts? Living with the families and seeing their day to day lives. Tips? Pack light and don't expect luxury but enjoy the peace and wonderful hospitality Local benefits? Yes some of the homestays were community based and everyone benefited from the visitors Overall rating? A wonderful experience so rare to find such an unspoilt country and nothing done just for tourists. If you are looking for an authentic experience off the beaten track this is the tour... (more)Pat Willis

Memorable parts? Every day we did something new and our hosts Saurabh and later, Sunny, always had a surprise in store! Though it's hard to choose one particular part (because the entire experience was amazing), the memories that will always stay with us - without needing to look at the photos - were the day-to-day interactions and chance meetings that we were fortunate to have with the local people. From watching people go about their daily business, to joining in their celebrations, we... (more)Heidi Fuller

Memorable parts? We traveled as a family and moved every couple of days so ever day brought something new and was memorable. What was exciting about this vacation was learning about other cultures and meeting people living in a variety of different ways. But as a family, the favorite experience was riding an elephant. Tips? Take plenty of hand sanitiser for when you are out and about and some toilet rolls too. Food is very cheap, eat out! Don't eat at the Sandesh Prince hotel in... (more)Gentian Bolt

The most memorable was the boat safari in Nagarhoke national park and watching a tiger for 30 minutes. (more)Judy Powell

The most memorable part was Orange county - feeling like a queen and wonderful safari. (more)Alex Silver

Excellent! (more)Jan Baker

I went with some expectations and it blew away all of my preconceptions and totally wowed me. (more)Kevin Varley

The vacation was good...Visit to Cochin in Kerala. The Taj Malabar is a unique one!!! And also Usaipur, the city is great and the Leela palace hotel is a must seen. (more)Itay Mehl

Most memorable was the Taj Mahal. It's everything it's claimed to be. A remarkable building that shows little sign of age. We visited in the afternoon then went back at dawn. It's well worth two visits (more)Sally Wylie

The highlight was seeing tigers at Bandhavgarh and staying in some wonderful accommodation. (more)Barry Hunter

It was the first time we had travelled to India and we were on a mission to see the wild side of India. Our first tiger encounter is something we will never forget It was amazing (more)Louise Knop

5 stars all round. The vacation was so unique .......... busy, relaxing, fun, massively interesting and a huge privilege. (more)Claire Martin

The most memorable moment was staying at the lodge, in the buffer zone, listening to the night around a bonfire with wonderful snacks and a gin and tonic, then visiting the local villages on a walk the following day. The jungle safaris were amazing particularly the elephant back experience and of course seeing the tigers. (more)Julia Killick

The most memorable was having the most amazing Tiger sightings. Superb, we had a great time and enjoyed both Tadoba and Kanha national parks, the lodges we stayed at and saw some amazing wildlife and birds too. (more)Jo Gaunt

I feel that I was looked after very well, Neelesh who organised my itinerary was most attentive. Where I stayed was beautiful and relaxing. Staff were excellent and very attentive (more)Kerrie Griffin

There are so many great memories of the vacation, that will live long in the memory. In no particular order: The smile on the face of my daughter as the helped wash an elephant in the river, the scenery around Munnar was beautiful, the homestay at Dewalokam was just great - jumping and swimming in the river... (more)Philip Hesketh

An amazing, unforgettable experience allowing us to see the natural side of Kerala and keep us constantly entertained. (more)Rachel Gatehouse

A brilliant first time experience of India for a family. Safe but still experiencing the full life of India. (more)Sarah Griffin

There were many memorable moments - the scale and grandeur of the various palaces and forts with the Taj Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri, and Jaipur standing out... The marble carvings at the Jainist temple at Rankapore were quite extraordinary. We really enjoyed Bhindar, not just staying in the Palace, but the waking around the town without a tourist shop in sight! (more)Tim Johnston

Finding ourselves in India at Holi - and being involved! We were prepared, by our guide, for what would happen - the showering of colours onto friends and strangers alike - and so dressed accordingly, and joined in! As a result, we had great fun! (more)David Lynn

The most memorable moments were Ranakpur Temple, wandering the streets of Bundi and visiting the Hindu temples there with the guide. It was a fantastic and rewarding experience which I will not soon forget. It really opened my eyes to a lot I didn't know about Indian culture and history... (more)Barton Colmerauer

The most memorable was bamboo rafting and trek in Periyar National Park watching a family of elephants swim across the water in front of us and watching them as we ate our lunch (even the Rangers were excited to see a special event). (more)Julie Evans

Spending New Year's Eve at a party at our hotel was the most memorable - great atmosphere, tremendous friendliness and warmth and fireworks whose proximity erred on the side of exciting rather than H&S. - but we were outside, in the mountains and it was cold! We all loved Kerala and (particularly) its people and were left with a determination to see more of India. (more)Joan Findlay

The highlight was Seeing wild elephants in Periyar Tiger Reserve. (more)Jennie Greenhalgh

All the wildlife and the wonderful lodges I stayed at: 13 Asiatic lions, 7 leopards, a striped hyena, 2 jungle cats, blackbuck, wild asses, and many species of birds... (more)Bonnie Shirley

It would be impossible to identify a single highlight- there were so many! Seeing so many leopards, the Asiatic lions, the nesting hornbills, saving a Blackbuck fawn from a pariah dog, the simply superb staff, some truly amazing dishes we tried and people we encountered- simply too much and many to mention. (more)Clive Freemantle

Best bits: Being in amongst the crazy traffic and not having to drive...seeing wild leopard in Gir...seeing a bridal party in all their finery...seeing the contrast between wealthy and subsistence living. (more)Susan Holdsworth

The tea plantations are photogenic in a very special way: so impossibly green in the sun. Walking in the forests near Periyar was like being in heaven: in the shade, beautiful birds, no other people around and with a knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide. (more)Christopher Smith

The vacation could not have gone any smoother and our thanks to Thomas for recommending the wonderful Graman Homestay for a break before our bird watching trip began. We more or less just sat in the garden and relaxed whilst Jos and his wife looked after us and gave us some wonderful food. Different Kerala dishes every day. (more)Christopher Wyeth

Many memorable parts - wonderful bird watching trips, cycling in the backwaters, relaxing and enjoying the Keralan food and scenery. (more)Moyra Williams