Planning, money, permits, food, safety and what actually happens when something goes wrong. If your question is not here, just ask us.
Four to six months is comfortable for most trips. For Ladakh in July and August, Kerala over Christmas and New Year, tiger parks in April and May, or travel around Diwali, eight to twelve months is more realistic — the good small properties fill first. We have also built excellent trips in three weeks when someone has had a change of plan.
No. Everything we sell is private and dated around you. If you want to travel with other people we can introduce you to small-group operators we rate, but that is not what we do.
We rarely take on anything under four nights, simply because the planning time cannot be justified for you or for us. Singapore and short Bhutan trips are the usual exceptions.
For existing clients, often yes. For a first enquiry we would usually want to design the whole trip, because half-planned itineraries are where things go wrong and we would rather not be responsible for only the good half.
About half our work is inbound. We are a recognised inbound operator, quote in your currency if you prefer, and handle the e-Visa guidance and airport formalities that catch first-time visitors out.
Because any number we printed would be wrong. The same fortnight in Rajasthan can differ by a factor of four depending on season, party size, standard of stay and how much is private. We quote once we know the shape of your trip, itemised in writing.
With the first draft itinerary, usually within a week of the initial call. It is broken down by element so you can see what any change would cost before you ask for it.
A deposit confirms the booking and holds the rooms; the balance is due about six weeks before departure. Indian clients can pay by bank transfer or UPI in rupees. International clients can pay by card or transfer in their own currency.
It follows the suppliers we have booked on your behalf, and it is set out in writing with your quote before you pay anything. Peak-season camps and small lodges tend to have the strictest terms; we will always tell you which parts of a trip are least flexible.
We are paid by you, through the trip price, not by suppliers steering your route. That is why we can recommend a guest house over a resort when the guest house is better.
We prepare and check outbound visa files for Thailand, Vietnam, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Singapore, and guide inbound guests through the Indian e-Visa. We cannot guarantee any government decision, but we can make sure the application is right first time.
Inner Line Permits for Nubra, Pangong and Tso Moriri, Protected Area Permits for parts of Sikkim and Arunachal, and Kaziranga park permissions are all arranged by us in advance and included in your documents.
Yes, and we will not confirm a booking without it. Choose your own policy — we do not sell insurance and do not want a commission on it. For Ladakh and Spiti, check that it covers altitudes above 4,000 metres.
That is a question for a travel clinic, not a travel agent. We will tell you which regions carry which risks so you can have an informed conversation with a doctor several weeks before departure.
Tens of thousands of women travel independently in India every year without incident, and our trips add private drivers, vetted hotels and a travel expert on call, which removes most of the friction. We will be straightforward with you about which areas we would and would not recommend, and we brief drivers and guides specifically on solo bookings.
We choose restaurants we have eaten at, brief kitchens on allergies and dietary needs, and are honest about which street stalls are worth the small risk. Every field book has a basic pharmacy list and the contact for an English-speaking doctor in each city on your route.
Longer than the map suggests. We plan on Indian road speeds rather than distances, keep most transfers under five hours, and build them into the morning so afternoons stay free. Where a drive would eat a day, we fly or take the train instead.
You call your travel expert directly on the number in your field book — not a rota, not an outsourced desk. They have your itinerary open, the supplier on speed dial, and the authority to spend money fixing it without asking a committee.
In cities and most hotels, yes. In Spiti, parts of Ladakh, the Sundarbans and some jungle lodges, no — and we will tell you exactly where you will be out of contact so nobody at home worries.
We would rather answer it now than have you find out on day four. No question is too small or too blunt.
