India holidaysfrom Nairobi

India is not one holiday, it is a shelf of them. The Golden Triangle is the first, and still the best introduction: Delhi’s two cities, the Taj at Agra, and Jaipur’s forts and markets. After that the country splits: Kerala’s backwaters, Kashmir’s lake valleys, Sikkim’s tea hills, the Ganges at Rishikesh.

Nairobi has good, short connections to Delhi and Mumbai, which is why India works as a nine-day holiday rather than a fortnight.

Where you’ll go

Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. Jama Masjid, India Gate and Humayun’s Tomb; the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort; Amber Fort, Hawa Mahal and the bazaars of the Pink City.

Kashmir. A houseboat on Dal Lake, a shikara at dusk, the Mughal Gardens, then Pahalgam’s Lidder valley and the Gulmarg gondola.

Kerala. Kochi’s harbour history, Munnar’s tea plantations and Eravikulam, Periyar’s spice hills, the Kumarakom backwaters, and Kovalam’s beaches at the end.

Himachal and Uttarakhand. Shimla’s colonial ridge, Manali on the Beas, Mussoorie above the Doon Valley, and the Ganga Aarti at Rishikesh and Haridwar.

Sikkim and West Bengal. Kalimpong, Gangtok, Tsomgo Lake, Pelling under Khangchendzonga, and Darjeeling for the sunrise and the tea estates.

Health & wellness journeys

Wellness in India is not a spa add-on. It is the reason a number of our clients go. We book six retreats and design the programme around what you actually want to change.

Ananda in the Himalayas, above Rishikesh, is the best known: Ayurveda, yoga and meditation where all three began. Six Senses Vana in Dehradun combines Ayurveda, yoga, Tibetan medicine and natural healing therapies. Atmantan, in the hills near Pune, is the transformation-programme end of the scale. Dharana at Shillim sits in the Sahyadri mountains in Maharashtra. Amal Tamara in Kerala is Ayurveda taken seriously and slowly. tulåh is the newest, and the most clinical in its methods.

Programmes are quoted on request, because the price depends entirely on the length and the protocol.

Practical notes

Draft: awaiting owner verification. Indicative only; confirmed in writing with your quote.

• Kashmir and the high Himalaya are seasonal. Srinagar is a summer capital for a reason, and the passes close.
• Wellness retreats set minimum stays, usually a week or more for a real programme.
• Indian visa rules differ by passport and change often. We confirm yours before ticketing.