The seven lands
Seven tales
We work in seven regions and nowhere else. Each one has its own seasons, permits and pace; start with the one that fits your month.
Nepal
Nepal packs the Himalaya, the Newar cities of the Kathmandu Valley and the lowland jungles of the Terai into a country a little larger than England. Go in October–November or March–April, allow 7–14 nights, and pair a mountain stay with Kathmandu and a safari in Chitwan or Bardia.
Rajasthan
Rajasthan is India's largest state and its richest in palaces: Jaipur, Udaipur and Jodhpur for royal hotels, Ranthambore for tigers, Jawai for leopards and Jaisalmer for the Thar desert. Go from October to March, allow 10–14 nights for a full circuit, and travel by private car with a guide.
Ladakh
Ladakh is India's high-altitude desert between the Himalaya and the Karakoram, with Leh at 3,500 m as its base. Come from May to September for monasteries, the lakes of Pangong and Tso Moriri, Nubra's dunes and Hanle's dark skies, or in winter for snow leopards. Rest 48 hours in Leh on arrival.
North East India
North East India is best from October to April, when the monsoon has cleared and Kaziranga is open. We plan private journeys across Meghalaya, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Sikkim, with a car, a guide and the best rooms each place offers. Allow 8 to 14 nights and sort permits early.
Kerala
Kerala is a narrow green state on India's south-west coast, about 580 km long, where you can wake in a tea estate at 1,600 m, spend the next night on a private houseboat and finish on a quiet beach. October to March is the best window; June to August is the classic season for Ayurveda.
Goa
Goa is India's smallest state, a 105 km strip of beach, estuary and paddy on the Arabian Sea, ruled by Portugal from 1510 to 1961. Go November to February for dry, 30 °C days. Stay at a beach resort in the south or a villa in the north, and give the Portuguese heritage at least two days.
UP & Bihar
Uttar Pradesh and Bihar hold the Taj Mahal, the ghats of Varanasi, the courts and kitchens of Lucknow and every major site of the Buddha's life in India. Go October to March, allow 8 to 14 nights, travel by private car and short flights, and plan around winter fog in December and January.