Like a yarn that unravels metre after metre, India unveils itself piece by little piece to those who are willing to stick around for a bit. Unwind the rough and the crazy and then create your own unique spool of delights. Intimidating at first glance, its intimidation is but merely a show – a filter so that it might welcome only those who choose to reach beyond the surface and plumb its depths. A desert bordering the most fertile plains in the west, tropical beaches in the south pushing inland to mist covered mountains, cattle sharing lanes with fast cars, more than 1000 languages spoken yet everything communicated with a nod of the head. Knives and fork swapped for the good old fingers at a family dinner, and Beethoven played to the strains of a sitar - India indeed is a land of paradoxes. Depth leaches out from every city and village, tracing their traditions back to eons but despite its heavy and brocaded past, it is, again paradoxically, a young nation too, one that wears the contemporary attire with surprising élan and confidence to take its place amongst one of the most intriguing nations of the world. Our tours for people in their 30's and 40's offer not just the sites but also insights into this mad, complex but ultimately dazzling land that is India!

Best time to visit: Is between late October and March, when it's cool, dry, and sunny, before high temperatures and the monsoon rains arrive. During peak winter months of December and January it can actually be chilly in northern India.

Currency: Indian Rupee

Weather and Average temperature: India is one of the most climatically diverse countries in the world thanks to its regional microclimates, but the average summer temperature is 33C (91F), while winter averages 10C (50F).

National Language: Hindi & English

Top Dishes to try: Dosa, Panipuri, Chole Bhature, Palak paneer, Pav bhaji

Holi and Diwali Festivals

Some departures will leave in India during the Holi and Diwali festivals-the trips leaving during the Festivals have been listed in the dates. They are great festivals to witness and some very minor itinerary alterations may be made locally in order to make the most of these occasions. Holi celebrations typically involve people throwing coloured water at each other and smearing powder on each other's faces. This is accompanied by dancing, music and traditional Holi sweets such as Ghujiya and Bhanng. It's a riot of colours as the powder bursts into the sky. During Diwali, the festival of lights, people typically light up their houses, shops and streets, and celebrate on the streets with fireworks.