About Us

Oliver James

Oli's love of India developed during numerous family holidays spent with relatives in south India and later in his teens whilst he did his schooling in the hill station of Ooty. Each term he and his four sibling would travel the 24 hour journey by train and bus. These days he has graduated to travelling the country by chauffered car, but is still excited at the prospect of any Indian journey by rail. His incomparable knowledge of the region and attention to detail will ensure that your holiday will be executed to the highest of standards.

Favourite Destination: It's a toss up between Madurai and Hampi. Madurai because of the frenzied chaos of a living temple, and Hampi because of the dramatic boulder strewn landscape and sheer extent of the temple and palace ruins.

Last Trip Entailed: Visiting the national parks of Central India and seeing my first tiger, actually it was more like 13 tigers in all!

Favourite Boutique Hotel: Tea Trails in the Hill Country of Sri Lanka. Stylish yet informal, beautiful scenery, wonderful staff and the best food in Sri Lanka.

Favourite Heritage Property: Probably Amangalla in Galle - the hotel just oozes style, and afternoon tea on the verandah is like being propelled back into the past.

Favourite Beach Hotel: Definitely Soneva Fushi in the Maldives - it's where I proposed to Gwen! Luckily she accepted!

Favourite Luxury Hotel: Bagh Van in Pench is the best safari lodge out there, but is also my favourite Luxury Hotel. Sleeping in the world's most comfortable bed under stars in the middle of the jungle is a wonderful experience.

Most Memorable Experience: Paddling on a croc infested lake in Andhra Pradesh whilst on holiday with my dad. Didn't realise at the time it was full of crocodiles though!

Best Cuisine: The string hoppers at breakfast in Sri Lanka.

Next Trip: Later this year I'm heading to North East India to visit Darjeeling and Sikkim, then finishing off on a pristine beach in the Andaman Islands. 

Gwen Stephens Jones

A relatively late comer to the sub-continent, her introduction was a holiday to Kerala in 2003 when she fell in love with the people. Now she has the India bug bad and visits the subcontinent at least twice a year! In 2006 she took a 2 month sabbatical and travelled extensively in Central India, and spent a month working at Anant Van in Bandhavgarh. Her major loves include any film with Shahrukh Khan, seeing elephant in the wild, snow capped mountains and Indian sweets!

Favourite Place: For me the most amazing place is Ladakh. The sheer scale and beauty of the mountains is just awesome, the people are the friendliest in the whole of India and the welcome is just so humbling.

Last Trip entailed: Visiting Gujarat for the first time, "riding" a Marwari horse, swimming in my own private pool at Amanbagh and eating the best homecooked food anywhere in India at Shahpura Bagh.

Favourite Boutique Hotel: The River House in Sri Lanka is just stunning. Shahpura Bagh in Rajasthan has the friendliest hosts and most fabulous chef who has been with the family for decades and guards the secret to his recipes fiercely!

Favourite Heritage Property: Hands down winner is Ahilya Fort - the setting on the Narmada River is spectacular, the food wonderful, the fort itself a dream and the best thing is that the town itself is totally untouched by tourism so you can wander around without any hassle.

Favourite Beach Hotel: Aditya in Sri Lanka is really special, and worth staying at for the bathrooms and the huge bath tubs alone. However Soneva Fushi for me is paradise, the outdoor cinema under the stars and private desert island picnic a dream come true!

Favourite Luxury Hotel: Definitely Amanbagh - the service, food, spa, rooms and staff all faultless. The Pool Pavillions are the nicest rooms I've stayed in anywhere in the world. The best thing however is its location - surrounded by fragrant eucalyptus trees and the Aravali Hills, the local villagers are wonderfully curious and friendly.

Most Memorable Experience: Seeing the evening aarti in Haridwar, where there were thousands upon thousands of pilgrims enjoying a dip in the Ganges. A great people watching experience but you have to be prepared to be watched right back! Also watching a herd of wild elephant ford a river about 50 yards away from our campsite whilst staying inside Periyar National Park on the Tiger Trails experience.

Best Cuisine: Aloo Tiki bought from a street vendor in Varanasi for 6 rupees - about 8 pence! Delicious!