Beyond the Itinerary: The People and Partnerships Behind Our India Experience

There’s a belief at the heart of everything we do: we sell what we’ve experienced ourselves. Long before a guest steps foot into a foreign airport or settles into a safari jeep at sunrise, we’ve already walked that path, often many times over.

Each year, Bob and I spend four to six months abroad, and our team adds another six to eight. These are not quick site visits or whirlwind hotel tours. We live in these destinations. We learn their rhythms. We understand what it feels like to arrive jet‑lagged, to navigate a chaotic market, to sip coffee with a guide who becomes a friend. Over the last five years, we’ve spent two to three months annually in Africa, basing ourselves in Cape Town so we can live like locals while accessing safari camps for deep, thoughtful inspections. In 2023, we lived in Australia for three months, absorbing the nuances that no brochure could ever capture. This kind of immersion allows us to coach travelers with honesty and clarity, considering the small details, the cultural cues, and the things you only learn by being there. It’s the difference between reading about a place and truly knowing it.

Our work is built on relationships that run far deeper than contracts. We partner with Destination Management Companies who share our values, our standards, and our focus on guest care. These aren’t faceless teams on the other side of the world; they’re people we know well through years of collaboration, site visits, and countless conversations. Because of this trust, we have direct access to the people who can make magic happen: the ones who solve problems quietly, open doors that aren’t open to the public, and treat our travelers like honored guests rather than names on a manifest.

My 30‑year background in financial consulting helps here too. It taught me how to think creatively, solve problems under pressure, and find alternatives when budgets or logistics get tricky. And as someone who traveled internationally with young children, I understand the realities of family travel — what works, what doesn’t, and how to design experiences that feel effortless. These relationships and lived experiences are what allow us to create moments that simply can’t be replicated by someone who hasn’t walked the ground themselves.

In November, I led a group of eleven travelers through India, a destination that can feel overwhelming at first glance. Many arrived trusting me, but unsure what to expect. By the end, they were glowing with affection for the country, its people, and its stories. This transformation was possible because of the relationships behind the scenes. I partnered with Amit Sankhala, whose grandfather launched tiger conservation with Indira Gandhi in 1973. Amit didn’t just arrange our safaris; he escorted us personally, adding depth and meaning that no guidebook could match. Because of our long‑standing relationship, we were invited into the inner workings of the safari camps and welcomed as friends rather than visitors.

Our itinerary blended iconic highlights with deeply personal touches:

• Two nights in a royal palace in Deogarh, hosted privately by the royal family

• A home‑cooked meal at Amit’s uncle Jeetendra’s home with his family — a memory every guest still talks about

• A spectacular lunch at Bombay Sweet Shop in Mumbai, a hidden gem not found in any guidebook

  
  

  

  
  

• Visits to places I’ve loved for years: a fabric house for custom clothing and Golden Horse, my favorite spice shop in Delhi

• Honest, unfiltered conversations with our guide about social order, weddings, religion, and family life

• A visit to a school in Jamtara, where one guest was so moved she donated funds to rebuild a classroom

  
  

Of all my times in India, this journey was the most meaningful. It was intimate, immersive, and full of moments that turned strangers into friends.

Exceptional travel doesn’t happen by luck — it’s engineered through constant attention and a network of people who care as deeply as we do. We work exclusively with vetted DMCs who provide true local support, not a generic “on‑call” number. Over the years, we’ve refined our partner list through firsthand experience, site inspections, and honest post‑trip debriefs. Only the best remain. Before guests depart, we build a communication hub for each trip, connecting our team with our partners on the ground. We monitor progress in real time, resolve issues quickly, and stay in daily contact with guides and drivers. Travelers receive a mobile app with every detail they might need including confirmation numbers, contacts, guides’ names, etc., plus a thorough pre‑departure briefing. It’s evenings, weekends, and constant vigilance, but for us, that level of care isn’t optional. It’s who we are.

At the end of the day, our job isn’t just to plan trips. It’s to create experiences that change people, open their hearts, deepen their understanding of the world, and leave them with stories they’ll tell for years. We can only do that because we’ve lived these journeys ourselves. Because we know the people who make them extraordinary. Because we care enough to be there, truly there, every step of the way. And because nothing matters more to us than seeing a traveler return home with a spark in their eyes and a new place etched into their soul.