Plan your trip
Before you book, everything you will want to know
How a journey comes together, when to go where, how to get here, and how paying and cancelling work. Plainly, and before you send us anything.
01 · How it works
From a first message to the last morning
1
You write to us
Who is travelling, roughly when, and what you enjoy. A few lines are enough.
2
We ask questions
Usually a handful, so that what we suggest is built for you rather than taken off a shelf.
3
You receive a written quotation
The journey day by day, what it costs, and exactly what that includes. Change it as often as you like.
4
You confirm, and we book
Nothing is held and nothing is paid until you accept the quotation in writing and we send you a confirmation.
5
We look after you on the ground
Someone from our team is with you during the journey, and we are reachable throughout.
02 · When to go
The best time to visit, region by region
India is big enough that it is always the right season somewhere. These are the months we would choose.
Kerala, coast and backwatersOctober to March, December to February above all
Kerala hills (Munnar, Wayanad)September to May
Konkan and GoaNovember to February
RajasthanOctober to March
Delhi, Mumbai and KolkataOctober to March
LadakhJune to September
Sikkim and DarjeelingMarch to May, and October to November
Andaman IslandsNovember to April
Sri Lanka, west and south coastsDecember to March
Sri Lanka, east coastApril to September
NepalOctober and November, and March and April
BhutanMarch to May, and September to November
In Kerala, April and May are hot and humid by the sea, and the hills are the answer. The monsoon arrives in June: it rains hard, then stops, and everything turns green. Rajasthan is very hot from April to June, and the roads into Ladakh are closed for much of the rest of the year.
Not sure? Tell us your dates and we will tell you where is at its best.
03 · Getting here
Visas, flights and arriving
Visa
Most British and European travellers need a visa for India, usually the e-Visa, applied for online before you leave and issued within a few days. The rules and fees change, so check the official Indian government visa site for your own passport. We cannot apply for you, but we will gladly answer questions.
Indian government e-Visa siteFlying to Kerala
There is no non-stop flight from Europe to Kerala. Most routes change once, through Doha, Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Istanbul, or through Delhi, Mumbai or Bengaluru.
Which airport
Kochi (COK) is closest to the backwaters and the best connected. Thiruvananthapuram (TRV) for the south, Kozhikode (CCJ) or Kannur (CNN) for the north.
Journeys in the north
These usually begin in Delhi or Mumbai.
Travel times
Roads in India are slower than maps suggest. In Kerala, forty kilometres an hour is a fair average, and Kochi airport to Alappuzha, about 85 kilometres, takes around two hours. It is why we often suggest one place fewer and one night more.
Language
Our team speaks English. In Kerala most people you meet speak it too; elsewhere in India it depends on the place.
04 · Paying and booking
How payment works, and how your money is protected
Who you pay
Scenic Escapes India Private Limited, a company registered in Kerala. Its registration numbers and certificates are public, and you can check them on the government registers.
Company detailsWhen
Payment in full before you travel, because the hotels, boats, drivers and guides are paid in advance. If you prefer, 50% confirms the journey and the balance is due 45 days before you arrive.
How
- Bank transfer in Indian rupees
- Bank transfer in euros or pounds sterling
- Card payment, through a secure link we send you
- UPI, for anyone with an Indian bank account
Transfer fees
An international transfer usually carries a fee from your bank. Please ask it to send the invoiced amount in full.
If you cancel
More than 30 days before you arrive, a full refund, less anything a hotel or boat owner has already kept and will not return, which we show you. Between 15 and 30 days, half of what you paid. Less than 15 days, or once the journey has begun, no refund. Refunds go back the way the money came, within two weeks.
Insurance
We strongly recommend travel insurance covering medical care, repatriation, cancellation and baggage. We do not sell it.
One company answers for everything
If a room is not as promised or a driver does not come, it is ours to put right, not yours to argue with a supplier.
05 · Questions
Questions people ask
Why are there no prices on the journeys?
Because a journey is quoted, not priced. The same route costs one thing for two people in February and another for six in July. Ask, and you get a real figure for your dates.
Are the journeys on the site fixed?
None of them is. Most of what we arrange is one of them changed to suit: longer, shorter, or two joined together.
Who will I deal with?
One of the people who plans the journeys. There is no call centre and no ticket number.
How quickly will you reply?
Within a day, usually the same one. Monday to Saturday, 9.00 to 19.00 India time.
Are the hotels your own?
No. Every place we book is independent. We book them, and we answer to you for them.
Tell us about your journey
Since 1997
Our team has been in tourism since 1997. Scenic Escapes India Private Limited is a private company registered in Kerala and based in Karunagappally, Kollam. Its registration details are published for anyone to check.
Company details