About Philippa

25 Years of Travel in India

My India Journey

The London Years 1998-2006:

I first visited India in 1998 when I had been asked to set up a luxury travel company specialising in South India. The company I was working for investors whose policy was, “If you haven’t seen it, you can’t sell it,’’ and that has been something I have stuck to ever since. Over the next eight years, I travelled 3-4 times a year discovering India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan. I had no idea on that first trip, not only would India become my long-term career, but also my passion and my home.

Indian Experiences

The India Years 2006-2019

In 2006 I took a six-month sabbatical to manage a lodge in Kanha National Park and only returned to England in 2019. In the intervening years, I lived in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi. Believing that India has so much more to offer than the Golden Triangle, I set out on a mission to discover it all, traveling for at least 10 days every month.

I’ve travelled from Ladakh to Kerala, Gujarat in the west to the Seven Sisters of the NE and checked out hotels from guesthouses and quirky but affordable small hotels to luxurious camps and palaces, from standard rooms and tents to palatial suites. I’ve done street food tours, sampled royal menus, trekked the mountains, rafted the rivers, been on tiger safaris, walked with elephants, and ridden camels, Enfield motorbikes and Marwari horses. I’ve visited forts, been blessed at temples, shopped in markets, met the best local guides and tried all the varieties of Indian wines. I even went to Hindi school to learn the basics of the language!

But most importantly, I have discovered what truly makes India special.

2019 Onwards…..

Professionally, I’ve consulted for some of India’s biggest Destination Management Companies including LPTI and Creative Travel, as well as for some of the smaller and more specialist DMC’s, and assisted in establishing the India divisions for several travel companies in the UK including Ampersand Travel, Experience Travel Group, Selective Asia and Unforgettable Travel. I have consulted for five-star hotel chains as well as small independent hotels with a focus on curating experiences. I also believe that regional operators, niche experts and local experience providers are the future of travel to India. They are not only incredibly knowledgeable about their specialist areas, they are passionate about supporting local and that is vital. I work with them wherever possible.

For fun, I write a blog about India and have also written for the Times of India and Mint, India’s largest online publication. I’ve written a novel, Escape to India loosely based around the time I lived in Kanha National Park and I’m currently working on two guidebooks.

For tailored travel, I have a unique approach, as you will see on the travel planning page. I don’t ask where you want to go but rather why and what your interests are. In discovering more about you, I can truly tailor a holiday to your requirements.

I have also devised a collection of itineraries that I will lead. So, if you would like to discover India through my eyes, I would be delighted to have you join me. Click here for Signature Tours.

With Indian Experiences I aim to showcase the best and the best kept secrets that this region has to offer.

Enjoy the journey!

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Written works by Philippa Kaye

Find out more about the written works Philippa has to offer. With another book in the works.