Guides, tips and inspiration

Jaipur is the gateway to Rajasthan. Start at Amber Fort at sunrise, then head to City Palace and the Jantar Mantar observatory. In the evening, walk the bazaars around Hawa Mahal and try dal baati churma at a rooftop restaurant.

Fly into Livingstone on Friday evening. Saturday: sunrise at the Falls, followed by a Zambezi safari cruise. Sunday: helicopter flight over the gorge and a late lunch at The Royal Livingstone before your flight home.

Quick-dry fabrics, a compact rain shell, waterproof phone pouch, sandals with grip, and rehydration salts. Book stays with reliable backup power — outages are common in coastal Kerala and Goa in July and August.

Dry season (June–October) gives the best game viewing; green season (November–March) is cheaper and better for birds and photography. Private conservancies allow off-road driving and night drives; national parks are more affordable.

Cot on request at no charge, in-room kettle, blackout curtains, kid-safe pool depths, high-chair availability, and — critically — a kitchen that serves dinner past 8pm. Check recent reviews mentioning 'kids' or 'family'.

Share your itinerary with someone you trust, keep a second payment card in your luggage, use hotel safes for passports, prefer stays with 24-hour front desks, and enable location sharing during transit legs.