Back by popular demand, is our #MyLifesATravelTribe INDIA group trip during HOLI! If experiening Holi in a fun, safe, fabulous way, and India in general has always been on your travel bucketlist but you don't want to go alone, definitely join this trip!
We're aiming to have our private Holi party at the famous rooftop overlooking the Wind Palace in Jaipur (The Tattoo Cafe and Lounge) again, which no one else has ever gotten to do before, and our feedback from the two last years said that the event was above and beyond amazing! This also ensures that you can have a lot of fun while also staying safe, as street Holi festivities are known for inappropriate touching...
Your experience is as important as your safety for us, and Alyssa, as well as our local guides go above and beyond to ensure that!
We fully plan and execute every detail of this trip, including getting you those token photos, so all you have to do is show up! We're now also including all tips and all meals with the tour price!
So get ready to check off a World Wonder from your bucketlist, as well as an epic cultural festival!
*IMPORTANT NOTES:
- Holi venue is subject to change, if so it would be a similar location or a Taj Mahal view!
- All of our trips require a minimum of 15 people for Alyssa to host them, in the event that we have less people, the trip will be hosted by our awesome co-host Jena alongside our local guides and photographer!
We usually advise checking out the flights to India before booking the trip, so that you're not surprised by the costs! Typically we use Skyscanner to compare the best prices!
ARRIVE: The official start of the tour is on March 9th, and your airport transfer is included on that day only, even if it's very early in the morning. We typically recommend arriving as early as possible so that you can participate in our optional afternoon activities, and have enough time to settle in. Arriving before 12pm is ideal! Please not if you have one of the many flights that arrive at obscene hours like 2am, 4am, etc., you might want to book an additional night at the hotel because check in usually is not until 2pm!
DEPART: Any time on March 16th!
EARLY/LATE FLIGHTS: If you need to arrive a day or more early and or leave late, we will offer you assistance booking additional hotel nights and an airport transfer.
Please read this carefully! As full time travelers, we know things come up that can lead us to cancelling a trip…but we also know that a lot of things are non-refundable, which is why our $500 deposit is non-refundable up to certain times, so we just want to emphasize that here! And also give you exact details of some ways we can help make up for any loses if the timing is long enough in advance.
Our cancellation policy is based on our local tour companies’ policies as well for timing until things like hotels and tours are not refundable, as well as our own fees for all of the admin and work we do to create these trips, and handle all of your bookings! We hope you understand!
This is also why we make travel insurance MANDATORY, and we highly recommend getting it around the same time you book your flights. That way if a covered issue happens like a flight cancellation or delay, or you (god forbid) get sick or injured, the insurance will likely cover your trip.
However, if you cancel for PERSONAL reasons, including work-related issues, financial-issues, family-issues, or fear of travel, the insurance does not cover those reasons, and neither can we, however we try to be as flexible as possible!
UPDATE: As of 2024, we now require:
Below is an overview of our cancellation policy timeline for personal reasons:
For emergency health situations; we will evaluate them on a per basis situation depending on the time of cancellation and ability to have travel insurance cover it or not.
PLEASE PURCHASE TRAVEL INSURANCE AT THE TIME OF BOOKING YOUR TRIP! Click this link to use World Nomads!
We will remind you about 1 month prior to the trip to get your eVisa, but below is the information for your reference as well!
eVisa Website: https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/Registration
Visa to choose: "eVisa for Tourism" then "1 month single entry"
Hotel Information to Use:
Eros Hotel Nehru Place
New Delhi, 110019
+91 1141223344
Tour Company Information to Use:
Foxplore Travel
Swati Patel
+91 9818671536
This trip is all-inclusive of everything besides personal expenses like shopping, laundry, spa services, alcohol, and additional beverages at meals.
We get a lot of questions about how much cash to bring, and how to get local currency, so we're cutting to the chase and telling you about it here!
SHOPPING: We have two designated market shopping times, and most markets do not accept credit cards! How much cash you need depends on how much you shop! We can tell you that dresses range from $12-30, sarees range from $25-100+, bangles are from $5-20, shoes are $5-20.
ALCOHOL & DRINKS: You can use a credit card at hotels: A glass of wine at the hotels are probably $6-14 (since we stay at 5 star hotels), and bottles of wine are $15-25 in wine shops (which we will do a pre-order for, you will not be able to go yourself). Soft drinks, additional specialty coffee, etc, are around $3-5.
LAUNDRY: at hotels is around $5 PER ITEM, so we don't suggest coming with dirty laundry, otherwise handwash it! Please keep in mind we do not have very long at each hotel!
HOW TO GET LOCAL CASH (INR: Indian Rupees):
- We usually use a debit card with no foreign transaction fees (like Charles Schwab or Revolut) to get money out at an ATM either at the airport or near the hotel. If you can get it at the airport, we highly recommend doing that.
- Cash exchange at the airport: there are many kiosks for cash exchange at the airport. Be sure to bring new, crisp bills, $20 or higher is best.
HOW MUCH CASH TO TAKE OUT/BRING
-We will not make tons of ATM stops, so please take out more rather than less!
- If you still have rupees leftover at the end of the trip, you can easily exchange them back to USD!
- We usually recommend around $100 for shopping/souvenirs (depending how much you shop...this is an average estimate), and around $100 for additional drinks, however you can usually pay for drinks with a card! It's easier with cash though...
All meals are delicious local Indian foods, and are served either family style or as a buffet. There are always vegetarian and meat options. If you have any other food/allergy restrictions, please note it when signing up!
A bottle of water is included at meals and in your hotel rooms. Please do not drink tap water though! Ice served in drinks is filtered and safe.
If you have a sensitive stomach or are worried about the richness of Indian food, please bring medication such as Peptobismol, Tums, electrolytes, etc.
- Trip price is based on double occupancy in twin rooms unless you pay extra for a single room
- Add-ons can be added later, and up to 4 months before the trip, please make a note if you might be interested in one so we can let you know how many other people are as well
- Itinerary is subject to change but all changes will be similar to what is already on here
- We will have two back-end team members, one guide, and one photography assistant for this trip
- The minimum amount of people for Alyssa to host this trip is 15, if there are less, Jena will host it
- If there are over 25 people, Alyssa will host, Jena will co-host
Once you arrive in the Delhi airport and have found our driver waiting for you with a placard, you won't have to worry about literally anything else besides having an amazing time!
Please note that Delhi, and India in general, is overwhelming, chaotic, and intimidating...try to be as patient as possible at the airport...it will be slow and a bit of a process!
Once you've cleared customs and retrieved your bag, if you have time, please use the ATM or a cash exchange! Then meet the driver in the designated spot, which we will inform you of before the trip!
Then, it's off to our beautiful hotel, right in the heart of New Delhi, which is modern, and likely not what you're expecting! However the hotel's proximity to our secret favorite places is essential, so that we don't waste time in traffic!
If you arrive before 12pm, we will have an optional shuttle taking us to Alyssa's secret favorite, fabulous small market area, where there's tons of rooftop bars, some stress-free shopping options, and our favorite Ayurveda shop!
We'll have lunch and do some shopping, then if time permits, we'll stop at one of the busy (chaotic) street markets before heading back to the hotel for our Welcome Dinner and briefing!
*Please note: do not unpack everything in your suitcase, because we need to check out in the morning!
Overnight in DELHI: Eros Nehru Place or Similar