Meet the team - Indian Subcontinent

Amit

Having grown up in a small town in northern India, I was always curious to know what lay further afield. It all started with a trip to Delhi. I was so fascinated by discovering new places that I chose to study tourism management and pursued my Masters in the same field. This led to numerous opportunities to travel extensively within India and abroad. The regions closest to my heart include the Himalayan region of Ladakh, the north-western frontier of Rajasthan, and west Bengal, purely because of their authenticity, colours, magnificent monuments, culture and cuisine. Among my many favourites, I would also include the north-eastern part of India because of its stunning natural beauty and the mighty Himalaya. Outside India, I have travelled widely within the Subcontinent, the Far East, Australasia and the Pacific; however Bhutan is my next passion due to its authenticity, culture and scenic beauty.

Roop

Born and brought up in Bombay to Indian and Iranian parents, I had the best of both worlds in several different ways. Being from Bombay one naturally speaks at least three to four languages and I was lucky to learn more from both sides of my family. You may have noticed that I still refer to Mumbai as Bombay because it will always be that in my heart.

I’ve lived in several countries including Holland, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Being ex cabin crew with American Airlines, Saudia and Qatar Airways, travel was not only a passion but a way of life for me for nearly a decade. I’ve been based in Amsterdam and then in lesser frequented Jeddah from where I have fond memories of frankincense-filled souks and roadside barbecues along the shores of the Red Sea late in the evening. Tourists didn’t exist in those days at all and life was as close to being bedouin as possible. I loved it.

Shameem

My family come from Johannesburg so from an early age my school holidays were spent in South Africa. We would have big get togethers in the green spaces of the city with a braii (barbecue) at the weekends. I have travelled all around the country, from the stunning city of Cape Town to the wild beaches of KwaZulu-Natal and the amazing wildlife of the renowned Kruger National Park. I love that with each visit there is something new to discover. India has also always been an intrigue to me as my ancestors came from the state of Gujarat around 1900 before migrating to South Africa. My first memory of India is a visit to the Taj Mahal, a spectacular sight that my mother and I had always wanted to see. The forts and palaces of Agra and Jaipur are also incomparable to anywhere else that I’ve been.

Vasu

My penchant for travel goes all the way back to my childhood when I journeyed across India with my father, an Indian army officer. However, it wasn’t until I set off on a biking trip in north India with a few college friends that I fell head-over-heels for travel. After obtaining a degree in Economics, I started as a tour manager for European trekking/climbing expeditions to the Himalaya. I originally climbed mountains to get the adrenaline rush, but what caught me by surprise was how much I loved meeting the people in these remote areas. This inspired me later in my career and I decided to move to the UK to pursue an MSc in Responsible Tourism and since then have settled here. 

I am a trained mountaineer and have spent many years exploring the Himalaya in India, Nepal & Bhutan. Apart from having extensively travelled in India, I have rafted down most of the rivers in the subcontinent and driven my motorbike to the remote corners in India including the world’s highest road in Ladakh. I also take immense pleasure in meeting the people of the lands I visit and appreciating the customs & traditions they hold. I love the puppets of Rajasthan, food in Kerala, trekking in Nepal, mask dances of Bhutan and the ‘curd & treacle’ in Sri Lanka.

I have years of experience as an Indian Subcontinent specialist designing luxury tailor-made holidays and I won’t be satisfied until my clients are excited about the holiday. Apart from the usual sights I absolutely love to plan behind-the-scenes experiences in the narrow streets of Delhi or Varanasi, have conversations with local experts to learn secrets of traditional cooking methods, meetings with artists or musicians in the rural villages, and special private dinners in stunning settings.