Unexpected India

Yup! I’m in India. I shouldn’t be – I should be at home until after Christmas. Sadly, one of our Tour Managers became unavailable for an India Tour at very short notice. This kind of thing happens occasionally, usually it is because of illness or bereavement. It’s tricky to find a replacement at short notice, especially for India where Tour Managers need a valid visa. I still had a month validity on my visa, so I stepped up to the plate and volunteered. I’m just that kind of a guy, you know? Mr. Helpful, that’s me. It’s also always worth having a credit on the brownie point balance with your employer – you never know when you might need it, and anyway, let’s face it, I just love taking Tours to this amazing country.

So, with about 20 hours notice, I flew over to Delhi and then we travelled up to Shimla in the foothills of the Himalayas (well, nearly). We stayed at the astonishingly and consistently excellent Oberoi Cecil Hotel – I’m planning a future blog post about this place and how they train and manage their staff. We travelled up on the Toy Train, a brave little narrow gauge that rattles and bumps up through valleys and tunnels.

My clients have been busy on their WhatsApp group, and their photos are, frankly, better than mine. Here’s a gallery selection of their best efforts, along with a few of mine. They paint an effective picture of the start of this exciting Tour.