India Travel by Purple Dragon

For most people, a visit to India is a life-changing experience. India is vivid, challenging and full of both remarkable beauty and remarkable cultural contradictions. A visit here is a journey of a different kind, and many visitors find themselves confronting their values and their notions of history and spirituality. Next to China, India is the world's richest, most ancient civilization, the place where the Buddha delivered his sermons, the birthplace of Hinduism, and of many of the ideas that have shaped both history and thinking for much of the world. Kublai Khan, Rudyard Kipling, Shirley Temple and Ballywood have hinted about what is in store for those who have never visited here. If you are one of them, this may be the journey of a lifetime.

Purple Dragon offers all-inclusive travel programs and unique side trips designed to help first-time visitors get acquainted with dazzling India. We are a gay owned and managed company and our customers are primarily gay. However, you do not have to be gay to enjoy one of our India programs. Our mainstream customers choose us because they know they will get something better from a gay company.

Creating the perfect adventure could not be easier! Our programs are all modular. Choose a destination and arrive any day. Add any extra sightseeing you like and your trip is tailor-made to suit your own schedule, tastes and budget. Your private tour includes personal guides, so you'll never be herded around on a bus with 40 strangers. Although we have already chosen the optimum amount of time to visit each place you can extend your stay in any of our destinations.

Before your trip we will give you extensive "Before You Go" information that includes tips about packing, weather, money, shopping, food, travel practicalities and local culture that will help you enjoy a worry-free holiday.

For most people India is not a budget travel destination. If you are looking for a "cheap" tour you are probably in the wrong place since we have never been associated with cheapness. For good advice about how to compare the value of one travel program with another, please read our Cheap India Tour page.

Purple Dragon's India packages offer great value and save you time and effort by arranging your choice of hotel, round trip airport transportation, and sightseeing with a personal English-speaking guide. You can add optional sightseeing if you wish.

Delhi New and Old If you are planning to visit Delhi as a short stop in a long Asia itinerary or need to go there for business, our basic New Delhi package could be your cup of cha.

Mumbai Martini We have whipped up a spicy cocktail for our guests who have time for only a brief stop in Mumbai (Bombay) and want to see the highlights before business obligations or travel to an onward destination.

The Golden Triangle Delhi, Agra and Jaipur form the corners of the world's most spectacular triangle. This is a program for guests who have only a short time to get a first taste of India. You can extend your stay by adding one or more of the options below.

Oberoi Hotels Special Enjoy some of the world's most lurious hotels at about half the cost.

Have more time and want an in-depth adventure in India. You can extend our Golden Triangle program by adding one or more of the options below. Sorry, but we do not offer these separately, nor do we offer guide-only services in India.

Surajgarh Journey to the edge of India's largest desert to spend the night in a palace fortress that has been transformed into a luxury hotel, complete with a pool, roof-top restaurant and village musicians. Ride a camel-drawn cart through a Rajasthani village to see lavishly-decorated but now-abandoned mansions.

Ranthmbore A few days in one of India's most beautiful national nature preserves will give you a chance to see all kinds of wildlife close-up. Ranthambore National Park is famous for its tiger population. You will also have a chance to see elephants, rhinos countless birds, and exotic plant life.

Udaipur India's "City of Lakes" has been compared to Venice. Massive marble palaces of the Maharajas of old are there for you to explore, along with grand and unusual Jain temples.

Path to the Ganges Journey beyond Delhi, Agra and Jaipur to visit Khajuraho, the "Angkor Wat of India" and the holiest of Hindu cities, Vanarasi (Banares). In addition to Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, you will see some of the world's most erotic temple carvings and--it you are up to it--take a dip in the Ganges.

We are not limited to the most popular itineraries that appear in the collection on our website. We also offer custom tours to many other places you may want to include in your travels, including many fascinating cities in Rajasthan, Kerala, Kashmir and the foothills of the Himalayas. We also hope to begin to offer Nepal and Bhutan in 2008.

India is probably not the best place to go for someone who wants to experience a lot of gay nightlife or entertainment. If you are content with amazing sights and sounds, terrific food and unparalleled shopping, India is a great choice for our guests who can't stand another summer Mediterranean holiday.

Although the percentage of gay/lesbian/bi people in India is about the same as anywhere else, India's homosexuals are largely invisible. However, that is bound to change as India becomes more modern and westernized at almost lightening speed. Several bars in New Delhi have a 'gay night' once a week, and there are three weekly gay "parties" in Mumbai. Delhi held its first pride parade in June 2008.

For first time visitors the best season to visit Delhi is between October to March. Summers in Delhi are very hot and often rainy, so prices are significantly lower May through September.

A visa is required for citizens of most countries. Visas are not issued on arrival. We will give you plenty of help to prepare for your adventure, including detailed "Before You Go" information.