Himanshu Maru

I was born and brought up in the desert state of Rajasthan in the northeast of India. Despite this, I love travelling in the mountains. Throughout the year I travel all over India; between mountains, to historic Rajasthan and in the southern states Kerala and Tamilnadu. The contrasting lifestyle and culture of these places never ceases to amaze me. The luxury palace hotels of Rajasthan to mud houses of Spiti valley, from luxury desert camping to altitude camping at 18000 feet, from spicy Rajasthani food to Yak's milk tea and from the overwhelming crowded bazaars of Old Delhi to the peaceful mountain lakes of Himalayas, I have experienced it all. I enjoy photography as well, and as a tour operator, I have escorted more than 50 family trips where I have also done the photography. I love being able to share beautiful candid photos of a trip with my clients.

In terms of locations, specialize in Rajasthan, Kerala, the Himalayas and Tamilnadu. I have been to these places many times in the last 5 years. I also specialize in culture and experience-based tours of India. I usually offer only comfort and luxury trips, and all offered trips give comprehensive knowledge of culture, history, art, food and the people. India is a huge country and offers a variety of culture, landscape and food. Multi-day trips are my expertise and enable the best exploration of India (in my opinion!), so most of the trips I offer are between 10 to 20 days.

I will never forget in 2014 when I visited Spiti Valley in Himachal, India for the first time. Journeying between mountains, high-altitude passes and even trekking at night — it all captured my heart! After this first visit, I have travelled there each year taking photos and escorting small groups. In 2017 I was there with 28 college students and we were headed to Chandratal Lake, which is at an altitude of more than 14,000 feet. The journey was tough — there was no paved road and our van had to drive through very rough patches. Then there were setbacks due to landslides and roadblocks. We ended up completing much of the journey in the dark and only reaching the campsite around midnight. The students had no idea of the scenery that surrounded them. But, in the morning, everyone was amazed by the beauty of the deep gorges which they missed in the journey.

I am very serious about my business and I always try to deliver more than expected. I am also knowledgeable— I have been to North India, Central India and South India many times and know these places very well. I focus on local experiences, where you can learn more about the daily life of locals while visiting important landmarks and monuments. If you are looking for something unique, I design handcrafted itineraries that include some of the best accommodations available in the area. I can offer 4-star, 5-star, luxury or unique, off-beat hotels, mansions, forts and palaces turned into hotels.