Mary-Anne Dennison-Pender's MAhout collection of exquisite places to stay in India ranges from some of India's most luxurious and innovative boutique hotels, spas and yoga retreats to glorious small forts, palaces, colonial mansions and bungalows. They also represent a collection of outstanding and truly special tented camps and jungle lodges. Each is different and wonderful. Some are small and only just starting out, while others are larger, more established and supremely sophisticated. Yet more offer outstanding adventure or wildlife experiences. Unique, dreamy, personal, special and outstanding - Glenburn is proud to be a part of the MAhout family. www.Mahoutuk.com
Annie and Martin Howard run a wonderful haven just outside Delhi called Tikli Bottom. As with Glenburn, a minimum three-night stay is recommended, as it is another place to relax, unwind and enjoy the company of your charming hosts. It is 45 minutes from the International Airport, and about an hour's drive outside Delhi. www.tiklibottom.com
General Jimmy Singh and Catherine Pradhan Lobo from Gurudongma Tours and Treks in Kalimpong sent us our very first set of Glenburn guests. They run a wonderful homestay in Kalimpong, but the highlight is definitely Samthar Farm House, an eco-wilderness lodge where guests can visit local villages, eat delicious home-cooked local cuisine, and just sit back and enjoy the mountain views. The Awake and Shine welfare programme in the villages near Samthar is a wonderful way to get immersed in the local community, and overnight stays in village homes can also be arranged. www.gurudongma.com
Manoj and Vineeta Jalan, a fifth-generation tea planting family from Dibrugarh in Upper Assam, open up the breath-taking Northeast India for you through their travel company, Purvi Discovery. Their beautifully restored Chang Bungalows (Mancotta and South) are a lovely place to stay when visiting this part of India. Manoj is a keen equestrian, and riding along the banks of the Brahmaputra and through his tea fields are an experience second to none. www.purviweb.com
"A meeting of minds" best describes the first encounter between Andrew Brock and Ashish Phookan in Guwahati, Assam, in 2001. Neither knew the other had been pondering how to initiate river cruising on the river Brahmaputra; both jumped at the chance to explore together this exciting idea. The Indo-British joint-venture company, Assam Bengal Navigation, was formed in 2002 with Andrew and Grania Brock, and Ashish and Jahnabi Phookan, bringing together expertise in tourism, experience of global markets and in-depth knowledge of Northeast India. Their wonderful cruises up the Brahmaputra River in Assam, and the River Hugli and Ganges in Bengal and Bihar, are popular with many of our guests. Their two jungle lodges - The Diphlu River Lodge in Kaziranga (run by the wonderful Ranesh Roy, a dear friend of the Glenburn family) and Bansbari Lodge in Manas National Park - offer wonderful experiences as well. www.assambengalnavigation.com
