A Classic Tours Collection

Namaste, fellow travelers! We hope you've been enjoying carefree summer days that bring back childhood memories. Speaking of memories, we're anxiously watching our inbox, looking forward to receiving entries in our "Favorite Travel Memory" contest! To help inspire you to choose your own favorite travel memory, I thought I'd tell you about mine.

I was once traveling through southern India when, on the spur of the moment, I asked my driver to take me to a tiny village not even on the map. What I experienced there was unforgettable. The village's ancient houses spanned entire blocks, with the main entrances facing one street and the back entrances facing another. Instead of bedrooms, these multi-family homes had two open-air platforms—the men would sleep on one and the women on the other.

Even though I'm from India, I had never seen homes such as these. I was fortunate to find a quaint 16-room hotel in the village that felt like a private home. In the morning I ventured to the hotel's garden with my chai and biscuits and listened to the neighborhood sounds—hens crowing, mothers scolding their children, wives yelling reminders to their husbands, and monkeys swinging on trees. Before I knew it, one of those monkeys scampered up to me and snatched a biscuit right off of my plate! It was a magical, lighthearted moment, heightened by the feeling that I had stepped completely outside of my busy, hectic life. I'd love to hear about—or see—the moments in your travels that caused your own spirits to soar.

Warm regards,
Debika

A Classic Tours Collection, a boutique travel company dedicated to exotic destinations worldwide, plans unforgettable journeys to the most memorable places on the planet. Our customized group and independent tours to India, Asia, Africa, the South Pacific, South America, Greece, Turkey and Russia feature experienced guides, meticulous planning and the old-fashioned, personal service of owners Mark Sood and Debika Sen.

Our specialty is listening carefully to our customers’ desires and creating “dream tours” that surpass their expectations. A Classic Tours Collection refers to these journeys as “life-changing experiences.” We celebrate the transformative power of travel with rich, unique trips that allow our travelers to learn about, understand and be humbled by the cultures and customs of exotic destinations worldwide. Some of our most popular destinations include:

India, a vivid kaleidoscope of landscapes, magnificent historical sites, royal cities, golden beaches, misty mountain retreats, colorful people, and rich cultures and festivities.
Nepal, where travelers experience a mix of Hindu and Buddhist cultures and are mesmerized by majestic Himalayan ranges.
China, where our travelers journey to destinations both on the beaten path (the Great Wall, Xian’s Terracotta Warriors) and off (the “Roof of the World,” Tibet).
Vietnam, where modern Asia meets medieval Asia in the old quarters of Hanoi and Saigon.
Cambodia, where travelers ascend to the realm of the gods—Angkor Wat, the mother of all temples and a spectacular fusion of symbolism, symmetry and spirituality.
Turkey, where visitors explore the remnants of 13 successive civilizations spanning more than 10,000 years.
Kenya and Tanzania, where travelers can experience the unforgettable sight of a great animal migration during a safari tour.
Egypt, where travelers explore the wondrous ancient pyramids and enjoy a Nile cruise.

Whether you’re a first-time traveler with us or a repeat customer (and we have many who sing our praises!), you’ll appreciate the many personalized details we incorporate into each trip we plan. Our magnificent final travel documents, for example, often become beloved coffee-table books after our clients return home.