What is Engaging Journeys Private Limited?
Engaging Journeys Pvt Ltd is the name of our company, and breakaway is our brand under which we're offering short experiences and breakaways, both fixed date departures and customised itineraries too.

What are experiential tours?

• Short breaks which give you a deeper, more authentic and more profound experience of a place, not a "drive by" experience
• an experiential breakaway will instill a sense of appreciation and pride in the culture, heritage and environment of the region you visit

Are these responsible holidays?
Not necessarily. Responsible holidays are those which measure the carbon footprint of your travel and stay which is not something we are focussed on doing for the moment.

How to book?
If you are interested in any of our breakaways please call us today at +91 9818845999 or email us at yourbreakaway@break-away.in indicating your requirement and details of number of people and desired dates and we will come back to you with travel options that will suit you.

What are the payment options?
You could pay by DD, cheque or credit card as convenient.

Payment can be made in cash or by way of Demand Draft (DD) or Cheque (at par for all locations) favoring "Engaging Journeys Pvt Ltd" Payable at New Delhi and sent by courier/registered post to: 703 A, GFA, Laburnum, Sushant Lok A, Sector 28, Gurgaon 122002

You may also do a electronic fund transfer to our Bank Account, please get in touch with us at yourbreakaway@break-away.in and we will share our bank account details with you.

Please email / fax/ SMS us the transaction details after the money transfer so as to help us track your transfer. You could also drop in your Cheque at any branch of ICICI BANK.

I am an International traveler, can I pay in USD or EURO?
We accept payments in USD / EURO. Further, International currencies exchange rates keep fluctuating from time to time. Hence, we need to make appropriate currency adjustment, if necessary.

What happens once I have made the booking?
You will receive the invoice for your payment. We shall send you all documents pertaining to your travel. Ticket reservations, itinerary, travel advisory and much more.

How will I get booking confirmation and invoice?
As mentioned above, you shall receive all from us, upon confirmation of payment.

What if I need to change my booking?
you can change your dates at least 21 days in advance of travel dates and subject to availability of new dates. If any travel bookings have been made for the original travel dates, then you will have to bear cancellation charges for these.Service tax payments made to any service providers cannot be refunded or adjusted against fresh travel dates.

What if I need to cancel my booking?
For cancelling or transfer of bookings (to another name): the same rules apply as above. Bookings for culinary tours if cancelled will only be part refunded as at the venue the produce has been procured.

What about Safety?
Basic first aid will be available with us on all our breakaways. If you feel the need to buy travel insurance that's your pre-rogative.

Can kids come on your tours?
Yes, on most tours. However, there will be some which include gourmet cooking, or wine appreciation sessions, angling and birding which are special interest tours and may not necessarily be kid friendly. A slow paced, introspective, meditative and workshop oriented breakaway may not appeal to kids.

Information on breakaways will be detailed enough for you to determine which might appeal to the whole family. eg Nature trails, Apple Pie in the Sky , Durga Puja.

How about people above 60?
Our breakaways are usually designed to cater to people with an average fitness level. if there is a lot of long travel, walks on undulated terrain required, it will be specified in our detailed itineraries. If looking for wheel chair friendly travel, please check with us on what options we can recommend.

Can you customise holidays?
yes we can. If however, you are wanting to cover an area which is beyond the purview of breakaways, we will introduce you to a travel partner who can cater to your needs.

Do you do group bookings?
Yes we do. we prefer to limit the group size to 8-10 people for our breakaways to ensure we do not compromise on the quality of the experience. Also, most of our properties are small and personalised and may not be able to cater to a group size of more than 10.

Are the breakaway rates standard, irrespective of the group size?
The price of a breakaway varies based on single/twin/triple occupancy, the size of the group, and travel options.Please speak with us to figure out the option that works best for you

I don't like to share my room with anybody I want single occupancy ? What are the cost implications?
We call it Single room supplement. Additional charge for Single Occupancy which can be offered subject to availability at the homestay /retreat. You could write to us and we will check on availability

What am I supposed to carry on a trip?
We circulate breakaway specific travel advisory notes at the time of confirming your bookings. and a detailed list of inclusions, exclusions, mandatory things to carry and information on facilities , connectivity, medical help, etc is shared at that time.

Will I be staying at safe places during our travels with Breakaway?
Yes ofcourse, we build relationships with our associates as we travel to these places and would not recommend anyone who we cannot vouch for. We pride ourselves in our ability to work with only those people who we know we can trust with the safety of our travellers.

I do not want to stay in standard hotels; I'd like an authentic Indian experience.
Most of the places we recommend are home stays or small guest houses which are very charming. Each one of them is endorsed by us in course of our own travels and we do not allow for the safety or comfort of our travellers to ever be compromised by them.

How will our local travel be?
You will have a comfortable spacious chauffeur driven vehicle at your service at all times. We ensure that the driver can communicate efficiently, if not perfectly, in English. The selected drivers are courteous and respectful and will follow your agenda and advise you when needed.

As per certain routes air or rail travel will be integrated into the trip. We encourage local transport experiences of auto or cycle rickshaws, canoes, camel rides....depending on the place visited. We give indicative travel time and distance from one destination to another. However, there can be delays on account of unscheduled pit stops and sometimes traffic when passing through a town. Road conditions in India can slow you down too and you have to be prepared for delays.

Your escort or chauffeur will have a map to explain the route to you. Feel free to ask us or them about what your route will be like.

Will you help me with my international travel tickets?
Yes! We have tie ups with a travel services provider who helps us with international and domestic ticketing. We will, however, not be able to help you with your visas and Insurance.

What are the extra expenses that we are likely to incur on our journey on the road?
The driver will take care of fuel, all toll taxes, entry permits and parking charges. You will not need to pay for any of these. If you are happy with him, he will be happy to receive a tip as a token of thanks.

Can I pay for my Breakaway in foreign currency?
We accept payments in foreign currency equivalents through wire transfers from your local bank into our account here in India .This transaction usually takes from 3-5 working days to be completed.

As per Indian banking regulations our bank has a German partner bank and all payments are routed through them. We advise you not to do the transfers yourself by internet as the operation if Indirect Transfers is a more complex one. It is better to contact your bank personally to initiate the transfer. We will provide you and your bank with all the necessary details.

I am very concerned about what I eat during my trip to India.
On our trips, we always try and give you a taste of regional cuisines wherever you visit. If you are on your own for lunches and dinners, we will provide you with a list of options for you to experience the best local cuisine in the area. Please remember you could give special instructions asking for less spicy food. Do make a mention of this if reserving tables in advance as well. If you are allergic to any specific foods, please let us know well in advance so we can tell you what kind of foods to avoid.

Fruits and vegetables purchased to be eaten raw must be thoroughly washed before consumption. Everything smells appetising but when trying street food please choose freshly cooked food. We discourage non-vegetarian street food in general except for at places recommended by us.

Will the drinking water be potable?
We recommend that you only drink mineral water. Most of our recommended places have efficient water purifiers and you may use them too. You may check with your escort or the homestay owner to verify this.

What will the weather be like?
India is a huge country with varied geographical landscapes, and like everything else the climate in India is equally diversified. Please verify the climate of each region according to the period you wish to travel.

Winter (November to February): Winter months in south India are pleasant with plenty of sunshine. One can travel to almost any part of the region during the season. In the north it is snow bound and mountain passes are blocked.

Spring (March-April): Spring is the in between season where the south starts getting hot and the mountains in the north just start being navigable.

Summer (May to July): Summer in the country is extremely hot and. However, this is a good time to explore the hills and mountains.

Monsoon (June to August): Depending on coastal regions or landlocked regions the monsoon arrives in June or July. Torrential rain, for days on end sometimes and humid weather is expected.

Autumn (September-October): Autumn is the season of festivities and celebrations in India. The plains and the south are cooler and the mountainous regions are much colder.

What sort of clothes should I carry?
This again depends on the time of the year you are travelling to India and the region in which you decide to Breakaway with us. We will circulate a travel advisory before you go on the trip with recommendations on what kind of clothing and essentials to carry.

What about Safety and medical facilities?
Please let us know of any medical conditions or ailments or phobias that you may be diagnosed with. This is very important and will help us plan your travel accordingly. Please do not hesitate to inform us of any medical condition of any nature that may arise during the trip.

Basic first aid will be available with us on all our Breakaways. The will be a doctor on call facility where possible in case of an emergency. In the unlikely event of an extreme emergency, if it is untreatable locally or needs special attention we will assist you in the repatriation procedure to the best of our ability. You medical insurance will bear the expenses for any medical emergencies.

I need to stay connected with people back home when I'm in India. What is the best way to be connected with them?
We could organise a cell-phone with an Indian SIM card for you to use during your trip, at an extra cost, against a refundable deposit once the handset is returned. Your escort or chauffeur will ensure the payable phone-recharge regularly in order to facilitate your trip.

However, cell connectivity is not always the best when on the road between destinations. We can share land line numbers for the places you will stay at during the course of your trip in advance which you can leave behind with your family/colleagues at work.

What is the policy on Tips?
Tips to the driver and staff at the guest houses are not included in our costs and you may give these as gratis on your own will.

Can you provide some references for me to speak with about Breakaway?
We respect the privacy of all our guests. On the other hand we do understand that there's nothing better than a direct word-of-mouth recommendation. We would need to seek the permission of some of our guests if you have to speak with them and hear about their experience firsthand. In the meanwhile, you can find some testimonials on our website.

I will be travelling alone. Do you do customised trips for solo-travellers?
Yes we do. Please visit our customised Breakaways section which talks about various trips that have been created for a solo-traveller in the past.

What are exclusions in the cost of the trip?
The cost of your trip would not include : Video / Still Camera Fees at monuments, International / Domestic airfares unless specified, any items of personal nature viz. laundry charges, telephone bills, drinks, tips and shopping etc.

Please do note that the cost of the trip as agreed with you does not have any provision to cover costs on account of circumstances that are beyond our control. (Situations such as road blockade due to strike or agitation, earthquake, natural calamity, sickness evacuation, delay or cancellation of train or flight)

There are unexpected situations in India which are part of the charm of travelling in the country. The escort or driver who accompanies you will ensure that precautions are taken where possible to avoid such situations and where they are unavoidable, we will ensure a safe and secure replacement plan. This might have an impact on the overall cost and you will be informed of it before any step or decision is taken.

Can you help me with off the beaten track itineraries or requests?
We are all about Journeys off the Map. We will be happy to take on the challenge of creating an off the beaten track Breakaway for you .Do write to us and let's find the best solution for you.