FAQs
Engaging Journeys Pvt Ltd is the name of our company, and Breakaway is our brand under which we’re offering bespoke travel breakaways that are both fixed date departures as well as customised itineraries.
These are experience typically of short to medium length (3 or more days) which give you a deeper, more authentic and more moving experience of a place. We also craft longer, immersive breakaways for travellers who can take the time.
An experiential breakaway will bring awareness and help instil a sense of appreciation in the culture, heritage and environment of the region you visit.
Responsible holidays are typically understood as those which measure the carbon footprint of your travel and stay which is not something we can be fully focussed on for many reasons out of our collective control, time at hand being the foremost. But we do build in a very high degree of ethical practices into the crafting of every breakaway. By being mindful of local customs and traditions, we do ensure that every breakaway is very responsible in the emotional footprint that we leave.
You need to reach an agreed starting point on your own by air or train. We will help you with domestic flight and/or train bookings, and even your international flights if you’d like. All travel after you land is organised by us and built into costs.
Can you help me with off the beaten track itineraries or requests?
Our entire raison d’etre is journeying off the map. Get in touch and we’ll show you how.
Wherever possible, you will be staying at charming heritage & boutique properties. Unless you’re keen on the luxury hotel experience which is also something we can offer
We will have comfortable cars organised to take us around from the time you are picked up till the end of the trip when you are dropped back at the airport. We try and ensure the same driver is with you and guide/facilitator through your trip to provide the comfort of familiarity.
We will circulate a travel advisory before you go on the trip. But off the tops of our heads, you should pack mindful clothing, comfortable walking shoes, any medications specific to you, a camera, and a bagful of curiosity.
Your breakaway promises to offer a unique and personalised interactions with the people and communities who are stakeholders in the region and in your experience.
Booking and Customization
Call us or send a message on +91 9310007855 or email us at hello@break-away.in
You could pay by online wire transfer, cheque or credit card as convenient.
Payment can be made in cash or by way of Cheque (at par for all locations) favouring “Engaging Journeys Pvt Ltd” Payable at New Delhi and sent by courier/registered post to: LTH 213B, Laburnum, Sushant Lok A, Sector 28, Gurgaon 122002.
You may also do an electronic fund transfer to our Bank Account, please get in touch with us at bindu@break-away.in and we will share our bank account details with you.
Please email or 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.
We accept payments in USD / EURO. The RBI does not permit transfers to be made into our account in foreign exchange, so the funds remitted into our account will always be the INR equivalent of USD/Euro transfers made. Further, International currencies exchange rates keep fluctuating from time to time. Hence, we need to make appropriate currency adjustment, if necessary.
For cancelling or transfer of bookings (to another name), the same rules apply as those for a change in booking. Our invoice will always spell out our cancellation policy in detail. Please do read the fine print before you sign up. Bookings for culinary tours, if cancelled, will only be part refunded as produce and other arrangements are often made in advance at the venues. We always recommend that our guests buy travel insurance in their home country to cover cancellations in exigency situations.
You can change your dates at least 21 days in advance of travel dates and subject to availability of new dates and reservations. 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.
We can change dates subject to availability of our facilitator and a minimum group size of 4 to work within the prescribed cost structure.
For cancelling or transfer of bookings (to another name), the same rules apply as those for a change in booking. Bookings for culinary tours, if cancelled, will only be part refunded as produce and other arrangements are often made in advance at the venues.
A maximum of 8 people should take a breakaway at one time. We do not want to spread the personalisation and the deep immersion too thin and hence like to restrict our group size to 4-8, which is the optimum size for a memorable experience for all.
However, we have successfully created breakaways for large groups of over 30 travellers without compromising on the experience. So please let us know if you plan to travel with a large group and we’ll factor that into our recommendations.
Yes, we can easily cater to vegetarians vegans. We like to give our guests a flavour of regional cuisines since food is integral to understanding Indian culture so please do mention your preferences and any allergies or aversions at the time of your booking.
Do share your thoughts on what kind of customisation you’re looking for and we will see how best we can accommodate your request.
You have to make arrangements to fly into the point of starting the trip in time to join the group, and sometimes even come in the night before based on your flight and on connections, so that you do not lose time with the group.
General Information
Basic first aid will be available with us on all our breakaways. We do suggest you carry prescription medicines with you on a trip. For your own benefit, we insist our international travellers buy travel insurance from their home country as a pre-requisite to their breakaway.
Yes, they can join most experiences. However, there will be some which include complex gourmet cooking, or wine appreciation sessions, or safaris and jungle birding which may not necessarily be kid friendly or even open to the young. A slow paced, introspective, meditative and workshop oriented breakaway may also not appeal to children.
We are very senior-friendly and have a range of experience crafted to their fitness and medical realities. In case you’d prefer something else, please reach out and we’ll share possibilities.
Yes it is. We work with partners who are sensitive to these issues and committed to ensuring our guests are safe and secure in knowing they’re in good hands.
Yes we can. Please talk to us about the time you have available and we will help put together a plan to cover some other interesting experiences
Yes, we can. If, however, you want to cover an area which is beyond the purview of breakaway, we will introduce you to a travel partner who can cater to your needs.
Nothing is fixed on a breakaway except for the guarantee of a unique, transformative experience. We will craft your itinerary based on what you’d like to experience so costs will depend on what you choose.
Single Occupancy which can be offered subject to availability. You could write to us and we will check on availability and quote the price for the experience basis single room occupancy
Since your breakaway is being geared for you, this is easy to manage especially if you’re travelling alone. If you’re travelling with a group and would still prefer not to share your room, let us know so we can share costs accordingly.
We circulate breakaway specific travel advisory notes as well as a detailed list of inclusions, exclusions, mandatory things to carry and information on facilities, connectivity, medical help, etc is shared at that time. closer to you travel dates. We are happy to have a conversation with you to run through the plan once you have reviewed the travel advisory.
Yes we do, especially for milestone celebrations and corporate retreats . 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.
For our International Travellers
Yes, you most certainly will. We build relationships with our associates as we travel to and thoroughly check out these places and would not recommend anyone who we cannot vouch for. We pride ourselves in our decision to work with only those people who we know we can trust with the safety of our travellers.
There is nothing standard about any breakaway. Most of the places we recommend are home stays or small guest houses which are very charming and stay true to local cultures and traditions. 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.
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.
Air or rail travel will also be integrated into the trip. We strongly encourage choosing local transport experiences of auto or cycle rickshaws, canoes, and camel rides, depending on the place visited. We share indicative travel time and distance from one destination to another. However, there can be delays on account of unscheduled pit stops and traffic, marriage processions, and other things that make travelling in India so unique. Road conditions and (often unannounced) repair work in India can slow you down too so please be prepared for delays.
Your escort or driver will be able to explain the route to you. Feel free to ask us or them about what your route will be like.
Yes, we certainly will. We collaborate 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.
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 you see fit.
You will need to pay for all meals that are not included in the plan, plus a daily lunch allowance for the driver. The guide also eats lunch with you when you’re out and about.
We accept payments in foreign currency equivalents through wire transfers from your local bank into our account here in India. This transaction usually takes 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 of 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.
On our breakaways, 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 specialities in the area. Please remember you could give special instructions for less spicy food, vegan or vegetarian, and other preferences. Do please make a mention of this if reserving tables in advance. 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, preferably in your presence. We discourage sampling non-vegetarian street food in general except for at places recommended by us.
Potable water is easily available in India but we strongly 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. To minimise use of disposable plastic bottles, we do encourage our guests to carry refillable drinking water bottles which can be filled from larger mineral water bottles stored at the back of your car.
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 – we’ll be happy to help clarify the same.
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 blocked in the high mountain passes, accessible on the lower slopes, and cold in the plains.
Spring (March): Spring is the in-between season where the south starts getting hot and the high mountains in the north start becoming navigable.
Summer (April to June): Summer anywhere in the plains is extremely hot and very humid along the coast. However, this is a good time to escape the heat and explore the hills and mountains.
Monsoon (June to August): The monsoon arrives in June on the coast and in July in the hinterland. Pouring rain, sometimes for days on end, and suitably humid weather is a given. This, though, is the best time for road trips into the fabulous high altitudes regions of Ladakh, Lahaul, and Spiti.
Autumn (September-October): Autumn heralds the season of festivities and celebrations in India. The plains and the south are cooler and the mountainous regions start getting colder again.
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.
Please let us know of any medical conditions or ailments 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. Your medical insurance will need to bear the expenses for any medical emergencies.
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 phone balance is recharged 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.
Tips to the driver and staff at the guest houses are not included in our costs and you may give these at your discretion. Our travel advisory usually carries a note on indicative amounts that can be given as tips.
Our raison d’etre is to help people take journeys off the map and beyond the brochure. So, simply put, we can. And better than most, as our clients gladly testify.
Breakaway is run by women who love to travel solo, so yes, we will gladly organise your solo itinerary. The website has sections dedicated to this and several testimonials also verify this.
The cost of your trip would not include Video / Still Camera Fees at monuments, International / Domestic airfares unless specified, and 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 experience 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.