While homosexuality (for gay men) has not been decriminalised in India, a judgement of the High Court in Delhi from December 2009 effectively means that it is no longer considered an offence that should be pursued by the police. However the subject does remain strictly taboo, perhaps less so in the metropolitan cities of Delhi and Mumbai – but certainly in more provincial areas.

Showing affection in public is not done, whether you're straight or gay. It's quite normal in India to see guys walking hand in hand but this is considered a sign of close friendship, even though we might sometimes think there's more to it!

During your trip, we make sure that you'll be staying in gay-friendly accommodation – in most cases, luxury properties where two men, or two women sharing a bed is certainly nothing new, and where they apply an equal level of discretion and respect to each and every client. We have personally visited each and every hotel on your itinerary, have stayed there and were impressed enough to recommend them to our clients!

Depending on where you are in India, you might need to consider what to wear. There are no strict rules - just use your common sense, be respectful (especially when you visit temples: no shorts, exposed cleavage or uncovered shoulders) and keep the swimming shorts and bikinis for relaxing at the pool at your hotel.

Be prepared for questions from the locals, sometimes about things that we consider to be private (are you married Sir? Why not? Got lots of girlfriends at home? Why don't you have children Madam? Etc). In most cases it is nothing more than a genuine interest in life outside India. Of course you're not obliged to answer and sometimes it's advisable to bend the truth a bit, or casually ignore certain questions to avoid confusion or the conversation completely going quiet.

As a woman (especially if you're caucasian and/or blonde), you can expect a lot of passing interest from guys. This includes staring, which is rather normal here but can sometimes take a little getting used to.

Don't be put off by people wanting to have a chat or come up to you just to say “Hi”, some even might ask you if you would have your picture taken with them using their mobile phones. Just be confident enough to draw the line when it becomes annoying. The same applies for shop owners and hawkers – if you're not interested then don't get drawn in to a discussion - keep on walking regardless.