India | Sri Lanka | Bhutan
Toby Sinclair
&Beyond Private Guide & Historian
At a glance
INFORMED. INTERESTED. OPINIONATED.
Fluent in English, basic spoken Hindi, and some Nepali
Over 40 years guiding of experience, and counting…
Regional knowledge and expertise in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Scotland
Special interest in the history of the Indian subcontinent, and central Asia
Loves accompanying solo guests, groups, families & couples
HELLO, I’M TOBY
Opinionated, always learning, inquisitive, and private. Born and educated in England, I have lived and worked in south Asia since 1977. Beginning my career in Nepal, I soon moved to India, where I worked as a consultant on the establishment of several camps within the country’s national parks. During this time, I gained valuable insight and experience as well as extensive knowledge of travel in the region.
For more than twenty-five years, I have been involved in the production of wildlife documentaries, as well as historical and cultural programmes in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal. I have also worked with an array of film companies, including DisneyNature, BBC, Discovery, Animal Planet and National Geographic.
With a keen knowledge of photography, I have handled logistics on numerous photographic projects for the world’s premier publications and photographers. In addition, I have contributed to a wide selection of magazines and books. Apart from photography, I have co-written A New History of India (2023) and edited, supplied text and images For the Leopard: A Tribute to the Sri Lankan Leopard (2023), as well as written An Introduction to India (1992) and contributed to several articles to various publications. Over the years, I have travelled extensively as a guest lecturer and trip manager for the likes of the Massachusetts Audubon Society, the World Wildlife Fund, and the Wildlife Conservation Society.
I currently live in New Delhi, India.
Questions and answers
GET TO KNOW ME
1. How many years of guiding experience do you have?
Since 1980. With &Beyond in India, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka since 2006.
2. What do you love to do in your spare time?
Read, and listen to music.
3. Regional knowledge and expertise?
India (the Himalaya, north and south India, Gujarat, Bengal and Assam), Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and Scotland.
4. What sets you apart from other private guides?
A passion for the Indian subcontinent despite all that it throws up.
5. Do you have any special interests?
The history of the Indian subcontinent, and central Asia. Natural history and the history of natural history.
Read More
Birdwatching. Reading history or escapist thrillers. Good music of all genres. The disaster of US politics.
6. Where haven't you been that you want to travel to?
Chile, Colombia, and Costa Rica.
7. What is your most memorable sighting to date?
The migration of Amur falcons in Nagaland.
8. Do you have a favourite travel itinerary?
The Indian Deccan from Hyderabad south to Hampi, including the Sultanates and Chalukya sites en route.
9. Who do you most enjoy accompanying?
I enjoy accompanying all guests – anyone I can learn from.
10. Do you have a favourite memory with guests?
Watching a Sri Lankan jungle fowl pick ticks off the head of a black napped hare in Yala National Park.
11. Tell us one quirky fact about you
I procrastinate.
13. Do you have a favourite animal or bird, and why?
Dhole (Asiatic wild dog) because they are always alert. Big cats may look beautiful, but they spend much of their life resting.
In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.
John Muir
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