Just reading the list of inoculations and possible diseases in "Health & Safety" will probably make you think twice about taking your kids to India. But increasingly many do (to the extent that quite a few operators now customize tours to India with families in mind), and if the color and pageantry of India amaze adults, they will absolutely delight smaller eyes, opening them to the rich cultural texture of the world at large. What's more, children receive the most wonderful attention, and can do no wrong in Indian eyes -- for instance, restaurants are a nightmare for those who don't like children, as kids are allowed to run roughshod and make as much noise as they want while parents look on benignly. All hotels are geared toward kids (Indian parents always travel with their children), and babysitting is generally available everywhere. On the downside of taking your family with you: the extreme heat, the likelihood of tummy trouble from the water (it's very hard to avoid ingesting a single molecule), and the unavailability of suitable foodstuffs outside the big cities.
Tour operators that customize holidays with families in mind include www.kuoni.co.uk, www.audleytravel.com, and www.coxandkings.co.uk -- the latter even has a "Family Explorer" brochure that describes their custom-made trips.
