Testimonials

I know you must be very busy but I just wanted to pass on my thanks to you for the wonderful vacation that Kay and I had recently to India. Our guides, Sharma, and Hilal were over the top with their help and the information they provided to us. Kay and I have been on many tours with various agencies over the past but I can honestly say that this is one of the best that we have ever been on. India is a fascinating country and even though we just saw a little we are still left in awe. I just wanted to pass this on to you because many times no one ever lets you know how much your tour was appreciated. We will be back. Thank you, and all of your associates for giving us such great memories. Kay and Morris Golden

Your ‘Mughals, Maharajas & Holy Ganges’ tour was simply amazing and far exceeded all our expectations. Everything was very well organized, our guides were exceptional, the food was outstanding, the culture and history were amazing, the hotels were upscale and the bus transport was very good. We wish to recognize those who made our trip such a huge success: our tour guide Arvind Sharma was very knowledgeable, very well organized, respectful and gracious and very passionate about his country and his faith; our co-tour guide Hilal Ahmed was very kind and respectful, always upbeat and attentive to logistical details and making sure everyone was content; our driver Inder Jeet and his helper Ashout were so kind, prompt and alert to all our road travel needs; and our greeter Arshad Khan was very kind and helpful on arrival and departure at the Delhi airport; and finally Nazir, Mandira and staff in Vancouver and Mansoor and staff in India, thanks for your exceptional planning and arrangements. Your itinerary provided a large variety of things to see and do every day and some awesome sites to visit - the Taj Mahal and Ranthambore safari in particular were standouts. The people of India are very considerate, kind-hearted and pleasant and we were always respectfully greeted as esteemed guests and always felt safe in their midst. We had a great time and cannot identify anything material that needs to be improved. We already have and will continue to recommend Explore India to others interested in visiting India. Thanks to everyone at Explore India for such memorable experience! Brian and Mary Petovello, Calgary, Alberta.

Seeing as how we have just completed our third trip to India (April 2019) with you we are running out of wonderful things to say about you, Explore India and the fantastic trip we just had! India really is new sights, sounds, smells, chaos, people everywhere, cows in the streets etc but it is all fascinating! Your commitment to detail is greatly appreciated. We stayed at beautiful ( the Taj Lake Palace hotel) hotels, ate wonderful India food and were treated royally. Thank you! Ravi, our tour guide, was outstanding and there are not enough words to say re how our bus driver drove through the traffic and kept us safe. His assistant was very attentive supplying water and snacks and keeping an eye out for all of us. India would love to have more tourists so we will definitely recommend Explore India to anyone who might think about taking a trip. Thank you again Nazir for a wonderful trip. Can’t wait for the next one! Joan and Tom Tomlin Langley, B.C.

I want to thank everyone in your organization because all of you together made our trip to India one of the most memorable trips of our lives. It has been 3 weeks since we returned and we are now starting to relive the wonderful memories of our trip by showing the photos to family and friends. As Manzoor had mentioned at the first introductory meeting in Delhi, this tour was to be not a vacation but an experience of a lifetime. Indeed it was more than a vacation; it was a memorable intense experience that will always be fondly remembered. There were so very many highlights but the two that stand out the most for us are the breathe taking views of the Taj Mahal and the eerie spiritual experience of the Ganges ghats in Varanasi. No photo can do justice to the Taj Mahal and it just has to be experienced. Sunrise and sunset views of bathing and cremation on the Ganges were a culminating way to end our journey. You have a great package and itinerary for this tour. We experienced the richness of the culture and history of India and the grandeur of architecture in forts, temples and palaces. Hotels were very comfortable with interesting distinct features. Meals provided had a wide choice for all palates. The large comfortable tour bus with toilet was much appreciated. The bus driver did an amazing job getting us safely through chaotic traffic. As for shopping, we really found that “shopping on the bus” was the best way to get the small souvenirs and momentos. The specialty shops were awesome for the special purchases like a silk carpet, silk scarfs, pashminas etc. We were very fortunate to have Muzaffar Shah as our guide since he is definitely the best tour guide that we have ever met. He was always very informative, personable and attentive to everyone’s needs. We appreciate very much that he had a special way to describe key historical events in a story-telling way so that these came to life, rather than just facts and information. Thank you Nazir for your guidance to select this particular tour for us and your arrangements for our pre-tour travel for a 10 night stay in Goa at Candolim Beach. This was a great way to acclimatize to the time change and to escape Ottawa’s January weather. We enjoyed the fine weather, the beach at the Arabian Sea and in particular the warmth and friendliness of all the Goan people that we met. Our only regret is that we did not go back to Goa at the end of the tour not only for the fine weather and beach, but also for the fine food and friendly people. Thank you Mandira and Nazir for always responding quickly and helpfully to our various questions such as baggage arrangements for internal flights. I also want to mention Robert who met us upon arrival in Delhi, took us to overnight hotel and sent us off to Goa the next day. He has a very warm and friendly manner that made us feel at ease and very welcome to India. We have been to many parts of the world and have a few more places on our “bucket list” to visit but we definitely want to go back to India some day for more. We will definitely be in touch with you and will highly recommend Explore India to our friends. In fact, our close friends are seriously considering a trip to India next year and I have forwarded to them one of your recent emails that lists various itineraries. Thank you again for the most memorable trip of our lifetime Raymond and Ruta Klicius

I want to let you know how pleased my sister and I are with the tour we took to northern India in February. All the facilities arranged for us were top rate. The itinerary was varied and thoughtfully put together to highlight many interesting destinations, while allowing sufficient time to visit at leisure. Your quick and effective response to the unforeseen cancellation of our return flight was impressive. Thank you. The success of any guided tour depends in large part on the guide, and that was certainly borne out in this case. Mr Shah is competent, amicable and passionate about his country. He was able to anticipate and avert possible problems, and enlightened us with information and (what we called) mini-lectures on subjects ranging from history archaeology and political structure, to cultural topics such as the caste system and arranged marriages. As a bonus, he is also "unflappable" and has a very good sense of humour. I have already recommended your company to friends, and hope they take the opportunity to discover a little of India as we did. Regards Donna Neve

Hello Nazir, Linda and I arrived back in our home at 2:30 PM on March 13, 2019, after a long journey that began at 5:30 AM on March 12th, as we got up to witness the sun rising over the peaks of the Himalayan Mountains. Needless to say we were both extremely tired for a few days. That being said - Let me begin by thanking you, Mandira and all of the Explore India staff in Canada, India and Nepal. Every person we met were exceptional - Greeters, Drivers, Managers and our Tour Leaders Mr. Sharma in India and Mr. Acharya in Nepal. You certainly have have built an Organization that excels in Customer Service. As someone who spent his working career in Sales & Customer Service Management - Your Team is second to none. I commend you for this great accomplishment. Our Trip to India and Nepal was certainly "A Journey Of The Senses". From the Hotels selected for the Program, Venues For Special Event Meals and even the mandated Shopping Stops - all were First Class. The Program Itinerary provided us with a FANTASTIC opportunity to see an India - diverse in Culture, having great history, AMAZING architecture and most importantly WONDERFUL People. Not only do we have photos of this Journey - we have memories that are etched in our brain for eternity. If I can make one suggestion to your Nepal Extension Program. A late afternoon arrival at Club Himalaya with a morning departure on the following day is not enough time for two reasons - Potential of Poor Visability and Travel Time. For us the Kathmandu sights could have been condensed to allow for a second night at Club Himalaya. Thank you again. We will certainly be recommending Explore India to anyone that has an interest in India.

My wife, Julia, and I wanted to express to you our satisfaction with all the arrangements that were made for our group during our travels in India. Everything was absolutely wonderful and went extremely smoothly. Our guide, Shyaam Singh, was totally amazing. He was truly a professional as well as more than flexible with making changes to our itinerary to suit our needs. His knowledge and experience was very apparent and most appreciated. Our group felt like Shyaam was part of our family and he included us in a very enjoyable experience with celebrating Diwali with one of his friends family while we were in Varanasi. This was a wonderful experience for our group. Shyaam made our experiences in India more wonderful than we could ever have expected. We will highly recommend Explore India to all of our friends, family and personal contacts for any travels to India. Thank you very much for all of your hard work put into making our travels such a beautiful experience. Sincerely, Gord and Julia Donaldson

Dear Nazir, Thank you so much for your note. We had a wonderful time in India, and cannot say enough good things about our guide, Jishoy, and his team. Our driver Aneesh and his helper were incredibly competent, in the traffic jams, the winding roads, the wild traffic, and even fixed a puncture on a very narrow mountain road, with road construction going on all around. We felt very safe and well looked after during the entire trip. Jishoy was extremely well informed about India....the history and the culture, and shared stories about many aspects of Indian life. He was always kind, and very patient with us, and with everyone with whom we had contact. He also has a great sense of humour, and I think many of us would have liked to take him home with us😊. Everything went very smoothly and without any bumps...except for the bumps on the Indian roads:) I really loved your country. If I had any suggestions to make, it would be to stay longer in some of the areas......perhaps 2 nights in each stop, or even three. However, we would not have been able to cover the area we did, if we hadn't moved along as quickly, so I don't know what the answer to that challenge might be. Thank you to everyone who put this trip together, and again great tributes to our leader, Jish, who did everything in his power to make it a very special event for all of us. Sincerely yours, Margaret

Hello Mandira and Nazir, We just wanted to thank you for all the help and suggestions during the planning of our recent trip. We had a great time and enjoyed visiting both India and Nepal. We feel that we gained a good glimpse of their history, culture and way of life. Trip organization, our guides, hotels, meals were all superb. We felt safe and well taken care of at all times. Above all, we had fun! Thank you, Zuzana and Allan

An amazing experience......it exceeded my expectations. I am a seasoned world traveler and was so very impressed with this tour. Our guide Shah was incredibly informative and I loved listening to his stories about the culture and history of India. I came away feeling that I learned a lot about India....the real India.....and developed a genuine liking for the country and the Indian people. It was a “taste”.....I definitely want to go back and see more! Shah was always in tune to the group’s needs and was very accommodating.....he definitely made the trip a success. He was a true professional in every way. He had a wonderful sense of humor. Accommodations were first class...3 of us shared a room so a very comfortable cot was always set up.....however, at each hotel we had to call for extra towels, coffee mug, pillow etc......we were always served promptly....a minor inconvenience really. I was surprised at the pollution....a heads up might be helpful, as one may want to pack a mask. So many highlights.....of course the Taj Mahal and the Varanasi experience.....but I’ll never forget our tour of the government school and meeting the children, the kitchen at the Sikh temple was another highlight. I loved the safari and being in the rural area for a couple of days.....and of course our beloved bus bizarres..........so incredible. Thank you all! Cindy Henry.

Hello Nazir! Where do we begin?? Bill and I had a fabulous introduction to India on our tour with Explore India! Upon our early arrival we were met by our local guide Muzzafar Hamid Shah, who was ready to help with information, currency exchange and sightseeing outings! We took him up on those straight away and headed out to see and hear a bit about Delhi. We later had the pleasure of meeting your brother who gave us a bit of history of the company and laid down the concept of being family. And that is how it unfolded for us. We had a wonderful group of 17 diverse Canadians- warm, adventurous, funny, punctual! , generous, curious, - and we soon became a family, led by Shah- who we cannot say enough about! Shah was so caring, informative- so knowledgeable- he really made the history so interesting, also describing life in India today, education, healthcare issues, social issues, differences and similarity of the religions....our days were so full and so fun. He always kept us informed as to what was coming up, saved us from the ‘hawkers’ by providing the ‘on bus shopping’ which we loved! Also giving assistance as required or requested when we shopped the awesome artisan locations. These stops were truly amazing opportunities to see the old world techniques of carpet making, marble inlay, silk weaving, block fabric design, etc. Shah is such a great guide - we hope EXPLORE INDIA knows how lucky you are to have him! He was such a big part of the enjoyment and success of our trip. The itinerary was incredible- one could never arrange all this on your own. In casual conversation we all asked what were the highs and lows...no lows...and it was just too difficult to choose the highs! Of course the sights were magnificent- the Taj Mahal did not disappoint-it truly was beyond belief! As were the many other palaces, forts, temples! Our visit to the Sikh Temple was such a lovely, impressive event. It was like stepping back in time to watch the food prep by so many volunteers and the feeling was something spiritual... I’m sure you’ve probably heard about our super successful tiger safari at Ranthambore!! A tiger family plus a sloth bear!! We felt blessed that day and it was obvious, by our Naturalist, Vijay’s excitement, just how fortunate we were. He could have headed out after our initial tiger sighting as our time was closing in, but he ventured after another sighting, successfully predicting where the tigers were heading! After an incredible time watching them we had to hustle out of the park to meet our deadline. As we understand, putting himself at risk of fine or suspension of licence! The Ganges experience was beyond words and a part of India I will keep with me forever! Indescribable, really. As Bill has said numerous times- our visit to India was not just a vacation- it was an experience.... So many things to mention, but most come down to the people and just seeing everyday life go by..... the visit with the village family was very special, the time spent at the village school so precious.... and just observing life along the roadside was spellbinding. I could go on about many more things- the accommodations were great, the food was fantastic! Our family extended to our driver and helper who we were so happy to see on our return to Delhi! They also, took such great care of us! We have and will not hesitate to highly recommend Explore India to anyone thinking of going and will encourage anyone else to seriously consider India for their next ‘experience’! It was unforgettable! Thank you! Most sincerely, Laurel and Bill Wickett

I am sorry we took so long in replying to you. I came down with Delhi Belly after I got back to Canada!!!! We want to thank you for the most amazing trip of our life. It was so beautifully arranged. First of all Mandira thank you so much for all of our pre-flight information, booking our seats together and everything else you did to make this trip unforgettable. Nazir: Your company is the absolute best for touring India. The hotels we stayed at were super, except I have very long legs and beds that are about 2 feet off the ground and toilets that are low were a little challenging!! I managed but was extremely happy to get back to my very high bed! The food and care we received from Rajan greeting us at the airport, 4 very tired and shell-shocked individuals to taking us safely to our hotel. His presence throughout was a comfort. The best part was Ravi. What a very knowledgeably, thoughtful and considerate guide. He became a part of our family very quickly. He was always helping Mom, Marg Ann and it truly felt like we always being taken care of. Ravi anticipated that we needed to make bathroom breaks and lunch breaks on our trip. I am a diabetic and needed to eat regularly. He made sure the places were good for us to have a break and eat something. He herded us like cats through the various sites, helped us to get to an ATM and cross the street together in Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. I feel like I should get a t-shirt made saying” I survived crossing a street in India!” When he took us to our various shopping places he left us alone to do our stuff but if we needed an opinion or advice we could ask him. The saddest part was him leaving us in Kathmandu. Niraj was great, a young Ravi in training. We completely understood but we did feel a little lost. We were split up during our flight back to Delhi and my husband never got any lunch on Jet. Ravi would never have let any of that happen. I have recommended your company and the tour to everyone. My brother in Malaysia is interested. We wish you great success in all that you do and would like to tour with you again. I wish that you would work in other areas as I would trust your company any day. I was a little apprehensive at first but your company more than delivered. Your brother, Mansoor in India was our money exchanger to anything that was needed in-between. Explore India was awesome both in Canada and India. Our friend Colin was a Buddhist Monk and had helped the Drepung Gomang Monastery in Karnataka. They wanted to build a stupa for him and when I spoke to our friend he said that I could courier the ashes to the Monastery. I had no problems taking it out of Canada, unfortunately the no couriers would handle the urn. I spoke with Ravi and he spoke with Mansoor and I had 2 options. Neither of which were viable. So Colin made the trip with us to Kathmandu. With Ravi and Niraj’s suggestions we released him into the Ganges at Pashupatimath Temple. We were very happy to accomplish this. The Monastery has also said it was exactly what Colin would have wanted. I tell you this so that you can understand the depth of the compassion of your employees, now friends. Thank you so much for everything and we wish you great success in all that you do. Yours Truly Corinne & Mike