Testimonials

Hi Nazir, Sorry for the delay in responding...what with getting back on PST and dealing with Christmas it has been pretty hectic. We very much enjoyed the trip.  It was not always easy but it was an adventure and a great education.  India is really an amazing country! I have been trying to come up with some suggestions for your trip but I don't really have any.  I thought the trip was well organized and went pretty smoothly considering all the ground we covered and the challenges of travelling in India.  And of course the currency crisis added to the difficulties. I would definitely recommend the trip to anyone who wants to see India.  If I have any further thoughts I will let you know. Regards

Nazir, Thank you very much for guiding Sirje to work up such a wonderful trip. We loved it. We now are totally amazed that more people do not travel to India to “Explore India”. The accommodations, guides meals etc that you arranged were wonderful.  We have great respect for the capabilities of Explore India and will be happy to (and already have) recommend that friends work with Explore India to develop their trip.   Having a contact in Canada that one can work with and a team in India which can manage all the details is a wonderful concept. We even shared your contact info with some friends in the USA who are looking for a North American contact to help them design a trip like ours. As a result of decades in management I am a strong believer in “continuous improvement” and so we would like to offer the following thoughts/observations that you might consider to make other people’s trips even better. We are not looking for reasons why things were not done the way we had anticipated but wanting to share our observations with you so that you can consider our thoughts when arranging future guests bookings. On the trip, many things stood out as much better than expected but the biggest ones (in my mind) were: 1)    Having arrived on Saturday afternoon and having the tour start on Monday morning. By the time we got to the hotel we were exhausted and so it was great to have a day to sleep in and “recharge the batteries” so that on Monday morning we were ready to tour. 2)    Going to Darjeeling. I know it was “Plan B” and put in near the last minute but your team did a fabulous job and we still cannot get over what a wonderful place it was to visit.  A special vote of thanks to the Mayfair hotel which was excellent (by the way, talking with other tourists, they ranked the Cedar Hotel as number 3 or 4 and felt it smelt of mold). I would highly recommend continuing to use the Mayfair as the first choice. 3)    At Varanasi, your team inserted an evening “walk through the market streets of old Varanasi) before going and hiring a boat to cruise the Ganges and watch the evening ceremonies. The walk included being able to see the Islamic Mosque built on the site of a Hindu Temple and the “new” Hindu Temple. The evening boat ride was a highlight and a much better viewing platform than watching from the shore. We were a bit worried because the write up in our itinerary (from you) did not explicitly say to watch from a boat and we were worried that the guide was going to skip the boat and watch from the shore. We were so pleased that he got the boat (as he did the following morning per the plan). Khalid’s idea to put the walk into the late afternoon itinerary was wonderful. 4)    Having a Private tour for the two of us was wonderful. We could ask the guides all the questions that we wanted and not worry about holding up the others on the tour. We could also pause for photos and not worry about falling behind. 5)    The quality of the guides greatly exceeded our expectations. In every city/site, they were great. They generally had mastered the slower speech so that we could follow what they were saying and they took a time to help us keep the various historical rulers in order in our minds, even when it meant repeating something they had said before. In addition, the guides at Agra and Fatehpur Sikri were great photographers who showed us some new angles and tricks for taking photos with cell phone cameras. 6)    The sites like Darjeeling, Sarnath (with the Ashok Capital), Fatehpur Sikri, the Amber fort and the Astronomical Observatory were all sites that we had never heard of but should be included in tourists plans for India. 7)    Having Heera Singh as our driver for Delhi and most cities close by was wonderful. He was superb and in addition to being a great driver, was very interested in making sure that he did everything he could to make our trip the best possible. In 2017, Sirje would like to personalize a small gift for him that hopefully, someone can take over on one of their trips to India. Again, I hope you understand that we had a wonderful trip, are very positive on the bookings that you and your team made, are already recommending that people talk with Explore India when planning their trip. I just wanted to give you some of our thoughts and observations. Wishing you and your team the very best during the holidays and for 2017.   Thank you

Hi Nazir: I meant to respond to you before now, but a number of work and family issues have taken my time and attention.  First of all, let me say that I enjoyed my trip immensely. Indeed, it will take me considerable time to digest the experience. India is so different in every way (and then some) from Canada. We were exposed to the culture, history, life, architecture and spiritual side of India while being protected from the extreme change. Your guides were all experts, sensitive to individual and group needs, but able to keep the tour moving.  Sandeep was especially good. I feel I have truly been absorbed into India and its way of life. The guides in Nepal were also excellent, and they were so proud of their country. Our guide there took us to the home of a friend for a "cooking" experience. They were such a nice family and so hospitable. They offered real insight into traditional family life, but also the younger generation's energy to get ahead. The guide's friend (who had trained with him for his guiding certificate/license) also owns a coffee shop in the old part of the city and her husband is in medical school. The whole family (his parents, brother and the couple) lives in a very modest 3 level apartment under conditions Canadians would complain about. Still, they were so generous, friendly and hospitable.  I never felt vulnerable or in danger the whole time. I'm sure this was carefully managed by the guides. Still, people were genuinely friendly, in spite of the fact that we were obviously naive and privileged westerners. The hotels were all top notch. It was wonderful to be able to hole into some western comfort at the end of the day. The Delhi hotels near the airport were very nice and appreciated when air travel was involved. The hotel in Udaipur was charming and unique - what an experience! I think Udaipur is my favourite city in India. All in all, it was a wonderful experience that I will never forget - a once in a lifetime experience. You can be proud of what you have achieved. From a traveller's perspective, it was excellent value with all one could ask from a tour.  Many thanks for all your help - especially the travel hitch with Air Canada at the front end in the Sault and Toronto.  All the best,

Feedback re Explore India re Journey of the Senses - March 5 - 26, 2016. We are still processing what we experienced in India.  When we think about all that was included in our “Journey of the Senses”, we feel we touched on many aspects of life there - the history, architecture, religious practices, the food, village life, city life, mountain villages, the culture - folk music and dances, the craftsmanship, both the modern and the “old” India. We appreciated the experiences with many different modes of transportation - rickshaw, elephant, camel, horseback, boat; the many internal flights and the comfortable coach with its excellent driver and impressive driver’s assistant.  The switch made by Rajeev to automobiles from bus in Srinagar was also much appreciated. We especially appreciated the hotel accommodations.  The Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai will remain a highlight of our visit.  The restaurant meals throughout the tour were excellent. The cooking class and the Kashmiri lunch at your brother’s home gave us a unique insider view of private life - one which would be difficult to accomplish with larger groups.  The visit to Varanasi was unforgettable. All in all, it was a spectacular, extremely well organized journey and we appreciate all the attention to the details which made the trip so wonderful. The Journey of the Senses tour you have put  together is indeed spectacular and the reviews published on your website express the delight of  Explore India customers. Best wishes and thanks,

Sorry for the late reply, but Violet and I have been working on – stop since our return from India if February. We have been to many places, but India was by far the most exotic and wonderful country we have ever seen. The people, sights, food, cultures were amazing!  There was nothing that we could mention to improve the experience.  It really was extraordinary. We wish we could have stayed longer.  In fact, if we had known about the extension to southern India, we would have booked that too. Your staff was exceptional.  Everyone was very professional and extremely helpful at all times. We have already recommended your company to several of our friends, and we hope to go back to India with you as soon as we can. Violet and I are already thinking about getting away again.  We are booked to go to the Oceania cruise event on Sunday, April 24th We are extremely happy with the level of service and the quality the Explore India has provided. If you ever need a reference please do not hesitate to ask. Thank you for everything,

We are still talking about our fabulous India trip.  Have meant to email you dozens of times---life just gets in the way!  Thank you Nazir, we had an amazing time and you can't help but fall in love with that country and her people.  Of course the extra bonus was only 6 of us on the tour the first 2 weeks and only the Rhodes and us the last 2 weeks.  We really felt spoiled and pampered! We will highly recommend you and your company. Namaste.

My wife and I and our friends were very satisfied with your arrangements, which were well organized and efficient. I appreciate your assistance in planning this trip to India.  I would also like to comment on “Sandeep Singh” for providing exceptional services and professionalism. He went above and beyond his call of duty to ensure we had the most enjoyable experience in India. He was enthusiastic, informative, engaging, professional, helpful, organized and friendly, not to mention a wealth of knowledge.  I would like to also comment on the tour bus operator and his assistant for providing a safe and efficient service. And last but not least, thank you to Rajeev for coordinating behind the scenes. We will be definitely recommending Explore India to our friends and family. Thank you once again. 

This is a quick e-mail to let you know how much my husband and I enjoyed our tour in India.  Everything worked like clockwork. We were very well taken care of from start to finish.  The guides were very informative.  We loved our experience in India. Thank you again.

Hi Nazir, We had a fabulous time in India and rate our overall trip as a 9/10. We loved the tour you put together for us and just when we thought it couldn't get any better, our next destination brought more delights and experiences. Here are our thoughts of what worked well (I may have the wrong spelling for some of the names so apologies on that - I may also be providing too many details!): Being greeted immediately by Issu as we exited the airport in Delhi was perfect - he spotted us right away, was very friendly and energetic, he engaged us, answered our questions, introduced us to our driver Kulvinder, checked us into our hotel, provided details on the next days and everything was seamless. We didn't worry about a thing. We liked having a day to rest and get used to the time change. Our tour in Delhi was lots of fun. Our guide was good (can't recall his name - Assish?) We loved old Delhi, walking through some parts of the market and just witnessing how everyone and everything flowed - trucks, cars, rickshaws, dogs, cows, people, bikes - we could learn so much in western culture about trusting and going with the flow! We loved Kulvinder. We felt very safe with his driving. Sharon gets motion sickness so sat in the front with Kulvinder - she had a few anxious moments whereas I was so fascinated with how he navigated traffic and kept us safe even when it seemed like vehicles were coming right at us. Kulvinder provided us with water all the time which we really appreciated. (We weren't prepared for some of the hotter days in the high 30s and low 40s) so air-conditioning and water were so appreciated! Kulvinder also had an easy disposition, answered our questions, pointed out things of interests (camels eating on the roadside!), was generous with our son giving little treats to him such as carved animals, encouraging him to get closer to a snake when Taylor was curious but scared, etc. We loved Ranthambore - the drive was good as it gave us a chance to see the countryside and learn more about the agricultural component of India. The Tiger Sanctuary Den was our favorite place to stay. It was more modest as compared to the hotels in the cities but the layout encouraged more interaction with other visitors and that is where we met the most Indian tourists. (Some who took down Explore India info as we loved our tour and didn't have to plan/worry about a thing whereas others were saying with their tour company they felt they were doing more of the work.) So we enjoyed meeting the people and our son met his new best friends (Vedant and Sedant) and played with them for the time we were there. Rajeev called the hotel to ensure everything was fine with us, spoke to me to ensure we had everything so we felt very well taken care of. PLUS we saw tigers (mother and 2 cubs) on our first ride out to the sanctuary. The drive to the sanctuary was also very interesting as we got to see more of the farms and how people live. Our driver was fearless and our guide was determined that we say tigers - it was fabulous! We also visited a textile place where our guide was very patient as we order tailor made shirts and jackets which were delivered to us in a matter of hours - we were impressed! In hindsight, we would have ordered more (if they have an online business, let us know! - I can't recall the name of the place but one of the men who worked there has a niece in Winnipeg!) So just when we thought it couldn't get any better, we loved our time in Varanasi. The cremation ghats were our favorite and just learning more about Hinduism. The boat rides on the Ganges were amazing. We enjoyed also learning more about the history of Buddha. At one of the temples, the Indian tourists seemed to find something interesting about us. They kept on wanting to take pictures of us with them! We felt like celebrities (or perhaps it was karma as we took so many photos of local Indians as well!). Our hotel room was so spacious and easily accommodated an extra bed for Taylor which was nice. The guide was good - very knowledgeable on the Hindu religion and practices of which we asked lots of questions. When we landed in Delhi, we were greeted by Issu and Kulvinder which was great. However, they thought we were leaving that very night whereas our itinerary was for the next day. Rajeev ensured we had the extra day and extended check out time with dinner included (and Issu ensured at check out that we didn't pay for those items). We also asked if we could have a driver to see more of the sights the next day and Rajeev accommodated our request which we really appreciated. (We wanted to see more of the neighborhoods of how people live - so our driver was great - he took us to a range of neighborhoods - wealthy, government workers, etc) We will share our itinerary with others who have expressed interest in traveling to India and will definitely recommend Explore India. Thanks so much Nazir.

Dear Nazir: It was a wonderful trip and all four of us were glad that we had taken it.  The weather was exceptionally hot, even for the Indians as it was said to be about 10c hotter than normal. My Father-in-Law was easily taken care of, as if he wanted, he was able to stay on the bus. We all felt that you would still see a great deal of India, even if you stayed on the bus.  My Mother-in-Law felt that she would never be able to see the Taj Mahal, thus she was thrilled with the trip. All in all, it was a very good and most interesting trip and we were very happy with the service we received starting with you. My thanks.

Apologies for the delay in regard to this reply. It has been 3 weeks since we got back but the first one was an adjustment to time and travel. There are just not enough good words to describe the trip but it was definitely spectacular and above expectations. Exceptionally well organized and highly professional personnel were involved in the tour. India is just so remarkable as there is so much history. We crammed and read 3 books about the country in advance but there is so very much more to learn. To be able to travel there and have professional tour guides with that depth of knowledge was fortunate indeed. Can’t say enough about the calibre of Sandeep Singh regarding his professionalism, knowledge, organizational skills and overall ability! Hilal Lone did a good job for us during the Kashmir part of it! Besides the 2 guides, there were a lot of people to acknowledge in regard to the success of the trip. Unfortunately we won’t be able to name everyone. However, we will start with yourself Nazir. Being patient, personable, and responsive in terms of direction up front made for easier planning. Those who headed up organization at the other end, such as Rajeev Sharma, went beyond the call of duty to get their part of the operation right. If only for our jetlag the day after we arrived, he would have got us to a cricket game! Rafiq Mohamed did his part as well for the Kashmir leg of the trip. Last but not least, people such as the driver, Dalit Singh Walia, and his assistant Anand Mishra, made the journey what it was. The wondrous architecture we saw was at times almost surreal. They were so advanced in this regard so very long ago! Because some were so spectacular and precise, pictures do not quite do it justice, one has to simply see it! Also so impressed with the people of India. Massive population but they have found a way to make it work. Seemingly caring to each other and respectful and friendly towards tourists. Maybe the “hawkers” not so much. To a certain extent, one even adjusts to the heat. After time spent at the sites the air-conditioned vehicles helped in this regard. Small detail maybe, but cold bottled water always being available was quite important. The tour offered a good mix and variation of experiences. The trip into the forest was definitely special. Viewing the wildlife, especially the Bengal tiger, will always be a memorable lifetime experience. The quality of accommodation was very high. The variety and selection for meals offered up something that I expect everyone could be satisfied with, as we were. Never knew anything about Explore India before the trip. Now that we do and experienced it, we would certainly highly recommend your company and the tour! Cheers,

Just returned home and trying to get over the jet-lag. Thoroughly enjoyed the trip – would hardly recommend your tour company. (first time with your company).  The itinerary was well planned, transportation and accommodations were excellent and so was our tour guide. Had planned on staying in China for an additional 10 days but did not realize it was a Chinese holiday and we were not able to book any additional trips. Had I known this, I probably would have booked an additional tour with your company.