Extension – Holy Ganges of Varanasi

Now that you are back from India I wanted to thank you and Rajeev for the wonderful holiday that that you organized. I had high expectations but I can truly say that our expectations were exceeded throughout the holiday. The choice of hotels was fabulous as was the choice of cities and sites to visit. We will certainly plan another trip in the future as there is still so much to see in India and we will contact you again. Rajeev was very attentive following up with us almost every day and making sure everything went smoothly (which it did). The drivers and guides were great throughout the trip. I only have one small suggestion. Depending on your client's budget and available time, I would book one free day in some of the palace hotels just to enjoy the pools and gardens. The pace of the trip was great but I would have liked one more day at say Lake Palace or Umaid Bhawan Palace to enjoy the hotel itself. I have already recommended you to three other friends. Thanks again

After being home for about 3 weeks now, recovered from the incredible jetlag (how do you do it, going back and forth so often??), and having dug myself out from under at the office, I feel I must write to you and thank you for the absolutely wonderful and amazing trip. For me it was a dream come true, having been fascinated with India since I was about 12. It was more, so much more than I ever imagined! The incredible art and opulence of the palaces, the history, the temples, and the people who work so hard and yet are so open and welcoming - you made it all come to life ….. What an incredible place!!! People ask what I liked best about the trip – a question I can’t answer. The Taj Mahal, of course, stands out, but all the special arrangements you made everywhere, the organization of it all, the private gala dinners, the incredible palaces we stayed in, the shikara ride, the special experiences like the Bollywood Movie and Elephant Polo (!), all of it - unforgettable! Not to mention the welcome and attention we received from everyone, from the tour guides to your and Nazir’s family ….. it was all amazing, and I thank you for making India real for me in such a special way J. Sanjay – I look forward to seeing you in our offices soon so that I can make good on that offer for lunch at Nota Bene! All the best, and thank you all again.

Hello Nazir, It has been a week since our return from Impressions of India trip. We are slowly getting over our jet lag. I still find myself going to the gym at 4 o'clock in the morning (and not minding it).  This was my second time in India. The first time was in 1976 when I backpacked through large parts of India for about 5-6 weeks and then returned back again about a month later for four more months to do some work out of Mumbai. I often had a week or two off, which I used to travel further through India. First of all, I must comment on the excellent service that Sandeep has provided to our group. As I have discovered, all twenty-two participants are a well-travelled bunch. From my own perspective, Sandeep was the best guide of any we have ever had, anywhere. I would gladly go on another tour of India under his guidance again. Maybe Kerala one day. We have seen wonderful historical sites, forts and palaces, seen a tiger, experienced Diwali in Varanasi, etc. The hotels chosen by EI were excellent, the food was delicious and travel by bus was very comfortable. We will treasure our memories of India forever and will definitely recommend your company to our friends and relatives. Thank you and Namaste,

First of all a big thank you to you and your team in India for an excellent tour. It was most enjoyable. We would like to mention Rajeev and Yajur in particular. Rajeev was very welcoming and friendly and Yajur was an excellent and very knowledgeable tour guide. Kashmir was very interesting and beautiful - Bashir was very accommodating and we appreciated you calling him periodically to check that our trip was proceeding well. We would definitely recommend Kashmir to friends planning a trip to India. What we really appreciated was the diversity provided whether it be the food (we did go to some excellent restaurants), the monuments that we visited, the rickshaw ride in old Delhi and the nature of Ranthambore NP. The hotels were generally excellent particularly in Srinagar, Agra and Jaipur. Ranthambore was a bit on the rustic side but the setting was good and very close to the park entrance. There was no mix up with bags, and timing and transport coordination was excellent. One thing we really did appreciate was time to relax and have some down time at the hotels.

I am finally catching up a bit after my wonderful holiday. I wanted to comment on the excellent care that we experienced through your company. Everything went very smoothly.   Each step of the way we were greeted and thoughtfully escorted through our itinerary. All of the guides were good but the guides in Jaipur, Agra and Varanasi were outstanding as they shared not only the history of the places that we were seeing but also helped us to understand some of their own worldview and cultures.  The itinerary was very good and did show us a variety of the facets of India.   Our guide in Delhi arranged for us to go to the Lodhi Park and that was a real bonus. We both missed being able to walk freely when not on a tour due both to the traffic and to the insistence of men wanting to take us shopping in their rickshaws and cabs-- so that park was a delight.   Varanasi was the highlight for both of us! We enjoyed the home meal that we had in Jaipur as it gave us a glimpse of the women's lives. So much to learn about a very different culture!   I would definitely recommend Explore India to other travelers.

We could not be more pleased with our trip to India. Everything went better than ever expected. The whole experience was first rate from hotels to excursions to meals to our bus and the drivers. I cannot say enough about how well treated we were and that was due to Rajeev. He was so concerned about our comfort and wellbeing. From my birthday flowers to the cake, taking us to the market and getting us to every destination nothing was left to chance. I have already suggested your company to friends and hope they will use your excellent service. Again my best wishes and thanks for a wonderful adventure.

A Journey of the Senses and it was! I don't believe I could have found a better way to see this part of India, thanks to Explore India. It was an absolute adventure and I didn't want to miss a thing! The tour was very well organized, safe and educational. Tour guide Ashiesch Korana was excellent as was our guide in Nepal - Sanjay Nepal. I learned so much from these 2 special people. The hotel accommodation was excellent as was the bus transportation. All in all this trip was an experience of a lifetime for me and many thanks to you Nazir and explore India for enabling me to visit India and Nepal - 2 countries on my bucket list. Sincerely, Barb Schimpl

I was completely and totally amazed by the parts of India that we visited. I have absolutely no complaints about anyone or anything! Both Rajeev and Ravi were excellent guides/hosts. I enjoyed learning about the history and some of the back stories from Ravi, and I appreciated Rajeev's punctuality and care when we arrived in the airport and when he put on in a taxi for the airport to get back home.

We have arrived home safely. Your team in Delhi is to be commended. We were taken care of so well. Every detail!. Special thanks to Yajur. He saved me when I was so sick I could not eat. Rouf was also exceptional as was Rajeev ( sorry about the spelling) India is an exciting country and we are so Pleased that Explore India has such a fantastic tour with exceptional representatives.

Hi Nazir, We just got back from our extended trip this morning. The whole trip was a great success. Our tour guide, Arvind, was well versed in the history and passionate and positive about the future of his country. Once we were on our own, we especially appreciated the organization and routing he provided for the destinations of the itinerary. Our driver Ravi and his assistant, Shanke, were both very personable and we appreciated having them take care of us on the road. The itinerary delivered a good variety of highlights of architectural and historical monuments. I personally appreciated the chance to support the women's arts and crafts store. And, yes, Varanasi was an important add-on tour to round out our experience of India. Of course, the biggest thrill was seeing the tiger up close in Ranthambore National Park. I would definitely recommend you and this itinerary to my friends and family. Regards,