Reviewed 07 Mar 2012 by John Burley
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
We spent 10 days visiting parts of Kerala - Kochi, Munnar, Thekkady and the Backwaters. Kerala is a very interesting microcosm of India, a state of 35 million, with a mixture of hindus, muslims, catholics, a strong marxist minority, coastal areas, rugged highlands, tea and rubber plantations, a range of spices, lots of other agricultural products. It was fascinating to experience a little part of this remarkable mixture. The visit to the backwaters - which included 24 hours on our boat - was particularly worthwhile. This is an area of lakes, rivers and small canals quite unlike any other we have visited.
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
First, book through this operator and its director, Rajat Kumar: very knowledgeable, very competent and very efficient. He was able to understand the kind of vacation we were looking for, and to make proposals for our stay which reflected our interests. Second, do not rush: there is lots to see in Kerala, and if you try to do too much in too short a period, you would be wasting your time and money.
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
I find this kind of question to be rather silly: what is really meant by "benefitting local people" and minimizing impacts on the environment". In order to truly minimise impact, the journey should not have been undertaken at all. Aside from the airplane journey, we also had a car, which polluted the environment, but which also gave employment to our chauffeur, and was thereby presumably useful. Properly managed, the tourism industry as a whole can have several beneficial economic and social effects (local employment, local demand for local products, better understanding of cultures etc)and likewise if not managed properly can have several harmful effects (outflow of foreign exchange, distortions in the labour market through payment of high wages, import of food and other consumerables, etc). For our vacation in Kerala, we saw no necessary harmful effects, but that is frankly a very superficial comment.
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Most enjoyable. Very well organised, thanks to the tour operator and Mr. Kumar. A rich cultural experience.
Reviewed 10 Nov 2011 by Richard Kinch
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
There were many facets - sharing the Diwali Festival during a homestay at Aakriti. The choice of hotels and the mixture of interests including an overnight journey on a train.
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
The vacation was excellent in fitting a considerable amount of South India into 3 weeks. Check the itinerary to make sure it can be quite hectic at times.
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Yes - local guides and drivers - the majority of hotels were eco concious with more effort than the commercial attitude of leave you towels if you do not want them washed.
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Excellent - the only reason I did not do 5 stars is I went to the Galapogas Isles and China a few years earlier.
Reviewed 11 Jan 2011 by Steve Nolan
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Probably seeing Tigers which from what I read is not easy, we saw 4 different ones in Bandavgarh National Park, we found South West India much different from the North much greener possibly more relaxed and I have to comment that the food "Everywhere" was excellent.
We were never harrassed or felt under pressure from locals everyone is very friendly. It took a while to finalize our trip details but it was worth the effort and our tour operator and guide was outstanding and everything went according to schedule which on a 21 day trip was an outstanding feat.
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
You need stamina we travelled in a reasonable good car for 10 days or so and it begins to loose its romance after too long so brake the trip up. Don't be afraid to wander around and get a feel for the places you visit it will make the adventure a little bit more special.
Watch out for hotel ratings and website pictures they sometimes do not match reality
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Difficult to say, all tours guides hotels etc were provided by locals so probably yes in one sense, we did do a lot of traveling and not sure if that in itself is environmentally friendly but such is life, So it did benefit the local communities we visited and we come home with a much better understanding of the people and their history and culture (and food :)
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
I think 4/5 reflects our vacation perfectly, we got out of the vacation what we wanted and with the help of our guide Rajat and the team we had some great adventures and lots of wonderful memories and pictures.
Reviewed 25 Nov 2010 by Belinda Winter-Irving
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Being in a bronze idol factory in Swamimalai. Here, was the evidence of the 700 year old tradition for us to see. Unchanged techniques and skills that took no note of Western health and safety standards. We reached Swamimalai early one morning, having travelled from the Homestay, partly by overnight train and partly by skilfully driven vehicle. Not only were we taken to the Coimbature Station to catch the 3:15am train, but Rajat and Ravi insisted on waiting for the train to arrive, and made sure we were settled and comfortable and wouldn't leave until the train left.
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
This tour company, tailormade vacation specialists for India are sincere and honest people, who I would recommend to book and arrange your vacation. I would add, though that if you are unfamiliar with your nominated area that you spend plenty of your own preplanning time finding out as much as possible about the districts that you plan to visit. In this way enough time can be put aside to visit the forest reserves and possible wildlife as well as the tea plantations, markets and the hill train.
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
The time that we spent with a mahout and his elephant was unforgettable. We also felt that the people at Serenity were particularly gracious. The staff and owners at Phillip Kutty's farm were extremely good. Swamimalai, there was always friendliness and welcome, particularly in the kitchen and dining room. We enjoyed the local musicians' playing. The food that was prepared was fresh and local. We shopped at Fab India, where we purchased clothes that were ethically produced from handloomed fabrics and sewn by Indians.
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
I found Rajat was flexible with solving unexpected accommodation problems efficiently and he regularly checked by phone or email to make sure everything was continuing to run smoothly.
Reviewed 13 May 2010 by Kaye Mc Garry
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
My friend and I recently spent a wonderful month in India. The trip, completely organised by this tour operator, a travel company owned and run by the Kumar family, comprised 2 weeks in North India taking in the Golden Triangle and Amritsar, and 2 weeks in South India including 1 week at the family homestay in the Nilgiris, clearly the highlight of the trip. The Kumar family is so easy to interact with. While at the homestay Ravi, Renu, Rupa, Rajat and Mugdha gave us their utmost attention from breathtakingly beautiful breakfasts right through to evenings full of remarkable food, animated discussions, fun and laughter.
Every step of the trip went very smoothly and having English speaking guides and drivers made the whole experience very personal. Often the local guides enriched our experiences as they espoused more than mere information, passionately imparting their knowledge and opinions. I can truly recommend seeing India this way.
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
This tour operator can organise travel in other parts India so tell them if you are planning to travel elsewhere in the country. They have a wide network of contacts and take great care in customising your trip. It was exciting and comforting to communicate directly with Lalith and Rajat as “people in the know” in India rather than dealing with a “blanket” travel agent from my end. Little surprises in our itinerary such as a tonga ride in Mumbai proved this point. We wouldn’t have known to ask for something like this! Also, be honest about your budget. You will surprised what can be achieved! Lalith provided a mix of 3 – 5 star accommodation to fit in with our budget. By using this “mix” he was able to give us some really great experiences which shouldn’t be missed such as the heritage Khandela Havelli in Jaipur. At all times ask their advice and take on their suggestions.
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
This operator is a locally owned and run business and utilises other Indian owned/run travel services and local guides. The company proudly operates on an ethic that supports local businesses and organisations.
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
This tour operator is a highly professional but personal travel service. Lalith, the original organiser was just simply marvellous. Nothing was too much trouble, and when the trip had to be rescheduled Lalith reorganised the changes happily and efficiently. Rajat maintained contact throughout our trip to ensure our safety, satisfaction and comfort at all times. Overall we had the “vacation of a lifetime”. We can’t wait to return and when we do we will be asking this operator to once again look after all arrangements for us.
