Our India vacations take in the best sites & off the beaten track places from the Taj Mahal & Golden Triangle to the beaches of Kerala, trekking the wilds of Ladakh or exploring the deserts of Rajasthan. All our India vacations are provided by operators committed to supporting local people & the environment.
These full and frank independent India vacations reviews are from travelers who have booked directly through responsibletravel.com. They are not edited by us or any of the companies we work with. Find the real story, from real travelers below.
There were many highlights, but the most vivid memory is of arriving at the Spice Plantation after a tough ride up the mountains through monsoon rain.
(more)There were several highlights. The Golden Temple at Amritsar, Jairpur's Amber Fort & Palace, the backwaters of Kerala and our homestay in the Nilgiri Hills. (more)Bhopal Singh is undoubtedly the best guide I have had on trips to India. He actually knows the history as well as the culture, habits, etc...Excellent.
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I really enjoyed the whole trip and cannot wait to travel with this operator again - I have no hesitation in recommending them.
(more)The most memorable parts were the ride on an elephant and seeing the Himalayas for the first time. Not to mention over three hundred bird species that we saw and the fabulous Taj mahal. (more)We thoroughly enjoyed our two weeks... The knowledge and hospitality of the tour leaders, Suraj and Ravindra, made this a particularly memorable trip - by the end, we really felt more like we were with friends than on a 'tour'. (more)The cycling was great, having a bike guide and a backup van worked really well for our style of cycling as it meant we didn't have to worry about each other. Francis and Shibu were great fun and we all enjoyed a beer together after finishing a ride. (more)
Most memorable? Perhaps the sightings of leopards and wolves as well as the Asiatic lions, wild asses and blackbuck promised. But also being just about the only Europeans in the area we felt a lot closer to the local population including the tribal people. (more)
The diversity in this two week training camp was really something. From Kayaking in +30c to staying in a tent with -4c. And the intensity of the cycling. 100 km up and down. But then always guides with loads of bananas, beer and kindness. (more)Everything was superb from beginning to end. The guides and drivers used were truly professional...We were impressed by the quality and freshness of all the food that we were given - wonderful flavours. We enjoyed all the activities from sightseeing to birding, cooking demos to kayaking. (more)
Arriving in Mysore after flying into Bangalore gave us a wonderful introduction into the bustle and atmosphere of a relatively small Indian city; we loved the amazing market - brimming with flowers, spices, fruit and vegetables and the sumptuous Palace. (more)
We loved Kerala and hope very much to visit again. Everyone we met were friendly and welcoming, and all arrangements made by the tour operator went very smoothly. (more)
Most memorable was the Taj Mahal. It's everything it's claimed to be. A remarkable building that shows little sign of age. We visited in the afternoon then went back at dawn. It's well worth two visits (more)
Seeing was believing when it came to the Taj Mahal, not many places live up to be better than you anticipate as this place did. My wife and I have done some traveling, but this has to be the most impressive building we have ever witnessed. (more)
I will never forget cycling down some of the quiet back country lanes of Rajasthan -children running across fields of yellow mustard flowers to greet you as you bicycle past - pausing in a small village to meet the people. (more)Incredible, awesome. Quite simply the most fantastic vacation of our lives. It was everything and so much more than we had hoped. (more)
All of it was memorable starting with driving up to the beautiful location, being welcomed by host Jos, who was incredibly kind and helpful, relaxing in the palms overlooking the water, and taking the interesting side trips that Jos set up for me.
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Aside from seeing all the amazing sights - which was a given of course, our last chauffer / driver made our experience a much more memorable one as he helped us through a lot. (more)
The most memorable part was without doubt the 13, yes 13 tiger sightings during our stay in Kanha National Park for 5 1/2 days in December 2008. This included a very young tiger cub!! A great privilege to see one tiger let alone more than one. (more)
Kerala was fantastic, the most memorable part was visiting a bird sanctuary... we arrived a this beautiful palace deep in the backwater set on a lake and were taken round in a small boat along water hyacinth lined expanses to see snake bird (darters) different types of kingfisher it was a stunning lake ride. (more)We invite every traveler who books a vacation via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the vacations they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same vacation can have different views!
For solo travelers or family adventurers, small group vacations are an excellent way to see any country. We sent Jerrine, one of our helpdesk experts, on a group adventure in India to see first hand what a group vacation is all about. "Having always travelled independently on my globe trekking adventures I was curious to see how a small group adventure would compare. India has always been high on my must-do places to visit so I was delighted to take up the challenge. Here´s a little bit about my adventures and what a small group vacation is really like...
Always happy when the flight is over, but usually apprehensive about tackling the language barriers and over-zealous taxi drivers I was more than happy to be greeted with a smile by an Exodus representative. I was soon whisked off to the hotel where I met what was to be my new family for the next 8 days. . Read more about Jerrine's adventure in India in this India article.
