2 independent reviews for Mumbai to Delhi tour through Rajasthan, India
Reviews for Mumbai to Delhi tour through Rajasthan, India
Nicky Parsons review 14 Aug 2017
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
The feeling that we saw the real India, having a wonderful guide who knew the area well and took us to places and restaurants that we wouldn't have visited by ourselves, having so many diverse experiences as well as seeing the sights, bike-riding, camel trekking, train travel, rickshaw travel (4 people plus our luggage in 1 rickshaw is still very memorable!), seeing a Bollywood film in an amazing cinema, eating with local families in their homes and immersing ourselves in the sights and sounds of Rajasthan.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Be prepared for a busy 2 weeks as there are so many things to see and try and take in. Pack light as the hotel laundry system is excellent. If traveling in the rainy season, take a small towel/cloth to be able to mop your face as you cope with the humidity - all the locals have one!3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes - 80% of the profit was given to NGO Reality Gives and we saw the work they were doing when we visited Dharavi. Also we used local transport, local guides and took train journeys rather than cars.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Excellent -Krishna, our guide, was brilliant, the vacation contained so many different things and traveling with a small group made us very flexible in our timings, eating when we were hungry and having as long as we wanted at each sight.Judy Ainger review 28 Dec 2016
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
We had really memorable moments and sights in each place we visited, but our side trip to Bharatpur Wildlife Sancturary, and the birdwatching was a wonderful experience. The ancient forts and palaces and tombs and temples were amazing to see (but can you have too many?), but it was the more intensive personal experiences of 'life today' that we remember most - meals with the families near Udaipur and Jodhpur, Hindu temple visits in Udaipur and Varanasi, the Sufi shrine in the mosque at Fatepur Sikri,and the arti puja in Varanasi. The Dharavi slum tour in Mumbai was eye=opening, and very well worth doing. We had seen Taj Mahal before, but it again lived up to expectations. One big factor we enjoyed was the character and variety of the hotels or B&Bs that were in the heart of each city, so you could walk out directly into its experience - even if that made it exciting to find your way there on arrival!2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
The tour description of what to expect is accurate, in terms of sights, experiences and accommodation - it 'does what it says on the tin' - and their advice on luggage etc is important - you are moving every two days. If you are particular about food, take your own on the long car and train trips, particularly the overnight train from Agra to Varanasi. Mobile phone and WiFi coverage is good, and we managed to stay in contact with home throughout the trip.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes; the main benefit is social - to the slum communities supported by the operator ' '80% of profits' contribution. This non-charity form of support seems to us very effective and worth supporting. Also the Udaipur and Jodhpur village visits and camel ride clearly benefit the local people directly. We hope our visit [optional] to the bird sanctuary assists its conservation. We agree with the idea of using the train, and not flying - but see 4 below.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
We wanted to see the heart of Rajasthan, and we did - we really enjoyed it. The mix of historic sights and real 'local people' experiences was vital; otherwise we feel you can get to a 'oh not another fort' mindset. We think a train from Mumbai to Udaipur might be better than flying - interesting countryside to go through. We found our very long [20 hour], and fog-delayed Agra to Varanasi train put us in a bad frame of mind to appreciate Varanasi; and we opted to fly back to Delhi, to give us more time. We can see the notional attraction of including Varanasi, but it is not really part of Rajasthan, is a very long way away from Delhi/Agra, with little time, and the fog delays trains at this popular time of year, For an intense Hindu experience , it might be better to go to Hardwar, or Pushkar? The day side trip from Agra to Bharatpur sanctuary [and Fatepur Sikri, if you want] was a very good choice - offer it to others too?Holiday Reviews
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