Testimonials

Hello, Nazir.    I thought I would drop you a note with some comments on our trip to India.  As you know, I was quite apprehensive about the trip before we left, partly because I knew it was going to be a completely new experience for us, and also because of the alerts about the unusually high levels of pollution and the demonetization announcement by Prime Minister Modi which took effect just before we left Vancouver.  (From an outsiders point of view, it appeared that the people most negatively affected by this drastic move were the “have nots”, rather than those who were the primary target.) I will begin by saying that this trip was truly the most memorable travelling experience we have ever had.  We will never forget the sights, the sounds, the people, the colour, the life.     The biggest highlight for us was Varanasi (all aspects of the city and the sights, but especially going out on the River Ganges both in the evening and again at sunrise the next morning.).  It was like stepping into a different world.  I am so glad you suggested that we go there.  It truly does have a spiritual feeling.  A bonus for us was seeing parts of two weddings that took place at our hotel when we were there.  We had never seen an Indian wedding before, and the decorations, music, and colourful dress were fun and entertaining to watch. The tour we took with our guide, Ada, to one of the slums in Mumbai was also an eye-opening and unforgettable experience.  Seeing the recycling of mountains of “garbage; watching the men sewing fabrics in small rooms; having the children play and wave and smile at us (but not asking for money); observing the making of pottery and the use of what appeared to be homemade kilns; watching the preparations for a birthday party with many of the neighbours joining in to help; and on and on.  We had expected an atmosphere of Despair, but instead felt that this was a vibrant, active community, despite the basic nature of the housing and the lack of so many amenities we take for granted.  We have no way of knowing if this slum was representative of the many other slums which were apparent in some of the cities we visited, but we will not forget it.  We also loved Jaipur and are glad we spent an extra day there.  The elephant ride up to the Amber Fort with its wonderful views out over the countryside; the observatory with its enormous and precision instruments; watching the full process of carpet making including weaving, scraping, washing, burning of the fibers with a blow torch; and hand washing (hard work); another wedding which we spent watching by the pool at the beautiful Taj hotel; the street scenes with people, animals, merchants, crazy traffic – all of it was wonderful. We had expected to be impressed with the Taj Mahal in Agra (and we were), but we actually enjoyed the “baby Taj” just as much – fewer people, and our excellent guide pointed out the beauty in the chiseled flower and other patterns in the marble (and we later had a chance to see how this was done).  Walking through Old Delhi was also a fascinating experience, as was our visit to the Sikh Temple, and the beautiful monuments and buildings in New Delhi. The Taj Hotels were great, and I doubt if we will ever see a more beautiful hotel than the Taj Palace in Mumbai.  If I had to choose again, I would have chosen the Taj Hotel in Delhi, rather than the Meridian (which was very nice, but had more of a feel of a business hotel). Our guides were also great – all different, but really good at explaining what we were seeing and giving us the history of all the places we visited.  It was hard to take it all in, but we really appreciated their enthusiasm.  Special kudos go to our guide in Varanasi (Prem?) and in Mumbai (Ada?), but they were all good. 
  Khalid was also very hard-working, sincere, and we really appreciated his extra efforts on our behalf throughout.  We were very sorry about the additional work we caused when we left our suitcase at the airport in Mumbai and really appreciated the time and effort of everyone who helped us get it back.  Anyway, this is a long story, but we really wanted you to know how much we appreciated all your ongoing encouragement and efforts, and those of the people who work with and for you.  If it had not been for you, we never would have gone to India and we would have missed the experience of a lifetime.  We will definitely tell all of our friends that Explore India is the way to go and that India should be on their bucket list.  Many of our friends figured if we could do it, they could do it.  And we did it!  Thanks again Nazir.  We hope to get back to India in a couple of years, and maybe Nepal (and Kashmir when it is more settled).  At that time, we will be in touch. Best regards,

Dear Nazir, We are home safe and sound and had an absolutely wonderful time. Everything went so smoothly and the four of us just enjoyed it all. Everything was so exciting and so different. The hotels were mostly wonderful. Varanasi was probably the least best and even it was OK. The others were really good. Arvind was a terrific guide. He was so knowledgeable and kind and took such wonderful care of us. We really enjoyed him. We always felt safe and comfortable. We even saw a tiger that stayed with us for about 45 minutes.  We loved India and have such wonderful memories to keep. I understand that my best girlfriend and her husband from Israel are now booked to do this same trip. She told me that the blog I sent convinced her. She said if I did it then she could do it too.  Thank you very much,

Hi Nazir, Gerd and I had an amazing tour, truly was a trip of a lifetime. From the hotels, to the food, and the transportation we were very comfortable and couldn't ask for more. Yajur is an excellent Tour Director, very professional and extremely efficient as well as a very nice man. Rouf was always making sure that everyone was well looked after. We were all saddened by his family circumstances, which resulted in his having to leave us early. The itinerary is excellent, variety is wonderful. Especially liked the camel ride with the outdoor buffet and drinks. Every day brought something interesting and different. I can't think of anything that should have been done differently.  The driver and Tour Director we had in Varanasi were both excellent and we enjoyed our time there. We have only good things to say about Explore India and would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone thinking of travelling to India. Thank you for an amazing tour. Sincerely,

Dear Nazir Karnai, President of Explore India, This note is to heartily thank the Explore India Staff (EI) of Rajeev Sharma, Head of Operations, Mendura by telephone, our main driver & assistant, and other drivers and personnel who assisted us for Explore India. When Canadians say, ‘nothing was too much trouble’, we may sometimes exaggerate, but in the case of EI, nothing could have been more apt and honest. No detail was too small, from our initial bookings and EI contacts by telephone to the ease we felt through each thread of the trip. Our destination was India, but our journey was irreplaceable. I would not hesitate to highly recommend EI to anyone who asks and will do so as I write my freelance piece and attach it to my blog (charlesbeale.com). Thank you.  My gratitude and I believe I can speak for the whole group, would not be complete without further thanks to our EI tour guide, Harry Singh, but in this response, I will only speak for myself. Harry taught me many things. He and India are delightful enigmas. Not only was he the best tour guide I have ever had, but he became a kind of personal guru, banker, time manager, and friend. Tour guides come and go, but Harry lives and breathes his beloved India so much so that some of that rubbed off on each and every one of us. In fact, there were times when we had to rein him in, such was his enthusiasm. Harry describes himself as a spiritual healer, and again, some of that personal belief affected us most strongly and positively. He became our personal banker due to the demonetization that began just as we arrived in the country. Without his purse, some of us would have been in dire straits; without his knowledge of how to manage the monetary change, we would have become nervous travellers. Although we sometimes worried about time, as many Westerners do, Harry was able to manage India time for us smoothly and in an unruffled manner. He is also the best-dressed tour guide I have ever encountered. In the end, as the peaceful and kind people of India showed us, Harry was able to deepen our meaning of empathy and love. I would, however, request that in future, Harry assigns more tourists to keep the ledgers for the counting of other than cows.  Most sincerely yours,

To Nazir, Mandira and all those who made our Indian trip so memorable, there is so much praise I would like to heap upon you all for giving us such a memorable trip to India, but having read Charles Beales' email to you I couldn't put it more eloquently than he has done, and Michael and I endorse every word he said. It was simply fabulous.  We have memories and experiences which will last a lifetime.  How we fitted so much into such a short time span I will never know, but it was all due to our amazing guide Harry, and at no time did I feel pressured or unable to cope.  Harry is the most wonderful human being it has been my privilege to meet in many years, and your company is so lucky to have such a gem in its employ. Downtime, mealtimes, sightseeing and travelling, everything was so smooth and effortless, right down to the last detail, which was finding out that a sandwich and a snack had been ordered and prepaid on our final flight from Toronto to Vancouver. We were totally exhausted by then, and that last touch was perfection!! I will certainly endorse your company, and you must use my name if you have older travellers who might be nervous at such an undertaking. Two weeks before we left I thought I was going to have to do the trip in a wheelchair, but I managed as well as the group, if a fraction slower, and Harry organized things so that I was never aware of slowing anyone down.  Everyone was so very helpful. I would definitely recommend that people who have problems walking, perhaps with age or arthritis take advantage of the wheelchair services offered by the airlines, though, even if not strictly necessary.  It means no long waits standing in queues for customs, tickets or bags, and eliminates potential walks of a kilometer or more to get to a gate.  It was a godsend for me. God bless you all, and I think you will see us again on a cruise perhaps. Regards,

Incredible India really lived up to its name!  There were many hilites: Our first time riding a camel (and probably the last!)  Helen got thrown off part way up but only a bruised bum.  A couple rides in a camel cart was interesting and much safer.  Seeing a leopard quite close after it had recently killed a cow, and later seeing it in the rocks washing its face (just like a cat).  Of course, the Taj Mahal at about 8.30 AM in a good light after the early fog had disappeared. Visits to a craft village and a farm family.  The many forts and palaces from the past.   Our hotels were very good; we were upgraded a couple times so that they could give us twin beds.   Our guide was competent and dealt with the challenges of India quite well.  The money problem didn't affect us as we used our 500 rupee notes with vendors.  One day I hope to get back to India, perhaps in the northeast with Bhutan, Sikkim and Nepal.  Thanks for giving us the opportunity to see this fascinating country.

Hi Nazir, Just a note on behalf of my wife and I regarding our recent trip to India. First we would like to commend you on running a very good operation in India even though you are based in Canada. Our India experience started out by being greeted by a very professional gentleman who picked us up at the airport. He made us feel very welcome at 1:00 in the morning while having to wait for over 2 hrs for us to get out of the Airport. Later in the morning at the hotel we were greeted by Rajeev who helped make our first day in Delhi very enjoyable by making various arrangements that were not part of the itinerary. Our overall India experience exceeded our expectations mostly because of the people you have on the ground in India. We always felt that we were getting the best treatment from everyone in your organization. We want to commend the people who spent many hours with us because they deserve a big thank you and a pat on the back. We appreciate the enthusiasm of our tour guide Harry who made our India experience unforgettable. He went beyond what we expect of a travel guide and as a result we all benefited tremendously from his knowledge of India as well as his interest in wanting us to have the best travel experience, and not just see India from the bus. This was tremendously appreciated by Leslie and I. We have already been sharing our unique daily “Harry” experiences with family and friends back in Canada. He is truly a GEM. I still do not know how he can look so good every day and have a different coordinated outfit that fits with the theme of the day, or event. Operations Manager, Rajeev seemed to genuinely care about making sure that we were enjoying our time in India and he handled the currency issue willingly to make sure that we had some local currency in spite of the challenges. He showed up often and kept in touch frequently with our group as we travelled through India. He genuinely cared that we were enjoying our time in India. I personally appreciate how he coordinated the tailor from CCCI to meet with me to do a fitting and final delivery at the hotels. This was above and beyond what was expected. Lastly we would like to thank our bus driver Mr. Rakesh and his assistant. These guys truly know how to manoeuver a vehicle with great proficiency. They were also always smiling after long days. Thank you to all of your other staff who had a hand in making our India experience truly memorable. We will be sure to refer Explore India as we tell our stories to our friends and family. P.S The hotels, transportation and arranged meals were all very good as well. Keep well and all the best.

Namaste Nazir I had been thinking of dropping you a note so thanks for your message. The trip was a great success. The weather was perfect, no mosquitoes and the group were very convivial, really great travel companions. I hope to keep in touch with some of them and perhaps travel with them in the future. The drivers were fantastic; they managed the crazy road up to Darjeeling and in particular, Mr. Singh in Delhi and for most of our long bus journeys, was absolutely amazing. Don’t know how they do it, I had to close my eyes half of the time!!! It was a wonderful soft entry to India to spend time in Darjeeling, relatively less trash and garbage strew about, blue skies and clean air. Mr. Lo Chan was very hospitable. Our guide, Mr. Sandeep Singh was fantastic; professional yet caring and considerate, his commentary was informative and fun as he is passionate about India and all things to do with Indian culture. He did everything he could do to make our trip safe, enjoyable and generally a memorable experience. I felt he went above and beyond his duty to keep us informed and calm when we were unable to access cash machines. The hotels were good as was the food. On the whole, I am very glad I went with Explore India on this trip. It has not only given me an appreciation of the challenges India faces, but also shown me the amazing resilience and friendliness of its people. Sincerely

Namaste We had an amazing experience travelling through India and as always we wish we had more time there. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in Darjeeling. Our guide Sandeep was a jewel, such a wealth of knowledge. I don't think the trip would have been such a success had it not been for him. Many of us on the tour discussed coming back to travel to the south of India next time and possibly spending more time in some places, maybe even a few days to relax on the beach, possibly Goa? Also, Sandeep felt we would very much enjoy seeing Udaipur so maybe that could be included. Also, speaking for myself and Randy, maybe you could offer an optional tour to the Maldives as we would like to go there, even if it was just for 4-5 days. I know you offer a tour on your website for the south but why don't you send out an email to everyone that was on this tour asking what interest they may have for seeing the south and maybe based on the responses you can put together a more customized tour. Of course, Sandeep will have to be the guide and he did say he would do it. We talked about late Oct, early Nov 2018, that seemed to work for everyone. Again, thank you to all your staff who helped organize and coordinate this trip. They did a great job. Best regards

Dear Nazir, Namaste. Our tour to India was one of our most memorable trips ever.  Starting with our pickup at the airport, wonderful accommodation throughout and an excellent guide, we experienced India in the best possible way. Harry went out of his way to show us the country he obviously loves and made sure that we did not see it from the sterile environment of a bus.  He created many experiences for us that we will never forget and we feel that we now have a true picture of life in India as well as a better knowledge of its history.  We have already recommended your tour company to friends and will continue to do so.  The service you provide is second to none and we thank you.

Namaste Nazir, Thank you for your email and welcome home.  My trip to India was " incredible" indeed!  It is hard to put the experience into words as it is another world there.  Explore India met all my expectations and makes it clear that they aim to please their guests. I would not hesitate to recommend your company to anyone.  Is it excellent value too. Keep up the good work. Best wishes,

Dear Nazir: Thanks for your email. Yes, it was a fantastic holiday made all the more memorable by having Sundeep as our tour guide. He was so knowledgeable and passionate about his country and we were lucky having him. There did not seem to be anything he did not know and he went out of his way to make sure we were all happy. He also seemed to go above and beyond in helping us with getting our money exchanged into the "new" money which was not easy. In the end that worked out (at least for me) although in the first few days I was worried that I was not going to have enough $ to last me the trip! I did not realize before I left Vancouver that I would not be able to use a bank! I was disappointed that we were not able to visit Kashmir but that was due to circumstances beyond your control. But Darjeeling was lovely and so different from the rest of the trip. The drivers and guide in Darjeeling were great - they looked after us so well as did Singh who took us from Delhi to Delhi. It all went very smoothly in, as you know, chaotic driving conditions compared to Vancouver! As I said earlier, overall it was an amazing trip. Thank you. Sincerely,