Testimonials

We have to write and tell you how much we enjoyed our recent trip to India, Nepal and Bhutan. Everything, from the first contact with you in the Vancouver office, to the accommodation, food, modes of transportation, and staff who travelled with us was wonderful! The guides were first class, very professional and knowledgeable, and any special request was accommodated with a smile. Our drivers knew every street and highway like the ‘back of their hand” (which is incredible in India!!!). We always arrived on time and in good humour. Having porters at each airport to personally assist us with baggage and tickets relieved a lot of stress. The “surprises” along the journey were really a special treat. The upgrade to a hotel that was rated among the “best 5 in the world” (thought I’d died and gone to heaven there!), to the welcoming drinks with you on a terrace in Connaught Circle; the extra included meals that we hadn’t expected, and we all even had new towels supplied for the overnight train ride from Agra to Varenasi. The willingness of every guide in all 3 countries to accommodate special requests or make slight changes to daily itinerary made the journey all the more pleasant. (Sometimes at the end of a long the day the group voted to eat at the hotel rather than go out). Visiting these three countries should be on everyone’s “Bucket List”. Our memories of India are the people, people, people, vibrant colors, ancient architecture, food, modes of transportation (the rickshaw rides through the back streets of Dehli and Varanasi were incredible - I wish my eyes were a camera!), rides in tuk tuks, and the 2 hour camel ride through local villages. In Nepal the flight to Everest was a “high” light, and the elephant ride in the Chitwan National Forest to look for the one-horned rhino (saw 5 up close and personal!). The flight navigating the approach to the airport in Paro, Bhutan was exciting. While descending the plane weaves between the mountains….bank left, descend, bank right descend….finally arriving safely at the most beautifully decorated airport we have ever seen. The highlights here were the people. Kind, friendly, warm, always smiling. They say that Bhutan is the happiest place in the world, and I believe it. Prayer flags, prayer wheels, the locals dressed in national costume, the markets, ancient bridges, hiking up the mountain to the Tiger’s Nest monastery….well… we made it as far as the Tea house and could look across at it and that was still wonderful. We have been recommending this trip and your company to all our travel friends. While planning this trip with you Nazir you answered all our numerous phone and email questions (“on the train is there a bathroom close to our compartment?”) promptly. The extra help with Carol’s Indian visa was really appreciated. Our trip was all we had hoped it would be because of excellent itinerary, professional staff and courtesy that we received in Vancouver and abroad. We will be travelling with you again!

I am writing to thank you so much for setting up a wonderful, magical trip for us to India. I cannot recommend all of your staff more highly. They were very professional and accommodating. We especially liked Yuvrage who is an interesting young man, our driver and our driver's assistant all of whom I thought were exceptional. On the other hand the staff at Le Meridien in New Delhi went above board in helping us when my son was feeling ill. They were very understanding and sympathetic. I would have no hesitation at all in recommending that hotel. Thank you Nazir. I am already telling everybody that they should contact you when they go to India. Until next time.

I would like to say how much Janet and I enjoyed our recent trip to India and to commend you and your company for the organization of the trip. We would particularly like to recognize the efforts of our tour guide Yuvraj Singh for whom nothing was too much trouble and who was always helpful and informative and polite in answering our many questions. In closing, I would have no hesitation in recommending your company to any future prospective travellers to India. I hope both Yuvraj and yourself are in good health and I wish both of you and Explore India well in the future.

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.

I was just editing our Indian photos and thought I should write you a few words of thanks for a great trip. I can't start to imagine the amount of time and effort that went into organizing and creating such a successful and wonderful experience, and I know you played a major part in that. Your negotiations with the Indian government, prior to our trip, to simplify the visa process and your many flights ahead of us, during the trip , to make sure things flowed smoothly were recognized and much appreciated. The India trip was the longest and most expensive trip we have taken and we knew it would be special. Everything, from the accommodations, food and experiences exceeded our expectations. Many of us commented during the trip "it just keeps getting better". This was not just intended to be a sightseeing trip but a trip to experience India, and we experienced things that most people visiting India would never experience. The three days in Kashmir was a lovely way to end the trip. It is a beautiful part of the country and quite different from the rest of India. In spite of it's proximity to Pakistan, heavy security and strong military presence, people seemed happy, relaxed, peaceful and very friendly. We felt very comfortable and thoroughly enjoyed our time there. Thanks again Nazir for helping make this a trip of a lifetime. Looking forward to seeing you again on future trips.

I never use travel agents, taking great pride in thinking I do a better job and I certainly hate group tours. However, when I decided to take my daughter to India, I felt that perhaps, just this time, it might be wise to seek professional help. I researched several tour companies and was about to book a bus tour accomodating up to 30 passengers, when I noticed Nazir's ad in the Vancovuer Sun. I telephoned and instantly took to this delightful man. His no pressure approach was certainly appreciated and I quickly realized he was an expert on India. To my delight, I also discovered his private tour for just my daughter and I, in a private car, in 5 star hotels vs the student type accomodations offered by GAP tours, was just a few hundred $ more than their huge group tour. We then began our planning which would drive most agents mad, with me hopping all over Rajastan now that I could pick my own itinery. After numerous changes, we were finally on our way. Nazir arranged the very best seat in economy on British Airways. The hotels were fabulous, the drivers and tour guides represented all of the various cultural groups of India. We were impressed to see Sikhs, Muslims, and Hindus all working harmoniously together. They could teach the world a lesson. I must admit, I am a high maintainence client and had several demands, all of which Nazir completed graciously and efficiently. He phoned us along the way to ensure all was well and no demand was too much for him. I would and have, recommended Nazir to everyone and anyone. It was a trip of a lifetime and Nazir made it so.

Having just returned to Canada from our Explore India trip, I wanted to thank you for providing such a well managed and enjoyable adventure. The tour was very well organized, covered a lot of ground and gave us a good insight into the history of India and its people. Your attention to detail in all aspects of the trip was exemplary and your personal touches and caring to all of us on the tour was much appreciated. No request, whether large or small, was too much for you and your staff. Thank you. I would recommend anyone planning a trip to India to speak to you first. They will not be disappointed.

This past January we had a wonderful escorted five day tour of India. Nazir of Explore India put the tour together, hosted it, and we couldn't be more satisfied with his knowledge of the country, his enthusiasm, and his jovial personality. If you're thinking of a trip to India, and you're a little hesitant to do it all on your own, then call Nazir and let him do all the heavy lifting. Nazir looked after all the details, from hotel reservations, luggage, check-ins, meals, and entertainment. The hotels were all first class, the meals and restaurant venues second to none, and the entertainment something we won't soon forget... elephant rides and fireside suppers are only a few of the highlights we loved. Call Nazir. He will look after all the little things and you can sit back and enjoy. You won't spend one minute worrying about a thing.

Sheila and I would like to thank you for making our trip to India so special. As you know I really didn't share Sheila's interest in traveling to India but after speaking with you a few times decided to go. It truly was a journey of the senses with every moment filled with sights and sounds we had not experienced before. While we have travelled to many exotic places India certainly is unique. You were an amazing host and from our first day meeting you prior to the start of the tour you were very generous in providing car, driver and guide for us so we could see Delhi, also taking us out for lunch and shopping was very interesting and a nice way of meeting a few other fellow travelers before the trip started. We were overwhelmed with many of the experiences from the beautiful hotels to the boat rides on the Ganges to the two visits to the Taj Mahal. The visit for dinner and to see the elephants playing polo(no we didn't ride),dinner at Rambagh Palace, visits to the Dhobi Ghat, watching the Dabbawallahs organize lunch deliveries as well as the visit to the Dharavi slum were all amazing. I think the sound of horns honking will be with us for a while as well as the many "exciting" rides in peddle driven and electric rickshaws. If anyone is curious about visiting India we would strongly suggest they Explore India with you.

Now that we are back from India and Australia we wanted to follow up and let you know how much we enjoyed the tour. It truly was a ‘Journey of the Senses’. It was an amazing experience, thanks to you and your staff for such an excellent job, everything was well organized and seemed to go off without a hitch. I’m sure that’s because of all your hard work. Donna and I were talking about the trip and how much we enjoyed the variety of experiences on the tour right from the Taj Mahal to riding elephants in Jaipur to playing elephant polo tp the camel ride and dinner in the desert. The history, the culture, the cuisine was all amazing. We thought the trip exceeded our expectations, we believe it was one of the best value for money tours we have done and would certainly recommend the trip to anyone. We look forward to sharing our photos and video with everyone.

My wife and I attended Explore India’s Journey of the Senses Tour from Feb. 11 to 25, 2014 organized by Nazir Karnai. This tour included Dehli (New and Old), Varanasi, Agra, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur and Mumbai. I am writing this to express how this tour exceeded all of our expectations. A rating of 10 out of 10 does not adequately reflect the level of the experience and value of this Tour of India especially for those of us who were first time visitors. Every element of this tour was impeccably organized and carried out. That organization included limiting the number pf participants (30), selection of excellent historically significant places to visit and some very extraordinary places to eat with some very special unique venues. Those venues included a Maharaja Palace courtyard in Jodhpur, a grassy knoll overlooking the Taj Mahal, a desert campfire with Indian dancers and musicians, a gourmet dinner overlooking an Elephant polo pitch after playing a few games of Elephant polo. The hotel accommodations were all top notch with full breakfast facilities. I have said to many of my friend about this trip, I did not have a bad cup of coffee on the entire tour. The food on every day was excellent with most dinners and many lunches being at a gourmet level. The transportation within India was well organized especially the bus that was utilized – the bus was comfortable and had facilities on board. The various sites chosen to be visited were not only well selected but represented must see places at the locations we visited. They included both historic sites (e.g. Taj Mahal and Amber Fort) as well as interesting sites(e.g. various Ghandi related sites, boat ride in the lake at Udaipur where James Bond movie Octapussy was filmed). An extremely well organized and respectful (no camera) tour of India’s largest slum was included with a knowledgeable local person from the area leading the way in which the group was divided into small groups for viewing inside the slum. In addition to visiting extraordinary sites special arrangements were made by Nazir for us to visit the working kitchen of the second largest Sikh temple in India. Many other events were organized by Nazir for us such as a camel ride in the late afternoon of a day so we could see the sun set atop a camel followed by a campfire with dancer and musicians. Nazir not only did all of this cheerfully but with class Lastly, at all of these events we were accompanied by a staff headed by Nazir who looked after every detail and answered any question or need we had. .We were not only accompanied on tour events but also if we chose to take a brief outing during a break between events we were accompanied by Nazir’s assistant Rouf who made us feel safe and secure at all times especially where having someone who spoke the local language came in handy. Explore India’s Journey of the Senses Tour was a truly extraordinary tour. If anyone wants an amazing India experience this is the tour to take.

Thank you very much for the welcome home card. The trip was quite wonderful. Your organisation and attention to detail made the holiday nearly perfect – I can’t hold you accountable for the weather! I hadn’t expected to be staying in such luxurious hotels but certainly enjoyed them. Another bonus was that you had included tips for hotel staff so we did not have to constantly think about that. I don’t usually like the designs on vacation bags but your elephant design for Explore India replicated on the small bag and duffle bag is very appealing and I enjoy using them. Please keep me on your mailing list for future trips. It is unlikely that I will be travelling in the next year or so but would certainly like to visit another part of that magnificent country at some time.