Darjeeling in the Himalayan Foothills

Hi Nazir, We just got back from our extended trip this morning. The whole trip was a great success. Our tour guide, Arvind, was well versed in the history and passionate and positive about the future of his country. Once we were on our own, we especially appreciated the organization and routing he provided for the destinations of the itinerary. Our driver Ravi and his assistant, Shanke, were both very personable and we appreciated having them take care of us on the road. The itinerary delivered a good variety of highlights of architectural and historical monuments. I personally appreciated the chance to support the women's arts and crafts store. And, yes, Varanasi was an important add-on tour to round out our experience of India. Of course, the biggest thrill was seeing the tiger up close in Ranthambore National Park. I would definitely recommend you and this itinerary to my friends and family. Regards,

First of all, we want to thank Nazir for planning this wonderful trip. We really appreciated the effort he made in meeting us on our first day of our arrival to Delhi, which I did not expect it at all. He came to our hotel and greeted us and even gave us a welcome dinner that night. When we were at the Kashmir airport, our guide gave me his cell phone, saying that someone wanted to talk to me. To my surprise, it was Nazir. My worried husband could not contact us while we were in Kashmir (for there is no internet access), but Nazir was able to locate us. He asked us how we were in order to report back to my husband. We really appreciate his hard work. In this trip, the best thing that happened to us was that we had a kind, responsible driver, Harpal. He met us in Delhi (after Kashmir) and drove us to Jaipur and Agra. He was such a careful driver, even though most drivers in India drive very recklessly. He was always patient and drove in a courteous manner. He was punctual when picking us up every time, and he took us to good restaurants. On our last day, arriving from Kathmandu to Delhi, he came back to be our guide, even though he had already gone back home (which was one hour away from Delhi!) He helped us a lot and we became good friends. Harpal is a highly recommended driver and guide. He deserves a raise and good appraisal. We had five different hotels on this trip; the best was Trident in Jaipur. Besides great breakfast, the staff was very friendly, helpful, and sincere. One of Trident’s policies is no tipping for all staff. It was such a relief because I did not need to carry small notes for tipping everywhere. Trident also had great security, swimming pool, good rate exchanges, and free internet in the business centre. Trident surpassed The Park in Delhi, Jaypee in Agra, and Ramada in Varanasi. We recommend that the best hotel should put to the last so that we won’t be comparing with the best. In this trip, I learned a lot. I felt sorry for the people in India in many situations – corruption, poverty, sanitation, and children and women status. I do think India needs another revolution in order to move forward again. To Nazir, I hope someone like you, young and has a good education, can form a team to help the people in India improve the living conditions in order for them to have a better world tomorrow.

Hi Nazir We have JUST arrived home after a great trip.  We all agreed that Explore India was very impressive.  We were met promptly at each airport arrival and delivered and assisted for each departure.  We had wonderful guides.  Hari, who was our guide for the golden Triangle and Varanasi is outstanding.  He is spontaneous, adventuresome and extremely knowledgeable.  He has an amazing amount of energy!  We enjoyed several events that were not a part of the tour:  stopped at an encampment of nomadic people; stopped when we saw a wedding procession; visited two schools; visited a village where the residents welcomed us; had a lot of fun riding in a jugaad  (home-made vehicle that seems common in some rural areas).  He was also with us in Varanasi and among other things while we were in the city, he took us to the railway station to see life there.  Kerala was also very good in terms of accommodation, sightseeing, and excellent guides.  Our driver, Asar, was excellent.  He has limited English, but he had enough that he pointed out many interesting sights along the way.  Generally, all of the guides were excellent.  We loved Kerala and the rest at Turtle on the Beach Resort was a perfect ending to the trip. Thank you so much for great organization! Best wishes

We would like to highly recommend Nazir and the Explore India Travel company. India was a trip we dreamed of and did a fair bit of research on the country, culture, religions and geography. We checked other travel agencies and they had little or no information on India. We contacted Nazir and he was prompt, pleasant and accommodating. The places we wanted to see were north, south, east and west and I knew that was an impossible journey. Nazir made suggestions that helped me narrow down to a manageable trip. On our arrival in India we were given a necklace of marigolds and a cell phone to use in India and the phone was invaluable. Our accommodation was just perfect and all the hotels were great especially the one in Jaipur fabulous. The drivers were all from the regions we were travelling in and spoke English, Hindi and the local language. They gave me an insiders view of the region, culture, history and recommended restaurants, sights and shops, Our trip to India more than met our expectations. The people, culture, religions, food and colours still dazzle me. Nazir and their staff in Delhi helped to make this a memorable trip. We will go again. We still have more trains to ride and fabric to see and I will definitely use Nazir and Explore India to help me with my plans.

Hi Mandira, I am sending along a pic of us on the elephant, as promised. I would have sent it from India but frequently the internet service was not keen to send along my pics. Never a problem sending an e-mail, but pics. I am sorry that the elephants running around the bottom of my pant legs We had an absolutely WONDERFUL time. That we had Mr. Harry as our tour guide was truly a blessing - what a wonderful gentleman! It was also a pleasant surprise to be able to meet Nazir in Delhi just before we were on our way to the airport to return home. It has been our pleasure to deal with you and Nazir and we thank you for providing us with an experience of a life time!

My daughter and I enjoyed our trip. All went well and feel fortunate to have seen such amazing things. Our tour group was awesome and made friends for life. Thanks for all your help in booking our trip. I wish you had tours like this in other destinations! I have been recommending explore India to many, who have been seeing my photos on Facebook. I even have convinced my sister, Kymn to go (she told me she has you working on her trip, already). Thanks again,

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.

Hi Nazir, Thanks for the note. We’re finally getting over jet lag and are almost ready for the Holiday Season. As far as the trip goes – we really enjoyed it. We found the level of service to be excellent, and we found great value for the money we spent. Both of our guides -Rasheem in Kerala and Ashish up north were outstanding!! They absolutely made the trip for us. Both were extremely knowledgeable, warm, funny, and provided great insight. Can’t say enough good things. The Fragrant Nature Hotel in Cochin was absolutely charming. The staff was fantastic and they made our stay quite magical We would certainly recommend your company to our friends.   Cheers,

My mother and I wanted to send a heartfelt thank you for a wonderful and memorable trip to India. It was so beautifully planned – it is very clear you have put much thought and preparation into these trips. Rajeev was an excellent escort – he was very attentive and saw to our every need. He made a big fuzz over Mom for her birthday – which she said she didn’t want but I think secretly enjoyed!! In addition, he was such a comfort and help to poor Carol, who unfortunately had a medical emergency. The service was above and beyond, in every way! I would highly recommend Explore India to anyone looking for a well run, quality tour in India. We loved every minute of it!

This was our second consecutive trip with Explore India. Our first trip with Explore India was in 2017 to the Rajasthan area. We loved our trip and really didn’t think any other part of India could be any better. We were wrong. Southern India blew us away. We combined stops to both rural & urban sights in India. We started in Chennai and departed in Bangalore. In between we had an experience of a lifetime. Nazir had arranged a driver for our trip of 25 days as we did not want to travel by plane or train. Our driver for 25 days, Rajesh, anticipated our every need, from beverages to laundry. He was outstanding & so very patient as we were often late meeting him. He would also offer up information on the local flora & fauna. We always felt safe with Rajesh. The accommodations booked by Nazir were outstanding. -We loved the Ocean view room at Radisson Blu in Mahabalipuram. The beach & grounds were incredible. The gym was an extra bonus. -The Maison Perumal in Pondicherry was wonderful. The hotel was in the heart of the city so we were able to walk everywhere. I loved the hotel cooking classes. Our room was a huge suite- we loved it. -The Hotel Svatma in Tanjore was outstanding. My only complaint is that we didn’t stay another night. I would go back to Tanjore just to relax there again & enjoy the food. -The Heritage Madurai was another outstanding hotel. The rooms were a little worn but the food & service were outstanding. -Periyar, The Spice Village was so beautiful. Again I loved the cooking classes, the nature ( complete with monkeys & Guinea Hens roaming on the property) & that our driver took me to shops to purchase local spices & shawls at a fraction of what I would have paid elsewhere. The trip up the mountains was beautiful. We were truly staying in the jungle. Our ride on the elephant was wonderful, the shower my husband had from the elephant was amazing. After we were able to wash the elephant. It was an experience of a lifetime! -Kumarakom Lake Resort was again amazing. We could’ve stayed there several weeks. It was so relaxing, the Lake serene. The service & food great. We also really appreciated the personal trainer at the gym. -Alleppey – the houseboat was good but not outstanding, but I think that was our mistake. We should’ve booked a higher end boat. However, the scenery couldn’t get any better. It was a relaxing trip down the waterways. We loved it and felt safe the entire time. -Mararikulam- Having travelled extensively I was surprised to see the beaches in Maraikulam match those of Hawaii, the Caribbean and South Pacific. The beach was unpolluted. There were a few fishermen & local dogs that were hanging out. -Cochin- This was an amazing city. We loved the history & energy there. The hotel was great. -Wayanad-Our stay at the Parison Tea Plantation was incredible. My husband & I got lost wandering in the tea plantation fields. We asked some locals to point us in the right direction. Our room at the Inn was amazing. The tour of the tea plantation & it’s history was great. we’re still enjoying the tea every morning back in Vancouver. -Kabani- where do I begin. This resort blew us away. The accommodations were outstanding as was the food. The staff made us feel like rock stars. However, it was the abundance of wildlife that left us speechless. It was stunning. The elephants, deer, wild dogs, birds, river otters. We felt like we were on a National Geographic expedition. We loved the ease of going on either a boat or jeep to see the wildlife. Sadly we didn’t see a tiger or leopard but we knew they were in the area as other tourists showed us their stunning photos from the day before. -Mysore- great city with many temples to see. The hotel Radisson Blu was lovely. I really liked the fact that leopards would hang out in the area we were staying! -Bangalore- fantastic hotel. I loved the historical tour and seeing the resident turkeys. Our suite was amazing, complete with flower petal designs outside our door. We were treated like royalty. Our only regret from our trip is that we will never have better food or service than what we had in India. So we’ll just have to book our 3rd trip with this outstanding company. Liz Legge