8 independent reviews for Rajasthan tours, India
Reviews for Rajasthan tours, India
Sandra Acheson review 22 May 2023
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Seeing a leopard in the Ranthambore National Park. Hot air balloon over Jaipur. Taj Mahal in Agra2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Check the hot months and avoid where possible. I found May too hot. You are a traveler not a tourist so be aware hotels are not 5 star and trains will be out of your comfort zone. You need to be able to lift your luggage onto the trains. Consider taking a pro biotic a week before you leave, but check with your doctor first.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Being photographed with Europeans seems to give the local people such joy, so that has to be a plus. Spending money in the country must be beneficial, but I fear we also add to pollution especially plastic bottles and other single use packaging.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Guides, Dinesh and Jitu were excellent. Top value for money.Elayne Azevedo review 26 Jan 2020
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
So many magical memories. What I really loved was the cohesive and infectious enthusiasm of the group energy and the ease because of our highly organized, fun tour leader Afshar who took care of our logistics with expertise and caring attention.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Do it - If you want variety of culture, archeology, nature with mixed lodging and a sense of what REAL India is like at a local level.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes - great connection with the locals and was impressed as they are far more progressive with environment than I realized (re: plastic use, educational interpretive signs and caring for nature)4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
EXCELLENT! Beyond my expectations - the tour leader was competent, well organized, communicated our itinerary to keep us on task for ease and yet, gave freedom for our own time too. Well balanced and nice variety of place, people, activities, lodging and transport. PLUS, he was well versed with where to go for great food and helped with other needs with kindness and attention. All with professionalism and great humor.Kate Lintott review 6 Nov 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
So many, difficult to choose which one! Maybe being approached and asked if I wanted to buy a camel at the Puskar Camel fair!2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
I was very nervous being a single traveler, and arriving in Delhi. I would highly recommend pre-booking a taxi with the operator to your hotel, once I attended our welcome meeting that evening all my troubles were put down as our tour leader was amazing.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes, we used local metro, trains, auto-rickshaws etc, local street food vendors and plenty of market shopping. One hotel had started to use glass bottles with drinkable water in the rooms to reduce plastic waste too.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
One of my top two vacations ever. The most amazing experience, mainly due to our highly skilled and approachable tour leader Arpu (Arhana), India is an amazing place and completely exceeded all my expectations, you need to be open-minded and prepared for changes to the itinery, but this is the way life is, never a dull moment! I can't wait to return.Michel Bogdan review 3 Nov 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
The beautifull palaces, castles and forts along the way, contacts with the local people and the nice temperatures!2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Take a mask or a scarf to protect jourself against smog. Take more money along because India is more expensive now. I spent 3 times more than the notes suggested without doing anything crazy (for instance a can of beer was 4 euro!!).3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes, lots of local professions were visited and supported. A missed chance for locals support: An Indian cycle shirt as a souvenir would have been nice (like Vietnam).4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Very good, specially because of all the contacts with local people.Chris McCallion review 10 Mar 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
At the beginning of the trip, the most memorable thing was this operator's poor communication in failing to tell us the hotel had been closed down. At the end of the trip, the most memorable thing was how bad the last hotel was; we were first given a cold room with damp sheets and mildew on the wall, then another room also cold and damp, then at three in the morning, another room which was dry but which had a filthy floor. The main part of the vacation was great, with a very well balanced itinerary, and we had a brilliant guide. The most exciting things were catching a first closeup sight of the Taj Mahal and seeing tigers in Ranthambore.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Book your own hotel at the beginning and end of your trip, or check out first and last hotels carefully. If you have space, and you like tea or coffee, pack your own kettle. (There are porters to help you nearly everywhere, so you don’t need to pack super light as long as you can lift your case on and off the train. At Delhi airport, take a prepaid state taxi to your hotel (the stand is in the arrivals hall after you’ve picked up your cases); it cost us 400 IR rather than £28 this operator would have charged. Change money in an airport ATM. Buy an Indian SIM card at the airport (you will not be able to get one anywhere later).3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Hotels during the trip were not expensive, but were characterful and would have less environmental impact than staying in 4 or 5 * hotels. By staying in modest hotels, eating out, visiting sights and using local guides I would hope we were contributing to local economies. It seems that Ranthambore visits are carefully controlled, and tourism appears to contribute to tiger conservation, in that tiger numbers have been gradually increasing and park boundaries become bigger.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
It could so easily have been excellent throughout, but for this operator's chasing profit in the final hotel. But for that the vacation was easily 5 *Charmian Hobbs review 5 Mar 2016
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Seeing tigers in Ranthambore National Park- yes two less than twenty feet away. I had no expectations of seeing so to come across one resting beside the track who was then joined by another was amazing.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
As the trip moves on almost every day there is quite a lot of unpacking/packing so make life easy for yourself and pack light!3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Travel covered most forms so included public trains and buses so no additional load on the environment.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Travel to fill all your senses with many surprises and some chance to relax along the way.Kathryn Heirons review 22 Mar 2015
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
It is impossible to choose from so many wonderful experiences. The Rajasthan palaces and forts were stunning in their scale and beauty and it was amazing to stay in two that were now offering hotel accommodation. The bright colours of the saris worn by women at work in the fields was a very memorable sight too.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
It was a well planned itinerary covering a wide range of cultural and leisure activities making the most of the two weeks in India. Don't hesitate to book. Just go! It was amazing. One thing we found a minor problem with was the lack of credit card facilities so be prepared to use ATMs to get out cash. ATMs are widely available but could be temperamental, working some times and not others for no apparent reason. We were taken to some 'factory outlets' which were expensive and Used the hard sell. Think carefully before buying from these places. It is better to wander through the shops and markets to check out prices, quality and choice.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
The operator uses local transport, including trains. The hotels were small businesses and not part of large world wide chains. The company has a carbon off set scheme with a large tree planting programme to help off set the impact of the vacation on the environment. It included visits to local markets, villages and farms which allowed us to see the real India and understand the lives of the people. It provided a canvas bag to use for shopping to reduce the use of plastic bags.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
It was a brilliant vacation, good value for money and I would enthusiastically recommend it to others. Our group was a mix of ages from 20 year olds to over 60's so it is suitable for all wanting to experience India.Beki Williams review 23 Jan 2014
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Most memorable - the amazing places we stayed and the wonderful people we met most exciting - being driven through the streets of Delhi, it got the adrenaline pumping anyway!2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
We went in January, it was pretty chilly, especially on some of the early mornings, take some warm clothes.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
We didn't see any direct impact on the local people as a result of our vacation or tour providers. Although we stayed in some locations where the hotel was the main source of employment, but I expected to see more projects in the small, rural areas we visited.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
The vacation was fantastic, it was my first 'tour' vacation and I enjoyed leaving all the planning (and worrying) to someone else. There was a good balance of organised activities and free time to do our own thing. We visited some amazing places, met some lovely people, saw amazing sights and ate an awful lot of curry! I much preferred the rural areas we visited, the people were lovely. I became a bit tired of the frenetic mayhem of Delhi and the constant pestering from locals.Holiday Reviews
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