Extension – Holy Ganges of Varanasi

Hello Nazir, We loved our trip!!!. So sad to leave but ready to come home. We loved all our guides and drivers. We especially appreciated having the same driver for consecutive days (Suresh and Suki were our driving heroes!!!). Accommodations were fantastic. The professionalism and organization of everyone were outstanding. We felt well cared for in a foreign country. We were so happy to start in the south and be able to ease into India and then travel to the north. I cannot even begin to describe India to folks here. I loved seeing so much and on my next trip would love to stay longer in certain places. We loved Cochi and Munnar in the south. In The north Varanasi, Pushkar, Jodhpur, Deogarth, the walk thru recycling in Mumbai and dinner with a psychologist in Udaipur were highlights. Of course the temples, the forts and palaces were amazing. Our guides were so knowledgeable and informative. The history, religion, spirituality, politics all were so fascinating to learn about. The opportunities to walk and eat outside of hotels were wonderful I wish there had been more. It's actually hard to identify highlights as every day was full of new experiences ones that were easy and beautiful as well as those that were more difficult to experience. All created a unique experience and a glimpse at a unique country. I speak for all three of us in thanking you for creating such an amazing experience. It truly was! Namaste,

I want to thank everyone in your organization because all of you together made our trip to India one of the most memorable trips of our lives. It has been 3 weeks since we returned and we are now starting to relive the wonderful memories of our trip by showing the photos to family and friends. As Manzoor had mentioned at the first introductory meeting in Delhi, this tour was to be not a vacation but an experience of a lifetime. Indeed it was more than a vacation; it was a memorable intense experience that will always be fondly remembered. There were so very many highlights but the two that stand out the most for us are the breathe taking views of the Taj Mahal and the eerie spiritual experience of the Ganges ghats in Varanasi. No photo can do justice to the Taj Mahal and it just has to be experienced. Sunrise and sunset views of bathing and cremation on the Ganges were a culminating way to end our journey. You have a great package and itinerary for this tour. We experienced the richness of the culture and history of India and the grandeur of architecture in forts, temples and palaces. Hotels were very comfortable with interesting distinct features. Meals provided had a wide choice for all palates. The large comfortable tour bus with toilet was much appreciated. The bus driver did an amazing job getting us safely through chaotic traffic. As for shopping, we really found that “shopping on the bus” was the best way to get the small souvenirs and momentos. The specialty shops were awesome for the special purchases like a silk carpet, silk scarfs, pashminas etc. We were very fortunate to have Muzaffar Shah as our guide since he is definitely the best tour guide that we have ever met. He was always very informative, personable and attentive to everyone’s needs. We appreciate very much that he had a special way to describe key historical events in a story-telling way so that these came to life, rather than just facts and information. Thank you Nazir for your guidance to select this particular tour for us and your arrangements for our pre-tour travel for a 10 night stay in Goa at Candolim Beach. This was a great way to acclimatize to the time change and to escape Ottawa’s January weather. We enjoyed the fine weather, the beach at the Arabian Sea and in particular the warmth and friendliness of all the Goan people that we met. Our only regret is that we did not go back to Goa at the end of the tour not only for the fine weather and beach, but also for the fine food and friendly people. Thank you Mandira and Nazir for always responding quickly and helpfully to our various questions such as baggage arrangements for internal flights. I also want to mention Robert who met us upon arrival in Delhi, took us to overnight hotel and sent us off to Goa the next day. He has a very warm and friendly manner that made us feel at ease and very welcome to India. We have been to many parts of the world and have a few more places on our “bucket list” to visit but we definitely want to go back to India some day for more. We will definitely be in touch with you and will highly recommend Explore India to our friends. In fact, our close friends are seriously considering a trip to India next year and I have forwarded to them one of your recent emails that lists various itineraries. Thank you again for the most memorable trip of our lifetime Raymond and Ruta Klicius

Hi, Nazir. Sorry, I haven't written sooner but I have had a bad cold since returning from our amazing India trip. Both Stuart and I had a wonderful experience as it was much more than either of us expected. As our guide Yajure explained to us, India has been "cleaning itself up". What a wonderful surprise. Delhi being a bustling mega city, was a joy to experience in the few days we were there. Our bus rides, while exciting due to the different "vehicles, animals and people on the roads, made our journeys very colorful. Yajure was a wonderful, generous and knowledgeable guide. He is a walking encyclopedia. He was extremely accommodating and adaptable at a moments notice. Seeing the Taj Mahal, Buddha's birthplace, the Red Fort, the  Ganges in Varanasi and of course the city of Jaipur brought the trip to life. It was all mesmerizing. Your colleague Rajeev in Delhi was very helpful and kind and protective of us. Although he was mourning the loss of his dear father, he made himself available to us. So that's it Nazir. We certainly will not hesitate to recommend your company to any of our friends and family. Yours truly,

Thank you for enquiring how the trip went. It was an excellent adventure, so many wonderful places and monuments to see. India is a dynamic place to visit. For me, the trip to Jaipur was the highlight! The walls and the palace and the history were incredible. But the elephant ride! Such a thrill for a westerner to be that close to an animal that has been in books and stories we have all been exposed to all of our lives. I would have welcomed more time to spend with those animals when they were at rest and not working. A great opportunity. The air-conditioned bus was a god-send with the high temperatures and humidity at the beginning of October. Our guide was excellent, very knowlegable and personable. Overall, it was a memorable trip. This is not Explore India’s fault, but I would expect you would want to correct this little glitch. I would use Explore again to tour magnificent India! Sincerely, Carolyn Feldinger

Leona and I thoroughly enjoy our trip. The trip was just right, not too short or too long.With a small group, we got to know everyone and even promise to travel together in the future. No problem with the Hotels or our meals. Kingfisher beer and only Kingfisher beer, no complaint. Our tour guide Sanjay, was excellent. He was very knowledgeable and funny. Overall, it was a good trip and I highly recommended your company to our friends as a place to deal with. We are planning to go back in 2 years to see the south part of India or trekking north to Darjeeling, Sikkim area.

Just wanted to say thank you for a wonderful experience. You did a great job of organizing our trip and ensuring that we experienced the highlights of each of the countries that we travelled to. I am glad that we were able to have you accompany us on the trip. All of the guides were excellent. Hope to travel with you again someday. The trip to Cashmere would be great. Keep me posted. Thanks

Hi Nazir, it was such a fabulous experience, we had a fantastic time, can hardly believe it’s over! Not only was the tour amazing, the other 6 (we were really lucky) in the group were excellent. The food and the hotels were top notch, excellent value for our dollar. We loved how `things were taken care of``, we just had to have our bags outside the room, what service !!!! I know we will be seeing Mark and Anita here in Victoria. May even travel with them !!

We have just returned home from the 10 days Explore India tour Magical India with unforgettable experiences and truly favorable memories. Any initial reservations or uncertainties related to travelling in such a mysterious land were quickly relieved after we received a surprise but welcoming and reassuring phone call while registering on arrival at our airport hotel in Delhi at 11:55 pm from Explore India's Head of Operations. Despite using our own travel plans to and from the tour, Explore India representatives continually provided full support to our individual travel plans right through to our arrival at the Delhi airport for our departure flight. Our tour guide was extremely effective in preparing our group with extensive historical and current information on all the amazing sites we visited. Despite travelling in a country well known for its chaos and unpredictabilities, the tour was extremely well organized and effectively delivered. Accommodations were consistently first class. Meals were of high quality, with an ample variety for all tastes. Transportation was first class with a fully modern bus operated by a skilled driver. All tours to the many amazing world-class venues were conducted with professional precision. Kudos to Nazir, Rajeev and Arvind of Explore India for providing us with an exceptionally favorable, and memorable travel experience.

An amazing experience......it exceeded my expectations. I am a seasoned world traveler and was so very impressed with this tour. Our guide Shah was incredibly informative and I loved listening to his stories about the culture and history of India. I came away feeling that I learned a lot about India....the real India.....and developed a genuine liking for the country and the Indian people. It was a “taste”.....I definitely want to go back and see more! Shah was always in tune to the group’s needs and was very accommodating.....he definitely made the trip a success. He was a true professional in every way. He had a wonderful sense of humor. Accommodations were first class...3 of us shared a room so a very comfortable cot was always set up.....however, at each hotel we had to call for extra towels, coffee mug, pillow etc......we were always served promptly....a minor inconvenience really. I was surprised at the pollution....a heads up might be helpful, as one may want to pack a mask. So many highlights.....of course the Taj Mahal and the Varanasi experience.....but I’ll never forget our tour of the government school and meeting the children, the kitchen at the Sikh temple was another highlight. I loved the safari and being in the rural area for a couple of days.....and of course our beloved bus bizarres..........so incredible. Thank you all! Cindy Henry.

Hello Nazir We had a WONDERFUL and AMAZING trip to India. Our accommodations, travel and tour were first class. Our Travel Guide Harry was the best. He was informative, knowledgeable and spontaneous and that was so much fun.  His extensive knowledge and pride in his country was truly evident and exemplary; he was also beyond considerate as he assisted my husband when he fell ill and arranged a taxi to take him back to the hotel and to top it all off he called him later to reassure me all was well as I continued on the afternoon portion of the tour.  Best guide ever. As we arrived a day late we only met Rajeev Sharma for a short visit but he arranged everything from the airport on our arrival so we could be with the group for a marvelous meal, loved his choice. He was a kind and efficient manager who went above and beyond. Our extra day was organized by Rajeev who insured that we saw everything the group had seen on the day we missed. Again our guide was most informative and thoughtful. Our thanks to Mandira also who was helpful in getting our visas expedited. Our compliments to Explore India for a great tour. With thanks,