Looking for the ultimate luxury tour of India? One of Time & Place’s travel groups decided to share their experience of traveling to India. Below is a summary of their trip in their words.
We could not have been in better hands. Devika checked in on us just about every day. This trip could have been really tough if not for the terrific accommodations, experienced guides and drivers who made it an incredible trip for all of us.
We loved Balbir our main driver, who always kept us well supplied with cold Diet Cokes, cookies, nuts and cold bottled water and gave us confidence that we would get from place to place safely despite the challenges of driving in India.
When we met our lovely guide in Mumbai I think we instantly became reassured that even though there was just the three of us, we would never really be alone. Seeing the flower market at dawn in Mumbai was crazy and amazing, and getting the fish smell out of our shoes after a visit to the fish market was quite a challenge!
If we hadn’t experienced Chanough Gar we would never of had the opportunity to meet an Indian family who welcomed us to their home and made sure we had everything we could possibly need or want and more. We felt luck to be able to celebrate Diwali with them, reliving our childhoods with our own sparklers and watching the towns kids delight in the fireworks that at times was a bit frightening as they all had a chance to set off firecrackers, all night long!
What can anyone say about Lake Pichola and the Lake Palace Hotel- outstanding rooms, service, food and what a great location in the middle of a lake! We even got to see the Maharaja of Udaipur, behind the wheel of his golf cart ushering some business people around his property.
Jaipur- The Rambagh Palace- that is where I realized how much you spoiled me! We were shown our room and it was beautiful and luxurious, until we saw that Leslie got a suite with a dining room, living room, bedroom and patio! It was a wonderful respite however just to be on the 40 acre estate. Just enough separation from the sights and sounds surrounding us from the city.
Going to the Taj Mahal at 5am and seeing the festive air balloons overhead-was amazing, and the Agra Fort we visited in the afternoon had an interesting history too.
We learned many new terms in Varanasi- the area called Kashi- the holiest place in India, we saw the crematoria, up close, and saw the funeral pyres as we learned about the ceremony and significance of the Ganges. We even know what a Dobie is (laundry guy), Ghat (steps), Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu – the stripes either horizontal or vertical painted on the forehead depending on which temple was visited (can’t remember which was which) and we know what a Sadhu is. So much to take in, all very fascinating. Our guide was the most spiritual of all the guides we had, that made sense in Varanasi. He shared so much about Hinduism with us. Walking through the crowded streets, riding on a bicycle rickshaw, avoiding the cow patties and practically bumping in to the cows themselves was something else that was part of our experience.
Delhi- the stark contrast between Old and New. Another rickshaw ride through the narrow streets of old Delhi, the low hanging electrical wires and urinals on the street were kind of shocking to us! While visiting the huge Sikh Temple that serves meals to all who are hungry gives new meaning to service and charity. We got access in to the kitchen to see where all the food is prepared- I’d never seen such huge cauldrons like they used for cooking.
Each guide brought a fresh perspective to our tour, each different in personality and style and all very knowledgeable. We feel so lucky to have experienced India the way we did and I don’t think any of us would have changed anything about our trip (except to not stay at the Gateway hotel!).
Thank you so very much Devika and Marta- we look forward to recommending you to all of our friends who may be thinking about a trip to India. And for certain if anyone would like to contact me for a recommendation I am happy to do so!
Ready to take a luxury adventure of your own? For more information about luxury tours of India, visit our Royal Rajasthan India adventure page and our Monuments & Tigers luxury tour of India page. Time & Place also offers customized luxury safaris and many other luxury adventures. Call us at 1.866.605.3542 or email us.