Some of the fault could be due to the local agent but the Tour Leader, Lucase, let us down badly and fell considerable below the standard which I have experienced from you in the past.
I waited over an hour for my pick-up from the airport during which time I was not allowed back into the airport to use the wifi; the help desk referred me to Air India but there was no one to help. Eventually the soldiers on duty insisted the 'help' lady give me internet connection.
Our Tour Leader said he would also be our guide in order to save us some money (very little in comparison to what we had paid for the trip,) but this lead to many disappointments and we didn't get the most out of the triip.
We did not have a welcome meeting, but straight onto the coach. Lucase said that he would not speak on the coach with the result that whenever we arrived anywhere, we had no notice, had to ask how long we would be and what should we take with us e.g. water, snacks.
The first day 3 of us needed an ATM but he didn't provide the opportunity, but at the end of the day, he said he would change money for us at a better rate than the hotel; 118 instead of 115. He actually changed money for us at a rate of 112 and I challenged him that I needed the balance of 220 rupees so that I had small notes otherwise I don't think he would have honoured this. The second day one of our party was not well and asked for a pharmacy. Despite passing at least three she needed to ask at the hotel and was directed to a pharmacist. We had the impression that he had seen it all before and we had to ask to receive information - except when it came to Temples.
Instead of giving us the history of the Temple on the coach and then pointing out the artefacts once we were there, he had us standing in the busy heat listening to so much information. As a retired teacher you should be aware of your audience and know that they can only take in so much information in one go.
I was particularly disappointed in our walking tour of Pudacherry. He took us to the 24 hour cafe where there was a square opposite. I asked if that was a stature of Nehru, to which he replied yes. I then found for myself the Tribute Wall of those killed during Independence at the beginning of the square, but what I did not know until later was beyond Nehru, was the spectacular French memorial to their dead. I also asked him where the Arc de Triomphe was, at which he laughed and said there wasn't one! Clearly mentioned in your notes and marked on google maps when I returned to the hotel. After that we insisted he read your notes so he knew what we were expecting. This did not stop him from adapting the tour to what he thought was better e.g.not seeing the 'bed ceremony' at Meenakkshi Temple
Two of our party had booked the tour via their daughter who worked for Trail Finders and she advised them to complain on tour which did help but he did not go out of his way to improve.
Some people on our tour found out that Bandipur was now open for safaris. Lucase said we couldn't get booked on it. When another couple also emailed to remind Explore that if Bandipur became available, we would be transferred back, then Lucase announced that he had been able to re-book Bandipur! Unfortunately, due to lack of forward planning we were unable to do the optional Safari Tour the next morning as it was fully booked. What was extremely disappointing, was that we were told at Windlower, no mobile phones are allowed in the park. Surely the local tour leaders and the local agent knew of this and could have fore-warned Explore who could then pass this on to us. Luckily, we had gelled as a group and we nominated one to be our photographer.
When we reached Kochi again there was a lack of forward planning. We had a very full-on day on 22nd as the Kathakal dancing could not be arranged for 21st so it was postponed to the 22nd. Also, we were not given the opportunity for a cookery class in a local home which I had been particularly looking forward to doing.
After many requests, he gave some of us his phone number on the second Wednesday of the tour. Up to then he kept saying we had been given a piece of paper with it on. We had not received it and this I believe he should have made sure that we had at the beginning.
Luckily for him, because on the Friday Lucase missed the train! We were all on board, he was stood on the platform on his phone with his back to the clock. Between us we were able to contact him - he did not have our phone numbers - and we were met at Chennai station by someone from the agency who got us to our hotel but did nothing else for us, i.e asked us for money for the porters which he had organised and then we waited over half an hour for the bus to arrive.
On the final morning of Sunday 1st March Lucase left before some of the guests on the tour which in view of the situation with external flights was not at all supportive.
In conclusion, the Tour Leader was considerably below standard and disappointing as I had asked your office before I left and was assured that we had an experienced guide. He may have been experienced but he was not up to date with his information and it came across as doing a tick box exercise.
On more positive note, the driver and his mate were excellent and could not do enough for us.
