Imperial Rajasthan

This was a good way to get a flavor of India in the north/northwest. It would be impossible to see "everything" given that "India isn't a country...it's a CONTINENT!" (per our guide). But this trip allows one to see several cities and towns, has a mix of city and countryside of the area, many forts, the Taj, and plenty of good food. Recommended.

Busy and tiring but overall fabulous. No “relaxed starts” as per itinerary. No “free” time, no shopping time. Even though our tour guide was intent on “following the program” we didn’t actually cover the itinerary, after checking the itinerary again when I got home. When we did have shopping opportunity it was the tour guide who took us to his “preferred” retailers, not to the markets where we wanted to browse and possibly shop. It was truly a lessons in history, geography, culture and religions. Tour guide was very knowledgeable on all aspects. It was a lot of climbing steps and stairs at the temples and forts and many without railings which became difficult and at times dangerous. Hotels were outstanding, however some were clearly self rated 5 stars and could do with upgrades. We appreciated how the guide looked after us, always making sure we were comfortable and safe. Excellent transport with onboard wifi and frequent bathroom stops in the cleanest bathrooms available on days of long drives. Needed more 2 night stops. In short, loved every minute of it.

Unnecessary to stop at obvious sales pitch sites in Delhi for the textiles and rug sales. For a luxury tour this kind of proprietary sales pitch is beneath what I expected from a nice tour. I would expect that on a mid level or low level tour but not on a luxury tour. Get rid of these. It made the day very long and it was unnecessary and wasted 2 to 3 hours.

We saw some amazing sites throughout Rajasthan. The Taj Mahal (Agra not Rajasthan) was all we expected it to be. There is more time on the bus than anticipated, however, the bus was extremely comfortable and we had adequate breaks. The hotels ranged from very good, to 3 that are exceptional. Our guide was knowledgeable and took very good care of us. The Indian food was toned down to our tastes and was plentiful. Most of it was buffets, so my only disappointment is that I really do not know any more about Indian food than when I began my trip. But I enjoyed what I ate. We very much enjoyed the Indian people and culture. The people are so very friendly and happy. One of the surprises was the door-to-door service. It started us off feelling pampered to have a private car service to the airport; but it really paid off at the end of the trip after we had been traveling for 48 hours. What a lovely touch.

Fantastic itinerary covering the major sights, incredible palaces, spectacular forts, and beautiful temples of the ‘Golden Triangle’ Rajasthan. Luxurious beautiful hotels, all diverse in size and style and even one where we arrived and departed by private boat! Upon arrival we were greeted by friendly staff in traditional dress. Some of the hotels performed a traditional scarf ceremony or beautiful flower necklaces with traditional music. A few of the hotels surprised us with rose petals which were sprinkled from high above onto us as we entered! Yes there was the opposite end of the spectrum where in the big cities horns were blowing and scooters were everywhere zigzagging and livestock sometimes laying in the middle of the road. I must say it was all fascinating creating a lot of laughs and part of the experience of India. The itinerary included experiences were great! The places we visited were incredibly beautiful, such diverse architecture, decoration and history. The Taj Mahal sends shivers when you first see it and seems surreal. The sunrise casting a beautiful golden light onto the buildings was sublime. Our Tuk Tuk tour through New Delhi, and our jeep journey through the dunes at sunset with our evening dinner (with entertainment) in the middle of the dunes was fantastic! The mix of the big city, villages, countryside, hilltop fortresses, lakes, forests and sand dunes really gave a great diversity of experiences. We even had monkeys in the trees above us during lunch one day! Our coach was very comfortable and spacious and appreciated the endless bottled water on board. Enjoyed the commentary and care given by our Travelling Concierge who was very helpful with every request. India for me was a country filled with a rainbow of bright color and very lovely and beautiful people who were so polite and friendly with gorgeous smiles! That is one of my big takeaways from this trip. Well done Luxury Gold it was a great holiday and would not hesitate to travel with you again!