This local travel specialist led my extended family of 18 (ages 6 through 77) on a truly unforgettable tour of the Golden Triangle and Varanasi over the Christmas break. We have traveled extensively throughout the world, using a number of luxury tour companies (often based in the US or UK), but more recently, I have wanted to send my travel dollars directly to the local tour operator based in our country of destination. By good fortune, I came across this agency and their terrific (although more scarce) online reviews. Himanshu replied to my initial query almost immediately (the man sleeps during the day in India to keep his work responses set to US time zones-he responded to almost every email of mine within an hour or two!), and every contact I had with him or other members of his company were excellent. Planning such a large multigenerational trip can be daunting, but Himanshu was incredibly responsive and was great at suggesting different locations and activities based on the individual interests in our group.
From pick up to drop off, our group felt well cared for and received a truly personalized touch from the small, boutique travel company (we each even received Christmas gifts hand selected by Himanshu and his lovely wife - how’s that for unique?). Our guide, Narottam (“Narji”) took us to Agra, Jaipur, Varanasi, and Delhi, and was one of the best guides I have ever had. Along with Himanshu (who also accompanied us as an extra set of hands and photographer), he customized our trip to accommodate our individual traveling styles and more importantly, shared what he personally loved most about each location to make it truly special. From tasting the best of street food in old Delhi and Varanasi, to volunteering at Gurudwara Bangla Sahib (the largest Sikh temple in Delhi), to our magical sunrise and evening boat rides on the Ganges in Varanasi, to our super fancy bus that took our entire group around Agra, Jaipur, and Delhi, it was all amazing!
