APPRECIATION LETTERS
Dear Tapas
We just wanted to write and say thank you and Krishna very much for
inviting us to your house for a lovely meal - it made the end of our
time in Delhi very special. Your hospitality was wonderful.
We thoroughly enjoyed our tour, the driver and the guides were
extremely competent and efficient, at all times we felt safe and very
well looked after. The driver was absolutely amazing.
The sights we saw were truly wonderful - it was a very
special week for us- thank you for everything.
We are here in Goa now - it is very busy getting ready for independence
day. We are enjoying the rest!
Best Wishes
Jan and Les, U.K.
yanwath@aol.com
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What Our Clients Have To Say
What Our Clients Have To Say
Dear Tapas,
We arrived safe and sound back in Switzerland this morning. I just wanted to let you know that we had an amazing trip and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. All the details were so well planned and the route proved to be a great success- a wonderful balance between culture, nature and activities for the children. We felt very well cared for - the ball was never dropped and people looked after us very well. We also enjoyed the variation in accomodation from the beautiful camping ground at Uleiktop to the Rambagh palace.
We would like to thank you and Mahendra for the excellent preparations, warm hospitality and especially for making our family dream come true! Needless to say- we would love to serve as a reference for future clients!
Ulla, Switzerland
ullagoppelsroeder@yahoo.com
We arrived safe and sound back in Switzerland this morning. I just wanted to let you know that we had an amazing trip and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. All the details were so well planned and the route proved to be a great success- a wonderful balance between culture, nature and activities for the children. We felt very well cared for - the ball was never dropped and people looked after us very well. We also enjoyed the variation in accomodation from the beautiful camping ground at Uleiktop to the Rambagh palace.
We would like to thank you and Mahendra for the excellent preparations, warm hospitality and especially for making our family dream come true! Needless to say- we would love to serve as a reference for future clients!
Ulla, Switzerland
ullagoppelsroeder@yahoo.com
Dear Tapas,
A brief note of thanks to you just prior to our departure from India. We have thoroughly enjoyed our stay here and our tour, which you organized perfectly.
It has in effect, been two separate holidays to us – first the heritage trail which we found extremely interesting and your selection of heritage accommodation was brilliant ! (our favourite location was Udaipur).
Next, the wildlife tour which we found so exciting, having successfully “hunted” (Photographically of course) 8 tigers and hundreds of rhinos. Our favourite places were Mogli at Kanha – their staff are to be congratulated there ; and wild grass at Kasiranga, where again the staff were superb. Our guide kenwar, at Kasiranga, could not have been better – and what a grand final destination to complete our wildlife safari !
We were also very impressed with our driver (Udaipur to Agra), Oshuk who was most courteous, professional and kept the car immaculate.
We also would like to thank your wife Krishna and yourself for the delicious dinner at your home – again a special event for us, and one of our memorable India experiences. Please pass our sincere thanks to your family.
We are at present being pampered here at the Imperial hotel - we have been upgraded and we feel like Royalty on this our last afternoon.
Thanks again for everything – we leave with very happy memories.
Fond regards….. Pauline & Dave Edwards, Australia
edwair@aapt.net.au
A brief note of thanks to you just prior to our departure from India. We have thoroughly enjoyed our stay here and our tour, which you organized perfectly.
It has in effect, been two separate holidays to us – first the heritage trail which we found extremely interesting and your selection of heritage accommodation was brilliant ! (our favourite location was Udaipur).
Next, the wildlife tour which we found so exciting, having successfully “hunted” (Photographically of course) 8 tigers and hundreds of rhinos. Our favourite places were Mogli at Kanha – their staff are to be congratulated there ; and wild grass at Kasiranga, where again the staff were superb. Our guide kenwar, at Kasiranga, could not have been better – and what a grand final destination to complete our wildlife safari !
We were also very impressed with our driver (Udaipur to Agra), Oshuk who was most courteous, professional and kept the car immaculate.
We also would like to thank your wife Krishna and yourself for the delicious dinner at your home – again a special event for us, and one of our memorable India experiences. Please pass our sincere thanks to your family.
We are at present being pampered here at the Imperial hotel - we have been upgraded and we feel like Royalty on this our last afternoon.
Thanks again for everything – we leave with very happy memories.
Fond regards….. Pauline & Dave Edwards, Australia
edwair@aapt.net.au
Dear Tapas,
Just a brief note to confirm we arrived home on schedule yesterday. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you - and of course all Trinetra Tour Staff and representatives - for making our short stay in India truly memorable.
The tour itinerary was just perfect and the 4 day 'rest and relaxation break' in Varca, Goa, was the icing on the cake!. Every connection, be it at hotel or airport, was handled with the utmost efficiency and courtesy.
As we discussed at dinner last saturday - 2 weeks is just not long enough!. Please pass on to Krishna our warmest regards and thanks for making the evening such a great success.
Also, can you please convey our grateful thanks to your / our driver - Mr Singh - for taking such great care of us through out the tour.
And of course, please thank Mahendra for dealing with Alitalia and resolving the lost luggage issue caused by the security scare in London on the day we travelled. It was very comforting to know that Mahendra was resolving Alitalia's problem in Mumbai!
Please add our names to your '110% satisfied customers list' and feel free to pass on this email ( or our email addresses) to any potential clients.
We are looking forward to a return visit to India in the future.
With our warmest and fondest regards,
Jill and Michael Deighton. U.K.
mike.deighton@dsl.pipex.com
Just a brief note to confirm we arrived home on schedule yesterday. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you - and of course all Trinetra Tour Staff and representatives - for making our short stay in India truly memorable.
The tour itinerary was just perfect and the 4 day 'rest and relaxation break' in Varca, Goa, was the icing on the cake!. Every connection, be it at hotel or airport, was handled with the utmost efficiency and courtesy.
As we discussed at dinner last saturday - 2 weeks is just not long enough!. Please pass on to Krishna our warmest regards and thanks for making the evening such a great success.
Also, can you please convey our grateful thanks to your / our driver - Mr Singh - for taking such great care of us through out the tour.
And of course, please thank Mahendra for dealing with Alitalia and resolving the lost luggage issue caused by the security scare in London on the day we travelled. It was very comforting to know that Mahendra was resolving Alitalia's problem in Mumbai!
Please add our names to your '110% satisfied customers list' and feel free to pass on this email ( or our email addresses) to any potential clients.
We are looking forward to a return visit to India in the future.
With our warmest and fondest regards,
Jill and Michael Deighton. U.K.
mike.deighton@dsl.pipex.com
I am only too pleased to give a
reference for Tapas and his company, Trinetra.
A colleague and I have been using Tapas to arrange our group visits to India every year since 1990. Indeed my first group was his first group when he opened up in business for himself. He decided to open his own business because he felt the companies he had worked for in the tourist industry in India were not giving the kind of service he believed tourists wanted and deserved. He is a man of great honour, is trustworthy and reliable. He will arrange the best deal he can for you, and will always be concerned for your welfare.
In fact he will do his utmost to arrange for you whatever you want. One year I had asked for (what I later realised was) a very punishing schedule, encompassing huge distances. Tapas delivered, and I got the schedule I wanted, but after that year I always put a rider on my requests-- is this do able and is it sensible! India is so huge, it is easy to look at it and think of covering distances as we do in the West-- this is not the same experience in the East!
I have no hesitation in recommending Tapas to you. As I say, he has consistently given us excellent service and value for money over the last 14 years. many of the people who came with me in the first 2 years, have returned with me on numerous occasions. They know the visit will be a good one, well organised and structured through Trinetra Tours.
I hope you enjoy India, it is a stunning wonderful country.
Best wishes
Ms. Julie Wooldridge. U.K.
jerryjuliewooldridge@tesco.net
A colleague and I have been using Tapas to arrange our group visits to India every year since 1990. Indeed my first group was his first group when he opened up in business for himself. He decided to open his own business because he felt the companies he had worked for in the tourist industry in India were not giving the kind of service he believed tourists wanted and deserved. He is a man of great honour, is trustworthy and reliable. He will arrange the best deal he can for you, and will always be concerned for your welfare.
In fact he will do his utmost to arrange for you whatever you want. One year I had asked for (what I later realised was) a very punishing schedule, encompassing huge distances. Tapas delivered, and I got the schedule I wanted, but after that year I always put a rider on my requests-- is this do able and is it sensible! India is so huge, it is easy to look at it and think of covering distances as we do in the West-- this is not the same experience in the East!
I have no hesitation in recommending Tapas to you. As I say, he has consistently given us excellent service and value for money over the last 14 years. many of the people who came with me in the first 2 years, have returned with me on numerous occasions. They know the visit will be a good one, well organised and structured through Trinetra Tours.
I hope you enjoy India, it is a stunning wonderful country.
Best wishes
Ms. Julie Wooldridge. U.K.
jerryjuliewooldridge@tesco.net
Hi Tapas,
Well, we're safely back in Nassau after a most enjoyable visit to your Incredible India. Our enjoyment was in no small measure due to the well thought-out selection of tours and hotels arranged by your Company. Through these experiences, we were able to appreciate first hand your great country, its cultural and political legacy to the rest of the world as well as the vibrancy of its people.
Thank you also for openining your home to us and sharing your , Krishna's and Arjun's warm hospitality with us . The meal was delicious and we had a most enjoyable evening. This experience along with the visits to the Taj mahal and the other cultural and historical sites all made our trip to India unforgettable.
Best regards to Krishna, Sam and Payal and I look forward to wecoming you some day to my own country. Please continue to provide the outstandingly professional yet highly personal service that you do at Trinetra Tours and best wishes for the future.
Ellen, Bahamas
servilleellen@gmail.com
Well, we're safely back in Nassau after a most enjoyable visit to your Incredible India. Our enjoyment was in no small measure due to the well thought-out selection of tours and hotels arranged by your Company. Through these experiences, we were able to appreciate first hand your great country, its cultural and political legacy to the rest of the world as well as the vibrancy of its people.
Thank you also for openining your home to us and sharing your , Krishna's and Arjun's warm hospitality with us . The meal was delicious and we had a most enjoyable evening. This experience along with the visits to the Taj mahal and the other cultural and historical sites all made our trip to India unforgettable.
Best regards to Krishna, Sam and Payal and I look forward to wecoming you some day to my own country. Please continue to provide the outstandingly professional yet highly personal service that you do at Trinetra Tours and best wishes for the future.
Ellen, Bahamas
servilleellen@gmail.com
Tapas,
Now we have been back a week and settling back into our routine, we thought we would drop you a brief e-mail to say Thank You for organising such an exceptional holiday.
Where do I start?
First of all a very personal Thanks to your wife, Krishna for such a welcoming meal at your home.
All your staff, guides and drivers were most professional and courteous - all the time. Just one example: before leaving Delhi to catch our train to Udaipur, we had a couple of hours spare. Unbeknown to me, our guide "K-G" happened to notice me strolling out of the hotel and came up to ask me if I would like to see another of the sights in Delhi, rather than just resting in the hotel - so he took us to Gandhi's museum for a delightful visit. Our driver, Ashok, was obviously a very expert driver. Despite some hair-raising situations, we did feel safe with him. It does make traffic back in London appear to be so sedate and unhurried! Ann & I felt very special being chaperoned across the whole of Rajasthan.
You chose the hotels very well indeed.
We just have to mention the Rohetgarh Fort, in Rohet. The Lonely Planet guide gives a hint when it says "(it) is a heritage hotel with lots of character and relaxing gardens.Bruce Chatwin wrote The Songlines here and William Dalrymple began City of the Djinnes in the same room (15). It's surprising that they were so diligent, as there's a gorgeous colonnaded pool and the rooms are lovely." What an understatement! Our room (no. 34) was originally the old Courthouse block. A magnificent double-storied apartment, decorated with great style, from the wall frescoes to the traditional colourful wall hangings - surely it must have been the best in Rohetgarh? We would have so liked to have spent more time there.
We also thought the Rattan Villas in Jodhpur was very charming. Rather than calling it an hotel, I would describe it as a very quaint, old-fashioned guest house. It was delightful chatting to the elderly owner on the veranda, pointing out his old Polo photos on the walls, including the one of the Duke of Edinburgh and his father after one match. This was "Jewel in the Crown" for real. By the way, we had some great home-cooked meals at Rattan Villas.
I have some of our photos on a public website. If you are interested, please do visit:-
http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/joefromruislip/album?.dir=/b975&.src=ph&.tok=phRROwEBoHysGJCQ
Needless to say, we would be delighted to act as a reference for you in the future, please do add me to your e-mail list and we will recommend you to all our friends.
Thanks again for the fabulous holiday.
Regards,
Joe Franks
90 Park Avenue, Ruislip, Middlesex HA4 7UP
E-mail : joe@thefranksfamily.com
Tel : 01895 639367
Mobile : 07970 988323
Fax : 01895 621528
Now we have been back a week and settling back into our routine, we thought we would drop you a brief e-mail to say Thank You for organising such an exceptional holiday.
Where do I start?
First of all a very personal Thanks to your wife, Krishna for such a welcoming meal at your home.
All your staff, guides and drivers were most professional and courteous - all the time. Just one example: before leaving Delhi to catch our train to Udaipur, we had a couple of hours spare. Unbeknown to me, our guide "K-G" happened to notice me strolling out of the hotel and came up to ask me if I would like to see another of the sights in Delhi, rather than just resting in the hotel - so he took us to Gandhi's museum for a delightful visit. Our driver, Ashok, was obviously a very expert driver. Despite some hair-raising situations, we did feel safe with him. It does make traffic back in London appear to be so sedate and unhurried! Ann & I felt very special being chaperoned across the whole of Rajasthan.
You chose the hotels very well indeed.
We just have to mention the Rohetgarh Fort, in Rohet. The Lonely Planet guide gives a hint when it says "(it) is a heritage hotel with lots of character and relaxing gardens.Bruce Chatwin wrote The Songlines here and William Dalrymple began City of the Djinnes in the same room (15). It's surprising that they were so diligent, as there's a gorgeous colonnaded pool and the rooms are lovely." What an understatement! Our room (no. 34) was originally the old Courthouse block. A magnificent double-storied apartment, decorated with great style, from the wall frescoes to the traditional colourful wall hangings - surely it must have been the best in Rohetgarh? We would have so liked to have spent more time there.
We also thought the Rattan Villas in Jodhpur was very charming. Rather than calling it an hotel, I would describe it as a very quaint, old-fashioned guest house. It was delightful chatting to the elderly owner on the veranda, pointing out his old Polo photos on the walls, including the one of the Duke of Edinburgh and his father after one match. This was "Jewel in the Crown" for real. By the way, we had some great home-cooked meals at Rattan Villas.
I have some of our photos on a public website. If you are interested, please do visit:-
http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/joefromruislip/album?.dir=/b975&.src=ph&.tok=phRROwEBoHysGJCQ
Needless to say, we would be delighted to act as a reference for you in the future, please do add me to your e-mail list and we will recommend you to all our friends.
Thanks again for the fabulous holiday.
Regards,
Joe Franks
90 Park Avenue, Ruislip, Middlesex HA4 7UP
E-mail : joe@thefranksfamily.com
Tel : 01895 639367
Mobile : 07970 988323
Fax : 01895 621528
Tapas Banerjee at Trinetra Tours has
arranged several group tours for me, and his organisation has always
been excellent. Hotels have been of a high standard, and guides and
drivers have been friendly and helpful. I have no hesitation in
recommending him to you.
Best wishes,
Ms. Sue Bishop. UK
suebishop.photo@btinternet.com
Best wishes,
Ms. Sue Bishop. UK
suebishop.photo@btinternet.com
I am always pleased to offer a
reference for Trinetra. There are not enough superlatives in the English
language to describe the level of service they provided during our tour
of Rajistan.
If you meet Tapas, you will certainly be impressed with his warmth and friendship.
One memorable example of excellent service: We took a side trip to Nepal, and the return flight was unexpectedly canceled. The next flight left barely enough time for our connection from New Delhi to the United States. Tapas' people met us at the airport, and hand-guided us through the maze of pre-check-in inspections. We literally ran with them to baggage check-in, managed to get our boarding passes, and boarded the plane. Phew! Two lessons: Avoid the Nepalese airline (Singapore Airlines flew the sameroute), and make sure you've got a friend in New Delhi!
I wish you well, and a safe journey. Do not hesitate to write if you have any other questions.
Mr. George Henderson. USA
gth@san.rr.com
If you meet Tapas, you will certainly be impressed with his warmth and friendship.
One memorable example of excellent service: We took a side trip to Nepal, and the return flight was unexpectedly canceled. The next flight left barely enough time for our connection from New Delhi to the United States. Tapas' people met us at the airport, and hand-guided us through the maze of pre-check-in inspections. We literally ran with them to baggage check-in, managed to get our boarding passes, and boarded the plane. Phew! Two lessons: Avoid the Nepalese airline (Singapore Airlines flew the sameroute), and make sure you've got a friend in New Delhi!
I wish you well, and a safe journey. Do not hesitate to write if you have any other questions.
Mr. George Henderson. USA
gth@san.rr.com
Dear Tapas and all people that
helped us with the tour.
It was a great experience to us and we were very happy. To Tapas thank you so much for your hospitality that we really enjoyed. We have no complains regarding the tour everything went very smoothly.
You ask if we will be on your list and of course if we can be of any help for you to inform about your trips we will do that.
You were also asking about our children. We have got three sons, Fredrik Lundgren, Carl Johan Lundgren and Peter Lundgren.
In case they are going to India we will of course suggest them to travel with you.
Best regards
Eva & bengt Lundgren, Sweden
info@skavkulla.se
It was a great experience to us and we were very happy. To Tapas thank you so much for your hospitality that we really enjoyed. We have no complains regarding the tour everything went very smoothly.
You ask if we will be on your list and of course if we can be of any help for you to inform about your trips we will do that.
You were also asking about our children. We have got three sons, Fredrik Lundgren, Carl Johan Lundgren and Peter Lundgren.
In case they are going to India we will of course suggest them to travel with you.
Best regards
Eva & bengt Lundgren, Sweden
info@skavkulla.se
Volendo organizzare un viaggio nel
Nord dell'India, ho ritenuto opportuno affidarmi ad un'Agenzia
di viaggi locale, nella speranza che il percorso e la logistica fossero
diversi dal solito tran tran proposto dalle Agenzie italiane. Ho così
avuto modo di conoscere la Trinetra Tours ed il suo cortesissimo
Manager. Al termine del viaggio ho ritenuto doveroso esprimere a Tapas
ed ai suoi collaboratori il sentito ringraziamento per l'assistenza, la scelta
del percorso proposto, l'elevato livello delle prestazioni che mi sono
state fornite e, sopratutto, per la qualità del servizio in
generale che ha permesso, fra l'altro, la conoscenza di un'India
diversa da quella solitamente presentata negli opuscoli, un pò
meno convenzionale, quindi, ma di indimenticabile bellezza."
Giorgio Cesari, Italy
giorgio_cesari@libero.it
Giorgio Cesari, Italy
giorgio_cesari@libero.it
Dear Tapas,
Grettings from London!
We arrived safely home last night. We wish to thank you and your team - in particular Pal for a very efficient , professional, courteous and understanding way in which you handled our trip.
We have had the most memorable holiday. It is a pity that we did not have the opportunity to tell you about the trip and have dinner at your house!. Never mind next time I promise! We did try to call you from Cochin but had problems with the telephones.
I thought I should provide you individual feedback fro our trip for Bangalore and kerala.
Bangalore - Transport pick up and guide - excellent. One minor comment. The driver could not communicate well and had the guide not been there at the airport pick up we would have problems communicating!
St Marks hotel which we booked directly should certainly be on top of your list! Very professional, helpful and courteous staff. I met the general manager and the M.D. Very Professional, courteous and helpful people. I am sure they will be able to offer you a corporate rate. Talk to J. P.MENON GENERAL MANAGER - you can say I have recommended them to you!
Munnar - Excellent overall. Club Mahindra was very good. we were looked after very well as J. P. Menon had called them! The Kerala Travels and the Driver - John were excellent. John was very knowledgeable and become one of the family member by the time we finished the trip!
Coconut Lagoon - Excellent, breathtaking and a very memorable experience!
Travanacore Heritage- lovely property, good food. However not all the staff were of satisfactory standard in comparison to Club Mahindra or Coconut Lagoon.
Hilton Trident - Cochin - Excellent. Should go on top of your recommendations!
Overall - Excellent, memorable and most enjoyable trip. Any travel agent can organise the trip but it is people like yourself who make the difference!
The manner in which our trip was handled from the beginning to end is a great credit to you.You have earned our name being used as a reference! You are true to your every word and this is very important. Any trip is about trust and relationship. You may wish to recommend our itenary to others!
We will certainly recommending you to our professional colleagues, friends and family -
Take care and keep up the good work. Our best wishes are with you and your team and long may you continue to serve others as you have served us.
Ramila Manek, Nikhil and Nishma wish to convey you and your team their deepest Appreciationfor a most memorable trip.
Regards
D. Manek
dilip@dial.pipex.com & HOFS@rcgp.org.uk
Grettings from London!
We arrived safely home last night. We wish to thank you and your team - in particular Pal for a very efficient , professional, courteous and understanding way in which you handled our trip.
We have had the most memorable holiday. It is a pity that we did not have the opportunity to tell you about the trip and have dinner at your house!. Never mind next time I promise! We did try to call you from Cochin but had problems with the telephones.
I thought I should provide you individual feedback fro our trip for Bangalore and kerala.
Bangalore - Transport pick up and guide - excellent. One minor comment. The driver could not communicate well and had the guide not been there at the airport pick up we would have problems communicating!
St Marks hotel which we booked directly should certainly be on top of your list! Very professional, helpful and courteous staff. I met the general manager and the M.D. Very Professional, courteous and helpful people. I am sure they will be able to offer you a corporate rate. Talk to J. P.MENON GENERAL MANAGER - you can say I have recommended them to you!
Munnar - Excellent overall. Club Mahindra was very good. we were looked after very well as J. P. Menon had called them! The Kerala Travels and the Driver - John were excellent. John was very knowledgeable and become one of the family member by the time we finished the trip!
Coconut Lagoon - Excellent, breathtaking and a very memorable experience!
Travanacore Heritage- lovely property, good food. However not all the staff were of satisfactory standard in comparison to Club Mahindra or Coconut Lagoon.
Hilton Trident - Cochin - Excellent. Should go on top of your recommendations!
Overall - Excellent, memorable and most enjoyable trip. Any travel agent can organise the trip but it is people like yourself who make the difference!
The manner in which our trip was handled from the beginning to end is a great credit to you.You have earned our name being used as a reference! You are true to your every word and this is very important. Any trip is about trust and relationship. You may wish to recommend our itenary to others!
We will certainly recommending you to our professional colleagues, friends and family -
Take care and keep up the good work. Our best wishes are with you and your team and long may you continue to serve others as you have served us.
Ramila Manek, Nikhil and Nishma wish to convey you and your team their deepest Appreciationfor a most memorable trip.
Regards
D. Manek
dilip@dial.pipex.com & HOFS@rcgp.org.uk
Tapas and team at Trinetra,
Please excuse my late response. I have been traveling extensively on business since my return from India. I have filled in your questionnaire below, and I offer the following feedback for your use as you wish and I would be happy to serve as a reference for you.
We want to thank you for the wonderful trip that exceeded our expectations. My wife, twelve-year old daughter, and I have traveled extensively throughout Asia, but this was our first trip to India. We appreciate all you did to make our trip one of the best and most meaningful vacations we have ever taken.
Trinetra arranged all reservations except our flights back and forth to our home in Seoul. We negotiated and paid one price that covered everything on the tour but dinners, tips, and monument entrance fees. We were very satisfied that we received good value for the price paid. Trinetra did not require a deposit or full payment until you had finalized all the reservations and ensured that we had rooms and guides. Although you list several itineraries on the website, I had a specific itinerary in mind that included first-class travel, private guides and private car, and five star or better hotels. You were very flexible and developed a package that reflected what we wanted to see and where we wanted to stay. We visited the Golden Triangle (Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur), and we also went to Udaipur and a small princely state called Shahpura.
Trinetra was probably the best travel agent with whom we have ever had the privilege of dealing. All the reservations were perfect, and we never had a problem at any hotel or on our internal flight from Delhi to Udaipur. Your hotel choices and restaurant recommendations were flawless, with only one exception that was beyond your control (see below). One of your representatives called us every day to get our feedback and deal with any issues. In each city, you retained a local guide who met us in the city and gave a full tour. Every guide spoke clear English and was interesting, flexible, pleasant, and fully knowledgeable about the history of the various sites. All the guides also knew the best shortcuts and the most legitimate and fair merchants for purchasing crafts. We found that good guides are critical in India. Unpleasant or unqualified guides, or guides who took us to low-end rip-off artists or bad restaurants, would have ruined the trip. As we toured the monuments, it was obvious which tourists had good guides and which did not.
We had one minor issue with Trinetra. One of our days (in Udaipur) fell on the Holi Festival, or the festival of color. All the monuments were closed. We ended up having to pack the Udaipur sights in the next day. It worked out fine because we spent the lost day bumming around at the Oberoi Udaivilas, which we are told was recently reviewed as the best hotel in the world. Trinetra had assumed that the monuments would be open in the afternoon of Holi, but we found out that a week or two before we arrived, the provincial government ordered them closed the whole day. Trinetra did not catch the change and inform us about it or adjust our itinerary. You understood the problem and committed to us that the mistake would not happen again. On balance, I was more worried about ensuring that all the reservations were perfect and that the guides were excellent. Trinetra scored perfectly on both counts. I cannot imagine using anyone else when we return to India.
Our hotels were spectacular. In New Delhi, we stayed at the Imperial, which is a colonial hotel with the old-style British experience. The hotel had great service and large rooms with marble floors. We absolutely loved it. The hotel’s premiere restaurant, Spice Route, has been reviewed as one of the top ten restaurants in the world. We agree. As I noted above, we stayed at the Oberoi Udaivilas in Udaipur. The hotel must be seen to be believed. The rooms, service, food, hotel design, and scenic beauty are all unreal. We had a lake view room with swim-in, swim-out access to a private pool for just a few suites. In Shahpura, we stayed at a bed-and-breakfast on the estate of the local royalty. There were no televisions or pool, but our time here was serene and a nice, relaxing break from bustle of tourist sites. The estate sits in a wetland that is prime bird-watching territory, and we had a peaceful walk along the lakeshore as we watched eagles and flocks of egrets. All guests for the night have a fascinating and lively dinner and drinks with the royal family and other guests. In Jaipur, we stayed at the Jai Mahal Palace, which is a 250-year old palace converted to a hotel. Although pretty from the exterior, the hotel has seen better days. The facilities were run-down and the restaurant was mediocre to bad. We would not stay there again. Trinetra had tried to get a reservation at the Oberoi Rajvilas, but it was booked. Finally, in Agra, we stayed at the Oberoi Amarvilas. The Amarvilas is another spectacular hotel that is only 600 meters from the Taj Mahal, with every room overlooking the Taj. Watching the sunset over the Taj Mahal from our hotel room was an unforgettable experience. The service and facilities were as good as Udaivilas, and we thought the food was even better.
In hindsight, we might have spent less time on the road. We do wish Trinetra had been a bit more clear regarding the amount of driving involved. We flew from Delhi to Udaipur, then worked our way back to Delhi on the ground through Shahpura, Jaipur, and Agra. Each leg was a four-hour drive, which we would not have guessed by looking at the map. We had one driver the entire week, and our minivan was comfortable, but we probably should have flown from Udaipur to Jaipur and skipped Shahpura. It would have saved us eight hours on the road, and we perhaps could have fit in a night in Jaisalmer or an extra night in Udaipur or Agra. The one very positive thing about all the driving and about the night in Shahpura, of course, is that we got to see the “real” India rather than just the tourist sites. My wife, daughter, and I all felt that this was important and a big plus for the trip.
On our way from Agra to the Delhi airport, we stopped and had a wonderful dinner with the Tapas Banerjee, your managing director, with his family in his home. You told us that he feels it is valuable for his guests to have a regular meal with a middle-class Indian family. He was right. The dinner was one of the highlights of the trip, and was just as interesting as our dinner at Shahpura with the local royalty.
I note that our internal flight from Delhi to Udaipur was on Jet Airways, one of those relatively new Asian airlines that has not yet learned to nickel and dime customers. We highly recommend the airline. The flight stopped briefly in Jaipur, but we were not required to disembark. In first class, we were offered a full breakfast on both legs of a flight that lasted just over an hour in total.
The trip itself was everything we could have hoped. We were afraid that our expectations were too high, and we were setting ourselves up to be disappointed. We were not. It is hard to believe, but the Taj Mahal is even more impressive that we expected. I would return today if I could. Other highlights included the Amber Fort and City Palace museum in Jaipur and the Gandhi memorial in Delhi. Each city and attraction was unique, and we never suffered from temple/cathedral fatigue you get in some parts of world after seeing the same type of monument over and over on the same trip.
Thank you again for a wonderful vacation. We intend to visit India again soon, and we will be sure to book our trip through Trinetra when we do.
Best regards,
John McFarland
Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
MagnaChip Semiconductor, Ltd.
891 Daechi-dong, Gangnam-gu
Seoul 135-738 Korea
Tel. 82-2-6903-3073
Fax 82-2-6903-3898
e-mail jmcfarland@magnachip.com
Please excuse my late response. I have been traveling extensively on business since my return from India. I have filled in your questionnaire below, and I offer the following feedback for your use as you wish and I would be happy to serve as a reference for you.
We want to thank you for the wonderful trip that exceeded our expectations. My wife, twelve-year old daughter, and I have traveled extensively throughout Asia, but this was our first trip to India. We appreciate all you did to make our trip one of the best and most meaningful vacations we have ever taken.
Trinetra arranged all reservations except our flights back and forth to our home in Seoul. We negotiated and paid one price that covered everything on the tour but dinners, tips, and monument entrance fees. We were very satisfied that we received good value for the price paid. Trinetra did not require a deposit or full payment until you had finalized all the reservations and ensured that we had rooms and guides. Although you list several itineraries on the website, I had a specific itinerary in mind that included first-class travel, private guides and private car, and five star or better hotels. You were very flexible and developed a package that reflected what we wanted to see and where we wanted to stay. We visited the Golden Triangle (Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur), and we also went to Udaipur and a small princely state called Shahpura.
Trinetra was probably the best travel agent with whom we have ever had the privilege of dealing. All the reservations were perfect, and we never had a problem at any hotel or on our internal flight from Delhi to Udaipur. Your hotel choices and restaurant recommendations were flawless, with only one exception that was beyond your control (see below). One of your representatives called us every day to get our feedback and deal with any issues. In each city, you retained a local guide who met us in the city and gave a full tour. Every guide spoke clear English and was interesting, flexible, pleasant, and fully knowledgeable about the history of the various sites. All the guides also knew the best shortcuts and the most legitimate and fair merchants for purchasing crafts. We found that good guides are critical in India. Unpleasant or unqualified guides, or guides who took us to low-end rip-off artists or bad restaurants, would have ruined the trip. As we toured the monuments, it was obvious which tourists had good guides and which did not.
We had one minor issue with Trinetra. One of our days (in Udaipur) fell on the Holi Festival, or the festival of color. All the monuments were closed. We ended up having to pack the Udaipur sights in the next day. It worked out fine because we spent the lost day bumming around at the Oberoi Udaivilas, which we are told was recently reviewed as the best hotel in the world. Trinetra had assumed that the monuments would be open in the afternoon of Holi, but we found out that a week or two before we arrived, the provincial government ordered them closed the whole day. Trinetra did not catch the change and inform us about it or adjust our itinerary. You understood the problem and committed to us that the mistake would not happen again. On balance, I was more worried about ensuring that all the reservations were perfect and that the guides were excellent. Trinetra scored perfectly on both counts. I cannot imagine using anyone else when we return to India.
Our hotels were spectacular. In New Delhi, we stayed at the Imperial, which is a colonial hotel with the old-style British experience. The hotel had great service and large rooms with marble floors. We absolutely loved it. The hotel’s premiere restaurant, Spice Route, has been reviewed as one of the top ten restaurants in the world. We agree. As I noted above, we stayed at the Oberoi Udaivilas in Udaipur. The hotel must be seen to be believed. The rooms, service, food, hotel design, and scenic beauty are all unreal. We had a lake view room with swim-in, swim-out access to a private pool for just a few suites. In Shahpura, we stayed at a bed-and-breakfast on the estate of the local royalty. There were no televisions or pool, but our time here was serene and a nice, relaxing break from bustle of tourist sites. The estate sits in a wetland that is prime bird-watching territory, and we had a peaceful walk along the lakeshore as we watched eagles and flocks of egrets. All guests for the night have a fascinating and lively dinner and drinks with the royal family and other guests. In Jaipur, we stayed at the Jai Mahal Palace, which is a 250-year old palace converted to a hotel. Although pretty from the exterior, the hotel has seen better days. The facilities were run-down and the restaurant was mediocre to bad. We would not stay there again. Trinetra had tried to get a reservation at the Oberoi Rajvilas, but it was booked. Finally, in Agra, we stayed at the Oberoi Amarvilas. The Amarvilas is another spectacular hotel that is only 600 meters from the Taj Mahal, with every room overlooking the Taj. Watching the sunset over the Taj Mahal from our hotel room was an unforgettable experience. The service and facilities were as good as Udaivilas, and we thought the food was even better.
In hindsight, we might have spent less time on the road. We do wish Trinetra had been a bit more clear regarding the amount of driving involved. We flew from Delhi to Udaipur, then worked our way back to Delhi on the ground through Shahpura, Jaipur, and Agra. Each leg was a four-hour drive, which we would not have guessed by looking at the map. We had one driver the entire week, and our minivan was comfortable, but we probably should have flown from Udaipur to Jaipur and skipped Shahpura. It would have saved us eight hours on the road, and we perhaps could have fit in a night in Jaisalmer or an extra night in Udaipur or Agra. The one very positive thing about all the driving and about the night in Shahpura, of course, is that we got to see the “real” India rather than just the tourist sites. My wife, daughter, and I all felt that this was important and a big plus for the trip.
On our way from Agra to the Delhi airport, we stopped and had a wonderful dinner with the Tapas Banerjee, your managing director, with his family in his home. You told us that he feels it is valuable for his guests to have a regular meal with a middle-class Indian family. He was right. The dinner was one of the highlights of the trip, and was just as interesting as our dinner at Shahpura with the local royalty.
I note that our internal flight from Delhi to Udaipur was on Jet Airways, one of those relatively new Asian airlines that has not yet learned to nickel and dime customers. We highly recommend the airline. The flight stopped briefly in Jaipur, but we were not required to disembark. In first class, we were offered a full breakfast on both legs of a flight that lasted just over an hour in total.
The trip itself was everything we could have hoped. We were afraid that our expectations were too high, and we were setting ourselves up to be disappointed. We were not. It is hard to believe, but the Taj Mahal is even more impressive that we expected. I would return today if I could. Other highlights included the Amber Fort and City Palace museum in Jaipur and the Gandhi memorial in Delhi. Each city and attraction was unique, and we never suffered from temple/cathedral fatigue you get in some parts of world after seeing the same type of monument over and over on the same trip.
Thank you again for a wonderful vacation. We intend to visit India again soon, and we will be sure to book our trip through Trinetra when we do.
Best regards,
John McFarland
Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
MagnaChip Semiconductor, Ltd.
891 Daechi-dong, Gangnam-gu
Seoul 135-738 Korea
Tel. 82-2-6903-3073
Fax 82-2-6903-3898
e-mail jmcfarland@magnachip.com
Dear Tapas,
Thank you so much for the warm welcome to your home, it was so kind of you and Krishna to have invited us. It was nice to spend time with you all, and your son is so cute and smart, a true blessing for you both.
Also, thank you for organizing a wonderful ‘short and sweet’ trip to India. Joe was pleasantly surprised about it all. He loved Delhi and Jodpur, things went a bit wrong in Jaipur, and usually when one thing goes wrong it all seems to follow. But we soon corrected it, by returning to Delhi for the last day, and Joe left India wanting to return............I always feel that way.
I think you and your team are wonderful, and I would recommend you to anyone who wants a personalized trip to India. Put us on your list for any sort of A1 trips you may organize, so we can return soon.
Best wishes to you all, and a special good wish for Krishna, we are waiting for you both in Paris.
Joe & Ruth Levy, France
ruthlevy@free.fr
Thank you so much for the warm welcome to your home, it was so kind of you and Krishna to have invited us. It was nice to spend time with you all, and your son is so cute and smart, a true blessing for you both.
Also, thank you for organizing a wonderful ‘short and sweet’ trip to India. Joe was pleasantly surprised about it all. He loved Delhi and Jodpur, things went a bit wrong in Jaipur, and usually when one thing goes wrong it all seems to follow. But we soon corrected it, by returning to Delhi for the last day, and Joe left India wanting to return............I always feel that way.
I think you and your team are wonderful, and I would recommend you to anyone who wants a personalized trip to India. Put us on your list for any sort of A1 trips you may organize, so we can return soon.
Best wishes to you all, and a special good wish for Krishna, we are waiting for you both in Paris.
Joe & Ruth Levy, France
ruthlevy@free.fr
Dear Ms Gagandeep Kaur, Thanks for
your message. To reply to your questions - my date of birth
is 25/01/46 and I would like to be put on your reference list.
We did enjoy our holiday with you and appreciated your excellent care and organisation. I would particularly like to mention Ramon our Delhi representative would was extremely helpful and efficient. Also our driver Roshan who was always punctual, polite, caring and an excellent driver steering his way successfully through the usual hazards on India's roads. I remember in particular the wild camels sauntering down the middle of the road on a dark early morning in Rajastan and thinking they should have lights!
The only general comment I can make is that some rough estimate of time for journeys on our itinerary would have useful as we would have built in more rest days (for example at the desert resort of Manvar and at Rohet) and perhaps an overnight stop at the bird sanctuary at Bhararpur which in the end we did not have the time to see in our busy schedule.
I would certainly recommend your company to friend and in fact have already done so!
Best wishes Sally Moy, U.K.
sally.moy@talktalk.net
We did enjoy our holiday with you and appreciated your excellent care and organisation. I would particularly like to mention Ramon our Delhi representative would was extremely helpful and efficient. Also our driver Roshan who was always punctual, polite, caring and an excellent driver steering his way successfully through the usual hazards on India's roads. I remember in particular the wild camels sauntering down the middle of the road on a dark early morning in Rajastan and thinking they should have lights!
The only general comment I can make is that some rough estimate of time for journeys on our itinerary would have useful as we would have built in more rest days (for example at the desert resort of Manvar and at Rohet) and perhaps an overnight stop at the bird sanctuary at Bhararpur which in the end we did not have the time to see in our busy schedule.
I would certainly recommend your company to friend and in fact have already done so!
Best wishes Sally Moy, U.K.
sally.moy@talktalk.net
Dear Tapas,
We are now home and gradually getting back to normal, but the beauty of our India trip remains foremost in the minds and hearts of each of us.
The trip was very special in so many ways. Your organization was excellent. At every city we were met by one of your representatives and taken to our hotel. The guides were specialists who provided extensive background history of the various sites, and the drivers were skilled in maneuvering the sometimes treacherous traffic both in and out of the cities. We could not have asked for more in terms of organization. Trinetra was there for us at all times. Certainly, I will recommend your organization. Please feel free to use our names as references.
And finally, thank you for the wonderful dinner in your home. It was thoughtful and generous of you and Krishna to provide such a warm introduction to our tour of India. I hope that when you visit us in the USA so that we can extend our hospitality to you.
Wishing you the very best.
Mr. & Mrs. Saltzman. USA
rsaltzman2@comcast.net
We are now home and gradually getting back to normal, but the beauty of our India trip remains foremost in the minds and hearts of each of us.
The trip was very special in so many ways. Your organization was excellent. At every city we were met by one of your representatives and taken to our hotel. The guides were specialists who provided extensive background history of the various sites, and the drivers were skilled in maneuvering the sometimes treacherous traffic both in and out of the cities. We could not have asked for more in terms of organization. Trinetra was there for us at all times. Certainly, I will recommend your organization. Please feel free to use our names as references.
And finally, thank you for the wonderful dinner in your home. It was thoughtful and generous of you and Krishna to provide such a warm introduction to our tour of India. I hope that when you visit us in the USA so that we can extend our hospitality to you.
Wishing you the very best.
Mr. & Mrs. Saltzman. USA
rsaltzman2@comcast.net
Hi Tapas,
Namaste
It was wonderful to meet you, and your lovely wife and family, after the lengthy correspondence we have all had by e-mail - thank you so much for the friendly dinner, and indeed for everything associated with the tour.
You will know by now that the Tour was a stunning success, and all credit to you and your staff for making it so! I will certainly contact you when we start planning our next trip to India.
Best regards – Mr. Patrick Van Hoorn Alkema, U.K
patdoran27@laguna.com.mx
Namaste
It was wonderful to meet you, and your lovely wife and family, after the lengthy correspondence we have all had by e-mail - thank you so much for the friendly dinner, and indeed for everything associated with the tour.
You will know by now that the Tour was a stunning success, and all credit to you and your staff for making it so! I will certainly contact you when we start planning our next trip to India.
Best regards – Mr. Patrick Van Hoorn Alkema, U.K
patdoran27@laguna.com.mx
Hi Tapas,
We are now back home to some wonderful soaking rain. The animals were all thrilled to see us - so it was good to get back.
What a wonderful trip we had ! I have just been looking at some of the pictures and noticed that in every picture of people - we are either smiling or laughing - that is how it went the whole way.It was a really awesome experience visiting your country and meeting so many wonderful people - not to mention all the magnificent buildings and animals. Thank you for the great organisation and having people to help us all along the way. We were very grateful even to the last - that there was an agent who met us in Mumbai and helped us get to the international terminal and check in.
Thank you once again - we will certainly be back in India as soon as we get the time and money together ! Please give our love to all we met at Trinetra (and of course your beautiful wife)
Love
Ms. Lindy Dekker, South Africa
equibalance@iafrica.com
We are now back home to some wonderful soaking rain. The animals were all thrilled to see us - so it was good to get back.
What a wonderful trip we had ! I have just been looking at some of the pictures and noticed that in every picture of people - we are either smiling or laughing - that is how it went the whole way.It was a really awesome experience visiting your country and meeting so many wonderful people - not to mention all the magnificent buildings and animals. Thank you for the great organisation and having people to help us all along the way. We were very grateful even to the last - that there was an agent who met us in Mumbai and helped us get to the international terminal and check in.
Thank you once again - we will certainly be back in India as soon as we get the time and money together ! Please give our love to all we met at Trinetra (and of course your beautiful wife)
Love
Ms. Lindy Dekker, South Africa
equibalance@iafrica.com
Dear Tapas, Amit, Garima and Mahendra,
Thank you very much for your mail and birthday wishes. Thanks to you all, we have had a wonderful holiday in India. Everything was just perfect. The advice you gave us and most of the hotels you picked for us were brilliant. From now on, all my visits to India are going to be arranged through Trinetra Tours and are going to be through Delhi ( so I can sample more of Krishna's delicious cooking)! Shyam is in the process of filling the feedback form. Please feel free to contact me anytime if there is anything I can do for you from here.
Best regards
M. Popat (U.K.)
M.C.Popat@westminster.ac.uk
Thank you very much for your mail and birthday wishes. Thanks to you all, we have had a wonderful holiday in India. Everything was just perfect. The advice you gave us and most of the hotels you picked for us were brilliant. From now on, all my visits to India are going to be arranged through Trinetra Tours and are going to be through Delhi ( so I can sample more of Krishna's delicious cooking)! Shyam is in the process of filling the feedback form. Please feel free to contact me anytime if there is anything I can do for you from here.
Best regards
M. Popat (U.K.)
M.C.Popat@westminster.ac.uk
Hi Tapas,
The joy is mutual!
I can speak for all of us when I say that we absolutely adored meeting you, and that we all walked away from our dinner with you, looked at each other and said with one voice "Isn't he the most wonderful man?!!" I know that if you and your wife ever decided to visit the U.S., you would have people in San Diego, Florida and New York who would be happy to be your "tour guide"!
The oddest thing is that I cannot find the email I thought I had sent to you. So maybe I never really sent it? Maybe I was so time-shifted that I deleted it instead of sending it -- who knows? Anyway, what I wanted to say was "thank you!", and to tell you how much we enjoyed our trip. That was due, in large part, to you and the people you have chosen to work with in the various cities. I remember asking you at dinner if we would have guides who knew anything, and you said "Oh, yes!" (We had just spent a day with a "guide" from a "tour company" in our hotel, who was basically a taxi driver who spoke English. Aside from knowing the population of Delhi, he didn't really know very much about anything!)
I look back now on that question I asked and I laugh! The guides you have are absolutely fantastic!!! Very educated, very knowledgeable, and very warm and friendly. Starting with Jay in Varanasi, whose soul is much older than his years, and who was responsible for "setting the bar" quite high for the rest of the trip.....and ending with Laxman in Jaipur, whose elegance, education and humor made all of us wish that some day he'd visit us in the U.S., we couldn't have had better people helping us. For those of us who hadn't been to India before (which means everyone but David), our impressions were formed by you and the people you had working for you. Yes, the places we went to were special, but a first impression is formed not only by place, but by the people who inhabit that place. I know that I, for one, want to return someday to India.
I have written an email to Laxman, (who gave us all his card), thanking him for his wonderful assistance, and telling him basically what I told you - that he would have people in 3 different places who would be happy to act as his "tour guide" if he ever chose to visit the U.S. I didn't get a card from Jay, and I cannot remember the name of our guide in Khajuraho, but he was wonderful! We loved his sense of humor, as well as his incredible knowledge. If you have email addresses for these 2 guides, I'd love to have them so that I could write a personal thank you.
Leah and I made it safely and easily back to the U.S. Flying back from Delhi on "standby" turned out to be impossible, so we bought tickets on Royal Jordanian from Delhi to London. From London it was easy to get on a flight to New York on the standby list. We stayed overnight with Leah's daughter in Manhattan, and I flew out the next morning to San Diego.
I got a call from David the other day, but we didn't have much time to talk. I know they made it back safely, though. And I also know that while we were in Junia together, we saw the bird that David wanted to see. Our guide there told us that we were lucky, as he had taken another group out and they tried for 3 days and could never find this creature, which was HUGE!! (Over a meter and a half tall!!)
Anyway, I would guess that you're not as busy now as you were when we were there. It seems that the tourist season was nearing an end in mid-April. Now it's a question of waiting for the monsoons to cool things down a bit....
I hope that your wife's uncle is, at best, feeling better, and at the very least is made comfortable. I send her my regards, and hope that I can meet her on my next trip.
All the best to you, my friend!
(Ms.)Toni Narins, U.S.A.
tnarins@earthlink.net
The joy is mutual!
I can speak for all of us when I say that we absolutely adored meeting you, and that we all walked away from our dinner with you, looked at each other and said with one voice "Isn't he the most wonderful man?!!" I know that if you and your wife ever decided to visit the U.S., you would have people in San Diego, Florida and New York who would be happy to be your "tour guide"!
The oddest thing is that I cannot find the email I thought I had sent to you. So maybe I never really sent it? Maybe I was so time-shifted that I deleted it instead of sending it -- who knows? Anyway, what I wanted to say was "thank you!", and to tell you how much we enjoyed our trip. That was due, in large part, to you and the people you have chosen to work with in the various cities. I remember asking you at dinner if we would have guides who knew anything, and you said "Oh, yes!" (We had just spent a day with a "guide" from a "tour company" in our hotel, who was basically a taxi driver who spoke English. Aside from knowing the population of Delhi, he didn't really know very much about anything!)
I look back now on that question I asked and I laugh! The guides you have are absolutely fantastic!!! Very educated, very knowledgeable, and very warm and friendly. Starting with Jay in Varanasi, whose soul is much older than his years, and who was responsible for "setting the bar" quite high for the rest of the trip.....and ending with Laxman in Jaipur, whose elegance, education and humor made all of us wish that some day he'd visit us in the U.S., we couldn't have had better people helping us. For those of us who hadn't been to India before (which means everyone but David), our impressions were formed by you and the people you had working for you. Yes, the places we went to were special, but a first impression is formed not only by place, but by the people who inhabit that place. I know that I, for one, want to return someday to India.
I have written an email to Laxman, (who gave us all his card), thanking him for his wonderful assistance, and telling him basically what I told you - that he would have people in 3 different places who would be happy to act as his "tour guide" if he ever chose to visit the U.S. I didn't get a card from Jay, and I cannot remember the name of our guide in Khajuraho, but he was wonderful! We loved his sense of humor, as well as his incredible knowledge. If you have email addresses for these 2 guides, I'd love to have them so that I could write a personal thank you.
Leah and I made it safely and easily back to the U.S. Flying back from Delhi on "standby" turned out to be impossible, so we bought tickets on Royal Jordanian from Delhi to London. From London it was easy to get on a flight to New York on the standby list. We stayed overnight with Leah's daughter in Manhattan, and I flew out the next morning to San Diego.
I got a call from David the other day, but we didn't have much time to talk. I know they made it back safely, though. And I also know that while we were in Junia together, we saw the bird that David wanted to see. Our guide there told us that we were lucky, as he had taken another group out and they tried for 3 days and could never find this creature, which was HUGE!! (Over a meter and a half tall!!)
Anyway, I would guess that you're not as busy now as you were when we were there. It seems that the tourist season was nearing an end in mid-April. Now it's a question of waiting for the monsoons to cool things down a bit....
I hope that your wife's uncle is, at best, feeling better, and at the very least is made comfortable. I send her my regards, and hope that I can meet her on my next trip.
All the best to you, my friend!
(Ms.)Toni Narins, U.S.A.
tnarins@earthlink.net
Hi Tapas,
We really enjoyed our 10 days trip to India. The whole trip was very good organized & the travel agent + representatives were really very helpful & took very much care of us. Without any doubt we will recommend your travel agency to everybody who wants to visit India.
The driver was beyond our expectations. Excellent behavior !! & we appreciate the dinner in your house - very well organized.
We have only seen a small part of India & will certainly come back to explore more of India.
We will certainly use your travel agency again.
Our Best Wishes are with you –
Dr. Marinus Dirks, Netherlands
mphdirks@emirates.net.ae
We really enjoyed our 10 days trip to India. The whole trip was very good organized & the travel agent + representatives were really very helpful & took very much care of us. Without any doubt we will recommend your travel agency to everybody who wants to visit India.
The driver was beyond our expectations. Excellent behavior !! & we appreciate the dinner in your house - very well organized.
We have only seen a small part of India & will certainly come back to explore more of India.
We will certainly use your travel agency again.
Our Best Wishes are with you –
Dr. Marinus Dirks, Netherlands
mphdirks@emirates.net.ae
Dear Tapas,
This is just a quick thank you to say how much we enjoyed our recent trip to India. Everything went very smoothly and we were extremely happy with the hotels, and all the guides and drivers were very friendly and efficient. I would have no hesitation in recommending your services to any of my traveling friends.
Thanks also to Krishna for such a lovely meal last Friday - I can't believe it was only a week ago. We wish we were still in India as it has been snowing here since we landed back on Wednesday. Have a nice weekend
Kind regards and lots of love
Juliette Barnshaw and Paul Reid, U.K.
juliette_barnshaw@hotmail.com or juliette@style-media.net
This is just a quick thank you to say how much we enjoyed our recent trip to India. Everything went very smoothly and we were extremely happy with the hotels, and all the guides and drivers were very friendly and efficient. I would have no hesitation in recommending your services to any of my traveling friends.
Thanks also to Krishna for such a lovely meal last Friday - I can't believe it was only a week ago. We wish we were still in India as it has been snowing here since we landed back on Wednesday. Have a nice weekend
Kind regards and lots of love
Juliette Barnshaw and Paul Reid, U.K.
juliette_barnshaw@hotmail.com or juliette@style-media.net
Hello Tapas,
Just a brief note to tell you once again how much we enjoyed our visit to India and to congratulate you for a great job in planning and executing our itinerary. We felt pampered all the way. Our special thanks go to Parkash for his excellent driving and to yourself and Krishna for your gracious hospitality at home. We are now urging all our friends to go see India the Trinetra way. The memories will stay with us forever.
Best Wishes
Shane and May Maloney, Australia
maloney@netspace.net.au
Just a brief note to tell you once again how much we enjoyed our visit to India and to congratulate you for a great job in planning and executing our itinerary. We felt pampered all the way. Our special thanks go to Parkash for his excellent driving and to yourself and Krishna for your gracious hospitality at home. We are now urging all our friends to go see India the Trinetra way. The memories will stay with us forever.
Best Wishes
Shane and May Maloney, Australia
maloney@netspace.net.au
Happy New Year Tapas,
I apologize for the delay in responding to you 12/14note but we are just now returning to normal after 2months of traveling and then Christmas celebrationswith our family.
We could not have been more pleased or satisfied withevery aspect of the arrangements you and your staffput together for our recent trip thru India.
In this day and age it's unusual to receive all that'spromised and a pleasant surprise to get more thanexpected.
We had not ONE single moment of apprehension. We weremet on time at every destination by your staff orrepresentatives. It was only after we were well intoour journey that we began to realize and appreciatewhat an excellent job you had done. Your anticipationof and pre-solved solutions to situations we had notthought of was a mark of high professionalism!
We took great comfort in the excellent job done by ourdriver, Mohan Singh. He watched over us like a motherhen protecting her brood of chicks... please thank himagain for us. Garima is a real public relations assetto your organization and we really enjoyed her company. Tell her hello and how much we enjoyed her company.
Please add us to your listing of satisfied friendswhen sending out your referral list to prospectivecustomers or forward this note to anyone inquiring ofyour services.
Regarding the issue of trust: Of course its difficultto send large sums of money to someone who could be asmooth internet scam artist. I suppose its done manytimes each day. Our frequent e-mails established afeeling of mutual trust but the clincher for me (afterI had already bankwired you the money) was receipt ofthe unsolicited e-mail from Garima announcing how,when and where she would meet us on our arrival.
We enjoyed dinner at your home. it’s a very nicepersonal thing for you to do and establish's afriendship vrs. a business relationship. If you getto the USA we hope to reciprocate. You can contact usat 970-870-0856 (primary) or 310-370-6048 and lookforward to seeing both of you again!!
Your friend
Jerry Ebenkamp, USA
jjbe34@yahoo.com
I apologize for the delay in responding to you 12/14note but we are just now returning to normal after 2months of traveling and then Christmas celebrationswith our family.
We could not have been more pleased or satisfied withevery aspect of the arrangements you and your staffput together for our recent trip thru India.
In this day and age it's unusual to receive all that'spromised and a pleasant surprise to get more thanexpected.
We had not ONE single moment of apprehension. We weremet on time at every destination by your staff orrepresentatives. It was only after we were well intoour journey that we began to realize and appreciatewhat an excellent job you had done. Your anticipationof and pre-solved solutions to situations we had notthought of was a mark of high professionalism!
We took great comfort in the excellent job done by ourdriver, Mohan Singh. He watched over us like a motherhen protecting her brood of chicks... please thank himagain for us. Garima is a real public relations assetto your organization and we really enjoyed her company. Tell her hello and how much we enjoyed her company.
Please add us to your listing of satisfied friendswhen sending out your referral list to prospectivecustomers or forward this note to anyone inquiring ofyour services.
Regarding the issue of trust: Of course its difficultto send large sums of money to someone who could be asmooth internet scam artist. I suppose its done manytimes each day. Our frequent e-mails established afeeling of mutual trust but the clincher for me (afterI had already bankwired you the money) was receipt ofthe unsolicited e-mail from Garima announcing how,when and where she would meet us on our arrival.
We enjoyed dinner at your home. it’s a very nicepersonal thing for you to do and establish's afriendship vrs. a business relationship. If you getto the USA we hope to reciprocate. You can contact usat 970-870-0856 (primary) or 310-370-6048 and lookforward to seeing both of you again!!
Your friend
Jerry Ebenkamp, USA
jjbe34@yahoo.com
Hi Tapas,
We are back in Canada and are thrilled with our experience in India. The trip was so well organized. There was not even an iota of a mistake. Congratulations! You have an excellent team working with you. Our 2 longtime drivers were great, the one in the North and Kumar in the South. They did not leave us one minute. You can recommend them to your best clients. We will gladly recommend you to all our friends, and hope to generate more business for you.
Give my best regards to your wife Krishna and kiss your son for me. I really enjoyed meeting you and your family.
Thanks again,
Colette Teiller, Canada
ctellier@ad2000.info
We are back in Canada and are thrilled with our experience in India. The trip was so well organized. There was not even an iota of a mistake. Congratulations! You have an excellent team working with you. Our 2 longtime drivers were great, the one in the North and Kumar in the South. They did not leave us one minute. You can recommend them to your best clients. We will gladly recommend you to all our friends, and hope to generate more business for you.
Give my best regards to your wife Krishna and kiss your son for me. I really enjoyed meeting you and your family.
Thanks again,
Colette Teiller, Canada
ctellier@ad2000.info
Hello Tapas,
I hope Pal told you how happy we were throughout our tour of Rajasthan? I'm sure he did. Your ears must have been burning on and off because we spoke about you so often and so warmly on our recent trip.
Everything went smoothly, just as we had been told it would by your other clients - and we much enjoyed telling one or two less contented travellers along the way that our tour had none of the creases or bumps that theirs seemed to have!
Guides were unfailingly punctual and uncomplaining when we changed a plan or kept them waiting - which we did occasionally - but of course we apologised! Their constant philosophy seems to be, "My pleasure" said with every semblance of sincerity and nothing seemed too much trouble. I expect they have learned that from you!
Prakash was brilliant and I hope he believed us when we repeatedly told him so. He seemed to anticipate (and perhaps was familiar with) every bump in the road and slowed accordingly. He never minded stopping for photos and always got out of the car when we did, which was not necessary but was none the less courteous and much appreciated! And of course he smiled. Smiled and smiled ...You had reassured me that he was one of your best and most experienced drivers and we could not fault him in any way.
As to the tour - in hindsight perhaps we might have preferred an extra day or two in the better hotels simply to chill out - but then we might have missed some of the magnificent sights. It was not too action packed or exhausting - but the drives were long and that time might have been better spent had we flown. But...this is not in any way a criticism of your itinerary and we had such good conversations in the car that those journeys had a charm of their own. If we can return, as we hope to do, for a tour of the South it may be something to bear in mind.
The hotel in Jaisalmer was perhaps our least favourite but even there, as everywhere else, the service was unfailingly friendly and efficient. (It was just that it had a somewhat heavy atmosphere with its dark furnishings and empty public areas). Our suite was huge - it even had a bar with bar stools (!) though no drinks..and the views from its may windows in our ENORMOUS suite were of flat rooftops and rows of metal chairs! But our favourite hotel was the Devi Gahr. What can I say? We all loved it. I was ill there ( yes...flattened for a day) but even so it was my favourite place. I am glad to report that David, Penny and Anthony were well throughout the holiday.
The other really super hotel was the Oberoi in Agra. We shall never forget arriving towards dusk and catching our first glimpse of the Taj Mahal in the warm evening air on the hotel terrace. I must tell you about the one unfortunate incident there when David took a step backwards and landed at full length with complete submersion into the decorative pool by the restaurant. It was unnerving for a second or two but when it was clear he was unhurt ( having just missed the large decorative elephant in the centre of the pool) we all saw the funny side and laughed and laughed - David as much as any of us.
The guides in Delhi and Agra were the best of the lot. They certainly knew their stuff and we were able to exchange views and learn from them. The others were good too but not always easy to understand...We marvelled at their ability to speak English at all since they say they learned it simply from their experience as guides. All were friendly and helpful. Our friends who had booked with another operator in England were less pleased (in the smaller details ) and their guides were not always punctual. Your tourist representatives were always in the lobbies upon our arrival ready to welcome us. You have certainly built up a good network.
What else can I tell you? It was really just GREAT! We miss India - the heat and friendliness and beauty of it all.
I hope this feedback is helpful. It is written partly as a post-holiday indulgence - and partly as (what I hope might be) a help to you.
We all send you warmest greetings and so many thanks for introducing India to us in such style and without any worries.
Please give my best wishes also to Krishna and your lovely son,
With love,
Rosemary Morton Jack
rosemary@mortonjack.plus.com
I hope Pal told you how happy we were throughout our tour of Rajasthan? I'm sure he did. Your ears must have been burning on and off because we spoke about you so often and so warmly on our recent trip.
Everything went smoothly, just as we had been told it would by your other clients - and we much enjoyed telling one or two less contented travellers along the way that our tour had none of the creases or bumps that theirs seemed to have!
Guides were unfailingly punctual and uncomplaining when we changed a plan or kept them waiting - which we did occasionally - but of course we apologised! Their constant philosophy seems to be, "My pleasure" said with every semblance of sincerity and nothing seemed too much trouble. I expect they have learned that from you!
Prakash was brilliant and I hope he believed us when we repeatedly told him so. He seemed to anticipate (and perhaps was familiar with) every bump in the road and slowed accordingly. He never minded stopping for photos and always got out of the car when we did, which was not necessary but was none the less courteous and much appreciated! And of course he smiled. Smiled and smiled ...You had reassured me that he was one of your best and most experienced drivers and we could not fault him in any way.
As to the tour - in hindsight perhaps we might have preferred an extra day or two in the better hotels simply to chill out - but then we might have missed some of the magnificent sights. It was not too action packed or exhausting - but the drives were long and that time might have been better spent had we flown. But...this is not in any way a criticism of your itinerary and we had such good conversations in the car that those journeys had a charm of their own. If we can return, as we hope to do, for a tour of the South it may be something to bear in mind.
The hotel in Jaisalmer was perhaps our least favourite but even there, as everywhere else, the service was unfailingly friendly and efficient. (It was just that it had a somewhat heavy atmosphere with its dark furnishings and empty public areas). Our suite was huge - it even had a bar with bar stools (!) though no drinks..and the views from its may windows in our ENORMOUS suite were of flat rooftops and rows of metal chairs! But our favourite hotel was the Devi Gahr. What can I say? We all loved it. I was ill there ( yes...flattened for a day) but even so it was my favourite place. I am glad to report that David, Penny and Anthony were well throughout the holiday.
The other really super hotel was the Oberoi in Agra. We shall never forget arriving towards dusk and catching our first glimpse of the Taj Mahal in the warm evening air on the hotel terrace. I must tell you about the one unfortunate incident there when David took a step backwards and landed at full length with complete submersion into the decorative pool by the restaurant. It was unnerving for a second or two but when it was clear he was unhurt ( having just missed the large decorative elephant in the centre of the pool) we all saw the funny side and laughed and laughed - David as much as any of us.
The guides in Delhi and Agra were the best of the lot. They certainly knew their stuff and we were able to exchange views and learn from them. The others were good too but not always easy to understand...We marvelled at their ability to speak English at all since they say they learned it simply from their experience as guides. All were friendly and helpful. Our friends who had booked with another operator in England were less pleased (in the smaller details ) and their guides were not always punctual. Your tourist representatives were always in the lobbies upon our arrival ready to welcome us. You have certainly built up a good network.
What else can I tell you? It was really just GREAT! We miss India - the heat and friendliness and beauty of it all.
I hope this feedback is helpful. It is written partly as a post-holiday indulgence - and partly as (what I hope might be) a help to you.
We all send you warmest greetings and so many thanks for introducing India to us in such style and without any worries.
Please give my best wishes also to Krishna and your lovely son,
With love,
Rosemary Morton Jack
rosemary@mortonjack.plus.com
Dear Tapas, Pal, Ankit and everyone
else we met,
Firstly a big thank you to everyone who made our holiday in India such a success. We all four really enjoyed every part of the holiday, even the drive from Agra to Ramthambhore seems enjoyable looking back on it!
We arrived back safely in the U.K. and since then have all been busy catching up at work.
I will now give you our tour evaluation as we forgot to give this to you before we left.The tour met all our expectations and more. It was well organised, everything ran smoothly and we enjoyed the variety of activities.
The hotels meet expectations, they were all good and varied, however we felt we would possibly have liked a 4*/5* in Goa, although we realise this would have had cost implications.
The guides, representatives and drivers exceeded expectations.Roshan our main driver was especially helpful, friendly and caring, although all drivers were good and helpful.
The best guides were the ones in Delhi and Agra, their extensive knowledge and enthusiam made the visits all the more enjoyable and interesting.
And of course we must mention how grateful we were to Ankit for our brilliant welcome and introduction to India.
Overall We really enjoyed the whole tour and appreciated the flexible way the trip was accommodated to include David.
You can of course use us as references and we would recommend your services to others intending to visit India.
Our e-mail addresses you have
To conclude we found the tour letter very helpful, especially the information about tips and this could possibly be even more detailed for those of us from a non-tipping culture.
Again many thanks
Brian, Margaret, Claire and David English, U.K.
maggie.english@ntlworld.com
Firstly a big thank you to everyone who made our holiday in India such a success. We all four really enjoyed every part of the holiday, even the drive from Agra to Ramthambhore seems enjoyable looking back on it!
We arrived back safely in the U.K. and since then have all been busy catching up at work.
I will now give you our tour evaluation as we forgot to give this to you before we left.The tour met all our expectations and more. It was well organised, everything ran smoothly and we enjoyed the variety of activities.
The hotels meet expectations, they were all good and varied, however we felt we would possibly have liked a 4*/5* in Goa, although we realise this would have had cost implications.
The guides, representatives and drivers exceeded expectations.Roshan our main driver was especially helpful, friendly and caring, although all drivers were good and helpful.
The best guides were the ones in Delhi and Agra, their extensive knowledge and enthusiam made the visits all the more enjoyable and interesting.
And of course we must mention how grateful we were to Ankit for our brilliant welcome and introduction to India.
Overall We really enjoyed the whole tour and appreciated the flexible way the trip was accommodated to include David.
You can of course use us as references and we would recommend your services to others intending to visit India.
Our e-mail addresses you have
To conclude we found the tour letter very helpful, especially the information about tips and this could possibly be even more detailed for those of us from a non-tipping culture.
Again many thanks
Brian, Margaret, Claire and David English, U.K.
maggie.english@ntlworld.com
Hello Ms. Kaur,
I would very much like to be on your reference list! We had such a good time during our brief stay, which I owe to Trinetra's careful planning and our driver and helper (Ram & Chotu).
The only suggestion I could make is that the evening in Jaipur at Chokhi Dhani seemed more appropriate for younger children (under 12).
Many thanks to Trinetra for a very memorable trip!
Carole Schaefer, Hong Kong
cschaefr@gmail.com
I would very much like to be on your reference list! We had such a good time during our brief stay, which I owe to Trinetra's careful planning and our driver and helper (Ram & Chotu).
The only suggestion I could make is that the evening in Jaipur at Chokhi Dhani seemed more appropriate for younger children (under 12).
Many thanks to Trinetra for a very memorable trip!
Carole Schaefer, Hong Kong
cschaefr@gmail.com
Hello Tapas,
I would just like to tell you that we both had a great time on our trip in India. It was a great experience. After living in China for two years and seeing how China was developing and all the history here, we found we were comparing India with China a lot. Well the two countries are different and unique in their own ways. India is a very colorful country. The ladies dress in such bright colors. Their is so much history their. We need to live there for a year to help understand the people better. We both enjoyed the country the best. The people were so friendly and interesting. I have to say that Deli was a disappointment. Both the city and the hotels. Goa was a great way to end the trip. Warm, quiet and different. Our driver was the best. So over all I can say it was a great trip. One we are both glad we did and over all well planed. Thank you, your works and especial the drivers for getting us around safely and on time.
Your Canadian friends,
Maureen and Robert Longpre, Canada
malongpre@sasktel.net
I would just like to tell you that we both had a great time on our trip in India. It was a great experience. After living in China for two years and seeing how China was developing and all the history here, we found we were comparing India with China a lot. Well the two countries are different and unique in their own ways. India is a very colorful country. The ladies dress in such bright colors. Their is so much history their. We need to live there for a year to help understand the people better. We both enjoyed the country the best. The people were so friendly and interesting. I have to say that Deli was a disappointment. Both the city and the hotels. Goa was a great way to end the trip. Warm, quiet and different. Our driver was the best. So over all I can say it was a great trip. One we are both glad we did and over all well planed. Thank you, your works and especial the drivers for getting us around safely and on time.
Your Canadian friends,
Maureen and Robert Longpre, Canada
malongpre@sasktel.net
Tapas!!!
Great news about the eye. I will keep on praying until it is completely well so please keep me informed to its progress. Please feel free to give out our names: John Timothy and Susanna McMahon; our address: 2001 Holcombe Blvd. #2604, Houston, Texas 77030; our telephone/fax: 713-795-0530 and my email: ibu.one@sbcglobal.net to anyone who would like a great reference for you and your staff and your incredible country. It was such a pleasure to meet with you and your family. Our memories of India will last our lifetime and we cannot wait to come and make some more. We will be back, God willing!!!!! Take good care of yourself and thank you again for everything.
Love,
Susanna & Tim McMahon, USA.
ibu.one@sbcglobal.net
Great news about the eye. I will keep on praying until it is completely well so please keep me informed to its progress. Please feel free to give out our names: John Timothy and Susanna McMahon; our address: 2001 Holcombe Blvd. #2604, Houston, Texas 77030; our telephone/fax: 713-795-0530 and my email: ibu.one@sbcglobal.net to anyone who would like a great reference for you and your staff and your incredible country. It was such a pleasure to meet with you and your family. Our memories of India will last our lifetime and we cannot wait to come and make some more. We will be back, God willing!!!!! Take good care of yourself and thank you again for everything.
Love,
Susanna & Tim McMahon, USA.
ibu.one@sbcglobal.net
Hi Mahendra
Just a very quick hello, and a big thank you for our very well planned holiday, which was lovely, which we really enjoyed, hopefully we will be back to India soon.Many thanks again.
Kind Regards
Jill White, Australia
jilllarkrise@hotmail.com
Just a very quick hello, and a big thank you for our very well planned holiday, which was lovely, which we really enjoyed, hopefully we will be back to India soon.Many thanks again.
Kind Regards
Jill White, Australia
jilllarkrise@hotmail.com
Dear Gagan,
Thanks for your e-mail!
Please say hello to Ankit, Pal and Tapas!
Sorry for making you anxious! Everything is just great with us! The tour was very lovely! Was great! We come back to India and for sure to Trinetratours too! We were very busy the last couple of days, therefore our late reply.
Please add us to your reference list!
Once again, thanks for the perfect organised tour! It was very impressive, interesting and unforgettable!
Kudos to you all!
Thanks
Kind regards
Tim & Ana Kohler, Germany
tim@kohler-corzo.com; ana@kohler-corzo.com
Thanks for your e-mail!
Please say hello to Ankit, Pal and Tapas!
Sorry for making you anxious! Everything is just great with us! The tour was very lovely! Was great! We come back to India and for sure to Trinetratours too! We were very busy the last couple of days, therefore our late reply.
Please add us to your reference list!
Once again, thanks for the perfect organised tour! It was very impressive, interesting and unforgettable!
Kudos to you all!
Thanks
Kind regards
Tim & Ana Kohler, Germany
tim@kohler-corzo.com; ana@kohler-corzo.com
Dear Trineta Family,
Thank you so much for the good wishes.We wish you the same.
We were very disappointed in not being able to meet Mr Tapas at the end of our trip in India. I hope he feels better now.
Our trip was very pleasant and knowing India was an unforgetable experience whch we will always treasure. All the people we met were friendly and nice, but the best one was undoubtedly Mr Raj Kumar, our driver.Please tell him we loved having met him . His careful driving and his kindness and politeness made India look and feel even better.
Best wishes,
Vera & Mauricio Botelho
veralucia46@terra.com.br
Thank you so much for the good wishes.We wish you the same.
We were very disappointed in not being able to meet Mr Tapas at the end of our trip in India. I hope he feels better now.
Our trip was very pleasant and knowing India was an unforgetable experience whch we will always treasure. All the people we met were friendly and nice, but the best one was undoubtedly Mr Raj Kumar, our driver.Please tell him we loved having met him . His careful driving and his kindness and politeness made India look and feel even better.
Best wishes,
Vera & Mauricio Botelho
veralucia46@terra.com.br
Hello!
Natalie and I had a wonderful time on our trip! We cannot say enough good things about Trinetra and all the amazing people we met along the way. Thank you so much for such wonderful memories! We would of course love to serve as a reference. Also, we have some photos that we're happy to forward to you if you think they'll be of any use.
Thanks again for everything!
Michelle Olson, & Natalie Norem USA
mtolson55@yahoo.com & natalienorem@hotmail.com
Natalie and I had a wonderful time on our trip! We cannot say enough good things about Trinetra and all the amazing people we met along the way. Thank you so much for such wonderful memories! We would of course love to serve as a reference. Also, we have some photos that we're happy to forward to you if you think they'll be of any use.
Thanks again for everything!
Michelle Olson, & Natalie Norem USA
mtolson55@yahoo.com & natalienorem@hotmail.com
Hi!
Thanks so much for organizing the tour for me. I had anincredible time, and it was really the trip of a lifetime for me.
Christal Presley, USA
cpresley2@gmail.com
Thanks so much for organizing the tour for me. I had anincredible time, and it was really the trip of a lifetime for me.
Christal Presley, USA
cpresley2@gmail.com
Yes, of course you can use our names
and email address for your reference list! We really had a great
time, and we especially enjoyed having dinner with you and your family!
Best Regards,
Jessica Rothschild, USA
jess.rothschild@gmail.com
Best Regards,
Jessica Rothschild, USA
jess.rothschild@gmail.com
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