Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

Aside from the Taj Mahal…the lakes of Udaipur at sunset are absolutely stunning. As well as experiencing Holi festival in Jaipur was a really great experience.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Got us through the trip, however other members of our group had to look out for slower members of the group. Sent my sister and I to a jewellery shop that didn’t stock the item we had asked him where the best place to buy it was. Although we appreciated the help he seemed disinterested when members of the tour asked questions. It also felt like he had a very close relationship with the owners of the restaurants we ate at and many were low quality with poor service which led to us walking out of one much to his discomfort.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Requires meticulous packing and organisation due to the amount of moving around. Be aware of what prices you are paying as were paying 2x to as much as x6 local rates and on at least one occasion were given a different tourist menu with English pricing. I would also recommend getting a SIM card although advised we didn’t need one by our tour leader, the long bus journeys and non or low - quality wifi at the hotels certainly warranted one.

Suggestions

Would have been nice to try traditional street food and perhaps see how it is made. Unfortunately, I feel we saw a watered down version of Indian culture and we were “protected” from the local economy. We were taken to a high priced marble artisan and a rug store but got very little free time to explore for ourselves.

Most Inspirational Moment

Holi Festival and visiting the amazing marble Jain temple but also tiger spotting and Rathambore safari plus all of the other amazing site visits - too many to mention...

Thoughts on Group Leader

Gaj was fantastic and looked after all of us very well. Loads of knowledge and a great leader.

Advice for Potential Travellers

A lot of minibus travelling between sites so take your ipad or a book.

Most Inspirational Moment

Of course the Taj Mahal (excellent local guide), Udaipur from the water did not disappoint and Bundi was a great surprise package -but the top award has to go to the good natured paint throwing mayhem of the Holi festival in Jaipur!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Opinions varied. IMO did little to promote group cohesion ( group member supported slower members of the party) and he tended to blame his local admin back up for problems. The first night group meal was curiously expensive and It was unclear what the tipping budget covered. Local specialist guides (Bundi Fort , The Taj) however were well informed and added value.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The 1 night stays leave almost no time in which to open and close a suitcase so fanatical attention to packing detail required. Also Insist on interaction with local traders, not just the tourist economy.

Suggestions

Hotel Wi-Fi availability is variable and with the number of hours on the road it's probably worth considering purchasing a local SIM card.

Most Inspirational Moment

The first glimpse of the Taj Mahal was breathtaking, it is jaw dropping beautiful. However I think joining in with the Holi celebrations especially being at the Krishna temple In Jaipur is a memory that will stay with me.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Gaj was an excellent tour guide. Loved that on our travel days he would pick a subject about India ie education, caste system and explain to us how it works in India. Explained clearly with out any information overload as can be the case on some trips.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Good to go with a bit of knowledge on the indian culture. It is a full on fast pace trip, a lot of travelling. some found the climbs at the forts hard going especially in the heat. Get used to the sound of car horns!!

Suggestions

On the whole a good trip, a lot to see. I think trip could benefit from another day/night in Jodhpur. Personally I think of all the exodus trips I have done the accommodation on this one was below average especially in Delhi, Bundi, Jaipur and Pushkar. I seemed to repeatedly get rooms with either no window or frosted out glass. Wish exodus would put a stop to the visits to the factory outlets they are overpriced and unnecessary. Maybe spend more time on less touristy visits, enjoy some street food etc I also felt the trip to the Taj Mahal was too rushed, 10 minutes to wander round ourselves was not enough time, we were only going back to the hotel to hang around for 3 hours so loads of time.

Most Inspirational Moment

seeing a tiger as close as we did.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent - very good English that wasn’t too accented. Able to impart overviews/ info without lecturing . Well organised.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Beware of LOTS of time in the coach and little other free time.

Most Inspirational Moment

Tai Mahal

Thoughts on Group Leader

Absolutely superb. Knowledgeable, loved and so proud of his country and nothing was too much trouble.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Look at Activity Level very carefully

Suggestions

The level on this trip was leisurely but lots of steps and hilly entrances to buildings. Two of our group really struggled. Needs to be clearer in the Activity Level description. Hotels in Dehli and Puska poor. These need to be improved. Bus - some seat belts and air conditioning vents didn’t work.

Most Inspirational Moment

Taj Mahal

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent took lots of care could not have been better

Advice for Potential Travellers

Study details to make sure not too much involved

Suggestions

Most basics very good food hotels etc but poor planning

Most Inspirational Moment

Difficult to pick one , obviously the Taj Mahal hugely impressive but then again the history of some forts/ temples/ towns also impressive.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Gaj dealt very well with a challenging individual in the group , whose behaviour ranged from hysterical meltdown ( matching a level usually only seen in a toddler) , general passive /aggressive attitude and comments , who also had an inability to follow simple instructions regarding timekeeping and not wandering off alone - something the rest of the group complied with which then meant we spent ages hanging around waiting for said individual to be retrieved from a cultural building in order for us all to move on . Gaj remained professional , courteous , diplomatic and polite at all times despite some obvious provocation from aforementioned person. Gaj was more than happy to discuss his home nation , culture , history and current problems.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take some sweets/snacks for the minibus. Lunch en route may not happen at specific times so wise to have own supply if peckish. Take swim gear , sun screen and a hat. Go with the flow , enjoy the experiences and food .

Most Inspirational Moment

Two moments stand out for me. The first was spending more than an hour in the company of Ritthi, a large female tiger as she dozed in the sun no more that 30m from me before stalking (and not catching) two spotted deer. And then watching as she stalked and caught a wild boar. The second was when our guide, Naveen, arranged with our hotel manager in Bundi for us to watch the celebrations and ceremonies in honour of Hanuman, the monkey faced god, whose birthday it was. Bundi is one of those rare places that haven’t been adversely affected by tourism and as we watched from the side of the street we were made welcome and then became a focus of attention for those in the procession. I think I appear in more selfies than I took photos. And all the while we felt safe and comfortable.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Naveen is an excellent guide and leader. His briefings were clear and concise and any questions were quickly answered. He made sure that the group was ok at all times. As we approached each town we had a full explanation of any options and activities. At the historical sites he made sure we understood the restrictions on bags, food, and the dress codes required for respect and tradition in advance. The act that sums up his attention to us happened at the airport when the group flight people were leaving. Having dropped us off, he waited at the barriers to make sure we all got through the initial security checks for entry to the airport before leaving himself. Mention must be made of Vijay, our driver. He was a calm and quiet character who was more than capable of dealing with all the traffic conditions we encountered during the trip. For the longer journeys I was sat at the front of the bus and despite oncoming traffic in our lane, desperate overtaking by cars and trucks and one memorable moment as a lorry rushed towards us in our lane, I had confidence that Vijay could deal with it all. When I return to India, I would choose Naveen as my guide and Vijay as my driver.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Many of the days are long as there is a lot to do. We travelled in April and temperatures were reaching 35c+. In the forts and temples, there was a lack of breeze and the heat reflected off the stonework. Exodus trip notes are pretty accurate; in those temperatures you need to drink plenty and dress accordingly. In many historical sites bags are either not allowed or are subject to long security checks. Most sites forbid any food to be taken in. Religious sites require you to take off your shoes. Those in our group who weren’t wearing socks regretted it as the stone floors got very, very hot in the afternoon sun. A spare pair of socks would be a good idea for those visits. For the game drives a mobile phone will not do the wildlife justice. If you don’t bring a camera with some kind of telephoto lens, a pair of lightweight binoculars will help with watching the birds and smaller mammals. Expect to be hassled by street vendors. It’s not personal or aggressive and the best way I found of dealing with it was to politely say no/shake the head and then ignore them. It can be hard when they persist, but they soon get the message and move on to the next person. I saw people engage in conversation and regret it as the hassle continued for minutes. I saw very few beggars and the advice is to donate to registered charities rather than someone who approaches you on the street. Walking in the narrow streets can be intimidating but the traffic is not trying to hit you and the horns are there to let you know someone is approaching, not to rebuke you. Be aware of the traffic, watch how the locals deal with it, don’t do anything unexpected and you’ll be fine.

Suggestions

This is a great trip with a busy itinerary. But there is enough down time to recover from some of the longer days. The hotels outside of Delhi were much better than I was expecting – at Pushkar we all had suites that included a small kitchen and individual outdoor plunge pools. The Delhi hotels are of lower quality but fine to use as a base. Come with realistic expectations and you won’t be disappointed.

Most Inspirational Moment

The whole experience was interesting and memorable since it was my first visit to India.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader Raj was a great asset to the trip. His passion, impressive knowledge of history, his sense of humour and charm were of great value since we spent so much time together. I admired his gentle and respectful way of “protecting” us from ubiquitous and often intrusive sellers of souvenirs. I admired him also for the tactful and delicate manner he dealt with one difficult member of our group.