8 independent reviews for Rajasthan tours by rail, India
Reviews for Rajasthan tours by rail, India
Sally Godden review 25 Feb 2025
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The most exciting part was spending a day and night just with our tour group in a real fort and meeting the "king" for an informal chat on the terrace overlooking the fields and mountains as the sun went down. It was hard to believe it was real and not a dream - what an experience!2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Don't take too many clothes - it is easy and cheap to buy appropriate clothing in India and the space will be needed in your luggage for other things because we had so many opportunities to buy quality products in places we visited. I ended up buying a beautiful hand stitched set of king size bedding which took a fair bit of space, and you do need to move your luggage on and off trains and TukTuks quite quickly in busy crowds. Take plenty of paracetamol, wipes and tissues.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Definitely! We visited various craft and skilled workshops, many of which employed women and men in their homes making quality items. Also, we enjoyed an excellent meal cooked by a local family.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Ten out of ten! I would like to go again simply because it was so full-on and had so many opportunities to do additional activities that I physically could not fit in everything I wanted to do!Kristina Mänd review 19 Jan 2025
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The itinerary struck the perfect balance between exciting activities and downtime, with incredible guided tours, stays in heritage properties, village walks, lovely local scenery, and an unforgettable cooking class in Udaipur—truly a gem. Our fantastic leader, Vaishali, and cool travel mates from all around the world made the experience absolutely worthwhile.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
I’d definitely recommend this trip—pack solid shows, a swimsuit for pools, and warm clothes for winter! Take advantage of orientation walks and optional activities, watch a Bollywood movie, and eat lovely local veggies (especially the red carrot) for vitamins.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes, our leader, our guides and drivers were all local people; we stayed in local hotels or heritage properties; we ate in local places.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Very highly. This trip was an amazing adventure!Sandra Acheson review 22 May 2023
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Seeing a leopard in the Ranthambore National Park. Hot air balloon over Jaipur. Taj Mahal in Agra2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Check the hot months and avoid where possible. I found May too hot. You are a traveller not a tourist so be aware hotels are not 5 star and trains will be out of your comfort zone. You need to be able to lift your luggage onto the trains. Consider taking a pro biotic a week before you leave, but check with your doctor first.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Being photographed with Europeans seems to give the local people such joy, so that has to be a plus. Spending money in the country must be beneficial, but I fear we also add to pollution especially plastic bottles and other single use packaging.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Guides, Dinesh and Jitu were excellent. Top value for money.Elayne Azevedo review 26 Jan 2020
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
So many magical memories. What I really loved was the cohesive and infectious enthusiasm of the group energy and the ease because of our highly organized, fun tour leader Afshar who took care of our logistics with expertise and caring attention.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Do it - If you want variety of culture, archeology, nature with mixed lodging and a sense of what REAL India is like at a local level.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes - great connection with the locals and was impressed as they are far more progressive with environment than I realized (re: plastic use, educational interpretive signs and caring for nature)4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
EXCELLENT! Beyond my expectations - the tour leader was competent, well organized, communicated our itinerary to keep us on task for ease and yet, gave freedom for our own time too. Well balanced and nice variety of place, people, activities, lodging and transport. PLUS, he was well versed with where to go for great food and helped with other needs with kindness and attention. All with professionalism and great humor.Kate Lintott review 6 Nov 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
So many, difficult to choose which one! Maybe being approached and asked if I wanted to buy a camel at the Puskar Camel fair!2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
I was very nervous being a single traveller, and arriving in Delhi. I would highly recommend pre-booking a taxi with the operator to your hotel, once I attended our welcome meeting that evening all my troubles were put down as our tour leader was amazing.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes, we used local metro, trains, auto-rickshaws etc, local street food vendors and plenty of market shopping. One hotel had started to use glass bottles with drinkable water in the rooms to reduce plastic waste too.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
One of my top two holidays ever. The most amazing experience, mainly due to our highly skilled and approachable tour leader Arpu (Arhana), India is an amazing place and completely exceeded all my expectations, you need to be open-minded and prepared for changes to the itinery, but this is the way life is, never a dull moment! I can't wait to return.Michel Bogdan review 3 Nov 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The beautifull palaces, castles and forts along the way, contacts with the local people and the nice temperatures!2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Take a mask or a scarf to protect jourself against smog. Take more money along because India is more expensive now. I spent 3 times more than the notes suggested without doing anything crazy (for instance a can of beer was 4 euro!!).3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes, lots of local professions were visited and supported. A missed chance for locals support: An Indian cycle shirt as a souvenir would have been nice (like Vietnam).4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Very good, specially because of all the contacts with local people.Chris McCallion review 10 Mar 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
At the beginning of the trip, the most memorable thing was this operator's poor communication in failing to tell us the hotel had been closed down. At the end of the trip, the most memorable thing was how bad the last hotel was; we were first given a cold room with damp sheets and mildew on the wall, then another room also cold and damp, then at three in the morning, another room which was dry but which had a filthy floor. The main part of the holiday was great, with a very well balanced itinerary, and we had a brilliant guide. The most exciting things were catching a first closeup sight of the Taj Mahal and seeing tigers in Ranthambore.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Book your own hotel at the beginning and end of your trip, or check out first and last hotels carefully. If you have space, and you like tea or coffee, pack your own kettle. (There are porters to help you nearly everywhere, so you don’t need to pack super light as long as you can lift your case on and off the train. At Delhi airport, take a prepaid state taxi to your hotel (the stand is in the arrivals hall after you’ve picked up your cases); it cost us 400 IR rather than £28 this operator would have charged. Change money in an airport ATM. Buy an Indian SIM card at the airport (you will not be able to get one anywhere later).3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Hotels during the trip were not expensive, but were characterful and would have less environmental impact than staying in 4 or 5 * hotels. By staying in modest hotels, eating out, visiting sights and using local guides I would hope we were contributing to local economies. It seems that Ranthambore visits are carefully controlled, and tourism appears to contribute to tiger conservation, in that tiger numbers have been gradually increasing and park boundaries become bigger.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
It could so easily have been excellent throughout, but for this operator's chasing profit in the final hotel. But for that the holiday was easily 5 *Charmian Hobbs review 5 Mar 2016
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Seeing tigers in Ranthambore National Park- yes two less than twenty feet away. I had no expectations of seeing so to come across one resting beside the track who was then joined by another was amazing.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
As the trip moves on almost every day there is quite a lot of unpacking/packing so make life easy for yourself and pack light!3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Travel covered most forms so included public trains and buses so no additional load on the environment.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Travel to fill all your senses with many surprises and some chance to relax along the way.Holiday Reviews
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