6 independent reviews for South India by rail holiday
Reviews for South India by rail holiday
David Elsey review 26 Feb 2024
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Attending the trip's Kathakali Dance and later when I personally arranged to see Indian Classic Dance at Fort Cochin.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
With this company, not up to-date information as some sights were unavailable due to reconstruction, check out the itinerary yourself with a Guide Book as some were inaccurate, eg. Fort St. George turned out to be government offices and the only thing available was a museum (ex officers' mess).3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Brought employment to local people.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Okay, thanks entirely to our driver who suggested alternative/additional sites when the occasion arose.Read the operator's response here:
Dear David & Alan
Thank you for taking the time to send in your feedback it is much appreciated.
From the wishlist you sent me at the start of your enquiry, I have checked with my local agent and apart from the Rock Fort in Trichy everything was included in the trip. Unfortunately the temple authorities in Trichy have recently started refusing entry to foreign travellers to the sanctum, the reason is unknown and decided by the temple authorities and it had not been announced officially this was the reason we were not aware.
Regarding Fort St George we included this as well as the museum as requested and the information we supplied advised Fort St George is the name of the first English (later British) fortress in India, founded in 1644 at the coastal city of Madras, the modern city of Chennai. The construction of the fort provided the impetus for further settlements and trading activity, in what was originally an uninhabited land. Thus, it is a feasible contention to say that the city evolved around the fortress. The fort currently houses the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly and other official buildings. The fort is one of the 163 notified areas (megalithic sites) in the state of Tamil Nadu.
Your driver Bennett is a fantastic member of our team, and has been with the company for years he is not just a driver but a friend. He is a great asset to the company as you discovered, and he went above and beyond with your tour and took you to many other locations and sites that were not on your wish list or included on your itinerary.
We are disappointed that you only gave us 3 stars as I feel the whole team put in a great effort to make the holiday a success. Bennett thought you were very happy with the tour and was stunned by the low score.
I am glad that you enjoyed the Kathakali performance and managed to see the Bharatnatyam dance you wanted to witness.
Best wishes
Gary
Thank you for taking the time to send in your feedback it is much appreciated.
From the wishlist you sent me at the start of your enquiry, I have checked with my local agent and apart from the Rock Fort in Trichy everything was included in the trip. Unfortunately the temple authorities in Trichy have recently started refusing entry to foreign travellers to the sanctum, the reason is unknown and decided by the temple authorities and it had not been announced officially this was the reason we were not aware.
Regarding Fort St George we included this as well as the museum as requested and the information we supplied advised Fort St George is the name of the first English (later British) fortress in India, founded in 1644 at the coastal city of Madras, the modern city of Chennai. The construction of the fort provided the impetus for further settlements and trading activity, in what was originally an uninhabited land. Thus, it is a feasible contention to say that the city evolved around the fortress. The fort currently houses the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly and other official buildings. The fort is one of the 163 notified areas (megalithic sites) in the state of Tamil Nadu.
Your driver Bennett is a fantastic member of our team, and has been with the company for years he is not just a driver but a friend. He is a great asset to the company as you discovered, and he went above and beyond with your tour and took you to many other locations and sites that were not on your wish list or included on your itinerary.
We are disappointed that you only gave us 3 stars as I feel the whole team put in a great effort to make the holiday a success. Bennett thought you were very happy with the tour and was stunned by the low score.
I am glad that you enjoyed the Kathakali performance and managed to see the Bharatnatyam dance you wanted to witness.
Best wishes
Gary
John Aperghis review 6 Sep 2023
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Too difficult to single out any best moments, the whole trip was wonderful. Superbly organised and we were very well looked after. Zipwiring from Jodhpur Fort was certainly a special bit - incredible.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
We had 3 kids under 12. You have to think about providing some activities for them, you can't expect them just to site-see or aimlessly wander. We booked camel ride, elephant washing, canoeing, cookery, dance shows, wildlife trek. Also, be wary of the road distances in India, we probably covered too many miles and the children really got bored after multiple 6 hr journeys. Train was a good way to cover ground.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
To some extent yes, especially for those people working in the hotels and in the cafes/restaurants we visited. The elephant/bear rescue centres were very eye-opening and really made us think differently about animals and how they should just be left alone in the wild. My biggest concern was probably the amount of plastic consumed over the drink in the form of drinking water. Some hotels provided drinking water in reusable glass bottles which was encouraging to see.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Absolutely brilliant. Despite being seasoned travellers we thought we'd better use an agent to arrange this trips with the kids being so young. We did ask ourselves whether it was value for money, things being much cheaper in India, but I think the whole ease of everything and inclusion of all the activities was money well spent. It was a very special holiday, a real experience for the kids but a good experience for us learning how to travel to such places with kids.Chris Warburton review 9 Aug 2023
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The tours in Mumbai and sites in Hampi2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Get involved, ask questions and chat to people, was really interesting3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
It was greatDavid Evans review 1 Feb 2018
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Everything went extremely smoothly. The drivers were all very helpful. Our tour operator couldn't have been more helpful.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Take your time planning what you want to see and do before finalising the itinerary.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
The local people were extremely friendly especially when they knew we were on our own and not with a tour group. We were treated always with extreme courteousy. we mixed with all different classes. We spent our money in local shops and eating houses.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Brilliant, I would go back and do it all again. I have already asked the tour operator to work on a new itinerary which mixes some places we went this year and some new places.Gustav Jagner review 21 Feb 2017
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The diversity between the different hotels/resorts/homestays. We were excited over a lot of things, cultural, historical places and the people we met. The mix between interesting places and relaxing places.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Don't worry, the local travel agent are very thorough and competent.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Travelling by train reduces environmental impact. Some hotels and resorts had an ecological approach. We where impressed that there was clear thoughts and actions to save water.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
We are very satisfied our holiday met all our expectations. The local organisation gave us the feeling of security and good planning. Like a "guardian angel" by our side. But not to close, we felt as we where on our own when we wanted that.Carole Noble review 25 Oct 2015
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
For us there were two extra special parts of this holiday, both of which were on our bucket lists. Firstly spending two nights on the houseboat in the backwaters, we were treated like royalty by the crew and loved watching the world go by in peace and tranquility. The second was visiting the temples of Tamil Nadu. No peace or tranquility here, but so beautiful. We also appreciated our final few days in Cochin. It was great to return to a familiar place and spend time relaxing.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Tip your drivers generously, they work really hard and take care of their guests so well. Local mosquito repellent is cheapest and best, and really necessary. Make the most of each stop/place, you may never be back here and this tour takes in some really magical places. Take a small towel everywhere with you. Hand washing facilities are everywhere, but no drying facilities! Finally, if you are waiting around for your bag at Cochin airport, check the end of the conveyor, they take them off and leave them there!3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
As we went just ahead of the season we hope that the few extra weeks of work were of benefit to all of the people we came in contact with; drivers, boat crew, local shops and restaurants and the hotels. At some of our hotels there were bikes that we could use for getting around and these were very welcome. In most places we were happy to see solar heated water and local products being used.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
We very much enjoyed this holiday, completely met and often exceeded our expectations. This was in no small way due to the staff of the holiday providers who could not have been better. The hotels were well chosen, although if would have been nice to be closer to town in Pondy. However, overall, this was one of our best holiday experiences ever!Holiday Reviews
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