Brief trip report - recommendations
 

Hi all,

Many thanks to all of you who offered us wonderful advice for our first trip to India. We returned a couple of weeks ago after 3 weeks in the following cities: Delhi, Varanasi, Agra, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Cochin, Lake Kumarakom. The trip was easily the most fantastic of our lives. Interesting, beautiful, crazy, crazy and more crazy. We were spellbound the entire time, something that's never happened to us before...and we've been to some pretty fantastic places. Despite the fact that we could easily have spent our third week in the north of India, we were really happy we visited the south for the last week - it was a completely different experience and really lovely. And OMG, the food in the south is to die for. We swooned over the fresh shrimp and prawns.

Our main recommendation would be for Yatrik.com. I had worked with Ajay extensively on the itinerary in advance, and he was unfailingly patient with my questions. Not only did he plan a fantastic itinerary with us, but their folks 'on the ground' couldn't have been more generous, friendly, helpful, and especially tolerant of my incessant questions about life. We had different guides in different cities, each of whom brought a unique perspective and were wonderfully informative. They were also incredibly flexible - so there was no problem at all if we decided at the last minute to change the plan for the day. IWe recommend this tourism company very highly. I will certainly use them again for our next trip!, which I am already planning - at least in my dreams!

We stayed in some great hotels, but our favorites were the Samode Haveli in Jaipur and the Raas in Jodhpur. The Kumarakom Lake Resort was a lovely place to end our trip because it was so beautiful and relaxing and helped the transition back to the States.

Happy traveling!

I look forward to your report on south India, I visited cochin, tekkady, Kovalam and madhurai a few years ago and loved it. Plan to visit other cities in south India next December. I used Yatrik last year for the delhi leg of our trip and give them a 10 on 10.

Looking forward to reading your report as we plan our own.

Yes, Kumarokom is lovely isnt it? That is a great place to end a trip, while you mentally "digest" all that has gone before!

Nancy - is there some kind of clue I'm missing with this Yatric website? It's certainly intriguing - but manages to not tell me anything about <i>anything</i>.

Is this a test? If I contact them will they start off with a suggested itinerary - or do we continue to swap philosophy for a while?

No, I'm not being snarky... I'm just confused. I think the Alternative Journey is for me.

LOL Dog--the Alternative Journey! Not cosmic?

My impression upon first seeing the Yatrik site was "WTF??!!" but until you led the way, Dog, i was too polite to say so.

We are evidently NOT members of the "Friends of Yatrik"...or "Ka World" whatever that means. (Search Wikipedia.)

If I cannot understand a website, how to expect its owners to understand me? Am i not Zen enough? Are the Yatrik people happier with tourists willing to spend $400/night for a place like Raas in Jodhpur? What is the sound of one hand reaching for a wallet? Lots of clapping from the Yatrik desk though.

Under the section "Questions" is a list, but unless it is my computer, only one of the question is answered. Then there is the comment "Choose your holiday and choose how much time you need with eternity." Delhi Belly is one thing, but should i expect death during a trip to India?

Yes, yes - the Yatrik website is bizarre. When I first linked I was put off, but persevered because I had read good things about Yatrik on this forum. However, my interactions with Ajay were practical and focused. And no, we didn't spend $400/night at the Raas. It was a spectacular hotel though.

If you actually click on "Friends of Yatrik", here's what you'll find:

Purkal Youth Development Society - Helping Educate Children:
www.purkal.org

SOS Village - Helping Underprivileged Children:
www.sos-childrensvillages.org

Helpage India - Dignity to Elderly People
www.helpageindia.org

AAFFREEN - The Magic of Hands:
www.aaffreen.com

If you scroll using the controls, you'll find answers to more than one Question.

The website isn't your typical list of days, destinations and prices. It's unusual. But then so is India.

Thanks Marija. I also don't see the reasons for all the negative remarks above. I posted my India trip report last month that was arranged with the help of Ajay from Yatrik. Working with Ajay was absolutely as "good as it gets". Since I was in India previously, my wife and I pretty much knew what we wanted to see and not see. Ajay was always respectful of our thoughts and any suggestions he made to alter our plans worked out for the better. On our final day in Delhi, my wife and I met with Ajay and if any of you have ever met him, you would instantly realize that Ajay, as well as everyone who works at Yatrik, represent a travel agency that well deserves all the great reviews that they have received on Fodors as well as TA. While there are other trustworthy travel agencies in India that people may use, I don't think it is fair to make negative comments pertaining to any agency or anything in general that you may not have any experience with or knowledge of.

No one has said anything negative about the company. They have received many excellent reviews ove rthe years on Fodor's.

it is a very poor website though. If I was randomly searching tour companies, I would probably dismiss the company immediately. Half the pages don't work and the other half consist of zen-like teasers, with no solid information.

Sheesh! Get a grip people!!

Thanks, Nancy and Lcuy for realizing that Dogster, then I, were commenting on the bizarre tone of the website --not Ajay the Man or Ajay the Travel Agent. I recognize that many of us are passionate and protective of travel professinals who plan and help with wonderful trips. It is a tribute to those who are thus recognized! (I am the same with the lady who helps me.)

But...A trip to eternity? Come on, people--that's FUNNY!!

Yes, Marija, I *actually* clicked on the links.

First, I go to the website and see a totally blank white page, which says "Skip intro." WHAT intro?

Ka World? Some sort of amusement park? ) When I click to find out, the message is that the link doesn't work. Some fun THAT place is!

I click on "The Camera" and again, get just a blank page. Is this the blinding white light sent via digital photo, of those Yatrik clients who, when asked how much time they need with eternity, have replied "Forever" ?

Click on "The Rewards" and see lots of two-word uncited quotations with descriptive recommendations like "Interesting trip" "Great support."

So I go to "Especial Affairs" and get some zen words of advice to "listen with closed ears".

Perhaps we are meant to read the site with closed eyes?

Ok, ok, I just had to click on Yatrik after all the comments about the website. There is an intro, it takes a while to load, but the photos are nice.

When I click on The Rewards, there are the phrases, and if I click on the phrase, I can see the original hand-written comments. (cute, but takes download time) The questiopns section has unusual navigation control - teeny-tiny arrows that scroll the questions/answers. I couldn't get Ka World to work, but I did get the other pages to work.

Cali, I have a fast DSL connection, and it takes a while for the pages to load for me. I expect you get blank pages because the site needs more bandwidth than you have.

It is a strange website, but I kind of like it. And there are plenty of parts I laughed about. Not your usual travel website.