Driver in India
 

Hi,
I’m looking for a driver to take us from Agra to Jaipur to Delhi (not in one day!). Does anyone know if Anil Sinha and Ramesh Meena are from the same company? They were both recommended on this forum and both have an @fourwheeldriveindia.com email address, but they have different websites.
Thanks!

i don't know either of them but the driver i used is not longer in india but his cousin took up the business and lcuy gives him great marks....

you can reach him at: [email protected]

they are a fantastic family and i think you would enjoy him....ask for an SUV for added comfort...

Ramesh Meena used to work for Anil Sinha and has started his own business. We used Ramesh when he worked for Anil and he was an excellent driver. Others have used him since he left Rajasthan Four Wheel Drive and have been very pleased with his services as well. He did a fabulous job for us -- saving us from a bad situation with a different driver from RFWD. (If you don't have it already, his contact info: phone numbers - 919829807074 and 91925246594; email addresses - [email protected] and [email protected]).

Thanks for clearing that up. I emailed Ramesh and Anil. Ramesh got back to me and quoted INR 18,900 ($390) to pick us (two people) up in Agra in the afternoon, drive us to Jaipur, take us around Jaipur the following day, then drive us to Delhi later that same day. I know that’s a lot of driving, but compared to prices other people have mentioned here that seems pretty high, no?

He is driving us for a much longer trip through Rajasthan and MP for about INR 3000/day.

Will Ramesh be the actual driver? In my emails with him it sounded like someone who works for him would be driving us.
I heard back from Anil, too, and his price quote was 8000 less, for the same itinerary.

Did you contact Narender at [email protected]?

http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...sthan-tour.cfm

http://fourwheelsdrive.blogspot.com/

Well, travelaw/balkishan - are you getting a percentage? lol. I assume ramesh has used your comments with permission.

But Detective Dog's left nostril is twitching. I have to run out right now, but I'll be back. Ramesh has left quite a large cyber-trail.

Trav - you are my friend. I have been silent till now. But... having seen that outrageous quote, I think it's time to tell all. Later.

lcuy, I did email Narender, based on your and rhkkmk's recommendations. Just waiting to hear back.

Not sure what you are talking about dogster -- who is balkistan? Percentage? I am just recommending based on my personal experience. I know nothing else, so I am curious. What Ramesh quotes is not my baliwick. He was honest with us, so who knows what the deal is.

trav: click on the second link - there are your words from the first link: you have assumed a new identity, 'Balkistan', courtesy your nearest and dearest friend Ramesah. Go look.

Yeah, I know you're cool with Ramesh. So am I. I know your recco is based on personal dealings. No probs. But he is a bit of a naughty fellow on the internet. I'll be back.

Is that all you've got dogster? Someone trying to promote his own new business? Where is the large cyber-trail? For all I know Balkistan or Blakishan or whomever he is works for Ramesh -- he isn't running some self internet promotional scam. He's not making anything up -- I don't blame him for cutting and pasting my good comments about him - and yes, he is welcome to post my comments. Did you ever ponder that he might be protecting my identity -- you of all people should understand that. (In fact, I have stayed quiet about you my friend -- remember I found out your name from my stay in Varanasi.) Naughty fellow on the internet? The name of his business is right on top of the blog. Look, I don't know why he gave ray such a high quote -- it looks very high to me too. Seems like an outlier to me -- perhaps some mistake, but if its not, that is his mistake. (His quotes to others here have been completely in the ball park -- see Indianapearl's post above.) And you don't have to get sarcastic and call him my "nearest and dearest friend" -- he was just a good driver whom I felt should be recommended to people who have asked about drivers in India. I've used many, many drivers all around the world -- and three others in India. He is one of the best I've employed. So what? Don't recommend him? It isn't like I've started a special thread about him -- I have been responding to people who have asked. And bonnieheather also used him and liked him --she talked about him extensively in her thread. I am not sure what is going on here. No one seems to have a problem with you consistently recommending apu villa or pandaw or bob recommending narender or Icuy recommending anoop. Why besmirch me and imply I am getting a percentage -- even as a joke? People may think it is true -- see monica's post. Thanks a bunch. Either you've got way too much time on your hands or have smoked too much charras, but your grand conspiracy theory really IS laughable. My experience with this young fellow Ramesh is that he is reliable and safe. I will continue to recommend him to those who ask.

There's no vendetta here, BTW, just full disclosure. I rather admire Ramesh's entreprenurial nature. And I certainly trust travelaw's endorsement.

Just on the quote: I went to
http://savaari.com/user/step1.php
to check on what it might be thru a normal company [of which there are MANY] No guide, no hand-holding, just do what you want.

'to pick us up in Agra in the afternoon, drive us to Jaipur, take us around Jaipur the following day, then drive us to Delhi later that same day...' [and you have to allow for the car to return to base the next day]

It's an easy site, double check. I might be wrong but...
I came up with Non A/C Tata: 5222 rupees,
SUV A/C: 7466 rupees.
That's with a minimum paid 750 k.

So, depending on the make of car and allowing for his profit and extra $$ for lerve and care, looks like Anil is closer to the money.

OUCH! Well. I just wrote this huge grovelling apology to trav and it got eaten.

It was particularly inspired, and now I've forgotten most of it. Basically, it said 'Ouch trav, I'm really sorry you misunderstood my attempts at humour. I'd hate to make an enemy over a misunderstanding, particularly YOU.' I don't disagree with your assessment at all. It hadn't occurred to me that someone would read my comments without my laconic Australian accent. How many ways can I say I'm sorry? Sorry. Deep breaths. We all make mistakes. I'll see if I can get the offending post removed.

But no, that is not all I got. Not by a long shot. There are some interesting issues at play. But something tells me I'd better shut up on this topic.

So, you know my name, eh? I missed that. Google is a terrible thing. Damn - we all leave a trail.

I am in the doghouse, Marija.

Just for everyone's clarification, Balkishan Sharma is the "General Director" of Four Wheels Drive India. Ramesh Meena is the "Managing Director" of the same company. I'm not sure who reports to whom. Anil Sinha is not affiliated with either of them at present. He must be from Ramesh's previous company. I know these things because I am (1) omniscient, and (2) I had an e-mail exchange with the two of them at the beginning of June.

My dearest spouse, indianapearl, has occasional delusions of omniscience - but she did have the e-mail exchange with Balkishan and Ramesh ;=)

dogster....please plan to join a number of us in bkk on nov 25 for a mini GTG at kineree restaurant on soi 8 for dinner....some of your most ardent supporters will be there: gpanda, kathie and others...

Well my friend, you never know.

Today I lay on a table while a kind young man gelled me up and then appeared to scan me for an undiscovered pregnancy. After much gelling, $$ and scanning comes the inevitable referals till I am placed under the knife of Doctor Death to fix my bunged up veins.

I am encouraging Surgeon Sweeny Todd to get it done fast, thereby freeing me up for The Ganges trip in Sept/Oct/Nov
by which point I may actually be able to walk more than half a block. I'd like that. So, we'll see if money can buy the surgeon's love.

Should all this occur, then it may be possible. I can see my cover is being slowly blown anyway. Now you know all of my filthy secrets, there's little left to fear.

Sorry to hear you have bunged up veins. And I thought Aussies had national health care, so am also sorry to hear you are spending lots of money -- but I'm glad you're not pregnant!

I'll know the whole grisly business next week. So I'll reserve any accidental fear till then. It was the pregnancy scare that really had me worried.

Do you still maintain the fiction that this was all due to an overenthusiastic Indian massage?!

to be sure I drive you anywhere you like. I drive you long time

- singapore girrrl a great way to fly

No, that was for ease of explanation. It was/is a pre-existing condition growing steadily worse... aided and abetted by my manly refusal to do anything about it. Hence my lengthy last trip. Diversion. Hence my lengthy last stories. Diversion. Now matters are 'in train'...

The brutes helped to ramp it up a notch or two, tho, big time. The dead legs are why all of the Mumbai stories are set in a one block radius of the hotel.

As the parent of a 33-year-old son with a wonderful wife, parenthood is and can be wonderful! Do not fear! And with epidurals, childbirth is a breeze. You can do it! In my day we had "natural" childbirth, as opposed to "unnatural" childbirth. What a crock! In any case, float face up and let the smart people (are they out there?) take care of you. I think your condition requires a minimal incision at the top and bottom of the vein in question, a simple matter of slipping out the bad vein. Drink mucho pouilly fouissee or fume --- God's anesthetic, and all will be well.

We had SANTOSH driving us. He was extremely pleasant, knowledgeable (all bits and pieces) and fluent in English.

AND very reasonable:

http://www.indiantravelpromotion.com/

SV

Make sure to ask for the REALLY special spassvogel deal:
"all our road travels came up to 6000INR for 2 pax." This is for some 14 days of travel!

Marija
I have to correct your statement - somehow you did not read thoroughly what I posted:
Drive Ranthambore - Agra
Drive Jansi - Panna
Drive Panna - Bandavgarh
Drive Bandavgar - Kanha
Drive Kanha - Pench
Drive Pench - Airport Nagpur

In between Train.

These are 6 Driving days and not 14!

Just to get that back in to perspective ;-)

SV

one more add:

The car was either a Ford Endeavor or Toyota. And the car would have been the same for 1 or 4 people.
So the pay is irrelevant.

SV

Typo: "The paX is irrelevant"

SV

Spass, you had a special deal. Normally on a trip like that, the car and driver stay with you. So if you're at a game park or somewhere that doesn't need driver services, you are still paying for them and 250 km, whether you use them or not.

So that's why marija is making her joke. The amount yoiu are quoting would cover 2 days, max 3 with anybody else.

I think it is important to point out that when you book with a travel company, they often sub-contract the transport to any available driver. If you want a specific driver, you need to make it very clear, or book with the driver directly.

Of course, if teh driver gets sick, you may end up with a substitute anyway, but I find your odds of getting a good driver (and your prices) are bestif you go directly with the driver.

I negotiated a bit with Anil Sinha, Ramesh Meena, Narender and Castle & King. Anil wound up giving us the best price, so we’ll probably go with his company – which might be a little riskier than booking the driver directly, but Ramesh made it sound like he’d be sending someone else anyway, and Narender is too expensive because he’s based in Delhi and we just want someone for Agra and Jaipur (changed the itinerary slightly).
Thanks, all, for the advice.

ray, having hired Anil's company for our trip, I can tell you that he is responsive. If you have any problem, call him and be assertive about your situation. When we had trouble with one of his drivers, after some discussion, he did cure the problem. It turned into our good fortune that he replaced the bad driver with Ramesh, which saved our trip. So, I am confident you will have a great trip. Please do give us a report when you get back!

dogster, I've been busy arranging a trip to a different region, but I wanted to come back in here and properly accept your apology. Also, I want to alleviate your fear that I will expose your identity. While I found out your name quite by accident in Varanasi (when I inquird about Bruno), I have not googled you, so I don't know anything about you except what you have written here. I respect your privacy -- which was my point -- for various reasons, some of us want to retain our anonymity. I have no other issues with you -- I just wanted you to understand that there is no tomfoolery here. BTW, I saw your exchange with Gpanda on the AskOksana thread and I share your concern about who the next victim of a bored public will be. Sometimes there is a little too much invective and judgmental attitude in here. We're all guilty of that at least a little bit and I apologize in return if I've come across that way toward you or anyone else. Travel is a great joy and some ill-written (or ill-received, as it it easy to misinterpret the typed word) comments can spoil what should be a rewarding experience. Thanks.

Dogster - thx for the explanation! I didn't know the "logistics".
When you get to the recent thread about the 14 days trip incl. driver, train, hotels 4*/5* for 1700 or 2000 respectively I think our "deal" was not THAT special ;-)

I particularly found the 14 days incl. all of that for 1700/2000 particularly special - in peak season. Ours was in June - the most unpleasant time of year - besides the tiger sightings which were fantastic under the circumstances given - and you know what: I WOULD DO IT AGAIN! The more time goes by the more I become fond of India! :-)

Anyway - we were VERY happy with Santosh :-)

SV

Ahh, trav: I'm glad you came back, I've been fretting about that. Let's just move on and forget the incident, eh? Now we know each other better.

spass: there are a milion million other things that India can offer you. I'm so pleased you've not been put off by the difficulties of your last trip. That was very much a single focus trip I think, but now you've had a taster of some of the other things. Me? I'd go Africa for animals and India for culture. There are some wonderful boutique properties you'd love. Look here:

http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...-treasures.cfm

I must update this.

Thank you Dogster! Had a look and commented!
PRICELESS!

Now we can start all over again ;-)

SV

I am curious:
Do you do anything else than travelling India ? :o)

SV

Wow! Glad I came in after all the fuss was over, or I might have been tempted to comment. Have a great trip Ray. Look forward to a report when you get back.

Yeh - I am very curious too - about dogster ?? I mean how come you travel so much in India ?? is that your profession to travel ?? surely no one can have so much time to travel around..? I mean one has to work too??