Has anyone taken the OAT trip to India? I would appreciate any feedback you can give me. Thanks. Pat

No, but I took an OAT trip to Thailand. Convinced me of two things - I could do much better on my own, and never to travel with OAT again. Of course, some people love them. On my trip the hotels were outside town, the food was Westernized, the tour guide was bored & his English deserted him when he was asked a question he didn't want to answer - need I go on?

I did an OAT trip to Egypt, so again I can't speak specifically to you about the India trip, which gets more mixed reviews, but I would tend to disagree with thursdaysd about the OAT experience. I found the tours interesting, the hotels uniformly wonderful, and the food good (especially when we ate at more local places and not at our Westernized hotels).

I have 2 criticism of OAT, but they are relatively mild. First, they send you way too much junk mail ... as in 4 or 5 catalogs per week. Second, they are very inflexible; if you want to go early or stay late, you have to jump through many hoops unless you take one of their pre- or post-tour extensions, which I found rather expensive relative to the very reasonably cost of the main tours themselves. People's reactions to OAT are definitely mixed; they have strong fans and supporters and also strong detractors, but I did enjoy my trip immensely and plan to take another OAT tour someday.

As I said, people have different views, but you can hardly disagree with my "experience." My trip was close to a disaster, and neither I, not the other eight people on the trip, would use them again. If your experience was different, great, but don't try to tell me what I experienced.

Thanks for the info. I have already done 2 OAT tours, China & Tibet, and Tuscany, and found them both to be excellent, so I would not hesitate to travel with them again. I agree about all the catalogues, but when I called them last January and asked them to stop sending them, they did so. I would love to go to India but have some reservations about the pollution and dirt. Anyone's experiences there would be helpful

The pollution is worse in China, the dirt is worse in India, at least in the north, and the beggars are worse in India. That said, India is fascinating, exciting, unforgettable, incredibly diverse. I was ready to leave (after two and a half months solo), but I'd also be happy to go back. Is it just dirt and pollution you're worried about?

My husband and I both had a sinus infection when we returned from China and were told that India is even worse. My husband also had trouble with his camera lens opening from the dust. Even so, we both are very interested in the OAT trip to India, partly because we want to see India and also because they do an extension to Bhutan. We loved the 3 days in Tibet that were part of the China trip and would really like to go to Bhutan.

The first time I went to China (1997) I figured it took my lungs three months to go back to normal. A friend who went recently developed a bronchial infection. It seemed to me the pollution has been getting steadily worse - the haze in Beijing in 2004 made taking pictures difficult.

I don't remember thinking that pollution was such a problem in India - possibly in Delhi, but they were switching buses and auto-rickshaws to cleaner fuels when I was there in 2001. Bhutan is beautiful and certainly has no pollution problems - although it did have a trash problem. You could always do Bhutan alone, although I think India is definitely worthwhile.

If you are seeking a group tour, the India Oats trips gets very good reports!

They are small groups and they stay in good properties throughout!!!

I lead many tours in India, (not Oats) but i run into them all the time at sights and hotels and the clients appear to have a smile on their faces and i hear good feeback too as i often chat with the folks..

I also know many of their tour managers in India and the ones i know are very good!

There are other companies that run similar group tours so a good thing to do is take a look at the itinerary and see which one suits u and what different specifics are included.

Other companies u might want to peer into include Smartours which runs a very good tour which includes Kathamndu, Nepal too as does Gate1 travel. However, these trips are bigger groups, so not sure if that appeals to U..

And of course, u can always custom make any tour to India, if that is something that appeals to U too. this way u pick and choose your destinations, your speed and mode of travel, and all the other incidentals.

alright, take care, happy travels and feel free to drop me a line for more info as i am a American woman who lives in the region!happy to help! namaste.

Travel in the states or in Europe or most english speaking countries; you are always fine to travel without a tour.

I'm at the age where I want to be shepherded around and have the high points pointed out, taken to safe hotels to eat and nice accommodations.

With OAT, this has always been the case. We are amazed at hour knowledgeable their tour guides and as so accommodating.

Third world countries are different at least to me. OAT did a great job with Thailand this past December and we leave for Egypt with OAT next week. We also have India with OAT booked for November of this year. We like the small groups and like knowing we are well taken care of. We've seen others traveling on their own, waiting or looking for a guide, and that's not the way we want to go. In our college days, running around Europe was the adventure of our lives but today, in the Golden years, we like someone taking us around. We compare various companies and often want to find another company but we always come back to OAT. They take you to far out of the way places that you could never see and do with a large group.

This past February we made a terrible mistake. We toured Australia with a company called Collette. What a terrible trip - the worst guide we'd ever experienced in all our years of travel but we liked their itin. We made a big $$$$ mistake $$$$12,000!!!! Live and learn - do your homework. We just hate having to be loaded like cattle on a bus numerous times a day with 49 passengers. It was awful!!! So much time wasted!!!

I admire you who book your own trips but English is not spoken fluently in these nooks and crannies of the world.

Go and have a wonderful time!!!! But go!!!

I have taken 3 trips with OAT and India was my second one. India is a country one has to experience to begin to try and understand.I thoughly enjoyed it and especiall with OAT, I have been traveling over30 years on my own and with groups. OAT is by far the best tour group I have traveled with, and the trip to India is in my top 5 ( I've travelled to every continent so lots of countries.) My only criticism of them is the air. I will book my own when I go with them again. However, I have called and asked for some air chamges and they have obliged. The long layovers and conneting flights are the main issues. Despite this they are the best and India was a country I would go back to tomorrow.

Many of the posters, myself included, on this site have done "independant" trips using a guide and driver. Castle and King and Legends and Palaces are two of the companies offering such experiences and tours. This allows you to customize the tour, control the pace, gives you much flexibility and does away with the group of other travelers.
Our experience was that this type of tour provided us with many unique experiences and visits to many less touristy places, and was probably less expensive than if we had signed on to a group escorted tour.
Group tours are great if you only want to see the sites; private, independant touring allows you to experience the country somewhat even though you are still a tourist.
Whatever you choose, have a great trip.

I know everyone has his own personal preference for travel - groups, independent guides or on your own. I feel that OAT combines the best features of all. You have the convenience of having everything arranged for you, an informative guide, and the fun of getting to know others in their small groups of 16 or under. Their tours always spend a lot of time visiting out of the way places and experiencing the life of people in the country, as well as seeing the sights. No, I don't work for OAT. I traveled with other companies before discovering OAT, and now won't travel with anyone else. If anyone has questions about specific trips feel free to contact me at [email protected].

Hey Pat,
You received so many interesting postings....I'm so excited for you with India coming up. You will find it as exciting as we did. OATs always does a great job.

Lady of Sequim

"No, I don't work for OAT" To tell the truth, the whole truth.......

Adding to an almost three-year old thread? C'mon people -- at least don't be so obvious.

And not just to this thread. Maybe this is I-love-OAT-PIPERPAT in a new incarnation?

OK, I am new to this thread. We are planning on going with OAT to India in Fall 2010. We are trying to decide between Sept and Nov. (Can not go in Oct.) Prices go down alot if we go in Sept vs. Nov. Is the weather that much hotter in Sept? Any thoughts?

We went to Vietnam with OAT last year (great trip) but went when prices were a bit lower and found it very hot and humid, more so than the winter would have been. (I know, it's tropical...)

Thanks!

To thursdaysd - I have not been reincarnated and don't live anywhere near Boston. I'm still proud to be PIPERPAT ( a bagpiper) and I still love OAT. I really enjoyed my first trip with them and after 7 more trips, I've had no reason to change my mind. Also, I see posts from many other people who are fans of OAT.

To Megdean, We're going to India with OAT this year,in early November. There is a website - weatherbase.com that is excellent for checking out the climate. Examples of average highs from India are: Agra - Sept,93, Nov,85 and Delhi & Jaipur - Sept. 92, Nov, 81 & 82. Many other cities are also listed. They also give average lows and rainfall. This always helps me make a decision about when to go.