Kolab2

Am planning a trip to India with "smarTours". I would appreciate hearing about any favorable or unfavorable experiences with this company. Other tour company recommendations are welcome. Thanks!

dianemom2

We have a tour booked with Smartours to Thailand in November. I did a search on this website and on tripadvisor's forum to see if the company got good reviews. There was one review of Smartours that I can remember reading that specifically was about their trip to India. I was quite satisfied with the reviews that I read. Hopefully our trip will turn out well. Good luck!

hsk218

I am taking my third trip w/Smartours in Oct.I've enjoyed each and every trip our hotels were teriffic and our guides were wonderful.I was on a gate 1 trip to India and Nepal their group shadowed us the entire way , Same hotels same Iten we just paid alot more for our trip!everyone on the Smartours trip had given it rave reviews.Most people who you will meet on the trip are repeats as well they have a very loyal following. Hope this helps would be glad to answ any addl quest

Bonita

Hey there, Namaste!
Well, i can certainly give you some first hand information, as i am both a American woman who lives in India, frequent poster on these forums, and *what more, *i am actually a freelance tour manager/escort for Smartours in India, as well as many other tour Companies opertating in the region..

Do note, I do not work for sMARTOURS per se, but i do lead/escorted many of their India trips, and will again do so this season.So come this way, i may very well see you in India!

I also lead trips for various other Tour Companies operating in India, as well as help folks custom-design their own trips, so for whatever reason, feel free to drop me a line at [email protected]

So yea, *I have to say, it is a great intro trip to India, very comprehensive, works thru a excellent Indian local Operator-le passage to INDIA(all my friends), and I WOULD have to say for the money, one of the best tours on the market in India..\

dO note, *it is almost identical with the Gate1 tour in India, with just a wee small price variation, and a few differnt hotels, but the itineraries of both are the same, both are good tours.

And yes, *Smartours does get alot of repeat customers, a big fan loyalty, and yes, the India tour does get raves, if i may say so myself.

The route is Delhi, Jaipur, Agra, Khajuraho(via Orcha), Varanasi, and Kathmandu, so yea, a great introduction to North India.

The trip may have from 20-30 people, so yea, big groups, but for the money and for the tour, it is great.

Feel free to drop me a line if u want more info. Namaste [email protected]

Msbelle51

hsk218. I'm considering the Smartours China sampler this year. In your experience w/them, were the travellers a mixed age group or did they fit into a certain group? Me single female 50s.

Thanks.

jkgourmet

we did friendly planet, which combines with ST on may tours, to Thailand in 2006. A great price for the trip. Yes, the bus was full - almost 40 people -- which lends some complications. One hotel was out of the way, but all others in perfect locations. I'd travel again with them in a second if the price was right for the itinerary I wanted and I wanted a group tour.

lovesublime

I havent used Smartours but I know several people who have, and all have been extremely happy with the tour. I have contacted Smartours with questions about tours, and the people on the phone have been shockingly rude. Their tours are an unbeatable value but supposedly you are in very large groups..my friends trip to south africa was upward of 100 people!