Golden Triangle Tour with Orchha, Khajuraho and Varanasi

Customer Reviews

• YP

  Yihong

  · October 30th, 2022
  The tour was well-organized, We visited six places. At each place, we were met by the local representatives and the drivers. The local guides were enthusiastic, helpful, and considerate. The company's touring places were well-chosen, which made us learn a great deal about India. We enjoyed the trip very much. Hotels' conditions vary a bit. On the whole, the personals were very nice and helpful.
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  GeTS Holidays commented on this review

  Hello Yihong, Thank you so much for your valuable feedback and kind words. We appreciate you taking the time out to share your thoughts with us. This in turn helps us to stay motivated and do better each time. Hope to see you soon again. Thank you once... Show more
  Trip date: October 2022
• DV

  Dr.

  · February 24th, 2019
  On the wholethe holiday was good and We enjoyed. Khajraho was very good and our guide was excellent. What was not good was the hotel in Varanasi which Getsholidays messed up The guide in Orcha lacked knowledge and his English was very poor
  

  GeTS Holidays commented on this review

  Hello Dr Vimala, Thank you for your valuable feedback. Our sincere apologies for all the shortcomings during your tour. We are glad to know that you enjoyed your tour. Since Orchha is a remote area, you cannot find a guide who is fluent in English as... Show more
  Trip date: January 2019
• 

  Jessa

  · January 10th, 2019
  Today's the last day to post Tourradar review so I'll try to summarize quickly :: 1) CORRESPONDENCE: Dhanyavaad to the online GeTS team that help answer emails @getsholidayscom and on tourradarcom; you have been courteous, and I'm grateful for the help in arranging. 2) CONTRACTORS: Most of the on-field freelancers/contractors were also pleasant except for 1 particular, who I won't be naming here (because.. everyone needs a livelihood and to help give the GeTS team time to improve their connections)... I will describe our group's actions; I write for fellow travelers to not be misinformed and essentially cheated. We were taken to the Jama Masjid, where it's free to enter (and normally 300 Rupees for camera/photo fee, as listed online), so, I left my bag with the driver and did not bring any cash. The 2 girls, that I was paired with, brought theirs; the guide informs us that there's a camera fee; they handed him Rs 500; he suggested to the girls that he will carry our phones for us so that there is no issue with the security, and we then share the photos. He pocketed the 500, led us aside from the line and proceeded towards the entry; the mosque staff called to him; he displayed placing our phones in his pocket while briskly waving with the other hand and walking in. We proceeded to the rickshaw without revisiting the guard's table. (Much later on in the trip, the girls verbalize that they were not given any change.) He then suggested Lutyens cocktail bar; he suggested we do the R1000 sampler each. He sat with us and ordered his dish. We asked if the driver would like to join--he said the driver had packed his own meal. Only 1 bill returned listing that was split between the girls and I. It was too much food, and I felt bad to just throw it away so I asked if we can box for later; he told us that isn't allowed because this upscale restaurant gives the leftovers to the homeless. The restaurant google telephone is listed for anyone wondering. I asked how long is the drive to the next Attraction--he said the drive would take 2 hours, round-trip. I thought I misheard it as the actual tour duration so I asked again when the girls returned from outside, to the table. He said "the drive" and that it would be "night" by the time we returned. I initially said I don't mind continuing with the Full day, even though I was tired; however, when he repeated the time-frame to my companions, who were jetlagged, they opted not to go, and I agree, 2 hours is too far. For jet-lagged travelers who start their tour in Delhi, this Delhi guide ended with us early. I attempted to tip for partial day; he said he didn't have change so I said that's fine and gave the R500 as our welcome Emails suggested (("Tipping is completely a personal gesture and depends on the service and assistance you get. However, it’s an integral part of the earning of the people dependent on tourism. The usual norm is USD 10 / INR 500 for the driver per day , USD 4-5 / Rs 250 in the restaurant or 10% of the bill (to a waiter),Rs 500 – Rs 1500 to a guide and Rupees 250/- to a bellboy." -- please account that a couple could probably tip together, but as a solo-traveler, I multiplied the usual 2 service providers x 8 days plus "anyone who had anything to do with us", as my companion funnily phrased it. Budget accordingly, please)). I asked the driver myself later, how long is the drive to the last place we were supposed to go to?...The drive was to be only about 30 minutes, even in Delhi traffic. I'll briefly mention that we were taken to a saree Emporium, where he randomly asks, if I wanted to buy anything for my family or spouse or friends...as we faced statues as knee-high as coffee-tables. I replied that I wouldn't want to be carrying heavy souvenirs around. He replied, that they ship to anywhere. I was absent when he apparently had a long discussion in Hindi with the Currency Exchange site owner before the girls were allowed to. When we went with our other guides, it was simple: the shop owner verifies the posted rate or offers a different rate and we exchanged. 3) SUSTAINABILITY: Accommodations were Taj Princess (Delhi), Atulyaa Taj (Agra), Suryaa Villa (Jaipur) and Surya Kaiser Palace (Varanasi). If you enjoy 3-star or luxury hotels, this Tour/Agency may be what you enjoy. These are not like GAdventures, Intrepid or other group-tours that tout eco-friendly lodgings or attempt to support homestays. "Note: The monuments entrance fees is not included in your package cost, the approximate cost is USD 130 per person. " I opted to pay entry fees separately (I only opted to join 4 of about 6 total--Taj Mahal is now R1,100 online, and that is what I paid. I joined for the Amber Fort, which I believe was R650, the Observatory, which was around R200, and the Excavation for R300. The 2 that I remember not joining along the way was a Palace museum and a Fort). It's not part of policy so I was unable to obtain a list to share. The girls pre-paid the 130 in British Pounds. The elephant ride, our guide informed us, is already paid for and asked us if we'd like to at least see the elephants and decide. After seeing the elephants in person, we all opted not to ride even if already paid for. I had not read any articles until the fellow traveler shared an Article weblink on what you might see; writings say the treatment of the elephants has "improved"; some practices and treatment of the elephants remain. I hope this helps with your decisions. GeTS correspondence team seem very receptive and ask for our opinions -- so I'll be sending a private review on staffing (especially kudos to Sharma, who does driving, I know the girls also enjoyed spending time together after-hours. Fun times). I hope our recommendations help your team! Thank you, Barsha R., for the simplified activities list below: "1. Delhi - Jama Masjid, Chandni Chowk, Rickshaw ride, Red Fort, Rajghat, Humayun Tomb, Rashtrapati Bhawan, Qutub Minar, India Gate. 2. Agra - Taj Mahal, Agra Fort 3. Fatehpur Sikri 4. Jaipur - [Amber] Fort, City Palace, Hawa Mahal, Janta Mantar Observatory. 5. Varanasi - Boat ride, Sarnath, New Vishwanath Temple, Tulsi Manas Temple, Durga Temple (Monkey temple), Ganga Aarti."
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  GeTS Holidays commented on this review

  Hello Jessa, Greetings! Thank you for your valuable feedback. We truly appreciate you taking the time out to write this review. Our sincere apologies for all the shortcomings you had during this tour. We hope you travel with us again and give us an... Show more
  
  Trip date: December 2018
• M

  Marcellovieira

  · January 9th, 2019
  Mysterious incredible India. Loved the trip, special thanks to Rajesh the driver for his stories and keeping is entertained. Great value for money tour.
  

  GeTS Holidays commented on this review

  Hello Marcellovieira, Thank you so much for your valuable feedback and kind words. We appreciate you taking the time out to share your thoughts with us. This in turn helps us to stay motivated and do better each time. Hope to see you soon again. Thank... Show more
  Trip date: January 2019
• 

  Marife

  · October 13th, 2018
  this is my first travel w a tour and iso far i am not disappointed at all.there are mishaps like hotel location, communication between the guide and the operator re:prepaid entrance fees but it’s alright nothing is perfect i guess. of all the trips i made so far this trip has one of the most impact in me in a good way.very enlightening and i learned a lot abt India’s heritage,religion,lifestyle and practices,etc. thank you very much Gets.this experience will stck with me for the rest of my life! namaste.
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  GeTS Holidays commented on this review

  Dear Marife, Namaste from India ! We really appreciate you sparing your valuable time to review us. Thank you for appreciating our services. It was our pleasure to plan your trip and we are glad you had an enjoyable trip. We look forward to welcoming... Show more
  
  Trip date: September 2018
• EM

  Emma

  · October 11th, 2018
  Had an amazing time in India with my sister but for some issues. The drive between towns were very long but that couldn't be helped. Our driver was very soft spoken so even if he mentioned about the things we passed along the way, only the person in the front could hear him. We stayed at 6 different hotels on this tour and they were all great except for the one in Old Delhi. We were warned by the rep who met us at the airport when we first arrived that we shouldn't leave the hotel (even though we had half a day to spare) because of the neighborhood. We went out anyway and it was a chaotic market place! On the very last leg of the trip, when we had to go back to this hotel at night, our vehicle couldn't even pass through the throng of people that we ended up just heading to the airport and waiting 9 hours for our flight back to the US. We asked for a refund since we didn't get to use to hotel but of course got denied. Another issue is that we prepaid our fort entrances with $130 + some fees. Upon arriving in Taj Mahal and 3 other destinations, our guides would ask us money for the entrance fees. We'd have to explain that we've already pre-paid and then wait for him to communicate with whoever and when it's finally settled, we had to wait again while he goes to get the tickets. I thought the whole point of pre-paying is so that there won't be any more waiting. For whoever is reading this, I'd recommend not pre-paying the entrance fees. I don't know how they came up with $130 but I don't think it even came that close to the actual entrance fees if you pay in Rupees. They'll tell you it's better to pre-pay so that you don't have to wait in lines. We still had to wait anyway while our guides went to get our tickets. All in all, I still had a great experience in India. Would I go back? Definitely! With this tour company! Absolutely not!
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  Trip date: September 2018
• A

  Anonymous

  · September 19th, 2018
  Our driver Aashish from New Delhi to Agra was great, very knowledgeable, safe and a joy to be with.
  Trip date: September 2018
• B

  Brida

  · May 23rd, 2018
  Namaste!!! My recent trip to India was an exceptional one. The best part about my India tour was the trip to Khajuraho and Varanasi. Both were absolutely mesmerizing. I and my travel buddy (my sister) were immensely impressed by the exquisitely erotic temple art at Khajuraho. We also had a great time soaking in the spiritual ambience of Varanasi. The whole trip was a wonderful experience; colours, culture, architecture, people, monuments & events, and the list is endless. Not to forget, we also loved Jaipur (with grand royal history), Delhi, Agra (where our dreams of seeing the breathtaking monument of love - TAJ MAHAL came true), Fatehpur Sikri and Orccha. Each city turned out to be more intriguing than the other. Also, we thank all our drivers and guides who made our tour a seamless one, they also took great care of us while we explored the local places, streets and while interacting with the locals (we had little apprehensions while booking an only girls' trip to India because the country is often in news related to safety isdues of women; but all of these worries were turned into a pleasant experience). Returned home with treasures of memories & stories that we are simply enjoying bragging to friends and family. Planning for another trip to India already!
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  GeTS Holidays commented on this review

  Dear Brida, Greetings from India. Thank you for sparing your valuable time to review us. It is delightful to know that you thought our hospitality to be “exceptional’’. We are grateful for kind words of appreciation for our services. We are delighted... Show more
  Trip date: May 2018
• JP

  John

  · March 12th, 2018
  Such a wonderful experience! Everything was completely seamless, all of our drivers were outstanding as well as our guides, we couldn't have been looked after any better. We had upgraded all or our accommodation which wasn't necessary except for Varanasi. Overall I would highly recommend this tour.
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  GeTS Holidays commented on this review

  Dear John, Greetings from India. Thank you for taking time to share feedback of your tour and we are happy to read such a delightful review. We are pleased to know that your tour was marked with positive experiences throughout and it feels great to... Show more
  Trip date: February 2018
• AL

  Aidan

  · February 6th, 2017
  With Gets holidays, it was an awesome experience for me traveling to India for the very first time. Travelled with my family in October and we loved everything about this trip. The 8 days were worth it and we had a great time exploring the highlights of this tour, my personal favorite are Jaipur and Varanasi. The highlights of this tour helped me get a very personal understanding of the culture and life in India, which I had only heard of before. Had an amazing experience shopping at Jaipur bazaar, we got some exotic stuff. Returned back with vivid memories of the vibrant culture of India. I am also planning for another trip to India very soon, likely to the HIMALAYAS. Thank you for an incredible experience.
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  GeTS Holidays commented on this review

  Dear Aidan, Namaste from India. Thank you choosing us for planning your trip to India and for taking the time to review your experience. Creating memories for all our guests with unique experiences is what we strive for and getting to know that we... Show more
  Trip date: January 2017