Whirlwind tour

Overall I enjoyed this tour. It was slightly different for me that most other people because I have previously lived in India for 2 years and know the country very well. I took this tour so my friend could see some sights I have already seen, and to not have to do all of the scheduling and bookings. The best part of the tour was the tour director - Rajeev Kapoor. He was knowledgeable. patient, playful, helpful, and creative. He often stopped the bus to show us aspects of India one would not see on a traditional tour. The few things I think could be improved are: 1) a few of the hotels were rather dirty and smelly - namely the two Clarks Hotels - one in Agra and the other in Jaipur. The other hotels were adequate. I thought there was too much time sitting on the bus and not enough physical activity, like even basic walking. Even though the Rathambore hotel and area was very nice, the jeep rides were long and very few animals were spotted. Felt like we ate a lot but hardly moved, which is not a good combination for most people. Also, tour was titled North and South, but actually very little time was spent in the South. I would have liked the tour to be more balanced between the two- perhaps 2 nights on backwaters which was the highlight (although because of the strike we only had two hours actually with the boat moving or visit another part of the south - Mysore or Goa.

Experience of a lifetime

This tour exceeded my expectations for what I was prepared to see in terms of historic sites and cities and villages. We saw a wide variety of local people, observed daily life, and learned a lot about the history of the country. An extremely knowledgeable tour guide made the trip so much more interesting. The itinerary was what appealed to me as it included time in the Southern part of the country which other tours didn't include. Great job by the tour planners!!!!

Grand tour of India

Way too busy

Experience India

I learned that one just doesn't travel to India, one experiences India. Our Go Ahead Tour to India was an incredible lifetime experience.. The tour director was the best. The tour, planned and unplanned, was well organized.

Expect the Unexpected

Our guide in India told us to "expect the unexpected." As we traveled through India, we found this to be excellent advice. The Taj Mahal was the highlight of our trip. It is truly beautiful and deserves to be called one of the Wonders of the World! The Red Fort, the Amber Fort, and the Fetehpur Sikri were also highlights. The elephant ride was fun, and the Kerala Canal Cruise was a relaxing and welcome way to end the trip. However, I was not prepared for poverty on the scale we observed in India. Staying healthy was a continual concern, and hand sanitizer was an absolute necessity. The trip was rated a "4', not because of a large amount of walking, but probably because of the long days and many hours spent in airports and on the bus. The safari in Ranthambore National Park involved a very bumpy ride over difficult roads; it was challenging for anyone with back problems, and one person on our tour was injured from the ride. Although most of our hotels were quite nice, there was a considerable amount of variance in quality from one hotel to another. I learned a lot about India on this trip, and that, afterall, is my reason for traveling. Just remember to expect the unexpected!

India- north to South -- Extraordinary

I had few expectations other than seeing a different culture. It was so much more. On a fast paced trip we did everything possible, forts and palaces, tiger sighting in Ranthambore and elephant ride at the Amber Fort, a cultural show in Cochin and overnight on a most relaxing houseboat. The Taj Mahal was beautiful as expected but the site of Fatehpur Sikri was unexpected and wonderful. An outdoor art exhibit in Mumbai and the slum tour we arranged was a plus. Probably needs another trip as one is not enough.

Sensual Immersion

India is such a saturation of the senses. Get ready for an onslaught stimuli- visual splendor and starkness, beauty and bleakness, opulence and utter simplicity. The scents and tastes are rich and pungent, fresh and brightly spicy. The people will not easily be forgotten, as they are open and warm, and eager to stop, talk, share and assist. The pace of this adventure is challenging, not in movement, but in lack thereof. We found that traveling by bus, over such a large distance, can be as hard on the body as active walking. Anyone signing up for this trip would have to have an open mind and a sense of adventure, so if you know that's you, you'll get along famously with all the other adventurers, as we did. The sights from the bus were ever-compelling. Not a moment was "downtime" or uninteresting. We were surprised at the coolness in the North in January, and should have packed warmer clothes, especially for the tiger sighting in Rathambore. Mosquitos were not a problem, even on the Kerala river cruise. Our guide was superb. He made sure we got to all the sites at the most opportune time- we were up at the crack of dawn to take advantage of the best morning light at the Taj Mahal, with minimal crowds. This is a wonderful journey, to an ancient culture and place that feels both steeped in history and on the cusp of a great cultural and economic surge. I loved the sense there that everything is exactly as it should be, that the dharma is always unfolding, and we must simply open our eyes and take the next right step forward.

Taste of India

The Indian tour guide was outstanding. We filled every day with new sites and adventures. Maybe it was a little too structured with no time to be on our own, although we could have opted out of an activity. We had logistical problems with Go Ahead. I don't think they did a good job. I think it's better to stay in the north, rather than flying for a few days to the south, although a northern trip should include Mumbai, which is not to be missed. We could also have done without Ranthambore, as it requires a long time to access it, and the chances of seeing tigers is remote. I commend the Indian tour guide for being flexible, guiding us well, and being very patient with so many people to please.

Outstanding Tour of India....from North to South

Hotel accommodations were top notch. Food was excellent. Everyone stayed well. Tours of historic sites were wonderful. Long active ....very full days. For me, this is a plus. We saw so and did so much. While in the Tiger Reserve, we were split into two vehicles. One group was thrilled to see a tiger in the wild. The rest of us settled for monkeys, deer, birds, and crocodile. My first time riding on the back of an elephant. Colorful setting with Amber Fort in the background. When we went South to Cochin, we spent a day and night on a house boat in the backwaters. No bugs. Pure relaxation. There were two to three bedrooms on each boat.....space for four to six participants. Beautiful scenery along the backwaters. What I like best about India is the beauty of the people. On the highways there were tuk tuks, trucks, buses, cars....and camel drawn carts. Imagine going up to a toll booth ben=hind a camel! The extension in Mumbai....needs some tweaking. There is no one from GoAhead present to give assistance for the two and a half days. This worked out okay for me as I had made plans for the free day.before I went to India. I and my friends enjoyed a Slum and Market Tour. The guided tour provided by an affiliate of GoAhead on our first day was excellent. I liked it so much, that I will return to Mumbai , next year. In Mumbai, we stayed at the most upscale hotel that anyone had ever experienced. GoAhead provides excellent accommodations!!

Tour was great despite GoAhead service

Tour was very good- but I was disappointed in Go Ahead's poor office support. Many conflicting messages, erroneous info; required lots of investigation by me and others in the group to identify problems and assure they were corrected.