What Our Guests Say About Us

Our Family Trip to India Dec 19 – Dec 28, 2019 –

We were planning a trip to India since we had to attend a wedding there in our family. While I was looking online, I came across Saffron Dreams’ website. I started to search their website and was very interested in what they had to offer in terms of personal tours as we did not want to do a tour that was set and did not allow for any modifications.

I proceeded to contact them and got a hold of Rachit, founder of Saffron Dreams. From the get go, I was thoroughly impressed with how knowledgeable and detail oriented Rachit was. He went through all of the different places and parts of India we could visit in the amount of time that we had which, was not a lot. So, we finally decided on visiting New Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Chaunod Garh and Udaipur.

Once that was set, Rachit went ahead and planned out our Itinerary, he told us that it would be fast paced but we would be able to cover and see everything that we needed to. He also mentioned that we could change it a bit once we got there with the tour guide but that never crossed our minds once we were there. A few days before our trip was to begin, we received our tour package which was very detailed and we went through everything with him.

We arrived in Delhi and had a little mix up on where we were to meet our tour director Abidji, but that was resolved rather quickly after we contacted him. I cannot say enough good things about our tour director Abid and our chauffer Vikashji. They both were very knowledgeable, professional, courteous, went out of their ways to make our trip stress less and very enjoyable. We could not have asked for any better combination of people than them, well done Rachit. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at each of the hotels that Rachit had booked for us as well as all the restaurants that we ate at.

Our highlight of the tour was Chaunod Garh, a small village in the state of Rajasthan. Chanoud Garh is a 300 years old palace that has been updated with modern amenities and it is a family ran hotel. Every detail has been carefully laid out and planned, we were impressed with everyone at the hotel. It is a unique experience to enjoy and see the daily life of a villager in Rajasthan, India.
From the food, hospitality and the personal touch of the family was something to see, we highly recommend it. It is a must see in your tour of Rajasthan.

Once again, thank you Rachit and your entire team for a memorable experience. We will be sure to recommend your company to our friends and family.

Hi Rachit

I want to thank you so much for planning my trip to India! I would recommend Saffron Dreams to anyone! I travel internationally a few times a years and this was the first time ever using a travel agent to plan my trip; I would usually book all my own hotels and itinerary. This trip I was traveling to India for work and wanted to extend my trip but I would be by myself. Being a single female traveling in India made me nervous and I wanted to book something that I felt safe and didn’t have to worry about anything! I found Saffron Dreams after searching the internet and once I talked to Rachit over the phone I knew it was the right choice! He was great at figuring out an itinerary that had everything I wanted to do in the few short days I was there. He was also very good about any changes that came up and rearranging my schedule.

Once I was in India I met up with my amazing driver Keshav, who was waiting at the airport to pick me up, and the fabulous tour guide Geeta. Keshav was great at navigating India’s crazy traffic and I always felt safe when we were in the car and trusted him. He was always on time in the morning to start the day and there to pick us up after each visit to the different museums and forts. Geeta was such a wonderful guide, she was very knowledgeable about every site and history of the places we visited. We had a lot of great conversations during the 4 days we spent together and left feeling like I was on vacation with a friend. I learned so much about India, the culture, history, and everyday life of the people. She was very good about adjusting to the pace I was on and changing the itinerary to different things I wanted to do. I only had time to visit Jaipur, Agra, and Delhi and I cannot wait to go back- there is so much to see and do there! I loved the time I spent in India and she made me fall in love with the country. Thank you for everyone involved in planning and executing my trip!

Dear Rachit,

It is a month since we returned from our Indian dream vacation and I am still dreaming about it. As this is the first time in many years that we used a travel company, I wanted to let you know how much we appreciated every detail. From the moment we contacted you, your enthusiasm and passion had us anticipating our journey. From that point, you tirelessly worked to make our ideal itinerary work and you encouraged me not to forego the “Oberoi experience” in order to do so. We are so happy that we took your advice. We are very widely traveled and we have never experienced anything like the service of the Oberoi hotel chain. As soon as we requested anything, it was there. Similarly, when we asked you to try to get us an upgrade at the Agra property, that too was accommodated with great results!

As for the sights and trip itself, India is a feast for the senses! It’s hard to say what sights were the biggest highlights, but, for sure, having Ali as a guide was the reason that it was all magical. We learned so much! Varanasi was incredible from beginning to end. Seeing the Taj Majal both up close in the mist and during our High Tea from our balcony was a life changing experience. The tiger reserve was beyond belief from the incredible Oberoi tent to the safari where we experienced real nature at its fullest (and most real) as two tigers ate their kill. I am happy that we took the extra flights to see Udaipur as it has a unique feel that was so different from the other cities. Finally, our last night in Gurguan, wow, crazy hotel in a whole different India!

As I write this, I think not of my memories, but of planning my next trip. While we were anticipating our trip, my husband frequently said to me “if even half of what Rachit promises is true, we will have a great trip.” How right he was! It was all true and the trip was fabulous! Although I am an amateur travel agent, I know that the details and care of this trip were way beyond me. I learned so much about the culture and people of India. Your guidance, planning, and care throughout the trip were invaluable. This was a bucket list splurge for us and was worth every penny!
Thank you!

Best,
Ashley and Judah Charnoff

Rachit:
After a long flight we are now safely back home in Maine where I send you my reflections on our fabulous trip to India.

First, you quickly grasped the type of trip we wanted and devised a plan perfectly mixing historic and cultural sites with side visits to cities and rural areas where we could meet and better understand Indian people. This was enhanced by your selection of Luke and Jay as our knowledgeable and friendly guides. The drivers, especially DP, a paragon of calm, skillfully and safely got us to our destinations amid all sorts of traffic obstacles.

Luke was a perfect match for us knowing that we wanted to see the important monuments such as the Taj Mahal, the garden where Ghandi was assassinated, the Red and Amber Forts etc. But he also took us to the langer at The Sikh temple where 10,000 were fed daily, the Saalam Baalak where we met orphans of Delhi, active temple worship sites and walking tours through the slums. We never feared for our safety. He even told the driver to stop in a rural area where we talked to two couples making bricks from clay.

Jay expertly guided us through the fascinating and overwhelming sites of Varanasi. From the boat ride down the Ganges we witnessed the incredible sight of relatives cremating the bodies of loved ones on the river banks while nearby others were bathing and laundering their clothes. Both guides made sure we safely set out to our next destination.

From Varanasi we met up with our daughter and her family at The Satpura Wildlife Park for 4days followed by a couple of days in Mumbai.

Heather and I cannot thank you enough for the detailed and expert planning for a trip of a lifetime, the memories of which we will cherish forever.

-Bill

There are not enough words to express our thanks to Rachit and Saffron Dreams for our perfectly executed three week adventure to India. From our multiple conversations, a year in advance, to our actual trip, Rachit was always available, listened to our ideas and perfectly orchestrated the entire trip.

We were assured Saffron Dreams had an excellent support system on the ground in India and this proved to be true in absolutely every place we visited. Our guide, Ali, was more than capable, extremely knowledgeable, very intuitive and listened to our every need along the way. There was nothing that surprised him and he always addressed our requests with patience and professionalism.

We also had the excellent driving abilities of our Driver (Kul) who picked us up, dropped us off, and successfully navigated the cows, goats, camels, elephants, dogs, pigs and chickens, in addition to rickshaws, motor bikes, and buses on the very crowded narrow streets. Kumar, (Kul’s assistant), helped us on and off the bus, scouted the parking situations, supplied drinks, and had hand sanitizer and wipes for us when we returned to the bus.

Rachit was in daily communication with Ali and made several phone calls to each of us during the trip to see how things were going. We have traveled extensively and have never received such sincere care and support during a trip.

In addition to seeing the usual sights in Delhi, Varanasi (our guide Geeta had interesting local insights), Agra (the Taj Mahal is as beautiful as the pictures), Jaipur (unbelievable rug and fabric shopping), Jodhpur (it’s definitely Blue), Udaipur (the Jain temple along the way was fascinating) and Ranthambore National Park (yes, we were lucky enough to see a tiger), we went off the beaten track and ventured to Manvar desert camp, Narlai and Kaziranga National Park.

In Manwar, we were greeted by an experienced guide who escorted us to our much appreciated air conditioned luxury tents. Our late afternoon escorted camel ride through the dunes to see the sunset was beautiful. The evening entertainment by local villagers was the best of the trip, as we sat on cushions and were served delicious snacks and drinks. We ended the evening with a delicious private dinner served by the staff at the pool.

The village of Narlai provided a day of relaxation at the pool and spa, in a lovely renovated castle hosted by a resident royal. The village walk was interesting as we visited three different Hindu temples and met some of the locals. Plus, we were lucky enough to spot a leopard in the hills outside the village on our jeep safari. However, the best part of our stay was the evening ox cart ride to the Stepwell dinner, which was lit with over 800 lamps. It was truly magical and an absolute must for anyone lucky enough to stay in Narlai.

We ended our three weeks at Kaziranga National Park in Assam. Although it was a trek to get there, it was well worth our efforts. Diphlu River Camp is well situated along the river and had a lovely place to gather for drinks before dinner. We saw many one horned rhinos, swamp deer, hog deer, Asian elephants, water buffalo and birds during our jeep safaris throughout the park. But the highlight of our stay was definitely the early morning elephant safari ride in search of the one horned rhinos. The experience of riding on an elephant, through the wetlands at sunrise, was one of my favorite travel experiences.

In addition to following our itinerary, Rachit and Ali added a couple of extra excursions during the trip. One was to a local rural school where the children sang Happy Birthday (my husband was celebrating his birthday) and they also recited their names and counted to 100, all in English. Ali also arranged for us to share in a Diwali celebration with a local family in Jaipur, after we expressed interest in the holiday traditions. Both of these unexpected experiences richly added to our adventure.

If you are ever dreaming of a trip India, I would highly recommend it begins with Saffron Dreams!

We have traveled to many places during the past 40 years. We generally take trips that exceed 30 days, sometimes 60 days or more. We have always traveled at a slow pace staying in places for days or weeks at a time for the purpose of learning about and understanding the local people and their culture. We have had prolonged visits in London, Rome, Bangkok, Bali, Mexico, Israel, Egypt, NYC, and other locations. Prior to the most recent trip to India we had never used an agent to help us plan or move around once we arrived at our destination.

Because Adrienne now has mobility issues that require us to have assistance, and because travel in India is in some respects more difficult than in some other places, and because we moved around Rajasthan frequently we came to the conclusion that professional travel assistance would facilitate our trip, making it easier and more enjoyable.

To begin with, we read a couple of books on travel in India such as Lonely Planet and Fodor’s. We also read the travel sections of the NYTIMES, LATIMES, and Washington Post. We then looked at dozens of travel firms on the internet. Very few travel agencies and consultants provide their service to those in wheelchairs. The few firms that work with wheelchair clients seemed to put together a tour for wheelchair bound travelers, not always, but we were not interested in the services that were offered. These firms also were among the most expensive travel operators of the 50 or so that we read about.

It was strictly by accident that I came across Saffron Dreams on the internet. We viewed their website three or four times before coming to the conclusion that this may be the best solution for us.
We sent an email to them using the “Contact” button on their website.
Rachit responded to us about two minutes later. This exchange of email led to a discussion over a period of about ten days and 70-80 email exchanges plus a couple of lengthy telephone conversations. Everything that was stated on the website in terms of planning a successful and enjoyable Indian trip was done by Rachit to the fullest extent possible. His diligence and efforts are indeed impressive and to be respected.

Other than the international airfare, which we arranged for ourselves, Saffron Dreams made all of the other arrangements for us including hotel accommodations, tour director, drivers, schlepers, itinerary, domestic air transportation, some meals, and certain activities.

Clearly the most important of the above arrangements made was that of Tour Director. Our Tour Director was Mr. “Luke” Singh. Luke is a very fine individual, who is exceedingly knowledgeable about all things Delhi and Rajasthan. He has grown up in Rajasthan (India) and continues to live there with his family. He knows literally everyone who we came in contact with, and perhaps more impressive is that everyone knew him. We are informed that he is from a royal family in Rajasthan’s history. Indeed, he is a regal person. We enjoyed his company immensely and we know that he enjoyed taking us around. As much as we enjoyed India, Luke was the highlight of the trip; he was the major attraction.

With respect to the trip, we began in Delhi where our San Francisco/Munich/Delhi itinerary began. We spent 4 days in Delhi which was at least 2 days too many, but it was our decision for the purpose of getting past the 23:50 hours of flying time and jet lag, which we needed. Compared to Rajasthan Delhi doesn’t have a lot to offer.

From Delhi we went to Varanasi, Agra, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Narlai, Udaipur, and back to Delhi for our flight back to California. In each of these locations Rachit was careful in his planning to select hotels, itineraries, and sights in such a way as to easily accommodate Adrienne in a wheelchair. Those assigned to push Adrienne around literally knew every crack and bump in the street in order to avoid them. Impressive!
Incidentally, Saffron Dreams provided the wheelchair so that we didn’t have to bring one ourselves. Thoughtful and good planning.

Rachit recommended that we stay in Oberoi Hotels, which we did in most locations. Where that was not possible we stayed in Taj Hotels. When we travel we try to stay in the best hotels where ever we are, and these properties met our requirements very well.

In Varanasi we stayed at the Taj Gateway Hotel. While not actually considered to be a top property by some, it is clearly a top notch hotel. The rooms are spacious, very well appointed, and the bathrooms are very large and well laid out. The best bathrooms we had. The food is excellent. The public rooms are beautiful. The hotel is an oasis in a sea of confusion. Varanasi is where the devout Hindus come to bathe in the Ganges River and conduct certain religious activities. It is a city not to be missed.

In Agra staying at the Oberoi we had a suite that faced directly at the Taj Mahal. It doesn’t get any more impressive than this view does. The hotel is exceedingly beautiful. The city it interesting, but the Taj Mahal is what one wants to spend almost every moment in Agra looking at. It is stunning and impressive.

In Jaipur staying at the Oberoi we had a suite that was a large elaborate tent. It may have been the most interesting hotel room we have ever stayed in. As was the case in Agra Adrienne wanted to visit fabric manufactures and shops. In every location Luke knew the best places in terms of most interesting, best quality, and best prices. She purchased a lot of silk, and silk and wool fabric in each city we were in.

In Jodhpur, we stayed at the Taj Umaid Bhawan Palace Hotel, which many travel authorities cite as the best hotel in the world. It is impressive as hell! It was and still is the home to the Maharaja of Jodhpur. I suggest that one view the video on Youtube of this property; there are a number of different ones available. There is also a program on Jodhpur on cable station AWE that covers this property very well. We also toured the fort on the other side of the city, and went to more fabric stores.

Going to Ranthambore National Park didn’t fit well into our itinerary so Rachit included a brief stopover in Narlia, which is an area where wild leopards are known to hang out. We stayed in a very cute small hotel, with very good food, especially dinners. However, our efforts to find leopards were unsuccessful despite the fact that our guides worked very diligently to find them. Leopards simply don’t care about people unless they are hungry. No fabric stores in Narlia. No leopards either.

Our next to the last stop was in the city of Udaipur. This city is very lovely city. The Oberoi here is so beautiful and exotic that it is almost beyond description. View the video. Also view the video of the Oberoi Agra. This city is known for its numerous lakes. It is also well known for the Hollywood movies shot there, including 007 Octopussy, and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.
We went to Octopussy’s palace in the middle of Lake Pichola, but she wasn’t home that day; very disappointing. We did go to more fabric shops though. DAH!
After a few days in Udaipur went back to Delhi. Actually spent a day resting all day in the Oberoi. Had another day and 3/4 until our 0115 hrs. Flight to Zurich and then to SFO. We had plenty of time to go to more fabric stores and to our embassy to kikbbitz with some friends.

Leave more than plenty of time to get thru the bureaucracy of Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport. They have even more stuff to go thru than in a US Airport. Budget 4 hours prior to departure. We got there six hours prior to departure and we needed 2.5 hours to get thru all the stuff just to get into the first class lounge. It was a big hassle. I almost had to raise my voice a couple of times.

This trip was conducted as planned. Everything promised was delivered. There were no problems whatsoever. A trip such as this one could well be the trip of a lifetime. In case anyone asks what is the deal with fabric stores, the answer is that the selection of silks and silk blends exceeds that of anywhere else on earth, and the prices are about 10-15% of the prices found at BRITEX in San Francisco or Mood Fabrics in NYC.

This program was the success that it was due to the careful planning by Saffron Dreams
And excellent execution by Mr. Singh.

Thank you for a great time.

MARK & ADRIENNE

Rachit exceeded our expectations with his creation of a custom itinerary for our trip to Agra and Delhi which included all of the places we wanted to visit, and also included some wonderful extras. During the entire planning process he was responsive to our questions and provided valuable suggestions for maximizing our time in India.

Our guide Singh was excellent and our driver Pal’s skills at the wheel were perfect for navigating the crowded, traffic packed streets in both cities.

Seeing the Taj Mahal was a bucket list experience for us, but the visit to “off the beaten path” places like the Elephant Sanctuary were memorable highlights of what was an exceptional experience. If you are looking for a well thought out experience of India which includes all of the details then I would highly recommend Rachit and Saffron Dreams.

An additional highlight for us was having the pleasure of meeting Rachit and his lovely wife Urmi, while we were traveling in Bhutan before we went to India.

Thanks again,
Susan and Mark

Rachit did an amazing job right from our first call in trying to accommodate all my personal requests.

He first listened very carefully with patience to all my unique preferences. Listened very carefully to all my thoughts about how I wish things to roll and came up with a creative itinerary that was right on in terms of my personality, dates, flights, level of hotels and choosing the right guide for me – Geeta.

My private guide, was a very likable, pleasant and educated lady. She filled me in on all the insights you just cannot get by reading books or travel guides. We had long interesting discussions on the many aspects of History, religion and culture of the areas we traveled to.

Everything came together wonderfully in India thanks to Saffron Dreams The service Rachit offers is like no other I have experienced!

Hi Rachit,

It was such a happy accident that I found you when searching the internet for tours of India to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary with a visit to the Taj Mahal.

My husband and I were completely blown away by our tour of the Golden Triangle. From beginning to end, it exceeded our expectations.

I have traveled extensively on all different types of tours and yours was the best ever.

Our guide and driver, took excellent care of us and we felt like we were traveling with friends. They were always on time and the guide’s knowledge and assistance at all the sites was excellent. I highly recommend both of them. We cannot think of anything that was not above par. Thank you so much for fulfilling a lifelong dream so completely.

We recently got back from a fantastic adventure to India. Saffron Dreams helped us set up a customized itinerary that exceeded our expectations. Everything was excellent from the moment we arrived at Delhi Airport, to when we were dropped off at the end. Our guide and driver were superb…

Exceptional! The trip of a lifetime!

We went to India invited to a wedding. We decided to take the opportunity to visit India. Now, in general when I plan trips, I do all my bookings for lodging and sightseeing on my own. I usually don’t like the “you leave at this time, you have 5 minutes here, back on the bus, another 10 min there, etc.” tour schedules. But India is such a different place that we thought it was probably best to do a tour. After some searching, I came across Saffron Dreams and decided to include them in the short list of companies to inquire about sightseeing in India. And I was blown away by their customer service from the first interaction with Rachit. He reached out over the phone to understand what we were looking for and what we wanted to do. While they have already packaged tours, the whole point of what they do is customize all of it to your taste and wishes. From that first interaction, their customer service blew everyone else’s out of the water. Based on his suggestions, we ended up visiting Dehli, Agra, Chhatra Sagar (we HIGHLY recommend you consider staying here), Jaipur, Jodhpur and Varanasi.

Chhatra Sagar and Varanasi were recommendations from Rachit. And we are so glad he did!! Chhatra Sagar is an oasis of luxury in the middle of the countryside. No honking, no crowds. Simply exceptional service in very unconventional accommodations with breathtaking views. Varanasi is the oldest city in India and the holiest for Hindus. It is a must see, there is such energy in this place. Viewing the the city from the river at sunrise is a must do, unique experience.

Because you get your own tour director and chauffer, the experience is completely tailored. Yes, there are times to meet, but they are not set in stone. Do you want to stay 5 more minutes? No problem. Do you want to take a picture of that camel? They will turn around and stop to make sure you can take the picture. Or better yet, they will tell you that there is a better place to take that picture and take you there. Both of them were so knowledgeable, caring and a complete delight. They were always on time. The chauffer had the car so clean you could eat off the floor. Spotless!

While India is a magical place in and of itself, our experience there was exceptional and I attribute that to Saffron Dreams and their attention to detail and exceptional customer service. Everyone was checking on us on a regular basis to make sure everything was going according to plan, from Rachit in the US, to Mr Gupta, Manager in India, who constantly told us who was picking us up, their phone number and checking that they actually did. And that we had reached our destination as planned. And tour director and chauffeur who were always looking to whether we were satisfied, we wanted to do something else, they were so attentive to making sure we were enjoying ourselves. And they took the time to not only share the historical information about India and the places we visited, but made sure to share with us facts about culture, religion, beliefs and way of life to help us have a better understanding of India and their people.

We are missing India already and look forward to going back, and no doubt it will be with Saffron Dreams. I can’t say enough about all they did for us to make our India trip the trip of a lifetime. THANK YOU!!

My husband and I took our empty nest dream vacation to India. The planning started with Rachit and his fabulous website honing in on what we wanted to see in our short 8 days in India. The tour guides and drivers were amazing. Sometimes they backed off and let us wander parts of sites on our own, after a pre-introduction, and sometimes they walked with us. The guides were kind and knowledgeable and always willing to adjust our itinerary based on what we were in the mood for. We did the middle hotel package and the loved all hotels except the Radisson in Varanasi which was adequate but a disappointment after the other hotels, like the Maidens in New Delhi. We are already planning a return trip and will definitely use Saffron Dreams again. On a final note, our return flight to the States was cancelled due to weather, and Rachit immediately arranged for another night in our hotel and for our favorite guide and driver to travel back to New Delhi, even though they were hours away, for another fantastic day in India.

Rachit,

We are now back in Toronto after a wonderful three week trip to India. I want to thank you and your team for organizing such a great trip and allowing us to completely focus on the sights and sounds of India and not on any of the logistics of getting around. This was the first trip back to India in 20 years for my wife and I and the first time ever for our four children.

From the time we landed in Delhi to the our departure from Mumbai, we felt very well taken care of. Our tour director Mr. Abid Ali was outstanding. He has incredible knowledge of the history and culture of India and was able to answer our kids’ never ending list of questions. He even started teaching them to read the Hindi signs.

We enjoyed our days in Delhi, particularly a rickshaw ride through Chandni Chowk and visiting Qutb Minar. Our next stop in Varanasi was fascinating, with the evening aarti ceremony being a notable highlight. And cruising down the Ganges the next day at sunrise was particularly spiritual.

Khajuraho was our next stop and may well have been our favorite. It is a small, uncrowded town which provided a welcome respite from the intensity of Delhi and Varanasi. The main temple complex is fascinating and the local guide you provided was exceptional at explaining its history and significance. The Lalit was also great hotel with beautiful gardens.

My kids will never forget taking the train to Agra. Waiting on the platform at Jhansi provided a very revealing look at another side of India. And what can we say about Agra! The Taj Mahal lived up to its reputation. But I must commend Mr. Ali, for getting us up before sunrise so that we could arrive at the Taj Mahal and be one the first visitors of the day. Entering at this time, before the crowds, is the best way to visit.

Travelling from Agra to Jaipur, Mr Ali took us on a unexpected detour to the Chand Baori step well. This was my son’s favorite place in all of India. In Jaipur, we loved the elephant ride to Amber Fort and the Jantar Mantar astronomical observatory. When my wife made mention of wanting to do some shopping, Mr. Ali arranged to have us visit a bustling market, favored by locals and that was not a tourist trap.

Our trip also included an extension to the eastern state of Orissa, to visit the Jaganath temple in Puri and the Sun Temple of Konark. Not many foreign tourists visit these sites but they were worth making the effort. And our hotel (Mayfair Lagoon) was the best on our entire trip. The rooms are huge and the gardens spread out over several acres and include a temple overlooking the lagoon.

We ended out trip in Mumbai, which is an incredible, cosmopolitan city. Our schedule here was less structured but the driver and private van we had allowed us to explore different parts of the city at our own pace.

Rachit, your team was exceptional. The hotel choices (primarily ITC) were all very comfortable. And the one time we had a minor issue (in Agra), your local team came directly to the hotel and sorted it out with the hotel management in a way that was more than adequate for us. Your arrangements for all of our transportation, be it by private van, train, or airplane were handled perfectly. This was a trip that we will never forget.

Rachit, we’re back in the US and I’m writing to report on our eye-opening tour of the Golden Triangle.

First off, let me say that both of our guides — Abid I and Abid II — were terrifically well-informed, extremely sweet and very protective of Margot and me. We felt totally comfortable in their care, just as we did with our remarkably skillful drivers.

Delhi is the perfect introduction to India, if for no other reason than its traffic. The Imperial is also an ideal place to appreciate the British influence on Delhi’s development, and Daniell’s provided us with one of our best meals. Seeing all the British architecture in New Delhi was interesting, but the most fun for me was our rickshaw ride through Chandni Chowk. I’ve walked lots of old city markets in other countries, but navigating Delhi’s with my wife on a three-wheeler was totally exhilarating.

We loved shopping at the textile emporium in Jodhpur and were pleasantly stunned by our trumpet reception at Umaid Bhawan Palace, a lovely place to lunch and experience maharajan luxury.

For me, the highlight of our trip was Chhatra Sagar whose setting and accommodations were beyond delightful and whose farm, village and nature tours gave us a real insight into north Indian rural life.

Though its pink facades and endless shops were impressive, and the elephant ride to Amber Fort a kick, what I’ll remember most about Jaipur is the Samode Haveli and Jantar Mantar astronomical observatory. Samode provided us with the most interesting room and best dinners on our trip.

I found the stepwell at Chand Baori to be the most unexpected and astounding structure we saw on the entire trip. It outstripped even the Taj Mahal which, though a must-see in India, required a three-hour wait and then pretty much looked like its photos. Our viewing may have been compromised by a gray day in Agra. Unfortunately, Agra was also the one lodging mistake I made in selecting the ITC Mughal (which is still a Sheraton). Abid told me afterward that there’s really no heritage or charming hotel anywhere in the city.

Unsurprisingly, our accelerated tour of Varanasi (night and day) was fascinating as were the lucid explanations of Hindu and Buddhist thought and rituals imparted to us by Abid II. Our room at the Brijrama overlooking the Ganges was perfect as was our vegetarian meal in its dining room. I also particularly enjoyed our tour of the campus of Banaras Hindu University, the Mother India Temple and the stupa to Buddha at Sarnath.

I am copying Margot who may wish to add her thoughts on our trip in a separate email, but we both want you to know that, thanks to Abid, we learned how to wiggle our heads and do so now in thanks to you for designing and arranging for us such a memorable trip to India.

Cheers,
Stephen

 

Dear Rachit,

Stephen captured all the high points pretty thoroughly in his letter, but I do want to add my thoughts as well.

I wasn’t aware that Stephen felt this way until I read his letter to you, but I put the step well right at the top of the list of wonderful sights seen, although I loved the Taj Mahal. For all the photos one has seen, none of them really do it justice and I found it quite moving. I too loved everything about Chatra Sagar; those tents are truly divine and the proprietors so warm and interesting. The most wonderful hotel in the end though was the Samode Haveli, the food was heavenly and I loved the mismatched rickety furniture in our many columned room as well as the confusing and serpentine route to it!

Even though we were pretty much shopped out by the time we got to Varanasi, the silk weaving demonstration was fascinating. I used to work in the textile field, and although I’d seen the cards and looms, I’d never seen brocade actually being woven and it all came together for me. And naturally, we bought a beautiful wall hanging there.

Thank you for arranging such a terrific introduction to your spectacular homeland. I will never see the world the same way again.

Sincerely,
Margot

PHENOMENAL! This trip from beginning to end was just extremely incredible!

The details from when we arrived to our departure, was extremely well put together and simply perfect. Our tour guide, was beyond nice, friendly and well-knowledgeable in every site that we had scheduled to visit. Our driver was also so patient and punctual for all of our tours scheduled throughout the day. At first, we were taken back by so much of the culture, the amount of people, the livelihood of India altogether and it was nothing as I had imagined in mind. It exceeded my expectations to the 1000% power. All the sites were so beautiful and it was definitely a spiritual getaway that I would recommend everyone to go and visit! My mom and I were hesitant and a bit worried about the food we were going to try as we had never tried any Indian food back at home, and I must say, I completely LOVED it, specially the Chole Bature (so delicious!) The guide also mentioned that because we stand out, we may get approached by locals to take pictures, which happened and it was so funny and awesome. Altogether, we felt extremely safe throughout the entire trip as it can be a shock to someone who may travel alone and is worried of safety in general.

I must say that Jaipur was by far my favorite city! The Big Pink City was beautiful and so alive! Not that the rest weren’t, but that was definitely my favorite one. I have to also add, the Taj Mahal, one word: BREATHTAKING! I have never had such an amazing Monday as I did that morning seeing the beautiful wonder of the world. I understand now why it’s beauty has been visited by so many all over the world!

Overall, India has been one of the most unique, incredible and spiritual experience I have ever been on. It felt strange coming back to The States and I started getting a bit comfortable with their way of living. I would extremely recommend everyone to visit India. I do plan on making a return back in the near future and hopefully sooner than later. The energy I brought back from India is indescribable!

Thank you so much Rachit! We really and truly appreciate everything you did for us and ensuring our Trip was a once in a lifetime experience!

Namaste

WOW, what a 19 Night Tour of India… We are Retired US Military Officers, living in Miami, and the precision, attention to detail, professionalism, flexibility, caring, and accuracy of the entire vacation and staff were beyond reproach. They exceeded our expectations. Our Accompanying Tour Director was very professional, courteous, knowledgeable, and a history buff. We did 10 cities, and Rachit tailored the trip to our specific demands, from air travel, to hotel choices, and private transportation. It was refreshing to actually have a tour catered to us.

Book your trip without any worries…and I will be willing to speak to any prospective guest about our trip. We will not do our other South India Trip without them.

The trip was perfect for us. It was flawless and this was in part thanks to the tour guide you had chosen. He was knowledgeable, patient, and accommodating. I think I would had prefer a couple of days more to explore but I enjoyed every minute of our trip.

Definitely, the way to visit India is through a private tour.

Your attention to details made my trip more enjoyable and really appreciated that you were always checking on us.

Thanks again
Evisabel

My wife and I are back from our trip to India that you helped facilitate and co-ordinate. We had a wonderful experience and your staff in India were superb at their job. Please communicate our sincerest thanks for the great care and attention to detail. The Oberoi accommodations were fantastic and the service extra-ordinary. The company through which you arranged the car in Mumbai were also terrific and they also made sure that we were appropriately escorted to the Lufthansa check-in for our departure.

All in all as promised, a truly wonderful experience. Thanks.

Hi Rachit,

We really enjoyed the trip to India.

The Jaipur-Agra portion of the trip was really nice. Jaipur was very beautiful. Mr. Ali was extremely knowledgeable on history. We did not expect to learn so much fascinating history, & were really happy to find out so information to go along with seeing the sights. My husband especially enjoyed hearing the history.

Our favorite day was the day we spent in Jaipur. All in one day, we saw the City Palace, went to a rug/textile shop where we got to see the process by which they make they make rugs (and we purchased a rug), got mehndi done on my and my daughters’ hands, & rode camels!

We had an issue with the Trident in Jaipur in which mosquitoes kept coming into our room through one of the vents for the first day and a half. The management did apologize and have us a free dinner to compensate for this.

The Trident in Agra was superb.

The tour itinerary was very busy. We did have to ask to omit a couple of things and not start as early some days due to the kids being very tired.

You can share my opinion with other clients.

I would not hesitate to refer a friend or family member to Saffron Dreams for an Indian vacation

We had a phenomenal trip to India, thanks to Saffron Dreams. We went with 2 other couples, for one of them it was the first time visiting India. We had the most comfortable, well planned and organized trip. Drivers and guides were always on time and waited on us. They were excellent, courteous, very helpful and could not have asked for more. Every minute detail was taken care of by Saffron Dreams team. We got the best service at every hotel we went to and every restaurant we ate at. Rachit from Saffron Dreams called several times to check if all was well. We covered a lot in 2 weeks. I don’t think anyone can surpass the service we received. We will be highly recommending Saffron Dreams India tours to all our friends. Travel was so much easier with many comforts and meticulous planning.

Our trip was wonderful. Your tour guides and drivers took great care of us. I am sending your info to several friends who will be traveling to India in the next year or two. I highly recommended And will continue to recommend your company. If you would like me to answer specific questions of yours or clients’ please let me know I’d be happy to help.

I will share my feelings with you about my trip to India but I want to preface it with you knowing that my intention was to see and experience India, the positive and the negative, and I think that happened. I am a spiritual junkie and from the moment I stepped into the car in Delhi I knew for certain that I was brought to India by our creator for many reasons. I also want to say that two people can be looking at a glass of water and see different things, what is seen depends on the coloring of the lenses we wear.

The tour guides, YK Khan, Muluk and Subhalakshmi were all very good, but I spent the most time with Yusuf and we developed a rapport and it made the trip very pleasant. The driver with Yusuf was Raj Singh, he is a great driver, a gentlemen, and went above and beyond at all times to make sure my needs were being met.

I traveled to India solo but I experienced and enjoyed the many sites in Delhi, Agra, Mumbai and other cities, escorted by a very knowledgeable tour guide who pointed things out and explained what I would have missed had I been without them. Once I had figured out where I wanted to go all the details were arranged and I just had to show up, it was that easy, and it turned out to be the best trip I have ever taken.

The hotels were all very good. My favorite was the Gateway hotel Ganges in Varanasi. The general manager of the Maidens hotel, Puneet Narula, wrote me an email to thank me after I filled out an online survey, their concern for customer service is obvious. As a westerner I really appreciate a modern bathroom with plenty of towels and hot water and the Fateh Bagh in Ranakpur doesn’t quite meet my standard in that way but how many times will a girl get to sleep in an old palace??? I give them a pass on it.

I was able to see and experience so much which I never could get from reading a book, seeing a movie or hearing someone describe it, I needed to see it for myself.

I hope to return to India again one day to see new places, and if I do I would ask you to set it up for me. Having your help was invaluable to me and I would be happy to refer to you any of my friends wishing to make the journey.

Based on our wishes and needs, Saffron Dreams tailored a great and complete tour of northern India. During the planning stage of our trip, its staff (especially Rachit Thakkar) offered us multiple options with respect to sites, cities, and hotels. During the actual trip, my mother and I enjoyed having our own tour guide and chauffeur to guide us around and teach us about Indian culture and history. We appreciated having the same tour guide and chauffeur during our entire trip as they targeted the trip around what we wanted to see, learn, and buy. They made sure we were comfortable and our expectations were being met at each city. It also created a personal touch as they taught us how Indian history and culture impacts their everyday lives. Overall, we enjoyed our Saffron Dreams experience from start to finish and will use them again on future trips to India.

With respect to the hotels, the Oberoi and Taj chains had impeccable service and their grounds were beautiful. If you want to have your every need predicted and it’s within your price range, these chains will ensure you have a memorable stay during your trip.