Kimkim Trip Reviews for India

Let's start from the beginning :)

I use KimKim for a while and had no doubt that I will use it again for India and Nepal trip.
Then I found Bespoke India Holidays and Jay :)
I can describe in a few words the service - fast , trustworthy, safe, exceeded my expectations as an agent.
The holiday was organised for may parents-in-low. They travel a lot and have high expectations.
Their opinion after the trip is:
- amazing planning
- exceptional guides. Especially in Nepal.
- great hotels
- great service
- secure / safe and worth every second of the trip

Thank you, Jay for you help and support :)

Warm Regards,
Zhenya

Activity Reviews

Free time in New Delhi

New Delhi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Sightseeing Tour of Delhi

New Delhi

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

New Delhi – Kathmandu (Flight departs at 12:25 and arrives at 14:25)

Nepal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kathmandu Sightseeing - Pashupatinath, Boudhanath, Bhaktapur Durbar Square

Kathmandu

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kathmandu Sightseeing - Patan, Swayambhunath, Kathmandu Durbar Square

Kathmandu

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Agra Sightseeing

Agra

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mughal Heritage Kachhpura Village walk with high tea

Agra

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Old Agra City Tour

Agra

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Agra – Jaipur (via Fatehpur Sikri)- (240 km- 5 to 6 hours by car)

India

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jaipur Sightseeing tour

Jaipur

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jaipur to New Delhi - 5 to 6 Hours by car

India

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour of Akshardham and Lotus Temples

India

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had different guides, the best among them was the guide in MADURAI with the visit to the Meenakshi Amman Temple.

Hotel Reviews

Francis Residence

HOME STAY is clean, cozy, with good staff and delicious food.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clouds Valley

Munnar, Kerala

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel PepperVine

Thekkady, Kumily, Kerala

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Abad Whispering Palms

Kottayam, Kumarakom, Kerala

The site, the service, the people, the staff everything was wonderful. And the exemplary cleanliness must be noted

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Houseboat

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

JC Residency

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Madurai Sightseeing

Madurai

The temple and the guide to the temple was fascinating

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The driver was excellent and very pleasant, but the communication with him was partial. The accent did not allow such good communication.

Transport

Six of us wanted to see the highlights of Rajistan and Ravi put together a bespoke tour for us over 8 days. We have just finished our whirlwind tour and what an amazing experience; so
Many wonderful sights and sounds, Brilliant local guides who brought everything to life providing detailed history and description of what we’re seeing. Our driver was really friendly and stayed with us for the whole week looking after us and taking us from place to place. When two our our party were unwell, Ravi helped rearrange accommodation at the last minute for us. Communication was excellent and very timely . Thanks so much Ravi from us all - we certainly had a trip we will all remember for a very long time!

Hotel Review

Dera Rawatsar

Jaipur

I loved this hotel. Tastefully and beautifully decorated in an interestingly historical style with helpful and friendly staff. A little oasis of calm in Jaipur.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Characterful

Staff

Very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Old Delhi Sightseeing

Delhi

Delhi - Food Walk

Delhi

Great opportunity to try lots of different local delicacies!

Full Day Delhi Sightseeing

Delhi

A great way to see Delhi highlights especially if short on time with a wonderful guide who gives you insights into what you are seeing.

Ravi was extremely helpful in sorting out our 8 day trip between Mumbai and Delhi. He arranged for 4 different hotels, excellent guides and all transport. We never felt alone, although we also enjoyed the intrepid nature of moving from place to place. We saw fantastic temples in Khajuraho and Bhopal. The safaris were all good (although the lack of wildlife is a reality). Our drivers did their utmost to find a tiger- and we finally got lucky. Our train trips were fun, and the drivers taking us from location to location were an absolute treat. A professionally run trip from beginning to end. Ravi was contactable throughout. Exactly what we wanted.

From start to finish, Ravi and his team were totally professional and gave an excellent service. Six of us were on the tour that Ravi organised for us and the itinerary was varied and perfectly adapted to meet with our requests. A lovely combination of visiting famous sites with getting to know the cities and visiting local craftsmen. The minibus was comfortable and our driver was kind and considerate, always making sure the bus was spotlessly clean in the morning and that the cool box was full of bottles of water. Our guides in each city were interesting and incredibly knowledgeable; we leant so much from these men and appreciated their humour and friendliness. The hotels were clearly well chosen - clean, boutique style places that were well run with polite and helpful staff. Unfortunately, we suffered some ill health during our visit, but Ravi and his team went out of their way to make sure they were comfortable and made arrangements for them to travel on to meet the rest of the group when they were fit and well.
I will certainly be using KimKim for my next holiday in India!

Hotel Reviews

Devi Bhawan

Jodhpur, Rajasthan

Spacious, clean rooms in beautiful, lush gardens. The pool area was perfect for relaxing and the food was delicious.

Authenticity & Character

The beautifully decorate rooms and the lush, verdant gardens

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Udman Ferns N Petals

New Delhi, Delhi

Helpful staff, clean comfortable rooms. Excellent breakfasts

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dera Rawatsar

Jaipur

Such friendly and helpful staff. A hotel full of character and charm. A varied dinner menu and excellent breakfasts.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It is in the centre of town - perfect for exploring the markets but quite noisy at night

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Chandelao Garh

Jodhpur, Rajasthan

What a treat - this hotel in the middle of nowhere was quiet and clean with beautiful outside sitting areas and a lovely pool. A co-operative is part of the set up where women make beautiful bags from offcuts of cotton which they profit from by selling. As well as sewing, they spend an hour each day leaning to read and write. because of the location, you have to eat in the hotel - the choice was limited but delicious.

Authenticity & Character

Location

off the beaten track

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kotra Haveli

Udaipur, Rajasthan

The rooms were quite small and the bathrooms could have done with a bit of updating. The beds were very comfortable. The rooftop restaurant was a bit soulless and breakfast was disappointing. However, the food we ate in the evening was delicious.

Authenticity & Character

It felt a bit sad - could do with some sprucing up

Location

Great location in the heart of the old town. Can only be reached by rickshaw and the little streets were hazardous with traffic

Staff

The chef was absolutely charming

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Rajasthani Folk Dance Cultural Evening

Udaipur

Such fun. Great atmosphere. It was lovely to see some traditional Indian entertainment

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Old Delhi Sightseeing

Delhi

The Red Fort was stunning to look at and our visits to the temples was made so much more enjoyable because of the amazing knowledge of our guide. We got to learn so much about Indian religion, culture and history.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Delhi Sightseeing

Delhi

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Delhi - Food Walk

Delhi

Lovely to be taste authentic street food that you knew was safe to eat!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

New Delhi Sightseeing

Delhi

Really enjoyed the trip to the house where Gandhi spent his last days. Fascinating insight into the Indian marriage system from our lovely guide

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Heritage Walk through Lodhi Garden

Delhi

A time for some peace and tranquillity

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Delhi - Jaipur

Jaipur

It's a long journey and the jeep safari was a real disappointment

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

A guide who knew what he was talking about on the jeep safari - he hadn't got a clue

Transport

Jaipur Sightseeing Tour Including Nahargarh Fort

Jaipur

The fort was amazing, and again, our guide was superb

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jaipur - Jodhpur (5-6 hrs drive)

Jodhpur

It's a long journey - but it has to be done. You wouldn't really describe it as amazing because it isn't. BUT, it's made as comfortable as possible by being in a very comfortable minibus

Transport

Tour of Mehrangarh Fort and Jaswant Thada

Jodhpur

Another brilliant guide, another fascinating day

Quality of Experience

Food

The street food we tasted was delicious

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Udaipur Sightseeing

Udaipur

Perhaps I was a little bit cultured out by the time we got here; but the palace was interesting to see and I loved the boat trip out to the island. Enjoyed seeing the artisan painters.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was my fourth visit to India but the first for my daughter. It was my pleasure to re-visit sights I had seen before and to experience them with her. KimKim and our local specialist, Ravi, helped build a trip that provided opportunities to see the best of the Golden Triangle and Varanasi. Each place we visited we had an experienced local guide and in each location the guides provided us with rich experiences that made our visit memorable.
in addition to the most famous sights in Jaipur, our guide, Virendra, showed us the vegetable and flower markets and beautiful local temples.
In Fatehpur Sikri and Agra, our guide, Raju, gave us insight into the reign of the Mughal Empire.
In Varanasi, we were able to experience sunrise on the Ganges and enjoyed the festivities on Republic Day. Our guide provided us with the best seats for Aarti on the Ganges.
In Delhi, we enjoyed the major attractions and our guide, Jitendra, took us for a wonderful walk in Old Delhi which was a highlight.
Our driver, Vijay Singh, was with us through our trip. From the moment he picked us up until we left for home, he took very good care of us. He was professional, courteous, prompt and entertaining. He was always ready to answer any question we had along our journey.
KimKim and Ravi managed to take our list of must do's and make them a reality. They provided us with knowledge that helped us hone our ideas into a workable plan. We would highly recommend their services to anyone considering a bespoke travel experience.

Hotel Reviews

Alsisar Haveli

Jaipur

Well maintained, good service, location was good and we enjoyed our breakfasts there very much. Our only regret was that we could not use the pool because the weather was too cold!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Oberoi Amarvilas

Agra

A beautiful hotel with amazing Taj Mahal views. Impeccable service, lovely decor.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Pride Plaza Aerocity

Delhi

Convenient location -- next to entertainment and dining.

Authenticity & Character

It was a basic airport property

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The hotel had a very odd smell--there were signs of deferred maintenance throughout the hotel

Brijrama Palace

Dashashwamedh, Uttar Pradesh

LOCATION! Historic hotel with incredible service. Truly a special place. There were so many perks to staying here, special snacks in room, free high tea daily, free henna tatoos, free yoga, traditional dance performance...

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Taj Palace Delhi

New Delhi

Good location, beautiful modern luxury hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Arrival Delhi and Drive to Jaipur

Jaipur

Great service by entertaining driver, Vijay Singh. The long drive was made enjoyable because he clearly loves his work and his country.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The staff at Active India was helpful, polite and when we encountered a small glitch they were proactive and really quick to work out a solution. Guides were all very good--each one was able to show me something or tell me something new. Since I have visited India three times before that is not an easy task. Our driver, Vijay Singh, was such a joy to be around. He always was making sure we were comfortable, he helped us capture the best photos along the way, he found delicious meals on the road and in the cities we visited. He answered all of our questions about life in India, the customs and the people. The trip was enhanced by the time we spent in his car. We appreciated his command of English.

Transport

The car was immaculate and comfortable.

Jaipur Sightseeing Tour Including Nahargarh Fort

Jaipur

Traveling with a guide and driver helps make sightseeing very efficient. This allows for seeing lots of sights (and there are many in Jaipur!) Also, the guide and driver know how to group activities so no time is wasted.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jaipur Exploration

Jaipur

We were able to see several temples and learned so much. Also, we were able to see the local markets and experience street food. These are activities made much richer when you have a local guide and driver.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jaipur - Agra via Abhaneri and Fatehpur Sikri

Agra

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Taj Mahal at Sunrise and Drive to Delhi

Agra

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Delhi to Varanasi (Indigo Flight - 10:55/12:25 Hrs)

Varanasi

Indigo is a great airline--good service.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The driver and the person who accompanied us to the hotel were very good. It was nice to have an English speaker take us on the boat to the hotel. We could have managed it but this was an added benefit.

Varanasi Sightseeing With Sarnaath

Varanasi

Great experience--walk in the old city, seeing Banaras University and enjoying the Republic Day celebrations. Sarnath was wonderful to see. We also enjoyed the Aarti on the Ganges.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Varanasi - Delhi (Flight - 12:55/ 14:30 Hrs)

Delhi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Delhi Sightseeing

Delhi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Delhi Sightseeing and Departure

New Delhi International Airport (DEL)

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Great trip, unforgettable experiences and perfect organization by Jay and Bespoke Team.

Spent a whole day in Delhi . The highlight were Chandni Chowk, or ‘the Moonlight Square', with the amazing rikshaw ride and visit to Qutub Minar.
Spent two days in Varanasi. Our guide Mr Singh did a fantastic job showing us all temples and finding the best seats for us during the Aarti.
Agra - our guide Brijesh Joshi did a phenomenal job introducing us to Taj Mahal and everything that Agra has to offer. The best thing was visiting a local village, not far from Taj Mahal. What an experience!
Ranthambore National Park - this was something that I had been waiting my whole life. Seeing a tiger in the nature, just couple feets away from you is a once in a lifetime event. This is the MUST see if you are visiting Golden Triangle.
Finally Jaipur - the purple city. Fantastic guide Mr. Ajit Singh. We really enjoyed seeing sites in this city.

I have to say one thing. We had the best driver ever. Mr. Balbir Singh Rana was an absolute dream of a driver and we could not thank him enough for making this trip perfect. He was always smiling, so peaceful, pleasant and calm while navigating the insanity of Indian driving/traffic/animals and all forms of transportation found on the roads. He kept the car clean and guided up to wonderful rest stops while en route to all the sights.

A very pleasant trip, made all the more pleasant by all of the attention given to us by our local, Ravi Tickoo and Active India.

Was met in Dehli, on time, well spoken meet agent and friendly driver Lall.
Our Guide for Delhi was Samar, very pleasant and well spoken gentlemen, we saw all the sites we wanted to see and some hidden gems. Samar was very knowledgeable about the the Indian history and all the monuments. We really enjoyed our time with him. Samar also assisted us with what foods to eat and how to eat them👍🏽.

We then had a new guide for Agra. Ajay was also very accommodating and got us some real bargains at the market, our time was short in Agra so it did feel a bit rushed but no fault of the guide.

Overall we where very pleased with the Claridges hotel in Dehli. We had a poor night at the Crystal Savor as kids were running in the corridor until 1am and had the television on full blast the entire night. We did contact hotel management which did not solve the situation.

Trip organize Ravi and trip liason Ajay were top notch! They made our trip extremely memorable and perfect in every way. Can’t recommend KimKim and Active India enough.

Our trip to India in the Golden Triangle (Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur) was amazing. Leading up to and throughout the trip, our local specialist Ravi Tickoo was attentive and friendly. He answered right away whenever we had a question and helped us plan a trip perfectly catered to our group. Our tour guide, Ajay Gupta, was the best! He was knowledgeable, flexible to our needs and wants throughout the trip, and all around fun to be around. I would recommend kimkim to anyone and can't wait to plan my next trip through them.

Hotel Reviews

The Oberoi Delhi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Taj Hotel & Convention Centre, Agra

Agra

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Royal Heritage Haveli

Khatipura, Jaipur, Rajasthan

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Arrival - Delhi

Delhi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Old Delhi Sightseeing - Agra

Agra

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Agra - Jaipur

Jaipur

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jaipur Sightseeing Tour + Village jeep ride

Jaipur

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jaipur - Delhi - Departure

New Delhi International Airport (DEL)

Three of us left earlier than the rest of our group, and the travel from Jaipur to Delhi for our flight was a little weird. Our driver stopped at one point at a rest stop, but then did not return to the car for half an hour. We had no way to contact him or find him which was off-putting. He eventually came back to the car and the rest of the drive was smooth.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overall FANTASTIC trip!

Jay and the Bespoke Team exceeded our expectations from the moment we landed in India. Simply magical from start to finish and one of the best/if not the best trip we have ever been on!
I am of Indian origin and have traveled several times to Southern India. This was our first trip to the North and my husband/daughter's first trip to India. Jay helped us plan a trip to the Golden Triangle (New Delhi, Agra, Jaipur) + Varanasi and Ranthambore. He was very easy to work with and considered all our requests and concerns. We were met at every location by the company representative who helped us check in, reviewed the itinerary plan and start time. Guides were always early and greeted us each morning.

Driver---BEST DRIVER EVER!! Mr. Balbir Singh Rana was an absolute dream of a driver and we could not thank him enough for making this trip perfect. He was always smiling, so peaceful, pleasant and calm while navigating the insanity of Indian driving/traffic/animals and all forms of transportation found on the roads. He kept the car clean and guided up to wonderful rest stops while en route to all the sights. 

New Delhi--saw the Red Fort, Raj Ghat (Gandhi cremation site), Jama Masjid, Chandi Chowk, Humayun's Tomb and Qutub Minar. Our favorite was the rickshaw cycle ride through the streets of Chandi Chowk. Lunch was excellent at Kwality restaurant.

Varanasi--excellent guide Mr. Singh who took us for a boat ride to see the Ganga Aarti and funeral ghat to experience the cremations. Saw the Aarti from rooftop seating which gave us a great vantage point thanks to Mr. Singh. Really enjoyed the morning boat ride to see life on the Ganges, Lord Shiva temple and walk thru the old streets of Varanasi, Bharat Mata temple, Durga temple, Tulsi Manas temple and especially Sarnath temple/museum and the gorgeous Lion Capital of Ashoka located. 

Agra--excellent guide Mr. Briijesh Joshi. Great trip to the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, "Baby Taj" and fantastic Mughal Heritage Kachhpura Village walk. Lunch was in a beautiful garden with great food per suggestion of Mr. Joshi. Village walk and view of the Taj from a roof top across the river was a highlight!

Ranthambore--beautiful Sawaii Villas was a stunning hotel we loved staying at. Did 2 safari's (am and evening) and saw the male tiger "Rocky" on our evening safari in zone 4. Hotel gave blankets for the morning safari which was so important as it was freezing. Being in the wild and seeing a bengal tiger was a once in a lifetime experience!

Jaipur--fantastic guide Mr. Ajit Singh! BIG thanks to Ajit for taking us to the Hawa Mahal in the morning with less crowds and the sun shining onto the building facade--got great pics! Saw Amer Fort, Panna Meena ka Kund (stepwell), Jaigarh Fort, Jantar Mantar, City Palace and Nahargarh Fort. Highlight was Dera Amer -- spending time with rescued elephants and lovely organic home cooked dinner. 

I've contacted Active India through Kimkim and I must say that I've really enjoyed my experience!

As a start, and to make the communication easy during the trip, I was added to a WhatsApp group with Ravi and the Active India emergency number and I gave consistent feedback and requested to book for optional trips. The response to my queries were really quick.

Active India are really attentive and I felt like they were looking after me during the trip. They've got the details from my emergency contact and of my insurance policy at the very start of the trip.
Also they hotels they booked for me were of really high standard and located close to the main places I wanted to visit.

I've had the chance to meet 5 tour guides during the trip and all of them were experienced and knew very well about the trip location as they were mostly locals and knew where the hidden gems were. My only advice is that if you are not willing to shop anything and you are more into visiting the cities or landmarks, then that you make clear from the very beginning that you don't want to go to any shop and that you would rather invest your time in visiting the city or other places of interest. You could end up stuck in one of these shops for an hour!

Finally, my special mention goes to my driver Umesh. He has been with me during all the trip and took me to all the places I visited (Delhi, Jaipur, Ranthambore and Agra). He has been really punctual and professional and also took good care of me.

If you're planning to book your holidays in India and want to book a guide and someone to book the hotels and transport on your behalf, don't hesitate to contact Active India!

Excellent Trip! Only wish we had more time :)

Hotel Reviews

Francis Residence

Mr. Francis and Ruby were very kind and thougtful. Clean rooms, good care, excellent location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel PepperVine

Thekkady, Kumily, Kerala

The sheets, curtains, shower curtain were initially moldy/dirty. We requested a clean change and they did this very quickly. However, the walls still had black mold and the sheets were wet with humidity. The service and food were good but I would likely not recommend for the cleanliness factor.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Humidity control. Better cleaning.

Marari Beach Resort - CGH

Very cool resort, right on the beach! Excellent, food, pool, activities, etc. Great place to wind down after a week of activities. Really greatful to the staff and resort for their hospitality.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fragrant Nature Munnar

Cannot beat the views! Very clean and comfortable. Munnar was the highlight of the trip because we had this hotel to relax in after a day of intensive hiking.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cochin Sightseeing

Cochin

Sebastian, our guide, was great!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Hike to Sevenmalai Hills - Tea Museum Tour

Munnar

Great experience hiking in and around the seven hills. A real highlight of the trip. We had a bit of a rock scramble and would recommend proper shoes for this and Periyar. We're not athletes by any means and made the treck just fine.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Spice Plantation Walk in Periyar

India

Enjoyed this experience, wish I had brought proper hiking shoes for the mud. If I were to go again I would do both the Periyar hike + the raft ride. It was a bit far to travel (8 hrs) for the "plantation" tour (1 hr) and park walk (2 hr). Learned lots about spices and plants! Super fun!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jungle Walk in Periyar National Park

India

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marari - Alleppey: Day Cruise aboard Houseboat

Marari

Did not do this.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Free Day at Marari Beach

Marari

Could not say enough about how cool this resort is!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marari - Cochin - Delhi (AI834 - 20:30 hrs)

Cochin

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My girlfriend and I had a fantastic time on our guided tour in Leh and Ladakh in November 2022. The scenery there was breathtaking (literally - it's very high!), and all the monasteries and temples we saw were very interesting to see and learn about. We had an extremely knowledgeable guide with us the whole time, and a driver who navigated the city of Leh and the surrounding area with impressive ease. The guide knew all about everywhere we went and was really helpful in sharing his own experiences growing up in the region and practicing Buddhism - it all made for what felt like a very personal welcome into the area and culture.

I unfortunately got sick from some sort of food poisoning, which forced us to miss the trip to Nubra Valley, but I was impressed with the agility of Ravi, my tour guide, and the whole Active India team to adjust the itinerary on the fly while making sure I had the help I needed while I was sick. I would recommend working with this team and our particular tour guide and driver for sure.

Pros: Our driver, Satish, was incredible and one of the best parts of the trip. He was always punctual, helpful, kind, and gave good advice. He was a careful and attentive driver, and I always felt safe though the driving conditions were very unusual for me.

The guides who led the spice tour and the Munnar hike were our favorites from the trip. Both were very friendly and their knowledge level was impressive. Also the spice tour guide did recommend his brother's shop to us and the prices were very reasonable.

Favorite activities were the cooking demonstration, the martial arts demonstration, both the jungle and mountain hikes, and the house boat. The destinations were all beautiful and interesting, and the hotels in Periyar and Marari were both wonderful.

Cons:
Though our tours in Cochin were all very informative and interesting, it was clear that our guide had some arrangement with the shops and tuktuks that he recommended. The interactions were uncomfortable and the prices very high (70 USD/5700 INR for a simply made skirt). After the first store, I was put off from shopping during the rest of the trip.

I felt unprepared with regard to tipping, as it seems a very complicated issue in India. There was no information on what to bring/how to dress, and so we were also unprepared for leeches and the more rugged hikes.

The Thattekad Bird Sanctuary is not worth stopping unless you arrive in the early morning, and the hotel in Munnar was challenging with regard the smell/cleanliness and lack of AC.

Overall it was a wonderful experience, and I plan to return to India in the future.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel PepperVine

Thekkady, Kumily, Kerala

The hotel and grounds are gorgeous, and the restaurant was one of the best we experienced while in India. They also serve beer and wine, which was not usual according to our experience.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Abad Dutch Bungalow

Kochi, Kerala

This was a nice, clean hotel with a good restaurant.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clouds Valley

Munnar, Kerala

This hotel was the dirtiest that we experienced, with a strong sewage smell permeating the room. There was visible mold all over the bathroom ceiling and no AC.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Install AC in some rooms, improve ventilation in the bathrooms, remove the existing mold.

Royal Riviera Hotel

The hotel was beautiful but amenities and cleanliness were not on a level with some of the other hotels we visited.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Deshadan Cliff & Beach Resort

Kerala

The hotel was nice and the restaurant had a large menu. The staff here was incredible.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Closer to the beach

Staff

The staff were all very accommodating and helpful. Any and all requests were fulfilled immediately.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Abad Turtle Beach Resort

Mararikulam, Alappuzha, Kerala

This resort was amazing. There was a beautiful, private beach and many amenities. While we were there, almost everyone from our group tried the spa and it was fantastic as well. The food was also good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Varkala - Marari

Marari

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arrival Cochin (Arrival at 9:05 AM)

Cochin

It was very easy to find our driver, and he waited patiently for our friends to arrive and for us to have a cup of coffee. There was no stress involved.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cochin Sightseeing

Cochin

Cochin was amazing and our guide was clearly very knowledgeable about the city. All tours were very informative, and he even pointed out interesting plants, trees, and landmarks as we walked around the city.

Quality of Experience

The tours were very interesting and the guide was very well informed.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

It was clear that our guide had some arrangement with the shops and tuktuks that he recommended. The interactions were uncomfortable and the prices very high ($70 for a simple skirt). After the first store, I was put off from shopping during the rest of the trip.

Transport

Visit to Thattekad and Drive to Munnar

Munnar

At the time we visited the bird sanctuary, not many birds or other animals were active. It was just a hot hike and we had to pick leeches off of our skin at the end. It didn't seem worth the time spent.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Hike to Sevenmalai Hills - Tea Museum Tour

Munnar

The hike was incredible, with some of the best views we saw throughout the trip. The tea museum was okay but not as interesting as other tours.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide who did the hike brought along fruit for all of us to try and was very knowledgeable about the local plants and the life of the tea collectors.

Transport

Munnar to Periyar

Periyar

Scenery along the drive was nice and we were able to stop for some really nice photos.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jungle Walk in Periyar National Park

India

We saw many interesting plant and animal species. The guide was knowledgeable and kind.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer to Kumarakom

Kumarakom

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Drive to Varkala

Varkala

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Free Day in Varkala

Varkala

Varkala was nice, but I felt like shopping was limited and would have preferred to have less time here overall.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Free Day at Marari Beach

Marari

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marari to Cochin and Departure Tour Concludes (Departure at 7:55 PM)

Cochin

Again, the driver was one of the best parts of our trip. He was always very punctual and kind, and seemed a very careful and attentive driver.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lovely trip. Great help in planning the trip by Ravi who was knowledgeable, kind, gracious and really made us feel that he cared for us to have a great trip.

Our guides were very insightful and welcomes d us with grace. Special mention for Giriraj, Harish and Jitendra. Our driver was also incredibly kind (Rahul) and brought a smile to my daughter every day.

My only constructive feedback would be:
-just as restaurants in India ask westerners « how spicy do you want it » this should be asked as well to the guests. We sometimes felt too protected , experiencing an abstract visit taking us by car from one historic site to another and then to a « hygenic » restaurant. The great service that Ravi offered was to pivot and allow us to change plans last second in order to get spend time in markets and just walk around with everyday people.m which was also important to us.

- just a slightly negative note on our hotel in Delhi. After great hotels across all other cities we visited, this was definitely a grade below.

That said, KimKim and using Active India was the best decision. Ravi was truly a marvelous host as were the individual guides who shared the love and knowledge they have of this marvelous country - INDIA.

WE HAD AN AMAZING JOURNEY

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Amet Haveli

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Royal Heritage Haveli

Khatipura, Jaipur, Rajasthan

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Mercure Agra

Agra

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Udman Ferns N Petals

New Delhi, Delhi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Udaipur Sightseeing

Udaipur

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jaipur Sightseeing and Spending time with elephants

Jaipur

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jaipur - Agra via Abhaneri

Agra

Abhaneri is worth the detour

Agra - Delhi (Train - 1745/1930hrs)

Delhi

Part of a visit is trying to blend in and not being accompanied or guided. So we loved this experience.

Quality of Experience

Full Day Delhi Sightseeing

Delhi

Great guide.

We have had an amazing experience planning our trip to India with Ravi. The itinerary suggested was perfect and met our brief so well. Suggested changes from us were implemented quickly with excellent advice and help from Ravi. Response to messages was alway quick and appropriate. I would thoroughly recommend Ravi and Kimkim for planning your trip.
Thank you Ravi and I hope we can travel to India soon once we have the visa issue sorted.

Jit, my guide in Delhi was excellent as was driver Pushkar. I particularly enjoyed visiting Pushkar.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Udman Ferns N Petals

New Delhi, Delhi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Mercure Agra

Agra

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dera Rawatsar

Jaipur

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pushkar Palace

Bhattiyani Chohatta Udaipur, Rajasthan

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Arrival Delhi

New Delhi International Airport (DEL)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Delhi Full Day Sightseeing

Delhi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very informative guide

Transport

Agra Sightseeing

Agra

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Taj Mahal at Sunrise and Drive to Jaipur

Jaipur

Sites were beautiful. Guide was good but not very personable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jaipur Sightseeing Tour + Village jeep ride

Jaipur

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jaipur - Pushkar

Pushkar

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pushkar Drive to Ajmer -Delhi (Train 1545/2240hrs) - departure (Depart by Etihad Airways EY211 on September 21, 2022 at 0445)

New Delhi International Airport (DEL)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trip Concludes in Delhi

New Delhi International Airport (DEL)

It is not an easy airport to navigate including access to the free WiFi so it would be helpful to add some of that practical info to future travelers

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ravi was quick to respond to our inquiry about booking a trip to Agra to visit the Taj Mahal. Every detail, from our airport pickup in Delhi, the private car to Agra, our hotel in Agra and our guide for our tour of the Taj was perfect. Our guide took us to lunch at "Pinch Of Spice" in Agra which was wonderful! He was very knowledgeable and personable.