Jay Kajaria

Logan our driver was great and our guide in Pondicherry was very knowledgeable. This was a fantastic trip with lovely hotels. We didn't need a representative to meet us at the airport hotel. We could have sorted this out ourselves and actually it made us think that there might have been a problem.

Bespoke India Holidays and specifically Jay were great to work with. During the planning process they had great communication both via email and phone to discuss our trip and achieve our budget. All tour guides and experiences were great, especially the food tour, night tour, and bike tour in Jaipur. The hotels they selected were amazing especially the SUJÁN Sher Bagh in Ranthambhore. When there was a mishap with one of the tour companies (out of their control) they more than made up for it by offering two private tours (vs. shared). One of the best parts of our trip was Mr. Kumar who took us around India for our 10 days. They also arrange people at each hotel and airport to help make the check in process seamless.

Two notes of improvement. The Samode Haveli, while gorgeous, felt a little dated and you are awoken each morning at 5:30am by prayers. Also there are swarms of little bugs by the pool making it unenjoyable. To be clear, this wasn’t their initial selection however based on the photos we choose this hotel over the Marriott. The other thing is I wish they were clearer with was the start/end times of the tours as that would make any activities you want to plan on our own (massages, dinner reservations), easier to plan from the beginning.

Overall it was an amazing trip thanks to Bespoke India Holidays and I highly recommend them!

Hotel Reviews

Samode Haveli

Jaipur

SUJÁN Sher Bagh, Ranthambhore

Taj Hotel & Convention Centre, Agra

Agra

Activity Reviews

Walking Tour – Temples & Havelis of Old Jaipur

Jaipur

Cycle tour in Jaipur

Jaipur

Jaipur Food and Market Tour

Jaipur

This was the second trip that I worked with Jay Kajaria with Bespoke India Holidays to plan. The first trip was to Delhi and various areas around Rajasthan. It went so well and I was so pleased that I booked a trip to North Eastern India. And this was also a remarkable trip. Simply tell Bespoke what you are interested in and where you would like to go and they will take it from there. You are assisted every step of the way, from being picked up from the airport and later being dropped at the airport and being assisted in checking in for your flight from India.

Many of the famous tourist areas of India were covered by the first trip and now I wanted something different -- and this is Northeastern India. It is a land of unusual tribes, different topography and different animals. Make sure you go to Kaziranga National Park -- and also take the elephant safari in the morning.

Also impressive were the lodgings in which I was booked and my guide and driver were top notch.

I am so pleased with this trip (and the prior one) that I am already looking talking about and looking forward to working with Jay on a third trip.

Thank you Bespoke India Holidays (and Jay and my guide "Dee-poo" and driver "Harem."

We requested a whirlwind adventure, we only had a couple of days but Jay, of Bespoke India Holidays, managed to pack into those few days all we asked for and more. A day in Agra with tour guide Yogesh covered the important sites and was very informative and entertaining; the playboy emperor, the lovestruck emperor, the evil son and so much more. The following day Yogesh provided the low down on India's second capitol - Fathpur Sikri before he headed back to Agra and our driver - Raj, took us on to our next destination - Ranthambhore. A lot of driving over the five days but Raj was very good, considerate to our westernanity, one of us secure enough to actually sleep whilst he drove; the car was immaculately clean, comfortable and water and sweets were provided. Accommodation in Ranthambhore was six-star, two safaris into the national park resulted in two tiger sightings - luck I know but wow.

Hotel Reviews

Clark Shiraz

Agra

We were in town for a day of sightseeing, we had a driver who dropped us off and picked us up. The hotel was clean, the room was clean, spacious and comfortable. The restaurant that we used had a great range of great tasting foods available.

Authenticity & Character

This was a hotel, it was an authentic hotel but not authentic Indian accommodation. The hotel had an abundance of services and facilities.

Location

We were there for a day and had a driver who picked us up and dropped us off at the hotel so location was not an issue. Had we no driver and had we been there for more than just a day's sightseeing the distance to the centre of Agra may have been a concern.

Staff

All very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room, the public areas and the grounds were all very clean.

Aamaghati Wildlife Resort, Ranthambore

Ranthambore

Green, spacious, clean, open, fresh, a little oasis in the hustle and bustle of Indian life. Location; Out of town so quiet but it meant that if you wanted to visit the village you had to book a ride or take a long walk. Authenticity & Character; This is a resort 'authenticity' is not relevant. And nor really is 'character'. Aamaghati Wildlife Resort is a resort and compares above western resorts that I have stayed at. The presence of local musicians to welcome guests and provide background to High Tea added character to the experience. Staff; There were sufficient staff that assistance was always available if required. The staff were, almost, overly keen to be of help, all those we encountered were respectful, well mannered and well presented, all spoke good english. Cleanliness and Comfort; The grounds were spotless, the public areas were spotless, the rooms were spotless. The room we had (T4) was huge and well laid out.

Authenticity & Character

Nothing can improve authenticity, Aamaghati is a resort, it is a very good resort but resorts are not 'authentic' Indian accommodation.

Location

Nothing could be improved as you can't exactly pick the resort up and drop it off closer to the town. We were only there for a day and only for the safari, the location was perfect for our requirements. If we'd been there longer then the isolation from the village may have been a point of concern. I do not know (I did not notice) if you offer a taxi service between resort and village which would overcome the isolation.

Staff

All of the staff we encountered were very helpful to the point of bordering on being too helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotless inside and out

Activity Reviews

Morning and Afternoon Safaris in Ranthambore National Park

Ranthambore

We were lucky, two trips into the park - morning and afternoon, two tiger sightings. If we hadn't seen a tiger the rating would be a bit less but still up there. There were other things to see and the park itself was scenic.

Quality of Experience

We saw tigers, what more can you say

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We were told a 6:30-7:00am pickup, the driver arrived at 7:30am. The driver we had didn't highlight or really point out the other animals we encountered and he certainly didn't give us the opportunity to photograph any of them, he seemed to be single mindedly intent on spotting a tiger, and to his credit he found us one. A close up and personal sighting, one that no other group got to see. We were told a 1:30-2:00pm pickup, the driver turned up after 2:30pm. This driver was a bit more informative about the other animals sighted and was also a bit more sensitive to our being tourists and interested in more than just the animals. And he got us a tiger.

Transport

We had jeep tours, two two-and-a-half person benches across the back of an open jeep. Comfortable for two (afternoon), bit tight for three (morning) persons. The roads in the park are, as you'd expect, rough.

Agra - Ranthambore via Fatehpur Sikri (296 km- 5 to 6 hours by car)

India

It's a long drive, the break at Fatehpur Sikri made it a little more bearable. The break at the level crossing did not - we had a twenty minute delay getting out of Agra while we waited for a train. Fatehpur Sikri is an interesting site and well worth the detour if you are in the area. The architecture is typical and impressive, the story behind is interesting and to link the structure to the story is great. A drive is a drive is a drive, there were sufficient interesting sights along the way to keep the mind from boredom.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Again, Yogesh was informative, knowledgeable and entertaining. Raj was a very good driver.

Transport

Raj drove a very comfortable car that was immaculately clean.

Agra - Sightseeing and Mughal Heritage Walk

Agra

Agra Fort was an impressive structure and, courtesy of our guide, had an interesting, colourful and rich history. The size and scope of the buildings was hard for our 20th century minds to fully grasp. Taj Mahal. What can you say, even in the fog the building had a presence that you could literally feel. The detail work of the decorations, the design of the structure rivals any christian structure I have seen. Mughal Heritage Walk was probably a bit too much for our western sensibilities, it was certainly a bit of an eye opener to us to see village life up that close and personal. To be honest, we were a bit uncomfortable - rich westerners walking around a place where there was not that wealth.

Quality of Experience

It goes without saying, a visit to the Taj Mahal is Amazing

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our driver for the whole tour - Raj, was great, a good driver (he didn't hit anyone) and very considerate. Our guide - Yogesh, was awesome, knowledgeable, entertaining, perceptive.

Transport

We had a private car with driver, the driver was good and the car was comfortable and clean.

Our travels were disrupted by the war in Israel. Jay put the trip together in about 4 days. Our first trip to India was amazing. Every transfer was easy. Radhe was our driver for 2 weeks. He is the best. I personally would be afraid to drive in India and I drive everywhere. Our last night in India after 19 days was a cooking class in Udiapur with Rakshita. It was the perfect ending as we learned about the food we had eaten but to visit with Rakshita and Dakshu was the best ending. We highly recommend Jay and his team.

Everything went according to the plan and communication with Jay at Bespoke was always reassuring. Our driver, Mahipal Singh, looked after us very well making sure we had all we needed along the way. When we arrived at our first hotel, he was very helpful and drove back to return my lost item. I always felt safe with his driving and felt he made sure we were always safe.
Our guides were well selected and respectful of our time as we are not interested in buying stuff.
All was flawless!

AMAZING!!! We knew when our daughter said she wanted to take her senior trip to India that it was going to be a trip of a lifetime... but we never imagined it would be as amazing as it was! This was in HUGE part to Jay!!! Jay was incredible during the entire booking process. He listened to feedback, gave wonderful recommendations and everything he booked was perfect. During the trip he was equally as responsive when we added excursions. I would recommend Jay and Bespoke India Holidays to everyone!!!

In Delhi, our guide, Raj, was very knowledgable and it felt like we were walking the streets, riding tuk tuks, and visiting temples/sites with a friend. He was easy to talk to and answered all our questions. He took us to an absolutely delicious lunch and we even convinced him to eat with us! We loved all the sites in Delhi, and our favorite was the incredible Qutb Minar. Our teenage daughter was also very grateful to Raj for making her feel safe at this monument while several other Indian tourists were wanting to take photos with her and following her. We also loved immediately getting to see an Islamic Mosque and Hindu Temple in the same day. The trip would have been incomplete without our walking tour of Chandni Chowk - a must for any visitor to Delhi. Our hotel was wonderful in Delhi also.

We also were very glad to have our driver, Raj, with us from Delhi through Jaipur. Raj was very knowledgable on the drives about the different cities, crops and interesting things we didn't know. He made sure to stop for us at very nice restrooms and eateries. We felt like we were leaving a friend behind when we said goodbye to him in Jaipur.

In Agra, our guide, Kumar, was also very knowledgable about everything we saw. We loved having guides that were local to the area and knew and loved their rich history. Kumar took us to Agra Fort - which blew our minds. We were so excited to see the Taj Mahal, that seeing this was just awe inspiring. We loved learning all the history of Agra and it's incredible sites. Agra Fort was followed by "baby Taj" which was so stunning that we kept wondering how everything could get better and better... but it did! Kumar took us to see the Taj Mahal during sunset and then sunrise the next morning. I would tell everyone to do the same. Seeing and walking around the Taj Mahal is a breathtaking experience on it's own - but having Kumar there to talk about the history and take the perfect photos for us was perfect!! I could have stayed at the Taj Mahal all day... for days. It was almost a spiritual experience to learn the history all day... and then to see it and touch it and go inside. It was a top experience in India for me. After seeing the Taj at sunrise (which was the best time), Kumar took us to Fatehpur Sikri, which we hadn't given much thought to... but it blew our minds again! We loved all the history of the wives' palaces and the view of the village too. It was an amazing addition in Agra! Our hotel in Agra was great!

We next went to Ranthambore for the night. We felt like royalty when we arrived at our hotel (palace)!! The hotel was literally one of the most incredible places we have ever stayed! It was nice to relax that afternoon/evening also. We went for an early morning safari - and while we didn't see a tiger... there is no way we could complain about the spectacular views and animals we did see. The guide and driver were great.

We drove to Jaipur after the safari. In Jaipur, which was so different than Delhi and Agra, we went for a wonderful night tour of the bazaar with our guide, Hitesh. Hitesh was a wonderful guide and provided interesting cultural insights! He took us to see many unique places in the bazaar and bought us a delicious Jaipur treat!! The next day he took us to the Amber Fort, Panna Meena ka Kund and Jaigarh Fort. We really liked how he would explain all the history and then let us explore before the next location. He also took wonderful photos of us. Amber Fort was also an incredible gem in Jaipur - it blew us away, especially the painting that has survived. We went to Jantar Mantar which was very unique and cool. The City Palace tour was also wonderful. We wish we would have spent more time in the bazaar's in Jaipur. It was so different from Delhi and was very pleasant to walk around in. The hotel was great in Jaipur.

We flew to Udaipur the next day - and I must say that we took four flights domestically in India on IndiGo, and they were spectacular. What a great airline!! All of our flights were on time and all IndiGo employees were professional and kind. They handled and diffused difficult situations with grace and made all the flights relaxing.

In Udaipur, we were again blown away by our hotel! It was right on Lake Pichola!! Our driver, Umesh, and guide, Mukesh, were both great in Udaipur. Mukesh took us through Udaipur to see Jagdish Temple, a beautiful garden and City Palace. City Palace was amazing as well as the temple. The boat ride was so relaxing and wonderful too. We were treated to a great show in Udaipur where we saw traditional Indian dances and music. It was thrilling. The special part of our hotel was the AMAZING view of the nightly flight of thousands of fruit bats close enough to see their fangs!!! It was also in a great part of the city that we felt very safe walking around and shopping in. We added a tour the next day to a Ranakpur Jain temple... and that was literally one of the other mind blowing sites on the trip! I would tell anyone going to India that it's a must see!!! The drive was beautiful and totally worth it. Mukesh made sure to stop at great restrooms and a delicious restaurant for lunch afterwards. The temple was absolutely amazing for so many reasons and we couldn't believe it's rich and long history.

We flew to Madurai next - and just like in America, the south is different. Not better or worse, just different - and wonderful!! I am so glad our daughter wanted to see the Meenakshi Temple - it was her favorite site! Our guide, Vasand, took us on an epic trip the first night. We rode tuk tuks into the temple (that was a real thrill) and were able to witness a very special religious Aarti ceremony inside the temple. We felt honored to be able to witness that and have time before the ceremony to learn from Vasand about the different statues and rituals. Vasand was another guide that we felt like we were walking around town with a friend. He was comfortable and knowledgable and very easy to talk to.

In the morning, we met our driver, Sujidh, who would drive us for the remainder of our trip. He was a wonderful driver, knowledgable and kind as well. He went above and beyond even trying to make me aware of a sporting event he knew I wanted to see since we connected as fans of the same EPL club team!

Vasand took us through a flower market and banana market in the morning, going slow enough to let us interact with the vendors and even buying us flowers and bananas!! He went at our pace (which was slowing down by this time in the trip) and took us for a walk around the Meenakshi Temple in the daytime so we could see all the incredible workmanship. We drove by the biggest water tank in Tamil Nadu and then visited a temple and the Gandhi Museum. The hotel in Madurai was another marvel to us! We felt like we were in a jungle, yet just off the road!

The next day we drove into the mountains to Thekkady. What a little piece of paradise!! The drive in and out of the mountains was absolutely gorgeous and our driver, Sujidh, knew so much about all the crops and cities along the way. We went to a wonderful spice plantation with our guide, Cedu, who knew everything about all the spices. We went on an unforgettable boat ride inside the Periyar National Park and saw many elephants, water buffalo, deer, wild boar, and birds. It was perfect!

The next day we drove through the clouds on our way to Alleppey in the backwaters of Kerala. This was another experience that blew our minds. We needed the day to relax, but the beauty was just awe inspiring. We saw a new lifestyle and we just loved to see a part of their lives on this totally unique journey. The boat and its crew were just all amazing and we wish we could have stayed another day there too! This was a really nice relaxing point in the trip and provided a break from the rest of the tour. The cooking was especially delicious on the boat.

We went to Cochin the next day, and this was definitely the most humid of all the locations! We were shocked actually, as we were driving down from Thekkady, we could already see some Christian influence, but Cochin was full of Christian influence. It was fun to see the Jewish area and then all the different buildings with influence from China, Holland, Portugal and England. The Chinese Fishing Nets were a highlight for me. I loved the history and watching them work today. We also loved the old dance form of Kathakali and martial art form of Kalarippayattu.

We very much appreciated and loved each guide/driver talking to us about their religion, families, and the history of their individual states in India. Our daughter wanted to come to India because she loves Indian food and wanted to learn about their history, religions and culture. We all fell deeply in love with the people we met, the culture and even more of the food! We hope we make it back to India again and when we do, we will absolutely be connecting with Jay and Bespoke India Holidays!

Incredible, once in a lifetime trip for
start to finish! Loved being able to customize our itinerary to eliminate tourist traps and see a little bit of the real
India and Nepal. The best part of our trip was our guides and drivers.

We started with Raj and Ravi in New Dehli. Ravi was such a safe and courteous driver. Especially given how chaotic the roads can be, his skills were extremely impressive!

In Kathmandu, Mugtha was an incredible guide. He knew the country in and out. He truly made each site come alive and was extremely flexible to make sure we had the best time possible. Our driver was also great!

When we returned to New Delhi, our driver Pintar drove us to Agra. He was with us the remaining days of the trip and he was so kind! He made the long drive as painless as possible and whenever we returned from touring had cold water at the ready.

Nishant in Agra and Hitesh in Jaipur were incredible guides. Both great ambassadors for their cities. They were extremely knowledgeable and made sure our needs were being met. We added an extra tour in Jaipur on our last day and insisted Hitesh be our guide. Our Mughal village tour guide in Agra was also fantastic!

Just back from a wonderful Golden Triangle Tour of India with Bespoke India Holidays. We have begun referring to this trip as "India for Beginners" because we have realized that we have barely scratched the surface of this vast nation, and that's with a very full 8 days of it under our belts! Jay, who organized our trip, placed us in terrific hotels with great breakfasts and wonderful service -- shoutout to Taj Palace in Delhi, and Trident Agra in Agra. (We self-booked at the Hyatt Regency Mansarovar in Jaipur, which was also excellent though a bit out of the way.) Our local guides in Delhi, Agra and Jaipur (Mr. Kumar, Mr. Vishal) were amazing historians and great storytellers, inviting us into the region's rich history of Moghul leaders through visits to incredible sites and monuments, while answering our endless questions as we traveled along. This was a family trip with our two daughters (13 and 17), so we were glad to have some built-in "down time" for hotel pools and relaxation around some very full days. Girls especially enjoyed the shopping in Jaipur and the rickshaw ride through Delhi, and a family highlight was the Heritage Walk through the small village overlooking the Taj Mahal in Agra -- it granted a unique and unexpected perspective on our time in India. WE LOVED OUR DRIVER MR. VINOD. Seriously, he's a total rockstar of navigation and steering clear of cows in traffic, people, rickshaws, Tuk-Tuks and the constant honking of horns. A note on timing: Our trip was the week before Easter and at the very end of the tourist season for these areas because it gets HOT. Pack your hats and sunglasses and sunscreen, and wear loose linens for these hot days if you are planning for the same time frame. TIP your guides and driver generously - they work hard to make the trip amazing for you - service in India is unparalleled and we travel a lot!

Activity Reviews

Nahargarh fort visit

Jaipur

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

Galtaji Temple visit

Jaipur

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jaipur Sightseeing tour

Jaipur

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

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