Traveller reviews

“My wife and I had booked a 12 day unforgettable trip with HSJ. The entire journey and logistics was almost flawless. accommodation and food at the hotels was of a good standard and value for money, other than the Clarks in Varanasi where the food was sub par. The days were quite long and exhausting, having traveled and taken in so much information at each site. We felt that after visiting so many amazing temples and forts, that by the time we reached Varanasi by overnight train we were rather tired and needed some rest. The temples etc in Varanasi were insignificant compared to what we had experienced in Dehli, Jaipur and Agra, and thought some down time would have been a better option. Walking the alleyways and Ghats within the Gangies and experiencing the ceremony that takes place each night was an unforgettable experience. The street food was also amazing, and being advised by the guides what was ok to eat and what was not. We were happy with the service and knowledge of most of the guides, particularly S.K in Jaipur, also Dada and Peakash in Varanasi who were both great guys who spoke very good English and showed us the real Varanasi (thank you) the bus driver and his assistant were very curtious And had thankfully ferried us around safely. Archie ?? The young man who accompanied us for most of the journey was quite attentive when called upon. However he did not follow up accommodation and transfer arrangements as promised for our onward journey. We were very grateful for Adib for pre booking and paying for ongoing flights to save us the hassle. All in all we were shown an amazing hassle free experience of northern India. We will most definitely do another tour with HSJ, but next time with either less people or just the two of us. Thanks again, Matt & Cherry Foster.”

“I could not express my journey through Delhi, Agra, Jaipur and Varanasi better than Alan M's "A journey through time", appearing below. Please read his review. Be shocked, feel pity, be inspired and impressed and most of all be grateful. The Indian people working with tourists seem anxious for perfection! Often called upon to comment on "how can I improve my services". We did experience perfection at the Crown Plaza hotel we were privileged to stay in for a few nights at the beginning of our journey and also at the end. Other hotels we stayed in along the way were also very good to almost great. The hawkers hassled us into submission often, the guides were knowledgeable and helpful and the skilled driver of the bus was admired by each of our 14 party of Australians. I believe we all appreciated the energetic and enthusiastic help from our young "caretaker" who accompanied us throughout the journey and kept us all safe. Breathtaking architecture to hovels for homes, beautiful saris, starched white linen suits worn with waistcoats, colourful turbans and then jeans and gaudy colours combined to look wonderful. Rickshaw journeys - the incessant honking, the excitement of the close shaves, the fascinating sights changing every split second, (a cow resting inside a jewellery shop), cows everywhere, monkeys, camels, horses, donkeys, pigs, goats etc. etc. Who could sum up this experience? I must admit that I think India is confronting and perhaps not a suitable holiday destination for sensitive young people - sometimes too heartbreaking and certainly not clean, neat and tidy.”

“We weren't sure what to expect from this 12 day trip but it went really very well. We had 2 guides with us all the time (both had excellent English) as well as local guides at each stop. The hotels were very good - the Clark's ones seem to be a very reliable brand, and the Crowne Plaza in Rohini, Delhi was excellent although a fair way out (but the metro was at its door step). The latter has just won the best restaurant in India! The tour was very thorough covering all the big ticket places we expected to see in the limited time (12 days) and we had plenty of time at each place. Thought had been given to visits eg being at the Taj Mahal early morning for good photo ops and reduced tourist numbers, as well as evening and early morning (boat) visits to the Ganges Ghats at Varanasi. Our guides, Akshay and Ibraheim worked non stop trying to fit in special requests from the group as well as caring for us to the nth degree on the trains, especially on the sleeper. The buses were clean and well air conditioned, and drivers very good. The airport transfers worked seamlessly. If this tour was an example of what Himalayan Social Journey provide, then I can recommend them unconditionally. Well done, guys!”

“I have just completed a 19 day Golden Triangle (India) and Nepal trip with Himalayan Social Journey. From the moment I made the booking the information provided by the tour operator, Ram, was of the highest standard, both in general terms and in particular with his prompt response to a request for additional details. Logistically the trip went without a hitch, Himalayan Social Journey representatives were always where we were told they would be on arrival at every destination, and invariably welcoming and helpful. We were then all able to relax and enjoy the whole experience with full confidence that our interests were being well looked after. I recommend Himalayan Social Journey to other travellers without hesitation.”

“I have travelled extensively and usually tour unaided however because of the time frame and the packages offered by HSJ, and India and Nepal not the easiest countries to navigate I went with their packages. India was amasing 5 star hotels although our tour guide Ibrihim who was fantastic and very flexible trying to help everyone (15 in our group) apologised because some were only 4 star but was all that was available. When visiting India you must put out of your mind the litter I would not necessarily say filth but litter nothing ever gets picked up it gets swept up but never collected. the Indian people because of their poorness look extremely healthy not the weight problem that effects most countries. I will leave other people to describe the attractions. I cannot say much more other than if time permits i will do the same tours next year. To Nerada our tour guide in Nepal Binod and Cbus our porters thankyou you could not have been better in giving us a great experience.”

“our trip consisted of the 12 day Golden Triangle tour. our guides, bus drivers and porters did an amazing job to see that all went as smoothly as possible. No mean feat for a group of 17. the train trip ( overnight) to Agra, was certainly memorable!! I highly suggest that you take the option to fly back to Dehli- one way on the train is enough! The highlight of our trip was Nepal- much cleaner and less busy. We had a fabulous time trekking to the Australian Base Camp.Stunning views of Mount Fishtail. The guest house was comfortable but did not supply towels, something that would have been usefull to have known beforehand. Taxes- there are quite a lot of add on taxes for meals and services, just something to be aware of and factor into your costs. Overall it was truely memorable and we had a great time. Many thanks to Ram, Dipendra, Dilip and our wonderfull porters and bus drivers.”

“We are currently in our 17th day on tour with this fantastic company and all I can say is WOW. The company is obviously lead by Mr Ram who has excellent staff working with him to ensure you have a wonderful experience every day. We first had 11 days In India visiting the Golden Triangle and Varanasi and then we flew to Nepal to do a fabulous 5 day Trek with the best Guide Miingmar Sherpa and team who just can't do enough for you every minute. Miingmar is so accommodating and caring about all everyones needs - his team are so polite also. We had an amazing trip with this group and although India was memorable and good the Nepal part of our Holiday was truly Amazing 😃😃😃 Thankyou Miingmar and team and to Himalayan Journey for a truly outstanding holiday which we will treasure for ever 👏”

“Thank you to Tanveer for such a memorable first time experience of India, you were friendly, accommodating and helpful throughout the 11 day tour of India's Golden Triangle. Your knowledge of the culture, history and the sites we visited was amazing. A big thank you to our guide Mììngmar Sherpa and his porters for all your hard work during our 5 day trek in Nepal. You were so helpful and accommodating every step of the way. Mììngmar was very knowledgeable about the Himalayan mountains and always helped us along our trek making us feel safe. Mììngmar and his team were friendly, fun and always happy. I throughly enjoyed my experience in both India and Nepal thank you everyone who contributed to this.”

“We have just completed a 12 day northern Indian tour, which really equates to 8 days given free days and travel time. We thoroughly enjoyed the tour and the sites undertaken. Our driver Javed Ali was excellent and tour guides in each city (Delhi, Agra, Jaipur and Varanasi) were all competent and informative. This tour was an unexpected private tour. All hotels were of a high standard commanding a four star rating. We had some issues with the overnight train journey, but not the fault of the company but the long delays with the Indian railways, made our transfers difficult and stressful. The HSJ company responded efficiently to all inquires during the planning process and followed up with us at the end discussing minor issues. A very good value tour overall.”

“I recently completed the 19 day Golden Triangle and Nepal Tour with HSJ and would like to thank the guides and porters in Nepal for their care, concern and assistance at every step...literally.”

“I recently returned from a 12 day tour of India's Golden Triangle taking in Delhi, Agra, Jaipur and Varanasi. If you made a list of everything you wanted to see in these cities, well this tour hit them all! Forts, palaces, food, The Taj, The Ganges, tuk tuks, an overnight sleeper train, history, culture, architecture, religion....it really had it all. The accommodation throughout the tour was fine. The Delhi accommodation was excellent, the Jaipur accommodation could have been better and Agra and Varanasi were fine. Our bus was comfortable, our drivers very good at their job and navigating around all the motorbikes and cows and the tour guides in each city were great. Luckily the group of people we travelled with were amazing. This was my first group tour and it really changed my mind on what I did think of group tours. The only other thing that made this tour what it was was our guide Ibrahim. What an incredible young man and one that all the ladies wanted to adopt and take home as their son. He was endearing, funny, informative and made sure we had no questions left unanswered. When one of our group fell ill and ended up in hospital, he stayed in the hospital with her to ensure she was receiving the right care, only popping out to get her food. After the tour my mother and I booked a car and driver to drive us around Rajasthan, had we known previously that Himalayan Social Journey do other parts of India we would have used them for the whole trip! But we know for next time I can't wait to return with this company again in October to trek Annapurna Thank you HSJ and a huge thank you Ibrahim!”

“From the time my daughter and I met our tour guide Ibrahim from the New Delhi branch of the Himalayan Social Journey we knew we would be very happy touring part of India for the first time and on our first ever tour. We travelled in a group of 16 adults from New Delhi to Jaipur the Pink City, then to Agra to view the Taj Mahal at sunrise. An overnight air conditioned train then took us to Varanasi and the Holy Ganges River. From there we flew back to New Delhi to finish our wonderful 11 days of culture, ancient architecture, amazing food and colour. The colourful beauty of the Indian women in their saris, the sacred cows sitting lazily in the busy traffic laneways and the camels walking along the road.. The tour company gave us the very best of every city we visited with a perfect mixture of temples, forts and palaces plus visits to textile workrooms passed down through generations of the same family, where we saw rugs and shawls being woven, mosaic crafts men working and hand block print fabric being printed. We enjoyed delicious Indian food, music and cultural dancing, non religious and religious ceremonies. We had plenty of free time to relax or get around ourselves with verbal guidance by our guide. The four Hotels we stayed in were very clean and comfortable with a great buffet breakfast selection included. Ibrahim gave a very clear comprehensive commentary during our entire tour and for us and others on our tour made this A Tour of a Lifetime. I can't wait to return to India to explore other regions in the near future - "It's like that".”

“Great trip - well organized, great accommodation, very safe drivers. We we were part of a group of 14. Our guide was Ibrahim - top guide... in fact, best we've ever had, anywhere. Very interesting being at the forefront of the India bank note changeover - queues at banks and ATM's were often hundreds of metres long. Despite the disruption that the withdrawal of large denomination notes and the introduction of new notes caused, everybody we spoke to - locals included - were very happy about this attempt to stop top level corruption, and make everyone pay their taxes. The highlight of our tour was, without question, The Taj Mahal - anything you have ever read about it is an understatement. Another "must visit" (for us, anyway), was the ancient astronomical observatory at Jaipur... Food at the hotels was good, but for real Indian food, the smaller venues and stalls were the way to go... and our bus driver and our guide Ibrahim knew the best places! Very highly recommended!”

“Great tour enjoyed every minute.The hotels very good so different to other countries really enjoyed the breakfasts in New Delhi.The drive in Delhi was wow.Well organised and the guides great.”

“We fell in love with India on this tour. The itinerary was well paced. We spent 2 nights in Dehli (visiting a mosque, fort and the crazy streets of Old Dehli); 2 nights in Jaipur (the beautiful pink old city with its palace and observatory, plus other stunning palaces and a fort outside); 1 night in Agra (photos do not do the Taj justice it's an absolute must); travelled overnight by train (an interesting experience) to Varanasi (the city by the Ganges where people are buried and go about their daily business in and on the river 24/7) where we spent 2 nights; before flying back to Dehli for 2 nights (visiting temples and other monuments in New Delhi). My favourite experience was Varanasi which oozes spirituality and moved me like no other place has - the fervour of the throngs of orange robed pilgrims and animals we saw is etched in my memory. I think travelling in India could be much harder if you weren't on a tour. We really appreciated the HSJ organization and our guide Ibrahim, who spent 11 hours chasing lost luggage (the airlines fault) for me one day. Most of the hotels we stayed in were fabulous too, a nice respite from some of the more challenging aspects of travelling in India (the heat, noise etc). Our tour group of 12 were all lovely people and great fun to see the sights and socialise with (if you chose to). We fitted in a bit of shopping too - the carpets, ceramics, cotton and silk products were popular. The food was delicious and we didn't get sick as people said we would - possibly because we were taken to places practising good hygiene. India's monuments are stunning so I fully recommend you book this trip. My only suggestion for improvement would be balancing out the programme by replacing a couple of monuments with a museum and a cooking class.”

“India had always been on my bucket list and with the Golden Triangle tour through Himalayan Social Journey I was able to experience a taste of India. The itinerary was ideal and took all the guess work out of what to see. The first two nights were in Delhi where we visited a mosque, fort and the streets of Old Delhi, the only way you can describe the experience of Old Delhi is chaos, but it seems to work. The next two nights were in Jaipur, the beautiful pink old city with its palace and observatory, plus other stunning palaces and a fort outside. Here we visited a rug making business where we bought a camel hair rug and all our requests for changing designs and sizes were made without any hassle at all. We had one night in Agra where one of the seven wonders of the world lives, The Taj Mahl it is an absolute must and truly incredible. We then travelled overnight by train to Varanasi, this was an experience you will never forget and probably never wish to repeat, but worth doing to emerge yourself into India. Varanasi is the city by the Ganges where people are cremated and go about their daily business in and on the river 24/7 including bathing in the holy water. We spent two nights in Varanasi before flying back to Delhi for another two nights to visit temples and other monuments in New Delhi. Every experience we had is ingrained into my memory, India has a strong spirituality about it and it is salt for the senses. In my opinion travelling in India would be much harder if you weren't on a tour. I am incredibly grateful for the HSJ organization and our guide Ibrahim, he was the most caring, knowledgeable person you could wish for and we were incredibly grateful to have him on our journey. He helped fellow travellers in our group with all sorts of medical, travel & general problems and was very organised and relaxed throughout the whole trip. The hotels we stayed in were fabulous too, a nice haven from some of the more challenging aspects of travelling in India including the heat and noise. Our tour group of 18 were all lovely people and great fun to see the sights and socialise with and hopefully we will keep in touch with each other. Once again many thanks to Ibriham who is an incredible guide”

“Such a fantastic tour for a great price! Wonderful tour guides, transport, hotels and food. Wouldn't mind doing the Nepal tour next time...”

“Loved our trip. Ibrahim Zargar was our guide. He looked after us very well. A real people person. His attention to detail just by listening to his group was amazing. Well done Ibrahim.. The tour was well organised and the variety of transport included public trains buses and local tuk tuk plunged us into the local culture. So many memories to take home. Thank you Himalayan Social Journey would definitely travel with you again.. Jean Bacchetti”

“We took part in the tour around India with Himalayan Social Journey. It is highly recommended! The trip took us all the places we would expect and it crossed my mind that if we have tried to do this by ourselves, it would have taken forever to figure out where we wanted to go and even longer to actually get there. The Himalayan Social Journey tour made it easy for us and also made sure we got to see most aspects of life India, whether plowing through the crowds in Old Delhi, wandering through the local townships - cows and all - on the way to the Ganges, or the sights of the Taj and the massive Amber fort complex ,etc etc Our guide Ibrahim was excellent - understated but full of knowledge and prepared to go the extra mile to help us. The driver and driver's assistant Lovely and Happy (I kid you not!) were also extraordinarily helpful and really helped make the trip. Would I use Himalayan Social Journey again? Absolutely!”

“Very impressed with the service offered by HSJ in answering all our queries prior to departure, extremely promptly. India was an eye opener for we first time visitors and we appreciated the leadership provided by our guide Tanveer, who was very knowledgeable and taught us a lot about the culture and history of the country. All the local guides were also excellent. The Nepal leg of the trip was led by guide Mingmar Sherpa, who spoke excellent English and provided first class leadership and group bonding. This was a real exciting and challenging trek, but highly worthwhile.”

“This Tour showcased the best that India can offer in seeing amazing buildings such as the Taj Mahal, forts and temples. We were also privileged to see the night blessing of the Ganges and traditional cremations by the river bank. As we visited 4 cities, New Delhi, Jaipur, Agra and Varanasi there was a fair bit of time spent in going from one place to the next. This was interesting as the roads went through agricultural landscapes and country towns. The train trip from Agra to Varanasi was unfortunately delayed making it a long night. The buildings we visited were magnificent and the local guides who led us through them were generally good. Varanasi and the Ganges were incredible. Accommodation was very good throughout although we had flashbacks to Marigold Hotel with some of the small problems that we encountered. These were resolved with smiles and with heartfelt apologies. We had some concerns about the standard of the hotels but found that HSJ had acted on previous feedback and changed to better accommodation so the places we stayed in were all good. The buses we travelled in were clean and the drivers and their assistants were excellent. Roads were generally very good but there seems to be little in the way of road rules! Lunch places we were taken to were more expensive than we expected but the standard of food, comfort, service and hygiene at them were excellent. The standout of the tour was Ibrahim who was our tour guide. He attended to all the little problems that cropped up and took excellent care of some members of the group who fell ill. He kept us informed of arrangements and worked hard to ensure we had an enjoyable and trouble free tour. We were unfortunate that we were there when New Delhi and the areas surrounding it were experiencing very high pollution. This occurs at this time of year as the local farmers still burn the crop stubble. Days out were very tiring due to the congestion, chaos and noise that seems to be part of Indian life. Our group was a great bunch of people. Ibrahim and HSJ ran a very good tour and we would highly recommend it.”

“We returned last week from a 19 day tour of India and Nepal. booked through Luxury Escapes. Our experiences with Himalayan Social Journey were all extremely positive. Everything was incredibly well organised and the guides were first class and very adaptable. Special thanks to Tanveer who was with us for the India part of the itinerary. He was amazingly kind and helpful and always made sure everyone was looked after especially when plans were changed eg. the train to Varanasi arrived five hours late and then took four hours longer than it should have so instead of arriving for breakfast Tanveer had to organise lunch for us at a restaurant close to the hotel. He kept everyones spirits up with his wonderful sense of humour! Our guide in Nepal, Mingmar Sherpa, was also wonderful...... friendly, helpful and well organised. And very encouraging when we encountered difficult sections of the trek. The porters Rajkumar, Shishir, Sujan and Suresh were also very pleasant and helpful. All in all it was a wonderful holiday and we learnt so much about both countries. Thanks you HSJ!”

“Outstanding. Delhi, Jaipur, Agra, Varanasi. The courier/escort, Ibrahim, was outstanding. I've been on escorted tours before and this man is THE best - he went out of his way to help when my wife needed some medication, he knows the sites and local culture and he is very proud of his country. A few things came unstuck, not the fault of HSJ (India Railways - sometimes timetables are a work of fiction) It is possible to have too many Red Forts or Temples in one day and our group sorted out what we could drive past and what needed a stop. Beware of bar prices in certain hotels (not a scheduled stop, but one substituted for logistical reasons) where a bottle of Pedestrian Red from Australia, retail $AUD12.50 max, was being offered for $AUD80!) Vaibhan, on the concierge desk (Pride Plaza) was particularly helpful. If you have time/opportunity for only one brief trip to India, this is it! HINT TO INFORMAL TRAVELLERS: India dress code for men is long trousers and whilst we don't appreciate visitors making disruptive intrusions into our religious rituals, neither do the Indians - religious practice is not a tourist spectacle.”

“We have recently returned from a 11 day trip with HSJ taking in Dehli, Jaipur Agra and Varanasi travelling in a group of 8kiwis and 7 Aussies most of whom were strangers . This trip is excellent our escort Ibrahim was wonderful the guides in each place were very good especially Ravi in Delhi who had a good sense of humour and his knowledge was first rate. Our driver , Lovely was an excellent driver and navigated his way in the traffic around cows, trucks and whatever else presented it self on the roads with ease and his helper Happy was a proficient helper. Due to the cancellation of the train from Agra to varanasi ( which we understand has happened twice before)Lovely drove us an overnight trip of 16 hours with comfort stops one of which resulted in Lovely and Happy having a sleep for about an hour . He is a legend. Other than the hotels in Jaipur and Varanasi, which were tired ,the hotels were very good All were clean with good bathrooms. The food was excellent and we were always accommodated with western bathrooms all of which were clean if lacking in paper! I highly recommend this trip with Himalaya Social Journey.”