Pam

I am so happy that I decided to ask Elephant Ride to plan our first trip to India. We love to travel and usually are able to plan our own trips abroad. After researching India I realized that it would be a good idea of having a professional travel agency who specializes in India plan our trip for us. India is a big country with many infused cultures and getting around seemed intimating to us so it made sense in having an expert help us.

Megha Kalia, owner of Elephant Ride, is amazing and has this enthusiastic spirit that draws people in.  She is able to tune in to the client’s needs and wishes to create an itinerary that fits the client’s expectations.  My husband, daughter and I had almost three weeks to spend in India and we were on a tight budget.  Megha was able to plan a trip for us that were magical and amazing even within our budget.  As I reflect back on it now I am in awe of everything we were able to do while in India and I appreciate so much how Elephant Ride was able to make our trip so memorable.  I would recommend all my family and friends to Elephant Ride if they want to experience India to the fullest.

Pat

Our trip to India was simply amazing.  I still don’t think that I have grasped all that we experienced.  All the wonderful people we met and all the encounters we had were totally unpredictable.  I experienced the fullness of each moment, whether it was positive or negative… while in most cases it was positive. All of our senses came alive to a whole new cultural encounter.  One major cultural difference is the traffic.  Cars, buses, rickshaws, bicycles, pedestrians, and cows all operate in an organized chaos and miraculously we witnessed no accidents. 

Kara

I was fully aware that India is a very culturally diverse country and I was prepared for what I might encounter.  I was very relieved when I heard that my parents and I would have a tour companion from Elephant Ride with us during the duration of our stay in India.  It was very comforting to know that we would be taken care of and not having to worry about much.  Having a companion, who is a local Indian, as well as a driver who takes us wherever we wanted was very nice.

During our time in Chennai we had Quentin as our companion.  He was a genuine person with a big heart and who we felt very comfortable with.  The highlight for me during our time in Chennai was when Quentin invited us to his house and we got to meet his lovely family.  We were lucky enough to observe Indian hospitality at its best.  His family treated us with such kindness and generosity. 

Our tour companion in North India was Miss Megha Kalia.  Straight away I knew Megha was going to be a true delight.  Megha has such spunk and shines with positive energy and warmth.  I was truly excited to have her with us and personally show us India.  I felt safe and at ease traveling India, knowing that she was with us. 

Both Elephant Ride and Megha were able to coordinate a traditional Indian wedding into our itinerary.  We shopped for the event in New Delhi and later that evening we attended one of the many wedding celebrations.  Since it was a Hindu wedding it can include many celebrations and last up to five days or so.  We were able to attend two events.  I must say I had a lot of fun observing the rituals and dancing bhangra.  It was like a scene from Bend it Like Beckham or Bride and Prejudice.

The one hotel in particular that sticks out the most while were stayed in India was the Oberoi Amarvillas in Agra - the city of the Taj Mahal.  Each room at the hotel had a view of the famed monument - it was truly spectacular.  I still cannot believe that I was able to see the Taj - it was like being in a dream.  I did not want to wake up. 

Another lovely addition to our trip was that we were able to stay with an Indian family in New Delhi.  The man is a well known author in Delhi and his wife is a well known chef.  They were delightful people, who opened us up to their beautiful home and catered to us with warmth and kindness.