I DREAM OF INDIA
In September of 2008, my husband Dick and I spent a month in India. I wasn’t sure if we would be able to go back another time, so I wanted to do both the North and the South. We moved quickly. A month may seem like a long time, but doing justice to this wonderful country merits taking as much time as one can. When I close my eyes at night, I can still see the sights, smell the smells, hear the sounds, and feel the tactileness of this incredible country.
Being active in the travel industry, I had my pick of anyone to help me plan our trip…and I chose Micato. I had been to Africa with them two years ago, and LOVE everyone in that company. They are the BEST from the top down. Marion Miller, who is Micato’s India expert, helped me plan the PERFECT trip….and she had every detail down perfectly. I know I am gushing, but that is how I feel. All you have to say is what you think you might want to do and see…and she executes the plan.
We started out in Delhi, at the Oberoi. We flew non-stop Chicago Delhi on AA…which wasn’t so great. Service left a lot to be desired…BUT it was non-stop . Just an old 777 and they just kind of threw the blankets at you. We were flying First Class…but the service is nothing like the Asian carriers (which we have been flying lately). If I sound spoiled, mea culpa. BUT when you have experienced something incredible (like Cathay, Asiana and Singapore), it is hard to understand why we cannot compete.
ANYWAY, let’s get back to India. Our Micato rep met us at the airport and delivered us to the hotel…along with a welcoming gift from the Micato Staff…and all our vouchers. We would be ready the next morning to Hit the Road Running!!!
Our guide for the next two week, who would teach us EVERYTHING that was India, was Puneet. He was the most amazing man…very knowledgeable and very accommodating. He was also patient and fun. AND he listened to everything we said, so he could pick up on anything. If we mentioned that a place looked like fun, he made sure we got there the next day (or at least, he tried). Point in fact, our tour of Delhi took us past the Imperial Hotel, and I said it looked Fantastic. The next night we were taken to dinner by Michael from Micato at the Imperial. It was an incredible dinner and a wonderful way to begin our journey.
To say that the hotels in Rajastan are amazing, is the understatement of my life. I have travelled all over the world, and have been lucky enough to have stayed in many of the world’s major hotels. Dick was in the hotel business himself, and we love beautiful properties. Nothing prepared us for these, however. And each one was better than the next . Marion had selected mostly Oberoi properties, but the Taj ones like the Rambagh Palace in Jaipur are just indescribable. Talk about luxury…talk about deluxe…this is 7-star at its finest.
Puneet was the most amazing guide. He taught us not only what we needed to see, but all about the food, and how to eat it. He taught us about the people, and their feelings about so many things. We NEVER would have enjoyed India as much without his guidance. And we NEVER use a guide more than a couple of hours in any of our travelling. We could have spent another 2 weeks with this wonderful man and never gotten tired of him. In fact, I don’t know of too many people we could have spent so much time with and still look forward to seeing him every morning…including our own children!!!!
“What is important is…” was his favorite expression, and I never got tired of hearing it. From Udaipur, to Jaipur, to Jodphur, to Agra to Varanasi to Khajuraho, everything was a joy with Puneet.
I know that the pricing of a “Hands On” guide brings the cost of the trip up quite extensively, but I cannot begin to tell you how worthwhile it is. We would NEVER have understood India as well without him. And the fact that we traveled together for two weeks really added another dimension. We continued another two weeks using “Pick-up” guides in every city (Mumbai, Cochin, Chennai, and Kolkata), but it wasn’t the same. Those guides were knowledgable, but we never got onto a very personal levelwith them. With Puneet, I bought a pair of shoes-- the kind that his father used to wear.--and we were able to meet his wife and children in Agra. That didn’t happen in the other cities that we just toured.
I cannot speak too highly of the people at Micato. Whenever we arrived in a city, they had a welcoming gift waiting for us in the hotel room.We always felt that they were with us…and they were. Their attention to detail is just amazing…and their clout in India is greatly appreciated. One tour company in Kolkata picked us up in a sedan…and when we told them that we were used to a NEW SUV….one arrived the next day. We were spoiled unbelievably…and it was worth every bit of it.
If anyone out there has thought of India, please move it to the top of your list. Anyone who experiences what we did will quickly know why India was the jewel in the British Crown. It is an amazingly spiritual country and the people are just incredible. Yes, there is poverty, but we have that here as well. In India, you get the feeling that it is OK…cause there are lessons to learn in this lifetime from being whatever you are. And maybe in my last lifetime I was the Maharani of Indipore!!!.
Just make sure when you plan India that your people go with a sense of wonder, joy and patience. Cows have the right of way in the road, as do the hundreds of pilgrims marching to various temples and shrines to pay their respect. If you get into the pulse of the country, it will be the most amazing trip of a lifetime.
I am still dreaming of India.
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