Testimonials

Hello,

Please accept my apologies for the delay in writing the review for you. I returned to the US to a great amount of work. I have now posted a review.

I also want to take this time to provide you some personal feedback about my experiences on the Tour with the guides and drivers because the guides and drivers really made this Tour so special to me. This really was the trip of a lifetime and I will be back to India and I will be using Optima Travels again :-)

Mr. Yogeshwar is amazing. He is so friendly, kind and knowledgeable about all things Delhi. He made me feel so welcome in India and to have him for our guide the first day set the bar very high. Although I am not sure if it is possible, he would be someone I would certainly request to be a guide again on my next visit to India.

Mr. Tanveer in Agra was nice and very knowledgeable as well.

Mr. Gupta was on par of Mr. Yogeshwar. He was also so friendly, kind and knowledgeable about Jaipur. We had two amazing days with Mr. Gupta and I can also say that if it was possible for him to be a guide in some way on my next trip to India I would certainly request that.

And I cannot say enough about Mohan. He delivered us safely everywhere and also gave us information about some of the places while we were in transit between cities or picking up our guides.

Then there is Naval. While I did not spend much time with him I was so appreciative of you both making arrangements to help me on the last day to shop more so I did not have to get to the airport so early...it really worked out well for me and I thank you for that.

Last Anshumali is you. You were so amazing checking in with me to make sure everything was going well. That is the most amazing kind of service and it did not go unnoticed and was greatly appreciated.

I want you to know that it was not only the beauty of India that made this such an amazing trip for me but it was the people who accompanied me and cared for me while I was there, most particularly Mr. Yogeshwar, Mr. Gupta, Mohan and yourself.

I am truly grateful.

Oh...and Naval five stars...please let him know I said so.

Thank you again so much for everything.

I do not know when I will return to India but it will be soon and I most certainly will be contacting you to help with my next trip/tour.

Dear Anshumali,

Our overall experience was fantastic and we have really enjoyed our stay in India. We enjoyed every single moment of the tour. All the hotels have been great. Really pleased with the service provided with this tour.Our driver Sanjay was very friendly and helpful. Our favourite place, we visited was Jaipur. The best guide we had was the guide from Jaipur and also the guide who took us round the Taj Mahal and the rest of Agra. We are really very happy with our trip to India. We will recommend Optima Travels on trip advisor and also to any friends that want to visit India.

My granddaughter and I spent a fantastic 4 day-3-night tour with Optima after a six day yoga retreat in Rishikesh. We were impressed at each stop. Our driver was courteous and knowledgeable and we were met by a local tour guide in each of the cities on our itinerary...Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. The history, culture and beauty of the Indian countryside has created special memories for us. Our tour director checked in with us each day to assure our satisfaction and to offer assistance, if needed. We chose the 5 star plan, which was really cost effective and provided us with the finest quality hotels for our comfort at the end of each touring day. Would recommend Optima to anyone looking for a unique Indian experience.

My daughter, her friend and I had booked a 6 days, 5 star tour package to visit Delhi, Agra, Fatehpur Sikri and Jaipur with Optima Travels.Feb.18-23 2018. Mr. Anshumali Tiwari and his team did an amazing job right from pick up at the airport to hotel checking in, sights to visit and their opening and closing times, condition of the rental car, better roads and highway options, different guides for each sights, procuring the tickets for monument visits, rickshaw ride in Kinari Bazaar Our driver, Gopal Singh, calm,capable. A true gentleman. Our hotels, Radisson Blu, Delhi and Jaipur. But star was Taj Gateway hotel in Agra. Our guide for Agra and a speciality guide for Jantar Mantar-Jaipur were outstanding. Above all, +5 Stars for Mr. Anshumali for understanding our sentiments and interest in visiting certain places and his guidance.

Anshumali took care of me like I was family. The booking process was easy, smooth and he patiently answered all my questions. I couldn't have asked for a better first trip (many more to come!) to India. My driver, Hari Om, was with me the whole time and I felt safe and supported with him. He was so kind and also a wonderful driver. He taught me a couple words of Hindi to add to my small list. My first guide in Delhi was great. He took me right away to a temple for Shivaratri before it got too busy, and then onto a rickshaw ride through the market. I had the best chai I've ever had as well as the best samosa. My guide at Agra had a Master's in history and knew so much about the Taj Mahal. He also was a wonderful photographer and was a joy to spend the day with. He knew I loved animals so he tried to find the spotted owls that live at the Taj, and we shared videos and photos of our family dogs. I can't recommend him enough. My third guide at Fatehpur Sikri was to the point and concerned I did not have children. I got a taste of the sexism that lives in India, which I was expecting to encounter as a single woman travelling alone. I had a good laugh at all the concern for my womb and husband, and took it all in stride. My last guide in Jaipur was friendly and laid back, and allowed me to do more exploring on my own after explaining many of the amazing sites we were seeing. The hotels were great, and I plan to connect with Optima and Anshumali when I return in India in 2020.

What a tour! We all (8 travelers) unanimously appreciate the team of professionals. It was a seamlessly carried out tour. Thank you for your email for seeking our review. We arrived well and we came back to work on 2nd January. First of all , we really acknowledge your professional work. It was organized with care, allowing a progressive discovery of different aspects of the great Indian civilization. Thank you very much to include Mandawa, Abhaneri, Gwalior & Orchha. This was a complement of the well known cities like Delhi, Jaipur, Agra, Khajuraho, Varanasi etc. On the other hand, we felt safe during the journey, all the guides and particularly the driver (Deepak) drove with care and discretely during the travel. We enjoyed to walk, eat & buy. In this way we have enjoyed the marvelous buildings, castles, fortresses with no other preoccupation. We felt protected with magic shield as you daily called us on phone. This was the reason that helped me convince my friends (7 in numbers) to travel to India with your agency , since many people are afraid as the bad publicity says that India is not safe. All the promises described in the program were accomplished. All the guides assigned were professional , particularly the guide in Varanasi (Amit) showed a thorough knowledge of the culture and religion in India (very important for a foreigner). One more time , we acknowledge your professional work , thank you very much since our visit to India accomplished more than we expected !! David

Thanks Optima Travels and Anshumali Tiwari for professional and considerate travel services during our trip to India in March 2017. We found your guidance to be timely as well as responsive to our shifting needs while we were visiting your beautiful country. We want to thank you for your professionalism in adjusting our services as requested due to our missing our original flight and arriving 24 hours later than originally planned. We appreciate also that you were open to our concerns regarding one of our travel guides and his unprofessionalism, we are grateful that you talked with this tour guide and corrected the behavior in question. The tours you booked for us as well as the hotels were wonderful! We would highly recommend your organization to our friends and family. The service we received from you and your emissaries was top notch! Because of your guidance our trip was a success and we were able to enjoy our 10 days in India.

If we ever visit India again we will use your company to ensure a smooth and exciting trip!

We did an 8 day tour with Optima from July 3-10, 2017 from Delhi-Agra-Jaipur-Udaipur-Delhi. The whole tour was just awesome. I planned this trip 6 months ahead. I googled for Tours in India and found Optima Travels. I sent them an inquiry and my itinerary, where I wanted to start, to stay, what we wanted to see and even the time we wanted to be at each location. Anshumali responded the next day with the whole itinerary and the cost of the tour. I paid Anshumali a few days later for the full amount. I was a little worried at first but he provided me the invoice right away. 6 months later we arrived in Delhi and got picked up at the airport and the wonderful tour started. I didn't expect this trip to be that amazing but I think it was because of how wonderful our tour was set up. It was so convenient being driven around in our private van and by our own driver. They were on time with our pick up and our driver was just so nice In each city, we were met by a different tour guide from Optima and they were all good especially our guide in Jaipur.

By the way, for me the best place we visited was Udaipur. That city of Lakes is like a fusion of Venice and India. We stayed at the Lake Palace Hotel and it was magical. A MUST experience to actually stay in a palace that was converted into a hotel. I wish to go back again here in Udaipur and maybe 3 days and 2nights which are just right.

I had a great time and a perfect vacation in India because of Optima. I totally recommend them. I don't normally make a review but they deserve it. I will Anshumali again when i return in 2 years.

This quick visit to India was very different from perceptions I've heard about India from others who told us India is not worth it. With the big language barrier, it is highly recommended that one should book a tour such as this one from Anshumali - with a personal driver from the moment you arrive to your departure. A tour guide was available in Delhi, Agra, Jaipur/Rajashtan. We enjoyed the whole trip and never imagined that one would see magnificent architectures in temples, mosques, structures and the ever famous Taj Mahal. It was a jaw dropping trip. It gave that personal touch for Anshumali to show up at the airport on our arrival and he made sure that everything was okay by daily phone calls on this 4 night 5 day escapade. It would have been nice if our guide took us to an authentic local restaurant - our Delhi guide took us to what looks like a nice place with exorbitant prices for locals. I have observed that the waiter handed over cash as commission for bringing us to the restaurant. Likewise, our Taj Mahal guide had a professional photographer took our photos at a price. I've also observed that our guide was handed a commission once we paid the photos. Despite this, I highly recommend OPTIMA TRAVEL for your needs. I would like to commend our driver Vive for the safe journey with not a single complaint - my wife left her jacket on our first day in our hotel in Delhi after check out. We were an hour away and Vive was ever so patient going back so we could recover her jacket. I started advertising Anshumali's services via my social media. Namaste!

Optima Tours/Mr. Anshumali Tiwari gave us a great support during the planning of our trip and even more during our 3-day trip from Delhi to Agra and Jaipur. The organisation was perfect - hotels very nice and our local guides provided a good background information. Gobal, our driver, did his very best to guide us safely through many difficult traffic situations. We would like to thank Optima Tours for this very interesting and nice trip.

English - We were quite nervous as it was our first trip to India. We went to New Delhi, Auragabad (Ayanta and Ellora), Mumbai, Varanasi, Khajuraho, Agra, Jaipur and Kathmandu for a bit more than two weeks. Anshumali made things easy for us from the beginning to the end, selecting the best places, temples, guides and drivers, as well as being in touch with us every single day. Optima Travels is your best professional choice to discover India, a country of contrasts!

Español - Estabamos muy nerviosos dado que era nuestro primer viaje a India. Fuimos a Nueva Delhi, Auragabad (Ayanta y Ellora), Mumbai, Varanasi, Khajuraho, Agra, Jaipur y Kathmandu por más de dos semanas. Anshumali hizo las cosas fáciles para nosotros desde el principio hasta el final, seleccionando los mejores lugares, templos, guías and choferes, así como estando en contacto con nosotros cada día. Optima Travels es su mejor opción profesional para descubrir India, un país de contrastes!

We did a 4 day, 5 night tour through India's Golden Triangle. The itinerary is jam packed and you will see a lot. Even with our flight issues, everything went very smoothly and Optima was very flexible in helping. Anshumali was extremely responsive to all of my questions and requests before the trip. Our driver was excellent, very kind and well informed (though to be honest, his English wasn't the best, but was not an issue). Sunny was a great tour guide through Delhi and Agra, though he left rather abruptly before Jaipur, though we had a separate guide there. Great tour and excellent value. Would definitely recommend for a first timer to India (like we were).

Dear Mr. Tiwari
Thank you very much for your concerns and caring.

It has taken me a while to give this feedback because we r still traveling with so many communication connections.

I really enjoyed the trip and so did my companions. We enjoyed a lot. All of our expectations were met.Thanks to all who put in exceptional planning and excellent execution to deliver us the best of the world.

We will be back in USA in 3 days and would certainly spread the word about Optima's service and efficiency. Thanks to you and please feel free to use me as reference in the future!!

Hi Anshumali,
I was very pleased with the tour, especially how you assembled everything last minute for us! I think our trip would've been very hectic if we hadn't gone through Optima.

It was very convenient that we had a private driver for the duration of the trip. It made the whole process easier since I personally would have been stressed finding transportation from place to place. Our driver was also extremely kind. This is definitely a PLUS!

The complimentary add-ons (rickshaw, horse-carriage, and elephant ride) were amazing. Thank you for doing this, because I would've never planned it myself, and it's a memory I'll hold on to forever.

The tour guides were great and very informative. We very much enjoyed their company and appreciate their knowledge of the areas we visited and their willingness to take photos for us!

The Hotel choices were great. I would again stay in the same hotels if I were to go back to India.

I don't really have anything to complain about, I don't think the trip could've gone better. For how little time we had in India, I think the amount was perfect and I would definitely recommend this tour to my friends who plan the travel in India. Thank you for such an enjoyable experience.

Hi Anshumali,
Thank you, we made it home safe and are now back at work into the real world. Haley and I both felt that your team was very ethical and delivered everything as committed. The hotels were everything that we expected for the price we paid. We were very impressed with our drivers the whole tour. They would always pick us up within 5 minutes of us being done touring each site. Our guides were always kind and professional. They were even helping us understand how much we should pay for things in order for us to get a good deal.

I think the only suggestion is that mention somewhere the total cost of monument entrances. This will be of great help to the travelers. Outside of this minor suggestion, Optima Travels was great and we plan on going through your team again if/when we return to India!

Hi Anshumali,
Yes I am back now. Apologies on the delayed response. Please see my detailed recap below:

Hotels: :

I was very satisfied with all the hotels in all the cities. Overall, The Holiday Inn in Delhi and the Grapevine in Varanasi were the best in terms of the quality of the hotel, the service, and the food options. I understand that location is not always possible, and it might be driven by price point, but it would be nicer if the hotels were located more centrally to places that we could visit/explore on foot.

Drivers: :

I was very satisfied with all the drivers in all the cities. Their English in general was not very good, but it was enough where we could communicate if needed. I especially liked the driver I had in Delhi-Jaipur-Agra as he was the most attentive and the one who provided the best service overall (always early, safe driver, and made sure we were dropped off and picked up in safe places).

Air / Train: :

I was very satisfied with all the air travel and the train ride. I was always greeted upon my arrival, and it was easy to locate the driver. The drivers also dropped me off at the airport with sufficient time to check in and relax. Sometimes it was a bit too early, but I would rather be early than late. I understand that timing is not always easy, but I think the optimal time to be dropped off at the airport for a domestic flight is 2 hours beforehand.

As for the train ride, I knew that there could be delays. I understand that this is part of the experience, but it was the hardest part of the ride (waiting at the station for the train to arrive - about 2 hours delayed). Finding the seat was simple once I was guided on to the correct car, and the berth was better than I expected. My recommendation for people doing this in the future would be to warn them that larger suitcases don’t fit under the berths and will have to be stored elsewhere. My suitcase did fit so I was lucky. Also, it was a bit challenging to know when to get off the train as the signs were not very apparent, but I had help so it was ok (the person riding in the same area helped me out).

Guides / Tour: :

Overall, the guides and the itineraries were awesome. I liked that the guides were flexible with respect to traffic, time spent at each place, and side options where available (driving a different way to get a different view of some attractions). They were also very accommodating with timing the lunches and making sure I had water and that I had an opportunity to use the restroom when needed. Also, all the guides were good with helping me with taking pictures (in the best spots).

Delhi - I know I mentioned initially that I liked this guide, but after having experienced all the other guides, I would revise my review and say he was just ok. There was nothing wrong with him, it’s just that all the other guides provided so much more information, historical perspective, and personal meaning in their respective cities.

The other five guides were excellent. I would highly recommend all of them to anyone visiting India. I felt all five of them cared about my well being and about my experience in each city. Each of them added a personal touch to their tour - adding what made their city special to them. It is difficult to rank or separate the five of them, but if I had to, I would pick the Jaipur and Mumbai ones as the two best. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with them as they immediately made me feel like I was part of their personal family. But as I mentioned, I would highly recommend the Agra, Varanasi, and Aurangabad guides again as they were also extremely excellent. These five guides made my trip memorable in a way that I will always remember India and the specific places each person took me to.

I do have one favor to ask you. If possible, would you be able to provide me the name and email address of the guide in Jaipur? I wanted to send him a personal note to thank him.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to reach out. Thank you for setting up an amazing tour! I highly recommend Optima Travels as thoroughly ethical and professional India tour facilitator. You can pass on my email or contact number to any prospect who wants to be doubly sure about credentials of Optima Travels.

Good Morning! Mr. Tiwari,
Thanks for everything. We did not have any problems at all. All 4 guides & the driver Amar Singh are very knowledgeable, courteous & very punctual. It has been very hectic since we returned from Jaipur. Feel free to use me & Suvarnaji for reference if you need to. We will definitely utilize your services again if we plan a Trip to Simla & Shrinagar in Future. We don't have any suggestions for improvements since there was not a single problem. We would have liked it better if the guides & the driver would eat with us since we consider them friends & that's what we do wherever we go but I think you have your reasons & they were following their policy. I was raised with the Vashudaivya Kutumbakam principle & though I'm a Brahmin by birth married to Patel We both believe in the Principle which has greatly facilitated our past travels. If you ever come to Houston, Texas in future let us have a chance to be the host. We live only 90 minutes drive from Houston airport. Thanks again & wish you more success in your life.

Good Morning! Mr. Tiwari,
Thanks for everything. We did not have any problems at all. All 4 guides & the driver Amar Singh are very knowledgeable, courteous & very punctual. It has been very hectic since we returned from Jaipur. Feel free to use me & Suvarnaji for reference if you need to. We will definitely utilize your services again if we plan a Trip to Simla & Shrinagar in Future. We don't have any suggestions for improvements since there was not a single problem. We would have liked it better if the guides & the driver would eat with us since we consider them friends & that's what we do wherever we go but I think you have your reasons & they were following their policy. I was raised with the Vashudaivya Kutumbakam principle & though I'm a Brahmin by birth married to Patel We both believe in the Principle which has greatly facilitated our past travels. If you ever come to Houston, Texas in future let us have a chance to be the host. We live only 90 minutes drive from Houston airport. Thanks again & wish you more success in your life.

Hello Anshumali,
Hi I'm good. We are back in U.S. Our experience with you & definitely with Optima Travels was excellent. We will definitely give you chance to serve us next time.

Hello Anshumali,
It was a wonderful trip of India. I had travelled India twice before but the responsiveness and customization to our peculiar demands were most well taken by Optima Travels. Very soon I’m returning to India with family and surely Optima will be the only contact. I highly recommend you and Optima Travels for delightful services.

Hello Anshumali,
Sorry for the last response, I’ve been so busy since I got home! Our first and last guides were really great. They were laid back, funny, and very informative about the sights we were seeing. We loved our driver! He pointed out so much along the roads that we would’ve missed otherwise. I appreciate how organized the tour was and how knowledgeable the staff was. Being women, we were a bit apprehensive but the way Optima Travels looked after and monitored every aspect of travel, it’s safe & enjoyable. Woman folks may ‘completely’ rely on you guys. One suggestion I would recommend would be to take tourists to the local markets in addition to fancy shops. We highly recommend Optima.

Hello Anshumali,
I will write my review in Spanish so i can write better.

Mi experiencia con optima travels fue inmejorable. Super responsables y atentos en todo momento. Al llegar a cada aeropuerto ya estaban esperándome.

El chófer, los guías y Anshumali en todo momento con la mejor predisposición para ayudarme y llevarme a los lugares que quisiera ir.

Y el tour muy completo, fuimos a todos los lugares que estaban programados, sin tener que esperar en ningún lado.

Me sentí muy segura, algo que es muy importante y más si están viajando solos como era mi caso.

Los hoteles muy lindos, especialmente el Holiday Inn de Nueva Delhi.

Totalmente recomendable, trabajan con mucho profesionalismo y responsabilidad.

Dear Ajeet,
Sorry for the delay. Unfortunately, I was quite busy last weeks. First of all thank you for organizing the great tour. We enjoyed it a lot. A detailed feedback is following:

Driver : Driver Silinder was excellent- always on time, very humble and courteous, prompt and friendly. He was familiar with the traffic and crowdy streets. Always felt safe with him. Thumbs up.

Guides : Both Delhi Guides were having good knowledge about all the palaces, monuments, tombs, temples, ... The second Guide was very friendly and we enjoyed his company. The Guide in Agra impressed with his profound knowledge of all the attractions in Agra. Unfortunatley, because of his accent, it was a little bit difficult for us to understand him. Later we got used to it. The Guide in Fathepur Skiri was very freindly. He informed us very well about the palace and all the attractions inside the complex there. At Jaipur, the guide was friendly and knowledgeable but sometimes we had to ask to get some more information about the attractions in Jaipur. Second day, at the Birla Temple he surprised us with his deep knowledge about the Hindu religion.

Tour : Delhi and Agra were well organized. We enjoyed it. But, in Jaipur we enjoyed the tour most. Furthermore, we liked the cultural programs arranged by Mr. Krishna. Besides the monuments and other famous attractions in Jaipur, it might be very interesting to experience the Thar dessert and the village life in Rajasthan.

Me sentí muy segura, algo que es muy importante y más si están viajando solos como era mi caso.

Hotels : All hotels were exceptionally good. Service was excellent. Room in Maidens (Delhi) was superb.

All in all, we enjoyed our golden triangle tour!!! Once again, thank you very much for your great support before and during the tour. We'll definitely recommend Optima Travels.

Dear Ajeet,
Just wanted to share my feedback. First of all, sorry for the delay in feedback. It was a very nice experience in Kerala. We had no issues in our scheduled trip. Thanks to you for your regular follow up with us. Hotels, car, guides and several activities- all well chosen and planned. Keep up the good spirit. Hope to have another deal with you very soon.

Dear Anshumali,
First of all thanks for the follow-up to get my feedback. Ana is in NYC right now so she will probably not be able to send an e-mail with her feedback but I have spoken with her and my mail also summarizes her comments.

First of all we would like to thank you for being such a professional person and for the way you handle your company. Since the beginning you were flexible with our specific requirements. You were extremely patient with the changes we had to make to the itinerary to make it fit with my other plans and were never upset that I kept changing things. I appreciate the fast answers and the suggestions and adjustments.

At the end we had an itinerary that was not perfect due to our own restrictions but that was tailored to our needs. Everything thanks to you.

Ana (and myself) loved the fact that you surprised us with an upgrade in our hotel class without us expecting it. It was a very welcomed surprise that made our trip even better. We enjoyed the hotels in India and I can honestly say that they were excellent. We especially enjoyed the legacy hotel in Jaipur as it was a different experience.

All the persons that were with us (our driver, the guides, the hotel staff) were friendly and willing to make our stay better. We complied with the schedule without issues and in every moment we felt safe and cared for. You have great people working with you. Please tell them that we appreciate everything they did for us. The sights in India were breathtaking. It is really a beautiful country that has a lot to offer. It is a pity that we could only be there for such a short time and just for the highlights of North India. We hope that we can plan a return trip and know more of such a beautiful country with such friendly people. And we would like to express our gratitude and satisfaction in BOLD-WHENEVER WE MAKE ANOTHER TOUR OF INDIA IT WILL BE OPTIMA TRAVELS AS OUR INDIA TOUR FACILITATOR. WE RECOMMEND EVERYBODY HIGHLY ABOUT OPTIMA TRAVELS TO SELECT FOR INDIA TOUR.

Hello Anshumali,
Namaskar
Regarding the trip, our experience overall was quite positive. We had a good time and we enjoyed our tour. I would certainly recommend you to any friends who might be interested in a similar tour in India.

The guides were satisfactory everywhere. We particularly liked the guide at Fatekpur Sukri. We felt the guide at Jaipur was also quite good and deserves commendation as well. The other guides were fine, but these two stood out.

Ravi, our driver was very good and we were quite satisfied with him. He was very accommodating and provided excellent service throughout the trip.

Your representatives who greeted us at each city were also fine. The representative who was supposed to greet us on arrival at Udaipur did not show up. This did not cause any problems, but I thought you should know that he did not greet us. He did call us to find out what time we planned to start the tour the next day – and then turned up and took up all responsibilities very nicely.

The hotels were fine overall. The hotel in Pushkar (Pushkar Palace) was clearly not "5*" but a very nice heritage hotel. I clearly agree that it is the best hotel in Pushkar. The service was fine there.

Hello Anshumali,
Thank you for wanting our feedback!

1: Your calling us every morning was really helpful. It showed that you cared and you wanted to make sure that everything was going well.

2: The itinerary included various activities that one would not experience in one single journey. It had a camel ride in a desert, an elephant ride to a palace, a stay at the beach, boat rides on a river, cultural shows, sound and light shows, stay in desert in tents, rickshaw ride, horse cart ride etc. Very good experience.

3: You were extremely helpful when we had accidentally taken the wrong luggage in Mumbai. For that, we're very grateful.

4: Very professionally managed tour with great hotels, very good drivers and knowledgeable guides.

5: Varanasi guide was an excellent and very knowledgeable guide but out of the group of five persons, he was friendly to everybody but less amicable to me.

The whole tour was pretty much perfect. Thank you very much. I'm also recommending your agency to friends here interested in traveling in India.

Hello Anshumali,

Sorry for late reply. Yes we reached France after 15 days in India. The Taj Mahal tour that you organized was perfect. Hotel was truly luxury. The driver very nice and very good in his driving!!!! The guide was good and we did a very good tour.

Thank you for everything and we will recommend you among our friends.

Hello Anshumali,

First sorry for the delay of our reply, then thanks for the references of books you sent us! We were waiting for them! Our travel in India was great, we learned a lot, and enjoyed your heritages and food. We also faced our prejudice (good or bad) about Indian culture.

We are very happy and we will come again in the future (when the money allows!)

We wish you all the best for you and your family.

Hello Anshumali,

We are back in France and I wish to inform you that we will keep a wonderfull souvenir of this travel in India.

The journey was well organised and timely optimized, never in a hurry but also with no waste time.

The hotels have all been of good standard, the driver and the guides were perfect. We really enjoyed this stay in your country and have already recommended Optima Travels to some of our friends.

Hello Anshumali,

First of all, we want to thank you for the fabulous trip you organized for us. It surpassed our expectations. Everything you promised you delivered. We won't hesitate to recommend your agency Optima Travels. Your services and cooperation were extraordinary.

I want to mention our driver Deepak Josji. He was the best. He made the trip for us. His driving on Indian road was perfect. We always felt safe and secure. He was always on time with a big smile on his face. He was always available and ready to help us. He his a big plus for your company and I think he deserves a salary raise.

Our guides for the most part were very good and knowledgeable. The French guides in Delhi-Varanasi-Khajuraho-Agra-Jaipur were excellent. French guide in Bikaner was ordinary but not as good as the others. He is the one I would not recommend.

Our hotels in Delhi-Varanasi-Khajuraho-Jaipur-Udaipur-Jaisalmer-Bikaner were the best. Tridents being the top of the top. Whyndham Grand in Agra is a very nice place but the bathrooms needs to be renovated, service there was extraordinary but it does not compare to Trident. Bal Samand is a very nice legacy property. Pushkar Palace was ok, but for a non-Hindu, I don`t think there is a need to go to Pushkar, not much to see there. The only thing that we did not like in the entire trip was going to Mandawa, there is nothing to see there, nothing to do, a few abandonned buildings with paintings on the wall. We did a 45 min. tour of the city and that was it. Though you had explained me in the very beginning that halt in Mandawa necessary to have a break in otherwise very long journey

Thank you again, we are full of memories and we are promoting India and your company to our friends.

Hello Anshumali,

Thank you for your email!

Yes, we are back to Germany and everything is back to normal. Once again, thank you for the hospitality and caring we have received from your company and especially from you!

Everything worked very smooth and was very well organized. The accommodation (luxury hotels) was perfectly selected according to our needs. There has not been a single moment, where we felt unsafe or worried. Not to forget our driver, Mr Malkit Singh, who was a great help to us. Without his local knowledge, his driving abilities and his reliability, the trip would not have been the same!

The three weeks in your country will remain in our memory and we will always remember India as a place that is well worth to be visited. We don’t know, what the future will bring, but we might be back someday, to visit a different part of your country.

Kim is back to school, enriched by a wonderful experience.

Dear Mister Tiwari,

Thank you for your email!

Thanks for the perfect organization of the travel. My health gets better every day, I am still a bit weak but in a week I should be at full speed. I think I've never been as sick in my life but your guides and drivers made my life easy. Also the comfort in the hotels was very much appreciated. The first driver, Prakash, was excellent. He drove perfectly secure yet fast, recommended sites to visit on the road, tried to help with the post. His English (and the 5 local languages) was excellent and he was very friendly. I can give him my highest recommendations.

Thanks again for everything

My partner Koji found Optima on-line: we were impressed with what they could offer and the price (especially when compared to tours on offer through local – New Zealand – travel agents). In fact we were a little wary: it almost seemed too good to be true.

Right from the beginning, Mr Anshumali (our main Optima contact) offered us great service: tailoring an itinerary to match our wish list; giving advice and answering all our questions via regular Skype calls with Koji; booking internal Indian flights on our behalf.

As Japanese and New Zealand citizens, Koji and I were both able to utilise the Visa on Arrival service in New Delhi. Once through the gate, we were met by two Optima representatives –including the ever helpful Mr Anshumali himself - who set the friendly and informative tone that was to continue throughout our experience of India.

Each guide seemed to become our new favourite; sharing special places with us and proving knowledgeable, friendly, and flexible to our wishes. I myself am currently completing study in Tourism and Tour Guiding, and I was impressed at the guides’ ability to make a wide variety of new and culturally diverse experiences accessible and enjoyable. We were taken to villages, homes and schools; shown family photos; invited several guides and drivers - especially the wonderful Maken-gi (sorry if I haven’t gotten his name right) - to share meals with us: all of which personalised our trip and made our experience of India even more special.

We had been given a choice of accommodation in each city we visited: overall we were very happy with the choices that were made. I was particularly impressed that at each new destination, we received a follow-up call from Optima to ensure that everything was satisfactory: it was. I felt that we were listened to, and that our few, minor criticisms were acted on immediately.

I loved our trip to India, despite the fact we tried to pack far too much in our limited time there. I found it to be surprising, colourful, vast, diverse and fascinating. I came home wanting to return and spend much more time in most of the places we visited, in addition to exploring other parts of this fascinating country. I will definitely utilise the services of Optima Travels on my return.

Abdul Khan: Namaste Mr Tiwari, Meri tabiyat thik hai. Ap ki tabiyat kaisi hai? Glad to inform you that my bag eventually arrived here yesterday. Apparently it went through to London, UK.....dunno how that happened but just glad that i managed to get it back unharmed. U bet....there was so much memorabilia in there especially from Kwaja Mohineedin Chisti from Ajmer, i was so disapointed wen i didnt see my bag, and to have it surface here a whole week later was really a God send.

I cudn’t thank you enough for the way in which you set out the itinerary. It was exactly how we actually wanted it, a few temples, a few islamic and lots of exotic sights! I must add, extremely professionally done, would use your services any other time we are back in India and you can count on it as well, because we definitley will be back!

The hotels were stunning, exceptionally clean and neat, service was excellent at all the hotels...even the one in Jaipur was lovely indeed.

For so long, we heard from many other people who have been to India about various negative issues...and as i told Shaistha when i cam back to SA, let anyone now tell me anything negative about our home country, they'll have ot bear the brunt of my pride of our home country and have ears for all the positive that i will have for them!

It was really good to find Optima Travels on-line, while preparing our trip to India. First contact was by email: they followed up straight away on my suggestion to talk on Skype, which made things so much easier and quickly made a closer relationship.

The itinerary that was made straight away was impressive: our trip wasn’t standard, as we wanted to enter India in New Delhi but leave via Mumbai. They made it suit where we wanted to go.

Buying anything on-line can make you nervous. On first arrival in New Delhi, it was really nice to meet Mr Anshumali face to face. It made me feel comfortable and relaxed; all uncertainty had gone. Where paying up front would have been too worrying, paying the balance on arrival showed trust on Optima’s part and made me feel somewhat safer.

During our trip I felt taken care of: with Mr Anshumali calling every couple of days, asking how happy we are, whether things were running smoothly etc. It was good.

The friendliness and professional manner of each tour guide - how knowledgeable they were - made things easier and enjoyable. India was unlike anything I had experienced before: I did not know what to expect. Optima Travels made things easier, making sure things were comfortable for us.

I would definitely recommend to anyone to travel with Optima for their first time visiting to India: in fact we have already recommended them to friends.

I had an amazing experience of India and I definitely want to return - in the near future, hopefully. And continue the relationship with Optima Travels.

As promised here is the feedback from our holiday, you can post this on your feedback page on your website, or show it to your bosses.

You guys did a great job, well done.

Thank you for all your time and effort, we had a very memorable holiday.

My wife and I recently booked a 17day 5star deluxe holiday in India, through Optima travels. I had looked at various providers both western and Indian, and I found Optima to be the most pro-active, and helpful. The tour and route advice they gave us was excellent. There was no wasted time at any destination, but there was also enough time to feel that we were not rushed and had time to relax as well as see all the sites.

We wanted to experience a true 5star deluxe experience in India, and were keen to stay at as many Oberoi hotels we could fit into our budget. Optima travels were able to secure us a great rate and able to provide many alternatives for the other destinations where we chose only a 5star experience.

We were met by guide, driver and usually an Optima representative from the very 1st pick up at the airport right through to the final drop off back at the airport. We really felt they were with us the whole way. We had one issue which they resolved very agreeably and quickly. I didnt like our guide in Agra, and he was changed with no fuss at all. It was important to me, and certainly enhanced our time in Agra, a very important stop for all India tours.

I would whole-heartedly recommend Optima travels as a company to use when travelling in India, when we return they will be most first call.