Michael
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October 3rd, 2025
Joyful Holidays, headed by Sonia Handa, was wonderful to work with. The communication prior to the tour was complete and prompt. We wanted to arrive a few days early and when the hotel she recommended was unavailable, she directly booked it for us. She also aided me in booking a one-day tour in Chennai shortly after the golden triangle trip. She provided information about Indian visas before the trip. She worked with me so that I could prepay monument fee costs as well as customizing the tour. Additionally, she provided us with a proper protocol for tipping guides, the driver, and porters. Two days before the tour she provided me with a ‘final’ itinerary (guides could change if circumstances called for). I would not hesitate to use Joyful Holidays again.
Hotels: We stayed at four 3-star hotels as part of this trip – Hotel Southgate in Delhi, Hotel Paradise in Agra, Ranthambore Nature Camp & Traditional Heritage Haveli in Jaipur. All were excellent and had a reasonable choice for breakfast, but the Southgate was the best.
Driver: Mr. Gulab was our driver. He joined us at the start of the tour and stayed with us until he dropped us at the airport in Delhi. He kept us well supplied with water and he made rest stops as needed. If we wished to talk, he would converse with us and if we wanted quiet, he would drive. When there was not a guide, he brought us to a suitable restaurant for lunch. He made the trip very pleasant.
Guides: Our guides in Delhi (Shikha), Agra (Dilib), and Jaipur (Madan) were excellent. All were knowledgeable about their cities, but Madan had an especially deep knowledge about Agra. As a note, all brought to good commercial establishments specializing in the crafts of India. They also brought us to restaurants that were able to serve us a broad choice of milder foods (they did have spicier foods as well). In Ranthambore, we saw lots of wildlife but since we were at the end of the rainy season, the tigers were not seen.
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Grace
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October 2nd, 2025
Enjoyed the tour. Saw many beautiful ancient sites, and the accommodation and included meals were great. Our main driver Pooran was the highlight. He was professional, knowledgeable, had a good sense of humour, and his car was spotless. We always felt safe with his driving, and the drives were a comfortable way to see the scenery. We also liked our tour guides in Delhi and in Agra, Dasrat and Bipul. The only reasons I am rating this as a 4 and not 5 star are: we were booked on a "Tiger Tour" at the time of year when it is least likely to see a tiger because most of the zones are closed for mating season. I feel we should have been made aware of this so that we could have adjusted our itinerary accordingly for maximum value. Second, the tour guides in Jaipur and Fatehpur Sikri had a tendency to sit us down in corners looking at walls and then monologue, and when I would look around to appreciate the site that we were in they would say "excuse me" to get my attention back (one even snapped his fingers at me). Finally, the driver that we had from Agra to Delhi airport was unprofessional and terrifying: he drove fast and aggressively while watching YouTube videos and constantly talking on his phone. This was an unfortunate way to end the experience. However, I passed this feedback on to Sonia and she was quick to respond (as she has been from the beginning), and polite and receptive to my feedback. So I am sure these things will be improved for the next people. Thank you Sonia and team for a pleasant and memorable experience!
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Daniel
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September 30th, 2025
Booking process with Ms Sonia, was a dream. Very easy to deal with and good communication.
Upon arriving in New Delhi, we were contacted and greeted by our fantastic driver Rampal. Not only was he a very skilful and professional driver, navigating the chaotic streets with calm and ease, but he was also so very friendly and incredibly knowledgeable about his country. We had a wonderful 5 days being driven by and learning from Rampal who always made us feel comfortable, safe, and most welcome!
Our first day in New Delhi was amazing. We were blown away by all the new sights, sounds, and smells! It is a very impressive city that we were glad to have explored. The rickshaw ride through Old Delhi was a highlight of the day and an experience we will never forget. Our tour guide Sunny was so helpful and informative. He knew so much history and information about each location and really helped us understand this new country, giving us excellent advice, tips, and recommendations that served us very well for the rest of the trip!
Onward to the breathtaking Agra, which was truly the experience of a lifetime. The majesty of the Taj Mahal by sunrise can not be sufficiently expressed in words and the Red Fort was a jaw dropping, eye opening wonder that has us in awe around every turn!! Our tour guide in Agra was Vijay who was so passionate about this city and the locations he took us to. He was a wealth of knowledge and really helped us to understand the depth of history in this incredible city. He also led us safely around the very crowded locations and took many exceptional photographs of us, leaving us with some outstanding tangible memories of this mesmerising city. The hotel in Agra was lovely and comfortable and breakfast was delicious!!
On the way to our next stop, we stopped at the epic Fatehpur Sikri which was surprising in its impressive scale, history and beauty. Our charming guide Bunty took us around this striking moment, giving us rich historical details and sharing a joke or two! It was wonderful addition to our journey.
Our next stop was Ranthambore and despite arriving quite late, the hotel staff were very accommodating and the hotel itself was just gorgeous!
Our tiger safari was early the next morning, and whilst we didn't see any tigers, we saw an abundance of other delightful animals in the lush jungle, and many interesting and unexpected sights on our way there and back through the town. Our guide and driver did their very best to make this lovely experience a memorable one.
Our final destination of the tour was the spectacular Jaipur. After a small glitch with the accommodation booking, that was quickly remedied, our hotel was wonderful and welcome.
The next day we spent sightseeing in Jaipur and was one of the most awe-inspiring of our lives! There is just so much to take in, from the astounding forts and palaces, the mind blowing observatory, to the resplendent Pink City, the sumptuous palace museum, and even to the bustling streets of the city itself! Everything about this stop was fascinating and fantastic! Our guide Rajesh truly helped us to get the most out of this day. He had such a great understanding of the city and it's history, was able to clearly explain to us every aspect of each location and did so with such depth and joy that we couldn't help but be captivated at every turn! Jaipur really was a fabulous way to end what had been a truly magical and memorable holiday!
At each of the locations, there are stops to various factories and workshops that give a bit of insight into how the iconic crafts of India are created. Whilst it is very clearly an opportunity to sell these items, it is also incredibly interesting and, for the most part, time we found well spent.
We were also met at almost all of the locations by local people, either selling their wares or asking for money. At times this was a little confronting and whilst it didn't sour our experience at all, it is something I recommended anyone taking this trip needs to prepare themselves for.
Overall, we had a wonderful time and we highly recommend this trip to anyone who is limited for time and wants to explore a little of this extraordinary country!!
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