Travelbugindia Avis 5

It was a great experience to travel to 4 states in South India during the 21-day splendors of South India trip that started from Bangalore and ended at Chennai with travelbugindia which lived up to all our expectations and in some cases exceeded them. Using travelbugindia's 21 Days splendors of South India holiday, we extended the tour. This all worked very well with an excellent choice of hotels, offering good quality character, Heritage and interesting locations, with most of them offering very high standards of quality and service. It was a delight to experience so many different aspects of South India: its rich heritage, culture, wildlife, mountains, rivers, lakes, animal reserves, busy cities, rural villages, temples, markets, and palaces. Additionally, we enjoyed that the hotels in this area were far from large tourist attractions and big tour groups, allowing us to stay away from the crowds. As a result, we were more connected to local people and their lives and always received a friendly welcome no matter where we went. The tour arrangements were superbly carried out, mainly due to the professionalism, commitment and exemplary service of our Driver John , who carried out a much greater role than just driving which he did excellently. John was attentive to all our needs, comfort and safety at all times, going out of his way to ensure that all our holiday and hotel reservations were organised in a timely manner, building in flexibility to accommodate any additional requests or local activities of interest. To that end we would also congratulate the back-office team at travelbugindia for planning, sourcing and organising these facilities and arrangements.

My wife and I just returned from an 18-day tour of south India with travelbugindia - it was the best holiday we've ever had. Five stars to travelbugindia for organising such an amazing trip!

The South Indian region (we visited Chennai, Mamallapuram, Pondicherry, Madurai, Thekkady, Munnar, Kumarakom, Alleppey and Cochin) was among the most geographically diverse, beautiful, and culturally rich places we have ever visited. It is home to some of the most breathtaking UNESCO sites on the planet, ancient temples, verdant landscapes, and a plethora of fauna and flora. It has something to offer everyone, from the misty mountains of the Western Ghats to the urban beaches, chaotic cities, silent backwaters, endless tea, fruit, and cardamom plantations, as well as the tiger reserve at Periyar Lake. All of it was beautiful and diverse. There was something otherworldly about each place.

Our very own driver made our holiday perfect. George who met us at the airport and drove us throughout the trip in a very comfortable and spacious air-conditioned Innova Crysta. Nothing was too much trouble for him – he was knowledgeable of every place we visited and would always find what we were looking for – whether it was somewhere to convert currency, a fine dining restaurant, a jewellers, a laundry, or medical supplies. With good command of the English language, he was very supportive in translating for us and being a mediator when shopping or speaking with locals. He was truly one of the most humble, helpful, and friendly people we have ever met- and he made us feel safe wherever we visited.

Our tour with travelbugindia was good value for money and inclusive of excursions, entrance fees and even a personal guide at many of the UNESCO sites and attractions we visited – each guide was local to the area and a subject matter expert in the place we were visiting. Because we had a private tour, we could alter the itinerary as we wanted – so added optional visits to an Elephant Sanctuary, Ayurveda Spas, Shopping were all things we were able to do with his help.

Our hotels were all fantastic – if I were to repeat the trip again I would probably opt not to visit the same hotel in Pondicherry – Le Pondy as we felt the service was slow and the food wasn’t great (luke warm buffet) - although dinner was included in our package we decided to eat out. Our favourite hotels were Coconut Lagoon in Kumarakom and The GRT Radision Beach resort at Mammallapuram.

We will definitely be using TravelbugIndia when we book our 2027 tour of Kerala

Tomorrow my wife and I are completing a 2 week trip in Kerala organized by Pratheesh Thomas from Travelbug India. And also thanks to Mr Dilip from Axia for his contribution towards the organization of our trip. We visited Kochi, Munnar, Thekkady, Alleppey, Kollam and Kovalam.
Our fabulous wonderful driver Prem made the trip perfect in every way imaginable. Prem met us at the Kochi airport and upon meeting him I felt happy and knew that with him as driver all would be well. The entire trip turned out to be better than just well. Prem is a fantastic safe driver. He is handsome, calm, kind and patient. He made sure he met our every need and provided us with interesting information. Truly we felt sad when his duties ended and we both miss his magnificent presence. There were others we will never forget especially our Alleppey houseboat hosts Ginesh and Joseph, who went above and beyond to make our experience exceptional.
I highly recommend this travel company. It deserves a perfect review. I have traveled to most countries and I can honestly say this is the best service of all and our trip has definitely been the best of all. My every need has been met. My heart is full.
My husband and I have complete trust in Mr Thomas who was always in the background assuring us. He is the mastermind behind the scenes and he is exactly in the right field of work illustrating his ability to execute a perfect journey experience. Along the way we met only gracious hotel staff and the food has been outstanding with every meal better than any anywhere else. The nature, the plant and animal life matched our service. I have so much gratitude for the people mentioned and I will always recommend this travel company to my friends and family. I want to do it all over again. Every bit of it. Thankfully this trip is mine to cherish forever ❤️👏🏻❤️👏🏻
Sincerely Lois and Chris Cone