Rankine David - Eastern Himalayan Experience Tour, India Holidays

The booking process was extremely efficient and the tour was thoroughly enjoyable and problem free. The price proved to be very good value for money.

This was our third visit to India and we have thoroughly enjoyed our previous visits to the Golden Triangle and the South of India, where we enjoyed the culture and the friendliness of the people. We had long wished to visit Darjeeling and the NE of India.

We were met at the airport in Kolkata, the old capital of The East India Company, where we had a full day’s tour by a guide who provided us with a wealth of information. The buildings and memorials that we saw were examples of living history. We then travelled to Darjeeling and Gangtok, Pelling and Kalimpong in Sikkim. Both our guide and driver for this part of our holiday ensured that we had a thoroughly interesting tour, safely driven in a comfortable and spacious car. Our guides responded to any personal requests that we made, which we very much appreciated.

Darjeeling offered a range of interests and activities. A must is travelling on the "Toy Train" to Ghoom where there is a museum and fascinating monastery to visit. Darjeeling has a lively street market and shops which lead on to a walk round Observation Hill, where we caught our first sight of the Himalayas at sunset - unforgettable. Darjeeling is also the centre of high quality tea production and offers ample opportunity to taste and purchase.

The Oberoi Grand in Kolkata provided outstanding accommodation and service and is ideally located for sightseeing.
The Mayfair Resort in Darjeeling was full of character and delightfully situated. An added luxury was the provision of a coal fire in our room in the evening.
The Elgin Mount in Pelling provided us with the best possible view of the Himalayas, particularly Kanchenjunga, the third highest mountain in the world. We opened the curtains of our room to see the sunrise over the mountains.
The Mayfair resort at Gangtok and the Elgin Silver Oaks at Kalimpong both offered us comfortable accommodation and an excellent choice of food at both breakfast and dinner.

Comfortable, on time, good quality food and attentive service.