The bird sanctuary was amazing. We saw a giant python and so many amazing birds. I have been on many birding tours but this was the best. The guide took pictures with my iPhone and his binoculars. They arranged for the best guide who has been featured on a bbc documentary about the area. Very knowledgeable. We road bikes which is definitely the best way. It is flat and you can cover more ground.
Of course the Taj Mahal was beautiful as were all the other monuments. We didn’t see any tigers but the jeep trip was great anyway. Apparently they are sited more during the summer.
Our driver was especially nice and helpful.
We stayed at the trident in Agra which was great. The food was especially great. We stayed at fatah’s retreat near the national park. It is small, quiet and the owner is very friendly.
A wonderful 4 days.
As a backpacker/traveler type- this tour is exactly what I would expect for someone with experience traveling. The people involved are great, and truly make this trip. They significantly bring up the average (as you'll be able to see from my chastising of the accommodations)
The accommodations 3/5: If you are used to hostel-like environments, this is a step up. If you are expecting 4/5 star-accommodations advertised under this tour's features, this is not it. Of all the hotel stays, the closest was a 3.5 star category hotel. The rest were in the 3-star category, and I suspect that is generous as far as the rest of the hotel-rating world is concerned.
Ranthambore accommodations (Ranthambore National Resort)- about what you would expect. The room is acceptable, and the people are really nice. They are clearly doing the best with what they have.
Agra accommodations (Hotel Atulyaa Taj)- The word unacceptable comes to mind, and I do not use that word lightly. The room did not connect to the wifi the majority of the time, there was construction going on until the late hours of the night, the "Taj facing room" was utterly impossible, and one had to go to the rooftop restaurant at daytime to try to get a view of the Taj Mahal. The wallpaper was peeling, there was an odd smell upon entering the room, from the stains on the slippers, it seems like they were reused, the towels were grey, and half the bathroom flooded when the faucet for the shower was turned on. The only positives was that it was secure shelter, the breakfast was pretty good, and it was a very walk-able distance from the Taj Mahal in the morning. Very convenient.
New Delhi Accommodations (Hotel Surya International)- It's hard for me to judge this one after having had such a poor experience in the previous hotel. This was leagues better, and had everything you'd expect from a traveler hotel. My only complaint is that the room was not as insulated from the outside as I would have liked, given how the room is ventilated. It was quiet enough in the streets at night for that not to be a problem, it was just a bit cold and felt a bit open. Pretty good overall. If the rest of my hotels were like this, I'd have no complaints regarding accommodations at all.
The people involved in the tour (guides, driver, point of contact): 5/5, no notes. They are without a doubt the people who made this an excellent experience.
Anesh, my driver for the tour was excellent. Even in the terrible traffic conditions we found ourselves in, he managed to be cheery and earnest, often pointing out interesting facts about locales that we passed, and giving me my time and space when I was clearly not well rested (in the case of the Agra hotel). 5/5 driver, and the person you'd be interacting with most on this trip. I cannot recommend him enough- he's truly doing a wonderful job in terms of making sure to be flexible, and prioritizing my comfort.
All of the guides were really great. Particular shout-outs go out to Ali for Fatehpur Sikri (truly a talent and great communicator), my absolutely excellent guide for the Taj Mahal (really awesome guide and photographer), the naturalist for the bird sanctuary (who seemed truly passionate and happy to talk about all the birds), and my guide in Delhi, who tried to make the best of my experience by taking me to some of his more personal favorites (like Gandhi's memorial). My deepest apologies for not remembering all of your names (I was told I'd get a list for personal rating later, but that doesn't seem to be happening).
Sukret was a great point of contact. He was responsive, and consistently asked about my experiences afterwards.
Again, the people are truly the gem of a trip like this. Being able to step into a private car and ask the driver where we are going next, and to have him connect with both Sukret and the guides at the destinations made this very hassle-free and extremely convenient. The people make this trip, and I wish I could revisit with what I know now.