The travel business is a great personal
'need'. I will seek half a minute of your time to tell you briefly about
myself. There is perhaps no reason for this, except to give you a bit of an
insight into the background of the person who is seeking to handle your
travel arrangements. I am from a Bengalee (Calcutta - Mother Teresa) middle
class well educated background who grew up without parents and all the
negative complexes that come with it. I have no formal training in the
travel business. I started the business 14 years back with USD 8 (Rs. 335)
from a shed primarily to make friends and 'get back to the world' - so to
say. I have ever since tried all possible to ensure that I do not fall in
the eyes of the people who have trusted me with their trip. We have had
tremendous success with the business. Today we have our own office building
well-trained staff and our deluxe transport. However, I did not notice these
things happen. I just kept enjoying my work and the relationships I built.
The manifestations of success listed above just kept happening on the side.
I feel the business has given me back my self respect, status and above all
friendship and trust of so many people. Hence, life has been a bit of a
roller coaster ride for us and today I can sense a definite shift in
priorities. As life is moving on, my need for money and wealth for myself is
diminishing. Things that I never had - friendship, trust, relationships etc.
- are assuming greater significance. This is what the travel business is
bringing to me.
It is the above shaping of Tapas Banerjee, that has led to the shaping of
the Tapas Banerjee brand of tours.
What is this brand ?
With all that has been said above, it does not require a wizard to figure
out that people are the center of our focus whether it be our people client
or people in the destination. We want our clients to have a greater 'feel'
of the destination, and not just a 'cold' superficial touristy overview.
Home Visit & Dinner With An Indian Family
It was during the regim of Prithviraj, in 1191, that Muhammad of Ghori
invaded India. Prithviraj died fighting the sultan's army, and with the
establishment of the Sultanate in Delhi, a new era began.
Me and my wife, Krishna invite home for dinner each guest passing through
Delhi. This would give our guests an opportunity to experience a typical
Indian home, how they live, their attitude to things etc. This would be an
opportunity to experience typical Indian home food as well as typical Indian
hospitality. The idea is to give you an insight into not only the country,
but, also the people who actually make up the country. But this is a two way
street, and, I must let out a secret. The home dinners appear on the surface
as a value addition to the tour, but, the secret is that this gives me a
great satisfaction - I want to see and interact with the people who have
trusted me. This reminds me at all times the reasons for gaining initiation
to the travel business.
» Lifestyle Experiences :
We not only bring to you the tourist sites, but, the highlight would be
when we shift our focus exclusively from monuments. We accept that cities in
Rajasthan have great monuments which speak of the creative heights achieved
historically by the artists and craftsmen of the land. However, besides
touring these monuments in these cities, we would also have opportunities to
walk through typical bazaars and shop for traditional specialties of each
destination. We would ride 3 wheel cycle rickshaws (accompanied by peals of
laughter from the onlookers as well as the passengers), ride elephants,
witness traditional occupations such pottery, agriculture, brickmaking,
cotton fabrics etc all being made by hand using traditional tools and
implements. We would also stop during our journeys to visit typical
traditional homes that are still mud plastered with a coat of cowdung paste
(Even bullshitting is for a reason !!); markets that are all on the
pavements, roads (sorry trails !) are broad enough to permit only a one way
traffic of donkey carts !!
» Our Guides :
These are 'not just' guides. These are people from well educated cultured
middle class families who can discuss with you on a diverse range of topics
within a friendly and family atmosphere. The idea is we want you to relax,
trust us, and, hence see 'better'.
» Our Hotels :
We suggest handpicked hotels where we not only have value for money rates,
but, these should be places that have atmosphere and charm without
compromising on the amenities that discerning tourists would seek. Of course
the personalisation of service, which is the cornerstone of our endeavour is
an implicit requirement.
» Understanding Your Trust :
We are delighted to receive your trust. I must however tell you that I am
fully alive to the responsibility that comes with this entrustment, and,
will do all possible not to fall in your eyes. We are looking forward to a
long term relationship with our clients based on mutual trust and honesty.
We want to benefit from your good will and will do all possible to ensure
that we generate enough of it. The other problem is that in the travel
business it is very difficult to communicate to people the quality of
services we provide as well as our attitude to the business. Hence, it is
for this reason that we maintain an exhaustive reference list of clients who
could speak for us. That is something that we offer to all our clients (if
requested). In fact, we need to constantly update this list and each booking
that we generate is expected to be added to this list(Only name and e-mail,
with consent). We will of course bend backwards to ensure that guests do not
deny us this opportunity.
Finally, the attitude is that of making a friend. I feel fortunate and
humbled to be in a business that gives me the opportunity to both make money
as well as friends out of complete strangers - can I ask for more ? I am
extending a hand of friendship and an opportunity to experience our brand of
India travel.
Client Feedback
Hi Tapas
I arrived back in London last night - a very wet, cold and dark London it
was too. I just wanted to say what I great time I had in India and what a
terrific job you did arranging everything for us. It could not have been
more wonderful and I have memories to treasure. We especially appreciated
our driver, Sampat, who drove with such care and was a really helpful and
delightful person and I would certainly choose to have him driving should I
return, which I am now planning to do.....maybe next year.
Thank you so much for everything and especially being so helpful at the
very end of our trip when disaster struck in the form of the missing
passport. Our companion, Jeanette, is not such an easy traveller and it
would have been better had it been me without means of travel. Anyway
between your attention and Sampat's care, she seems to have come through her
'ordeal' and is now on her way back to London.
I thank you once again and look forward to renewing our relationship on my
next trip to India, or indeed, any of my friends and family who plan on
doing something similar. I will make sure they all contact you first before
doing anything.
Regards
Carole , U.K.
caroleshuter@mac.com
Namaste Tapas!!! We arrived in Las Vegas two days ago after what we
can only explain as the trip of a lifetime! I'll go on and on in my next
e-mail but quite simply MANY MAHALOS!!! Everything was superb and we even
were given several upgrades here and there. You did an exceptional job with
every details and Mother cannot stop raving about all aspects (except maybe
the tents!) Hoping all is well with everyone and once again thank you for
making sure everything was perfect.
Aloha,
Donna Mier, USA
donnamier@yahoo.com
I want to thank everyone for a most wonderful journey, I have never,
ever been so pampered, and so well looked after. The real story is - I was
spoiled. I think you all left nothing for me to do but enjoy. I also include
every one of the local travel agents, everyone was amazing, I still can't
believe how helpful & caring everyone was, I would especially like to
mention Sajid Shaikh from Garha Tours in Mumbai along with his excellent
driver who looked after me so well. I even got a guided tour of some of the
beautiful buildings left by the British upon arrival in Mumbai.
I had a problem with the hotel in Mumbai as I believe they sold my room and
Sajid helped with that problem. They actually told me that someone from your
office had called from Delhi and told them to cancel my twin room & give
me a single. Because Ankit did such a great job typing vouchers, I was able
to solve the problem very quickly and supposedly got an "upgrade"
which really didn't matter as I was only there for a few hours.
I believe my only problem now will be going back to adventure travel with
small groups, and not being the "only one that matters" anymore. I
will miss the "Princess" treatment I received every step of the
journey. Actually I miss it already.
I want to wish everyone at Trinetra Tours, the most wonderful and Happy
Holiday. Also please give my best wishes to Krishna as well, I will always
remember my dinner and evening out when she was my most gracious & fun
hostess.
Hopefully, someday we can do another journey together.
Also, if any or all of you ever travel to my parts of the world, as in
Western Canada or the Arizona desert, we would be delighted to have you
visit us.
Thank You All Again, I will always remember.
Best Wishes
Lorraine Servello, Canada
ladylor@frontiernet.net
Testimonial for Trinetra Tours
"The tour of India (Delhi, Agra and Rajasthan) which our family
enjoyed during December 2005 and January 2006 (which comprised 15 days), was
one of the best holidays we have ever had. The schedule arranged by Mr
Bannerjee and his team was perfectly suited to the places we wished to see,
and combined the historical splendor of India with exciting adventure. We
rode elephants and camels; saw a tiger in the wild; met some amazing people;
and experienced the flavours and history of this delightful country and its
people, while staying in excellent accomodation.
The tour guides were all experienced local people who knew their cities and
locales well, and were happy to share this knowledge and history with us.
Our driver, Mr Prakash, was the "safest and most courteous driver in
India", and certainly a man we became extremely confident in, and
enjoyed being with, while travelling some "interesting" Indian
roads.
All in all, this is not just a country we will return to, but a travel
agent we will most certainly use again and again, when we return to this
marvellous country. Mr Bannerjee manages your Indian holiday as if he too
were travelling and seeing the sights with you. Our comfort and enjoyment
were the most important things to him and his staff. Would I recommend
Trinetra Tours?..…. without the slightest hesitation!!"
Sincerely
David and Jane Curro.
curroclan@yahoo.com.sg
We had the privilege recently (December-2006-January-2007) of taking a
tour in India organized by Tapas Banarjee.
Mr Banarjee came up with an brilliant and superb itinerary that included
all the Places we were interested in visiting during our tour.
Whilst in India, we found that Trinetra tours had booked all the hotels of
our choice and paid attention to every aspect and details of our tour.
The road transportation was prearranged, structured and well thought out to
accommodate our comfort.
We recommend Trinetra Tours extremely highly for any travel that one may be
considering.
Lastly, Trinetra Tours is dependable, consistent and entirely unfailing in
delivering exemplary service to its clients.
Firoza Lalani
Firoza.Lalani@mbs.gov.on.ca
Hi Tapas,
We have had an amazing journey through India. One's destination is never a
place but a different way of seeing things, and we experienced this
throughout our trip. Thank you for the memories and for the magic.
Best wishes
Roger and Mary White, Australia
simaro@bigpond.net.au
Dear Tapas
We just wanted to write and say thank you and Krishna very much for
inviting us to your house for a lovely meal - it made the end of our time in
Delhi very special. Your hospitality was wonderful.
We thoroughly enjoyed our tour, the driver and the guides were extremely
competent and efficient, at all times we felt safe and very well looked
after. The driver was absolutely amazing.
The sights we saw were truly wonderful - it was a very special week for us-
thank you for everything.
We are here in Goa now - it is very busy getting ready for independence
day. We are enjoying the rest!
Best Wishes
Jan and Les, U.K.
yanwath@aol.com
Dear Tapas,
We arrived safe and sound back in Switzerland this morning. I just wanted
to let you know that we had an amazing trip and thoroughly enjoyed
ourselves. All the details were so well planned and the route proved to be a
great success- a wonderful balance between culture, nature and activities
for the children. We felt very well cared for - the ball was never dropped
and people looked after us very well. We also enjoyed the variation in
accomodation from the beautiful camping ground at Uleiktop to the Rambagh
palace.
We would like to thank you and Mahendra for the excellent preparations,
warm hospitality and especially for making our family dream come true!
Needless to say- we would love to serve as a reference for future clients!
Ulla, Switzerland
ullagoppelsroeder@yahoo.com
Dear Tapas,
A brief note of thanks to you just prior to our departure from India. We
have thoroughly enjoyed our stay here and our tour, which you organized
perfectly.
It has in effect, been two separate holidays to us - first the heritage
trail which we found extremely interesting and your selection of heritage
accommodation was brilliant ! (our favourite location was Udaipur).
Next, the wildlife tour which we found so exciting, having successfully "hunted"
(Photographically of course) 8 tigers and hundreds of rhinos. Our favourite
places were Mogli at Kanha - their staff are to be congratulated there ; and
wild grass at Kasiranga, where again the staff were superb. Our guide
kenwar, at Kasiranga, could not have been better - and what a grand final
destination to complete our wildlife safari !
We were also very impressed with our driver (Udaipur to Agra), Oshuk who
was most courteous, professional and kept the car immaculate.
We also would like to thank your wife Krishna and yourself for the
delicious dinner at your home - again a special event for us, and one of our
memorable India experiences. Please pass our sincere thanks to your family.
We are at present being pampered here at the Imperial hotel - we have been
upgraded and we feel like Royalty on this our last afternoon.
Thanks again for everything - we leave with very happy memories.
Fond regards…..
Pauline & Dave Edwards, Australia
edwair@aapt.net.au
Dear Tapas,
Just a brief note to confirm we arrived home on schedule yesterday.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you - and of course all
Trinetra Tour Staff and representatives - for making our short stay in India
truly memorable.
The tour itinerary was just perfect and the 4 day 'rest and relaxation
break' in Varca, Goa, was the icing on the cake!
Every connection, be it at hotel or airport, was handled with the utmost
efficiency and courtesy.
As we discussed at dinner last saturday - 2 weeks is just not long enough!
Please pass on to Krishna our warmest regards and thanks for making the
evening such a great success.
Also, can you please convey our grateful thanks to your / our driver - Mr
Singh - for taking such great care of us through out the tour.
And of course, please thank Mahendra for dealing with Alitalia and
resolving the lost luggage issue caused by the security scare in London on
the day we travelled.
It was very comforting to know that Mahendra was resolving Alitalia's
problem in Mumbai!
Please add our names to your '110% satisfied customers list' and feel free
to pass on this email ( or our email addresses) to any potential clients.
We are looking forward to a return visit to India in the future.
With our warmest and fondest regards,
Jill and Michael Deighton. U.K.
mike.deighton@dsl.pipex.com
I am only too pleased to give a reference for Tapas and his company,
Trinetra .
A colleague and I have been using Tapas to arrange our group visits to
India every year since 1990. Indeed my first group was his first group when
he opened up in business for himself.
He decided to open his own business because he felt the companies he had
worked for in the tourist industry in India were not giving the kind of
service he believed tourists wanted and deserved. He is a man of great
honour, is trustworthy and reliable. He will arrange the best deal he can
for you, and will always be concerned for your welfare.
In fact he will do his utmost to arrange for you whatever you want. One
year I had asked for (what I later realised was) a very punishing schedule,
encompassing huge distances. Tapas delivered, and I got the schedule I
wanted, but after that year I always put a rider on my requests-- is this do
able and is it sensible! India is so huge, it is easy to look at it and
think of covering distances as we do in the West-- this is not the same
experience in the East!
I have no hesitation in recommending Tapas to you. As I say, he has
consistently given us excellent service and value for money over the last 14
years. many of the people who came with me in the first 2 years, have
returned with me on numerous occasions. They know the visit will be a good
one, well organised and structured through Trinetra Tours.
I hope you enjoy India, it is a stunning wonderful country.
Best wishes
Ms. Julie Wooldridge. U.K.
jerryjuliewooldridge@tesco.net
Tapas,
Now we have been back a week and settling back into our routine, we thought
we would drop you a brief e-mail to say Thank You for organising such an
exceptional holiday.
Where do I start?
First of all a very personal Thanks to your wife, Krishna for such a
welcoming meal at your home.
All your staff, guides and drivers were most professional and courteous -
all the time. Just one example: before leaving Delhi to catch our train to
Udaipur, we had a couple of hours spare. Unbeknown to me, our guide "K-G"
happened to notice me strolling out of the hotel and came up to ask me if I
would like to see another of the sights in Delhi, rather than just resting
in the hotel - so he took us to Gandhi's museum for a delightful visit. Our
driver, Ashok, was obviously a very expert driver. Despite some hair-raising
situations, we did feel safe with him. It does make traffic back in London
appear to be so sedate and unhurried! Ann & I felt very special being
chaperoned across the whole of Rajasthan.
You chose the hotels very well indeed.
We just have to mention the Rohetgarh Fort, in Rohet. The Lonely Planet
guide gives a hint when it says "(it) is a heritage hotel with lots of
character and relaxing gardens.Bruce Chatwin wrote The Songlines here and
William Dalrymple began City of the Djinnes in the same room (15). It's
surprising that they were so diligent, as there's a gorgeous colonnaded pool
and the rooms are lovely." What an understatement! Our room (no. 34)
was originally the old Courthouse block. A magnificent double-storied
apartment, decorated with great style, from the wall frescoes to the
traditional colourful wall hangings - surely it must have been the best in
Rohetgarh? We would have so liked to have spent more time there.
We also thought the Rattan Villas in Jodhpur was very charming. Rather than
calling it an hotel, I would describe it as a very quaint, old-fashioned
guest house. It was delightful chatting to the elderly owner on the veranda,
pointing out his old Polo photos on the walls, including the one of the Duke
of Edinburgh and his father after one match. This was "Jewel in the
Crown" for real. By the way, we had some great home-cooked meals at
Rattan Villas.
I have some of our photos on a public website. If you are interested,
please do visit:-
http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/joefromruislip/album?.dir=/b975&.src=ph&.tok=phRROwEBoHysGJCQ
Needless to say, we would be delighted to act as a reference for you in the
future, please do add me to your e-mail list and we will recommend you to
all our friends.
Thanks again for the fabulous holiday.
Regards,
Joe Franks
90 Park Avenue, Ruislip, Middlesex HA4 7UP
E-mail: joe@thefranksfamily.com
Tel: 01895 639367
Mobile: 07970 988323
Fax: 01895 621528
Tapas Banerjee at Trinetra Tours has arranged several group tours for
me, and his organisation has always been excellent. Hotels have been of a
high standard, and guides and drivers have been friendly and helpful. I have
no hesitation in recommending him to you.
Best wishes,
Ms. Sue Bishop. UK
suebishop.photo@btinternet.com
I am always pleased to offer a reference for Trinetra. There are not
enough superlatives in the English language to describe the level of service
they provided during our tour of Rajistan.
If you meet Tapas, you will certainly be impressed with his warmth and
friendship.
One memorable example of excellent service: We took a side trip to Nepal,
and the return flight was unexpectedly canceled. The next flight left barely
enough time for our connection from New Delhi to the United States. Tapas'
people met us at the airport, and hand-guided us through the maze of
pre-check-in inspections. We literally ran with them to baggage check-in,
managed to get our boarding passes, and boarded the plane. Phew! Two
lessons: Avoid the Nepalese airline (Singapore Airlines flew the same
route), and make sure you've got a friend in New Delhi!
I wish you well, and a safe journey. Do not hesitate to write if you have
any other questions.
Mr. George Henderson. USA
gth@san.rr.com
Dear Tapas
Grettings from London!
We arrived safely home last night. We wish to thank you and your team - in
particular Pal for a very efficient , professional, courteous and
understanding way in which you handled our trip.
We have had the most memorable holiday. It is a pity that we did not have
the opportunity to tell you about the trip and have dinner at your house!.
Never mind next time I promise! We did try to call you from Cochin but had
problems with the telephones.
I thought I should provide you individual feedback fro our trip for
Bangalore and kerala.
Bangalore - Transport pick up and guide - excellent. One minor comment. The
driver could not communicate well and had the guide not been there at the
airport pick up we would have problems communicating!
St Marks hotel which we booked directly should certainly be on top of your
list! Very professional, helpful and courteous staff. I met the general
manager and the M.D. Very Professional, courteous and helpful people. I am
sure they will be able to offer you a corporate rate. Talk to J. P.MENON
GENERAL MANAGER - you can say I have recommended them to you!
Munnar - Excellent overall. Club Mahindra was very good. we were looked
after very well as J. P. Menon had called them! The Kerala Travels and the
Driver - John were excellent. John was very knowledgeable and become one of
the family member by the time we finished the trip!
Coconut Lagoon - Excellent, breathtaking and a very memorable experience!
Travanacore Heritage- lovely property, good food. However not all the staff
were of satisfactory standard in comparison to Club Mahindra or Coconut
Lagoon.
Hilton Trident - Cochin - Excellent. Should go on top of your
recommendations!
Overall - Excellent, memorable and most enjoyable trip. Any travel agent
can organise the trip but it is people like yourself who make the
difference!
The manner in which our trip was handled from the beginning to end is a
great credit to you.You have earned our name being used as a reference! You
are true to your every word and this is very important. Any trip is about
trust and relationship. You may wish to recommend our itenary to others!
We will certainly recommending you to our professional colleagues, friends
and family -
Take care and keep up the good work. Our best wishes are with you and your
team and long may you continue to serve others as you have served us.
Ramila Manek, Nikhil and Nishma wish to convey you and your team their
deepest appreciation for a most memorable trip.
Regards
D. Manek
dilip@dial.pipex.com & HOFS@rcgp.org.uk
Dear Tapas,
We are now home and gradually getting back to normal, but the beauty of our
India trip remains foremost in the minds and hearts of each of us.
The trip was very special in so many ways. Your organization was excellent.
At every city we were met by one of your representatives and taken to our
hotel. The guides were specialists who provided extensive background history
of the various sites, and the drivers were skilled in maneuvering the
sometimes treacherous traffic both in and out of the cities. We could not
have asked for more in terms of organization. Trinetra was there for us at
all times. Certainly, I will recommend your organization. Please feel free
to use our names as references.
And finally, thank you for the wonderful dinner in your home. It was
thoughtful and generous of you and Krishna to provide such a warm
introduction to our tour of India. I hope that when you visit us in the USA
so that we can extend our hospitality to you.
Wishing you the very best.
Mr. & Mrs. Saltzman. USA
rsaltzman2@comcast.net
Hi Tapas,
Namaste
It was wonderful to meet you, and your lovely wife and family, after the
lengthy correspondence we have all had by e-mail - thank you so much for the
friendly dinner, and indeed for everything associated with the tour.
You will know by now that the Tour was a stunning success, and all credit
to you and your staff for making it so! I will certainly contact you when we
start planning our next trip to India.
Best regards
Mr. Patrick Van Hoorn Alkema, U.K
patdoran27@laguna.com.mx
Hi Tapas,
We are now back home to some wonderful soaking rain. The animals were all
thrilled to see us - so it was good to get back.
What a wonderful trip we had ! I have just been looking at some of the
pictures and noticed that in every picture of people - we are either smiling
or laughing - that is how it went the whole way.It was a really awesome
experience visiting your country and meeting so many wonderful people - not
to mention all the magnificent buildings and animals. Thank you for the
great organisation and having people to help us all along the way. We were
very grateful even to the last - that there was an agent who met us in
Mumbai and helped us get to the international terminal and check in.
Thank you once again - we will certainly be back in India as soon as we get
the time and money together !
Please give our love to all we met at Trinetra (and of course your
beautiful wife)
love
Ms. Lindy Dekker, South Africa
equibalance@iafrica.com
Dear Tapas, Amit, Garima and Mahendra,
Thank you very much for your mail and birthday wishes. Thanks to you all,
we have had a wonderful holiday in India. Everything was just perfect. The
advice you gave us and most of the hotels you picked for us were brilliant.
From now on, all my visits to India are going to be arranged through
Trinetra Tours and are going to be through Delhi ( so I can sample more of
Krishna's delicious cooking)! Shyam is in the process of filling the
feedback form. Please feel free to contact me anytime if there is anything I
can do for you from here.
Best regards
M. Popat (U.K.)
M.C.Popat@westminster.ac.uk
Dear Tapas, Amit, Garima and Mahendra,
Thank you very much for your mail and birthday wishes. Thanks to you all,
we have had a wonderful holiday in India. Everything was just perfect. The
advice you gave us and most of the hotels you picked for us were brilliant.
From now on, all my visits to India are going to be arranged through
Trinetra Tours and are going to be through Delhi ( so I can sample more of
Krishna's delicious cooking)! Shyam is in the process of filling the
feedback form. Please feel free to contact me anytime if there is anything I
can do for you from here.
Thanks for all your arrangements -
Mr. Michael White. (USA)
micwhite@cisco.com
Hi Tapas,
We really enjoyed our 10 days trip to India. The whole trip was very good
organized & the travel agent + representatives were really very helpful &
took very much care of us. Without any doubt we will recommend your travel
agency to everybody who wants to visit India.
The driver was beyond our expectations. Excellent behavior !! & we
appreciate the dinner in your house - very well organized.
We have only seen a small part of India & will certainly come back to
explore more of India.
We will certainly use your travel agency again.
Our Best Wishes are with you -
Dr. Marinus Dirks, Netherlands
mphdirks@emirates.net.ae
Dear Tapas
This is just a quick thank you to say how much we enjoyed our recent trip
to India. Everything went very smoothly and we were extremely happy with the
hotels, and all the guides and drivers were very friendly and efficient. I
would have no hesitation in recommending your services to any of my
traveling friends.
Thanks also to Krishna for such a lovely meal last Friday - I can't believe
it was only a week ago. We wish we were still in India as it has been
snowing here since we landed back on Wednesday. Have a nice weekend
Kind regards and lots of love
Juliette Barnshaw and Paul Reid, U.K.
juliette_barnshaw@hotmail.com or juliette@style-media.net
Hello Tapas,
Just a brief note to tell you once again how much we enjoyed our visit to
India and to congratulate you for a great job in planning and executing our
itinerary. We felt pampered all the way. Our special thanks go to Parkash
for his excellent driving and to yourself and Krishna for your gracious
hospitality at home. We are now urging all our friends to go see India the
Trinetra way.
The memories will stay with us forever.
Best Wishes
Shane and May Maloney, Australia
maloney@netspace.net.au
Happy New Year Tapas
I apologize for the delay in responding to you 12/14 note but we are just
now returning to normal after 2 months of traveling and then Christmas
celebrations
with our family.
We could not have been more pleased or satisfied with every aspect of the
arrangements you and your staff put together for our recent trip thru India.
In this day and age it's unusual to receive all that's promised and a
pleasant surprise to get more than expected.
We had not ONE single moment of apprehension. We were met on time at every
destination by your staff or representatives. It was only after we were well
into our journey that we began to realize and appreciate what an excellent
job you had done. Your anticipation of and pre-solved solutions to
situations we had not thought of was a mark of high professionalism!
We took great comfort in the excellent job done by our driver, Mohan Singh.
He watched over us like a mother hen protecting her brood of chicks...
please thank him again for us. Garima is a real public relations asset to
your organization and we really enjoyed her company. Tell her hello and how
much we enjoyed her company.
Please add us to your listing of satisfied friends when sending out your
referral list to prospective customers or forward this note to anyone
inquiring of your services.
Regarding the issue of trust: Of course its difficult to send large sums of
money to someone who could be a smooth internet scam artist. I suppose its
done many times each day. Our frequent e-mails established a feeling of
mutual trust but the clincher for me (after I had already bankwired you the
money) was receipt of the unsolicited e-mail from Garima announcing how,
when and where she would meet us on our arrival.
We enjoyed dinner at your home. it's a very nice personal thing for you to
do and establish's a friendship vrs. a business relationship. If you get to
the USA we hope to reciprocate. You can contact us at 970-870-0856 (primary)
or 310-370-6048 and look forward to seeing both of you again!!
Your friend
Jerry Ebenkamp, USA
jjbe34@yahoo.com
Hi Tapas,
We are back in Canada and are thrilled with our experience in India.
The trip was so well organized. There was not even an iota of a mistake.
Congratulations! You have an excellent team working with you.
Our 2 longtime drivers were great, the one in the North and Kumar in the
South.
They did not leave us one minute. You can recommend them to your best
clients.
We will gladly recommend you to all our friends, and hope to generate more
business for you.
Give my best regards to your wife Krishna and kiss your son for me.
I really enjoyed meeting you and your family.
Thanks again,
Colette Teiller, Canada
ctellier@ad2000.info
Hello Tapas,
I hope Pal told you how happy we were throughout our tour of Rajasthan? I'm
sure he did.
Your ears must have been burning on and off because we spoke about you so
often and so warmly on our recent trip.
Everything went smoothly, just as we had been told it would by your other
clients - and we much enjoyed telling one or two less contented travellers
along the way that our tour had none of the creases or bumps that theirs
seemed to have!
Guides were unfailingly punctual and uncomplaining when we changed a plan
or kept them waiting - which we did occasionally - but of course we
apologised! Their constant philosophy seems to be, "My pleasure"
said with every semblance of sincerity and nothing seemed too much trouble.
I expect they have learned that from you!
Prakash was brilliant and I hope he believed us when we repeatedly told him
so. He seemed to anticipate (and perhaps was familiar with) every bump in
the road and slowed accordingly. He never minded stopping for photos and
always got out of the car when we did, which was not necessary but was none
the less courteous and much appreciated! And of course he smiled. Smiled and
smiled ...You had reassured me that he was one of your best and most
experienced drivers and we could not fault him in any way.
As to the tour - in hindsight perhaps we might have preferred an extra day
or two in the better hotels simply to chill out - but then we might have
missed some of the magnificent sights. It was not too action packed or
exhausting - but the drives were long and that time might have been better
spent had we flown. But...this is not in any way a criticism of your
itinerary and we had such good conversations in the car that those journeys
had a charm of their own. If we can return, as we hope to do, for a tour of
the South it may be something to bear in mind.
The hotel in Jaisalmer was perhaps our least favourite but even there, as
everywhere else, the service was unfailingly friendly and efficient. (It was
just that it had a somewhat heavy atmosphere with its dark furnishings and
empty public areas). Our suite was huge - it even had a bar with bar stools
(!) though no drinks..and the views from its may windows in our ENORMOUS
suite were of flat rooftops and rows of metal chairs! But our favourite
hotel was the Devi Gahr. What can I say? We all loved it. I was ill there (
yes...flattened for a day) but even so it was my favourite place. I am glad
to report that David, Penny and Anthony were well throughout the holiday.
The other really super hotel was the Oberoi in Agra. We shall never forget
arriving towards dusk and catching our first glimpse of the Taj Mahal in the
warm evening air on the hotel terrace. I must tell you about the one
unfortunate incident there when David took a step backwards and landed at
full length with complete submersion into the decorative pool by the
restaurant. It was unnerving for a second or two but when it was clear he
was unhurt ( having just missed the large decorative elephant in the centre
of the pool) we all saw the funny side and laughed and laughed - David as
much as any of us.
The guides in Delhi and Agra were the best of the lot. They certainly knew
their stuff and we were able to exchange views and learn from them. The
others were good too but not always easy to understand...We marvelled at
their ability to speak English at all since they say they learned it simply
from their experience as guides. All were friendly and helpful. Our friends
who had booked with another operator in England were less pleased (in the
smaller details ) and their guides were not always punctual.
Your tourist representatives were always in the lobbies upon our arrival
ready to welcome us. You have certainly built up a good network.
What else can I tell you? It was really just GREAT! We miss India - the
heat and friendliness and beauty of it all.
I hope this feedback is helpful. It is written partly as a post-holiday
indulgence - and partly as (what I hope might be) a help to you.
We all send you warmest greetings and so many thanks for introducing India
to us in such style and without any worries.
Please give my best wishes also to Krishna and your lovely son,
With love,
Rosemary Morton Jack
rosemary@mortonjack.plus.com
Clients identity have been protected, but full names and e-mail
details would be made available upon request.
I am only too pleased to give a reference for Tapas and his company,
Trinetra .
A colleague and I have been using Tapas to arrange our group visits to
India every year since 1990. Indeed my first group was his first group when
he opened up in business for himself. He decided to open his own business
because he felt the companies he had worked for in the tourist industry in
India were not giving the kind of service he believed tourists wanted and
deserved. He is a man of great honour, is trustworthy and reliable. He will
arrange the best deal he can for you, and will always be concerned for your
welfare.
In fact he will do his utmost to arrange for you whatever you want. One
year I had asked for (what I later realised was) a very punishing schedule,
encompassing huge distances. Tapas delivered, and I got the schedule I
wanted, but after that year I always put a rider on my requests-- is this do
able and is it sensible! India is so huge, it is easy to look at it and
think of covering distances as we do in the West-- this is not the same
experience in the East!
I have no hesitation in recommending Tapas to you. As I say, he has
consistently given us excellent service and value for money over the last 14
years. many of the people who came with me in the first 2 years, have
returned with me on numerous occasions. They know the visit will be a good
one, well organised and structured through Trinetra Tours.
I hope you enjoy India, it is a stunning wonderful country.
Best wishes
Ms. Julie Wooldridge. U.K.
jerryjuliewooldridge@tesco.net
Tapas Banerjee at Trinetra Tours has arranged several group tours for
me, and his organisation has always been excellent. Hotels have been of a
high standard, and guides and drivers have been friendly and helpful. I have
no hesitation in recommending him to you.
Best wishes,
Ms. Sue Bishop. UK
suebishop.photo@btinternet.com
I am always pleased to offer a reference for Trinetra. There are not
enough superlatives in the English language to describe the level of service
they provided during our tour of Rajistan.
If you meet Tapas, you will certainly be impressed with his warmth and
friendship.
One memorable example of excellent service: We took a side trip to Nepal,
and the return flight was unexpectedly canceled. The next flight left barely
enough time for our connection from New Delhi to the United States. Tapas'
people met us at the airport, and hand-guided us through the maze of
pre-check-in inspections. We literally ran with them to baggage check-in,
managed to get our boarding passes, and boarded the plane. Phew! Two
lessons: Avoid the Nepalese airline (Singapore Airlines flew the same
route), and make sure you've got a friend in New Delhi!
I wish you well, and a safe journey. Do not hesitate to write if you have
any other questions.
Mr. George Henderson. USA
gth@san.rr.com
Dear Tapas,
Grettings from London!
We arrived safely home last night. We wish to thank you and your team - in
particular Pal for a very efficient , professional, courteous and
understanding way in which you handled our trip.
We have had the most memorable holiday. It is a pity that we did not have
the opportunity to tell you about the trip and have dinner at your house!.
Never mind next time I promise! We did try to call you from Cochin but had
problems with the telephones
I thought I should provide you individual feedback fro our trip for
Bangalore and kerala.
Bangalore - Transport pick up and guide - excellent. One minor
comment. The driver could not communicate well and had the guide not been
there at the airport pick up we would have problems communicating!
St Marks hotel which we booked directly should certainly be on top of your
list! Very professional, helpful and courteous staff. I met the general
manager and the M.D. Very Professional, courteous and helpful people. I am
sure they will be able to offer you a corporate rate. Talk to J. P.MENON
GENERAL MANAGER - you can say I have recommended them to you!
Munnar - Excellent overall. Club Mahindra was very good. we were
looked after very well as J. P. Menon had called them! The Kerala Travels
and the Driver - John were excellent. John was very knowledgeable and become
one of the family member by the time we finished the trip!
Coconut Lagoon - Excellent, breathtaking and a very memorable
experience!
Travanacore Heritage- lovely property, good food. However not all the staff
were of satisfactory standard in comparison to Club Mahindra or Coconut
Lagoon.
Hilton Trident - Cochin - Excellent. Should go on top of your
recommendations!
Overall - Excellent, memorable and most enjoyable trip. Any travel agent
can organise the trip but it is people like yourself who make the
difference! The manner in which our trip was handled from the beginning to
end is a great credit to you.You have earned our name being used as a
reference! You are true to your every word and this is very important. Any
trip is about trust and relationship. You may wish to recommend our itenary
to others!
We will certainly recommending you to our professional colleagues, friends
and family - Take care and keep up the good work. Our best wishes are with
you and your team and long may you continue to serve others as you have
served us. Ramila Manek, Nikhil and Nishma wish to convey you and your team
their deepest appreciation for a most memorable trip.
Regards
D. Manek
dilip@dial.pipex.com & HOFS@rcgp.org.uk
Dear Tapas,
We are now home and gradually getting back to normal, but the beauty of our
India trip remains foremost in the minds and hearts of each of us.
The trip was very special in so many ways. Your organization was excellent.
At every city we were met by one of your representatives and taken to our
hotel. The guides were specialists who provided extensive background history
of the various sites, and the drivers were skilled in maneuvering the
sometimes treacherous traffic both in and out of the cities. We could not
have asked for more in terms of organization. Trinetra was there for us at
all times. Certainly, I will recommend your organization. Please feel free
to use our names as references.
And finally, thank you for the wonderful dinner in your home. It was
thoughtful and generous of you and Krishna to provide such a warm
introduction to our tour of India. I hope that when you visit us in the USA
so that we can extend our hospitality to you.
Wishing you the very best.
Mr. & Mrs. Saltzman. USA
rsaltzman2@comcast.net
Hi Tapas,
Namaste
It was wonderful to meet you, and your lovely wife and family, after the
lengthy correspondence we have all had by e-mail - thank you so much for the
friendly dinner, and indeed for everything associated with the tour.
You will know by now that the Tour was a stunning success, and all credit
to you and your staff for making it so! I will certainly contact you when we
start planning our next trip to India.
Best regards - Mr. Patrick Van Hoorn Alkema, U.K
patdoran27@laguna.com.mx
Hi Tapas,
We are now back home to some wonderful soaking rain. The animals were all
thrilled to see us - so it was good to get back.
What a wonderful trip we had ! I have just been looking at some of the
pictures and noticed that in every picture of people - we are either smiling
or laughing - that is how it went the whole way.It was a really awesome
experience visiting your country and meeting so many wonderful people - not
to mention all the magnificent buildings and animals. Thank you for the
great organisation and having people to help us all along the way. We were
very grateful even to the last - that there was an agent who met us in
Mumbai and helped us get to the international terminal and check in.
Thank you once again - we will certainly be back in India as soon as we get
the time and money together ! Please give our love to all we met at Trinetra
(and of course your beautiful wife)
Love
Ms. Lindy Dekker, South Africa
equibalance@iafrica.com
Dear Tapas, Amit, Garima and Mahendra,
Thank you very much for your mail and birthday wishes. Thanks to you all,
we have had a wonderful holiday in India. Everything was just perfect. The
advice you gave us and most of the hotels you picked for us were brilliant.
From now on, all my visits to India are going to be arranged through
Trinetra Tours and are going to be through Delhi ( so I can sample more of
Krishna's delicious cooking)! Shyam is in the process of filling the
feedback form. Please feel free to contact me anytime if there is anything I
can do for you from here.
Best regards
M. Popat (U.K.)
M.C.Popat@westminster.ac.uk
Dear Tapas,
I enjoyed my trip to India. Your guide & driver took away all the
stress of travelling & allowed me to focus on experiencing this great
country.
Thanks for all your arrangements.
- Mr. Michael White. (USA)
micwhite@cisco.com
Hi Tapas,
We really enjoyed our 10 days trip to India. The whole trip was very good
organized & the travel agent+representatives were really very helpful &
took very much care of us. Without any doubt we will recommend your travel
agency to everybody who wants to visit India.
The driver was beyond our expectations. Excellent behavior !! & we
appreciate the dinner in your house - very well organized.
We have only seen a small part of India & will certainly come back to
explore more of India.
We will certainly use your travel agency again.
Our Best Wishes are with you -
Dr. Marinus Dirks, Netherlands
mphdirks@emirates.net.ae
Dear Tapas
This is just a quick thank you to say how much we enjoyed our recent trip
to India. Everything went very smoothly and we were extremely happy with the
hotels, and all the guides and drivers were very friendly and efficient. I
would have no hesitation in recommending your services to any of my
traveling friends.
Thanks also to Krishna for such a lovely meal last Friday - I can't believe
it was only a week ago. We wish we were still in India as it has been
snowing here since we landed back on Wednesday. Have a nice weekend
Kind regards and lots of love
Juliette Barnshaw and Paul Reid, U.K.
juliette_barnshaw@hotmail.com or juliette@style-media.net
Hello Tapas, ,
Just a brief note to tell you once again how much we enjoyed our visit to
India and to congratulate you for a great job in planning and executing our
itinerary. We felt pampered all the way. Our special thanks go to Parkash
for his excellent driving and to yourself and Krishna for your gracious
hospitality at home. We are now urging all our friends to go see India the
Trinetra way. The memories will stay with us forever.
Best Wishes
Shane and May Maloney, Australia
maloney@netspace.net.au
Happy New Year Tapas
I apologize for the delay in responding to you 12/14 note but we are just
now returning to normal after 2 months of traveling and then Christmas
celebrations with our family.
We could not have been more pleased or satisfied with every aspect of the
arrangements you and your staff put together for our recent trip thru
India.In this day and age it's unusual to receive all that's promised and a
pleasant surprise to get more than expected.
We had not ONE single moment of apprehension. We were met on time at every
destination by your staff or representatives. It was only after we were well
into our journey that we began to realize and appreciate what an excellent
job you had done. Your anticipation of and pre-solved solutions to
situations we had not thought of was a mark of high professionalism!
We took great comfort in the excellent job done by our driver, Mohan Singh.
He watched over us like a mother hen protecting her brood of chicks...
please thank him again for us. Garima is a real public relations asset to
your organization and we really enjoyed her company. Tell her hello and how
much we enjoyed her company.
Please add us to your listing of satisfied friends when sending out your
referral list to prospective customers or forward this note to anyone
inquiring of your services.
Regarding the issue of trust: Of course its difficult to send large sums of
money to someone who could be a smooth internet scam artist. I suppose its
done many times each day. Our frequent e-mails established a feeling of
mutual trust but the clincher for me (after I had already bankwired you the
money) was receipt of the unsolicited e-mail from Garima announcing how,
when and where she would meet us on our arrival.
We enjoyed dinner at your home. it's a very nice personal thing for you to
do and establish's a friendship vrs. a business relationship. If you get to
the USA we hope to reciprocate. You can contact us at 970-870-0856 (primary)
or 310-370-6048 and look forward to seeing both of you again!!
Your friend
Jerry Ebenkamp, USA
jjbe34@yahoo.com
Hi Tapas,
JWe are back in Canada and are thrilled with our experience in India. The
trip was so well organized. There was not even an iota of a mistake.
Congratulations! You have an excellent team working with you. Our 2 longtime
drivers were great, the one in the North and Kumar in the South. They did
not leave us one minute. You can recommend them to your best clients. We
will gladly recommend you to all our friends, and hope to generate more
business for you.
Give my best regards to your wife Krishna and kiss your son for me. I
really enjoyed meeting you and your family.
Thanks again,
Colette Teiller, Canada
ctellier@ad2000.info
Hello Tapas,
I hope Pal told you how happy we were throughout our tour of Rajasthan? I'm
sure he did. Your ears must have been burning on and off because we spoke
about you so often and so warmly on our recent trip.
Everything went smoothly, just as we had been told it would by your other
clients - and we much enjoyed telling one or two less contented travellers
along the way that our tour had none of the creases or bumps that theirs
seemed to have!
Guides were unfailingly punctual and uncomplaining when we changed a plan
or kept them waiting - which we did occasionally - but of course we
apologised! Their constant philosophy seems to be, "My pleasure"
said with every semblance of sincerity and nothing seemed too much trouble.
I expect they have learned that from you!
Prakash was brilliant and I hope he believed us when we repeatedly told him
so. He seemed to anticipate (and perhaps was familiar with) every bump in
the road and slowed accordingly. He never minded stopping for photos and
always got out of the car when we did, which was not necessary but was none
the less courteous and much appreciated! And of course he smiled. Smiled and
smiled ...You had reassured me that he was one of your best and most
experienced drivers and we could not fault him in any way.
As to the tour - in hindsight perhaps we might have preferred an extra day
or two in the better hotels simply to chill out - but then we might have
missed some of the magnificent sights. It was not too action packed or
exhausting - but the drives were long and that time might have been better
spent had we flown. But...this is not in any way a criticism of your
itinerary and we had such good conversations in the car that those journeys
had a charm of their own. If we can return, as we hope to do, for a tour of
the South it may be something to bear in mind.
The hotel in Jaisalmer was perhaps our least favourite but even there, as
everywhere else, the service was unfailingly friendly and efficient. (It was
just that it had a somewhat heavy atmosphere with its dark furnishings and
empty public areas). Our suite was huge - it even had a bar with bar stools
(!) though no drinks..and the views from its may windows in our ENORMOUS
suite were of flat rooftops and rows of metal chairs! But our favourite
hotel was the Devi Gahr. What can I say? We all loved it. I was ill there (
yes...flattened for a day) but even so it was my favourite place. I am glad
to report that David, Penny and Anthony were well throughout the holiday.
The other really super hotel was the Oberoi in Agra. We shall never forget
arriving towards dusk and catching our first glimpse of the Taj Mahal in the
warm evening air on the hotel terrace. I must tell you about the one
unfortunate incident there when David took a step backwards and landed at
full length with complete submersion into the decorative pool by the
restaurant. It was unnerving for a second or two but when it was clear he
was unhurt ( having just missed the large decorative elephant in the centre
of the pool) we all saw the funny side and laughed and laughed - David as
much as any of us.
The guides in Delhi and Agra were the best of the lot. They certainly knew
their stuff and we were able to exchange views and learn from them. The
others were good too but not always easy to understand...We marvelled at
their ability to speak English at all since they say they learned it simply
from their experience as guides. All were friendly and helpful. Our friends
who had booked with another operator in England were less pleased (in the
smaller details ) and their guides were not always punctual. Your tourist
representatives were always in the lobbies upon our arrival ready to welcome
us. You have certainly built up a good network. What else can I tell you? It
was really just GREAT! We miss India - the heat and friendliness and beauty
of it all. I hope this feedback is helpful. It is written partly as a
post-holiday indulgence - and partly as (what I hope might be) a help to
you.
We all send you warmest greetings and so many thanks for introducing India
to us in such style and without any worries. Please give my best wishes also
to Krishna and your lovely son,
With love,
Rosemary Morton Jack
rosemary@mortonjack.plus.com
