India Tours NZ — Local services in North Island

October 2017

My family and I travelled with Kiwi n Tiger in India from 23rd Sept - 6th October 2017, we covered Delhi/Varanasi/Agra/Jaipur/Pushkar/Jodphur/Narlai and Udaipur. We had always wanted to go to India so we had looked at it many times and the different ways it could be done, and as fairly experienced and independent travellers we decided India was one of those countries that could be extremely stressful to travel in, especially with a 10 and 13 year old. We also felt that the 14 days we had were going to be so precious we didn’t want to be stressed - we just wanted to absorb!

We looked into lots of different tour options but the elements that were important to us were local knowledge, flexibility (as we can be quite particular!) and feeling like we could put our trust in our tour group. Kiwi’s hate to have the wool pulled over their eyes and it is particularly awkward when you don’t wholly trust the person looking after you.

We came across Kiwi n Tiger and were apprehensive at first because they didn’t have a history, however all our correspondence with Vishal Kulria was very professional and detailed and the KnT website was awesome. But being able to meet with Vishal in Christchurch to discuss our trip was invaluable, we became infected with his passion and enthusiasm for his beloved India. We signed up immediately and it was a great decision. Both Vishal and his partner Shiv we very attentive to our requirements and very helpful with suggestions to make the most our our long awaited trip.

Once in India we were very well taken care off, our driver was excellent, Vishal helped us with bartering when shopping (many local guides take commission), we never had to think about where we were going to eat we just had to decide what we felt like, street food - restaurant - local specialties, Vishal had heaps of suggestions. Also the hotel suggestions made by KnT were great and we experienced some exceptional resort stays, Rawla Narlai in particular. We had to remain flexible because of the children and this was not a problem for KnT if plans had to change.

We wholeheartedly recommend Kiwi n Tiger for any kind of trip to India, our kids really enjoyed themselves and were treated as VIP’s as were my husband and I. India is an amazing country to travel, the culture the history (a large amount of which is crammed into Vishals head) the chaos and colour, it is all I expected and more!

Thanks Vishal, Shiv, Joni and everyone else who made our Kiwi n Tiger trip so...

My friend and I just completed (Nov '24) the 14 day Luxury Taj & Castles tour (ie: Rajasthan - the Golden Triangle) with Vishal the owner/tour leader of India Tours NZ. OMG! what a fantastic tour!!! I am a 'hard marker' and will quickly point out when I'm not getting what I paid for or if someone is out of line, but I can't find fault in this trip. Firstly - great communication from the onset. After we booked we were given the opportunity to join another small group who had requested certain points of interest to be added to the itinerary - so glad we accepted the offer (same price). We were given clear instructions each evening of where/when etc for the following day. They were never late picking us up; texts were sent in the morning to remind us when to expect them etc. We were never left wondering 'where are they?' Vishal had obviously done his homework and used the best local guides who really did know their stuff. He also pointed out things along the way. We only travelled the main highways when we had too so saw the real India; we met and dined with the locals; we saw home grown industries at work; we were the lucky ones who actually saw a tiger and a leopard - our guides very definitely knew their stuff and where the cats would be hiding which the other guides (different company) obviously didn't as their tourists missed seeing the cats. Every day had another 'whoa' factor. We always arrived at the days destination/highlight at the right time (ie: ahead of the crowds/ahead of the heat) so we saw our highlight in the best possible way enhancing the experience further (at the Taj at sunrise and then the Taj from our hotel rooftop at sunset). There were snacks and water/drinks aplenty; travelled in a lovely air-conditioned Mercedes van with reclining seats and wifi. We saw little added extras (little detours) along the way and it was never too much to stop for photos or whatever. Accommodation was great - we even stayed in a 16th century castle!!! What was the highlight - too many to choose from. Have I ever wanted to go to India - no. Am I pleased I went - oh my goodness 'YES'!! I recommend it to everyone. It was so very safe - we (x2 females) never felt at risk even at night when taking a walk on our own; no 'deli belly'; no fear, just lots of laughs and pure amazement! Vishal - you did an awesome job and I hope others accept the opportunity to travel with India Tours NZ. Value for money - YEP! HIGHLY...

My wife and I have recently returned from a tour of India with Kiwi n Tiger. We had looked at several companies but chose Kiwi n Tiger on the strength of their itineraries, small group numbers and most importantly, their reviews. We arrived in Delhi on 6th March and were met by our driver Surendra. As it turned out , Karen and I were the only ones on this tour so we had a luxury SUV and Surendra all to ourselves. We could not have got a better person to escort us for the 16 days of our holiday. He was an amazing driver, food guide, historian, financial adviser and genuinely nice person. At each city or village we had a guide with a great knowledge of the history and culture of whatever we encountered. Due to the size of our vehicle we were able to thread through very narrow streets and get to places not possible with buses and large groups. We had a 2 day tour of Varanasi planned for the end of our tour but due to Covid19 our internal flights and activities were being cancelled. At this stage we were in Udaipur. We were in constant contact with Vishal and we decided the only option was to go with our origional flights from Delhi to Singapore and on to Christchurch. Surendra drove us 8 1/2 hours back to Jaipur then another 6 hrs to Delhi. He also made sure we had an early taxi for our early morning flight the following morning. Vishal took grate care to ensure our flights were still ok and had arranged our accommodation in Jaipur at very short notice. We are extremely grateful for the assistance we received to ensure our safe return home. Karen and I would have no hesitation in recommending Kiwi n Tiger to anyone planning a trip to India. You will not be...