India holiday reviews

Dinner at The Rambagh Palace on Valentines night - they pulled out the stops especially when they heard I'd been there 36 years ago. The amazing viewings of tigers on every Game Drive at Klem Villas. Going to the fruit and veg market in Jaipur .... the buzz and colours - amazing! Roof top viewing of the Taj Mahal.

We loved the whole holiday. It has opened our eyes to both the positives and the negatives of India. Outside the national parks India is an environmental disaster...pollution levels, litter and CO2 production are completely our of control. However, the people are delightful, the train journeys were fantastic, the wildlife reserves were lovely and, despite the tiger-centric focus of the staff, were doing a wonderful job of providing a haven for wildlife. All the lodges and hotels were great and the staff teams in them were first class, and, made us feel so welcome.

Walking up through the tea gardens onto the tops and Munnar, with the wise early start, was scenically magnificent. Jaipur and Cochin - starkly contrasting - were each superb. The Bharatpur walk was a bird-feast. Everything was fascinating. Only mild disappointment was Bundi.

We love the flora , fauna and birds in the Western Ghats and the many walking expeditions in the most beautiful surroundings. We like living with and close to families and getting a sense of the real India . The thrill of driving along a road and chancing on wild elephants, gaur , birds and seeing them in their natural surroundings. We like the bustle of the small villages and towns ,sitting in a local bakery and people watching, so fascinating. The colourful Theyyams near Kannur are an amazing and colourful sight as are the temple parades where you become the watched not the watcher ! A photographers paradise. This was our 9th visit and we are entranced and enchanted by Southern India and will return again and again.

The Pugdundee Safari lodges were unbelievably good. Exceptional food, incredible locations, friendly and helpful staff and an environmentally conscious mindset made these two lodges great places to stay. From the hot water bottles in your bed in the evening to the personal walking safari offered by the Anish, our naturalist, the attention to detail in the service was excellent. Although we found both Mumbai and Jaipur amazing in their own ways, we were particularly fond of being near nature: every safari drives was different!