2012 Reviews

We cannot thank Bunty enough for providing us with the wonderful Gian as our driver for 12 days through Rajasthan. From the moment my husband and I met Gian, we were so pleased to have someone who was an excellent driver who navigated the chaotic traffic with ease and care, who was extremely knowledgeable about the places we were visitng as well as a variety of other topics (history, politics, sport, Indian culture etc.), who was able to provide handy advice, sightseeing recommendations and restaurant suggestions in each city for us tourists and who took care to ensure we not only arrived safely in each city but knew what to see and do and ensured the hotels we had booked independently were acceptable to us. When issues arose, as they are often likely to in India, Gian went above and beyond to sort things out for us and ensure we were happy. One instance of this was when an independently pre-booked hotel in Jodhpur wouldn't send a rickshaw to meet the car or give directions to find them, Gian, who was meant to leave us at 3pm to start his long journey back to Delhi, took us to an alternate hotel (Pal Haveli) and ensured we had somewhere pleasant to stay. The Pal Haveli was full but had a room at its sister hotel, the Pal Garh which was just 8km from the city and a beautiful oasis to stay at. Gian stayed with us until well past 5pm to ensure all was in order with moving to the new hotel and drove us there himself to check we were happy to stay there. Most importantly, as well as being a professional, safe driver and knowledgeable guide, we felt Gian was instantly our friend and enjoyed long chats in the car and had dinner on our last night. Gian is so polite, considerate, genuine and has such a caring, calm and friendly personality, I think anyone would find him a pleasure to spend time with. We hope to keep in touch and recommend Gian a thousand times over for anyone planning a trip to India. We were also very happy with the communication from Bunty, from my initial email and queries about which itinerary to follow through to an end-of-tour follow-up to check we had been happy with the company's services. Please email me if you would like further detail.

Michelle Hessels and Darren Hogg, Australia & UK michelle_hessels@hotmail.com

We have just returned home from our fantastic trip across Rajasthan and I just wanted to take the time to thank you for your great service and provide some comments and feedback for the benefit of your potential customers. Firstly, I would like to say that the communication initially following our enquiry and leading up to our trip was great and very thorough. We were very fortunate to be provided with Avtar as our driver for our 15 day trip- from day 1, we felt very comfortable and happy in his company and more importantly, very safe with him behind the wheel, his driving was really very good. Before the trip, we were a little unsure how we would feel being driven very long distances by somebody that we had never met but we need not have worried at all as Avtar was at all times very discreet and seemed to have a natural understanding of when we wanted to chat and when we were happier to be quiet for a while. This was a great asset as we never felt like we were being forced into conversation, it just flowed between us very naturally and without being intrusive to the trip. Avtar really made our experience much more special by telling us about many facets of the Indian culture and sharing experiences and stories - political, social and cultural which brought everything to life. I was also ill during our trip and Avtar was really kind and helpful. Having travelled in India before via trains, buses and planes, I found your service to be vastly superior with no wasted time and fantastic views at all times, I would not hesitate in recommending your company to friends and relatives and would definitely travel with Avtar at the wheel next time we visit India. Best wishes

Wendy & Andrew Milburn, UK wendymilbs@googlemail.com

I emailed Bunty a week before getting to Delhi asking for a driver who wouldn't smoke during our driving tours as we are a family with three kids. He responded promptly telling me he would send us one of his very best driver called Amit. We spent two weeks driving through Rajasthan and with the help of Amit we experienced an awesome trip and got to learn Rajasthan from all its beautiful sides. It would take me more than a typed page to describe our Rajasthan trip but I am sure Amit showed us much more than I expected and was actually planned. We drove through mountains and hill tops, deserts, green juicy landscapes, crowded cities and beautiful villages. He organised us a guide for the Taj Mahal, a desert tent camping in Khuri, elephant rides in Amber, camel rides in Pushkar, seeing monkeys in Galtar, suggesting good restaurants for lunch or dinner, showing us all the highlights of all cities. India is a truely a fascinating country with so many contrasts and I'm glad I could show this to my kids and have seen it with my own eyes. Amit as I told you before you are a 100% and Bunty kept his promise sending me his best driver. Thank you very much for making this trip so unforgettable. Thank you again! BTW we're going to miss our fresh coconut cocktails!

Sandra & Dirk Bartels, Shadi (13), Eric (12) and Marc (6), Essen, Germany sandra.bartels@bartels-gruppe.de

My daughter and I have just returned from the most wonderful trip to Rajasthan with Mukesh as our incredible driver/guide. Immediately, upon meeting him at the airport, we could tell that it was going to be an easy trip. I was very pleased that prior to my arrival you took the initiative to contact me with information on a hotel that I had previously booked in Delhi which received a very negative review from a previous client of yours. I then changed my reservation. When we arrived at the new hotel we had a bit of a problem (I would recommend that anyone have YOU make the reservations instead of doing what I did and make them myself) but you and Mukesh intervened and all worked out well. I also followed Mukesh's advice and changed our hotel in Jodphur which was definitely the right decision. His knowledge of the layout of the city of Jodphur was important in the recommendation. Our itinerary was 10 days: Delhi to Agra, Agra to Jaipur (for 2 nights), Jaipur for Udaipur (for 2 nights) and then Ranakpur, Jodphur, Pushkar and back to Delhi. Your recommendations of the amount of time to stay in each place was totally accurate. Also, your recommendation of Rankpur instead of my original plan of Mt. Abu was correct.....the temples at Ranakpur were our favorite part of the trip. We had plenty of time to see everything in a relaxing time frame. And the guides that were provided for us, particularly the guides in Agra and Jaipur were wonderful. The stores that we visited (and purchased articles of course) were of very high quality but reasonably priced and most of all, were not "high sell" environments. But what was an added bonus was how very good a guide Mukesh was. I assumed he would be a good driver but he was so much more than that. He added so much information to our trip....from showing us how to feed wild monkeys, to encouraging us to sample special sweets and lassi in Jaipur and Jodphur to buying us even more sweets along the way. All of his recommendations of restaurants were wonderful and he always made sure that we were happy and comfortable at the restaurant before disappearing and then reappearing at exactly the right time when we finished. And his driving was amazing.....It was a wonder how he could get through all the traffic so easily and quickly without losing his patience. He approached the driving as he did everything, with good humor and professionalism. Winding through the little streets in Jodphur in particular was very impressive. And we appreciated the fact that he negotiated the time streets in the old city so that we could see the wonderful dance performance and puppet show in the museum in the evening. So, I would highly recommend your services to anyone who is looking for a driver in Northern India. You and Mukesh made it all so simple and easy. My communication with you prior to our arrival reassured me that you had everything under control and that impression was borne out once we arrived. My daughter and her husband live in Chennai and she wants to return to Rajasthan with him at a later date. You can be sure that if they do, they will be contacting you to request Mukesh again. Thank you very, very much for this experience. I will never forget it and the beautiful color that Mukesh brought to our experience.......

Ann Lopata, USA ann_lopata@yahoo.com

Over the years, I have visited India many times, but this was the first with a private driver. For my family's recent trip (2012) my niece recommended Bunty at www.indiaprivatedriver.com. I decided to take her advice--and urge every prospective traveler to do so as well. Prior to our departure, I consulted with Bunty by email and he was always responsive and clear. His prices are reasonable and he is dependable and honest--very precious qualities to a traveler. I enjoyed the freedom to plan our own itinerary, the day-to-day flexibility and comfort. Even though I know India well, I learned a great deal from Manu who handled the congested roads with great skill. India is very dear to my heart and am already looking forward to my next visit. Hope to see you soon, Bunty!

Diana R. Chambers, California, USA www.dianarchambers.com

Having just arrived back from a fantastic holiday in India with my family using India Private Driver, I would like to pass on my gratitude to both yourself and Gurvinder (our driver) for providing such an exceptional and professional driving service. We travelled with two young children aged 3 and 5 so our primary concern was for their safety and to travel with as few complications as possible. You both made the whole process seamless from start to finish allowing our family to thoroughly enjoy our time in India. Gurvinder is an outstanding driver. He always drove safely, was very informative and courteous, and went out of his way help us with our requests (of which there were many travelling with young kids). Gurvinder was fantastic with the children and very patient . Bunty, I would even have to say that he is without a doubt the best driver my husband and I have ever experienced. It is clear that you have set a very high standard for your drivers. Our trip in India was quite short - only 9 days - so we feel like we have merely just discovered your incredible country and after such a positive experience we now wish to come back and explore it! Without a doubt when we have the opportunity to return we will be using India Private Driver once again. Bunty it would be our utmost pleasure to recommend your organisation to anyone travelling to India. If they wish to contact me via email with any questions, I am more than happy to help. Thank-you so much for making our trip so wonderful! Best Regards

Jeanette, Perth, Western Australia jpalumbo@smartrepairsystems.com.au

My wife, adult daughter and I traveled through India for 3 weeks this past December. We were absolutely delighted with the service provided by India Private Driver. From planning our trip to the traveling itself, we found Bunty and our driver, Pawan Kumar, to be simply spectacular. We have traveled all over the world and usually do so independently, renting cars, taking public transportation, making all the arrangements ourselves, etc. However, we suspected that India would be especially challenging, and we were right. As experienced as we are, there is no way we could have traveled as extensively throughout India, seen half as much or done it all safely without Bunty and Pawan. As we were planning our trip we emailed often and Bunty was always very helpful with suggestions. For example, as the trip approached we were having trouble getting in touch with one particular hotel. I emailed Bunty and within 24 hours had received a reply noting that he had called the hotel in question and confirmed the details of our trip. When we arrived in Delhi, Pawan was waiting for us at the airport as promised. From that moment on, we relied on him and he never let us down. Pawan was simply spectacular. India can be incredibly chaotic and confusing but we always felt comfortable that Pawan had things under control. He was always on time to pick us up each day (in fact he was always early and would be waiting for us). There seem to be very few road signs in India but even though we were going to a number of rather obscure locations, Pawan was always able to find our destination. I frankly don't know how he did it. His long years of experience traveling through India clearly paid off for us. Pawan was unfailingly pleasant and friendly. It was fun getting to know him and to learn about his life and his family. But he also gave us enough "space" to allow my wife and my daughter and I to be a family; he never was intrusive or made us feel uncomfortable. He was entirely flexible regarding our plans, would make suggestions that we could take or leave. Finally, it's critical to add that we always felt completely safe with Pawan. There is no getting around the fact that the roads in India are dangerous. Not only are they in generally very poor shape physically, but one has to contend with extremely busy traffic, vehicles of all kinds, ranging from camel-drawn carts and autorickshaws to huge trucks - all often in no discernible lane or going the wrong way. Adding to that you have cows, buffalo, pigs, dogs and myriad people crossing the road and walking along it in totally unpredictable ways. Pawan navigated all of this with calmness and competence. We felt completely safe in his hands - and that is saying something given the conditions. He didn't use excessive speed but still got us where we were going in good time. And in long hours of driving he never once seemed sleepy or tired. He was also great about stopping whenever we needed to for any reason. In summary, if you are planning a trip to India we cannot recommend India Private Driver highly enough. India is a challenging place to travel; Bunty and Pawan made our trip one we'll remember fondly for the rest of our lives. They were simply great. Thanks

Jim Evans, Marion Putnam and Margaret Putnam-Evans mimijim@bellsouth.ne