MMT

Jul 8, 2024

Disappointing 'India Highlights' Tour with Intrepid: Poor Organisation and Accommodation

My partner and I, both in our 30s, travelled with Intrepid to India on a tour called “India Highlights” at the end of November. This comfort-category trip took us through New Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, and Varanasi in a small group of seven people of various ages. Unfortunately, we were greatly disappointed with the organisation and accommodations of the trip. In this review, I will only talk about the travel experience, not about the country itself. We chose this travel package for its promised comfort, as advertised on the website: “an added degree of comfort, more private transport, a more relaxed travel pace, nicer accommodations, more included meals, more leader-led activities, and a greater immersion in local culture.” Regarding the accommodations, we didn't expect luxury or even a hot shower every day while travelling in India, but a small, clean room to relax in after a day of travelling. The names of the accommodations were provided to us on the first day, and the hotels booked by Intrepid appeared nice and well-maintained in online pictures. However, our experience quickly revealed that the hotel and accommodation situation was the most stressful and frustrating part of our journey. Hygiene and cleanliness were notably lacking in most accommodations. What we initially thought was wear and tear, turned out to be easily cleanable with a wet wipe. We encountered dirty bedsheets, hair in the bed, broken showers, centimetres of dust, thick and sticky dirt on light switches and door handles, wet toilet paper, and exposed wires. In Varanasi, we requested a bedsheet change after finding fresh bloodstains on the duvet cover and pillows. I attached some photos from our Varanasi room. Our guide tried to make our stay comfortable and dealt with some of the hotel staff and management. However, when we requested basic items like toilet paper, towels, or extra keys for twin rooms, or pointed out dirty bedsheets, the hotel staff often ignored our first request and sometimes showed annoyance. We frequently had to raise our (us or the leader) voice to get any action from the hotel staff. When we sent laundry for washing, the clothes returned with the same smell and stains, merely folded. We received them five hours late, just before an early morning start, and were too exhausted to complain after the ongoing dramas. It's worth noting that after the tour, we extended our stay in India for a friend's wedding and found a cleaner, cheaper 2-star hotel with very helpful staff. This proved that one does not need to stay in a palace to receive clean bedding in India and it is possible to truly make this trip comfortable. Out of curiosity, we compared the prices of the individual hotels and realised we could have booked better-reviewed hotels at similar prices in comparable locations. The only plausible explanation for our subpar accommodations and the staff's rude behaviour seems to be possible kickbacks or corruption involving Intrepid. Consequently, we decided to leave the tour early as soon as we got back to Delhi and booked our own hotel. Regarding the timeline and organisation, we understand that traffic in India can complicate planning, leading to delays. However, on a 9-day trip, spending a full day in airports due to an 8-hour journey with a long layover and an early wake-up for a flight from Jaipur to Varanasi via Delhi is unacceptable. Changing the order of cities visited could have reduced this to just a one-hour flight. Additionally, some of the shops and places recommended by Intrepid seemed to be part of a kickback arrangement. While understanding this as part of the local culture and travel organisation, the sales tactics often started with "no obligation to buy" but quickly became pushy, with statements like “it is to feed a family/village” or “you should buy this one.” On one occasion, a salesperson even waited for me outside the restroom. I have contacted Intrepid twice before posting this comment, adding some photos of the blood and dirtiness of our accommodation, but have received no response. While I initially thought the issues we encountered were linked to the Indian branch of Intrepid, the lack of response makes me think the problem might be occurring at an organisational level.