From leaving Radyr on the 23rd October to our return planned for 9th December we have travelled 14,600 miles by aeroplane, train & car, across 8 states, stayed in 21 different cities / hotels , had 5 different tour drivers & 10 different guides - drivers & guides being superb We drew up an outline of what we wanted to see & where we needed to go & then considered various providers - including the well known big tour companies - these were VERY expensive - over double what we actually paid. We booked the North /central part (26 days) directly through Dinesh Pratap Singh of India Rajasthan Tours (https://www.incredibleindiarajasthantours.com) after finding him on Trip Advisor.
Tours were amazing & the care, attention & interest they took in organising exactly, plus more, what we wanted was very impressive.
They never allowed us to become disorientated or concerned & "held our hands" every step of the way - particularly on the massively crowded trains. Both were also experienced enough to fully understand we needed our own space & also rest days were planned within the programme
As regards India itself, there are many posters from the India tourist board around this country that state "Incredible India" & it certainly is. We knew beforehand that there would be challenges - the poverty, the traffic, the crowds, the begging, the hygiene, the food, however we also knew there would be some amazing sights & experiences & that is indeed why this country is Incredible.
This has without doubt been a fascinating adventure for us & we have learnt so much history, met so many lovely people & seen some amazing historical sites.
India really is an incredible country.
John & Fiona UK