Gate 1 Tour to India
- Thread starter brett
- Start date
Cortina
Recycles dryer sheets
Have no idea what Gate1 tour is (I guess it's a tour company name ) ... but I did live in India (South) for about two years !! ... and travelled for a month on two wheels .... 500cc , motorised !!
Any questions (non tourist view / opinion) ??
Any questions (non tourist view / opinion) ??
athena53
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
- Joined
- May 11, 2014
- Messages
- 7,420
I was in India and Kathmandu with Overseas Adventure Travel in March- absolutely fantastic.
That said- I'd been to India before on business a few times and got what the guide said in his introductory e-mail: Don't think of it as a vacation, think of it as an experience. I met wonderful people (and this tour emphasized interaction with locals). I ate fantastic food- I love Indian food. The hotels were very high quality- doesn't cost that much in India. I saw a tiger in Ranthambore National Park, floated some of my late husband's ashes down the Ganges while a Hindu priest chanted from the Vedas in Varanasi, saw erotic carvings in thousand-year-old temples in Khahurajo, and rode the Delhi subway system, a train destined for Bhopal (we got off at an earlier stop), motor rickshaws (tuk-tuks), bicycle rickshaws, a few planes and a private bus (yes, air-conditioned) and visited the Taj Mahal.
I also saw grinding poverty, encountered aggressive beggars and peddlers, breathed in a lot of dust and my have had my innards permanently jolted out of place on some really bad roads. The poor have it VERY bad in India, especially widows. (It's considered auspicious if a Hindu woman dies before her husband- they pray for that- because a widow has little status and is highly dependent on her family.)
But this is why I travel- I saw a different part of the world, read the papers (English, and far more literate than the Myrtle Beach Sun-Times, which I used to read at my parents' place), learned a ton about Hinduism and Buddhism and the current regime in Nepal. I was also a solo traveler- this group had 14 people. My Aunt (who had suggested it to me) and I were both widows, there were two divorced women, a retired ad exec and his son, and the rest were married couples, so I wasn't a fifth wheel.
Can't say much about Gate One but that was my experience with India. I've been to over 30 countries (and I'm not done yet) but this truly was the trip of a lifetime.
By the way, if DW likes jewelry, everything in the good stores is 22K gold and it's exquisite and reasonably priced. They give you the gram weight so you have an idea of the markup over meltdown value and it's fairly low (30% IIRC) given the workmanship.
That said- I'd been to India before on business a few times and got what the guide said in his introductory e-mail: Don't think of it as a vacation, think of it as an experience. I met wonderful people (and this tour emphasized interaction with locals). I ate fantastic food- I love Indian food. The hotels were very high quality- doesn't cost that much in India. I saw a tiger in Ranthambore National Park, floated some of my late husband's ashes down the Ganges while a Hindu priest chanted from the Vedas in Varanasi, saw erotic carvings in thousand-year-old temples in Khahurajo, and rode the Delhi subway system, a train destined for Bhopal (we got off at an earlier stop), motor rickshaws (tuk-tuks), bicycle rickshaws, a few planes and a private bus (yes, air-conditioned) and visited the Taj Mahal.
I also saw grinding poverty, encountered aggressive beggars and peddlers, breathed in a lot of dust and my have had my innards permanently jolted out of place on some really bad roads. The poor have it VERY bad in India, especially widows. (It's considered auspicious if a Hindu woman dies before her husband- they pray for that- because a widow has little status and is highly dependent on her family.)
But this is why I travel- I saw a different part of the world, read the papers (English, and far more literate than the Myrtle Beach Sun-Times, which I used to read at my parents' place), learned a ton about Hinduism and Buddhism and the current regime in Nepal. I was also a solo traveler- this group had 14 people. My Aunt (who had suggested it to me) and I were both widows, there were two divorced women, a retired ad exec and his son, and the rest were married couples, so I wasn't a fifth wheel.
Can't say much about Gate One but that was my experience with India. I've been to over 30 countries (and I'm not done yet) but this truly was the trip of a lifetime.
By the way, if DW likes jewelry, everything in the good stores is 22K gold and it's exquisite and reasonably priced. They give you the gram weight so you have an idea of the markup over meltdown value and it's fairly low (30% IIRC) given the workmanship.
Last edited:
Jimmie
Recycles dryer sheets
Megacorp has sent me to India on couple dozen trips over last 10 years. I've been everywhere in India. My favorite city was Silma. My favorite experience was visiting the Golden Temple in Punjab.
It's an enchanting country and think everyone should go once. However, it's definitely different and the poverty, traffic, trash, and beggars take getting used to. 5 star hotels are very elegant and very reasonably priced. Food is outstanding there too. The people for the most part are very friendly and love to interact with visitors. Go visit the bazaars in the bigger cities too. Wonderful things to buy at very cheap prices.
It's an enchanting country and think everyone should go once. However, it's definitely different and the poverty, traffic, trash, and beggars take getting used to. 5 star hotels are very elegant and very reasonably priced. Food is outstanding there too. The people for the most part are very friendly and love to interact with visitors. Go visit the bazaars in the bigger cities too. Wonderful things to buy at very cheap prices.
SheitlQueen
Full time employment: Posting here.
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2017
- Messages
- 629
I was considering taking a trip to China with Gate 1 but while researching them found out they have a less than stellar reputation at the BBB. I'll probably choose someone else.
The BBB has a less than stellar reputation among some folks as well.
I think I looked at Gate 1 for Greece and wasn't particularly impressed. But maybe do more research beyond BBB
SheitlQueen
Full time employment: Posting here.
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2017
- Messages
- 629
I actually did. Gate 1 seems to have issues with customer service. The other thing I noticed is that although the initial price seems cheap, they include a minimal amount of touring and if you want anything beyond that, you pay for each tour. The price can escalate pretty quickly.
OldShooter
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
+1 on encouraging you to go to India. It's an amazing place. I've seen most of the typical tourist "big things" like the Eiffel tower, the pyramids, etc. but nothing has been as stunning as the Taj Mahal. DW has been to the Golden Temple in Amritsar and reports that it is worth the trip. The kitchen there feeds free meals up to 100,000 people per day!
Re Gate 1, I have no direct knowledge but I rely heavily on International Travel News to check out companies and itineraries. It's a quirky little publication where almost all of the articles are written by subscribers. Names are named and costs are stated. Fact checking is tediously detailed. This is required by editorial policy. You can try searching here: https://www.intltravelnews.com/ Some material is behind a paywall, but I think any serious traveler will find a subscription to be $26 well spent. You can also request a free sample copy on the web site: https://www.intltravelnews.com/samplecopy
Re Gate 1, I have no direct knowledge but I rely heavily on International Travel News to check out companies and itineraries. It's a quirky little publication where almost all of the articles are written by subscribers. Names are named and costs are stated. Fact checking is tediously detailed. This is required by editorial policy. You can try searching here: https://www.intltravelnews.com/ Some material is behind a paywall, but I think any serious traveler will find a subscription to be $26 well spent. You can also request a free sample copy on the web site: https://www.intltravelnews.com/samplecopy
bigadventure
Dryer sheet aficionado
I’ve been on a Gate1 tour. I felt it was a good value and had a great time.
brett
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
- Joined
- Apr 24, 2010
- Messages
- 5,937
Thanks all. Still shopping but I do want to go. We are no strangers to independent travel. We have been doing it for years.
Although DW has no desire to go I do so I suspect that may do something in S. Europe in October, she will fly home or perhaps visit expat relatives in Valencia, and I will head to India.
I realize that it will be an experience. Might do an 18 day tour plus some days on my own. My hope is that it will intrigue me enough to return on a longer trip, but mostly independent travel. Reading tour guides, searching the internet for tour guides. I am going to spend some time researching UK based tour companies who specialize in India tours.
Although DW has no desire to go I do so I suspect that may do something in S. Europe in October, she will fly home or perhaps visit expat relatives in Valencia, and I will head to India.
I realize that it will be an experience. Might do an 18 day tour plus some days on my own. My hope is that it will intrigue me enough to return on a longer trip, but mostly independent travel. Reading tour guides, searching the internet for tour guides. I am going to spend some time researching UK based tour companies who specialize in India tours.
ElizabethT
Full time employment: Posting here.
I've done six trips with Gate 1, and have two more booked and ready to go. They are absolutely a fine company, and we have had six absolutely fantastic trips with them thus far, and expect no difference with our upcoming two.
Having said that, I am not surprised they were chastised for their phone booking customer service issues by some customers. Their service reps (which also service Virgin tours, FYI. Same exact trips, just different websites/branding) had issues with abruptness in the past. I experienced it as well, in spite of being a repeat customer. Since then, they have retrained their phone service team and I haven't encountered anything less than pleasant since. They are not white-glove service if you will, but at this point I don't need or wish to pay for that type of travel.
The reason to consider using Gate 1 is simply that we cannot find a better value elsewhere, even though I continue to check around. Their local guides are simply outstanding, their trips are very organized and well planned, the lodgings are very pleasant, sometimes outstanding, and you know upfront not only exactly what to expect, but what you will spend. There are no 'surprises ' on the road, and I appreciate their straightforwardness with regard to this tremendously.
There are some optional excursions which you can pay to add, or not, depending on how much free time you desire. These are 1) clearly noted for each trip, and 2) hardly unusual in the industry. Meaning, happily, that I'll never, ever have to attend or pay for a tourist -oriented bad, local 'folk dance and dinner' show unless I really want to. YMMV.
Each time we plan a trip I check with OAT (Overseas Adventure Travel), RoadScholar and Gate1, but I keep returning and booking with Gate1 because they continue to offer the best overall value that I've been able to find.
(I am not a paid spokesperson, just a big fan of the company, and their mission statement: Seeing more of the world for less.
)
Having said that, I am not surprised they were chastised for their phone booking customer service issues by some customers. Their service reps (which also service Virgin tours, FYI. Same exact trips, just different websites/branding) had issues with abruptness in the past. I experienced it as well, in spite of being a repeat customer. Since then, they have retrained their phone service team and I haven't encountered anything less than pleasant since. They are not white-glove service if you will, but at this point I don't need or wish to pay for that type of travel.
The reason to consider using Gate 1 is simply that we cannot find a better value elsewhere, even though I continue to check around. Their local guides are simply outstanding, their trips are very organized and well planned, the lodgings are very pleasant, sometimes outstanding, and you know upfront not only exactly what to expect, but what you will spend. There are no 'surprises ' on the road, and I appreciate their straightforwardness with regard to this tremendously.
There are some optional excursions which you can pay to add, or not, depending on how much free time you desire. These are 1) clearly noted for each trip, and 2) hardly unusual in the industry. Meaning, happily, that I'll never, ever have to attend or pay for a tourist -oriented bad, local 'folk dance and dinner' show unless I really want to. YMMV.
Each time we plan a trip I check with OAT (Overseas Adventure Travel), RoadScholar and Gate1, but I keep returning and booking with Gate1 because they continue to offer the best overall value that I've been able to find.
(I am not a paid spokesperson, just a big fan of the company, and their mission statement: Seeing more of the world for less.
)
Last edited:
athena53
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
- Joined
- May 11, 2014
- Messages
- 7,420
I've traveled a lot on my own but chose to do India with a group. Public transportation can be iffy (buses so jammed that I see parts of people sticking out of the windows, the one train I took had tray-tables that looked like they were never wiped down and squatty-potties in the lavs) although the Delhi subway was up to Western standards. If I'd gone on my own I probably would have had a private car and driver to get me between cities and that would have been isolating. YMMV- I'm female and in India that makes more of a difference than in other countries.
brett
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
- Joined
- Apr 24, 2010
- Messages
- 5,937
That is why if I go it will be on a tour. We do lots of international independent travel but this may be the one to join a group for the first visit.
ElizabethT...thanks for the comments on Gate 1.
ElizabethT...thanks for the comments on Gate 1.
gibor
Confused about dryer sheets
Curious if for Canadaians is better to bok flight via Gate 1 website and book flights separately?
brett
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
- Joined
- Apr 24, 2010
- Messages
- 5,937
Don't know. There will be no set rule. It would depend on the offerings at any given point in time.
We have booked an African safari directly with operators in South Africa, cruises in Australia directly with Australian agents, flights in Argentina by calling the Aerolineas office in BA, packages in Greece and hotels in Europe by dealing directly with travel agents in the UK, flights in Turkey on domestic Turkish web sites.
When we are arranging travel we always look at the cost of booking in other countries. Sometimes there are significant savings to be had over what we can source in North America. Other times our prices are better. No set rule other than it pays to shop.
No different than buying products on Amazon. The Braun cutters for my razor cost $60. in Canada. And I have to shop around to find them. I buy them on the internet for $30. They ship from Ireland direct to may mailbox. Same product.
We have booked an African safari directly with operators in South Africa, cruises in Australia directly with Australian agents, flights in Argentina by calling the Aerolineas office in BA, packages in Greece and hotels in Europe by dealing directly with travel agents in the UK, flights in Turkey on domestic Turkish web sites.
When we are arranging travel we always look at the cost of booking in other countries. Sometimes there are significant savings to be had over what we can source in North America. Other times our prices are better. No set rule other than it pays to shop.
No different than buying products on Amazon. The Braun cutters for my razor cost $60. in Canada. And I have to shop around to find them. I buy them on the internet for $30. They ship from Ireland direct to may mailbox. Same product.
Last edited:
