The Majestic Indian State of Rajasthan. It has to be on every India itinerary! From the Desert of Jaisalmer, to the colourful Cities of Jaipur and Jodhpur, and all that’s in between Rajasthan has a lot to offer.
But where do you start and what happens if you want to travel Rajasthan a little differently?
Well this is where India Someday helped me out as that’s exactly what I wanted to do. I didn’t want to go on the usual travel route around Rajasthan and I wanted to explore some places in between the big Cities!
Who are India Someday?
India Someday provide planning assistance for people who want to explore India independently but want a bit of extra help, a personalised service and access to extensive information and knowledge on India! They can tailor make a trip to work with all budgets and all interests, provide recommendations and book accommodation and activities that you already have in mind.
Although India Someday can and do arrange trips for groups of people they are very popular for solo travellers and offer great solo travel itineraries for India.
Because of this India Someday offers a 20% discount off their fees to solo travellers, and The Wandering Quinn readers get an additional 5% off. So, if you are a solo traveller you will get a 25% discount on India Someday’s fees if you book your India travels with them.
To get a quote and to get an idea of what they can offer you, fill out the long questionnaire or the short one and mention ‘WANDERINGQUINN5′ when they ask how you stumbled upon them!
If you have any questions, let me know in the comments below or by tweeting me @wandering_quinn!
My 1 Week Rajasthan Trip Organised by India Someday!
So that I could sample the services that India Someday offer they arranged me a 1 week trip to 3 different places in Rajasthan.
I had already purchased a train ticket from Mumbai which is where I started by India trip (you can read about my first impressions of India here, hint- it wasn’t what you might expect!) to Udaipur so we decided to start my trip there!
I’ll admit we did have some teething issues to start with, their system was down and because of this I received a lack of information prior to arriving in Udaipur however because I had met them earlier in the week- I went to their office in Mumbai to meet the team and then went on a Street Food Sampling Tour which they are going to start soon for their guests in Mumbai, I trusted that they did have everything booked for me as they said they did.
There was also some miscommunication when it came to my accommodation in Udaipur as they had booked me into a village homestay away from the City. Although this sounded great this wasn’t what I wanted from Udaipur, I wanted to be in the City Centre and after I voiced my concerns they were able to book me a new hotel within minutes so it was not an issue in the end at all.
I stayed 3 nights in Udaipur at Pratap Bhawan Hotel which is a budget hotel in Udaipur near to the Lake, although there really isn’t anything budget about it as I had a huge double bed, a good sized room and bathroom and best of all- a window seat to see the City from!
And as with most hotels and restaurants in Udaipur, it had a rooftop which offered incredible views and a great respite from the City below.
I was left to my own devices in Udaipur but to honest that was fine with me as the touristy area is quite small and easy to navigate. Plus India Someday emailed me a PDF with tip’s and information for Udaipur with some really great and honest opinions on the tourist activities in Udaipur so I knew what to do and what not to do!
My Related Posts:
I was surprised to see that Udaipur offers lots of classes and unique activities, you can read about them here- 12 Unique Activities, Classes and Things To Do in Udaipur, India!
The City Palace of Udaipur is so impressive too and a must visit in Udaipur, for my tips see- Tips for Visiting Udaipur’s City Palace & Doing a Boat Trip Around Lake Pichola!
From Udaipur most travellers to India go to Jodhpur as it makes sense geographically however I soon realised thanks to India Someday’s planning that by doing this you miss out on one place in particular which sits right in the middle of Udaipur and Jodhpur – Kumbhalgarh home to Kumbhalgarh Fort, India’s biggest Fort!
India Someday arranged me a private driver which sounds very luxurious and it was compared to getting the train or bus however having a private driver in India is very common with visitors to India, especially if there is a group of 3-4 people as it can work out financially well or if people are on a tight timeframe, for example my friend Sam visited India for 2 weeks and got a private driver due to time restraints.
Plus, to get to Kumbhalgarh you really need a car or a driver as there is a bus from Udaipur but it is a local bus and takes double the time.
I had never heard of Kumbhalgarh before but to my pleasant surprise it is a village in the mountains with plenty of hotels and resorts for foreign and Indian visitors who want some fresh air, a cooler climate, to see India’s biggest Fort and a bit of luxury.
India Someday had booked me into Shahpura Kumbhal Villas for 2 nights which had only recently opened as a hotel under the Shahpura Hotels brand. It was very luxurious and I was treated incredibly well there by the staff. Best of all this luxury doesn’t come with a high price tag either.
I had my private driver on hand for the day I arrived and the following day to take me around the area. I actually only needed him to take me to the Fort that night for the light and sound show as Shahpura arranged activities for me the following day in a jeep which was actually a better way to see the area.
I had a great time, it was so refreshing not to be in a City for a few days and I was really impressed with what India Someday had suggested and booked for me.
My Related Post:
If you fancy visiting Kumbhalgarh here is my review on the hotel – Shahpura Kumbhal Villas in Kumbhalgarh Review!
After 2 nights in Kumbhalgarh my private driver picked me up and we headed towards Jodhpur however although I did want to go to Jodhpur aka the Blue City, India Someday had booked me a Homestay outside of the City. At first I wondered how I would see Jodhpur from the homestay 20km away but I decided to trust them in the Homestay booking and I booked a 3 night stay in Jodhpur afterwards so I could see the Blue City then and experience Village life whilst at the Homestay.
As we pulled up to Chhotaram Prajapat’s Homestay I realised I had no idea what to expect. I had had a little look on their website and noted that I would be staying in a lovely looking hut but I hadn’t researched anything else!
As a person who usually plans all of their own trips, has read the reviews and looked at many photos this was a bit disconcerting at first but I realised for the last time this week that it is a good idea to put your travel plans into the hands of an expert as I had the best 3 days at Chhotaram Prajapat’s Homestay!
It was the exact experience I wanted to get from being in India- experiencing Rural Indian Village life, being able to ask lots of questions, help cook food, eat delicious homemade Indian food and be able to see the moon and stars from my the doorway of my room, and thanks to India Someday despite my plans to be in India for 3-4 months, I got to experience this within 2 weeks of being in India.
That was very special.
My Related Posts:
You can read all about the Homestay and why I loved it so much here- Incredible Homestay Experience Near Jodhpur at Chhotaram Prajapat’s Homestay!
I would still recommend doing to Jodhpur so here are 2 posts to help you plan your trip there- Going on the Flying Fox Zip Line In Jodhpur over Mehrangarh Fort! & 6 Of The Best Way’s to See Jodhpur aka The Blue City of India!
Your India Someday Trip and Discount!
As I said above, India Someday offers a 20% discount off their fees to solo travellers, and The Wandering Quinn readers get an additional 5% off. So, if you are a solo traveller you will get a 25% discount on India Someday’s fees if you book your India travels with them.
To get a quote and to get an idea of what they can offer you, fill out the long questionnaireor the short one and mention ‘WANDERINGQUINN5′ when they ask how you stumbled upon them!
If you have any questions, let me know in the comments below or by tweeting me @wandering_quinn!
My Honest Thoughts on India Someday.
My trip was covered by India Someday so I could sample what they offer and give my honest recommendation to you to help you plan your trip to India.
From what I experienced I truly recommend them to you.
I got an Indian Sim Card when I arrived in Mumbai and it was very reassuring to have a constant contact throughout the week who I could email or message on Whatsapp and answer any questions I had, especially as this was only my second week in India and I was travelling alone.
However what I loved most about having India Someday’s help is that they booked me some really unique experiences in India and in Rajasthan with reliable hotels and people, which I would have struggled to logistically plan and book myself as I probably would not have spent that much time looking into it myself and instead just gone on the usual tourist route from Udaipur to Jodhpur without their knowledge and experience.
And I’m glad I didn’t do that!
For more of my posts on India see:
Travel Insurance in India!
Have you thought about Insurance yet for your trip to India? I am covered by WorldNomad’s and I really recommend them! Firstly you can get insurance even if you’re on your trip right now! Secondly they offer 24/7 emergency assistance, trip cancellation, protection of gear, and a lot more. Plus they’re flexible and simple! Just what we need! Get a quote here!
