An Invigorating Madurai Sightseeing Tour Package 6 Days & 5 Nights

Not kind of experience tour should have. (********Also All the hotels were booked with complementary breakfast for all 4. The reference for the same will be come below in my review. do read it carefully). Though the tour started on positive notes it went down and down day by day.. We wanted to get freshen up as we had been travelling whole night. We visited Poovar Island after starting the trip at 6:00 AM in the morning. We started with nice tour of the Island after freshening up and after island tour started for our first destination Kanyakumari at around 10:30 AM. This is where first twist to our tour started. Driver told me that his agent has asked for cab money to be transferred as soon as we reach hotel. I was surprised to hear this as I had booked the tour from some other agent(Through Travel Triangle) and why cab agency was asking amount for. I knew the balance amount was to be paid on first day of starting the tour however in place of Travel Triangle asking the amount I was asked by sub agent and that too only for cab. Not sure when trip was booked from Travel Triangle how sub agency is asking amount for. When checked with my agent he asked to pay the amount and sent me watsapp message with breakup of amount to be transferred in below way: Cab: Rs. xxxxx Kovalam: Rs. xxxx Madurai: Rs. xxxx I summed up all the amount and paid to Cab agent directly as there was no clear instruction as only cab amount was to be paid to cab agent and other amount was to be paid directly to the hotels. After multiple discussions it was decided cab agency will pay for rest of my hotels in Madurai and Kovalam as I had settled my dues. On reaching Madurai after day long travel and sight seeing at 8:30 PM next twist awaited for us. On visiting reception to do check in formalities, the formalities were completed however the staff there told me that booking amount has to be paid before check in and I was totally lost as what is this happening? I am travelling whole day cleared all my dues to the travel agent and he haven't paid the amount to the hotel? The hotel should had receive amount well in advance and I should had been room as soon as the formalities were over. instead I had to call my agent, then sub agent and then all things got sorted out which took another 15-20 mins. Next morning started pretty as usual however another turn was awaiting for me. *****While having breakfast, on table my little one was having breakfast along with me, my wife and my elder child and suddenly one person came and told me that complementary breakfast is only for 3 of us and for my younger child I need to pay the amount. My younger one is not so small that she will not understand what was going on and suddenly she stopped eating. I told the person that we will pay and asked younger one to continue. This is not the way one need to tell us on the breakfast table that we need to pay the amount. this need to be told prior or while settling dues. However when I went for payment the reception staff only asked for payment for the beverages we ordered in room. On enquiring for breakfast amount they told that it was misunderstanding and it was for some other guests and not for us. But again this is not the way to treat the guests when on breakfast table. We started our next leg of trip with the sourness already put in by the Madurai hotel restaurant staff. On the way to Kovalam we visited Maharaja Swathi Thirunal Palace which is huge and then checked in the hotel. Went to the beach in the evening and enjoyed there. Next day before starting for final leg all dues were cleared at the hotel reception however next Hurdle awaited us. As soon as we boarded our CAB the hotel employee came running and stopped us from starting as balance payment was not made by the agent. We had to call the agent multiple times before the payment was cleared, and had to wait in scorching heat for almost 45 mins before we started(this was not expected at all even after making full payment guests are kept on the toes). Finally after starting visited zoo, museum, however were not able to visit Padmanabhswamy temple due to huge rush. The temple opened at 5:00 PM however the rush was soo heavy that the driver as well as couple of locals told us that it would take min 4-4.5 hrs for darshan in normal line and atleast 3 hrs in special line. Also locals told that if the darshan timings are over we can wait for next morning darshan in line. Keeping in mind the time for darshan and travel back we decided against the same. Also it was wise decision keeping in mind the hectic tour younger daughter's age and as it rained heavily as soon as we reached airport. Now to Hotels: 1. Kanyakumari-- Nice hotel with sea view. Was able to see the monuments from my room. However I had booked for family couple with one child without bed and one with extra mattress, I was not provided extra mattress in the room and 4 had to adjust on same bed.(Was ok as we had just 1 night) 2. Rameswaram: 1st room provided was having lot of bugs and cockroaches in the room. My room was changed after discussion with manager and showing them the cockroaches roaming even on beds. 2nd room provided was also having same issue however number was very less comparatively. Had to be cautious that bugs or cockroaches do not enter my luggage or eatables. 2 nights stay was ok kind of. 3. Madurai: Room provided was ok as we checked in there very late evening(almost around 8.00 PM). However main twist came here when we were told that balance amount has not been paid and checkin would be possible only after balance payment. Also as mentioned in the main details while having breakfast, at the table I was told the amount need to be paid for breakfast for my younger child(which was already been paid and was complementary for all 4 of us) due to which she suddenly stopped having her breakfast and I had to tell her to have her breakfast properly and not to worry for other things. This was ridiculous as other guests also started staring at us on hearing this. The staff might have told same thing in person before or after finishing breakfast. Even before speaking they should had checked at reception where amount was already paid. 4. Kovalam: We had to request for room on the upper floor having sea view. However the sea view was not visible from there too as the hotel is in too interior and the view is blocked by other buildings standing infront. Not the kind of room we would have liked to stay. very old kind of room with A/c not operational. Even on keeping it 16 degree the room was not getting cooled. Finally.. The trip was not at all well organized and I will give Poor rating for over all trip and would not recommend this to any of the family members and known people.

Simran from postcards travels is very helpful, polite and smart. She was available throughout the trip to keep checking for everything. She acted very quickly on any concern and feedback we have. She customised my travel to Madurai Rameshwaram kanyakumari & Kerala and gave me best hotels and driver. I like her client service mindset and patience to work with us. I would recommend her and postcards travels for planning travel Rameshwaram & Madurai temple visit in early morning Vivekananda smarak Varkala beach

Our travel experience was overall good We were disappointed with the hotel stayat kanyakumari & for the breakfast provided at hawa beach resort Kovalam All the sightseeings

It was very well planned trip for family with no hurry and worry . Driver was very good , had a very good experience with him . All hotels location was good . Hotel Ashoka service was very bad and Rameshwaram grand hotel was good . Hotel temple Citi 1 room was very small . We booked good rooms from Guruji but room given was small.

The trip was well planned. There was no rush or chaos at any destination. The driver Mr. Srinivas was very friendly and talktive. He was alway ready to take us whichever place we want to visit without any complaints. The hotels provided are very neat, clean and safe. Hotel at Madurai was far way from the Meenakshiamman temple and other places. Hotels at Rameshwaram and Kanyakumari was very close to hhe major tourist places almost at 5-15min walking distance. It really help us to explore the city even better. Overall it was an excellent experience of travelling without any tension. Entire trip was a best to preserve in our memory. One thing I would like to mentioned is the local south Indian food we had during intercity traveling was best. Also, the exploration of wax museum in kanyakumari give us lots of funny and happy memories. Also the sunrise experience at Kanyakumari pier is one of its kind, it's mesmerizing.

Every thing was as it was planned except few challenges. In madurai driver didn’t come to pick up from railway station as it was planned and stated. In tirupati, i need to do personal cab for the drop to railway station, since cab driver stated that his duty is completed and wont drop. Stay at kovalam Rameshwaram dharshan Madurai Tirumala dharshan Cab driver was very friendly and supportive

Gopiniwas Grand hotel was not good. Rameshwaram Trand hotel was ok ok. Ocean Bay was best and MMR Gardens hotel was good too. Driver was very nice he showed us many spots. Rameshwaram was worth to visit.

Cab and driver both were excellent, hotels were not up to mark, may be due to my expectations were high enough, although not complaints, overall it's best experience.

The process could have been smooth like the driver should be informed about itenary beforehand. We were visiting Tamil Nadu for the first time so driver should be assigned someone who can talk hindi or english, we were unable to communicate hence had lots of confusion. Also please make sure that hotels are neat and clean. The hotel room provided by hotel at Rameshwaram and kanyakumari were low standard and unhygienic

Hotels at Kanyakumari and Madurai were good, having good service and good food. The hotel Ashoka at Rameshwarm was new but room was very small having very little space to move around also the food was not good The taxi was not upto the standard although the driver was very good The trip was planned by Ms Mega very effectively and we could able to see all places as planned

Everything was perfect starting from pick up to drop.One small piece of advice please deploy a cab driver who is well conversant in English or Hindi.And also advise him to guide properly regarding which places to visit. Driving towards Kovalam from Munnar.A fantastic drive.

Travel agent was very helpful. The taxi and travel guide was very nice. I got a very nice deal. The journey throughout was memorable and awesome Rameswaram temple and the dhanushkodi

*Pros:* - Quick on call support at any point - Handling with patience while tweaking the itinerary multiple times - Budget friendly planning - Customization as per requirement - e.g break journey - Provided Hotel with good locations Cons: A: No idea of exact location & impacting events on the journey dates. e.g.1 We landed to Madurai on the day of Year's biggest festival of Minakshi Temple. Impacted our schedule. e.g.2 We were first timer to Tirupati. Being Travel planner - the team should have ensured that we have proper provision for Tirupati Darshan. Rather - the team took advance from us without confirming if we have ensured darshan tickets, - and then started our struggle with surprise - as we were not able to get Darshan Tickets. Somehow, we ourselves managed to get Darshan tickets at almost 6 times actual price, which is big amount - also impacting our budget & complete itinerary. We had to hire local vendor to solve this. Don't know if it is intentional by the Travel Planner, they just ensured that advance is received then let the travelers struggle with surprises. - how can Travel planner miss such important factors. Based on our request - additional discount was added by the travel agent- as we had to suffer extra cost to manage darshan tickets. e.g.3 We landed Trivandrum on day of election, due to which couple of our major destinations were not open on that day (Being Government Properties) This was also surfaced on the day - and no one from the travel agent team could anticipate this till last moment. This could have been better managed & well informed. B: Violation in the committed itineraries. e.g. 1 We supposed to land at Madurai at 5 am, which was well informed in advance. Still we found challenge to convince the team to arrange early morning pick-up, which was denied even after pre-agreements. Thanks to WhatsApp messages as proof - it saved us. e.g. 2 Based on early landing at Madurai - we specifically asked for ensuring early check-in at Madurai Hotel. Which was to our utter surprise,- this was completely missed by the team - and they denied for this & asked use to wait from 6 am to 12 pm for Check-in. We were in state of panic. Here also - Thanks to WhatsApp messages as proof - it saved us - which was having clear mention of the agreement for this requirement. But still - Team could not full-fill the agreement - and we had to adjust with make-shift arrangement for 1st half - 2 rooms instead of committed 4 rooms. e.g. 3 At Trivandrum, the checked-in hotel refused to give us Buffet Breakfast (CP plan), which was committed. Guess - this also happens. The hotel was under renovation and smelling paint at reception - this was not even known to the travel agents - that's what they say. So, the committed buffet they converted to “à la carte” and told us that it will be delivered to room. & they were not sure of Menu. This all information was given to us after interrogating the hotel staff at Check-in. Otherwise, it was left as Morning surprise. We had to argue & fight lot - to make sure they deliver Buffet - at least in limited way at their small available cafe. We got this done with Fight and involving travel agent. C: Driver's proficiency Make sure for south journey you ask for proper Driver who atleast understands Hindi. Else it will be like under-control of bot which is having it's own agenda. Our Driver - had limited agenda as per given list - that too was not followed - or we had to enforced. We managed somehow through Hinglish and could convey what sequence to be followed and made sure it is done. D: Hotel Categories - was committed to be 3-4 star atleast. 2 out of 5 provided hotels were way below 3 star category - atleast as experience. One of the hotel was so bad that - had to click photos to share bad experience with the agent. *Summarization:* - Agent should have proper understanding of location & other impacting factors (eg. Darshan Tickets, Larger events on the day, Hotel under renovation...) - Properties To be provided with proper check (e.g below committed star ratings, Breakfast facilities...)

This was the worst and the costliest trip of my life...all because of "book it forget it" travel company and travel triangle. Opposite to their name, they kept on forgetting the things and travel triangle guys also on the same pattern. Highlights of our trip:- While booking we asked them we need sedan car with carrier, travel agent confirmed the same thing, when we were about to leave from our home to railway station we called him again and confirmed the same thing , we had asked driver details couple of times he didn't shared those details (we were told that we will get driver details one day before of travelling). He shared us driver details when we were in the train, cleverly approx 7. When we called the driver he told me that he is not having carrier in his car as this is banned in entire Tamil Nadu (not sure if it true or not). When we asked same thing to travel agent he told us yes carrier is not available in car, You didn't tell us that you will be having more luggage.( Can someone please let me know what will be the other meaning of asking car with carrier on top of that) He forced us to pay extra 6300 rupees for some old model innova car. We got threatened by travel agent like pay 6300 or else deal directly with driver (Driver was from Madurai) At rameshwaram driver asked to pay 10 k else he will stop the trip. ( We had payed only 2 installments to travel triangle remaining amout was 15k + 6300( additional cab cost, agent told driver to collect the money from us and marked payment as done on portal) Rameshwaram trip and madurai trip was good as no more places to visit. On the day from madurai to Kodaikanal driver asked us check out late from hotel as his car is having some issues, he reached hotel to pick us at 12 , on hills car was not able go above 30 35 , 2.5 hrs journey become 5 hours journey for us. One full day wasted. For covering all the places mentioned in itinerary driver was asking more money from us and my travel agent was also forcing us to pay extra. Our Driver got changed 3 times during trip. Driver who was responsible for trip was not having proper plans to visit we were on same route for 2 days. All our time money energy wasted. Travel triangle guys also didn't listen to us, they told you directly deal with agent , agent asked us to deal with driver and driver was asking money for everything even for parking which was included in our package. This was our 4th trip with travel triangle 3 were good and this one was worst. No one was listening to our problems. Learnings :- don't believe in travel triangle and there agents this is the new way of looting the money from us, as we are out of city and had payed approx 80% of the amount to them. Note:- while talking to driver he told me that we are the 5th customer who are facing same issue, agent use to write many places to visit in itinerary which is not possible for us to go in same budget. How can I forget to mention our travel triangle advisor Abhijit...he was of no help worst fellow and worst company to book any trip. Nothing

Overall it was good arrangements, however, arrangement at Kanyakumari was not as desired. May be Travel Triangle should get involved more, it was the travel agency Back2holidays.com that was in touch with us, however, during the entire trip not a single communication was received from TT.