Get it INDIA

[Jacques Vert]

Is this the world's most expensive elevator ride?

At around $200 each it must be. Is it worth the ride?

You be the judge...




















More sand...








You can step outside to the viewing platform; surrounded by all that glass it was like a furnace. We only lasted a couple of minutes.

 

[Jacques Vert]

Could we get the plane model for each sector, please? Will make it easier to index ...

Sure:

EK449 AKL 2110 - DXB 0530 - Airbus A380-800

 

[SeatBackForward]

Dubai: the great theme park in the sand.

Am following this thread

 

[craven morehead]

Is this the world's most expensive elevator ride?

At around $200 each it must be. Is it worth the ride?

You be the judge...

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More sand...

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You can step outside to the viewing platform; surrounded by all that glass it was like a furnace. We only lasted a couple of minutes.

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Wow! That is some view

 

[amaroo]

Looking good.

 

[Jacques Vert]

More Dubai




These guys were cleaning the fountain










That hotel (Burj Al Arab)

 

[Jacques Vert]

Leaving Dubai

After our quick tour of Dubai it was back to the Roda Al Bustan where we had showers, changed and then went to our complimentary lunch. The buffet here was most impressive however, we seem to have either forgotten to take photos or misplaced them If I find some I'll post them latter.

After lunch our chauffeur arrived to take us back to the airport...






What a pity this great service is being axed; at least we did get to try it once

We headed for the Business Lounge but when we got there, we were advised that (as OWEs) we should go to the First Class lounge. We quickly agreed.


We departed on EK514 to Delhi: a B777-300ER.

More sand...

 

[RooFlyer]

We headed for the Business Lounge but when we got there, we were advised that (as OWEs) we should go to the First Class lounge. We quickly agreed.

Eeek! You could be drummed out of AFF for that sort of mistake

 

[Jacques Vert]

First airport with a first class lounge after hitting WP after a few years as a pleb.

Please forgive my sins.

 

[kermatu]

First airport with a first class lounge after hitting WP after a few years as a pleb.

Please forgive my sins.

No, it's fine. The business lounges are actually better. Trust me.

 

[Jacques Vert]

Mr. Magan

We looked at a number of options for our travels within India, including trains, as we normally like to do our own thing.

But thanks to all the wonderful advice from the brains' trust here, we realised that India is a country where you can have a private driver and not break the bank.

Thanks to @ RB and others, we had a couple of recommendations. I attempted to contact two companies, but only one replied: Heritage India Private Tours run by Magan Singh...

Heritage India Private tours

[email protected]

+91 97993 97401

At times I found Magan slow to respond to my questions and emails; I was later to discover that the best way to contact him is via WhatsApp which invariably got a response within a couple of hours.

Magan has a number of standard tours but is fully flexible and you can customise your own tour. One question Magan did ask was whether we preferred 3, 4 or 5 star hotels; DTKWWA?

We arranged a 22 day tour including Rajasthan, Shimla, Amritsar, Udaipur and Varanasi. We would then fly to Kolkata where we would make our own arrangements.

 

[Jacques Vert]

Payment Terms and Conditions

When you book a tour, etc., it is normal to pay a deposit and then pay the balance at a later time (often before your tour begins).

With Magan, we had finalised our itinerary some months before our planned arrival in India, including the final price. As the time approached, I realised that we hadn't paid a cent. I contacted Magan and asked if he needed a deposit. Not yet was the answer

I mentioned above that at times Magan was slow with his responses and, as I hadn't paid anything, I began to wonder if there would be anyone there when we arrived in Delhi. If it wasn't for the fact that he had been recommended by @RB, and a number of other AFFers have used him, I may have made alternative arrangements.

At one stage I received a message from Magan saying not to send any money under any circumstances Apparently someone had hacked into his email account and was demanding payment for upcoming tours into a bogus bank account.

At the eleventh hour two friends decided to join us in India, arriving the day before us. While in Dubai we received a message to say that they had arrived in Delhi and the driver was waiting for them at the airport. It was only at this time that I was finally convinced that all systems were go.

 

[RooFlyer]

Mr. Magan

We looked at a number of options for our travels within India, including trains, as we normally like to do our own thing.

But thanks to all the wonderful advice from the brains' trust here, we realised that India is a country where you can have a private driver and not break the bank.

That's all really good to hear. On my first trip to India, I used another private tour recommended here on AFF - RVentures and it was fantastic. For an upcoming tour, I got them to quote and also Magan, plus one other. RVentures was the most expensive, the third one in the middle and Magans the cheapest, by a big margin (driver and local guides only, no hotels). The margin was so large I've been worried that the tour would be really poor.

I haven't booked anything yet, so looking forward to reading how you fared.

 

[RB]

Payment Terms and Conditions

When you book a tour, etc., it is normal to pay a deposit and then pay the balance at a later time (often before your tour begins).

With Magan, we had finalised our itinerary some months before our planned arrival in India, including the final price. As the time approached, I realised that we hadn't paid a cent. I contacted Magan and asked if he needed a deposit. Not yet was the answer

I mentioned above that at times Magan was slow with his responses and, as I hadn't paid anything, I began to wonder if there would be anyone there when we arrived in Delhi. If it wasn't for the fact that he had been recommended by @RB, and a number of other AFFers have used him, I may have made alternative arrangements.

At one stage I received a message from Magan saying not to send any money under any circumstances Apparently someone had hacked into his email account and was demanding payment for upcoming tours into a bogus bank account.

At the eleventh hour two friends decided to join us in India, arriving the day before us. While in Dubai we received a message to say that they had arrived in Delhi and the driver was waiting for them at the airport. It was only at this time that I was finally convinced that all systems were go.

From discussions with Magan, I understood he had good reasons for how he has structured payments. I understood that there were Govt limits on money he received from overseas.( Maybe it is a tax thing). Both times we travelled with him we paid on the last day of the trip and he considered that normal and what he wanted.

 

[JohnM]

Late aboard, but waving to @kermatu from 1A.

 

[RooFlyer]

From discussions with Magan, I understood he had good reasons for how he has structured payments. I understood that there were Govt limits on money he received from overseas.( Maybe it is a tax thing). Both times we travelled with him we paid on the last day of the trip and he considered that normal and what he wanted.

Without wanting to besmirch the man , most likely to do with how the Indian Govt. tracks business' income. A bank transfer would have 'tax me' in big bright letters. Cash, on the other hand ....

 

[RB]

Without wanting to besmirch the man , most likely to do with how the Indian Govt. tracks business' income. A bank transfer would have 'tax me' in big bright letters. Cash, on the other hand ....

I don't think any of us will ever know how things ever really work in India and I guess it is a "needs to know basis"-he is the one taking the risks & is prepared to do so. I have no doubt he would provide you a really educational tour if you were to go with him. Has been in the caper for many years & has great knowledge

 

[Jacques Vert]

Without wanting to besmirch the man , most likely to do with how the Indian Govt. tracks business' income. A bank transfer would have 'tax me' in big bright letters. Cash, on the other hand ....

We paid by Citibank Plus Debit Mastercard; although the other couple paid about 50% in cash.

But I'll come to this later.

 

[Jacques Vert]

Arriving in Delhi

We touched down in Delhi on time, and went to the (not-quite) Visa on Arrival counter. For India, Australians fill in the e-Visa form online and pay the $US80, before you arrive. According to Wikipedia:

An application for e-Visa must be made at least four calendar days in advance of the date of arrival and can be made as early as 120 days in advance. The visa is valid for 60 calendar days from the date of arrival, and can be obtained three times in a calendar year. Double entry is permitted on e-Tourist Visa and e-Business Visa. Triple entry is permitted on e-Medical Visa. The duration of stay cannot be extended.[8] The e-Visa fees are divided into four slabs of zero, US$25, US$80 and US$100, depending on nationality (based on reciprocity; see table below and notes), plus a bank fee of 2.5% of the visa fee.

At the counter I was welcomed to India by a very friendly and smiling Indian lady who quickly and efficiently completed the formalities. One of the best airport arrival experiences I've had. Then we collected our bags and heading into the waiting throng where we soon spotted our driver for the next 20 days: Mob Singh.

 

[Jacques Vert]

In Delhi we stayed at The Claridges Hotel. All our accommodation during our tour was arranged by Magan, most of which were excellent.

The Claridges was built in 1952 and is referred to as a Heritage Hotel. It has a nice, old world charm and feel, and a lovely garden are at the entrance...







Some internal shots...