Just returned from 11 days Sikkim - Darjeeling tour with Veena World. Experience with Veena world was very painful and pathetic. It was totally mismanaged tour with very unprofessional tour leader and immature co-ordinators. Hotel bookings are extremely bad. At office we were told that group size is of 24 people, however actually size of group was 53.
Tour leader Mr. Rahul Bhor was totally inaccessible. Once I tried to call him on phone, he promised to come over and resolve the problem, but did not turn up. Justification on pathetic rooms was office has done bookings and cannot do anything. Following is the summary of my overall experience.
We booked this tour starting from 4th May in the month of February i.e more than two months before actual tour starts. We asked office to give your hotel details well in advance as we want to check reviews of hotels we will be staying. However after repeated requests details were given just 2 days prior starting tour.
Day one We reached Bagdogra in afternoon and were put in a Hotel Monarch Aanchal at Bagdogra. Hotel was of quite low category. We had two rooms. One room view was if I open window and stretch my hand outside I can touch wall of neighboring hotel.
When asked about this to tour co-ordinator he said Bagdogra is a transit hotel for one night. Rest hotels are good. Buses arranged for transiting from Airport to hotel and evening to Iskcon temple were of very bad state. For this it was told that hotel has a monopoly, so have to take their buses only.
Day two journey to Pelling. On this day we were supposed to see Chardham temple and Sampdruptse stupa at Namchi village. Both places were omitted and taken directly to Pelling hotel. Rooms allotted to me this time again were of pathetic condition. One room was in hotel verandha. Three sides of room were adjacent to hotel passage and last side was a common wall with adjacent room.
Hence windows of the room were opening in passage. When lights were on person standing in passage can clearly see inside the room through glass and thin curtains. Hence all ladies of my family had to stay in second room allotted. Second room again was no better.
Here again hotel view was adjacent hotel wall on one hand distance. In addition if we watch down there was stinking gutter flowing. Justification given was Pelling and Lachung has basic hotels(however better rooms were there in hotel). When asked hotel staff regarding such rooms, Hotel owner said these two rooms are booked today itself and no other rooms are available.
Day three was Journey to Gangtok. Here operators tried to squeeze two days itinerary in one single day and doing so omitted Rimbi falls, Rock garden and importantly beautiful Khecheopalri lake. Later on asking one tour co-ordinator about this, he replied lake is not in the itinerary, and I had to show him itinerary given by the office.
Day four and five at Gangtok. One day was for local sightseeing. Tour was to start at morning 08:30. All guests were ready, however vehicles arrived one and half hour late. This kept on recurring everyday henceforth. Due to this delay finally two points of this day had to be omitted.
Next day was journey to Lachung. Morning all guest were ready by 09:00 a.m as instructed. All tour coordinators were missing. Finally journey started at 12:00p.m. and reached Lachung in the dark.
Day six and seven. As usual days started late. At this place Lachung monastery mentioned in itinerary was dropped. Hotels at Lachung were basic as told earlier.
Day eight, nine and ten at Gangtok and Darjeeling. All days had same story of long waiting in morning and late starting. On day nine our journey was to Darjeeling and few local sightseeing. Here local sightseeing was dropped and squeezed in on next day which became really tiring for few elderly members and they had to drop few points.
Buses arranged for journey from Gangtok to Darjeeling were of very bad state. At Darjeeling again Hotel(Best Western R.J. resort) room selections were really bad. Our one room was overlooking hotel lobby while other room’s window was opening in hotel staircase.
Day eleven Journey back to home. Our pick up from hotel was in the morning 09:00, lunch on the way and then airport drop. All members checked out from their rooms in time, but as usual vehicles were not available on time. All members many elderly people were made to wait in the lobby.
Finally vehicles arrived at 11:00 a.m. Due to this lunch break was dropped and packed lunch was given. As a packed lunch, insensible people supplied such items which you cannot eat while seating in waiting lounge without plate and spoons. Almost all members had either thrown these lunch bags in dust bin or gave it to janitors.
There are very few good things about this tour which I want to mention here are as follows.
1.Except last day lunch all meals provided were good.
2.Hotel Suhim portico at Gangtok was good. Hotel staffs were really nice and co-operative. On day nine we went to Tsomgo lake and stuck in landslide. We came back to hotel very late. Hotel was quite courteous to provide warm dinner on arrival though dinner timing was long time finished.