Hi, i had booked my chardham yatra from 27/9/22 to 2/10/22 with my 62 year old mother by helicopter as my mother is not fit for doing it by road.
I had booked my yatra through Thomas cook, for which third party contact was given to Heritage aviation.
We were assured guides and ground staff/ cordinators at every destination
First day of yatra started with Yamunotri, we were assigend palkhi for each and were sent to temple without any accomapnying guide or cordiantors.
As per heritage aviation cordinators, we were not supposed to pay anywhere, but we were forced to pay for breakfast, then cold drinks and lunch for the persons carrying palkhi, 4 persons for each palkhi, means i had to pay for breakfast, cold drinks and lunch of total 8 persons for journey of 3 hrs.
It was told to us, if u wish u can pay or else u can refuse but they were literally blackmailing us.
Later on they asked my old mother who has diabetes, BP, Rheumatoid Arthritus to get down from palkhi and walk, saying the road is straight and this much u can walk, later on when i argued with them, then they carried her in palkhi.
After reaching temple, pandits there also literally harrased us and fought with us for paying them.
There was noone with us with who could help us for all these issues.
Also hotel room quality and food quality was very bad at yamunotri.
Gangotri trip was best of all, all the ground and hotel staff was very nice and cooperative.
Kedarnath, hotel staff, food was very nice.
But travelling at kedarnath by helicopter was worst experience.
Few of our grp members were directly taken to kedarnath but we were made to wait at Thumby helipad for more than one hour and after reaching kedarnath, the pandit and local handlers were very rude and were in too much hurry, didn’t even let us spend 15 mins at the temple premises.
We were hurriedly brought back to kedarnath helipad and were made to stand on helipad and not at waitting area at helipad for one and half to 2 hrs in near zero degree temp, saying the helicopter to receive us is reaching soon
After waitting for chilly winds at kedarnath helipad for so long, i went to talk with the ground staff at kedarnath helipad, to ask if can go and sit at waitting area as was not able to bear the cold there, on that 3-4 ground staff at kedarnath helipad started argueing with me, "mataji hum b insan hai hum yaha khade hai aap q nahi khade ho rahe ho, ".told them i am not from such cold region so can’t bear the cold, on that they said" mataji aadat kar lo aap b is thandi ki and chupchap udhar khade raho".
Never expected such rude behavior during trip booked throug so called well known Thomas cook.
After coming back from kedarnath i fell sick got fever and severe tonsillitis, and taking medicines till today for the same.
Badrinathji trip was good, handlers and hotel was good.
Nobdy from Thomas cook bothered to call us and inquire if we are facing any issues during our trip but while booking trip till i made payment for the trip, i was called multiple times by your executives.
I had expected this much from Thomas cook and that’s y had paid nearly 30 thousand extra than the packages offered by others for same yatra.
I will never in life book any trip from Thomas cook or suggest anyone to book trip from Thomas cook.
Kindly try to improve quality of your services so that others don’t suffer like we did.