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[friend1888]

Very recently my family and myself visited Tamil Nadu to see the various marvelous temples and to perform prayers. The temples were stunning as expected and we did manage to offer our prayers to the gods.

However our experience in traveling here was spoilt due to the poor quality of services offered by our tour agent, Siddhi Vinayaga Travel Services from Chennai. The driver including the owner were rude, the driver was terrible at being punctual often going missing for almost an hour, took us to hotels that lacked basic hygiene causing us to have stomach upsets (my sister was hospitalized), and changed hotels due to their own poor booking processes. In short, Tamil Nadu does have very good sites to visit, pray and/or enjoy but our experiences are unfortunately influenced by those who bring us there. Thus despite the hard work of Indian ancestors who created and maintained marvelous temples, structures and sites dating 1400 years ago, it can be tarnished very quickly by companies only seeking to maximize their returns. This doesn't seem fair to these Indian ancestors. So let's do our part to truly enjoy India by choosing our tour agents well.

[Jacques]

It's really a shame that your tour agent, Siddhi Vinayaga Travel Services from Chennai,ruined yoiur trip. Holidays are so expensive and tour agents have such a big role to play in scheduling your trp that it easily makes the difference between a success or disastrouis holiday.

I hope you have better luck next time and that this one will be passed over by Travelpod members because of your warning here! Thanks

[wakingdream]

If there's any website you can find that reviews tours, I'd be sure to add your review to it about this tour operator.

Thanks for the head's up. Sorry to hear about your bad experience.

[sharon1306]

It is very unfortunate your holiday was ruined because of an incompetent tour agency. When using an agency to hire cars/drivers/guides, it is always a good idea to check reviews or use an agency that has been recommended by other travelers on other forums. There are tons of agencies in Southern India that have good reputations. It is also a good idea to check reviews of the hotels booked by your agency on sites like tripadvisor etc. and confirm the reservation and price with the travel agency before your trip.

Anyways, thank you for posting. Other travelpod members might benefit from your review of this particular agency.

[wakingdream]

When using an agency to hire cars/drivers/guides, it is always a good idea to check reviews or use an agency that has been recommended by other travelers on other forums.

Completely agree. Thorough research about any company you choose to use is essential, whether it's for travel or other purposes. It can mean the difference between a fantastic experience or a completely foul experience. Although researching and reading reviews isn't 100% foolproof either. The more you can find out, the better.