Disappointing
(Written on 09 Aug, 2024)
When I inquired about the holiday package, I was in touch with Ms. Arooj. I received a dozen calls in a day, and I was quite impressed with the number of follow-ups, which led me to make the mistake o (Read More)f booking with Arooj instead of a Bangalore-based agent. However, after completing the payment, the experience took a negative turn. My messages and calls were no longer answered, and there was a clear lack of interest in serving the guests. I didn’t receive the hotel confirmation until one day before the trip started, and even then, I had to track down Ms. Nahida by calling the number listed on Google. She eventually shared the itinerary and hotel confirmation, and I received the driver's details just a day before the trip.
My initial concerns about dealing with an unknown agent were unfortunately confirmed. After the advance payment, the responsiveness dropped significantly. I had booked a gondola ride and the cable car and asked Arooj to cross-check if the dates matched the itinerary, but I received no response.
Upon arrival, we were provided with an ETOIS vehicle instead of the Ertiga I had booked, for which Arooj charged me INR 7,000 more in the package. The driver mentioned there was a starting issue with the Ertiga and assured me it would be available the next day. Given the exhausting 9-hour journey, including the 5-hour flight and the additional time spent traveling to the airport and waiting, I agreed. However, the next day, the same ETOIS vehicle arrived, and the driver informed me that the Ertiga was still not repaired and that I would receive a refund.
When I informed Arooj, instead of offering an apology, she questioned why I was bringing up the issue a day later and defensively claimed that the rates for ETOIS and Ertiga were the same. Her manipulative attitude was frustrating, but since the driver, Mr. Rafiq, was genuine and made us feel safe, I decided not to demand a refund and let the issue go.
Later, we traveled to Pahalgam, which is about 90 km away and takes around 2.5 hours. To my disappointment, I discovered that ABC Valley was closed. BC Valley had been closed since July 1st, and A Valley had been closed for the past four days. When I first inquired about the trip, I had informed Arooj that I was flexible with my travel dates, either in the first or last week of August. She didn’t mention anything about the Amarnath Yatra affecting tourist spots or suggest traveling in the last week of August instead. I’m not sure if it was due to her lack of knowledge or simply because she wanted to close the sale, but I ended up traveling all the way from Bangalore only to find that ABC Valley was closed upon our arrival in Pahalgam. The agency took no responsibility and didn’t offer any alternative plan. Instead, they suggested traveling to another district, which would have cost an additional INR 4,000.
In Pahalgam, there was heightened security due to the Amarnath Yatra. I had to get out of the vehicle with my 60-year-old parents for multiple security checks, where our luggage had to be screened, causing significant delays. What I had hoped would be a pleasant trip turned into a horrific experience.
Later, at Nigeen Lake, I had booked a houseboat. The agent didn’t even inform me that I had the option of taking a complimentary one-hour ride on either Dal Lake or Nigeen Lake. I only discovered this when I arrived to check in at Nigeen Lake. When I questioned the agent about why we weren’t informed, they rudely responded that in their 11 years of experience, no other tourist had ever asked them such a question.