theholidaycompany.in

December 2009 was when The Holiday Company was launched. In the past few months we’ve put together some exciting and memorable holidays for our clients.

Here is what some of them have to say –

I surely will be in touch with you as you provided me with a spot on tailor made service despite my last minute changes and requests…. I was amazed how hands on you were despite the fact that my request only covered part of my trip… Next time surely, I’ll plan the whole tour with you, wherever I go in India. It is quite reassuring in amazing but chaotic India to have such understanding company with outstanding service…

– Fabian DePrey, Hongkong

The Holiday Company was great to work with… They were willing to help at every step to reduce the possibilities of any chaos… The service made each one of us feel like the king of the fort…I would recommend The Holiday Company and Fort Unchagaon to anyone looking at a successful offsite.

– Piyush Nigam, Director, Veda Informatics Pvt Ltd, India

My first trip to South East was managed by The Holiday Company. They took all the efforts of getting my desired hotels and touring option and also they took care of my requirements and needs with all the flexibility…. I look forward to get many more trip organized by The Holiday Company.

— Himanshu Maskara, India

We are back in Belgium ! Your advices and help have been very good. Thank you very much for your very quick and reliable services. I surely will recommend you to anyone I know going to India.

– Luc Steens, Belgium

We strive that our client testimonials will continue to take care of our business This is just the beginning!

I wrote this back in 2004 after a month long road trip from Delhi to Goa.

Goa…the destination that speaks of holidays…of relaxation and of letting down your hair. The golden beaches of north Goa, the white sands of South Goa…the shacks and sun beds that dot the beaches, the colourful sun umbrellas…the white bodies that lie here desperately trying to tan themselves under the soothing Goa sun, the gallons of beer that are consumed daily here.

This was not my first trip to Goa. I had been to Goa quite often before, but all the previous trips had been on business. I had stayed at the best of resorts then – filled as they were, with ageing international tourists, who prefer to sun themselves by the swimming pool in the Hotel, than be tossed by the waves. This time round, I dreamt of hanging out in a shack on the beaches at Anjuna and Vagator, mingling with the “foreign” locals and living my own life.

here is about Goa a feeling of freedom…the freedom to rediscover the lost you in the timeless existence of waiting and watching the setting sun, sipping a drink, while biting into a spicy Goan sausage chilli fry or a freshly caught pomfret, grilled to perfection. Whatever one does in Goa – be it hoofing from beach to beach, zipping along on a carefree motorcycle ride with the wind in your hair, or negotiating the narrow roads – one enjoys.

There is the freedom of walking barefoot on the sands, of wearing shorts for dinner, while wearing nothing at all on top. Riding bikes, racing down the quite streets at 3 o’clock in the morning! Goa oozes out a tolerance and acceptance that comes with the many cultures that rub shoulders as they pass through it’s many meeting points. The laid back pace of living, the tradition of afternoon siestas, the friendly simplicity of the Goan locals is the ability to embrace all while retaining their own unique individuality.

The Government has been making an effort to attract higher paying travellers and Calangute and Baga seem to be the swivel around which their efforts rotate. These beaches have been neatened up and made touristy with some really nice shacks. The stretch outside the Government Tourist Resort where we eventually stacked up cause we couldn’t find any other place, sports colourful sun umbrellas with a lot of souvenir shops and roadside bars. My favourite hangout zone was Alex’s. Not surprisingly, it was always full because of the ever so cheap booze and over friendly staff. The skimpily clad, soul seekers frisk at Calangute. As one progresses towards Baga, the amount of clothes they wear steadily decreases till one crosses over the hill to the nudist stretch of Anjuna.

Every once in a while, we would manage to get up early in the mornings and bike up to the Vagator look-out, where we would ponder over to the sea stretching into the horizon. We would track time not by the hours but by the position of the sun. In Goa, it’s either morning, afternoon or evening. All shops close for afternoon siesta from 2 to 4pm. The atmosphere is “laid-back.” which is not to be mistaken for lazy. The tranquility has within it, a dormant state of activity. Thankfully the activity never hits the pace of the cities and if there is a God above, it never will.

At Planet Goa, our favourite shack at Calangute beach, the waiters break into joyous laughter when they see us. This shack has been there for many years. It consists of a semi permanent structure, which can never be improved upon due to coastal developmental regulations. We lunch here most afternoons, as it is quieter and more welcoming than the other shacks that dish out techno music, which gets a bit much before lunch. Tilak, our regular server updates us on the local rave parties, which there is no way we are going to miss. These parties go on easily till noon the next day!

Finally, Goa is a flood of memories, of affiliations and of images. Long after I have returned to the city, I still want to taste the salt on my lips, feel the sand between my toes, smell the aromatic waft of seafood, hear the waves as they crash, and know the joy of living. The glorious colours of light as the sunsets into the sea, nights under the complete universe…. Tranquillity, at its best.

They certainly have’t been living up to the rude reputation so far…

We were pleasantly surprised to find someone helping us with our luggage without asking for a cent! While figuring out the way at the Metro, a stranger happily gave us directions. Nice guy!

While on the streets of Paris, we stopped a couple to ask them the way, they immediately took out their phone map, and helped us out. Of course our pronunciation wasn’t perfect but they figured out which street we wanted to go to, and showed us the way.

So what gives? Do Parisians just have a bad reputation (created by us!)? We have always heard that they are horribly rude and pretend not to know English when spoken to. We were pleasantly suprised to find that people in Paris were quite helpful and managed to speak a few words of English or two. 

And by the way Paris was amazing!

At night the bridges and monuments along the Seine are lit up, it’s just indescribable the beauty of the whole scene. During the day the same bridges and monuments are beautiful but at night they undertake a different mood with the lights and the reflections in the water. 

Night walks along the Seine, whether across the bridges or along the banks, are a must. It’s the perfect way to spend a relaxing evening! And yes..don’t forget a snack on the move from the Latin Quarters!