We recently completed a 5N/6D trip to Varanasi, Prayagraj, and Ayodhya booked through Travel Triangle. I would like to document this experience in a clear and structured manner. To begin with the positives, the hotel in Varanasi was comfortable and the food quality there was genuinely good. The even
ing Ganga Aarti and boat ride were well arranged and enjoyable. Once we reached the temple, the VIP darshan moved efficiently. The driver assigned to us was polite, respectful, and drove safely throughout the journey. He remained courteous in his interactions and, in certain instances, such as recommending a battery-operated rickshaw in Ayodhya, his suggestion improved local mobility. The final airport drop was smooth and punctual. There were certainly good elements in the trip.
That said, the operational gaps were too consistent to ignore. The vehicle provided for the tour carried a white number plate rather than a commercial yellow number plate, which immediately raised concerns regarding compliance for a paid tourism package. While I am not making legal claims, this is not what one expects when booking through a structured travel platform. From day one, there were coordination inefficiencies. At the airport pickup stage, there was confusion before we connected with the driver. More concerning was the recurring pattern across cities where the vehicle would be parked 200–300 meters away from entry points, and we were asked to walk — sometimes on uphill gradients — despite traveling with a six-year-old child and a senior citizen. This was not an isolated instance but a repeated approach in Varanasi, Prayagraj, and Ayodhya. In multiple cases, when I insisted, the vehicle was able to drop us significantly closer, which indicates that proximity was possible but not initially prioritized. Guest comfort should not require negotiation at every stop.
There were also serious itinerary execution issues. Several temples and locations listed in the confirmed itinerary were not initially covered in Varanasi. I had to proactively message and escalate to ensure those places were included. When I first raised the concern, the response was not particularly reassuring, and it gave the impression that coverage of listed items depended on my active monitoring rather than structured planning. If a customer books a package tour, it is precisely to avoid having to supervise execution. Additionally, Subah Banaras was mentioned in the itinerary but never conducted. In Ayodhya, both Saryu Aarti and the laser light show were listed despite occurring simultaneously at different locations several kilometers apart, making it practically impossible to attend both. Listing mutually exclusive events in a fixed itinerary reflects poor feasibility planning.
In Prayagraj, Akshayavat was attempted without prior confirmation of operational timings and was found closed upon arrival. As a result, we had to reschedule it to the next morning, which forced an early hotel departure at 7 AM. Although breakfast was included in our booking, we were only able to have minimal items because of the sudden schedule adjustment. This disruption was avoidable had timings been verified in advance. At Anand Bhavan, the vehicle was parked approximately 250–300 meters away on an uphill stretch, and we were asked to walk. This was physically inconvenient and avoidable. Only after repeated insistence were closer drop-offs accommodated at later stops.
The VIP darshan arrangement, while smooth once inside, appeared to be handled on the spot. Tickets were purchased after arrival rather than pre-arranged. I had clearly requested an all-inclusive package, and yet multiple payments were made on-site. If certain charges are excluded, that should be transparently communicated beforehand. The experience felt reactive rather than professionally pre-coordinated.
In Ayodhya, the hotel was seemingly unaware of our arrival at the time of check-in, and we were made to wait approximately thirty minutes for room allocation. The room condition was underwhelming, with visible stains in the bathroom and a non-functioning AC. The breakfast area the following morning had a noticeable mosquito issue. While we chose not to escalate on-site due to fatigue and tight scheduling, such basic quality control and coordination are responsibilities that fall within the agency’s oversight when curating a package. Additionally, although the quotation mentioned a driver-cum-guide, the experience largely reflected a driver-only role unless I specifically requested coverage of listed locations. To be clear, the individual driver remained courteous and cooperative; the concern appears to stem from insufficient briefing and planning standards at the agency level.
In summary, the issue was not attitude but execution discipline. There were good moments in the journey, but the repeated need to insist on closer drop-offs, monitor itinerary coverage, verify timings, arrange practical logistics, and absorb unplanned disruptions significantly reduced the value of what was positioned as a structured, all-inclusive 5N/6D package. When a customer chooses to book through a platform like Travel Triangle, the expectation is professional coordination, proactive planning, feasibility-aligned itineraries, and comfort-oriented logistics. This trip had potential to be excellent, but the cumulative operational gaps made it merely average. I hope this feedback is reviewed seriously and used to strengthen quality control and partner accountability standards going forward.