What Are The Best Travel Agencies To Travel To Thailand Singapore Malaysia

Hi Gitika,

I have always used SOTC for sending my parents and extended family on tours abroad in the last sooo many years. SOTC assists with Visa, Forex, airport drops/pickups and even fetching traditional food in some places abroad. Never faced any glitch so far.

The next one I have great experience with is Yatra.

Hope this helps. By the way, Congratulations on securing a passport. Hope you have a lot of good trips and cherish those good moments!

 

Hi again Gitika,
[I have tried my best to answer in detail here - but feel free to message me for any further questions. I'll be happy to provide you the info needed.]

Interstate Travel (within the country)
You do not have to visit their office. Most conversations could happen over phone or emails. Their initial questions will be usually around:

- Do you have a place in mind?
- Do you have a holiday plan in mind? (Religious, adventurous, relaxing n so on)
- Number of days you intend to plan​

Based on the answers, they will devise one/many packages for you and provide you the option to chose a suitable one. Accordingly your accommodation (hotel suite/resort/bunker beds) would be determined along with the schedule/activities that will be packed in your itinerary. All these would be emailed or couriered to you - based on your consent to move forward, the money to be deposited in the account mentioned by them. Then tickets and other details confirming bookings would be mailed.

Additional paperwork and permissions required to visit certain places are also covered by these travel agencies. For example: Sensitive places like Arunachal requires a permission letter 24 hours in advance; Andaman requires ferry tickets to be booked in advance to visit each Island and so on. All done at one place when you fix your package - you don't have to go from office to office.

On the day of travel, a contact person from the travel agency would meet you at the departing airport/train or bus stations to ensure your boarding. Similarly, you will be received at the destination station by another travels' person who would make sure you reach the accommodation safely. The stipulated points where a contact person would meet and how to reach them if lost will also be specified in the emails.

If it's a group travel - a bus will pick you at your accommodation, the next day, along with group members who have reserved from the travels accompanied by a tour guide. For individual travel, a cab with a designated driver would pick you to take to places of interest and would act as a guide as well. They even drop you to places to shop or eat and wait until your shopping is over. Many packages have breakfast included with the accommodation - you may have to fend your lunches n dinners (again depending on the package/options).

International Travel
Some countries provide Visa on entry which will work more or less like an interstate travel in this case - Thailand, Maldives being some of those. Here, you can reach the destination country, stand in a queue and get the visa stamped on your passport as you enter that airport. Other process here with the Travel agencies works the same as as interstate travel.

For countries that require a prior visa, you will have to visit the Travels' office - leave your passport, sign application forms required by consulates and deposit money for the stamping and additional to be converted. In case you are unable to visit your office, couriering your passport and signed application forms to their office would work as well (but you may really not want to send through important documents like Passport through courier).

All other process works the same as above except in case of currency exchange, a contact person will be present at stipulated points/airport to help you with it. Most times, the amount they would quote for the entire package would include your personal expenses as well. For international travels, if you require traditional meals, they will make the arrangements accordingly - either at the place of stay or take you to a place that serves it.

A contact information is provided to you at all your destination places to contact when lost or for any emergencies. The same contact would track you and make sure you are safe at the end of each day.

I hope I have answered your queries. I will be happy to answer any further questions - feel free to PM message anytime.

Start planning a trip right away

 

Passport may not be required to these places assuming you are an Indian citizen. But, one valid photo ID card is always required while traveling - your citizenship card, PAN Card and so on. If you don't have any other photo ID card then passport is required.

Yes - but most cases, you will be able to customise your packages since you prefer to travel alone and not a group. And in cases, the packages are seasonal or valid only till a certain time, they will provide you the options of current availability.

With SOTC the longer commute are through trains and shorter ones (3 to 4 hours) are usually through buses. Exceptions are during holiday season like April, May and Dec, Jan where trains are usually overbooked or unavailable, buses are introduced.

There will be a guide to show all important places. But he/she may not necessarily accompany you to all the places in your combo package. They may help you board a bus/train to one place to another and at the destination location you will be greeted by another guide or driver to take you around and show the places of interest in that destination. There will be one guide/contact person per place.

You may be required to take printouts of copies of tickets or display on smart devices as rail or bus departments would require tickets in their formats to be presented during travel.

About international travel

Your currency money will be converted and given to you before boarding. For example if you are traveling from Bangalore to Thailand, the currency will be given to you by a contact person at Bangalore airport before you board Thailand airways. This person will explain you what to do after reaching Thailand airport and where to get your on arrival visa done and where to wait for the another guide to meet you. After reaching Thailand (Bangkok Airport), you will be guided by the airport staff to get your entry stamp and then after collecting you baggage, if you reach the stipulated location or parking the other guide will receive you.

For any travel where a VISA is required, original passport is mandatory so if the travel agents require you to submit passport at their office, they mean the original one only. Since, it takes more than one day for any Visa to come, you may not receive the passport on the same day. In such cases, you may have to visit their office again or receive them over courier. In cases, where the travel agent asks you to come to a visa office or consulate to submit your documents and passport, chances are there where you may receive the passport the same day.

For example if you are on a trip to Thailand covering Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket all for 2 days each in your package. You will received at Bangkok airport by a guide who will be your guide for the next 2 days in Bangkok. He/she will pick from your hotel, take you around, show all places and drop you back to hotel and go back. Next day morning, they will pick you again and so on. After 2 days, they will drop you to a bus station that will take you pattaya where will be received by another guide who will be guide for the next 2 days. He/she will drop you at the airport and help you board your flight to phuket. At HKT airport, another guide will be waiting to pick you and so on. In individual travels, you will have liabilities to alter places in your packages to some extent

Most of the times the hotels are pre booked and confirmed by the travels. They have tie-ups with the hotels so will have additional bookings done for peak periods as well. So, when you package is finalised, they get the hotel room reservations as well. Unless any issue arises, you may not be required to change places of stay within the same city.

Depending on your package, individual cabs are arranged for pickup and drop. In some cases, you may have to take public transport if not included in your package.

Can you please reply all these things. I am already very very grateful for the immense informations help ,insight & volumes of gr8 info you provided. If you hopefully answer all my above points I shall be very grateful.

Regards
Gitika

 

Hi Gitika,

Nice to know you want to travel.

Here are a few pointers from a woman who has been traveling in a group and independently for 20+ years

1. Understand the geographical locations of the places you want to visit. For example Andaman & Puducherry are on East coast of India and Goa is on the west coast. Combining all three destinations in one trip is not a good idea.

2. Have travelled with SOTC many years ago and they have a good reputation. They will assist with visa and Forex. You will know your guide only at your destination airport when you land there.

3. Visa - many SE countries offer visa on arrival. Check their requirements independently in their consular websites so that you are prepared. Personally even if visa on arrival is offered I prefer to get the visa if available from the consulate before I travel.

4. Visa - most countries now want to include biometric information while giving visa so even if your travel agent is handling everything you will have to visit the visa office atleast once.

5. I know a few local travel agencies like KESARI Travels, VEENA World and also COX & KINGs offer women's only group travels. you can evaluate them as well. I have not used any of the above.

6. Always ask to speak to others who have booked the same tour so that you can ask them for reference and their experience before you book.

7. Some group tours include all meals while some will include breakfast and one meal per day. Please check these details.

8. Some tours will include only a few important places for sightseeing. For other places you may have to pay extra or make your own arrangements. Also for entrance fees for some attractions will not be included. Please check this.

9. Since you are just beginning I would suggest that you make a few trips within India before you travel abroad. this will give you a sense of what to expect when traveling alone or as a single person.

10. Please research on the internet for the destination you want to visit. I can recommend a website Indiamike.com which I use extensively. It is mainly for travel within India.

Finally I can only say this that as a traveller you will experience what you want ... If you keep an open mind you will have the best experiences. Don't have any preconceived notions about a place
Or their people and you will have a good time. At the same time you have to realise that as a single traveller there are certain comman precautions to take like not to go with unknown people that you have just met or not to go to areas known for criminal activities. Be careful in crowded area with your belongings, money and documents.

I have traveled with SOTC to SE Asia. I have travelled with family with me making all the arrangements to Europe, 7 countries in SE Asia, Nepal and many places in India.

I hope you enjoy your travelling experiences.

BR
Mani