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active 8 hours ago

Jay Kajaria

I am an avid traveler, wildlife enthusiast, excellent photographer and have been to more than 30 national parks, 20 nature hotsposts and numerous heritage destinations in India and sub-continent. I am passionate about designing memorable experiences from my esteemed guests. Apart from the standard highlights, my focus is always on offering something special and unique to my guests. My deep understanding of various destinations enable me plan memorable trips for guests to the most stunning parts of India and sub-continent

What places and activities do you specialize in?

"I specialise in creating culture, wildlife, adventure and off-the-beaten path experiences for my guests. "

How did you get involved in travel?

"After completion of MBA in supply chain from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies Mumbai, a top b-school in India, I worked for the world’s largest consulting firm. During this time, we analysed the travel sector for one of our clients and came to know big lacuna in Inbound Travel segment. We observed that India received very small number of international travellers annually. We realized this was because of three things - a) Negative perception of India being an under-developed country. b) Lack of a reputed travel company offering high quality tailor-made services. c) Lack of travel specialists who are knowledgeable and genuinely passionate about India. Later, I decided to start by journey in travel domain."

Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.

"Being a wildlife enthusiast, my most memorable experiences are in jungles of India. Coming face-to-face with a tiger during a trekking tour is one of most memorable experiences I have ever had. The tiger was just a few meters away from us and it was a bit scary but thrilling experience to see it from such close quarters.

The other experience that I remember was staying with a local family in rural Rajasthan - It was one of my life changing experiences. They did not have lot of belongings but were extremely happy with whatever they had and spending time with them, cooking and eating food with them was truly enriching. "

Jay is part of the following groups: Maldives Travel Agents, India Travel Agents
Goa
Highlights of India Honeymoon: Golden Triangle, Rajasthan & Goa - 14 Days

Start this memorable 14-day honeymoon by exploring India's Golden Triangle together. Learn about art and culture as you discover the highlights of Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur, then fly south to the "Venice of the East" in Udaipur. Your adventure finishes on the palm-fringed beaches of Goa, where you'll have lots of downtime to laze on its golden sands, try out some watersports, check off iconic sights such as the Basilica of Bom Jesus, and experience some of the region's renowned (and romantic) sunsets.

Kumarakom
A Honeymoon Adventure in India & the Maldives - 14 Days

Combine bucket-list sites with relaxation on this memorable 14-day honeymoon in India and the Maldives. You'll go on sightseeing tours in Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, and Kochi, seeing famous attractions such as the Red Fort, the Taj Mahal, and Hawa Mahal. Then, you'll be able to spend quality time together on a houseboat cruise in Kumarakom before transferring to a dreamy resort in the Maldives for a luxurious end to your trip.

Discover Bangalore's inviting Mysore Palace hand-in-hand with your loved one
Honeymoon in South India - 14 Days

Kick back and relax on your memorable honeymoon through South India, offering a romantic mix of activities, from city exploring to safaris. There's plenty of free time built in to take it slow, enjoy each other's company, and hop between the beautiful cities of Bangalore and Mysore and rural areas, including Ooty, Wayanad, and Nagarahole National Park.

Marari Beach
The Golden Triangle, Mumbai & Kerala - 14 Days

This two-week itinerary is a great way to see more of India and enjoy a balanced mix of beautiful landscapes and cultural activities. Visit Mumbai and New Delhi, then relax at an easier pace at Kerala's Marari Beach. On the way, you'll also see Agra—home of the Taj Mahal—Jaipur's Amber Fort, and charming Cochin.

Recent trip reviews for Jay

Great trip, unforgettable experiences and per...
India | Dec 16 - Dec 30, 2022

Aleksandar
Aleksandar P.
Portage, IN | Reviewed on Jan 27, 2023

Great trip, unforgettable experiences and perfect organization by Jay and Bespoke Team.

Spent a whole day in Delhi . The highlight were Chandni Chowk, or ‘the Moonlight Square', with the amazing rikshaw ride and visit to Qutub Minar.
Spent two days in Varanasi. Our guide Mr Singh did a fantastic job showing us all temples and finding the best seats for us during the Aarti.
Agra - our guide Brijesh Joshi did a phenomenal job introducing us to Taj Mahal and everything that Agra has to... read more

Great trip, unforgettable experiences and perfect organization by Jay and Bespoke Team.

Spent a whole day in Delhi . The highlight were Chandni Chowk, or ‘the Moonlight Square', with the amazing rikshaw ride and visit to Qutub Minar.
Spent two days in Varanasi. Our guide Mr Singh did a fantastic job showing us all temples and finding the best seats for us during the Aarti.
Agra - our guide Brijesh Joshi did a phenomenal job introducing us to Taj Mahal and everything that Agra has to offer. The best thing was visiting a local village, not far from Taj Mahal. What an experience!
Ranthambore National Park - this was something that I had been waiting my whole life. Seeing a tiger in the nature, just couple feets away from you is a once in a lifetime event. This is the MUST see if you are visiting Golden Triangle.
Finally Jaipur - the purple city. Fantastic guide Mr. Ajit Singh. We really enjoyed seeing sites in this city.

I have to say one thing. We had the best driver ever. Mr. Balbir Singh Rana was an absolute dream of a driver and we could not thank him enough for making this trip perfect. He was always smiling, so peaceful, pleasant and calm while navigating the insanity of Indian driving/traffic/animals and all forms of transportation found on the roads. He kept the car clean and guided up to wonderful rest stops while en route to all the sights.

Hotel Review
Taj Palace Delhi
New Delhi

Fantastic stay and great service. Food is just amazing.

Authenticity & Character
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Local specialist: Jay Kajaria

AMAZING Golden Triangle, Ranthambore and Varanasi Trip
India | Dec 16 - Dec 30, 2022

M
Maya K.
Atlanta, GA | Reviewed on Jan 08, 2023

Overall FANTASTIC trip!

Jay and the Bespoke Team exceeded our expectations from the moment we landed in India. Simply magical from start to finish and one of the best/if not the best trip we have ever been on!
I am of Indian origin and have traveled several times to Southern India. This was our first trip to the North and my husband/daughter's first trip to India. Jay helped us plan a trip to the Golden Triangle (New Delhi, Agra, Jaipur) + Varanasi and Ranthambore. He was very easy to... read more

Overall FANTASTIC trip!

Jay and the Bespoke Team exceeded our expectations from the moment we landed in India. Simply magical from start to finish and one of the best/if not the best trip we have ever been on!
I am of Indian origin and have traveled several times to Southern India. This was our first trip to the North and my husband/daughter's first trip to India. Jay helped us plan a trip to the Golden Triangle (New Delhi, Agra, Jaipur) + Varanasi and Ranthambore. He was very easy to work with and considered all our requests and concerns. We were met at every location by the company representative who helped us check in, reviewed the itinerary plan and start time. Guides were always early and greeted us each morning.

Driver---BEST DRIVER EVER!! Mr. Balbir Singh Rana was an absolute dream of a driver and we could not thank him enough for making this trip perfect. He was always smiling, so peaceful, pleasant and calm while navigating the insanity of Indian driving/traffic/animals and all forms of transportation found on the roads. He kept the car clean and guided up to wonderful rest stops while en route to all the sights. 

New Delhi--saw the Red Fort, Raj Ghat (Gandhi cremation site), Jama Masjid, Chandi Chowk, Humayun's Tomb and Qutub Minar. Our favorite was the rickshaw cycle ride through the streets of Chandi Chowk. Lunch was excellent at Kwality restaurant.

Varanasi--excellent guide Mr. Singh who took us for a boat ride to see the Ganga Aarti and funeral ghat to experience the cremations. Saw the Aarti from rooftop seating which gave us a great vantage point thanks to Mr. Singh. Really enjoyed the morning boat ride to see life on the Ganges, Lord Shiva temple and walk thru the old streets of Varanasi, Bharat Mata temple, Durga temple, Tulsi Manas temple and especially Sarnath temple/museum and the gorgeous Lion Capital of Ashoka located. 

Agra--excellent guide Mr. Briijesh Joshi. Great trip to the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, "Baby Taj" and fantastic Mughal Heritage Kachhpura Village walk. Lunch was in a beautiful garden with great food per suggestion of Mr. Joshi. Village walk and view of the Taj from a roof top across the river was a highlight!

Ranthambore--beautiful Sawaii Villas was a stunning hotel we loved staying at. Did 2 safari's (am and evening) and saw the male tiger "Rocky" on our evening safari in zone 4. Hotel gave blankets for the morning safari which was so important as it was freezing. Being in the wild and seeing a bengal tiger was a once in a lifetime experience!

Jaipur--fantastic guide Mr. Ajit Singh! BIG thanks to Ajit for taking us to the Hawa Mahal in the morning with less crowds and the sun shining onto the building facade--got great pics! Saw Amer Fort, Panna Meena ka Kund (stepwell), Jaigarh Fort, Jantar Mantar, City Palace and Nahargarh Fort. Highlight was Dera Amer -- spending time with rescued elephants and lovely organic home cooked dinner. 

Hotel Reviews
Taj Palace Delhi
New Delhi

Fantastic stay at the Taj Palace, New Delhi! Service was great from check-in! Room was clean, spacious, with a great bathroom making it easy to bath kids. Food for breakfast was perfect, so many choices and friendly servers. Best breakfast we had on our 2 wks in India. Will stay again when back in Delhi

Authenticity & Character
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Cleanliness & Comfort
Radisson Varanasi
Varanasi

VERY POOR experience--NOT A 5-STAR HOTEL Stayed for 2 nights in December 2022 for a family trip to India, specifically here to see Varanasi. Hotel check in was challenging, you have limited internet access for devices, and street is not easy to walk to/poor location. Very noisy street all day long. Room: VERY VERY BAD SMELL AND FILTHY. I immediately found hair/dust/other dirt all over the floor. Went to the front desk and they had someone "clean" the room with almost no change--remained dirty. SMELL IS HORRIBLE.... most reminded me of ammonia tat was constant. Very humid in the room, water all over the windows. Had to ask for towels several times even though we were 3 people in the room. Food: Two good on-sight dining options for dinner as we did not want to venture out for food. The breakfast was good as well but service is POOR. You have to find someone for water, coffee and tea. Silverware was dirty and had to find clean ones.

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ITC Mughal
Agra

Beautiful Hotel! Great service and greeting while checking in, escorted to the room and room overall. Clean, quiet and nice rooms. Breakfast was great, lots of choices, good lcoation for visiting the Taj Mahal.

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Novotel New Delhi Aerocity Hotel
New Delhi

Stayed here <12h before a flight from Delhi to Chicago Check-in was challenging as there was not a clear line and as it goes in India, people have no sence in forming a cue. Recommend clear markings for lines and cues. Room was nice, clean and perfect for our stay. Only issue was the hair dryer was broken and started to burn my hand and smoke. We called the front desk, had it removed BUT they did not replace one. Food: good luck finding a cheap, quick option. Food buffet was expensive and more than we needed for the quick stay. We ended up going to the little cafe in the lower level but did NOT have a good experience. Lady did not write the order down, got it all wrong, chef was new and did not follow the menu. After discussing with the managers how the $13 hot dog was wrong, he comped a free dessert which our daughter loved. Overall--good for a quick stay before a long flight home

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Sawai Vilas
Sawai Madhopur

Gorgeous Hotel...5-star experience!! Just stunning grounds, pool is a dream and designed like a step well, gardens are lush and blooming. Great service on check-in, greeted with such kindness and showed to our room. All meals were amazing, service was excellent and lots of options for adults, vegetarians and kids. Staff made it easy to find our safari guides in the morning and evening. Provided warm blankets for the safari in the AM which was life saving. Rooms: beautiful inside, clean and spacious with lots of storage. Nice out door area for sitting. Only CON was the water was cold and had to call the staff twice to restore warm water. Weather was cold so this was important. Heat in the room was not great either, small space heater did not help much. Overall--really fantastic experience and would highly recommend this hotel! 5- star experience

Authenticity & Character
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ITC Rajputana
Jaipur

Gorgeous Hotel...5-star experience!! Great exerperience with check-in, lobby and refreshments after a long day of travel. Had dinner for Christmas Eve which the hotel did an amazing job putting together. Room was spacious, clean and overall nice. Breakfast had many options and food quality was good. ONLY Negative comment is when going to breakfast, we were twice met with a unfriendly gentleman who did not want to seat us (party of 3) as the only tables he had left were for 6-people or more. And there were 10+ tables like this. I was persistant and he finally left us sit down. Also very hard to order coffee/tea unless you flag down someone. I guess the wait staff want to servce only those who provide large tips.

Authenticity & Character
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Cleanliness & Comfort
Local specialist: Jay Kajaria

Jay was very knowledgeable and patient. He d...
India | Dec 4 - Dec 19, 2019

B
Bert S.
Honolulu, HI | Reviewed on Dec 20, 2019

Jay was very knowledgeable and patient. He did everything very well. I recommend him.

Local specialist: Jay Kajaria

South India Adventure
India | Jul 2 - Jul 11, 2019

L
Leah T.
San Diego, CA | Reviewed on Jul 20, 2019

My India trip was everything I hoped it would be and more! So grateful to the KimKim team, especially Jay and my driver Kierin; Kierin was so much fun and taught me the most as we drove from location to location exploring beautiful exotic places in South India like Munnar, Alleppy, and Kochi. My guides were all knowledgeable, friendly, and professional: special thanks to Glen (Kochi), Junis (Munnar) and Shreedevi (incredible hostess at hotel UDS in Trivandrum) - these wonderful people, among... read more

My India trip was everything I hoped it would be and more! So grateful to the KimKim team, especially Jay and my driver Kierin; Kierin was so much fun and taught me the most as we drove from location to location exploring beautiful exotic places in South India like Munnar, Alleppy, and Kochi. My guides were all knowledgeable, friendly, and professional: special thanks to Glen (Kochi), Junis (Munnar) and Shreedevi (incredible hostess at hotel UDS in Trivandrum) - these wonderful people, among others, made my experience extra special. My goal in India was to really immerse myself in the culture, try new foods, see wildlife, and interact with local people - coming from a large metro city in California, I also wanted to get off the beaten path a bit and unplug - KimKim made the whole thing seamless and fulfilled my desire to go a bit beyond regular “tourist” type experiences - the most memorable moment, perhaps, was waking up at The Leaf in Munnar and listening to the birds while I drank my coffee and talked to a family visiting from Saudi Arabia. I will also never forget the seeing the tea plantations and the mountains in Munnar; the best smelling place in the world! Alleppy houseboating was also incredible; I had a meal I’ll probably never top! When it was time to say goodbye to Kierin, I realized I had truly made a friend, and will always remember our conversations and the laughs we shared - so thank you AGAIN KimKim for finding me the perfect road companion and for setting up my dream travel in India! I will be back and I will use KimKim again, no doubt.

Local specialist: Jay Kajaria
Jay
Jay Kajaria
Local specialist in India | Reviewed on Jul 22, 2019

Dear Leah

Greetings!

We thank you for sharing the trip feedback. We are so glad to know that you liked the services of guides and driver during the trip and enjoyed the host of authentic local experiences that Kerala had to offer.

It was truly our pleasure to serve you in India. We look forward to welcoming you again in the near future.

Wineries in Nashik
India | Feb 23 - Feb 25, 2019

D
Doug W.
| Reviewed on Feb 26, 2019

The trip was amazing, more than I could have hoped for. I was able to meet with winemakers and winery owners. The guide assigned to my trip was extremely knowledgeable and was able to answer all of my questions.

Everyone showed up on time, and schedules were flexible enough to meet our needs. No problems, no "hitches", no hassle.

Very well done!

Local specialist: Jay Kajaria

South India trip
India | Jan 17 - Feb 2, 2019

U
Usha K.
San Pablo, CA | Reviewed on Feb 13, 2019

Our Driver Manoj,
The guide in Coimbetore Prkash,
City foods guide Sounder,
Sundar in Trichy,
They were great and courteous, knowledgable and eager to show us things around.
Prakash in coimbatore specially was a superb fine young man.
Hats off to the whole team!

Local specialist: Jay Kajaria
Jay
Jay Kajaria
Local specialist in India | Reviewed on Feb 22, 2019

Dear Usha

We thank you for sharing the feedback.

We are so glad to know that you enjoyed our services during the trip. We shall communicate your satisfaction to all the guides and driver assigned for your trip. They will be delighted to hear your feedback.

It was truly a pleasure to serve you in India. Team Bespoke looks forward to welcoming you again in the near future.

Have a wonderful year ahead.

Mumbai > Goa, plus hill station + activities
India | Jan 11 - Jan 26, 2019

P
Paul C.
United Kingdom | Reviewed on Jan 29, 2019

A few attempts needed to convey that we did not want city/corporate style hotels. The stand out accommodation was Ahilya By the Sea, which we sourced ourselves.

Guides were good (other than Elephanta) - drivers were excellent. Trips were broadly ok but nothing we could not have organised ourselves. However, more thought needs to be put into making a tour special. The itinerary pretty standard, was disjointed and needed rearranging. Whilst we were able to do this, on one occasion it required... read more

A few attempts needed to convey that we did not want city/corporate style hotels. The stand out accommodation was Ahilya By the Sea, which we sourced ourselves.

Guides were good (other than Elephanta) - drivers were excellent. Trips were broadly ok but nothing we could not have organised ourselves. However, more thought needs to be put into making a tour special. The itinerary pretty standard, was disjointed and needed rearranging. Whilst we were able to do this, on one occasion it required a guide to travel by road overnight from Mumbai to Nasik (!). Otherwise, we would have been having a wine tasting straight after breakfast (!). Not sure why a local guide would not be available.

Major issue on our last day in that a dolphin tour was substituted with a fishing trip and an afternoon on a beach without any communication. In fact, in was only when we were on the beach (not to our taste at all) that we were told that we were not on a dolphin trip. Whilst I understand the reasons for the John's Tours trip being cancelled, alternative dolphin spotting trips are promoted via Trip Advisor, including one at Coco Beach (where we were staying!). What a waste of a day....

The offer of dinner hardly compensated and to add insult to injury, Kim Kim refused to pay the drinks bill (just INR 1550!). In context, we paid over $9,000 for this trip.

Going over old ground again, shortly after we paid the balance for the trip, our preferred hotel was changed for the first 3 nights in Mumbai. We remonstrated at the time without success but Kim Kim somehow construed that we were happy with the replacement hotel option and decided to change our final night in Mumbai (2 weeks later) to that hotel also. Whilst the replacement hotel was good, it was not our choice (which was Abode - a 'must visit' in a number of guide books).

All this is of course covered in your T&C's but it does not lead me to conclude that Kim Kim is a quality operation and I would not recommend. Quite the reverse in fact.

Local specialist: Jay Kajaria
Jay
Jay Kajaria
Local specialist in India | Reviewed on Feb 08, 2019

Dear Paul

We thank you for sharing your feedback.

We are so glad to know that you enjoyed the guides in India.

Please find answers to your concerns raised below which were already discussed before:

1. Guide in Nashik - Please note that Nashik is a remote location and is an upcoming destination of India. Hence, top guides need to be sourced from nearby city of Mumbai. This is the case with many smaller cities where the guides are sourced from nearby cities to maintain quality of... read more

Dear Paul

We thank you for sharing your feedback.

We are so glad to know that you enjoyed the guides in India.

Please find answers to your concerns raised below which were already discussed before:

1. Guide in Nashik - Please note that Nashik is a remote location and is an upcoming destination of India. Hence, top guides need to be sourced from nearby city of Mumbai. This is the case with many smaller cities where the guides are sourced from nearby cities to maintain quality of services.

2. Itinerary - Please note that all our itineraries are skeleton itineraries. The sequence of places that you see can be changed by guide or guest based on mutual discussion. We are not an escorted tour company where you go from one place to there as per time. We are a bespoke tour company offering flexibility to guests. But, having said that all the places were covered with ease as per itinerary.

3. Fishing Trip - Please note that our local team informed us that John Boat trip (that was included) to be not a good travel provider recently (you can see the trip advisor reviews) and some of the past reviews of other guests were also not good (concerning safety). Hence this was changed for the guest benefit. But, we agree that this should have been discussed (the change of vendor) with the guest which the guide did not do. We apologised for this and offered a free dinner to guest the next day.

4. Regarding Abode hotel - Please note that during first part of the stay the hotel changed our reservation as they got a group booking and hence we offered alternate accommodation in consultation with guest. The hotel was changed accordingly. While this change was being made, we thought that the guest would be okay with the same hotel towards the end of the trip so we released the booking for last night. But, as the guest was not okay with this we upgraded the hotel to Taj Mahal Palace which is 2.5 times more expensive and home to VVIPs. Hence, we went out of our way to compensate for the inconvenience. In Abode hotel too we got a base category room which the guest did not prefer. The guest preferred Taj Mahal Palace over Abode.

5. Drinks not compensated - Please note that the hard drinks are never included in Dinner in India and the sub-continent (I guess in many parts of Europe). We never committed to offer drinks. We have clearly this mentioned in our terms and conditions. http://www.bespokeindiaholidays.com/terms-and-conditions/

Hope the above is fine. Team Bespoke looks forward to welcoming you again

Southern India
India | Sep 1 - Sep 23, 2018

R
Ralph W.
Australia | Reviewed on Oct 21, 2018

The whole trip throughout South India was very well organised and executed by the Kim Kim team.
Unfortunately, one incident near the end of the trip ruined my final memories and has caused me to cancel future plans to visit North India.
On the last day in Kerala, the driver (Tency) who had been with me constantly since Chennai stopped the vehicle in a deserted industrial area and demanded, in a most threatening way, that I give him the tip (gratuity) immediately.
This behaviour was so 'out... read more

The whole trip throughout South India was very well organised and executed by the Kim Kim team.
Unfortunately, one incident near the end of the trip ruined my final memories and has caused me to cancel future plans to visit North India.
On the last day in Kerala, the driver (Tency) who had been with me constantly since Chennai stopped the vehicle in a deserted industrial area and demanded, in a most threatening way, that I give him the tip (gratuity) immediately.
This behaviour was so 'out of character', that I was most disturbed and, in fact, frightened for my life.
This incident has caused me to review (cancel) my intended trip to North India with Kim Kim.
Ralph Watkins

Local specialist: Jay Kajaria
Jay
Jay Kajaria
Local specialist in India | Reviewed on Oct 24, 2018

Dear Mr Ralph Watkins

We thank you for submitting a feedback on Kimkim.

We are glad to know that you had a fantastic trip overall.

We regret the inconvenience caused regarding the alleged tipping incident. We have done a deep probe in the matter. We called the driver in our office and inquired about this. The driver is with us for last 10 years without any guest complaints .Regarding this complaint, driver has agreed that he had stopped the car on the way to hotel for asking about trip... read more

Dear Mr Ralph Watkins

We thank you for submitting a feedback on Kimkim.

We are glad to know that you had a fantastic trip overall.

We regret the inconvenience caused regarding the alleged tipping incident. We have done a deep probe in the matter. We called the driver in our office and inquired about this. The driver is with us for last 10 years without any guest complaints .Regarding this complaint, driver has agreed that he had stopped the car on the way to hotel for asking about trip feedback. It appears that this made the guest to feel scared. He did not ask for tip but only a feedback that the guest is asked for at the end of the trip. Our trip personnel will never pressurise for tips. Also, when my colleague spoke with the guest at the end of the trip, the guest expressed his happiness with the services and said that he shall work with us in the future as well. In fact, my colleague Suhel spoke with guest many times during the trip and always the guest gave a positive feedback.

We sincerely apologise for this circumstances leading to the guest disappointment. We will make sure that the guest is asked for feedback once they reach hotel and not on the way.

Thanking you for your patience and support in this matter.