Pettitts Travel Traveller Reviews

My husband and I spent 13 days visiting Sri Lanka and managed to achieve a great deal in a limited time. We visited the Cultural Triangle which was fascinating.The tea country (unfortunately, it rained and was foggy so were unable to see what we believe to be beautiful countryside). We understand that it can often be misty in this area. However, we had a fun train ride to Nanu Oya from Peradeniya and managed to see the hills then. We were privileged to be apart of the Buddhist ceremony of the Tooth Relic at the Golden Temple in Kandy. We had one night in Udawalawe and went on one safari drive and saw elephants, water buffalo, lots of birds etc. Galle was interesting and we had two and half days at the end relaxing at the Saman Villas in Bentota. We had some fantastic accommodation - The Water Garden, Sigiriya, The Fort Bazaar, Galle and Saman Villas, Bentota. We thoroughly enjoyed our trip, albeit quite tiring at times and we found the Sri Lankan people very courteous and welcoming and were only to happy to make our stay as comfortable as possible. There were many other activities included in the holiday and we were delighted to have accomplished so much in such a short time. We had lots fun and a few little adventures too, making it a perfect holiday.

We chose Pettitts as they had been recommended by friends and they were also a local company, so were able to provide a very personal and one to one service. They were extremely helpful and professional and provided us with a very comprehensive itinerary, including advice on the do's and don'ts when visiting Sri Lanka, and a great deal of information besides including all the flight information, the hotels with their contact details, guidelines from healthcare, how much to tip, what to wear and even a list of books to read regarding Sri Lanka etc. They also gave us a travel document pouch and smart luggage labels. Our trip was only finalised in December and Pettitts did their utmost to give us the type of accommodation we required at such relative short notice. We would happily recommend them and will certainly use them again for any future holidays.

We had a few days in Hyderabad (Falaknuma Palace which is an amazing place to stay), then a few days in Kolkata (Taj Bengal) visiting places we'd not been to before. Then we went to Kaziranga National Park (staying at Diphlu River Lodge for 5 nights) where we saw rhino together with many other mammals and birds. We then did sightseeing in Bhopal (staying at Jehan Numa Retreat). We then went to Satpura National Park for six nights and saw a leopard and sloth bear as well as many, many birds and other animals. After this we had nearly a week in Mumbai (Taj Lands End) where we went to Sassoon Dock Fish Market and the wholesale flower and vegetable markets among other things. All the hotels were excellent being very comfortable with delicious food and great hospitality.

We've been travelling to India with Pettitts for many years now and they are an excellent tour operator. The taylor made itineraries that we are given are always full of interest and the hotels they book are all first class - everything runs as smoothly as clockwork. The only disappointing lodge we stayed at was one we chose - not Pettitts' choice!! They know what we want and always come up with fantastic holidays.

A 3 week tour of Myanmar, with a personal driver and guide throughout, very knowledgeable, and Pettitts had got us exactly what we wanted for hotels, variety , interest and beauty

A very personal service, with practical advice too so you do not try and do too much and miss out on the feel and beauty of a place and its people.Excellent suggestions of a tour and always take on board what you are trying to achieve too. The agents and support systems are excellent.

We were recommended some very, very special boutique hotels that made the dream holiday come true. One of these holtels, The Dar Ahlam in Skoura arranged every meal at a special location either in the hotel or even a full cooked meal out under some awning by a lake: it took 2 4x4 cars and 6 personnel just to serve 2 of us lunch!!! Stupendous!!! We always have a car with driver which takes all worries away from getting left stranded as security in some countries can be a problem.

This last holiday was tipical of what we expect from Pettitt's, after travelling under their care. Every little detail attended to from the moment one leaves the aeroplane until your return flight. Then we have experienced their extra airport help in an emergency so we can't fault them only give praise where it truly belongs. We only hope to be able to spend many more holiday experiences, for that is what you get, under their personalised care.

A 3 week car tour with our chosen driver Unni Krichner who we had the great experience of driving with 12 years earlier on our Tamil Nadu holiday. This reunion gave us a great sense of security. We were taken to all sorts of extra experiences as his knowledge of the area was second to none. We did a wonderful "Home Stay" in a large stately home as part of a wonderful family also a Farm Stay which was an island of such serene magnificence and excellent food and service. We were then picked up from there directly by our House Boat for a 3 day Backwater cruise where again we were spoiled by the wonderfull cooking and service.

Organised by Pettitt's Holiday Tours which sets the very highest standard of organisation possible. The tour was fully discussed on all levels so that nothing was left to chance, we got just what we expected and more. This company has the experience to find the special accommodation which is not on the usual mass tourist track making the entire holiday a very personal and enjoyable time. We can strongly recommend their expertise to anyone for consideration.

We travelled to Sri Lanka on an itinerary produced by Pettitts which proved to be an excellent mix of culture, nature, and relaxation, stating in some excellent hotels. We started in Colombo, followed by 3 nights in Sigirya (Jetwing Vil Uyana Hotel - superb!), then two nights in Kandy (Kandy House hotel, again superb), then two nights in Stafford Bungalow - only disappointing because of the decidedly British weather, 2 nights in Galle - (Jetwing Lighthouse hotel - again excellent) and finishing with a final night in Colombo

Pettitts produced an excellent and varied itinerary, suggested great hotels and (most reassuringly) have excellent contacts and support network writhing Sri Lanka

We had an amazing trip to Southern India.The people, sights and sounds created for a magical holiday. We especially enjoyed the lush greenery of the Western Ghats and the wonderful Homestays and the unspoilt natural beauty of Havelock Island. Our Guides and Driver were excellent, always there to meet us on time and helpful, nothing too much trouble. The food throughout the trip and hospitality was wonderful and how they cook such wonderful meals on the Houseboats in the backwaters of Kerala never ceased to amaze.

Our tour operator Pettitts provided very knowledgeable guidance and assistance in planning our itinerary and accommodation and could not be faulted. It was lovely to deal with a Tour operator who did not push for deadlines and let us have time to think and plan our trip without feeling being rushed.

Custom-made plan worked entirely as hoped. Great holiday, great service from Pettitts and their local agents.

Small family-run, good client-relationships. Attentive, and knowledgeable.

We flew to Bangalore where we were met by our driver. We drove to Gitanjali Homestay in Mysore where we stayed for 3 nights giving us time to explore the city with the help of an expert guide. The Homestay was delightful in every way with interesting hosts, delicious food and extremely comfortable accommodation. Moving on from Mysore we travelled to Nagarhole National Park where we stayed at the Little Bison Camp. What an experience! Our tent was like something from 'out of Africa'. So comfortable and luxurious right down to the large outside bathroom where we could see the stars. On 4 safaris we saw tiger, leopard and a host of other animals. The staff were fantastic and so helpful. One night we had a bush dinner sitting round the fire overlooking a lake. Our next stay was at Tranquil near Sultan's Bathery. This Homestay is set on the Kuppamudi Coffe Estate which provides some excellent walks. Our hosts made us very welcome providing excellent food and accommodation in a very relaxed setting. Moving on to Kochi. We spent 2 nights at the Brunton Boatyard Hotel. Again superb accommodation and a location which allowed us to explore Fort Kochi with another expert guide. The Jewish synagogue was stunning as was a complimentary motor launch cruise around the picturesque harbour at sunset. The highlight of a wonderful holiday was the next 2,days spent drifting along the Keralan backwaters in a 1 bedroom houseboat where we were looked after by a crew of 3. We were able to see everyday life along the backwaters which was fascinating. The food and accommodation on the boat was fantastic! We spent the last 2 days in Kerala at the Marari Beach Resort in one of their garden pool villa. Once again the food and accommodation was of the highest standard. We then flew from Kochi to Mumbai staying at the Leela hotel for 1 night before flying home. Everywhere we went be it city or countryside everyone wa so friendly and helpful. India and its people made us very welcome and we can't wait to go back!

We met with Steve Pettitt well in advance of our trip to discuss what we wanted to do and see in southern India. He came back with some very interesting ideas which we spent some time discussing with him and put together our preferred itinerary taking on board his excellent suggestions making most effective use of the time we had in India. Nothing was too much trouble for him and his team and once we had booked our holiday they kept us up to date with regard to our travel plans. While we were away everything worked like clockwork. Our driver, Unni was a marvellous and knowledgeable driver as were the Pettitt's staff who we met through the course of our holiday. We had a wonderful holiday thanks to Pettitt's India and their commitment to providing the highest level of care and service. We will not hesitate to use them again.

We flew to New Delhi and did the Golden Triangle with our own car and driver, and tour guides in each major city of Delhi/New Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. We then flew to Kolkata to research some family history, as well as to see the city. The next leg was the overnight sleeper back to New Delhi and flying home the next day

We were very pleased with the whole vacation, including the drivers, guides and accommodation.