I can't deal with this. Every where we go we are haunted. Apprently Nazir Karnai, who sent us to Srinigar in the first place, threatened a guy we met with violence because this guy wanted his money back. It's all slightly creepy. BUT WE ARE FINE :)
FOR THE WHOLE STORY [HERE]
Couple recounts tragic India tour
Mayank Aggarwal NEW DELHI, Sept. 18: Atithi Devo Bhava! Although the government has been touting this slogan, tour operators in the Capital do not seem to think otherwise. Describing their recent trip to India as horrible, a Belgian couple has written to the government complaining about the rude and unprofessional behaviour of the tourist agency. They reached Delhi on 9 July and an autorickshaw driver brought them to N-9/1 Connaught Place to Centre Tour and Travels. “We wanted to go to Leh and Srinagar, but the tourist agent, Mr Nazir, told us that flights were full and offered us a package which included a flight from Delhi to Srinagar, a three-day stay on a houseboat in Srinagar and a flight back to Delhi,” the complaint said. “Our daughter arrived in Delhi from Milan but unfortunately without her luggage. On 2 August, the three of us flew to Srinagar where one Mr Bashir met us. He took us to the houseboat in Srinagar. The name of the company is Dilshad Group of Houseboats on Nagin Lake. The company is owned by one Mr Rafiq and Mr Bashir,” they said. The complaint states how the ‘‘tragic’’ tour started. “Bashir offered us a number of packages but we refused as we knew that all of them were being offered at inflated costs. At this, he got furious and started shouting and threatening us,” they said. “After four hours, we were afraid and agreed to his proposal of a three-day trip in Srinagar and a trip to Leh for 625 euros,” they added. “We were kept as hostages in the houseboat and were not allowed to move anywhere else. Mr Rafiq tried to lay his hands on our daughter but we saved her from any kind of sexual intimidation. Not only this, all our trips were of poor quality but we didn’t say anything as we just wanted to be safe.” They have sent letters to the department of tourism, tourist office at Janpath, ministry of tourism, DCP (New Delhi), Delhi Police, department of tourism, J&K, and SP, tourist police, Srinagar. They have received a reply from the enforcement TRC Srinagar, deputy director tourism, Mr MS Punoo who promised to take action against the agency. The assistant director, India Tourism, Mr HC Bhatt, said: “We can’t take any action against them. But we have forwarded their complaints to police from which we have not heard anything as yet.” The couple has posted their nightmarish experience at htpp://thorntree.lonelyplanet.com, where a number of harassed tourists have written about their unpleasant experiences in India. A senior official of the tourism department said, “Police never take any action against these people. They always say that the complaints don’t amount to criminal offence, so they cannot do anything.” In another case, an American journalist who came to India in May with her three daughters complained against the same travel agency, CTT, for not providing them proper service and harassing them. In her compliant, Ms Mary Anne Lynch said: “We were overcharged by the travel agent, Mr Bashir Karnai and when we asked for refund, he stopped replying to me.” “Centre Tour and Travels is an unrecognised travel agency. They are bringing a bad name to country,” Mr Bhatt said. An official at CTT, Sameer, however, said: “All the allegations are baseless.”
Mayank Aggarwal NEW DELHI, Sept. 18: Atithi Devo Bhava! Although the government has been touting this slogan, tour operators in the Capital do not seem to think otherwise. Describing their recent trip to India as horrible, a Belgian couple has written to the government complaining about the rude and unprofessional behaviour of the tourist agency. They reached Delhi on 9 July and an autorickshaw driver brought them to N-9/1 Connaught Place to Centre Tour and Travels. “We wanted to go to Leh and Srinagar, but the tourist agent, Mr Nazir, told us that flights were full and offered us a package which included a flight from Delhi to Srinagar, a three-day stay on a houseboat in Srinagar and a flight back to Delhi,” the complaint said. “Our daughter arrived in Delhi from Milan but unfortunately without her luggage. On 2 August, the three of us flew to Srinagar where one Mr Bashir met us. He took us to the houseboat in Srinagar. The name of the company is Dilshad Group of Houseboats on Nagin Lake. The company is owned by one Mr Rafiq and Mr Bashir,” they said. The complaint states how the ‘‘tragic’’ tour started. “Bashir offered us a number of packages but we refused as we knew that all of them were being offered at inflated costs. At this, he got furious and started shouting and threatening us,” they said. “After four hours, we were afraid and agreed to his proposal of a three-day trip in Srinagar and a trip to Leh for 625 euros,” they added. “We were kept as hostages in the houseboat and were not allowed to move anywhere else. Mr Rafiq tried to lay his hands on our daughter but we saved her from any kind of sexual intimidation. Not only this, all our trips were of poor quality but we didn’t say anything as we just wanted to be safe.” They have sent letters to the department of tourism, tourist office at Janpath, ministry of tourism, DCP (New Delhi), Delhi Police, department of tourism, J&K, and SP, tourist police, Srinagar. They have received a reply from the enforcement TRC Srinagar, deputy director tourism, Mr MS Punoo who promised to take action against the agency. The assistant director, India Tourism, Mr HC Bhatt, said: “We can’t take any action against them. But we have forwarded their complaints to police from which we have not heard anything as yet.” The couple has posted their nightmarish experience at htpp://thorntree.lonelyplanet.com, where a number of harassed tourists have written about their unpleasant experiences in India. A senior official of the tourism department said, “Police never take any action against these people. They always say that the complaints don’t amount to criminal offence, so they cannot do anything.” In another case, an American journalist who came to India in May with her three daughters complained against the same travel agency, CTT, for not providing them proper service and harassing them. In her compliant, Ms Mary Anne Lynch said: “We were overcharged by the travel agent, Mr Bashir Karnai and when we asked for refund, he stopped replying to me.” “Centre Tour and Travels is an unrecognised travel agency. They are bringing a bad name to country,” Mr Bhatt said. An official at CTT, Sameer, however, said: “All the allegations are baseless.”
We are in Jaipur, the pink city. My keyboard it stuffed up so i can't write very well. We saw the Taj - amazing. I havent yet pictures and i have so much to tell as well... Okay well i'll get back to you all in PUSHKAR.
2 comments:
Hey Nech,
this blog is better than any travel journal! Good to hear you are keeping things lively by assocating with totally the wrong people! Stay safe, lots of love, Jes
Nechama,
Ronit wrote you a comment recently and thought that she put it on this entry, but she didnt. We weren't sure if you'd see it, so i'm telling u where it is now. It's on your third entry since the start of your trip. The one that begins with "ANOTHER POST, whats wrong with me?". Anyhow, no excuses if you dont see it now.
love ya
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