Our deal was settled exactly two months before the tour to Arunachal Pradesh. Naturally, we were not expecting any hiccups. Unfortunately, on reaching Guwahati, we were greeted by a ramshackle Tempo (Read More)Traveller with traces of vomit clearly visible on the window panes. The tour organiser Hemantji was nowhere to be seen . On contacting over phone he pleaded helplessness but assured that the vehicle would be replaced at Tawang.
Thus began our ordeal. When the entire tour of 7 days depended on a comfortable vehicle, a rickety Tempo Traveller was a nightmare. The vehicle was never replaced. En route it often stopped as the engine got heated and ultimately near Sela Pass it broke down and did not recover till the end of our journey. The driver had a mobile - which surprisingly - was equipped with a SIM which did not work. For every hiccups, he used to call with the help of my mobile. For the last part of our journey, I had to arrange for transport myself and was forced to shell an exorbitant fare of Rs.18,000/- (yes , eighteen thousand) by way of hiring a sumo from Bomdila to Guwahati.
We were also deprived of sight seeing at Dirang, and instead of the promised three rooms , had to huddle in two rooms.
Our team comprised of 9 members with one senior citizen of 80 years and 3 ladies. Leave aside the extra sum I had to pay over and above the agreed amount, the mental agony that I had to undergo took a toll on my health. Instead of a relaxing tour , I was subject to tremendous mental pressure. Hemantji, the organiser, never showed up during the entire period, neither when we reached Guwahati nor when we left Guwahati.
The name of this tour operator should be rechristened as 'Nightmare Destination Tours & Travels.'