Very Poor
Lavina Agrawal
(Bengaluru)
(Written on 25 May, 2025)
What's Good: We booked our Shimla–Manali trip, including hotels and cab, through Perfect Vacation. The hotels provided were good, and some of the properties we personally recommended were accom (Read More)modated by Shreya, our trip coordinator, at reasonable prices. Shreya did a commendable job in coordinating the itinerary and bookings.
What's Not Good: However, our entire travel experience was severely impacted by the behavior and conduct of the driver assigned to us — RAJAT. Based on our experience, I strongly advise against proceeding with Perfect Vacation if this driver is assigned to your trip.
We encountered several disturbing incidents that made us feel uncomfortable and unsafe throughout the journey:
Lack of basic courtesy or interest: During sightseeing in Shimla and Manali, when asked about the places we visited, the driver bluntly responded that he was “NOT INTERESTED”
Air conditioning issues: There was an undisclosed clause in the package stating that AC would be turned off within Himachal Pradesh — something we were never informed about. Rajat, however, kept the AC off even in Punjab and other state borders, citing excuses and displaying reluctance throughout the journey to save personal costs. We had to suffer in extremely hot weather and even had to monitor state borders ourselves to request AC usage.
Parking manipulation: At Mall Road, Shimla, the driver insisted we return by 6 PM due to a claimed parking time limit, despite parking fees being included in our package. We offered to pay extra from our pocket to avoid conflict — an issue that repeated again later in Manali
Window control and discomfort: The driver kept controlling the car windows, refusing to open them even in the heat(without AC being ON). When asked, he said he needed to sleep in the car and didn’t want dust or rain to enter. His tone was rude and aggressive, leaving us no choice but to comply.
Irresponsible drop-off at tourist site: In Manali, he dropped us 3 km before Hidimba Devi Temple, claiming no parking availability (despite ample space). When requested to pick us up later, he declined, citing his own lunch break, and disconnected the call. We had to walk 3 km with our 5-year-old kid.
Uncooperative and argumentative behavior: The driver refused small requests like adjusting luggage, playing music, or stopping at preferred locations. Instead, he took breaks at places convenient only to him, leaving us in discomfort.
Unsafe and uncomfotable behaviour: The driver repeatedly kept turning around to look at the back seat, where a female passenger and a child were seated. It gave the impression that he was overly possessive about his car and was constantly monitoring our every move, which made us feel uncomfortable and uneasy.
We repeatedly requested Shreya for a driver change due to safety concerns, but no action was taken. We felt helpless and counted the days for the trip to end.