Andaman trip with (Un)Smiley
Ramanan S
(Chennai, India)
(Written on 01 Jun, 2023)
A group of 13 of us had planned a trip to Andaman and were looking for a travel agency. We received positive responses from Smiley Trips and GT Holidays. However, GT Holidays was charging little more (Read More)than Smiley Trips. Because of this, we made a mistake by choosing Smiley Trips. One positive aspect worth mentioning about Smiley Trips is that they were responsive to our queries and were available most of the time, about 90% of it. During our initial discussions with Smiley Trips, they informed us that if we wanted a premium hotel in Havelock, there would be an additional cost of Rs. 1500. We agreed to this, considering the prime location.
When we arrived in Andaman, we were disappointed with the hotel we were assigned in Port Blair. The room had some cockroaches and drainage issues. Although somewhat clean, it did not meet the standards of a claimed 3-star hotel. However, our biggest frustration was when we reached the Sunrise Beach Resort in Havelock, which was supposed to be a premium resort with a swimming pool and a private beach. The room was old, poorly maintained, and had a foul odor. We encountered cockroaches, bugs, and larvae, and there were drainage problems with non-functioning air conditioning. The room would be valued at a maximum rent of Rs. 1000 per day. Despite the disappointment, we had no choice but to stay there. The climax of our dissatisfaction came the next day morning when there was no electricity or water in the hotel, and there was no staff member available to assist us. We were left to fend for ourselves and didn't know what to do. After an hour, we managed to reach someone at the hotel, who sluggishly turned on the generator, providing us with some water in the so called premium resort. When we later met Annu during the trip, she acknowledged the poor quality of the resort, claiming they hadn't seen it before, and promised to make some compensations for our experience. However, she disappeared without fulfilling her promise. We spoke with another group that had made arrangements through GT Holidays, which cost only an additional 1.5K compared to what we paid. They were satisfied with their experience. Additionally, I watched a video where a group had booked their trip through SS Travel, paying the same amount we did, (our tour charges+ flight = their total charges). They received wonderful accommodations with a hotel called Kalki and had a good experience with their guide. In most places we visited, we felt left alone.
As a group that goes on family trips every six months, this was the first time we opted for a travel agency, and it's a decision we now regret. If the experience had been better, we would have chosen Smiley Trips for all our future trips. Unfortunately, we will have to consider GT Holidays, SS Travel, or someone else next time.
