There is no way that I can adequately thank you all for the unbelievable trip to India
that all of you put together. I have to repeat what each of you said in your emails.
I was the luckiest of all in that I was surrounded by past friends that I had traveled
with before and adored, Jock and Jack. Plus two of my family, Margi and Kathleen,
and this topped off with wonderful new people, Mike, Brian, and new friends in our
fabulous guides of Swati and Alister. And I can't forget Stuart who put so much work
into the planning and who we all talked about and missed so much.
I was spoiled as I'd been to these spots in India before but not with good friends and
certainly not with such terrific information on what we were seeing. And the bus !
and it's driver and helper ! I'm now so spoiled that I believe that all future photo tours must be done in an equivalent bus.
Again I thank all of you for for making this trip so especially wonderful for me.
And I wish each of you the best in the next adventures you have coming up now. I look forward to seeing you all again soon.
Mary Ann
Mary Ann Levitt San Francisco, CA, USA
Dear Swati and Alister,
Thanks for sharing your vision of India... and for your warmth, insights and seamless (and seemingly effortless) coordination.
I'm still spinning from the experience... monkeys swarming the highway, cows sleeping in doorways, gentle eyes of elephants, silken swaths of color, incense (and whatever else) in the Delhi mist, the easy smiles and authenticity of strangers, crazed wedding dancers, upside down laughing yoga, palaces, forts and castles one has to see to believe, the very thought of people lining up for selfies, our zen bus driver skillfully honking his way through ridiculous traffic, eating green sauce with our fingers, butter-soft pashminas, warm spa oil on my skin, tracking time with calls to prayer, Swati's resonant teaching voice, Alister resorting to his Royal Guard skills to herd cats, Mary Ann in her element and loving every minute, Katherine's kindness, Jack's Hawaii, Brian's astute observations, Jock's amazing energy, Mike's amazing life experiences, your beautiful family...
Mary Ann told me ahead of time how special the guides and the individuals in our group would be. She was spot on, to borrow an expression from you, Alister, old boy.
Margie Levitt
Margie Levitt Wahington DC, USA
Swati & Alister, what an amazing trip and it is because of your deep care of your travelers, your kindness lovely humanity and attention to all the myriad of details that made this the finest travel I have done!
Thank you for the ways you open my eyes to India!
Getting out of India took some time but gave me The time necessary to digest all the delicious new memories of our travels.
Thank you again for a delicious travel experience.
Jock McDonald
Jock McDonald Napa Valley, CA, USA
This was a truly amazing cultural experience. The diversity of experiences was pretty incredible, from the wedding to the bike rickshaw ride in Delhi, the wonderful lunch at Swati’s brother’s restaurant, the monkeys at Amber Fort, and of course the Taj Mahal.
To Swati and Alister, thank you for a superb job guiding us through India over our 10-day stay. As I mentioned in person, you made it easy for me to navigate a different country and a different culture, and whatever else you had to do in the background, it never stopped you from making our trip enjoyable. I am honored to have met your family. They are some of the warmest and most generous people I have ever met, and they helped make the trip particularly special.
To the group, it was wonderful for this bunch of strangers to come together and get along so well. We were constantly looking out for each other, supporting each other, and simply enjoying the trip as a bunch of friends. I enjoyed meeting each of you, and hope to have further adventures with you in the future.
Brian Schultz San Francisco, CA, USA
I have done quite a bit of traveling throughout the world over the past ten years and have worked with a number of guides. Swati and Alister are at the top of my list and I would recommend them to anyone whether traveling to India or other areas of the world. They were the perfect team, Swati controlling the day to day activities, imparting cultural and historical knowledge to all who listened and Alister backing her up with our technology and physical needs along the way. Meeting Swati’s family in Jaipur was definitely one of the highlights of the trip.
Michael D Tiret
Michael D Tiret, CPA San Francisco, USA
Hattours expertly helped arrange our three weeks of solo travel throughout northern India. From booking hotels and securing through their high-level connections the very best rooms with a view to arranging drivers and superbly knowledgeable guides, Hattours performed with flawless execution and military-style precision. Clearly my wife and I benefited from their years of operating in the industry to tap into their extensive network of colleagues for access and of merchants and craftsmen that allowed us to buy with confidence. For the highest level of service and expertise, I cannot recommend Hattours highly enough." Roger Rosen
Roger Rosen, CEO & President, Rosen Publishing New York, NY, USA
"As you know, my late wife and I traveled to northern India in 2006 and consequently visited most of the places we went to on our recent tour. But we sure didn't attend a wedding, and that's what I want to write about in this posting.
What an extraordinary experience this was, especially to my western-trained eyes! I've been to many, many weddings in my long life, but none could compare with this marvelous extravaganza in Jaipur. From our horse-drawn chariot to the gaily painted elephant to the elegant bride and groom to the street dancers to the mountains of food and drink to the henna-painted hands to the fireworks to the beautiful sari-clad women and to my own colorful turban . . . I just can't adequately describe what a thrill it was to be part of it".
Rolf Glerum Portland, USA
My husband, Marty, and I traveled to many wonderful parts of India with Swati and Alistair. They were making sure our group was well cared for with comfortable hotels and spacious transportation, American breakfasts, and some wonderful Indian cuisine lunches & dinners with interesting Indian wines. We even stayed in a Maharaja’s former palace, a hunting lodge, and other fine five star hotels. In Ranthambore Tiger Park, we saw a tiger, and followed him on track for twenty minutes. We felt like we were in an Indiana Jones movie! Riding a real elephant and of course seeing the Taj Mahal in Agra. A very colorful culture and the people are so kind, happy, and friendly, everywhere we went. Even the bus rides from place to place are a site to behold. The culture is lively & colorful. Each day and city HAT Tours offered something new, sometimes old, but always different and unique! We were so glad to make this journey with Swati and Alistair, absolutely hope to travel to India in the future!
Mrs. Kathy and Mr. Marty Jones The Villages, Florida
The holiday, all arranged in perfect detail by Swati and Alistair, was sensational, one of the best we ever had, experiencing new and wonderful sights each day. The accommodation was superb starting from the sweeping grandeur at the Oberoi Gurgaon in New Delhi then the Amar Vilas at Agra balcony view of Taj Mahal. The palace hotels at Jaipur and Udaipur were very special: Rambagh at Jaipur with the ‘presence of the queen mother ‘Gayatri Devi’, the last Maharaja’s third wife, and Lake Palace at Udaipur surly one of the most beautiful palaces ever! We had an excellent accompanying guide and driver. Another high light was a dinner arranged for us at the Samode Palace near Jaipur, an extraordinary place, not to be missed. We savoured a wonderful night eating under the stars, and half expecting a leopard to come down out of the hills. We hope to take another Spendors of India tour arranged by Swati and Alistair.
Mrs. Leonie and John Salmons Victoria, Australia
We are back enjoying our usual lifestyle, but I have to tell you that it doesn't compare with our recent H.A.T. Tours tour, Thank you both for a wonderful trip, and your wonderful hospitality. We felt very safe in your hands, and it was a magical time. We are very honoured to have been so included. I saw that both of you have a great respect for your guests, and empathy with the older generation. As a nurse appreciated the fact that you obviously didn't consider this a chore. I know I can get a bit distracted when there is a good photo to shoot, but I never felt I would get left behind!! You never let me feel I was a nuisance. All the best for your future tours.
Mrs. Denny and Dr. Barry Butler Australia, Australia
We had the privilege, and pleasure of participating in the February 2016 wedding celebrations, and the accompanying tour of the Golden Triangle of India - Delhi/Agra/Jaipur, completing our tour in Udaipur, staying at the Lake Palace Hotel. It was definitely an experience of a lifetime. To be part of these amazing wedding celebrations which lasted for five days with no sign of energy depletion from our hosts Swati and Alistair. Alistair is of course the son of Grethe and Aspee, and steeped in the tradition of providing the best tour experience possible in Europe, specialising in opera tours. Swati comes from an equally long tradition of destination expert in India. She is the third generation and having been taught by her grandfather and father Krishna. This young couple showed no abatement of their enthusiasm, during the whole trip, ensuring we received the best care; accommodation, transport, guides, and personal requirements. If you want to be looked after whilst travelling in India, we would recommend them.
Mrs. Johanna and Dr. Bruce Perks Adelaide, Australia
When people ask how was the trip, it is hard to describe. It truly was an experience of a lifetime. May I say that … The beauty of India has been overlooked. In its own way, India’s temples and palaces are the equal of Europe’s cathedrals and castles in artistry and skill. There are no better experts about these glories than Swati, a third-generation native destination specialist, and Alistair, a second generation Europe and India destination expert.
Clients Comments
There is no way that I can adequately thank you all for the unbelievable trip to India that all of you put together. I have to repeat what each of you said in your emails. I was the luckiest of all in that I was surrounded by past friends that I had traveled with before and adored, Jock and Jack. Plus two of my family, Margi and Kathleen, and this topped off with wonderful new people, Mike, Brian, and new friends in our fabulous guides of Swati and Alister. And I can't forget Stuart who put so much work into the planning and who we all talked about and missed so much. I was spoiled as I'd been to these spots in India before but not with good friends and certainly not with such terrific information on what we were seeing. And the bus ! and it's driver and helper ! I'm now so spoiled that I believe that all future photo tours must be done in an equivalent bus. Again I thank all of you for for making this trip so especially wonderful for me. And I wish each of you the best in the next adventures you have coming up now. I look forward to seeing you all again soon. Mary Ann
Mary Ann Levitt
San Francisco, CA, USA
Dear Swati and Alister, Thanks for sharing your vision of India... and for your warmth, insights and seamless (and seemingly effortless) coordination. I'm still spinning from the experience... monkeys swarming the highway, cows sleeping in doorways, gentle eyes of elephants, silken swaths of color, incense (and whatever else) in the Delhi mist, the easy smiles and authenticity of strangers, crazed wedding dancers, upside down laughing yoga, palaces, forts and castles one has to see to believe, the very thought of people lining up for selfies, our zen bus driver skillfully honking his way through ridiculous traffic, eating green sauce with our fingers, butter-soft pashminas, warm spa oil on my skin, tracking time with calls to prayer, Swati's resonant teaching voice, Alister resorting to his Royal Guard skills to herd cats, Mary Ann in her element and loving every minute, Katherine's kindness, Jack's Hawaii, Brian's astute observations, Jock's amazing energy, Mike's amazing life experiences, your beautiful family... Mary Ann told me ahead of time how special the guides and the individuals in our group would be. She was spot on, to borrow an expression from you, Alister, old boy. Margie Levitt
Margie Levitt
Wahington DC, USA
Swati & Alister, what an amazing trip and it is because of your deep care of your travelers, your kindness lovely humanity and attention to all the myriad of details that made this the finest travel I have done! Thank you for the ways you open my eyes to India! Getting out of India took some time but gave me The time necessary to digest all the delicious new memories of our travels. Thank you again for a delicious travel experience. Jock McDonald
Jock McDonald
Napa Valley, CA, USA
This was a truly amazing cultural experience. The diversity of experiences was pretty incredible, from the wedding to the bike rickshaw ride in Delhi, the wonderful lunch at Swati’s brother’s restaurant, the monkeys at Amber Fort, and of course the Taj Mahal. To Swati and Alister, thank you for a superb job guiding us through India over our 10-day stay. As I mentioned in person, you made it easy for me to navigate a different country and a different culture, and whatever else you had to do in the background, it never stopped you from making our trip enjoyable. I am honored to have met your family. They are some of the warmest and most generous people I have ever met, and they helped make the trip particularly special. To the group, it was wonderful for this bunch of strangers to come together and get along so well. We were constantly looking out for each other, supporting each other, and simply enjoying the trip as a bunch of friends. I enjoyed meeting each of you, and hope to have further adventures with you in the future.
Brian Schultz
San Francisco, CA, USA
I have done quite a bit of traveling throughout the world over the past ten years and have worked with a number of guides. Swati and Alister are at the top of my list and I would recommend them to anyone whether traveling to India or other areas of the world. They were the perfect team, Swati controlling the day to day activities, imparting cultural and historical knowledge to all who listened and Alister backing her up with our technology and physical needs along the way. Meeting Swati’s family in Jaipur was definitely one of the highlights of the trip. Michael D Tiret
Michael D Tiret, CPA
San Francisco, USA
Hattours expertly helped arrange our three weeks of solo travel throughout northern India. From booking hotels and securing through their high-level connections the very best rooms with a view to arranging drivers and superbly knowledgeable guides, Hattours performed with flawless execution and military-style precision. Clearly my wife and I benefited from their years of operating in the industry to tap into their extensive network of colleagues for access and of merchants and craftsmen that allowed us to buy with confidence. For the highest level of service and expertise, I cannot recommend Hattours highly enough." Roger Rosen
Roger Rosen, CEO & President, Rosen Publishing
New York, NY, USA
"As you know, my late wife and I traveled to northern India in 2006 and consequently visited most of the places we went to on our recent tour. But we sure didn't attend a wedding, and that's what I want to write about in this posting. What an extraordinary experience this was, especially to my western-trained eyes! I've been to many, many weddings in my long life, but none could compare with this marvelous extravaganza in Jaipur. From our horse-drawn chariot to the gaily painted elephant to the elegant bride and groom to the street dancers to the mountains of food and drink to the henna-painted hands to the fireworks to the beautiful sari-clad women and to my own colorful turban . . . I just can't adequately describe what a thrill it was to be part of it".
Rolf Glerum
Portland, USA
My husband, Marty, and I traveled to many wonderful parts of India with Swati and Alistair. They were making sure our group was well cared for with comfortable hotels and spacious transportation, American breakfasts, and some wonderful Indian cuisine lunches & dinners with interesting Indian wines. We even stayed in a Maharaja’s former palace, a hunting lodge, and other fine five star hotels. In Ranthambore Tiger Park, we saw a tiger, and followed him on track for twenty minutes. We felt like we were in an Indiana Jones movie! Riding a real elephant and of course seeing the Taj Mahal in Agra. A very colorful culture and the people are so kind, happy, and friendly, everywhere we went. Even the bus rides from place to place are a site to behold. The culture is lively & colorful. Each day and city HAT Tours offered something new, sometimes old, but always different and unique! We were so glad to make this journey with Swati and Alistair, absolutely hope to travel to India in the future!
Mrs. Kathy and Mr. Marty Jones
The Villages, Florida
The holiday, all arranged in perfect detail by Swati and Alistair, was sensational, one of the best we ever had, experiencing new and wonderful sights each day. The accommodation was superb starting from the sweeping grandeur at the Oberoi Gurgaon in New Delhi then the Amar Vilas at Agra balcony view of Taj Mahal. The palace hotels at Jaipur and Udaipur were very special: Rambagh at Jaipur with the ‘presence of the queen mother ‘Gayatri Devi’, the last Maharaja’s third wife, and Lake Palace at Udaipur surly one of the most beautiful palaces ever! We had an excellent accompanying guide and driver. Another high light was a dinner arranged for us at the Samode Palace near Jaipur, an extraordinary place, not to be missed. We savoured a wonderful night eating under the stars, and half expecting a leopard to come down out of the hills. We hope to take another Spendors of India tour arranged by Swati and Alistair.
Mrs. Leonie and John Salmons
Victoria, Australia
We are back enjoying our usual lifestyle, but I have to tell you that it doesn't compare with our recent H.A.T. Tours tour, Thank you both for a wonderful trip, and your wonderful hospitality. We felt very safe in your hands, and it was a magical time. We are very honoured to have been so included. I saw that both of you have a great respect for your guests, and empathy with the older generation. As a nurse appreciated the fact that you obviously didn't consider this a chore. I know I can get a bit distracted when there is a good photo to shoot, but I never felt I would get left behind!! You never let me feel I was a nuisance. All the best for your future tours.
Mrs. Denny and Dr. Barry Butler
Australia, Australia
We had the privilege, and pleasure of participating in the February 2016 wedding celebrations, and the accompanying tour of the Golden Triangle of India - Delhi/Agra/Jaipur, completing our tour in Udaipur, staying at the Lake Palace Hotel. It was definitely an experience of a lifetime. To be part of these amazing wedding celebrations which lasted for five days with no sign of energy depletion from our hosts Swati and Alistair. Alistair is of course the son of Grethe and Aspee, and steeped in the tradition of providing the best tour experience possible in Europe, specialising in opera tours. Swati comes from an equally long tradition of destination expert in India. She is the third generation and having been taught by her grandfather and father Krishna. This young couple showed no abatement of their enthusiasm, during the whole trip, ensuring we received the best care; accommodation, transport, guides, and personal requirements. If you want to be looked after whilst travelling in India, we would recommend them.
Mrs. Johanna and Dr. Bruce Perks
Adelaide, Australia
When people ask how was the trip, it is hard to describe. It truly was an experience of a lifetime. May I say that … The beauty of India has been overlooked. In its own way, India’s temples and palaces are the equal of Europe’s cathedrals and castles in artistry and skill. There are no better experts about these glories than Swati, a third-generation native destination specialist, and Alistair, a second generation Europe and India destination expert.
Ms. Rachel Schneider
Cleveland, Ohio, USA