From: Paul Butler

Sent: 27 April 2010 07:29
To: info@footprint-adventures.co.uk

Subject: From Paul Butler

Dear Georg,

As you know, I recently returned with my daughter from India and Bhutan on our third trip with your company. Yet again I was hugely impressed with the organization and your in-country operations. The arrangements went flawlessly. We were met on time at each of our points of interest. The accommodations ranged from perfectly adequate to fantastic (Bhutan); the guides were of a high quality especially in Kazaringa (where the guide was the best I have ever had anywhere). We had hoped to see Lion, Indian Wild Ass, Indian Elephant & Great Indian Rhino. We ended up with superb views of all. (I will send pictures under separate cover).

I do want to add very special commendation to your India and Bhutan colleagues. Neelesh was amazing! He emailed or called me virtually every day and was unceasing in his willingness to help and assist. What an incredible individual! Likewise, in Bhutan your representative (Karma) there went out of his way to help. When I needed a visa to re-enter India, he personally went to the Embassy managed to obtain one and then drove 1.5 hours to meet me to make sure I had what was required. Outstanding service!!! Could not have been better!  

I have come to expect great things from Footprints. I had a wonderful time on my first India trip, then again when we visited Sabah and now for the third time.  You should be very proud of the experiences you offer and the local in-country people that “represent” you. Congratulations.

With warmest best wishes and sincere thanks

Paul Butler

From: CAROLINE RIGG Sent: 27 March 2010 19:42
To: Footprint Info
Subject: Feedback on recent holiday

Dear Footprints

Just thought you might like some feedback on our recent trip to India on your Tigers and Forts tour.  Please feel free to use it as a testimonial and pass on our positive comments to the people concerned.

All in all we had an utterly amazing time! 

Our driver for the first (“Forts”) half of the trip, Rakesh, was polite, friendly and hugely helpful, helping us change up money and taking solicitous care of us in sometimes bewildering situations (such as getting us on the right train at Agra!).  The guides who accompanied us on the sightseeing tours of Delhi, Jaipur and Agra were all very knowledgeable.  The Delhi guide (Suda) was particularly good, being especially helpful, understanding and informative.  The trip in a cycle rickshaw through the teeming streets of Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi, under Suda’s watchful eye, was a truly never-to-be-forgotten experience!

And then on to the “Tigers” half of the trip – for us the real highlight.  Our first destination, Bandhavgarh, was just stupendous.  The Nature Heritage Resort where we stayed was terrific (comfortable, very well appointed room, excellent food and service, and beautiful surroundings); our jeep driver for the game drives, Lala, was friendly, polite, hugely knowledgeable and professional; and the scenery, terrain and wildlife (animals and birds) of Bandhavgarh National Park were truly fantastic.  We saw a total of 7 tigers at Bandhavgarh, which was utterly breathtaking. We’ll never forget our tiger sightings there, especially the first - a young male who obligingly treated us to very close quarters viewing (and excellent photo opportunities) for a full hour! 

At our second destination, Kanha, we saw a further 3 tigers, together with a huge amount of other wildlife (sloth bear, jungle cat, Gaur, Dhole, jackal, wild boar, 4 kinds of deer, plus lots of birds).  The Krishna Jungle Resort where we stayed was not quite as good an all-round experience as Bandhavgarh’s Nature Heritage Resort (the beds in particular being the hardest we’d ever experienced!) but the service was good and staff and management helpful and friendly.  Our guide/naturalist (Bapu) and driver for the game drives were both brilliant, Bapu in particular being knowledgeable, helpful, polite and friendly with very good English and a sense of humour!  

The overnight trains from Agra to Umaria, and Jabalpur to Delhi , were an experience(!) but we were expertly shepherded on and off them by Rakesh and the driver who took us from Kanha to Jabalpur.  

This was a truly brilliant holiday which exceeded all our expectations. Bandhavgarh was undoubtedly the highlight for us but every part of the trip provided new and fantastic experiences which we shall remember and treasure for a long time.  Many thanks to everyone involved at Footprints and India Footprints/Asian Adventures for making our trip so fantastic.  It all went like clockwork!

Mike and Caroline Rigg

Bristol, England

27 March 2010 

From: Lee Climpson
Sent: 09 March 2010 07:05
To: Georg - Footprint Adventures
Subject: RE: Tour Reservation

Hi Georg,
 
I hope all's well.  We're now back from our trip to Kilimanjaro and had a wonderful time.  We made it to the summit.  Unfortunately the weather and visibility was poor on the day but hey ho, that's the chance you take I guess.  We'll definitely be doing another route either next year or the year after.
 
Many thanks,
Lee

Sent: 06 February 2010 08:21
To: info@footprint-adventures.co.uk
Subject: Airport Transfer

Hi Georg,

We are now back at Springlands Hotel after an amazing time on Kilimanjaro.
Pls can you advise if the transfer back to the airport is included in our
tour price.  I do not have the print outs to hand but seem to remember you
saying it was.

Many thanks in advance,

Neil

From: Mark 

Sent: 14 December 2009 11:16
To: 'Footprint Info'
Subject: RE: Confirmation and Arrival Information

Dear George

Many thanks for the Kilimanjaro arrangements. A successful trip!

Yours sincerely

Mark

Tanzania

Well we have returned from our safari. Mohammed and Dube (guide and cook) were great. Food was good and the campsites were fine. We were really well cared for. The service you provided of a tailored safari was excellent, and more comfortable than travelling between parks every day as we have before, especially after coming down from Kilimanjaro

Eric Pritchard

Kilimanjaro Machame Route
The way to Uhuru Peak was the most impressive experience in my life. Thanks to my guide, cook, porters and Footprint Adventures for making it possible!
Karin Walther
Switzerland

From: Michel Cormier
Sent: 04 December 2009 23:12
To: 'Footprint Info'
Cc: ' Boivin'; Suzanne Chapleau

Subject: Comments on our trek in Nepal in November 2009

To Footprint and Mountain Club Tours and Travel,

We have appreciated very much doing the Ultimate Everest Trek in November 2009. It is a demanding but superb tour in the Thame, Gokyo, and Khumbu valleys. The trails set in a high mountain environment as well as the landscapes with jagged peaks, glaciers, moraines are just fantastic.

We are grateful to our guide, Mr. Krishna Bhatta and our porters who are highly responsible for the success of our journey.

The knowledge, professionalism and kindness of Mr. Bhatta has made our trek safer, easier and more pleasant. Mr. Bhatta was tireless, always at our service, accompanying us to side treks, working hard to make our stay in lodges as comfortable as possible. He was also a good card player.

Our porters were also devoted, kind and very quick on trails (always arriving before us).

We are also thankful to our guide in Kathmandu, for an interesting tour of the city and to all the people at Footprint and Mountain Club Tours and Travel agencies who made the reservations and contributed to facilitate our trip in a less visible way.

This trek has been a lifetime experience plenty of enjoyable moments and we would recommend Footprint and Mountain Club to everyone wishing to undertake such a journey.

Best regards,
Normand Boivin,
Suzanne Chapleau,
Michel Cormier

Hi,
Just a note to thank you all for making our first journey to India incredible, it was everything and more we hoped for. We met some lovely people, local people from the guides to rangers and village folk. The Manor hotel was fantastic, Delhi is diverse, so it was avery calm place to go back to. No complaints at all about Howard Plaza, staff were lovely and the Krishna jungle resort, staff were so so good and so was the food, so fresh.

The only thing I think that should be made clear to tourists is the trains! The sleeper has only 1, 2 berth coupe and 2, 4 berths, which we were lucky we had the coupe both ways, however we met an English couple who were given the 4 berth on the same train as us and they were having to share with 2 other men, they were not too happy about this. Anyway we let the 2 men have our coupe and we joined the couple, a very funny, interesting and memorable night, tho dont fancy the sleeper again.

We will go back to India and try another area and safari, Rajasthan and Jaipur in a couple of years, Kanha was beautiful and we saw tiger twice, no elephant ride tho.

Thank you all again and pass our thanks on to India Footprint they were fab too.

kind regards carolyn

From: Paul
Sent: 17 November 2008 18:13
To: 'Footprint Info'
Subject: RE: Yali Tribe Trek

Hi Sandra.

We are safely back from our great holiday. It was certainly an experience and I will be recommending to friends..

I think there is a refund due to us for the difference in the revised holiday (which was more expensive) but without needing the charter flight which we paid for.

Please let me know how you will refund the difference

Many thanks.

Paul Hyland

From: Nagesh Rao
Sent:03 November 2008
To: 'Footprint Info'
Subject: RE: Re: Confirmation Letter

Dear Footprint,

Me and my daughter [Ramya Nagesh] would like to thank you for providing us with the most incredible holiday which was a holiday of a life-time. We loved every moment of it although it was hard on my leg muscles [having never done the trek before]. Thanks to Mr.Susheel who went out of his way to make our stay comfortable. Mr.Susheel [also called as Neil] was brilliant and made sure that although we were both totally inexperienced, we did not slip off the cliffs, during the trekking.

The fact that we were both provided for separately from the Exodus group, gave us freedom and ability to interact usefully with the locals. It was a very useful experience. While we did have some interaction with the Exodus group, it was minimal and the majority was private for the two of us and we loved it every bit of the way.

I have no doubt that I will book through Foot print adventures in the future, knowing that you will provide us with our requirements through sensitivity as you have done for us on this trip.

Many thanks.

Mr.Nagesh.G.Rao, FRCS,MD.
 

From:Malcolm Andrews
Sent:03 November 2008
To:

'Footprint Info'

Subject: RE:RE: Arrival Information and Tour Service Voucher

Hello

Recently returned home from our extended trip of India/Sri Lanka, which included the Footprint Tiger Trail in the first half of February.

Have to say that we had a fantastic experience, esp in Bandhavgarh, the lodge was very good, welcoming and attentive staff without being over the top, excellent food, bonfire & biscuits after the afternoon game drives was particularly nice, and morning brunches were the best we had in India. We were very lucky to have superb viewings of the dominant male, B2, courting one of his ladies on the roadway within 15metres of 'our' gypsy, incl scent marking and sparring, together with several sightings of other tigers. Our driver, Dino, was very knowledgeable as were the local park guides.

We were not so lucky in Kanha, weather had turned cold and wet, and although we had two tiger sightings, they were very much an anti climax after Bandhavgarh. Pradeep, our guide in Kanha, was very much into birds which suited us as we were able to identify a good number of the colourful birds with his help.

The only thing that we were not too happy about at the time was at the start of our trip when we were taken to the railway station in Delhi, our first experience of Indian trains. The driver would not leave the car to help us find the correct platform for our train, but luckily we found a very helpful porter who not only took us to the platform, but found the correct carriage and seats for us as well, well worth his tip.

All in all a very enjoyable trip that we would have no hesitation in recommending to others.

Many thanks.

Ms. Jane Augustine

Footprint Adventures Ltd.

Dear Jane;

Re: Birds of Peninsular Malaysia and Birds of Borneo

Now that we have returned from our two birding tours, I thought I might relate to you some comments on various aspects of our adventure.  On arrival at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, we were met by your representative, Mr. Mano Tharmalingam, who not only delivered us competently from venue to venue, provided expert birding identification along the drives and advice on where to find birds at each location.  There was some surprise that we were staying at the Corona Inn in KL rather that the Stanford Hotel, however, we had no complaints about the change.  Our stay at Taman Negara provided everything expected (we knew to expect leeches, but the heat and humidity was more trying than we expected coming from the droughts of Australia).  We were allocated a chalet with adjoining interconnected suites for Mrs. McPherson and ourselves, which was a little “extra” that was appreciated.  The included breakfasts and dinners were varied and plentiful.  While the increased altitude at Fraser’s Hill provided outdoor conditions, which were more pleasant than in the lowlands of Taman Negara, the Shahzan Hotel, however, was a little “tired and worn”, and the breakfasts provided were little more than awful.  Our allocated small chalets in the Kuala Salangor Nature Park were very simple, but as expected, except that patrons should be notified that towels are not provided.  Fortunately, the receptionist took pity on us and procured some towels for us.

The Birds of Borneo Tour  was better value for the money compared to the Birds of Peninsular Malaysia tour option, in my opinion.  The continuous presence of a birding guide, Mr. Hamit Suban in our case, was a major plus and the quality of each accommodation venue was superior.  Our Nepenthes Lodge accommodation at Kinabalu National Park was especially nice and our stay at Sukau Rainforest Lodge was exceptional.  The boat-based birding at Sukau was very memorable.

Overall, we were well pleased with our record of the observation of 210 bird species and enjoyed our two tours in Malaysia.  Thank you for your efforts on our behalf.

Sincerely yours;

David T. Bell

From: Graeme Davies
 

Subject: Sabah

Jane

A much overdue report on our visit – we had an absolutely splendid time and saw a feast of birds including some very rare endemics – see attached.

Borneo Bird Report

Andrew Siani, the bird guide, was quite brilliant – in all our many birding visits into jungle and rain forest (Trinidad, Costa Rica, The Gambia, Brazil, Kenya, Sri Lanka) we have not encountered anyone with such a good ear for calls and such good sighting skills. I would recommend him in the most glowing terms to anyone considering a visit to Sabah (or the mainland of Malaysia).

All the logistical arrangements went very smoothly and we appreciate all that you did to make the visit such a success – if you need any referencing please let me know.

Graeme

 From: Fiona Thompson

To: 'Footprint'

Hello Jane

We have just returned from our holiday in Malaysia and our Jungle Safari.  It was a lovely safari and the representative of tour company was excellent - he was called Saat, in case you are in contact with them.

We thoroughly enjoyed the trip and were lucky to see the pygmy Asian elephants and also to see them swim across the river which was fabulous.

Hi

Re: Birds of Borneo
A very successful trip to Borneo. Andrew Siani was an excellent guide who gave us many memorable moments!

Thanks Leif Gabrielsen
 

Discover Borneo
A wonderful holiday that we would recommend to all our friends.

Subject: RE: Borneo River & Rainforest Safari - Sandakan

Jane
 
Just a quick note to say thank you for organising such a great holiday for us. So many highlights in so few days:
Green turtle digging nest and laying eggs – later helping to rescue her as she was stranded on the coral and the tide had gone out
Amazing plant-life on the Kinabatangan River
Proboscis bachelor monkeys showing off by diving (or belly-flopping) into the river from 5m high
Orang Utan making a nest and later getting out and roaming the forest
 
We feel like we have been away for months – Thank you
 Claudia

 From Gwynneth and Ray Buss
It more than lived up to expectations. We will have no hesitation in recommending you to anyone.
Mano was really excellent - Taman Negara would not have been the same without him.
Thanks very much
Gwynneth Buss

Taman Negara
A real experience most informative and enjoyable.
Mr. + Mrs. Shillington