If only you feel comfortable reading the below or wish to personally experience a badly planned trip to realize what's written below is true, feel free to go on a trip with him;
1) you are not a traveler.
2) you don't want to research on the place you are going on a trip to and would be ok even if the trip guide has not done any research about the place. By research, I mean even the basics like whether there is any scheduled event happening which will prevent you from visiting the place or for any permits required for the visit. Unexpected events are totally different and understandable but regularly scheduled events like a marathon etc. which supposedly happens every year around the same time can hardly be missed by someone organizing a trip and that’s the so called ‘expertise’ people coming along pay the guide for. Even the basic research not in place, let alone anything else.
3) your idea of a trip is to only meet new people regardless of the things you do and places you visit or explore during the trip.
4) you would not be bothered if your hard earned money is completely wasted because the trip guide does not stick to the itinerary planned (the itinerary for which you go on the trip in the very 1st place) and changes the itinerary entirely as per the guide's wish without any consensus of the people traveling with him.
5) it would not bother you if the guide is not looking out after the safety of the people he's traveling with or is not even concerned about them because the guide is busy having a gala time himself, at other's expense.
6) the trip would be a successful one for you as long as you get to meet new people.
7) you would be fine if the guide is unapologetic for any inconvenience caused to you or others by his reckless and casual behavior and planning.
8) you would be ok if the guide does not refund your hard earned money for a wasted trip, entirely due to his fault and lack of planning.
9) you don't care much about exploring the place you go to.
10) you would be ok with the guide merely being a booking agent, who does nothing more in terms of ‘organizing’, than booking hotels and transport for the trip. Do we really need to pay the ‘expertise charges’ for that?
11) you would not be bothered about a badly planned and managed trip because you think you can go there the next time, only the next time a well-planned one, which would mean, definitely not with him!
12) last being the most important of all, you are going to ignore my review because of the zillion positive and dreamy reviews you have read about him and the experience of trips with him, which makes you think 'there has to be something good about this guy for thousands of people to be going with him. Maybe only she’s had a bad experience with him'.
I completely understand your dilemma. I went with him too because I had not read any bad review about him and there are two mains reasons for it;
A) his excellent PR and marketing skills. PS: that's the only thing good about this guy.
B) people haven't written about their bad experience as much because everyone thinks their's is the only badly planned trip and yes, people get that thought because that is exactly what he makes you feel and believe and tells people about his trips. The guy has studied at MICA and has brilliantly picked up all the skills required to sell himself as the 'most amazing travel guide you can ever go with'; only until you go with him and realize it isn’t true.
I really wish I had honest reviews to read before I, along with 2 of my friends, went on a 2-day trip with him to Kaas Plateau-Vajrai Trek&Falls-Thoseghar Falls. Owing to the ill-planned trip, we did not get to visit even a single place from the itinerary. I am writing this review so that you don’t have to through the same. Now you have an honest opinion and if you decide to go on any trip with him, you at least know what you are going for.
Also posting links to other honest reviews about trips with Neeraj:
https://www.tripoto.com/trip/ladakh-a-tale-of-survival-5768318caa618
PS: If anyone reading this post has also had a similar experience or knows someone who has, would urge you all to share your experience in a public forum so that more people become aware.
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