Published on Mar, 2025

This visit was part of our third private tour with 5 Senses (first tour, So. India for a month; second No. India for 5.5 weeks; third East and South India, one month). You might have guessed that we are very happy with the company. All three tours were fantastic, this one no exception. Konark is an amazing site and well-worth visiting; plus we enjoyed the city of Bhubaneswar--especially it's extensive wall murals showing great civic pride, its many temples, and its folk arts museum. The museum at Konark itself is very well done and offers an interesting, if a bit fantastical, free film. The Vivanta in Bhubaneswar was one of the best hotels of our tour. A highlight of the visit was being able to attend a dance festival one evening in Dhauli, under the Peace Pagoda. Our 5 Senses guide--who had been a local tourism official before he retired--was able to get us tickets and front row, VIP seats, for free, and at short notice (same day). We felt like royalty! The primary strength of 5 Senses is its people. The owner, Mr. Narayanan, is a great travel planning partner (he’ll work with you to craft exactly the trip you want) and he is super-responsive during trips if any problems arise. I am confident that Narayanan will fix it if it needs fixing—he has helped us several times in that way, and he has done it quickly. The state-based “cultural ambassadors” he has recruited (the guides who accompany you for days, across multiple sites) are excellent and soon become friends. For this month-long tour, I’d particularly like to call out Kannan (Tamil Nadu) and Mohan, and Chandra Shekar (Karnataka). If you are touring other parts of the country, we highly recommend Balwinder (Punjab and Rajasthan) and Vivek and Ram Sewak (Varanasi, Khajuraho and environs). It is basically a fool’s errand to try to price shop local tour operators—there are too many variables, including the type of accommodation, the quality of guides and the quality of transport (both of which can’t be assessed ahead of time). That said, over the course of the three tours, we feel that 5 Senses has been very good value for money. And I can say for certain that you would pay three times as much for the same Smithsonian or Nat Geo or other corporate tour, plus you’d be on a bus with many other folks and stuck with the group schedule. With 5 Senses you’re in your own car deciding where and when you want to go, where you want to eat, and when you want to take it easy. My advice to friends looking for a private tour in India is “don’t bother contacting other companies, just talk to 5 Senses. You won’t regret it.”

Published on Dec, 2024

The tour was excellent - Great Insights and super entertaining! Lunch was delicious as well and we always felt well taken care of - would do it again in a heartbeat.

Published on Sep, 2024

I booked a last minute tour and the company was very responsive and accommodating. Satya (guide) was very passionate and knowledgeable about Odisha’s history and temples and was always eager to answer any questions. Great tour!

Published on Nov, 2023

Our guide Hrudananda was with us all day long to visit the most important Temples in Bhubaneshwar and nearby. All were really interesting and Konark Sun Temple (UNESCO Heritage site) was marvelous. Also, cave temples were different from other temples visited in India. The detailed explanations of our preparared guide helped us to understand much more than If we were alone. The driver was very kind and waited for us with patience. We also got some nice pictures taken by the guide both from our and his phone. He was also really helpful in sharing his wifi access when we need ed it. In summary, a tour to be done If you are in Odisha and want to pick up the best of the area in just one full day.

Published on Nov, 2023

Great guide, very knowledgeable. Interesting sites, the sun temple being the highlight. Driver also excellent.