India: Seeing really is believing

When season three of BBC1’s award-winning show Race Across the World came onto our screens, husband and wife team Stephen and Viv were the standout heroes of the show. Why? Viewers fell in love with their natural banter, their openness to share their rollercoaster of emotions throughout their epic journey from Japan to Indonesia, as well as demonstrate that a pair of retirees were able to slum it with backpacks and give the younger contestants a run for their money.

Since their trip, rather than their wanderlust being sated, they’ve travelled to several far-flung destinations including Canada and South Africa (on safari with us) and have recently returned from a 10-day guided tour of India. It seems there’s no stopping them now, particularly as they’ve amassed a loyal following on their social channels who all love to see what they’re going to get up to next.

Like so many people who have yet to explore this South Asian country, Stephen and Viv weren’t sure what to expect.

‘Without a doubt India was not on our visit list,’ admits Stephen. ‘But now we’ve been, it’s a place you’ve got to see. It’s so unique and so special.’

Viv agrees. ‘India is chaotic, noisy, smelly and full on,’ she explains. ‘But it’s the kind of chaos that works and it’s just incredible. From cows on the road to whizzing around on tuk-tuks, it was fantastic.’

Stephen and Viv in India

India is overwhelmingly huge. The seventh largest country in the world, it comprises several states, regions and territories. It would take a lifetime to see it all. While each region has its own unique characteristics, from coastal serenity in the south to chiselled snow-dusted mountains in the north – and all the cities, lakes and national parks in between – where to even begin? Did it faze the couple?

‘There is no way we’d have considered doing it by ourselves,’ says Viv. ‘But until we’d travelled with Saga on a group tour, we would never have had the confidence to navigate India. We knew we would be looked after, that we would have a guide, and that the accommodation would be of a standard we’d be happy with.’

‘We genuinely love the Saga process, from being picked up and dropped off back home, the whole guided holiday process is just effortless,’ adds Stephen. ‘So, it allowed us to soak it all in without worrying about anything except what time we had to be ready in the morning!’

What did they enjoy the most about exploring India’s Golden Triangle, made up of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, plus a few nights in Ranthambore National Park?

‘For me, it was definitely seeing a Bengal tiger in Ranthambore,’ smiles Viv. ‘Although we did a safari in South Africa, this was totally different. We drove through such different landscapes, with so many big lakes and so many peacocks! Not only did we get to see the tiger, but also a sloth bear and leopard. That was really special.

‘I also loved the mirrored tiles and ceilings in Amber Fort. The tiles were convex and shimmered. It was absolutely beautiful. I just stood there for half an hour taking it all in.’

‘It was the iconic Taj Mahal that was my highlight,’ says Stephen. ‘Photos don’t really do it justice. When we first arrived, you don’t really see it properly from the entrance and you don’t realise how far away it is. But as you get closer, it was wonderful.’

Stephen and Viv at the Taj Mahal

Travelling across the India and seeing so many sights, as well as experiencing local life and culture must have been a sensory overload? Or was their trip the perfect introduction to this fascinating country?

‘It was busy, but then we signed up for a tour and expected that,’ explains Viv. ‘The nice thing for us was we actually got to stay two nights in each hotel, so we didn’t feel like we were moving around too much. And our tour manager, he made the whole trip reassuring for us.’

‘India really exceeded my expectations, and we found the whole thing very easy,’ adds Stephen. ‘If you’ve been sitting on the fence about going to India, honestly, just do it. We weren’t mollycoddled in any way, but we felt secure. There’s no risk travelling with Saga, and even if you didn’t fall in love with India, you’d still have a brilliant time because there are wonderful places to go, people to meet, as well as staying in fabulous hotels.

‘Escorted touring is also such good value for money, too. I costed up all the flights and hotels of our trip, and we really couldn’t do it cheaper ourselves. It was an experience like no other, and not like any country we’ve ever been to.’

Escorted touring by its nature means you travel with a group. Did the couple enjoy this aspect of their India experience?

‘Actually, before travelling on a guided holiday, we’d never embraced meeting people while away. It was always just the two of us, even on a cruise, we’d sit by ourselves for dinner,’ admits Viv. ‘But this has totally changed my outlook – it gives you confidence to travel when you’re in a group. And you get to meet wonderful people who have a similar mindset – like us they’ve worked hard, and they just want to have fun. We’ve certainly made some life-long friendships.’

Stephen and Viv in Delhi

While going on an escorted tour means all the planning and hassle of organising everything has been taken care of, do they have any tips for people who are thinking about travelling to India?

‘Don’t worry about the food,’ laughs Stephen. ‘Honestly, there was always so much choice on offer for all meals. It was hard not to try everything – and all tastes were catered for from spicy authentic Indian food to international cuisine, we never went hungry!’

‘Definitely take a toilet roll with you,’ says Viv. ‘Little packs of tissues really aren’t enough when you’re out and about. And light, breathable clothing is perfect, plus some layers for the game drives at Ranthambore, as it’s chillier in the mornings.’

While this short introduction to this vast country is jam-packed with excursions and experiences, do Stephen and Viv think they’ll ever return to India?

‘It was a bit like when we got back from doing Race Across the World,’ says Viv. ‘Our initial reaction was we probably wouldn’t do it again. But then you have some time to digest all that you’ve seen and done, it changed our opinion. We like to go to different places, but that said, I think South India is calling us – we'd really like to see Kerala.’

‘The south does look so different to what we’ve already seen, so I agree with Viv,’ smiles Stephen. ‘But saying that there are so many countries we want to go to still. South America is high on our list, as is New Zealand and Australia. I would say we’re pretty well-travelled now, so it’s exciting that we have the chance to embrace exploring the world some more. And we can’t wait to see where we get to go next!’