India by Design

This past November/​December (2015) I traveled to West Bengal & Sikkim India on a trip planned out by Tara Gupta of Indian-​by-​Design. When I first spoke with Tara by phone I was very surprised (and impressed) at how inquisitive she was on why I wanted to explore that area, what I wanted to see, what kind of a traveler I was and where I have traveled previously; and now I understand why. She ended up putting together a trip for me that was exceptional. I had top notch guide (s) as well as car (s) and driver (s), and accomodations. I was able to explore all the areas that I had wanted to see as well as other things she strongly recommended. I did get to spend a short time traveling with Tara and another of her clients as the three of us spent several days exploring the Sunderbans towards the end of my trip. Absolutely everything about this trip went off without any glitches. I would certainly use her services again and would highly recommend her services to friends (which I already have).

Last November I had the pleasure of a once in a life time trip to India personally guided by Tara Gupta-​President of India by Design.
I can not describe what an extraordinary trip it was. The attention to detail was uncompromised. Shopping for material in Old Dehli only to be made into shirts by Tara’s own tailor-​the Diwali Festival spent in the home of one of Tara’s best friend’s family-​dinner in her home with her family-​Taj Mahal tour guided by the fabulous Sonny (he made the tour)-tent camping at the wonderful Samode Bahn-​2 nights at the Khejaria Fort-​high tea at the opulent and private hotel on Jagmandir Island (hosted by the GM). Many other adventures too many to mention.
The driver and helper were always on time and always helpful. Accommodations were excellent and within budget.
Tara’s insider experience resulted in many adventures most tourists do not get the opportunity to do and cumulated in an experience this traveler will never forget.
I can not recommend Tara and India by Design highly enough.
Time and money very well spent.

Tara is an incredible person to have on your side when booking a trip with her. On our trip to Bhutan we were lucky to have her accompanying us as she was continuing her ongoing education about places she helps her customers travel to. She is exacting in her standards, she seeks out personal and customized expediences and she is so dedicated to making your experience exactly what you want. I would book through her again in a second if I was traveling to destinations under her expertise. If you are heading to India or the surrounding countries she operates in I highly recommend her.

Four of us used Tara and India by Design for all our arrangements for our thee week trip to India in November/​December. We had a week in Northern India — Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, and a two week cruise around Southern India. All our guides and drivers were incredible — very knowledgable and always on time. We never worried that there would be a problem with any of the arrangements. All our hotels were excellent — clean and well located. For the Northern Golden Triangle area Tara was extremely helpful in assisting with planning our itinerary to fit in everything we wanted to see and do in the time we had available. She was also great at giving us realistic expectations for the craziness that is India, as well as some insider tours and information to make our trip even more fantastic!
On the ship all our guides and drivers were also excellent. India is such a diverse country it helps to have a small group to be able to ask questions and adjust the itinerary as needed. We also had two small medical situations and our guides were instrumental in helping us through the maze of Indian bureaucracy!
If we ever go again all four of us agree — we would only use Tara and India by Design!

I didn’t end up using Tara’s services, so this review is based on the skype convos/​emails that we had. Honestly, she was very nice and knowledgeable, but I did have a gripe that I feel like people should know about… She made it seem like that unless I stayed in $ 300/​night hotels and got super expensive tours that only she knows about I wouldn’t have a good time in India. This didn’t turn out to be true AT ALL. In fact, if you are a medium-​budget traveler, you should do yourself a favor, and go to tripadvisor. The top rated hotels there (e.g. Bloomrooms in Dehli cost me barely $ 50/​night and they were awesome). Same with the top rated tours (e.g. Friends in Dehli – a superb experience). If you have extra money though, you should use Tara.

I will forever be grateful to have used India by Design and especially Tara Gupta for arranging a trip to Russia, a destination of interest to my husband. He suffered a very severe, and ultimately fatal, medical event while we were away on this trip. Tara was right by my side (over the phone and internet) throughout the ordeal. She was calm, focused and very clear headed. She guided me with great care and concern and exellent focus as I navigated the medical care, the expenses, how and whether to have a family member fly to join me and the emotional upset. This was the first trip that we had ever used a travel consultant for and I am so so so glad that we had Tara on the team. While this was a very difficult experience it would have been so much more so without Tara’s professional service and extensive knowledge. Thank you Tara!

I’d like to comment on my experiences with Mundi Travel, and Tara Gupta, who was our personal travel consultant. First I located a travel consultant by looking at a list recommended at the American Express Platinum Card travel site. A number of professionals were listed under Italy, where we wanted to spend 8 days of what ended up being our honeymoon.
My initial contact with Tara was by email as I live in Singapore and the time difference made it very difficult to do phone conversations. I mentioned what I was looking for, a return to Rome and Pompeii to relive the memories I had when I had traveled there as a child with my parents. I suggested also the Amalfi area but would have also opted for other areas further inland. My target was culture, some history, some romance and some free time.
Tara came back with a couple of ideas after a phone call with her. Just from what I had suggested and, from what she interpreted that I wanted, she put together the exact package that I was looking for: a nice (but not outrageously expensive) 4 day stay in Rome and an over-​the-​top luxury (my desire) in Sorrento with excursions.
So what did I actually get? I arranged our travel to Rome. That is where the Mundi Travel experience started. First of all we were met at the airport by a smartly dressed chauffeur and transferred to our hotel by luxury Mercedes. The hotel, Residenzia di Ripetta was charming, a converted convent, immaculately and thoughtfully decorated but with a truly welcoming and warm staff. The location could not have been more central. In the 4 days we had 2 tours, each was in the morning. Afternoons were at leisure with excellent suggested itineraries. Our guide was excellent, very good English and passionate about the art and this history of his Rome. He was our guide for the coliseum, Roman forum and Pantheon, and the two days later, the Vatican and St Peter’s.
The transfer to Sorrento was a long one, but again we were met with a big Mercedes and our driver whisked us to Pompeii where we were treated to possibly the very best guide one could have asked for. I was in love with his knowledge and his hospitality, taking us to a local Neapolitan pizza joint (wow!) on the way to Herculaneum. I later researched our guide and found out that he actually teaches and coaches other guide and has published historical accounts of the two cities.
The transfer ended in Sorrento where we were deposited in the most romantic hotel, on the cliff over the beach, the magnificent Bellevue Syrene. It was expensive when Tara told me about it, but stunning, worth every penny. Again, a day of leisure, another day trip to Ravella, Amalfi and Positano by private driver/​guide. A day trip to Capri in a small boat (not private but boutique nonetheless with amazing guides) and the entire trip was complete.
I dreaded the last day, not because it was the end but of the ordeal to get out of Italy. Transfer by limo to Naples Train station, then to Rome by train, then transfer by limo to Rome airport was all accomplished with ease and delight. Everything went like clockwork, but did not feel as if I were on the clock. Amazing all went perfectly.
I still do not know how Tara and Mundi arranged the cool weather (for August).
I would definitely recommend using Tara’s services again, and I think I will next year

India-​By-​Design is a most wonderful organization. Tara planned and executed a seamless and stress-​free adventure for me, my daughter and granddaughter. From the moment I contacted India by Design, Tara was completely present, enthusiastic and realistic about what we could and could not fit into 8 days in the North, she also worked within the framework of our budget and introduced us to many facets of her country that we would never otherwise have experienced. We even had a lively day in Delhi with her doing the shopping streets and a wildly fun dinner at the end of a long and exhaustive day. We had a superb driver for 8 days and excellent guides waiting for us at each stop. I cannot recommend her services more enthusiastically. India is a journey not to be missed!
Marion Stegner, Greensboro, VT

Tara escorted a group of 20 around India in style. She was amazing! Very organized, knew how to get things done over there and made it fun. Thanks Tara.

When it comes to India, do yourself a favor and use India by Design and Tara for all of your travel/​booking needs! Tara and her team are very knowledgable; they will design YOUR perfect trip so you can enjoy all that India has to offer from sight-​seeing to relaxing. They go above and beyond to ensure you don’t have a single stress.

India by Design and Tara took a large group of us throughout India (Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi). Despite the complexity of the trip and unpredictable nature of India everything went extremely well. Tara and her team are professional, detailed orientated, knowledgeable and also fun. I would highly recommend using India by Design for your travel needs.

My husband and I recently completed a 3-​week tour of Kathmandu and Northern India arranged by Tara Gupta of India by Design. We had met Tara through a mutual friend and at that time we were undecided on what type of tour we wanted to do. Tara interviewed us as to what we wanted from our trip, proposed ideas, destinations, and places of interest, and guided us in creating a custom designed itinerary. She met with us on numerous occasions to develop and fine tune all aspects of our carefully planned journey, planning an itinerary tailored to our particular wants, interests, and style of travel. In addition, Tara helped prepare us for the trip by exposing us to authentic Indian foods, textiles, and introduced us to her other clients who had traveled India to share stories, experiences, and helpful tips. She gave us recommendations for books, films, literature, and Indian cuisine restaurants in our area. Tara was born, raised, and lived in India for many years of her life before moving to the United States. She understands both cultures, giving valuable insight into preparing Westerners to travel in this very challenging country.
We have traveled extensively throughout Europe and Asia and our trip to Kathmandu and Northern India was an experience of a lifetime. The hotels we stayed in fit our budget and were all top notch. Tara has personally stayed in all her hotel recommendations to ensure the quality of her service. We had a personal driver and knowledgeable local guide in each region and had the flexibility to tweak the itinerary along the way however we wanted. This allowed for authentic memorable experiences and comfortable smooth travel and confidence that we were always well cared for. Tara even helped us on how to bargain for the best deals and finest merchandise when shopping! My Husband and I will certainly use Tara’s services again, as this travel experience was so positive, fulfilling, and enlightening.

India by Design and Tara Gupta are superb! I travelled with her during a business trip and she made our experience there enjoyable, informative and ultimately got us to where we needed to go with no fuss and no muss.
She also was excellent in helping to arrange additional stays, day excurtions or anything needed outside of our group to make my India stay my best ever. I highly recommend using Tara if you want a small group and highly knowledgable customized India experience.

Tara helped our company with a last-​minute party that we put together for partners in Agra — and the event was terrific. Given our location in the US and our lack of familiarity with the area, we couldn’t have done it without Tara! She was very professional and followed-​up throughout every stage of the event. I’d definitely recommend Tara!

Love working with Tara Gupta and India by Design for our Business trip! Tara was immensely thorough, understanding, knowledgable, and very responsive.
In Dec 2011, we had a large business trip to 4 cities in India. It was our first such business trip to India and we had no idea what we were in for — there were many complex moving pieces and Tara was extremely attentive, organized, and accommodating of our needs. In addition, she knows India better than anyone and was able to navigate the country with finesse and expertise! We were fortunate enough to have Tara join us on the business trip and we could not have done it without her! She was able to assist in arranging the logistics for our corporate events in India and give our travelers unique experiences in India like going to the top of the Spice Market in Delhi (something that is usually not allowed!) plus arranging a rickshaw tour — she actually had 12 rickshaws lined up to collect our travelers and take them on a tour of the streets of Delhi — an experience they are still talking about!
I highly recommend Tara for personal or group travel. She takes the time to understand her clients’ needs and expectations and has excellent follow through!

If you are thinking about a trip to India, you should consider travelling with Tara!!! She provides a fantastic experience. Her knowledge, experience, connections, humor, warmth & charm made my trip unforgettable. From the fantastic colorful markets (getting great bargains due to her local knowledge), the many historical sites, the welcoming sweet small towns, the countryside, the eateries, the temples and the unplanned adventures, I got to experience the many faces of India… and there are many! Meeting her family & friends during Divali, was an added special bonus of my trip. I highly recommend travelling with India by Design if you are planning a trip to amazing India. Namaste.