Bluelist is all about recommending anything and everything travel related. It is an annual book uncovering new places on the radar and in 2008 it is Mumbai which features amongst the 12 cities that are included in the Bluelist of 2008. And hence, this month we feature a company which is doing exclusive tours in and around Mumbai ranging from 2 hours to full day tours and the best way to see Mumbai is by calling out NAMASTE !!!. Our Editor caught up with Naini Mehta and Kunal Vahalia, the founders of Namaste City Tour which has completed over 500 tours of Mumbai in the last 12 months and this is what they had to say….
Naini, tell me how did the concept of Namaste City Tour evolve?
The idea was mine and it was the time when my sister was getting married and all the relatives flew in to Mumbai from all corners of the globe and as they were coming from far off places, all of them were quite keen on seeing Mumbai, feel Mumbai and they expected us to do it. Being in the travel trade for quite some time, the idea came to me that people come to Mumbai, the commercial capital of India either to do business or attend weddings or simply visit friends and relatives and when they come down all the way, they would like to see Mumbai. However, with the fast paced life that we have in our city, there is hardly time for anyone to show their friends, relatives or business colleagues around Mumbai that too in a very creative way and that’s when this idea came to me that there is definitely a demand to show Mumbai within the time frame that one has.

Being a full time travel agent, it was very difficult to start this venture on my own and luckily Kunal who was staying in my building and as he is a software engineer running a software consultancy firm since the last 5 years and had some time in hand, we casually discussed the concept and he quite loved the idea and found it to be a very interesting concept and that set the ball rolling.

Kunal, coming from a computer background and doing city tours, how has the last year been for you?
The last year has been terrific indeed.But this one year changed my life for the better where I got the opportunity to interact with people and marketing the company. The experience I had in the last year was awesome and the amount I gained in one year far exceeded the last 20 years of my life.

When you did start there were many players in the market who were offering city tours. How is Namaste City tour different from other tours?

K: Before getting started we did a lot of research. We first did a recce by taking tours of different companies to see what was being offered in terms of city tours and what was missing from these tours. We were not looking out to covering places which were probably missing from certain tours. Instead, we found out that besides the must-visit places, we should be able to offer unique experiences of the city and most importantly within the time frame that one has. So we decided on offering customized city tours – ranging from one person to a group of over 40 odd participants or even more and to fit into the time schedule that one might have – it could be two hours, a half day tour or even a full day tour. Then we further added to the range of experiences by offering tours to Elephanta, Temple tours, Bollywood Tour and a wide variety of special interest tours to ensure that the traveller carries back with him great memories of the city of Mumbai.

N : We have a half day city tour which lasts about 4 hours and then we have a full day city tour for about 8 hours. Ideally we recommend atleast a half day tour. However, we never say no to business and if a person or a group has just a couple of hours at their disposal, we plan a tour that can be covered in a span of 2 hours as well. We also plan a customized tour . e.g. a gourmet tour, shopping tour, etc. We have now also introduced the night tour and the museum tour.

What can be generally covered in a half day or a full day tour and what are your USPs ?

N: For example we have a religious tour where we take the guests to a temple or a mosque but a regular city tour which lasts for around 4 hours would ideally comprise of Gateway of India, Museum, Dhobi Ghaat, Mani Bhavan, Hanging Gardens from where you get a beautiful aerial view of Mumbai which is simply spectacular. The tours have some traditional surprises for the guests along with the significance of the typical traditions of Mumbai or India.

K: Before every tour we ensure that either one of us meets the guests and tell them about the places they would be visiting and understand their expectations of the tour. For instance, some guests would like to have a shopping experience or during a festival would like to see the festivities in the city. So we ensure that they get the experience that they are seeking.

N : In case of a full day tour we include lunch as well which would be traditional Indian cuisine and if the guests would like different cuisine, we ensure that they dine in a restaurant which will meet their expectations in terms of the type of cuisine they want. The guide who accompanies the guests also gives them a background of the traditional Indian cuisine that they are tasting. A full day tour would also include shopping experience where we would take them to the kind of shopping they are looking for without taking any commissions from the shopkeepers as is the norm in case of city tours across the globe. Hence, the experience is authentic, personalized and exclusive thus ensuring that every visitor carries back pleasant memories of his visit to Mumbai.

K: Namaste City Tour provides a holistic experience for every visitor and we take care that all their needs are met and their expectations are exceeded as part of touring with us. Our prices are all inclusive and what we quote is what you pay.

N: We have with us guides who can speak Russian, French, German, Japanese or the language that you want the tour to be in. Further, although we prefer atleast 24 hours notice for any given tour, we can arrange tours at extreme short notices . We also have festival tours – be it Ganesh Chaturthi, Diwali, Dassera or Holi. Besides, we also offer the vehicle of your choice – be it a Santro, a Mercedes or any vehicle that you want to hire during your visit to the city of Mumbai.

How can one book these tours?

N: We have a website where all our contact details are given. We plan having an online booking system later this year. However, one can book with us even at the last minute as we have the arrangement of picking up the guests from a location convenient to them and dropping them where they want and within a span of 5 or even 10 minutes we can organize tours for them. So there is no advance planning necessary. Once you have our contact details, you just pick up the phone and we are ready to take you around Mumbai.

How has the overall response been in the first year of operation?

K: The response has been exceptional and we have got a very good response from corporate clients as well who have guests coming into the city and wanting to tour Mumbai.

N: We give a feedback form to each of our guests and it is indeed heartening to note that during the first year we have received excellent comments from the guests. Some of the comments are commendable. I recall a comment from a royalty from Kuwait who even stated that having travelled across the world she has never experienced such a wonderfully organized tour in any other city that she has been that matches Namaste City Tour. And being in the travel trade and having travelled extensively, I have noticed that in most major cities worldwide, there is very little to see and the places are extremely well marketed whereas in Mumbai there is lots to see, experience and discover but we do not hype up. The idea is not to earn profits but to promote our city and to let the people know that there is lots to see in Mumbai and we are up there somewhere on the globe and must not be ignored.

Which are your preferred tours?

K: In my case, it is the full day tour as you get to see most of Mumbai and also experience Indian cuisine along with other interesting experiences.

N: My favourite tour is the Elephanta tour as it shows you a different dimension of Mumbai and you get a pleasant ride from the shores of the sea and is truly an unusual experience. It’s like a picnic in the middle of the sea with a historical experience.

Is there anything special you plan doing on completing one year of Namaste Tours?

N: During our annual celebration week, we plan offering a complimentary lunch to each guest who books the tour with us. For big groups we plan to take people for exclusive experiences which may not be offered in the regular tours such as a visit to the Chor Bazaar, saree draping experiences for ladies who wish to wear a traditional outfit and so on.

K: The important part is that we have a fleet of new cars and well trained drivers who are well equipped with customer courtesy and etiquette besides being extremely safe behind the wheel which is extremely critical in Mumbai. Additionally, we plan having franchisees in the other cities of Mumbai who can book tours with us. To start with we plan offering franchisees in Delhi, Chennai and Pune.

N: The good thing is that travel agents who handle incoming into Mumbai can book their city tours thru us and they can contact us thru our website and we would be more than glad to give great experiences to their guests coming to Mumbai.

Those interested in exploring Mumbai like never before may contact Namaste City Tour at www.namastercitytour.com or email visitus@namastecitytour.com or you can call up Ms Naini Mehta or Mr Kunal Vahalia at +91 (022) 64517454 or cell number +91 9323652111

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