Upscale train travel is among its options
IAN STALKER
Indian tour operator Caper Travel can introduce tourists to regal lifestyles that may be somewhat stationary for a few days or can be clearly mobile instead.
The DMC offers varied travel experiences for those visiting India, among them visits to a palace that recalls the lavish lifestyles of India’s Maharajas, and trips aboard the Palace on Wheels train, a form of travel that invites passengers to travel “along in royal style, the kind only the Maharajas of yesteryears could have perpetuated and enjoyed.”
Among destinations visited by the Palace on Wheels are Agra and Jaipur, both popular with those wanting to see India.
“We’re into luxury,” Nikki Arora of AVIAREPS, which represents Caper in this country, said during a recent Toronto event. “They (Caper) make you feel like a king or a queen.”
Caper has been in operation since 1998 and has won numerous awards from India’s tourism ministry.
Arora said the company will happily customize trips according to customer wishes, and also can provide clients with distinctly Indian experiences during their vacations, among them Bollywood dance classes. “You have Hollywood. We have Bollywood,” she said of India.
Also available are spa treatments that feature views of the storied Taj Mahal.
Wildlife excursions in a country that has parks that provide a refuge for the likes of rhinos, tigers, elephants and leopards are available, as are tours that revolve around yoga, with India being the home of yoga. Arora added Caper can organize weddings that can be held in a palace, with Arora adding that “the whole palace will be available for your clients.”
India is “known for its lavish weddings,” she added.
Among hotel companies Caper works with is Indian firm Oberoi, which has luxury properties in different parts of India and offers Caper “special rates.”
The DMC also works with the likes of Accor, Sheraton, Hyatt and Hilton. Caper also hosts people in other parts of the region, including Nepal, where it can arrange treks; the Maldives; known for its sweeping beaches; and Sri Lanka, which Arora said offers visitors a combination of “beaches, culture and food” and provides a different tourist experience than nearby India.
Arora’s colleague Sam Kordi said Aviareps wants to show Caper that the “Canadian market is interested” in its products and that agents can earn commissions that start at 10% and reach 15% from it. He noted Aviareps works with numerous airlines as well, among them Royal Air Maroc, Suriname Airways, Gulf Air, Czech Airlines and Bangkok Airways.
More information is available at capertravelindia.com, aviareps.com or by contacting [email protected].
