SOTC — sotc, 4 dham, char dham travel package

Address:	New Delhi, Delhi
Website:	SOTC

Sotc, 4 dham, char dham, travel package.
This was the worst travel of our life. We have been travelling for more than fifty years but this was the worst travel. We booked the premium package but sotc cheated us on all three fronts’ viz. Travel, food and accommodation.
1. The trip involves entire travel by road. The travel was very clearly booked for a/c vehicles and we were charged accordingly. But the driver switched on the air conditioning only during delhi –haridwar and rishikesh - delhi sector i. E. For only two days out of 11 days on road. Remaining all 9 days we had to breathe dust, diesel fumes and heat, with temperature sometimes touching 40 c. Whilst we were charged for a/c vehicle the drivers were paid at non a/c rates. Drivers offered to start a/c if they were paid a/c rates. This was brought to notice of ms. Neha (Operations dept. Of sotc) thru calls \ messages but she did not sort it out and we have to suffer for 9 of the 11 days. This is downright cheating.
2. We had never imagined that sotc will provide lunch\thali at roadside dhabas costing rs.80 per head. On the way to yamnotri there were a number of decent hotels which were ignored and food was provided at a small dhaba. Next day on visit to yamnotri there was no lunch at all. We saw kesri tour people being given packed lunch. When same thing happened on third day and we made a noise then the tour coordinator gave rs 1000 each person and asked us to make our own lunch arrangements for remaining 6 days, i. E. Rs 170 per lunch. What a great gesture on the part of sotc. The breakfast/dinner at all locations were also substandard. The reason was not “lack of availability” but of sotc trying to save money. At nirvana while we were given very basic dal/ sabzi dinner and two item breakfast, the next door nirvana was providing full spread breakfast. I saw the other family from our group being denied simple bread butter and milk for the child. One hotel owner mentioned that he was being paid rs.75 per head for the breakfast. He packed 2 parotha/ alu sabzi for breakfast and refused to even add a banana. Never expected sotc stooping to this level to save money.
3. Except at hardwar, all accommodations were substandard to say the least. Cockroaches, spiders kept us the company. Sotc initially mentions good hotels but changes these to substandard hotels after receiving full payments, on the grounds of non-availability of those hotels.
4. Less i say about the tour manager better it is. He was sent by a local travel agency and was totally ineffective. He was the best example of “hands off management”. We even had to manage the drivers.
In short, the worst experience of our life. It was like a punishment which we paid for.
Thanks sotc.
You have lost a long time customer for good.