Testimonials – Merge Experiences

- Elizbeth Ehrlich, Writer Editor, New York.

Mona provides a marvellous gateway to India by constructing bespoke tours and experiences. She has a long successful record of working creatively and sensitively with many individuals and groups. Her connections with arts and social action organizations all over India, as well as with superb guides and lodgings, should make her a first point of contact for anyone hoping to visit and begin to understand a complex land.

- Barbara Frankel, Executive Coach / Strategic Advisor New York.

Mona prepared a wonderful itinerary for our trip to India and Nepal, selecting and arranging for wonderful hotels, tour guides, diversity of experiences. We were met in each location and taken care of beautifully throughout our trip to both cities, safaris, country etc. Top notch on every level. We would recommend Mona in the future to anyone going to that part of the world. Mona ensures that every detail is taken care of in the very best way possible. One internal flight was cancelled and Mona arranged for a car service to pick us up and take us to the destination to ensure we did not miss the Safari experience on the elephant. Thank you Mona for everything

- Dr. Miles Prince - Professor/Director of Molecular Oncology and Cancer Immunology - Melbourne, Australia

Mona is highly professional and experienced; accommodating your needs and providing a truly bespoke experience. I recommend her to all to all my friends and colleagues who are planning trips to India. None, including myself has ever been disappointed.

- Missie Rennie, Broadcast Media Consultant, New York City.

I have travelled to India many times and worked extensively with Mona. She is a true professional with a cheery positive attitude. I know she has only continued to mature in this industry. She even did extra things for me… found a family for my youngest daughter to live with one summer in Mumbai. What more can you ask?

- Susan Friedman, Independent Management Consultant, Boston

Mona arranged three group tours of India I was lucky enough to be on -- all were flawless in design and execution. I hope to be arranging another trip soon!

- Gail Hauptfuhrer, Philadelphia

Mona provides excellent personalized travel services, paying special attention to the preferences of Americans traveling in India. Personally visiting all of the locations of recommendation and has great relationships with local tour guides in each city and the best hotels. Although we have traveled with only once, we plan to utilize her services again. Also, my brother has traveled with her twice, and we have recommended her to many friends.

Suzanne, Martin and Olivier – Toronto, Canada

In March of 2017 our family travelled to India for the first time. It was great relief to have Mona help us plan the itinerary and suggest what sites we should focus on. We were travelling with our 9 year old son, and ended up with inclusion of many of the famous tourist sites as well as activities for our son such as a leopard safari, an elephant ride and a chance to practice with a cricket team in Mumbai. Our 2 week trip went off without a hitch. The highlight of the trip for him was a chance to learn about cricket and to practice with a team, something Mona was able to organize for us through her network of contacts.
We had a great trip and will be returning to India in the coming years to see other parts of this wonderful country. We will definitely have Merge Experiences book those trips for us and would highly recommend their services for to anyone contemplating a trip to any part of India.

Minal Hajratwala  Author – Leaving India, My family’s journey through five villages

Merge is an amazing travel company who would listen to my needs and then make the perfect recommendations for myself and my friends. Whether a 17-day train-and-car expedition through Gujarat, a luxurious beachside getaway in Goa, or a tour of centuries-old ruins in Karnataka, the arrangements were top-notch and we all had a fantastic time. They were able to work within our budget and knew all the local hotspots as well as the specific (ok, picky!) expectations and standards of expats. The English-speaking guides and drivers arranged were also perfect for us. The passion for helping people to explore India which shows up in the details and professionalism of their work. Go with them and you can’t go wrong.

- Varsha Patel. Nutley, New Jersey USA

Prior to Covid, my mother (Pushpaba – 92 years of age) had mentioned that she wished to travel to India one final time. I had enthusiastically volunteered to accompany her not knowing that she would recall that conversation four years later and take me up on that offer!! Without hesitation, having previously traveled with Merge Experiences, I contacted Mona Contractor, to put together a customized itinerary visiting all the temples, sacred places, doing a special sari puja as well as other pujas along the sacred ghats of the holy rivers that my mother wished to visit. Mona took care of every minute detail. Hotel accommodations were comfortable and always on the lower level, no steps to climb, and ranged from boutique hotels of a bygone era (available in smaller towns) to brand names in larger cities. A la carte vegetarian cuisine was always available, and nothing was overlooked. Pushpba also had the opportunity to bathe in a ghat of the holy River Ganga which was accessible from the hotel.!! The guide, Laxminarayan, who accompanied us throughout the trip, was exceptional and went above and beyond our expectations to make it a lasting and memorable trip. Pushpaba had built a very good rapport with him as they both had an avid interest of storytelling, history and significance of the places we visited. She will always be grateful for his friendship and assistance throughout the trip. Mona, thank you again for arranging this trip for my mother who will forever remember it with fond memories when conversing with family and friends.

- Veronica and Marlon Sullivan – Lake Villa, Illinois

I was looking for the words that will eloquently paint a picture of the beauty of India. I kept asking myself how can I express to the reader/s how beautiful and majestic India is. Then I realized the people who may read this, are people like my husband and I, who were, before going to India, sceptics. So all I need to tell you is, if you are worry about your safety, your experience, or whether you will get your money’s worth, then my only advise to you take services of Merge Experiences. Merge was recommended to me by a colleague, whom I went to crying as I spent many months planning my trip. My friend shared with me that I would have an epic vacation. This trip was for my husband’s 40th birthday and I wanted it to be beyond epic, I wanted it to be memorable, I wanted him to leave India in amazement, and Merge made it happen. We were greeted at the airport, we didn’t need to look or wait for anyone at all times we had a tour guide and a driver. We always had someone to assist us, the hotels chosen have majestic views and were all comfortable. Our driver was fun to talk to and all our tour guides were English speakers. We left India new. We saw the beauty (rich) and some of the beast (poverty) of India but most of all we experienced India’s riches resources, the locals. The people are friendly, kind, and welcoming. Their culture, their clothing, their food, all rich and unique. Their love is strong and genuine. I enjoyed my 9 days in India and if you plan your trip with Merge, I promise you, you will enjoy it too. Trust me, if you are a sceptic, Merge will take very good care of you.

Hy Conrad and Jeff Johanson, New York

Merge arranged two long trips for us, one in North India and one in the South, and we have nothing but the highest praise. Rather than trying to fit us into a pre-packaged itinerary, like many other operators, they listened and came up with ideas that made both vacations super-special – great little hotels and side-trips that no one else would have thought of. Plus the prices were competitive, perhaps even cheaper than an ordinary operator. But the real proof was that nothing went wrong. Six weeks in India and everything was perfect. The guides and drivers were always on time, always fluent in English and always of the highest quality. We trusted their people completely and were never disappointed. For years we had put off traveling to India, thinking it would be too chaotic. But Merge took the chaos out of it.

Stacy Blake Beard – Professor, Boston

I can’t say enough about how much I enjoy and appreciate the work that Merge has done for me in arranging travel experiences in India. Merge offers exquisite experiences– with the connections to knowledgeable guides, excellent hotels and they know the transportation system (with all of the glitches). They have a sense of my preferences so they set up the trips in a manner that meets my needs. I wish that I had access to someone like Merge here in the US. Merge is an excellent provider who I look forward to working with each year that I visit India. And I have recommended their services to a great many friends–all of whom say they also have had great experiences.

- Kathy and Sandy – Boston USA

Dear Mona. Thank you for the most incredible trip of our lives! Everything you planned for us was truly exceptional. Each of the hotels and their food were extraordinary- just the kind of luxury to splurge on when vacationing. We loved all the special sites you recommended with a little rest and relaxation halfway through at Maya’s fantastic Shahpura Bagh. The dinner at Fort Dhikala was a night to remember as was the lunch with the camel and elephant at Dera Amer! All the guides were very experienced, knowledgeable and fun. Our favorite though was Jitu our driver- one in a million!! I really can’t thank you enough for the kind and thoughtful itinerary you navigated for us. Because of our fabulous experience - we hope to visit southern India next year. My very best to you and a heartfelt thank you! We will be in touch!!

Bonnie Cantor & Marcia Holman, Manhattan, New York

The owner, Mona Contractor, planned a 3 week adventure that was personalized to suit two slightly above middle aged sisters from NYC. We saw off the beaten path locations, such as Mount Abu, the caves at Ajanta and Ellora, and the camp at Chhatra Sagar as well as visiting the ‘not to be missed’ sites such as the Dhobi Ghat in Mumbai, the Taj Mahal and Varanasi. We had guides who shared not only their knowledge of the site, but what their day to day lives were like. We had drivers, including one for 12 days, who kept us comfortable, even when driving on a ‘highway’ on the wrong side of the road with farm animals having the right of way. Mona booked us into extraordinary, palatial hotels. She communicated our quirks to the staff ahead of our arrival so they knew we are not adventurous eaters and were willing to provide simple fare. We had soft handoffs during several internal flights, were escorted on a train and had the most attentive customer service one could expect. In fact, Mona personally greeted us on our first day to introduce us to our guide. As a result, the exotic became quite comfortable. In summary, Mona provided an individualized, well planned trip, staffed by personable, knowledgeable guides and drivers. The itinerary was active, but permitted us a couple of afternoons to recover in the Spa. We met interesting people, saw fascinating sites and learned about a culture that is very different from our own. We will be eternally grateful for the care and attention that went into the planning and execution of this trip. Merge and Mona are the best you could ask for!

-Nishi & Mrinal Widge – Washington DC, USA

My son and I stayed at a beautiful boutique hotel in Kochi. And later we travelled to Alleppey to stay overnight on a houseboat. It was high season but Mona managed to arrange this for us at the last minute. Our stay in Munnar was also at an amazing property. Her rates were very reasonable and included a driver and car from the moment we landed in Kochi to the time we flew back to Delhi. She was prompt in responding to my queries and very helpful when it came to planning the trip. I will definitely use her services again should I plan a vacation in the near future.

- Christi Degen, Germany.

I highly recommend Mona Contractor and her company "Merge Experiences" for individual travellers to India who look for high quality of lodging and transport combined with original cultural experiences. Her network of local guides is excellent: she choses very knowledgable and likeable persons who lead you to interesting places, inspire you with their explanations and stories and help out with any travel need you may have. Our travel itinerary was a product of a dialogue between Mona and ourselves - she is very good in adapting to customers' wishes - and also very responsive in the organizational communication. Would always plan India trips with her!

Danielle Ettl – New York City, USA

If you are looking for a travel company that will cater to your personality and personal needs, then look no further than Merge Experiences. I just experienced my second trip to India. MY first trip was with my husband 9 years ago and Mona was recommended to us by his company’s travel group. At that time she did an AMAZING, very high end, 3 week, multiple destination trip all over India that required hotels, local drivers and guides in each city and various modes of transport (flights, trains, etc..). We didn’t want to have to think about anything once the trip began. As very seasoned travellers, we knew that pre-planning was going to be critical in pulling this off flawlessly and we knew we needed a travel company that was used to this type of travel. That first trip made me fall in love with India. When we stopped in Mumbai, Mona made time to take us around the city, take us to a Bollywood film and introduced us to amazing restaurants in her city. However, she knows every detail in all the other cities as well as she knows her own! We had such a great experience and enjoyed our time with Mona so much, we became and remained friends over the years. Recently I had another opportunity to go back to India. Naturally Mona was the first person I went to to help. However, this time I would be traveling alone and was asking for a very different type of experience. Mona recommended all new places for me to visit as well as an incredible Ashram that left me with an authentic and life changing experience. I had done a lot of my own research and made suggestions but because she knew me so well and provides such personal service, she steered me away from some of my suggestions, providing better ideas and gave me opportunities I never would have found on my own. If you are looking for a travel company that will cater to your personality and personal needs, then look no further than Merge Experiences. I just experienced my second trip to India. Mona listens well and is extremely patient to give you the exact experience you are looking. After initial discussions, she provides you a detail of sample trips. I love her knowledge base, level of detail, flexibility and desire to cater to you personally all while ensure you get the experience you expect and guaranteeing your safety, comfort and ease. The trip was well planned and at each stop I was given a choice of things to participate in. Once finalized, the trip was paid for in advance and the travel secured. I liked the “pay in advance” feature as I might have “nickel and dimed” the individual activities had I known what they cost. But with just a grand total, I just went with the program as long as it was in line with my budget. Like my trip prior, in each city as I visited, their was a driver or rep who met me and would provide all the vouchers and details needed for the rest of my trip in that which made it easy. They even informed me of tipping practices, where to exchange money and gave me some local restaurant suggestions which was really helpful. My only role was to be where I was supposed to be for my pick up, and to have fun and enjoy the experience! All drivers and guides are personable and knowledgeable. Her choice of hotels is spot on to my needs and I appreciated that in areas where the language or culture might make it difficult to get through customs, she had someone to shepard me through the process. If you are looking for a travel company that will cater to your personality and personal needs, then look no further than Merge Experiences. I just experienced my second trip to India. MY first trip was with my husband 9 years ago and Mona was recommended to us by his company’s travel group. At that time she did an AMAZING, very high end, 3 week, multiple destination trip all over India that required hotels, local drivers and guides in each city and various modes of transport (flights, trains, etc..). The real testament to her skill came during the actual travel. Everything went off according to the plan and that was no small feat given the number of trains, planes, automobiles, hotels and countless other details that could have gone wrong. Thanks to Mona for another amazing, lifetime experience!