A Traveller's Tale of (Re)sorts

Resorts come in all shapes, sizes and hues. From the corporatised ones with the semblance of a hierarchy to the one-man shows, with various other twists in between, it is an experience worth recounting!

Naturally, you will think of getting in touch with these people/places when you have a vacation on mind. While your own time freedom goes through the roller coaster till the 'golden hour' when your leave request finally gets through, our friends in these resorts take us through another free ride of sorts! That is why I say, a good part of the fun lies in planning the trip.

Here is my experience in booking these resorts during the mid-August 'Independence' weekend. I would not like to name all of them them here, lest the leopards change their spots, or whatever!

The original idea was to visit Jog Falls and stay at the Forest Department's tent houses. This later transformed into a family tour postponed to a later date.

Then we were to join a colleague's family on a package tour of the State Tourism Development Corporation. This was one week prior to our departure so everything that followed happened in the space of a week. The sweet tension of holiday-shopping prevailed from the 7th to 13th when we finally left Bangalore!

As we later preferred another package, our friends wisely proceeded to book on the tour of their choice! Good for them, because not everyone is likely to share our idea of 'fun'!

When we made the phone call to book ourseleves on the package of our choice, a disinterested voice told us it was no longer operated and hung up! Nothing very unusual there; however, many of these discontinued tours are still reflecting on the fliers being given out by their franchisees even today! Likewise, a new website (with some inoperative web links) has taken over, while the old portal still continues to dish out all the details of these discontinued tours!! Such confusion could surely be avoided!

Then the attention turned to resorts and the original idea came back to life again. However, as feared, 'stay@matthuga.in' was running full. Though we contemplated staying at a hotel in Sagar we were told it is always famously full, so we didn't even try. To share one bit of intelligence, sometimes it works out just as well to stay at another nearby place and still visit your intended destination! This time, however, it couldn't be done. Must admit though that the exchange of mails took place comparatively quickly.

The next one is in Coorg and promotes rafting activity as well. This is probably the season too so one could expect them to run full as well. However, one had to go through the attempt out of the urge to travel. So off one goes looking for their website/blog and is heartened to see it was updated only last week! Which means somebody is active on the internet. That is encouragement enough to send an e-mail, hoping for a response in the next 24 hours. When it does not turn up in 36 hours, an SMS is sent. Voila, one gets a one-word reply: 'Full'. End of story.

Then there was one located in an arecanut plantation. To the offline query one sent through the 'live chat' facility, e-mail response came in about 12 hours, suggesting that their mobile number be contacted. Of course, one had already tried the landline number by then and obtained the same reply. As if by intuition one could sense that one would be told the resort is not currently operating. When the call was indeed made to the owner's mobile, that is exactly what happened!! Of course, the exchange was very cordial & open and one was advised to plan a holiday two months later with a group of 8-10 people so that it 'works out' for everyone. Presently, not recommended.

Another pleasant takeaway was that the website developer turned out to be an avid traveller as well and one could strike up an interesting exchange of mails! As they say, don't leave any stone unturned.

Then, this one was fairly pleasant. A friend had already been to this home stay in Coorg and had good reviews so this place was also in the reckoning. However knowing the popularity that it had already notched up, one was keeping it for the later part. When an SMS did not elicit a response in about 6 hours, it was thought best to call up and enquire. The gruff voice at the other end said he didn't know and should not be contacted for this purpose!

Did I say pleasant? Well, that's because the next number still yielded a negative answer albeit in an apologetic voice. Was almost in a mood to demand that they should remove the details which are no longer valid from the website! Which takes me to another topic altogether: What to look for in their websites?

We also mostly left out travel websites because our experience says that their staff tend to have incomplete knowledge and are just eager to complete a sale, or it turns out that the most economical holiday they advertised has already been sold out, or as friends reported, one ends up paying a fat premium in peak holiday season irrespective of the merits/demirits of the facility.

There is a saying, "We tend to plan our holidays better than we plan our lives!" The flip side of this is, you would probably like to be on a perennial holiday - a never-ending trip - that is why you are polishing the act so reverently till you get to that one perfect holiday! To the extent, some of us would like to say that we lead our lives in between holidays!! Or rather, to paraphrase Quaint Francis Quarles, 'when this holiday begins to die, the next holiday begins to live!'

Where did we end up finally? Well we ended up in booking an A/C room bang on the National Highway by the sea. That makes another story, however it must be mentioned here that these people were the sweetest of them all - booked the room over a phone call and e-mail with no advance payment, kept in touch with us, mentioned & offered all the services they could provide and generally gave us a great feeling of comfort till our departure.

A fitting finale to the ordeal of an earnest traveller, should I say?

THE LAST WORD: This is not universally applicable, there are still some nice people out there. Having said this, people in this business must shed the mercenary-like attitude and behaviour they display 'in season'. While it is understood & appreciated that there are very few round-the year destinations and the industry needs to thrive during the travel season, the cut-throat competition driven by small doses of greed everywhere, tends to throttle the long term prospects of the industry itself.

Think about this: How long does it take to muck up a beautiful waterfall? Once that is done, what else remains to be seen?

What to look for in their websites.

Given below are just a few tips to get you started. Always remember that the unsaid goes with the said. Their website is there to sell. Others' experiences/reviews are specific & real at that time - things could always have improved or worsened!

Location & features/facilities: Some sites give you this information in elaborate detail including a location map, photographs & videos, others just skim over it. Understand that WYSI just WYG, at the best!! More the features listed, greater are the chances that a lot of other things which you may like or need, are not closeby! Likewise, the guys giving you minimum info could be telling you that the real beauty lies outdoors & away! So be very clear what the purpose of your break is, there is no universal destination. MOre important, try to figure out how far or near this place is to your point of arrival & departure. Ideally, you want this to be nearer, however it does not serve your purpose if its in the heart of all the din. Likewise, it is better to specifically confirm about the features/facilities that interest you most - don't discover after reaching the place that you have visited during the off-season!! Do remember to ask for the fees/charges in detail, mentioning your group size.

Tariff: Some guys mysteriously leave it out. Well probably intentionally because it could be outrageous! Some guys are open for bargaining on the phone, others at the reception desk, still others conveniently mention the off-season rates as well. Understand what the 'plan' includes and what the option offers. Check whether the benefits are listed in a generic manner; same with exclusions - they could also be listed in some corner which you tend to overlook. As a rule, treat it primarily as a place to safely keep your belongings, rest when needed and refresh yourself - all other things are a bonus, which you must surely explore and enjoy. Which means, it is better to confirm beforehand whether there is an extra charge for things that interest you the most.

Check-in/check-out times: Your ideal preference should be a round-the-clock, 24-hour check-in/out time. However, this will not be possible in resorts that offer you packages on 'per person per day' basis or even on 'twin sharing basis per day' because they would like all their guests for the day to check in around the same, go through the same activities at the same hour and check-out almost together, leaving them a clear window to prepare the rooms/cottages for the next set of guests. Of course, depending on how tightly they are booked, they might closely insist on or be lenient about adhering to these time lines. They can even juggle the events a little and the guests will never know!! However, it pays to be on time or a little late, than be early and either wait around or be given uncleaned rooms! Hence you need to coordinate your travel plans with this one variable. Mind you, you could always arrive early or leave later than the published hours; your resort will have the discretion to either charge you for everything that is extended to you during these hours or treat it as complimentary.

Contact details: Be prepared to find that some of them no longer work! It pays to start early and begin with the softest approach, an e-mail. The quickness and the content of the reply will tell you a lot. Be specific in your query, otherwise they could politely refer you back to the Nth page of their website! If that does not work, try the SMS. You may either get a reply by SMS or nothing at all! Try the telephone next and remember to note down the date, time & person's name always. Likewise leave your details behind so that communication can become two-way and they recognise you faster.

Reservation, cancellation & payment terms: Bigger places have their set of terms and conditions. It pays to follow them and maintain documentation of all the transactions, just in case things do not go as per plans and you have requests to make, including refund. Better not to interpret anything to suit you, rather ask them to clarify your doubt, preferably by e-mail. At smaller places there could be flexibility and room for changing or waiving many of the terms, so talk to the person who takes decisions at their end. Every establishment keeps a few things at its discretion and offers it to select, valuable customers depending on the time & situation. Established ones do it when they have goofed and smaller ones do it when its off-season. Owner-run places offer these freebies to most well-behaved, undemanding customers.

Have a great time on your next holiday!