I wanted to make tour to shirdi from chennai by flight like all Sai Devotees & was waiting for my chance to make it. I kept checking with my friends who already went there on their next visit, but I couldn’t find their time suit’s me ,so I decided to make it on my own. Like all lazy nut’s (Who claim themselves as It professionals!) googled it, and I remember I filled my email in a web form.

3 Day’s later I got a email from vasanthkamal tours of vasantkamal.com about their Shirdi Tour plan’s. I work in Business development & most of time goes writing email’s for campaigns I always open every email which I get to see if I can get any idea from it (Trust me I haven’t found any idea from those ) then why opening all email’s? I would say it’s been a habit now.

I replied to the mail enquiring on the available date & I got a reply within an hour via phone call, as I mentioned my number in the email. The person spoke in the other end was very informative and quoted me INR 11900/- for the entire package, and explained about the package fly to  Pune – Chennai Chennai – pune, and from Pune will board you in AC Volvo bus, and 5 star accommodation with Food provided. Like every one I was too skeptical about this (Becuase India known as land of scam atleast in recent days) & asked him to call the next day which is Tuesday I did some research in internet & didn’t find any bad review about this company, so I decided to take it since the date of journey was Friday night & they had only 2 available seats.

She called me the next day morning I asked her how to proceed with the payment. If I have to come to your office to make the payment ,she instantly told they have a collection department who can come& collect the payment from you. I was again impressed with their service & asked the collection guy to come to my office in the evening & I made the payment for which I received an Invoice from the collection executive & got a confirmation mail from vasanth kamal tours. The next day I got Flight PNR, she called me again & asked if I have a passport size photo graph scanned for special darshan I immediately send it over to her on the phone, and she asked to take care of the dinner for Friday night, as the tour package starts only from Saturday. I was all set to leave for the Holy darshan I got a SMS from Vasanth Kamal tours with the Guide name contact details & vehicle number.

I Landed in Pune airport & didn’t take long time to find the guide as they were holding name boards “vasantkamal tours” like me there were couple more passenger whom I met in the flight accommodated by Vasanth Kamal tours for Shridi Package.Theyaccommodated us in quails and drove us to an hotel it was a decent place for night stay I rested myself & couldn’t wait for the trip to begin.

The next day morning we boarded our self in AC Volvo bus as earlier said by the executive. We first stopped in a hotel for Breakfast the food was good, though you cannot expect typical Idly pongal in North India, we finished our Breakfast and settled in our bus in came Mr.Rahul Manthalkar MD Vasanth Kamal tours one the modest person I have ever seen welcomed us first, and explained the tour schedule.

The First stop was Mahaganapathi Temple which is 200 kms from Pune were we had good Ganbathi Darshan

We then Drove towards Shirdi & reached the Hotel by 12.30 & checked in our rooms. The rooms were high in standards with Centralized Ac’s & well maintained the Hotel as Promised was a Star Hotel with Swimming Pool conference room & all other qualities a star hotel have except a Bar (which is non allowed in Shirdi I was told), and most importantly Sai idols every where to worship.

I settled down refreshed myself & went for the lunch it was a buffet mix of both North & South Indian dishes had a nice lunch & assembled at the hotel lobby & the bus which drove us from Pune picked us up & dropped in the mandir.We all reached the Mandir & lined up for the special darshan which was already booked by Vasanth Kamal tours, some of them carried arthy ticket with them which I was not aware since a first time visitor.

We all had our hotel key’s the Guide made it very clear the Bus will leave the hotel to pune by tomorrow Afternoon 2.00pm, so it’s up to us to make up to the number of Darshan this was very well planned and executed unlike other travel agencies who rush on us to complete the Darshan and head back home just to make sure their job is completed. I had 3 darshan on the Saturday went back to the hotel rested myself & came back again in the morning had one more darshan.