Questions
The things
people ask us
Everything below is answered the way we would answer it on the phone. If your question is not here, ask it — the fastest reply is WhatsApp, at any hour.
About us
World Destinations, plainly
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What is World Destinations?
World Destinations is a travel agency in Malad East, Mumbai, that plans India and international holidays end to end — flights, hotels, transfers, visas and travel insurance — with one person looking after each trip and reachable 24/7.
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Where is World Destinations located?
World Destinations is at 6/12, Haji Bapu Rd, Devchand Nagar, Dhobi Ghat, Malad East, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400097. Visits are by appointment; most planning is done by phone, WhatsApp and email on +91 9167919191 and hello@worlddestination.co.in, and the line is answered 24/7.
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Who runs World Destinations?
World Destinations was founded by Fenil Shah. Each trip is looked after by one planner, and you deal with the same person from your first call to the day you land back.
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Is World Destinations open 24/7?
Yes. World Destinations answers phone calls and WhatsApp messages around the clock, every day of the year, on +91 9167919191 — including while you are travelling, because a missed connection at 3am is exactly when an agent is worth having.
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What services does World Destinations offer?
World Destinations arranges holiday packages, hotel bookings, flight bookings, visa assistance, travel insurance and corporate travel. It plans India and international holidays end to end, and also books flights, hotels and visas on their own.
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Why does World Destinations not publish package prices?
Because airline fares, hotel rates, taxes and exchange rates move daily, so every trip is quoted against live rates on the day you ask. Send your destination, dates and party size on WhatsApp or through the enquiry form, and you get back a route, a realistic budget and the questions still to be answered.
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Can the price change after I get a quote?
Yes, until the booking is confirmed in writing and the required payment is received. A quote uses the rates, taxes, exchange rates and availability on the day it is issued. If the price changes before confirmation, you are told before anything proceeds and can withdraw the enquiry.
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When is a booking confirmed, and when do I pay?
A booking is confirmed only when World Destinations issues a written confirmation and the stated deposit or full payment has cleared. Payment schedules depend on the supplier — some airfares and hotel rates need immediate full payment — and the schedule for your trip is set out in your confirmation.
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What is the cancellation policy?
Cancellation charges are set by the airline, hotel or operator and passed on at cost, with any service fee stated in your confirmation. Requests must be made in writing, some bookings cannot be changed or refunded at all, and refunds are paid once the supplier releases them.
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What happens if something goes wrong during my trip?
Call or WhatsApp +91 9167919191 straight away — it is answered 24/7, so it can be fixed while you are still travelling. If an airline or hotel changes your booking, you are told promptly with the alternatives, and anything left unresolved goes in writing within 28 days of returning.
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Is it cheaper to book through a travel agent than online?
Not always. Where a public hotel rate or airfare is genuinely cheaper than a negotiated one, World Destinations says so and books that instead. What an agent adds is the written detail — inclusions, exclusions, room categories and cancellation terms on every quote — and one person to call when a plan changes mid-trip.
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Can World Destinations guarantee my visa?
No — the decision rests entirely with the consulate, and no one can honestly promise an approval. World Destinations prepares the file to the current checklist, books the appointment and writes the cover letter and itinerary, and says upfront if a profile is likely to struggle. Visa fees are non-refundable whatever the outcome.
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Does World Destinations plan trips to places not listed on the website?
Yes. The itineraries on the site are the destinations people ask for most often, not the limit of what is planned. If the place you want is not listed, send it with your dates and a route is built for it.
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Is travel insurance compulsory?
It is compulsory for certain visas and strongly recommended for every trip. World Destinations can arrange cover and explain the terms before you buy, but the policy is a contract between you and the insurer, and claims are decided by the insurer alone.
Booking and planning
How working with us actually goes
Holiday Packages
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Do the packages include flights?
Only where the itinerary says so. We quote flights separately by default so you can compare, and we are happy to book them with the land package as one payment.
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Can I travel on dates that are not listed?
Yes. Nothing is a fixed departure unless we tell you otherwise. Give us your dates and we will build around them.
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How far ahead should I book?
For peak season, school holidays and anything involving limited permits — Bhutan, Ladakh, Gir, the Alhambra — six to eight weeks is comfortable. Short-haul can be done in days.
Hotel Bookings
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Can you book only the hotel, without a package?
Yes. Hotel-only bookings are a normal part of what we do, domestic and international.
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What if the hotel is cheaper online?
Send us the link. If it is the same room, same dates and same cancellation terms, we will match it or tell you honestly to book it there.
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Do you handle group blocks?
Yes — weddings, conferences and family gatherings. We hold blocks and manage the rooming list.
Flight Bookings
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Do you charge a service fee?
On flight-only bookings, yes — it is quoted upfront before you commit, never added afterwards. When flights form part of a package it is built into the quote.
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Can you use my airline miles?
We can advise on award availability, but redemptions must be made from your own frequent flyer account.
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What about web check-in and seats?
We do web check-in for package travellers as standard and will request seats together for families at the time of booking.
Visa Assistance
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Do you guarantee the visa?
No, and you should be careful of anyone who does. The decision rests entirely with the consulate. What we control is that the application is complete and correctly presented.
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Are visa fees included in packages?
No. Visa fees, service charges and biometric costs are always separate and paid to the consulate or centre.
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Which countries do you handle?
Schengen, UK, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and the e-visa and visa-on-arrival countries across Asia, Africa and the Gulf.
Travel Insurance
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Is insurance compulsory?
For Schengen and several other visas, yes. Everywhere else it is optional and we still strongly recommend it — a single hospital night abroad can exceed the cost of the trip.
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Can I buy it after booking flights?
Yes, but buy it early. Trip-cancellation cover only works for events that happen after the policy starts.
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Does it cover flight delays?
Most plans cover delays beyond a stated number of hours, and missed connections. The thresholds vary, and we will show you them.
Corporate Travel
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Is there a minimum volume?
No. We work with small teams that travel a few times a year as well as companies with regular movement.
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Can you work with our existing policy document?
Yes. Send it across and we will configure our process around it rather than asking you to change it.
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How is corporate billing set up?
Either a credit account after agreed terms, or prepaid deposit. We will discuss which suits your finance team.
Timing
When to go, place by place
Seasons decide more about a trip than budget does. These are the windows we book into, and the ones we steer people away from.
- Andaman Islands
- October to May. Seas get rough in the monsoon and ferries are cancelled.
- Australia
- September to November and March to May.
- Austria — Vienna, Salzburg & the Tyrol
- May to September for the lakes; December for markets; January to March for skiing.
- Bali
- April to October, outside the wet season.
- Bhutan
- March to May and September to November.
- Coorg, Mysore & Bangalore
- October to March. Coorg is at its greenest just after the rains.
- Czech Republic — Prague & Bohemia
- April to June and September to October. December for the Christmas markets.
- Dubai & Abu Dhabi
- November to March. Summer is very hot but indoor attractions run year-round.
- Egypt
- October to April. Summer in Upper Egypt is extreme.
- France — Paris & the Loire
- April to June and September to October.
- Georgia
- May to October. Winter suits Gudauri for skiing.
- Germany — Bavaria & the Romantic Road
- May to September. Late November and December for the Christmas markets.
- Goa
- November to February for the season; June to September for green, cheap and empty.
- Golden Triangle — Delhi, Agra & Jaipur
- October to March. Agra and Jaipur are punishing in May and June.
- Greece
- May to June and September to October, either side of the August crowds.
- Gujarat — Kutch, Dwarka, Somnath & Gir
- November to February. Time it with the Rann Utsav if you want the tented city.
- Himachal — Shimla & Manali
- March to June and September to November. December–January for snow at Solang.
- Hong Kong & Macau
- October to December for clear, dry weather.
- Iceland — Ring Road & Northern Lights
- September to March for the aurora; June to August for midnight sun and open highlands.
- Ireland — Dublin & the Wild Atlantic Way
- May to September for the longest days and the least rain.
- Italy
- April to June and September to October.
- Japan
- Late March to April for blossom; October to November for autumn colour.
- Jordan
- March to May and September to November.
- Kashmir Valley
- March to October. April–May for tulips and blossom; December–February for snow.
- Kenya Safari
- July to October for the migration; January to March for green season and calving.
- Kerala — Backwaters & Hills
- September to March. Monsoon travel suits Ayurveda stays.
- Ladakh
- June to September, when all the high passes are reliably open.
- Lakshadweep
- October to May. The monsoon closes most sailings.
- Maharashtra Hills — Mahabaleshwar & Lonavala
- October to February. June to September for waterfalls and cloud.
- Maldives
- November to April for dry, calm seas.
- Mauritius
- May to December, outside the cyclone months.
- Meghalaya & Assam
- October to April. The monsoon here is among the heaviest on earth.
- Morocco
- March to May and September to November. Summer inland is extreme.
- Nepal
- October to November and March to April for clear mountain views.
- New Zealand
- December to March for summer; June to August for skiing.
- Norway — Northern Lights
- Late September to late March. December and January are darkest.
- Norwegian Fjords
- May to September. June and July have almost no darkness.
- Peru — Machu Picchu & the Sacred Valley
- May to September, the dry season. February is when the Inca Trail closes.
- Philippines — Palawan & Cebu
- December to May, outside the typhoon season.
- Portugal — Lisbon, Porto & the Algarve
- March to June and September to October.
- Rajasthan Heritage
- October to March. Avoid May and June, when the desert runs above 45°C.
- Ranthambore Tiger Safari
- October to June. April and May are hottest but sightings are at their best as water dries up.
- Seychelles
- April to May and October to November for calm seas and light winds.
- Sikkim & Darjeeling
- March to May for rhododendrons; October to December for the clearest mountain views.
- Singapore & Malaysia
- Year-round. February to April is driest.
- South Africa
- October to April for Cape Town; May to September for the best game viewing.
- South Korea
- April for blossom, October for autumn colour.
- Spain
- April to June and September to October.
- Spiti Valley
- June to September. The Rohtang and Kunzum passes are shut the rest of the year.
- Sri Lanka
- December to March for the west and south coasts.
- Switzerland
- May to September for green valleys; December to March for snow.
- Tamil Nadu — Temples & the Coromandel
- November to February, when the coast is dry and cool.
- Tanzania — Serengeti & Zanzibar
- June to October for game; January to February for the calving season.
- Thailand — Bangkok & Phuket
- November to March.
- Thailand — Chiang Mai & the North
- November to February. Avoid March and April, when the burning season affects air quality.
- Turkey
- April to June and September to October.
- United Kingdom
- May to September for the longest days.
- Uttarakhand Hills & Corbett
- October to June. The Corbett core zones close during the monsoon.
- Varanasi & Ayodhya
- October to March.
- Vietnam
- October to April in the north; year-round in the south.
Reachable 24/7