U have to be toughie to travel Paulo!! . Review on Paulo Travels, Bangalore

I would say that people who have had no trouble with Paulo travels Volvo seater bus going from Goa to Bangalore are really lucky. I booked a volvo AC seater bus from Paulo agent in Margao. Initially I asked for KSRTC Volvo but she told me that the bus from KSRTC goes very late. So she recommended Paulo and told me that this bus would be the first one to leave Goa. She told me that the first bus leaves at 4.30 p.m in the evening. After confirming with me, she took the money.

After taking the money, she sprang up a surprise by telling me that I have to report at 4. 15 P.M to her office as another bus would first be coming to her office in which I will have to sit and go to Ponda from where I will have to board the main bus to Bangalore. My question is why she could not have told me before taking the money that I will have to change two buses from two different points and in the process so much of time would be wasted. There is absolutely no point in saying that the first bus for Bangalore would leave at 4.30 p.m.

Whereas the actual time is different. Anyway now as there was no option, I came with the luggage at sharp 4.15 p.m reporting time. As per Indian standards and very much expected, the other bus came in at 4.40 p.m. Repeated requests to this bus driver did not yield any results. Me along with a couple of others asked him to open the main luggage storehouse but he refused to oblige saying it is not required. and the driver was indeed very rude as if he was doing a favor to us by taking us to Ponda.

So everybody had to lift their luggage and get into this noisy sleeper bus.

The bus took its own time to reach Ponda. And we were in for the second rude shock as the main bus was not there at the city pick up point. The person there told the helpless passengers to wait next to his mini shop which could barely accommodate two people. He said that the volvo bus is expected shortly. In a few minutes, much to everybody's chagrin, it started raining and inthe process our luggage got wet too. So we were running for cover. It was already 6.00 p.m by that time. But our trouble was still not over. A Maruti van came over and passengers were asked to put their baggage in the van which would take us to bypass.

On asking we were told that the main bus is not allowed inside the city. So the van made two rounds in which it could take the passengers to the next pickup point. Finally we got to see the bus and thought that our troubles are finally over. But it was not so. Because the van driver was thinking whether it was a Bangalore bound bus or Hyderabad bound. We finally reached the volvo bus (which was for reasons best known to the bus driver) parked precariously near the edge of the road and was having a couple of potholes and also there was a sort of a pit next to the bus.

So if the passenger had to keep the luggage, he or she would have to carefully walk down the narrow pathway. which was also very muddy, forget the fact that the leather shoes looked like some army shoes with all that mud all over it. Luckily the luggage storehouse was open and the the driver's assistant took pity on us and came over to put the luggage inside.

The bus finally started around 6.25 p.m instead of the 4.30 p.m as had been communicated earlier. For a certain period of time, the driver used to shut down the Ac saying that some people are feeling cold. They did not provide any blankets to those people who were feeling cold. Later on, we read the notice that blankets are being sold in the bus for a fixed amount and so is the small water bottle. While on way to Bangalore there was smell of patrol inside the bus and then somebody pointed out at Belgaum that there was some problem with the petrol lid. All along the ac used to be off and on and in the process it was so stuffy inside. After a couple of hours, I asked the driver's assistant politely if he had some movie and he explained with that smirk on his face that he had bought this movie in Ponda for Rs. 100 but it does not work. And I thought that these people are supposed to carry a couple of movies for viewing on the way. Regarding Reading lights, they were all there in place but nothing worked.

Finally we reached Bangalore in the morning safe and sound and thanked God and all our lucky stars for bringing us safely here. So the ordeal has ended but the scars will remain. So all you guys out there, please get your facts right before going in for the famed Paulo travels.