The following is some feedback on the Battle of Imphal Tours:
On Yai
We had very limited time but we were able to visit the well selected important places in the tour because our guide Mr. Yaiphaba Kangjam made the tour shorten and customized for us. We visited battle fields, one of the British Cemetary, the Japanese War Memorial and INA Memorial complex. It made me think about the war from three perspectives, Japan, UK and India. His knowledge about the battle of Imphal was excellent. - Kanako Sakai, Japan
Thank you for making our trip so memorable.We all came away from Imphal having fully enjoyed the tours we made. We hope the tours continue to go from strength to strength as we are sure there are many people out there who like us would be interested in visiting the area. - Peter Williamson,UK
Yai is an expert and an enthusiast on the Imphal-Kohima theatre of conflict and is able to present all viewpoints in a graphic and enlightening manner that brings the battlefields and war memorials to life. - Rimli Sushil, Mauritius
Being Japanese, we have some knowledge about the Battle of Imphal but I was really impressed by this tour which made me to think we should continue further this tour into the past and reconnect it to the present. Our guide Mr. Yai and driver, Mr. Bobo were just excellent. - Murayama Mayumi, Japan
Yai is an excellent, professional and knowledgeable guide who can make the history come alive, while at the same time acting as a true historian - questioning sources and presenting different perspectives on the battles. - Anne Hammerstad, Norway
Yaiphaba has all the qualities you’d want in a guide - knowledgeable, interesting with a store of anecdotes, likable and with a keen sense of humour. - Farhiz Karanjawala, New Delhi
I doubt there is anyone as good in the entire Northeast. We had a great, albeit short, tour and he could answer most of my very niche questions. I would highly recommend the experience to anyone. - Edward Moonlittle, UK
On Hemant
2 of my group had written books on the Burma campaign, 2 were historians with their focus on the same and two worked in the Kohima Museum in York, UK but Hemant proved more than a match for us all in the free flowing discussions that continued through the days. - Bob Cook, Curator of the Kohima Museum, York, UK
Hemant, with his fantastic knowledge of the subject made the hills come alive. His passion was soon passed on to us and we started to imagine Japs in bunkers with rifles and bayonets and planes strafing us with bombs and machine guns. For anyone with even a passing interest in the Military history of the subcontinent and the World War 2, this tour is absolutely essential. - Arun Khanna, New Delhi.
Hemant Katoch is an erudite and engaging tour leader, and very good company in general; both tours were enchanting trips back in time to the fateful battles at the climax of WW2 in Asia. It's also an unbeatable way to explore the glorious and remote terrain of the Manipur hills. - Raghu Karnad
Not only were the settings spectacular and the battles fascinating in themselves, but your expertise made the whole thing come to life and fit together...That was the best battlefield trip I've done, by a street. - Nick Perry, UK
...in Hemant Singh Katoch in my opinion we had a superb guide and friend. His knowledge of the area, the history of Manipur was interesting and motivating, but his knowledge and understanding of the various battle that constitute the seige of Imphal was very impressive. He made all the 'stands' imformative and stimulating, and they were delivered in an easy and relaxed style. He was able to answer questions and to provide additional clarification where necessary. I found it very emotional to walk in the footsteps of those soldiers present there 70 years ago, which Hemant made possible by his role as our guide. - Robert Palmer, UK
We could not have asked for a more erudite and well-informed guide. He told the whole story of the campaign, took us to carefully verified battlefields and brought the whole thing to life. He told the story from all points of view, Indian, British and Japanese and set if firmly in the context of the fight for independence with visits to museums and memorials to Indian heroes. - Joan H., London
Hemant is a passionate historian/guide/story-teller who can take you into the details of the greatest and most unknown battle of WWII. He customizes the visits according to the time and interests you have... and will take you to unexpected places! The best thing to do if you happen to travel to this side of the North East... - Adrien, France
It's quite staggering to realise how crucial a chapter of World War II played out in Manipur and these tours bring this eastern front wonderfully alive. - Anjum H., Bangalore
It was evident from the moment we met Hemant in Dimapur that it was going to be a good trip. His passion and enthusiasm for the area and the subject matter was infectious and his depth of knowledge and research was such, that he was able to translate my father’s extensive reading of the events of 1944 into reconstructions of specific episodes and milestones, pinpointing exactly where and when things had occurred. He seemed to know every inch of every ridge – quite remarkable, even producing 'then' and 'now' photographs. I thought my father was going to burst with excitement...An extraordinary tour, an incredible experience and one I will never forget. - Catherine, Bangalore/London
Should you venture to these lands you would do justice to the memory of those who laid their lives down by taking one or more of these informative and evocative tours. - Findlay and Athing Kember, London/New Delhi
Whoever you are and whatever your personal interests are, you will enjoy marvelous scenery, concise historical overviews and commentaries on the previous 150 years or so of Manipur's history, plus the company of an impressive but softly-spoken guide and raconteur - Harry Fecitt (MBE TD), UK
Must-visit tour when you first come to Imphal. - Mitsunori Hasuda, Japan.
A living testimonial of history. - Dr. Salam Irene, Head, Department of History, Manipur University, Imphal.
Every young person, every history enthusiast and everyone who likes a good story must take a trip to Manipur to do this... - Anurupa Roy, New Delhi
When in Imphal, taking one of Hemant's tours is a 'must'. Or go to Imphal with the express aim of doing one or more of his tours... - Catriona Child, London/New Delhi