Posted by Zainab Amin | Saturday, February 22, 2014 |
Posted in
Himachal Pradesh,
India,
Shimla,
Shogi Shimla,
Travel,
zap
Shoghi is situated in shimla in the state Himachal Pradesh in India. It is an outskirt of shimla. It is on the Ambala Shimla national highway, 13 kilometers before shimla.It is situated at the elevation of about 5700ft and from the sea level it is 7200ft high. It is a versatile place of flora and founa. It is also renowned for bus stops for eatables as there are many dhabas. The mesmerizing Green hills are also settled comfortably and attractively which gives very exotic look to the place. After searching for this you problem is to know How to reach Shoghi?.
There is a housing board colony near the highway which was set up in a small village of shoghi in 2001 by HIMUDA for meeting the need of lots of people. This colony is away from the crowd situated on a knoll overlooking hills overlapping one another and rising too great as touching the sky. These are just beside the road. Most of the charm of this colony has been enriched by looking down the slopes along the streets of the colony you will find very greenish. The housing board colony is trying to make the city more nature friendly.
Posted by abg man | Sunday, March 17, 2013 |
Posted in
Travel,
zap
The Merlion statue area, situated near Hotel Fullerton is a tourist's delight
The Merlion statute situated in the Merlion park, with the body of a fish and head of a lion is the symbol of Singapore, ensconced on the banks of the Singapore river, near the historic Fullerton Hotel giving a spectacular view, if you happen to go to Singapore. The ideal time to visit Merlion Park is evening around 5pm. As you go down the steps and sit on one of those steps clicking pictures of the landscape of Singapore with the Merlion, it becomes an ideal time to pass the evening even if you are alone.
On the steps, you find many families and couples gazing at the colourful landscape of Singapore marked with their tallest skyscraper hotel Marina Bay Sands, they do a wonderful light show as the sun sets. The place becomes even more breathtaking as it turns darker. The area around the Merlion facing the Anderson bridge is picturesque and you see tourists across the world clicking pictures and taking videos with their families. As you walk down the other side, you find a string of restaurants and gourmet cafes on the banks of the river, giving their guests an opportunity to sip cocktails and gorge on starters and enjoy a romantic evening watching the river.
Posted by abg man | Saturday, February 9, 2013 |
Posted in
Travel,
zap
In India, trains are one of the easiest and cheapest modes of transport. Over the years, booking train tickets has become convenient using the IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation) website. In fact, according to the comScore and ASSOCHAM India report, IRCTC is the leading travel e-commerce site in the country with the highest transaction share in the travel category. One out of five online users in India visits the Indian Railways site, with almost 12 million unique visitors monthly and majority of the traffic is seen between 10 am to 12 pm. It is during this time that IRCTC allows booking Tatkal tickets, which means tickets that are reserved for people with last minute travel plans, travel emergencies and so on. IRCTC receives a lot of flak for its slow, sluggish performance and had become a laughing stock when the site crashed (server inability, low bandwidth) during the festivities last year, just minutes after Tatkal bookings began. Currently, it is said to sell about 40-45,000 Tatkal railway tickets between 10 am and 11 am (its 10 and 11, because all tickets are sold in one hour – in fact, 45 mins), which it plans to spruce up to 60-65,000 with the help of its new Rs. 10 crore drive for better, upgraded servers to 64GB RAM. This will allow 80 lakh concurrent connections compared to the current 10 lakh. The Tatkal online booking window opens a day in advance before the date of your journey just for an hour and tens of thousands of people try to log into the Tatkal booking system, which makes it as tough as getting into an overcrowded Mumbai local train during the peak office hours.
If you’ve ever tried booking a Tatkal ticket, you will know how important each minute is and how annoying IRCTC’s online passenger reservation system can get. You have to make optimum use of each second as soon as the online booking counter opens, and those 5 to 10 minutes before the counter opens are also very crucial. We’ve laid out a guide to help you book a Tatkal ticket, along with a set of handy tech tools and tips and tricks that will help you bag a confirmed Tatkal ticket faster.
Posted by abg man | Tuesday, November 20, 2012 |
Posted in
Travel,
zap
When you are not at your place and are somewhere else for the sake of visiting or any other purpose, you have to live at a hotel. You only need the hotel for living but you want much more. You want them to provide you services like room service, good breakfast and some other things that you need everyday. You don't pay them for just living in their hotel rather you pay them for all such services.
Some of the hotels are very different from the others. Their distinguished features compel the people to take interest in them. There are some hotels that get the attention of a person very easily. All of them have different causes of getting this attention from the people. 10 Most Epic Hotels Around The World are given below:-
10. Dog Bark Park Inn
This entire hotel is shaped like a dog. Its owners are two artists who make wooden things. They have gathered money for making this hotel by selling their wooden goods. Not only the shape of the hotel is like a dog rather each and every thing in the hotel is following the dog theme. For the sake of some extra income the artists sell their goods at the gift shop of the hotel.
When a person enters the hotel he has to enter it through the stairs which are at the dog's back.
Posted by abg man | Tuesday, October 30, 2012 |
Posted in
News,
Travel,
zap
With Diwali less than a fortnight away, air fares are already at their peak. While seats are fast running out due to last-minute bookings, no direct flights are available on some sectors. So, if you are planning to travel weekend-to-weekend (from November 10-18), a round trip to any of the metros or some Tier-II cities would cost you nothing less than Rs 13,000-18,000. In some instances, the lowest available fares are as high as Rs 20,000. Although the demand, according to tour operators, has been lower than last year, the proximity to the festival of lights and limited seats in the market have combined to push the fares to new heights.
According to tour operators and travel portals, a round trip ticket to Delhi is priced between Rs 16,000-19,000. Delhi, one of the most well-connected cities in the country, is already one of the most expensive destinations by air. During Diwali, the national capital is one of the most popular destinations in the country-which, said operators, pushes up prices. Kolkata, another hot favourite during the festival, is also the most expensive this season.
Posted by devil | Friday, August 31, 2012 |
Posted in
Travel,
zap
India’s best safari spots (Thinkstock photos/Getty Images)
Hill stations, snow-clad mountains or beaches - these are places on every vacationer's bucket list. But ever thought of adding a safari trip to your travel wish list? Purvaja Sawant explores wildlife sanctuaries in India
Jim Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand
India's first and oldest national park, the Corbett National Park is like heaven for adventure seekers and wildlife junkies. Though the chances of actually spotting a tiger inside this park are rare, you may see one that is not baited or tracked! It is one of the few parks in northern India with wild elephants. The jeep safari inside the park is worth a try.
Posted by abg man | Thursday, August 30, 2012 |
Posted in
Travel,
zap
If you are traveling to India and willing to go beyond the Taj Mahal, discovering the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat can be a good option. The Rann of Kutch is about 16 hours drive from Delhi. While there are faster options to reach the Rann, you can opt for a self-driving expedition or go as passenger in one of the vehicles. It is said that a journey is more important than the destination itself- and a journey by road allows you to take in the sights, sounds and chaos that is so characteristic and in a way so unique to India.
The best time to start the drive from Delhi is around 11 PM as this allows you to avoid the traffic and pick up speed once you hit the highway to Jaipur in Rajasthan. En route you'll stop at the 'dhabas' or the highway side eateries for food and drink. These dhabas are a unifying thread in a vastly diverse country in that no matter which state you go through there will always be a roadside dhaba serving nourishing and sumptuous food at very economical rates - the difference will be in the menu which will vary depending on the local cuisine of the state.
Leave the madness of Delhi and you will enter the equally chaotic roads of the neighbouring princely state of Rajasthan. The landscape is mostly desert and brown; drive further till the border and enter Gujarat and as if on cue the landscape also changes. Barren gives way to greenery and for the next part of the journey you will drive on a beautiful highway divided by rows of beautiful flowers. Gujarat is one of the most prosperous and disciplined state in India - the roads are smooth and the people actually follow traffic rules.
Posted by abg man | |
Posted in
Travel,
zap
Discover the Romance of Africa on a Luxury Safari Holiday
A luxury safari holiday in Africa is a unique choice for anyone looking for a romantic honeymoon. Get away from the mass tourism in Europe and the Caribbean, and opt for Africa's vast wilderness and stunning coastline to celebrate the start of your married life together. Spend your days in the African bush with the likes of elephant, giraffe and lion before relaxing in a sumptuous lodge with delicious cuisine listening to the call of the wild. Enjoy candlelit dinners in total seclusion, hot air balloon flights above natural wonders, action packed game drives and picturesque beaches all on your luxury safari holiday.
Where to Go
All African countries have a sense of magic and mystery about them so it can be hard to choose the perfect destination for your honeymoon. Kenya's Masai Mara is a great place for a romantic honeymoon; being the home of the great wildebeest migration, wildlife is in abundance, activities can be tailored to suit couples, and the accommodation is comfortable, the ideal setting for a luxury safari holiday. Combine this with a trip to Kenya's beautiful coastline for a mix of white sandy beaches, exciting water sports and a fascinating history. Botswana, is highly recommended for a honeymoon due to its association with luxurious safaris. The country is extremely remote, the wildlife is rich and the sheer variety of scenery makes it ideal for a unique honeymoon. Cruise down a beautiful lagoon, ride an elephant, and combine it with a trip to the nearby Victoria Falls for the ultimate luxury safari holiday. If you're looking to be more active on your honeymoon, Tanzania is perfect. Visit the world famous Serengeti, climb Kilimanjaro, or simply relax in a plush lodge looking out over the impressive landscape.
Posted by abg man | Tuesday, August 28, 2012 |
Posted in
Facts,
Travel,
zap
BBC Travel has compiled a list of the world's most expensive dishes, and you should be a millionaire to be able to devour these foods.
At 3676 dirhams, or 957 dollars, the Golden Phoenix Cupcake made by Dubai's Bloomsbury's cafe is at the top of the list.
Posted by abg man | Wednesday, July 18, 2012 |
Posted in
Travel,
zap
The state of Jammu & Kashmir is a region of widely varying people and geography. In the south, Jammu is a transition zone from the Indian plains to the Himalaya . Nature has lavishly endowed Kashmir with certain distinctive favors which hardly find a parallel in any alpine land of the world. It is the land of snow clad mountains that shares a common boundary with Afghanistan, China and Pakistan, Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of the Indian Union. Known for its extravagant natural beauty this land formed a major caravan route in the ancient times.
Trade relations through these routes between China and Central Asia made it a land inhabited by various religious and cultural groups. It was during the reign of Kashyapa that the various wandering groups led a settled life Buddhism influenced Kashmir during the rule of Ashoka and the present town of Srinagar was founded by him. This place was earlier called 'Srinagari' or Purandhisthan. The Brahmins who inhabited these areas admired and adorned Buddhism too. From the regions of Kashmir Buddhism spread of Ladakh, Tibet, Central Asia and China. Various traditions co-existed till the advent of the Muslims.
Posted by abg man | Tuesday, July 17, 2012 |
Posted in
News,
Travel,
zap
The Taj Mahal, which is a white marble mausoleum located in the Indian state of Agra, has made it on to CNN's global "27 places to see before you die" list.
Cornwall's ruined tin mines have also been named among the world's 27 'must see places before you die' by a top US broadcaster.
Perched on the cliff edge near St Just, Penzance, the mines, have been chosen alongside the likes of the Northern Lights, Sydney Harbour and the Taj Mahal as a must-see destination.
The ruins of the structures which once housed the mining machinery are a "dramatic counterpoint" to the rugged rocks and wild seas of Cornwall's north coast, according to the list by CNN.
Posted by abg man | Tuesday, July 10, 2012 |
Posted in
Travel,
zap
Did you wake up late in the morning somewhere in the NCR (National Capital) region and have to be somewhere else in NCR in like, an hour? No worries, mate! Your friendly neighborhood transport system Delhi Metro is here to your rescue!
Gurgaon, which is a satellite city of NCR region is being hailed as the Millennium city. Let us not talk about the deplorable transport facilities in Gurgaon because this topic has been discussed by so many other able writers and bloggers. Also an entire thesis can be attempted on the same, simply because there is so much material and data to back up the argument. Here I want to talk about why New Delhi is the best and top class city in India as of now, one of the reasons of which is the Metro. Set out on foot anywhere in New Delhi and you can be sure to get to the nearest metro station, study the map of junctions and decide which metro station to get down on, to reach your destination. A perennial flow of auto-rickshaws and cycle-rickshaws in New Delhi is echoing with shouts of "To the Metro?" and it is a re-assuring thing especially when you are lost and want to get to familiar territory. At the Metro, everything is so simple! Every place in New Delhi can be reached through the web of nearly 150 stations of the Metro. There are no polluting buses, no overcrowding, no waiting in the sun for long hours for Delhiites. The Delhi Metro has de-congested a large portion of the routine travelers and taken upon itself the task of plying them in a clean, well-maintained, affordable and efficient way. So much so, the Delhi Metro has earned the UN distinction of being the world's first rail-based system (and Metro) to earn carbon credits because of its clean, environment friendly operation procedures.
When I was pursuing my first year of engineering nearly seven years back, the Metro trains used to remain almost empty because the phenomenon had not picked up then. For the masses, it was a new and strange process to purchase the ticket tokens, study the map to decide where to go, pass through security and use the tokens to enter and exit at the appropriate points. So they were hesitant, leading to fewer passengers. But now, all of the above are old hat for our Delhi people! The result is a bustling train reminding you of the Mumbai local, the only differences being people are not hanging outside the train and the automated announcement is requesting the passengers not to sit on the floor! Recently I read an article on the web about how the Metro is expressing itself as an integral part of the lives of Delhiites. It talked about how boys and girls are now developing relationships after first meeting on the Metro! It even gave them tips on how to approach a particular girl or boy they liked. I admit it was a very interesting and unusual read. The point the writer drove across is that now you cannot separate the Metro from the Delhiite and so many people use the same train lines everyday to commute, that the probability of them meeting the same person, again, on the train is considerably high.
Posted by abg man | Monday, July 9, 2012 |
Posted in
Travel,
zap
Over the years New Zealand has developed a reputation as an international skiing destination. Its spectacular scenery, uncrowded wide open bowls, off-piste skiing and relatively short queues make it the ideal skiing destination for all level of skiers. There are 18 commercial ski fields along with a number of club fields and back country and heli skiing areas. The close proximity of the fields to large towns and cities means that accommodation is easy to find. Towns such as Queenstown have developed around the ski industry and offer a wide range of Queenstown accommodation options from backpackers to exclusive lodges.
Queenstown, with its close proximity to 5 of New Zealand's most popular ski fields, including Treble Cone often voted as the best skiing in New Zealand, is probably the most popular destination for a ski holiday. Accommodation in Queenstown is geared around the ski season and the town comes alive in winter with restaurants, nightclubs and bars overflowing with après skiers. Coronet Peak is the closest ski field and although it is quite small, it is an excellent mountain for beginners and intermediates with some options for more advanced skiers. Annual snow fall at Coronet Peak is only around 2 metres, although with mostly grassy slopes, the ski field operates quite well with a small amount of snow cover.
The Remarkables is the second closest ski field to Queenstown and is best suited to beginner and advanced skiers with not a lot to offer the intermediate skier. Made up of 3 sheltered north facing bowls, the Remarkables are often protected from the wind and bad weather and are less likely to have closed days compared to surrounding ski fields.
Posted by abg man | Sunday, July 8, 2012 |
Posted in
Travel,
zap
One of the best things to do when on holiday in the Channel Islands is to learn about Jersey's history - and it is certainly fascinating. From the Neolithic La Hougue Bie to the War Tunnel, there is much here to explore and give you a glimpse of the past.
However, one attraction that is certainly worth checking out if you're a fan of all things yesteryear is Hamptonne Country Life Museum. This is a place where history comes alive, making it a great venue for a daytrip the whole family will enjoy.
Hamptonne House
This historic property has been extended and altered over the years, but today it is a painstaking rendition of how it would have appeared during its heyday in the 1640s. So beautiful is the old house that it is even available for hire and is a popular wedding venue, as guests can sit down and soak up the history while dining on a Jacobean banquet in front of an open fire.
Looking round, you will be greeted by exposed beams and large fireplaces. This is one of the oldest pieces of architecture on the whole island and a great place to see a blend of British and French building styles from the period.
Posted by abg man | Thursday, July 5, 2012 |
Posted in
News,
Travel,
zap
Srinagar (IANS) A Kashmiri religious group Jamaat-e-Islamihas asked tourists visiting the valley to follow a "proper dress code" and told the tourism department to enforce it.
"Some tourists, mostly foreigners, are seen wandering in short mini-skirts and other objectionable dresses here openly, which is quite against the local ethos and culture and is not acceptable to the civil society at all," Jamaat-e-Islami said in a statement Tuesday evening.
The group said it was the duty of the tourism department to tell tourists to honour local ethos.
"Kashmiris cannot for the sake of their economy give up their divine values at any cost," it said.
"We need no such guests who can become a cause of derailing the society from the right track and spread immorality and immodesty in the name of tourism."
Posted by devil | Thursday, June 28, 2012 |
Posted in
Travel,
zap
By Ramya Sriram
My first introduction to Kotagiri was through someone who had lived there and claimed that it was the prettiest place in the Nilgiris. Having visited Ooty and Coonoor earlier, I was surprised I hadn't heard of it. My interest was fuelled years later when I read an article about Longwood Shola, one of the few remaining shola forests in the Nilgiris, and saw that name again — Kotagiri. In the summer of 2011, I visited Longwood and explored this little-known town.
Kotagiri, home of the Kota tribes and picturesque trekking trails, lies below the busy town of Ooty and above the growing town of Coonoor. We checked in at Heavenly Stay, a quiet homestay run by a charming lady who plied us with scrumptious food at regular intervals. We had obtained permission from the District Forest Officer to visit Longwood Shola but to our dismay, we were informed on our arrival that the forest was temporarily closed for visitors due to a leopard attack the previous day. We drove down to the forest only to find all the gates closed. Eager to abate our disappointment, one of the workers at the cottage, a Badaga man, offered to show us around the area.
We set off to the St Catherine Falls, Aravenu. It involved a walk up to one of those quaint viewing huts that are found throughout the Ghats and offered a splendid view of the rugged hills and the 250-ft jet of water gushing down the mountain. In the evening, we drove to Kannerimukku, home of the first European resident of the Nilgiris, John Sullivan, the then Collector of Coimbatore. He built this bungalow in 1819, and then went on to build Ooty. The bungalow itself has a rich history -- it changed hands many times and was used as a summer home, godown, village school, cattle shed and was finally renovated and opened to the public in 2002. It showcases some ancient photographs, tribal art, implements used by the Kotas, Badagas, Todas and other tribes of the Niligiris. It even stocks the Nilgiris' very own and rather impressive magazine -- Bluest Heaven. We were then taken around the village and were shown the Panchayat-style meeting place of the villagers -- a giant tree. Badaga women gathered at their doorsteps, made conversation and even invited us for a cup of tea.
Posted by devil | |
Posted in
Travel,
zap
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Everybody likes a bit of variety and what better way to try out something different on vacation than by staying in an old monastery or a former school that has been reborn as a luxurious hotel.
Just in time for the holiday season, the members and editors of travel website VirtualTourist.com (www.virtualtourist.com) have compiled their own list of the Top 10 Converted Hotels. Reuters has not endorsed this list:
1. Mandarin Oriental, Prague - Prague, Czech Republic
Though many of the most famous sites in Prague are located in the Staré Mesto and Nové Mesto, the Prague Castle and much of the city's most atmospheric walks are found on the other side of the River Vltava in the Malá Strana neighborhood. One of these unique buildings is the Mandarin Oriental Prague, housed in a converted Dominican monastery from the 14th century. Even hotel group's signature holistic spa experience, with water-based facilities such as a vitality pool and two saunas, is set in an area of architectural heritage. The spa's entry, a glass walkway, both displays and preserves the remnants of a Gothic church found during the hotel's renovation. A stroll around the Malá Strana will give guests ample opportunities to indulge in the city's famous brews and hear some splendid classical tunes.
2. The Liberty Hotel - Boston, Massachusetts
A grey stone structure emerges at the Boston side of the Longfellow Bridge, harkening back to a time far before the Massachusetts General Hospital and Red Line MTA rail were the major players in this area. The looming façade belongs to the Liberty Hotel, now a popular playground for adults, but the former home to the Charles Street Jail. The enormous atrium is beautifully preserved, the lighting fixtures providing a modern aesthetic with a historical slant. The architecture of the former jail has been brilliantly reconceived as an urban one-stop shop: the nightclub is in the former "drunk tank," cocktail areas occupy the surviving catwalks, and two different eateries can be found in rooms with original jail cell details. A VirtualTourist.com member noted that the location, once ideal for preventing prisoner escapes, is now very convenient for exploring Boston: stroll around Beacon Hill, cab to Newbury Street, or take the T's Red Line to Cambridge.
Posted by devil | Sunday, May 6, 2012 |
Posted in
Travel,
zap
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Got 48 hours to explore Singapore? The Asian financial and business centre has undergone a makeover in recent years and it is now also a playground for Asia's rich where sleek skyscrapers meet quaint shops.
Reuters correspondents with local knowledge help visitors get the most out of a visit to this multicultural Southeast Asian city-state.
Posted by devil | Wednesday, March 28, 2012 |
Posted in
Travel,
zap
Most travelers headed on a trip to Peru are off to visit the marvelous Machu Picchu, however many Peru itineraries will provide you with a few extra days in the Lima area. If you find yourself in Lima check out this two-day itinerary to view the fascinating Nazca Lines.
Posted by devil | Monday, March 26, 2012 |
Posted in
Travel,
zap
For many people in the UK taking a short weekend break during the summer months is just what is needed to re-charge their batteries and have some well-earned fun, and with summer just around the corner now is the ideal time to think about what you would like to do on your weekend break away and start planning so that you can make the most of your days.
Here are just a few suggestions:
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