Travel Planet

ChaturMusafir for Roadies, Day Trippers - Check in and Pay for Just a Few Hours

2016-05-01T03:43:00.001-07:00

Attention roadies, day trippers: Check in, and pay, for just a few hours

(Micro-stays are catching on as hotels, apps and websites allow business and transit travellers, roadies and day trippers to check in — and pay — for just a few hours.)

There used to be just one kind of place that gave out rooms in hourly batches. Not any more.

Responding to demand from travellers — mainly business and transit, but also day trippers and roadies — www.chaturmusafir.com website is helping guests book rooms for anything from 3 to 12 hours, and pay accordingly. Guest has to verify their account in advance before getting this facility.

And no, these aren’t just rest houses and lodges; they range, in fact, from budget to boutique and starred hotels..

The term for such bookings is micro-stays, and the concept first became popular in Europe during the economic downturn of 2008, after which it spread to the US and then parts of south-east Asia.

With changing market dynamics, including online bookings and real-time reviews, hotels too must change, says Adarsh Shetty, president of AHAR, the Indian Hotel and Restaurant Association. “Micro-stays are a reflection and a part of that change.”

They’re certainly making some hotels more popular.

Chatur Musafir allows guests to book hotel rooms in packs of 3, 6 and 12 hours. In 19 months, the website has seen 14,000 micro-stay bookings at 2-, 3- and 4-star hotels across 20 cities.

“In a price-sensitive market, if we can resell the same room in a same-day cycle and double our revenue, then why not,” says Sujith Chandrasekharan, director of rooms and the man leading the micro-stay initiative at Park properties across Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai, Goa and Navi Mumbai.

At the Taj Lands End in Mumbai, there is no new-age aggregator involved, but the five-star hotel came to the micro-stay model on its own. Land’s End now offers four-hour stays between 9 am and 6 pm.

“Given today’s hectic work schedules, people find it difficult to plan holidays in advance. Checking into a hotel, even in their own city, can provide a break from the routine. Since these guests may not necessarily want to rent the room for an entire night, we came up with the micro-stay option,” says Zal Tarapore, director of rooms at Taj Lands End.

Courtyard by Marriott in Gurgaon and Sahara Star in Mumbai both introduced micro-stay options three years ago too, responding to the many short-stay inquiries they received from business travellers.“

How Chaturmusafir Started

Two years ago, ad executive Preeti Jain and her husband Manish, a businessman, were travelling from Coimbatore to Jodhpur by flight and then train, with a nine-hour gap in between.

“We needed a room for, say, six hours. Just to wash up and relax. But we still ended up paying the full day’s tariff,” says Preeti, 35 Co-Founder . “We decided to do something about that, and that’s how Chatur Musafir [Smart Traveller] came into being.”

Their website now allows guests to book hotel rooms in packs of 3, 6 and 12 hours. In 19 months, it has seen 14,000 micro-stay bookings at 2-, 3- and 4-star hotels across 15 cities, including metros like Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore, smaller cities like Jaipur, Kochi and Amritsar and pilgrim towns like Shirdi & Katra.

Mumbai-based businessman Manoj Mehata, Director @ Kora Gifts used the website while driving to Gandhidham, paying just Rs 1,400 for a 12-hour stay at a 3-star hotel in Ahemedabad, which would have otherwise cost Rs 3,000 (for 24 hours).

“I much prefer inter-city drives to trains or flights, but finding a nice, reasonable place to stop for the night was always a problem,” he says. “Four months ago I stumbled upon Chatur Musafir while searching the internet with word combinations like Hourly Hotels, short-stays etc. This time, I checked in at 10 pm, slept through the night, had a shower the next morning, grabbed my complimentary breakfast and was back on the road by 8 am. It was convenient and great value for money.”

IN A NUTSHELL: WHAT ARE MICRO-STAYS?
* Disrupting the traditional 24-hour check-in-check-out cycle, micro-stays allow travellers to book hotel rooms for fewer hours and pay less too.
* While Japan’s ‘capsule hotels’ that offer tiny sleeping spaces to businessmen and its ‘love hotels’ for space-starved couples have been around for a while, micro-stays first become popular in Europe during the economic downturn of 2008, and then spread to the US and south-east Asia.
* Here, hotels ranging from budget to boutique and five-stars such as Courtyard by Marriott in Gurgaon and Sahara Star in Mumbai have begun to offer the option over the past three years.
* Websites and apps such as 6 Hourly, Stay Uncle, Chatur Musafir and HotelsAroundYou have also joined the game, acting as aggregators and tying up with hotels to offer packages in cities across the country.
* Options range from 3 to 12 hours, although many aggregators refuse to entertain unmarried couples.

GoPigeon Simplifying Business Logistics in Courier Shipping

2016-04-24T00:04:00.003-07:00

Imagine a single transport carrier charging haphazard amount for your transport needs. GoPigeon shoots the same question in regard to shipping your courier. How far is the reach of a courier company that you can trust on for your organizational needs. The same question goes for a single transport carrier that has a very limited reach and hence you have a big fight everyday reaching your desired destinations. Definitely you would trust a courier shipping company that has widest and farthest reach, is quite economical, providing good quality of service. GoPigeon works on the same lines to cater to any business' needs. With phenomenal reach and ethical charging policies unlike many other courier shipping companies that charge you more than other carriers for shipping to some places that are not very popular or accessible.

Would a business rely on multiple carriers in that case? And how much money, time, and resource you would be willing to spend on finding the right courier company every time there is a need to deliver at the right place and with the right price, and of course, without any compromise with the quality and reliability factors. There is a lot to introspect and think on the subject to fit the economical spectrum. Any business would not like to take a risk that would backfire arising a number of unanticipated risks. As a business you have to deliver to your customers without bothering about howsoever remote the deliveries need to go. And if it does not work, if will impact severely on your business. That is where you are required to ensure that all the shipments to be delivered to various customers are delivered within the stipulated time and at minimal cost.

GoPigeon works on these guidelines and thus is able to build a trust among its customers. It has access to thousands of pin codes across India thereby ensuring timely delivery of your shipment, consistently. On top of it by lowering the shipping costs, and does it by finding the best carrier with the most competitive rates. Within a year of start of business, it has reached over 20,000 pin codes and has met with the commitment of cost-effectiveness and timely deliveries.

CollarFolk Helping Pet Parents Go On Hassle Free Vacation

2016-04-22T03:18:00.002-07:00

CollarFolk is a one month old startup from Delhi that helps pet parents go on an enjoyable and comfortable vacation with their pet. It is a one-stop solution to everything a pet parent would need and want to know as they plan and book a pet friendly vacation.

Traveling with pets in India is a relatively new concept, it being possible mostly if you have your own accommodation up the hills or down the coast. Today, Indians are only just exploring the idea.. CollarFolk has good news. A Pet friendly holiday in India is now an absolute reality and something that is becoming incredibly easy to plan. CollarFolk is happy to be a part of this change in our country, where they are now facilitators of the ideal vacation – one where pet parents can take the entire family, including their beloved pet! With a comprehensive list of pet-friendly resorts, hotels and homestays to choose from, and all the guides and information for a stress free pet vacation, CollarFolk helps make the dream holiday come true.

CollarFolk was started by Rukmini Vaish who is a pet parent herself. Like every other pet parent, she faced this dilemma when planning a holiday, “where will I leave Kiki?” This got her researching properties that welcome pets and to her surprise there were quite a few. A couple of vacations with Kiki and she knew that every pet family would love this! Voila – CollarFolk was born. (watch footage from some of these holidays in our video, the adventures of Kiki)

How does CollarFolk make this happen?
In a world that presents an overload of information, CollarFolk cuts to the chase and brings to you what is relevant, appropriate and worthy of calling a ‘vacation’.

Properties they partner with are hand-picked properties that welcome pets aboard. They individually meet and verify the properties to make a database of resorts, hotels and home stays that are genuinely pet-friendly.

Properties listed on the website are verified and checked for suitability and some of the key factors that are considered include: management and staff’s pet friendliness, open space in property, availability of pet food, vet on call, add on services for pet families such as availability of a pet sitter, access to common areas for the pet, pet friendly pool to carpeting or carpet free rooms. They also integrate travel, by providing pet friendly transportation for the holiday.

In addition, CollarFolk also provides pet taxi services in Delhi NCR. Co-operative and pet-friendly drivers, hygienic, well equipped cars with pet hammocks and back seat barriers, spacious interiors and reliable and convenient service are what makes their vehicles truly pet friendly.

CollarFolk loves happy customers, even more so happy tails!

Poetry: Travel Experience of a Child to Adulthood

2014-07-27T08:45:00.000-07:00

When a child is born
give a fragrance of family
something resembling the scent of fresh Pomegranate

When a child is in the growing
give a fragrance of patriotism
something resembling the scent of a stalk of wheat

When a child is studying
give a fragrance of being on the top
something resembling the scent of a bamboo

When a child is struggling
give a fragrance of never dying attitude
something resembling the scent of spear mint

When an adult gets married
again give a fragrance of family
to remind the beginning of a new cycle in life

An Interview With Ann Alexander And Her Fantastic Venture Montisi Magica

2014-03-30T02:04:00.000-07:00

Born and brought up in Manchester England, she enjoyed a successful career as a lawyer for over 25 years before deciding to have a complete change and she is now trying to be less of a workaholic. She divides her time between the UK where she does some Consulting work and occasional documentary programmes for BBC radio, and Tuscany in Italy where she has a wonderful travel business – Montisi Magica. She has 2 wonderful children both grown up and independent now and a gorgeous cockapoo called Bella.

A very warm welcome to Ann Alexander and thanks for accepting an invite for this interview. Here we go...

You fell in love with Italy many years back. When was this exactly and how did it happen?

I had been going to Tuscany for some years on holiday but I really fell in love with it when I spent a month in Florence learning Italian in 2008.

What was the reason behind you selling off your law firm?

My children grew up and my priorities changed. I had had a wonderful and hugely satisfying career as a lawyer, helping many people and changing systems for the better and I decided that I wanted to do something completely different.

What were various alternatives for you at that moment when you sold your law firm to pursue as your passion or career, or both?

The two things I really wanted to do were to learn to speak Italian and to make a documentary for BBC Radio 4 – and I achieved them both!

You decided to go for an intensive Italian course. When was this? How intensive was this? And what was the reason behind going for this course?

I spent a month in Florence at the British Institute learning Italian in a complete immersion course. I felt this was the best way to learn. The teacher was amazing and after the first 10 minutes of the first class, she spoke no English! Before I began I had a handful of words but once I’d finished the course which was huge fun I understood how the language worked and was determined to try and speak fluently.

How do you define Tuscan life?

Living in a tiny village in the Tuscan countryside is like living a dream! It’s stunningly beautiful, very relaxed, full of amazing people and experiences and just so much to see and do. And the food and wine? There is nothing like it anywhere else!

How your awareness towards Montisi and the richness of its surrounding area happen? When was this?

When I rented a house for a month in Tuscany I visited Montisi for the first time. I fell in love with this beautiful medieval hilltop village.

How big is this area?

It is part of the Crete Senesi, a large area of Southern Tuscany best known for its big skies, rolling hills and signature cypress trees.

What is so special about this area? It’s people? It’s culture and traditions?

It’s very beautiful – stunning scenery, historic villages, friendly people and so much to see. They really live life to the full and there are frequent festivals to enjoy.

What makes Siena as one of your favourite places in the world? What is so unique about it?

It is magical! Full of history, little has changed in hundreds of years and the architecture is stunning.

Tell us about the magnificent 3-day medieval pageant that happens every year?

The Giostra di Simone in August each year records events from hundreds of years ago and the village holds dinners in the streets, medieval processions and a contest on horseback between its districts. Such fun – and I was honoured to be the Dame in the procession last year.

What various compliments have you received from your visitors?

So many wonderful compliments:

We have been lucky enough to have been on many holidays over the years and this one has been up there with the very best. Ann promised us a variety of walks, food and wine and most of all her personal attention. She exceeded our expectations in every category. Nothing was too much trouble and on every occasion did something which surprised us. She hasn’t got a Trip Advisor page yet but when she does we’re sure all her reviewers will give her top marks; we certainly will

Trudie and Will Kintish, September 2013

Ann, I just want to say a huge thank you for organising such a wonderful week in Tuscany. Montisi Magica certainly lives up to its name – it was a magical experience, created by your warm hospitality and attention to detail. Nothing was ever too much trouble and our smallest wishes or needs were met.

Sue Webster, Independent Business Consultant, September 2013 UK.

The Tuscan dream...Ann Alexander dedicates her time and tailor makes your personal holiday adventures and experiences with warmth, fun and unforgettable memories! Every email to phone call to meeting in person, Ann really goes the extra mile to ensure you have a wonderful Tuscan holiday.

...thank you from the Ellenthorpes - July 2013 X

Tell us about the pilot week that you scheduled in October 2012. How many people were there in the group and from which countries/ places? What did they enjoy most during their visit there?

There were 8 people all from the UK – 3 couples and 2 singles and none of them knew each other even the singles. They enjoyed the whole thing – the cooking, the touring, the wine tasting, the eating! - encouraging me to start the business but best of all they have remained firm friends and have had a series of reunions.

How many such tours planned and executed in 2013? Please share some success stories, wonderful magical moments and feedbacks received.

Testimonials above! We had cookery weeks, mixed Creative Breaks and walking and wine touring in 2013 with more planned for 2014. http://www.montisimagica.com/testimonials/

Tell us about wine tour of Tuscany?

This was a 10 night wine tour of Tuscany for a group of Canadian tourists who stayed in Florence and Pienza, each day visiting, touring and sampling different wineries with all sorts of extras thrown in including truffle hunting!

Who is Giancarlo Caldesi and how is he associated with your mission?

Giancarlo Caldesi is a well-known Celebrity Chef, born in Tuscany but living and working in London where with his wife Katie he runs two Italian restaurants and a very successful Cookery School. I met them when I went to their cookery school in Tuscany many years ago and Giancarlo came to Montisi last year and recreated over 50 dishes during a week’s cookery school for my guests. It was such a success that he is returning for two weeks this year http://www.montisimagica.com/a-week-in-tuscany-with-giancarlo-caldesi/

About your education

I was educated in Manchester and London and became a lawyer because I wanted a ‘proper’ career. In those days choices were limited and I remember my maths teacher telling my mother that ‘girls couldn’t become accountants’!

What languages you can speak and write?

English and Italian with a smattering of French.

What is your biggest source of inspiration in life?

My late uncle who inspired me to become the lawyer I turned into.

What are your future plans?

To continue to enjoy life and helping my guests to have magical holidays in Tuscany!

Your origin of birth and other countries you have visited/ stayed.

Manchester England born and I have visited various parts of Europe, the US and Asia.

Your favorite time of the day?

Morning

Your zodiac/ sunsign?

Scorpio

Ann Alexander

Montisi Magica

“Turn your dreams into the reality of a truly memorable Tuscan getaway”

facebook.com/montisimagica

twitter.com/montisimagica

www.montisimagica.com

www.annalexander.co.uk

Press Release: WorldMate Wins at EyeforTravel Mobile Innovation in Travel Awards

2014-03-28T09:51:00.000-07:00

Press Release

WorldMate Wins at EyeforTravel Mobile Innovation in Travel Awards

Third consecutive win for CWT’s mobile subsidiary

AMSTERDAM, March 27, 2014 – Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) has announced that WorldMate, its mobile subsidiary, has won ‘Best Mobile Travel User Experience’ at the EyeforTravel Mobile Innovation in Travel Awards, held on March 17 in San Francisco.

This win, in a category that recognizes companies that adopt new technology to create an optimized, prioritized experience for mobile visitors, marks the third consecutive year that WorldMate has won an award at the event, and means WorldMate has won every app competition it has entered since 2010. In 2013, CWT earned a double victory at the Awards, with WorldMate winning ‘ Best Mobile App’, and CWT ‘Best Mobile Strategy’.

Commenting on the win, Ian Berman, vice president, business development at WorldMate, said, “ We’re thrilled to be recognized for providing a great user experience, which is integral to our success. Our WorldMate app is used by over 10 million travelers, and we aim to provide each and every one of them an amazing experience while meeting all their needs prior to departure and on the road.”

David Moran, executive vice president, Global Marketing & Enterprise Strategy at CWT, added, “At CWT, we’re continuing to invest in our digital offering and in particular our mobile services as we look to our ultimate goal of becoming the app of choice for travelers and travel managers alike. We want to provide a personalized, seamless experience for travelers wherever they are, however they choose to engage with us.”

Mobile solutions form an integral part of CWT’s offering to clients and their travelers. CWT’s mobile app, CWT To Go, which is powered by WorldMate, recently added Windows phone to its platforms and currently has a 4.5/5 star rating on Apple’s App Store. Developments planned for later this year include hotel booking capabilities and further platform launches.

About CWT CWT is a global leader specialized in managing business travel and meetings and events. CWT serves companies, government institutions and non-governmental organizations of all sizes in more than 150 countries and territories. By leveraging both the expertise of its people and leading-edge technology, CWT helps clients derive the greatest value from their travel program in terms of savings, service, security and sustainability. The company is also committed to providing best-in-class service and assistance to travelers. In 2013, sales volume for wholly owned operations and joint ventures totaled $26.9 billion. As part of its commitment to responsible business, CWT is a signatory of the United Nations Global Compact Ten Principles. For more information about CWT, please visit our global website atwww.carlsonwagonlit.com. Follow us on Twitter @CarlsonWagonlit.

About WorldMate  WorldMate has served over 10 million business travelers by managing their itineraries and then guiding them through every aspect of their trips. This includes real-time flight alerts, hotel & car rental booking, weather forecasts, maps, currency converters and much more.
For more information visit www.worldmate.com.

Media contacts Carrie-Ann Cooper or Chloe Couchman
CWT Global
+ 44 (0)20 3353 1110/2497 (office)
+44 (0)7785 458 884/ +44 (0) 07767 418834 (mobile)
ccooper@carlsonwagonlit.com / ccouchman@carlsonwagonlit.com

Press Release: MAHARAJAS EXPRESS TO OPERATE A JAPANESE CHARTER TRIP THIS SEASON

2014-03-28T09:45:00.001-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MAHARAJAS' EXPRESS TO OPERATE A JAPANESE CHARTER TRIP THIS SEASON

Charters offer a way for a group of people knowing each other to travel in comfort and Maharajas Express royal charter is the world's leading luxury train offering royal charters.

(TRAVPR.COM) INDIA - March 27th, 2014 - Maharajas Express proudly announced the first Charter Trip scheduled for this season. In the wake of global interest in the world's top luxury train and the fact that it has won the WTA award twice in succession, the Royale Maharajas Express has become one of the most desirable royal train trips of all time. A Japanese group has chartered the Maharajas Express and the world's most luxurious train will operate ahead on its charter on 20^th April 2014.

"We are all highly excited and anticipate 20^th April 2014 when the Maharajas Express charter trip will commence. This time, it is a Japanese group that will be enjoying Indian royalty aboard the world's best luxury train. In addition to this, there are other 6 Charter bookings on the final stages which are from Russia, Middle east, Europe and US for this approaching season" announced a representative of Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd (IRCTC), Indian Railway's catering wing handling the Maharajas Express operations in India.

That the Maharajas is a cut above the rest can be seen from the fact that it has been winning awards at a world level since it commenced operations in 2010. We have won the Conde Nast Traveler Award 2 01 1, the CNBC Travel Award 2010 and the World Travel Association 2012 and 2013 award under the category, 'the World's Leading Luxury Train', dramatically underlining how far and above it is from the others. Get details of tours and itineraries from the website.

Maharajas Express welcomes individuals to opt for Maharajas Train package and, at the same time, is equally focused on Charters & niche MICE segment on a royal scale, perhaps the start of a conference or meeting on board. Should a corporate organization so desire it, they are fully equipped to arrange meetings, conferences and exhibitions aboard the world's most luxurious train.

Niche MICE train tours offer something extraordinarily elevated from conferences in hotels or similar venues and contribute hugely to raising a brand value and projecting an incomparable image, according to the spokesman.

They have taken note of special preferences and shall have Japanese chefs on board to prepare their favorite recipes. The accent being on royal Indian cuisine, Maharajas shall, of course, have esteemed chefs waiting to delight Japanese guests with princely concoctions.

This chartered royal train trip was concluded after extensive negotiations when Maharajas conclusively proved to our Japanese guests why the world's leading luxury train is the best way to go.

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CONTACT INFORMATION:
Contact Name:	Anup Kumar Madhavan
Phone #:	9717649127
Email:	anupkumar4760@irctc.com
Web:	http://www.the-maharajas.com.

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Press Release: VIP EXPERIENCE FOR THE WORLD FAMOUS PALIO DI SIENA

2014-03-28T08:52:00.002-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

VIP EXPERIENCE: PRIVATE WINDOW FOR THE WORLD FAMOUS PALIO DI SIENA

Luxury 3 night trip to the world famous Palio Di Siena. A lifetime experience with a unique location: a private window facing Piazza del Campo. But the journey doesn't stop here; VIP assistance, luxury transfers, private dining and 5 star Hotel are just some of the ingredients of this incredible experience. And of course everything can be customized to make this weekend as unique as you!

(TRAVPR.COM) ITALY - March 28th, 2014 - This exciting horse race, dating back to the 13th Century, has been run on the 2nd July and 16th August every year without a break for the last 800 years - and is what the amazing city of Siena is all about.

The history and tradition surrounding the Palio attracts thousands of visitors each year. Come and join us this year for an incredibly special 3 -night luxury trip to see the August Palio.

Experience the race itself and everything that goes with it accompanied by local people who really know their way around!

Your Vip experience will start as soon as you arrive to Italy. Our VIP assistants will meet you at the airport, help with lugguages and escort you to your class S Mercedes. After a scenic trip you will arrive to your hotel, an ancient village restored in a 5 star luxury hotel and golf course.

Regenerate yourself with luxury Spa treatments, understand the history of this amazing city , visit the ceremonial allocation of the horses, and experience a private fine dining dinner.

For the race we have a private and exclsuive window overlooking Piazza del Campo only for you and your beloved.

Sit in , relax and enjoy the race! The day after we have a private tour to San Gimingnano with an exclusive private dinner inside an ancient tower.

Including 3 nights accommodation, fine dining dinner in San Gimignano, air conditioned transport with luxury Mercedes car, an exclusive window overlooling the race , 24/7 assistance and a personalized welcome gift! Price €4500,00 (US$6,220) per person -(double occupancy) limited availability.

http://www.luxoitalia.com/package/exclusive-private-window-at-the-world-famous-palio-di-siena

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CONTACT INFORMATION:
Contact Name:	Andrea Degasperi
Phone #:	+39 389 8375084
Email:	andrea.degasperi@luxoitalia.com
Web:	http://www.luxoitalia.com/package/exclusive-private-window-at-the-world-famous-palio-di-siena/

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Press Release: Foodies Legend For Breakfast at Santa Tecla Palace

2014-03-28T08:42:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

THE FOODIE'S LEGEND "GRANITA & BRIOCHE" FOR BREAKFAST AT SANTA TECLA PALACE

The sea-fronted Santa Tecla Palace Hotel is celebrating the beginning of 2014 season adding the Foodie's legend "Granita & Brioche" along with a great selection of traditional Sicilian Delicacies to the breakfast options offered to guests.

(TRAVPR.COM) ITALY - March 28th, 2014 - The Foodie's legend "Granita & Brioche" along with freshly squeezed fruit juices (lemon, organe, citrus), cornetti, crostate, biscotti alle mandorle, panelle, crocchette di latte, piccoli calzoncini, piccole arancine and fruit, all fresh and local produce, are just a few of the Sicilian delicacies that Santa Tecla Palace will be adding to its breakfast options as of this April.

The 182-rooms hotel is a sea-fronted retreat that lies in the foothills of Mt. Etna in Acireale, on the east coast of Sicily just between Syracuse and Taormina and only 30min drive from Catania Fontanarossa International Airport.

It's extraordinary on-sea location combined with the breath-taking views across the azure blanket of the Ionian Sea, the Timpa of Acireale and the amazing slopes of Mount Etna; the pool that gives the illusion that you are swimming off the cliffs into the crystal-clear blue waters of the sea, its romantic outdoors, the putting green and the tennis courts, are just a few of the hotel's inviting attractions.

Santa Tecla Palace with its unequalled brio and grandeur is committed to convert guests' desires and dreams into everlasting experiences unveiling a world where guests are the centre and everything revolves around them; inviting them to wander, savour, feel and ultimately enjoy a delightful stay.

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CONTACT INFORMATION:
Contact Name:	Eleni Koi
Phone #:	+44 (0) 20 8123 9405
Email:	ek@i-inaossien.com
Web:	http://www.santateclapalace.com/

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Press Release: Cruise Transfers Expands Transfers And Tours To Rome And Barcelona

2014-03-03T07:46:00.002-08:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COMPANY 'CRUISE TRANSFERS' EXPANDS TRANSFERS AND TOURS TO ROME AND BARCELONA

International cruise transfer provider offering exclusive transfers in the UK, has debuted additional professional ground transportation services to clients.

(TRAVPR.COM) GREAT BRITAIN - March 3rd, 2014 - For Immediate Release:

Company 'Cruise Transfers' Expands Transfers and Tours To Rome and Barcelona

(London, United Kingdom) -- (3/3/2014) International cruise transfer provider offering exclusive transfers in the UK, has debuted additional professional ground transportation services to clients.

For the past 18 years, Steve Garelick and his team at Central Chauffeur have been providing chauffeur services in London and throughout most of Great Britain. Their site Cruisetransfer.com caters to affordable-luxury travel and transport and has free online quote and reservations accommodations for old and new customers alike. They have now announced that they have extended these services and are offering cruise transfers services in Rome (Civitavecchia) and Barcelona for their clients.

The company has a toll-free reservation service option for travelers from North America, Australia and the United Kingdom with direct calling. Also available are airport transfers from Heathrow and Gatwick. This offer even includes transfers to and from major airports throughout the UK from: Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, London City, Southampton, Dover, Harwich, and more.

Steve Garelick spoke recently on this expansion- "A key request we have received over the years was to provide service beyond Great Britain. Rome and Barcelona are just the first in becoming a fully international chauffeur company for our beloved clients."

Launched in 1991, Cruisetransfer.com has become the premiere transport service that is available 24/7 in the United Kingdom. Central Chauffeur operates the site. The corporation, which is made up by a conglomerate of companies, specializes in professional ground transportation services, cruise transfers, and airport transfers for travelers. Their site provides simple and easy hotel transfers, airport transfers, and port transfers right from the comfort of home. The company have been a Gold Member of London and Partners (London's Tourist Board) since 2000.

Getting a free quote or making a reservation only takes minutes with easy to fill out forms and secure online payment options. The company prides themselves on the core principle "to aim to provide higher quality cars, knowledgeable drivers and great service." This expansion is just the first of many to follow this year.

For media inquires regarding the Central Chauffeur Services website and service, individuals are encouraged to contact Steve Garelick or Bill Heyford on +1 888 556 8616 or via email at info@cruisetransfer.com.

To learn more about the company or to request a free quote please visit: www.cruisetransfer.com.

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CONTACT INFORMATION:
Contact Name:	Steve Garelick
Phone #:	1 888 556 8616 +44 (0)207-193-9394
Email:	info@cruisetransfer.com
Web:	www.cruisetransfer.com

About TravPR.com

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TravPR.com also provides immediate exposure for company news in the major Search Engines, Social Media Platforms & News Portals.

Find out more at www.TravPR.com or contact editor@travpr.com.

Press Release: Easter Ski Deals by World Snow Awards Winner

2014-03-03T06:28:00.000-08:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

"EASTER SKI DEALS THAT DON'T SUCK" CLAIMS T-SHIRT SKIING RESOURCE

World Snow Awards winner SNO.co.uk has created the ultimate Easter ski holiday resource, with the world's first online graphs of average snow depths in the most popular resorts and the ten best secret spots, including less well known resorts with the best Easter skiing, plus video interviews with travellers naming personal favourites.

(TRAVPR.COM) UK - March 3rd, 2014 - Summary: World Snow Awards winner SNO.co.uk has created the ultimate Easter ski holiday resource, with the world's first online graphs of average snow depths in the most popular resorts and the ten best secret spots, including less well known resorts with the best Easter skiing, plus video interviews with travellers naming personal favourites.

SNO.co.uk creates world's first comprehensive guide to Easter ski holidays. Video interviews, snow depth graphs and several thousand Easter ski deals departing from the UK.

Body: World Snow Awards winner Sno is the first to provide detailed average snow depth graphs for the world's best Easter ski holiday destinations. Alongside their searchable database of many thousands of Easter ski deals, SNO.co.uk includes 3 year snow depth graphs created with data from NOAA (the North Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is the global repository of weather forecasting data).

With video interviews comprised of top Easter recommendations from local experts who live in the Alps, plus real skiers and snowboarders who regularly travel there, Sno has created the ultimate guide to choosing Easter ski deals "that don't suck!"

The information on Sno is presented as graphs of historic average snow depths, which enable skiers and snowboarders to determine skiing conditions of both (i) the top ten "most popular" resorts and also (ii) skiing conditions in the top ten "best snow at Easter" destinations. For the first time, consumers can easily see the difference between the conditions they are likely to experience in one of the world's top ten best resorts, versus the best possible riding available in the holiday destinations that have most ideal conditions at Easter.

Below are examples of Easter ski accommodation in resorts with the best snow over the last three Easter holidays:

Chalet Genepy in Zermatt, Switzerland from £738pp from Gatwick.

Converted by its architect owner from a traditional 19th century 'Mazot', the Génépy is ideally located for both skiing and après ski. It is in the heart of the resort, a moment from the main church square, just 6 minutes' walk from the Klein Matterhorn ski-lifts and 10 minutes to the scenic Gornergrat railway. See Zermatt Easter ski deals for more options.

Chalet Hotel du Montet in Val d'Isere, France from £828 from Gatwick.

Specially built for us in 2012, this charming Chalet Hotel is our Val d'Isère flagship! It is ideally located in Le Fornet, one of the most picturesque parts of the resort, and provides a fantastic base for those looking to be first on the mountain. See Val d'Isere Easter ski deals for more options.

Chalet Hotel de Verbier, Switzerland from £529pp from Gatwick

Conveniently located on the "Place Centrale," Chalet Hotel de Verbier provides a superb base from which to explore Verbier and the spectacular "4 Valleys" ski area.

Chalet Rosanna in St Anton, Austria from £631pp from Gatwick.

Excellent central location in St Anton, just 3 minutes from the centre. The Rosanna is steeped in history and is furnished in very attractive traditional Austrian style. The bedrooms are charming with pretty painted bedsteads and wardrobes adding to the character and warmth; all are en suite, either with bath or shower and most have a balcony.

Boilerplate: Sno are the UK's number one expert in finding and booking ski holidays. "Prove it!" >> In winter 2013/2014 they were crowned winter of The Telegraph's "World Snow Awards" in category "Best Specialist Agency". Sno is participating in the EU funded Innovating for Growth programme, having been identified as a business with potential to drive growth in the UK economy.

Their website has detailed advice on over 1 million package ski deals and catered chalet accommodation, live and updated daily on Sno.co.uk, departing from all of the UK's major and regional airports and flying to the world's top 200 winter-sports destinations.

###

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Contact Name:	Snoman
Phone #:	020 8133 8899
Email:	snoman@sno.co.uk
Web:	http://www.sno.co.uk/

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Press Release: FAMILY HOLIDAY COSTS DEBATE IN UK

2014-02-27T09:11:00.000-08:00

FAMILY HOLIDAY COSTS DEBATE - GOVE & HEMMING GET BOTTOM MARKS.

Birmingham businessman hits out at 'ill-informed'comments. Colin Matthews, the owner of one of the UK's top travel agencies has spoken up in defence of the UK's retail travel industry.

(TRAVPR.COM) UNITED KINGDOM - February 27th, 2014 - Colin Matthews, the owner of one of the UK's top travel agencies has spoken up in defence of the UK's retail travel industry, claiming that some remarks by John Hemming MP & Michael Gove, Education Secretary are ill-informed & untrue. 'Gove & Hemming need to go back to school & re-do their Economics 'O' levels', he said.

'It is astonishing to hear Mr. Gove claim that travel agents are 'ripping off' consumers. The rise in costs at peak dates is simply the economic laws of Supply & Demand at work. Also, Mr. Hemming has no understanding of the industry at all, when he claims that travel agents are putting up prices. Any price increases are set by tour operators, not agents - however, the good news is that some agents may be able to offer discounts.' 'It is clear that British families are routinely paying too much for their holidays, simply because they don't check for the best deals'.

Award-winning Travel Club Elite, based in Birmingham, has been a Member of ABTA for 28 years & says it has saved, collectively, 'seven-figure sums' for British holidaymakers.

'We regularly offer savings of hundreds of pounds on a single booking', says Matthews, 'our great relationships with family holiday specialists such as Neilson, Mark Warner & Club Med mean that we often have exclusive deals & are able to winkle out the elusive free-child places & family rooms that others miss.'

'Additionally, we offer our own incentives, which mean that families (or couples) could expect a minimum 5% extra savings on most holidays'.
'If people let us have their holiday details, or wish-list & budget, before booking, we can almost always find extra savings. When it comes to holidays, every little really does help!'

'If the Government want to do something useful on this, they should immediately introduce staggered holiday dates, to smooth peaks in demand', added Matthews.

###

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Contact Name:	Colin Matthews
Phone #:	0121 213 0012
Email:	info@travelclubelite.com
Web:	http://www.travelclubelite.com/

Press Release: MAHARAJAS EXPRESS ANNOUNCES HIGHLY RESPONSIVE WEBSITE

2014-02-24T09:58:00.000-08:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MAHARAJAS' EXPRESS ANNOUNCES MORE USER FRIENDLY, DYNAMICALLY INTERACTIVE AND HIGHLY RESPONSIVE WEBSITE

A website is the starting point for customer interaction, providing information and with this in mind the Maharajas Express website has undergone a thorough makeover, making it more user-friendly and highly responsive.

(TRAVPR.COM) INDIA - February 24th, 2014 - "Nothing can touch the Maharajas' Express when it comes to sheer, enchanting, immersive and totally out of this world royal experience. That the Train has won the WTA award the second time running in 2013 as the World's Leading Luxury Train is proof enough of its unequalled superiority in the Luxury Tourist Train Segment and IRCTC promises to continue making incremental improvements. One of the most noticeable improvements is in the total makeover of the Maharajas Express website," announced a representative of IRCTC.

As about 30% of the visits to our website are from Mobiles and tablets, we have revamped the site to be responsive and hope this will help the user to browse comfortably. The website is the first place any intending guest will refer when he wants to know about the Maharajas' Express, its itineraries, facilities, history and rates. Keeping in mind expectations of our select clientele, the Maharajas Express website has undergone a facelift.

The first thing visitors to the website will notice is a prominent, clickable banner that shows images of the exteriors of the world's leading luxury train, glimpses of restaurant cars and guests enjoying themselves and images of welcome arrangements at the railway stations. We have used the latest technologies to create fast loading web-pages with attractive images and informative content. Further, our website now features an exclusive Maharajas Club for past members. Members become eligible for special incentives and schemes on future travel as rewards for loyalty.

The revamped Maharajas Express website, your gateway to luxury train trips in India, also features blogs, feedback pages and a testimonial page. Guests who have booked a journey or those who have completed one can give feedbacks and help make the lavish train trip even more splendid. Then there is a "press room" link where visitors can read all about the latest happenings and news about the most prized luxury trains of India.

There are links to pages that describe each journey in detail with tabs that display information on places and activities. On the whole, the all newMaharajas Express website is far more user friendly, interactive and responsive that it was in its previous iteration. It should be a joy for visitors to browse the site and be inspired to become a guest on one of its delightful journeys.

###

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Contact Name:	Anup Kumar Madhavan
Phone #:	9717635915
Email:	maharajas@irctc.com
Web:	http://www.the-maharajas.com/

About TravPR.com

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Press Release: WTA Announces First Ceremony In Greece

2014-02-19T09:42:00.001-08:00

World Travel Awards announces first ceremony in Greece

London, 19th February 2014

World Travel Awards (WTA), the "Oscars of the travel industry", has unveiled plans to visit Greece for the first time, with Divani Apollon Palace & Thalasso, Athens, set to host its Europe Gala Ceremony on 2nd August 2014.

Senior representatives from Europe's finest travel brands are scheduled to attend WTA's Europe Gala Ceremony 2014 as they vie to win the most coveted accolade in the industry.

The red-carpet evening is being held in partnership with the Greek Tourism Ministry, the Greek National Tourism Organisation, the Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises and Divani Collection Hotels, and will include a gala dinner, top entertainment as well as the presentation of the most coveted awards in the industry.

Guests will also have the opportunity to participate in a full itinerary over the weekend, a "journey through Greece," giving an insight into both its illustrious history and its vibrant contemporary culture.

The WTA organisers highlight the significance of hosting the VIP ceremony in Athens.

Graham E Cooke, President & Founder, WTA, says: "We are delighted to host our first ceremony in Greece, a decision that reflects the crucial contribution that tourism makes to the national economy. The Greek tourism sector is enjoying a renaissance, with last year's double-digit growth predicted to continue in 2014 as it continues to grow market share."

He adds: "The selection of our hosts is fundamental to the success of our awards programme, and Athens possesses all the ingredients to rise to the challenge of hosting our Europe Ceremony 2014. As Europe's oldest city, Athens beautifully balances its 2,500-year history with a vibrant contemporary culture scene."

The ceremony will take place at the luxury beach resort of Divani Apollon Palace & Thalasso. Situated in the exclusive area of Vouliagmeni, just 18km from Athens city centre, the resort's stunning beachfront location combined with one of the most luxurious Thalassotherapy centres in Europe make it a destination for well-being and relaxation.

Niki Fotiou, Marketing & PR Manager, Divani Collection Hotels, says: "Divani Apollon Palace & Thalasso is privileged to host the World Travel Awards Europe Gala Ceremony. We are proud to bring this event to Greece for the first time and to offer an impressive 'journey' through Greece to more than 500 travel tourism and hospitality professionals."

The Europe Ceremony 2014 will mark the third leg of WTA's Grand Tour, a global search for the world's finest travel brands, which also includes regional heats in Dubai, Ecuador and Anguilla. The winners of these regional heats will progress to the Grand Final, which will take place in December 2014.

Notes to Editors

About World Travel Awards

Hailed as 'the Oscars of the travel industry', World Travel Awards celebrates its 21st anniversary this year and is acknowledged across the globe as the ultimate travel accolade and aims to celebrate those brands that are pushing the boundaries of industry excellence.

WTA's global media partner network includes International New York Times, TV5Monde, CNBC Arabiya, Newsweek, Outlook Traveller, Travel & Leisure, Khaleej Times, Trade Arabia, TTN, Trav Talk India, Publituris, ASTA Network, Breaking Travel News, eTurboNews, Travel Daily News International and Focus on Travel News.

This global media partner network has a monthly readership of 1.7 million and a TV audience reach of 90 million.

For more info about WTA's Europe Ceremony 2014 & bookings visit:
www.worldtravelawards.com/event86

To download WTA logos visit:
www.worldtravelawards.com/logo

About Divani Collection

www.divanis.com

Divani Collection owns and operates seven hotels in Greece (Athens, Meteora, Larissa and Corfu). One of the oldest hotel companies in Greece (more than 53 years), Divani Collection is a leader in the Greek hotel industry through innovation, consistency, exceeding customer expectations and superb service. All properties enjoy a premium location, top-of-the-line service and extensive conference facilities.

Divani Apollon Palace & Thalasso is a proud member of the Leading Hotels of the World, and offers an impressive variety of services and facilities in a superb location. The hotel offers two outdoor swimming pools, including a sea-water pool. Other facilities include a private sandy beach, water sports, extensive gardens, tennis court, a jogging route just outside the hotel, and an 18-hotel golf course nearby. Each bedroom offers panoramic sea views with a front row seat to the Saronic spectacle, exuberant sun rising, romantic sunsets and the never ending azure blue sea.

The glorious Divani Athens Spa & Thalasso Centre is the soul of this resort. The 3,500 m² Spa and Thalassotherapy centre is the only facility offering Thalassotherapy in the Athens region, offering a variety of treatments which are tailored to your personal needs, ensuring an experience of the highest quality.

Press Release: World's Best Islands Recognized As TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Award Winners

2014-02-19T09:22:00.003-08:00

World's Best Islands Recognized As TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Award Winners

Top Islands Revealed Based on Reviews and Opinions of Millions of Travelers on TripAdvisor

NEWTON, Mass., Feb. 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- TripAdvisor^®, the world's largest travel site*, today announced the winners of its Travelers' Choice Islands. In its second year, the annual awards recognize more than 100 islands globally, including top 10 lists for Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, South America, the South Pacific, and the U.S.

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click: http://www.multivu.com/mnr/63177-tripadvisor-travelers-choice-award-winners-world-s-best-islands

"There is something transporting about an island vacation, and these Travelers' Choice Islands winners will help travelers find their next escape," said Barbara Messing, chief marketing officer for TripAdvisor. "From the coral reefs of Ambergris Caye to the beaches of Ko Tao, these winning islands have been highly rated from travelers around the globe."

Travelers' Choice Island winners are determined based on the quality and quantity of the most highly-rated hotels, restaurants, and attractions listed for each island on TripAdvisor gathered during a 12-month period.

Top 10 Islands in the World:

Ambergris Caye, Belize
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos
Bora Bora, French Polynesia
Marco Island, Florida
Lewis and Harris, Scotland
Naxos, Greece
Aitutaki, Cook Islands
Nosy Be, Madagascar
Easter Island, Chile
Ko Tao, Thailand

Top 10 Islands in the U.S.:

Marco Island, Florida
Chincoteague Island, Virginia
Anna Maria Island, Florida
San Juan Island, Washington
Maui, Hawaii
Kauai, Hawaii
Island of Hawaii, Hawaii
Nantucket, Massachusetts
Hilton Head, South Carolina
Key West, Florida

For the complete list of winners from the 2014 Travelers' Choice Islands, as well as reviews and candid traveler photos, go to www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-Islands.

To see the best hotels for luxury, bargain, and more, as honored in TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Awards for Hotels from January, go to www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-Hotels.

About TripAdvisorTripAdvisor^® is the world's largest travel site*, enabling travelers to plan and have the perfect trip. TripAdvisor offers trusted advice from real travelers and a wide variety of travel choices and planning features with seamless links to booking tools. TripAdvisor branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, reaching more than 260 million unique monthly visitors** in 2013, and more than 125 million reviews and opinions covering more than 3.7 million accommodations, restaurants and attractions. The sites operate in 34 countries worldwide, including China under daodao.com. TripAdvisor also includes TripAdvisor for Business, a dedicated division that provides the tourism industry access to millions of monthly TripAdvisor visitors.

TripAdvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRIP) manages and operates websites under 20 other travel media brands:www.airfarewatchdog.com, www.bookingbuddy.com, www.cruisecritic.com, www.everytrail.com,www.familyvacationcritic.com, www.flipkey.com, www.gateguru.com, www.holidaylettings.co.uk,www.holidaywatchdog.com, www.independenttraveler.com, www.jetsetter.com, www.niumba.com, www.onetime.com,www.oyster.com, www.seatguru.com, www.smartertravel.com, www.tingo.com, www.travelpod.com,www.virtualtourist.com, and www.kuxun.cn.

*Source: comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor Sites, worldwide, December 2013
**Source: Google Analytics, worldwide data, July 2013

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click: http://www.multivu.com/mnr/63177-tripadvisor-travelers-choice-award-winners-world-s-best-islands

SOURCE TripAdvisor

Press Release: Abacus Launches Trip Alert

2014-02-18T08:30:00.001-08:00

NEW ABACUS TRIPALERT TAKES ON TRAVEL DISRUPTION

New Delhi, February 18th,2014 – Abacus, the leading travel solutions provider in Asia Pacific is today launching Abacus TripAlert, a new digital service designed to give travel management companies actionable insights in order to move travellers out of danger should an incident arise that threatens their safety.

Aligning early warning data on natural disasters, health pandemics or terrorist attacks with bookings captured on Abacus systems, Abacus TripAlert instantly locates affected travellers, presenting their agents with the opportunity to react, changing flight, hotel, car rental or other reservations, before options narrow.

With Abacus handling over 30 million transactions daily, some involving travel within high-risk areas, Abacus TripAlert has huge potential value.

Martin Symes, Chief Marketing Officer at Abacus explained, “The timing of the alert is vital, to give travel professionals a window to reschedule. We’ve partnered with a specialist to ensure Abacus has the edge on early detection, with AidCom providing a stream of reliable data pinpointing the hotspots where travellers may be vulnerable. Our travel agents can then quickly identify the nearest airports and available seats out.”

The service monitors all the participating agencies’ PNRs for the two days ahead of departure and in-trip, sending subscribers electronic event summaries and an ‘Impact Traveller List’ to share with their corporate accounts or to contact directly.

“Corporations responsible for occupational risk will want this service to mitigate their exposure to elements outside their control,” added Peder Kvendset, CEO of AidCom. “It is also a positive investment in terms of their duty of care. We are delighted to be working with Abacus on this important shared endeavour.”

Abacus users can sign up for a trial period and monthly subscription which includes a license to repackage the technology as a service offering to contracted corporate accounts.

For more information on Abacus TripAlert contact: marketing@abacus.com.sg.

#ENDS#

About Abacus International

Singapore-based Abacus International is Asia-Pacific's leading provider of travel solutions and services with more than 20,000 travel agency locations in 31 markets. With over 25 years of experience in fusing international best practices and local expertise with global and local partnerships, Abacus provides travel information and reservations specifically tailored to the Asia-Pacific region.

Abacus International is owned by Sabre and a consortium of Asia's leading airlines including All Nippon Airways, Cathay Pacific, China Airlines, EVA Airways, Garuda Indonesia, Dragonair, Philippine Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Royal Brunei Airlines, SilkAir and Singapore Airlines. Sabre is the global leader in the electronic distribution of travel and travel related services.

More information on Abacus can be found at www.abacus.com.sg.

About AidCom

AidCom is a technology and media company with HQ in Norway. The company specialises in travel security, and has developed mobile alert services and crisis communication systems for organisations with international travel activity.

The AidCom team is passionate about news. We run a 24-7 global news monitoring operation, and will notify and update our clients around the clock in the event of the unforeseen.

Will you Fly or Enjoy Miami to Key West

2011-10-04T09:53:00.000-07:00

When are you planning you visit Miami for your next vacations? It has been long since you really had enjoyed your vacations. Let this time be the most adventurous, breathtaking and a lifetime unforgettable experience. Visit Miami. Spend some days here. It will take some time to drink this tour sip by sip as everyday you will encounter different adventures and everyday it will be a new chapter in your book of memories.

Once you are done with interiors of Miami, there is lot to explore outside or on the exterior fronts. You must take a tour from Miami to Key West. Key West is a very interesting place. It is a sort of hidden treasure. But everyone who goes by road to Key West definitely gets a portion of that treasure.

If you prefer to go by air to Key West, it would be beneficial in terms of time saving but would be a big deficit in terms of taking away a great opportunity of exploring probably one of the extremely amazing routes in the world in terms of serenity, nature, wildlife, tropical scenery and beaches alongside with white sand spread across. So are you convinced of taking a road journey to spend 4 hours (almost, depending on the traffic en-route) and capture an album through your eyes, of thousands of photographs in your heart for lifetime.

There is no scope of having a nap on the way, so much so, that blinking of your eyes would look irritating to you and for some time you would wish that the blinking stops till this journey is over so that you are able to not to miss what you are missing while blinking your eyes.

If you look at the map of the United States, and start going southwards, In the extreme of South, you will be able to locate Key West, which is a collection of over a thousand small islands, all unique, all beautiful. Usually people visit here to enjoy sunshine, beaches, nature, wildlife and diversity; that you never saw anywhere else; that you have missed all your life. Almost all of the islands are under the sea level except very places that you will find a few feet higher.

On your way to Key West driving from Miami, there is Florida, another beauty. Halt on your way for some time at a place where you will view Atlantic Ocean, in its calmest moods; and Gulf of Mexico; face to face.

In all you will be passing through 43 bridges on the way en-route Key West from Miami.

Are you reading or lost somewhere in your dreams?

Netherlands: Hotel Review: Golden Tulip Bel Air Hotel - The Hague

2011-09-02T05:52:00.000-07:00

This 4 star hotel belongs to a famous 3-4 start hotels chain group of europe with the name of Golden Tulip Hotels. I got this hotel booked from their London Hotel Branch with a per day cost of 110 Euros including Breakfast. I stayed in this hotel for a good period of 15 days in december 2005.

I was given a very warm welcome when I reached there in the early morning hours. The staff of the hotel will look always fresh and warm. I was asked if I would like to change my room from a non-smoking zone to smoking zone, which I refused. The hotel has 10 floors with around 35 rooms on each floor. Only the first floor is smoking zone. So if you want to smoke in the hotel you will have to book your room on floor one. there is a big restaurant on the right of reception on the ground floor which can accomodate around 100-120 persons.

The breakfast was included in my stay and it used to be a grand breakfast in all senses. You have a minibar in each room. Room was perfectly above my expectations in all respects be it cleanliness or anything. I got the room facing the main road so used to observe a lot of traffic during the day. I used to observe lot of people jogging and walking during the day as temperature would be low during this period (around 1 degrees to 6 degrees) anytime during the day would be good for exercise.

Cycling is one of the very common obsession of people of any age here. The hotel is situated in the heart of Den Haag City adjacent to the famous National Science Museum (Museon) on one side and some international organization buildings like OPCW, World Trade Centre on the other side. The hotel is just 5 minutes away from the main Beach Scheveningen. You will have to go to beach from here by Tram (no. 1).

The beach is just opposite to the world famous ''The Holland Casino'' and Queen's Old Palace (which is now converted to a hotel). The harbor of the Hague is on the walking distance from Hotel golden Tulip. And you will find a number of good restaurants (Thai, Malyasian, Chinese etc.) and people are fond of eating out. Dinner and Lunch timings are early here. Dinners would be around 6-8pm. Wine or Beer with Dinner is very common here. Every Friday a live band show will be there in my hotel restaurant. The hotel has around 324 guestrooms, 8 suites and 8 apartments. A good indoor heated swimming pool, 24 hours bar, cosy rooms with heaters working round the clock, wireless and wired internet available in all the rooms 24 hours a day. I used to pay 17 euros per day for unlimited usage of internet and it was truly broadband connection. TV, taxi, morning alarm, I utilised all the facilities and found them up to the mark. The staff was active round the clock, services and assistance is very good. Due to Christmas month the hotel was decorated and the people from all around the world could be seen in the hotel for vacations. On weekends, you will find restaurants full upto large extent for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Wildlife of South Africa - Art Publishers: Remarkable pictures of Wildlife

2011-08-31T21:43:00.000-07:00

The Book and my take on it: a small, concise, illustrative 64 pages of jungle poured into pages and bound into a book. The pictures speak aloud; the words draw pictures in your mind. There is not much to read, it is just to feel, absorb, unfreeze your mind from the daily routines and have a small trip to South Africa jungles. No air tickets, no travels, no fear of facing animals in real but still in those 64 pages it appears you are lost in the jungles, as if you are unfrozen, melted and are taken very close to Nature.
Enjoy the pictures above in the video section, the pictures have been captured from the book, but few of them will appear as if taken in real environment.
Lighter note: Till now I was aware of PIP (when bought a TV few years back, heard of this new technology – Picture in Picture), this is POP – picture of picture J
The words are so beautiful, that I am forced to write some of the excerpts.Excerpts: “INTRODUCTION – On the sundrenched savannahs of Africa, a kingdom exists in perfect harmony with Nature. Where natural laws govern the survival of each species; where Nature takes care of her own in a circle of life as old as time itself, there is a balance, a serenity which man can only observe and wonder.Far from the desires which drive humanity, removed from any concept of greed or ambition, the animal kingdom remains united under a hierarchy which continues unchallenged, just as Nature decreed form the very beginning.” I was moved by these words! Are you?
Pictures and Words: Animal definitions are very well capsulated. Minimum words but depth of meaning is transformed inside when you read it. Pictures are lively, well selected and appealing. Call you to look at them again and again. Each picture “speaks” and lets you listen through eyes, “readable” and lets you read through the curves and colors.
Photographers: Some of the world known Wildlife photographers’ pictures are performing in the book. They are – Peter Chadwick, M. Craig-Cooper, Peter Craig-Cooper, Nigel Dennis, Pat de la Harpe, Roger de la Harpe, Martin Harvey, Lanz von Horsten, Greg du Toit, Richard du Toit, James Wakelin, Jason Keywood and James Warwick.
Produces by Art Publishers (pty) Ltd
Durbon, Johanesburg, Cape Town
Cost: hidden in the bar code.

Hill Stations of India - Gillian Wright

2011-08-31T21:40:00.001-07:00

Odyssey Illustrated guide to
Hill Stations of India – Second Edition – Gillian Wright
US$21.95 GBP12.95

Note: The review has been written less in words and more in pictures intentionally so that the reader reads about the book more through the pictures compiled rather than words. Scientifically visuals are faster understood than words.
About the Author, Photographer, Editors: Written by Gillain Wright and photographs are by Sarah Lock. Editors are Madhumita Mohapatra and Sheela Jhaveri. Book is quite interestingly written with lot of superb photographs, illustrations and poetry suitably fitting at appropriate places.Gillian Wright did her first class degree in Indian Languages form London University and worked for more than a decade for BBC radio and TV in India. The book has been printed and bound in Hong Kong.

The book: Enjoy the pictures, taken from the book with POP technology. The poetry is excellent and equally good is the prose. Pictures are marvelous. Information is quite handful equally for Nature Lovers, Historians, Geography lovers, poetry lovers, tourist. For each of the Hills covered, its background, its history has been explained. Even each location covers the name of hotels with ample details like address, quality of service and contact numbers. At times she has offered the maps too. All hills road routes are also explained making reading more useful. It covers every place of India and each place has been researched thoroughly before writing this book. The writing is from the “heart” more than from “brain” and that could happen only because the writer is fond of “Nature” and very sincerely she has shared her love for Nature in this book.

Excerpts: Chamba – “The road to Chamba runs along the valley of the fast-flowing Ravi, at first high above and then beside River. The town, 53 kilometres (33 miles) from Dalhousie and connected by regular bus services, was the capital of the former rajas of Chamba…” … Background – “The kingdom of Chamba was ruled, without a break, by the same Rajput family from AD 550 to independence in 1947. The first ruler, Maru Varma, established his capital at Brahamputra, today’s Bharmour. Around AD 930, his descendent, Sahi Varma, moved the capital to Chamba…”

Visit all the hills of India, and get the knowledge of their history as a bonus.

Amsterdam: Een mooie dag in de stad van Kanalen

2011-08-31T21:27:00.000-07:00

Amsterdam, the official capital of Netherlands, is a mix of 13th Century architecture and modern era lifestyle. The old architecture is solely visible in buildings, markets, canals, houses etc. whereas the modern lifestyle is visible in pubs, bars, drugs, clothes etc. It was during the cold weather when I was there in Holland’s working Capital City Den Haag in December, and on a weekend we decided to visit Amsterdam for a day. In the morning we took a tram from our hotel in Den Haag to the central station from where we took fast train to Amsterdam (that cost us around 17 euros each for return ticket, valid upto 12 midnight), that meant that I had to catch the return train latest by 10pm from Amsterdam. We had to pay 1 euro extra for each ticket as we did not use the automatic machine to purchase ticket and rather bothered the lady at the manual ticket counter, we did not dare to take a chance at automatic machine since all was written in Dutch on the various buttons on the machine. It was a double storey train, two classes, first class and general class, and the general class better than our luxury class in an Indian train, spacious, table between seats, newspapers, electrical points for mobile charging and no dust or a minute piece of waste on the floor or seats. Seats were as comfortable as they can be. The scenic view throughout the way was full of huge fields, cattle, canals, large office complexes (many international companies could be seen like IBM, HP, Sony etc.). A little of the passage was through tunnel also. In next two hours we were at Amsterdam Station. The loo was very clean and could be utilized by paying 1 Euro per visit. Just outside the station is tram station for local travel.
The center of Amsterdam is shaped like a horseshoe, surrounded by four famous canals called the Herengracht, Keizersgracht, Singel and Prinsengracht. These four canals meet at centre at central Dam Square on which Dam Palace is built. On the south of Central Station, there is the world famous (or infamous, depending on how you look at it) Red Light District, the area has many adult shops and peep show bars but there is heavy police presence, and many security cameras to take care of the visitors. Although it is warned repeatedly that you have to take care of wallets and belongings as chances of pick-pocketing are quite high in this area. The official tour in this area is only in the night time. Amsterdam and Den Haag have several excellent museums and two of the best are next to each other in Amsterdam namely The Van Gogh Museum, that houses some of his most famous masterpieces comprising of his work right from his youth in Holland till his death in France. The museum is open every day between 10:00 and 18:00 hours and till 22:00 hours in Friday. Very near to this is a 250-room Rijksmuseum containing one of the best Rembrandt collections in the world. Although at that time the main building of the museum was under renovation, still major art work is at display in the Philips wing of this museum which is open every day between 09:00 and 18:00 hours.
Don’t forget to walk around in the main market adjacent to red light area and on a walking distance from the station. Also spare some time to walk around the canals and the roads to pass through age old architecture which is still intact and beautiful. Look at the houses style, the typical windows, staircases, shops and the churches. We visited Rembrandt’s house where he lived from 1639 to 1657, near to Waterlooplein. In the main city is the oldest church Oudekerk, made in 13th century where Rembrandt’s wife Saskia is buried. Roads being narrower, it is easy to walk rather than drive in a taxi or car and parking charges at various places are as high as 4-5 euros per hour. Being a high tourist attraction, stealing and pick pocketing is at high in Amsterdam. Lucky were we that the day was sunny and there was no rain throughout the day. A day visit of city along with the famous windmills and a diamond factory (some 10 kms away) cost us around 50 Euros each (5 hours tour) and another 20 Euros each for the Canal Cruise by a Boat (2 hours tour). The sun sets here quite early around 3.45 or 4pm and after that it was dark when we traveled in the canal. The lighting of the buildings, market, pubs and restaurant was looking very good at late evening time. Tried to take a snap of a group of people behind a glass wall on 17th floor of a building along the side of the canal doing Aerobics to keep them fit, but it shot blurred as either the boat was running quite fast or they were exercising faster. A famous line for Amsterdam is “it is difficult to distinguish street from canal from October to March due to heavy rains.
Please enjoy some of the photographs shot at Amsterdam uploaded in the video section! (the windmill, the diamond factory, the diamonds…)
The meaning of the title line “Een mooie dag in de stad van Kanalen” is “A beautiful day in the city of Canals”

Pati Patni Aur Flightraja.com (Now Viaworld.in)

2011-08-31T21:25:00.000-07:00

Note: All the characters below are real-life physically and mentally existing. All sequences are coincidental (happening by chance rather than intentionally) but not coincidental (happening or existing at the same time) and disparateShe-One: He (He-One) Got an e-mail from her congratulating him for winning a return ticket from flightraja.com on his review posted at Mouthshut.com and asked for his details. He reverted back with his correspondence address and contact details so that the sponsoring agency (Flightraja.com) could contact him.
He-One: He was thankful to Deepak Chopra, review on whose book got him this. He renamed the book to Seven Spiritual Laws of Winning Return Ticket at Mouthshut.com. He replied to the email immediately with his contact number and contact details.
She-Two: She gave a call to He-One about the return ticket that can be taken for any destination. He asked if the tickets for his family also can be booked by them, she confirmed affirmative that he will have to pay on-line for the additional tickets.
HeOne: He asked for his wife’s suggestions (She-Three) on this ticket and it was concluded that the whole family comprising of He-One, She-Three and She-Four will travel together by buying She-Three’s and She-Four’s tickets on their own. Destination decided was Bhubaneswar and Puri in Orissa for 4 days in February second weekend.
She-Three: She started exploring various magazines, travel information papers and internet to understand and chalk out the sight seeing plan for all 4 days planned. And touch wood it was very well structured planning (as usual)
He-One: Called She-Two to check about the prices of the tickets to pay for She-Three and she-Four and also about the Airlines. She-Two said they will pay for his return ticket for the lowest airfare/airlines available and in this case it was Air Dhakkan but confirmed that for family this Airline will not be the suitable one as it has a 100% successfool rate of delaying and canceling of flights. He checked on MS reviews and found all symptoms matching. So decided that the family will not go by Air Dhakkan.
FlightRAJA.com comes in a big way: Now the task for He-One was to find out the suitable Airlines (Timings should be early hours for going and late hours for returning) and decided Air Sahara for going and Indian for returning. This was quite quick and handy on FlightRaja.com that gave the information about all airlines for going and returning with the Price Tags. 10/10 goes to Flightraja.com for providing enough information so fast to arrive at a decision.
The Funny Part: Within two days another review of He-One was there on Page One (not Page 3) of MS and He-One got double delighted to get another return ticket. He called She-Two immediately and told her that since he has won two tickets so one should be in his name and another should be in She-Three’s name. Firstly she refused since as a policy the ticket can be issued only in the winner’s name and not his family member’s name but after checking with her senior she said Ok. Funny Part was that on checking she found only one prize for He-One from MS (only the first one). She told him that she will call back after checking from MS and confirmed that there was only one entry in his name. How He-One was too assured about two entries was because the first time his review was on Page-1 and also the winner but second time it was not winner but on Page-1 (Phew!)
He-One: He requested She-Two of Flightraja.com to give his return tickets for the same Airlines (Sahara and Indian) instead of what they were proposing (Air Dhakkan) which they refused as the cost difference was high, anyhow after a little bargain She-Two accepted for Air Sahara for going at no additional cost but He-One had to pay for Indian and Air Dhakkan difference which He agreed. He also checked about the prices on individual Airline Sites (Air Sahara and Indian) and found a little difference in prices (at Airline sites the prices were a little less). But this all materialized after She-Two told He-One to talk to He-Two (her superior) for his approval and which he gave easily.
But This was not the Reason: to book tickets for She-Three and She-Four form individual Airline sites and not taking it from Flightraja.com as the difference in amount was less than 100 Rupees in total but since this was first interaction with Flightraja.com, so decided to play safe and book e-tickets directly using credit card from these Airline sites which took not more than 15-20 minutes.
He-One: He confirmed She-Two to book tickets for him for these respective flights and was told that she can hold these tickets only for 24 hours and within this He-One has to pay the difference. The difference was e-paid overnight (courtesy ICICIbank.com).
Tragedy Scene: She-Two sent two e-mails for two tickets (one for Air Sahara and one for Indian) which resembled too much and by mistake He-Two thought them to be duplicate mails and deleted the second one. So now he was left with only Air Sahara ticket. He called He-Two for the other ticket once again as She-Two had left the office. And after some chase it came next day.

The Producers & Directors: Mouthshut.com and Flightraja.comThe Cast:He-One: Guess WhoHe-Two: Amit of Flightraja.com (in the role of a nice, co-operative, fast action officer)She-One: Jasmine of Mouthshut.com (in the role of the host of the show, awarder and a prompt query resolver)She Two: Wanda of Flightraja.com (in the role of a nice, co-operative front desk officer)She Three: The Cute wife of He-OneShe-Four: The intelligent, lovely princess of He-OneOverall Flightraja.com is a very useful site with an accurate and complete compilation of flight details of all airlines for almost all destinations. The Prices quoted are also very reasonable and on cross checking with the individual sites you will find not much difference in the rates (only additional charges are the service charges of flightraja.com)The Staff shows virtual presence wherever you are through email and mobile and are professionally capable to resolve/solve any issues promptly and are bold enough to warn about the consequences/risk of the cheapest fares flights/airlines.One question to Mouthshut.com: How the review of the day is different form the Best Review????One question to Flightraja.com: Why giving the cheapest priced prize which you know is risk-taking in terms of delays and cancellations (which you yourself vet for)Flightraja.com: But still I liked the professionalism, straight forwardness and quick solutions!

Netherlands: “Nieuwe review controleren” ~ “check new review"

2011-08-31T20:58:00.001-07:00

When: I traveled to Netherlands in December 2005 for 15 days.
  General: Den Haag is the official capital of Netherlands. Netherlands and Holland are same. Den Haag is also known as The Hague. Amsterdam is the working capital of Netherlands. The Queen’s residence is in Den Haag. Den Haag and Amsterdam are very opposite to each other in culture. Den Haag is quite conservative carrying the old traditional values of Netherlands, while Amsterdam is a very famous tourist place for most of the advanced countries. Amsterdam is very crowded, not too safe in respect of pick pocketing etc. But at both places life is active day and night. Den Haag has the world’s largest casino in Rotterdam – “The Holland Casino”, Queen’s Palace, and a superb beach (all near to each other). You don’t require separate visa for any other European countries to travel as a visitor if you have the visa for any one of these countries. Medical insurance is a must to get the visa. Population wise Netherlands is not too overly populated except Amsterdam since there are lot of tourists at all times in Amsterdam. It was 0-5 degrees during the period I stayed there. The International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court are situated in The Hague. Moroccans are a big threat to the peaceful life of Netherlands.
  Amsterdam Airport: This airport sleeps during 1am to 4am and nothing officially happens here except the early morning travelers get in and sit to wait for the counters to open up for check-in etc. check-in facility is available through automated machines where you login with your ticket and passport details and get your seat number. I delayed my departure by one day and hence I had to pay around 80 Euros as penalty for changing my departure date. I was over with my Euros and hence paid in Dollars without any hassles.
  Trams: Trams is the local source of transportation in Netherlands. The trams running in Den Haag will not be crossing Den Haag and trams running in Amsterdam will be specific to Amsterdam only. For 6 and half euros you get 15 tickets in one strip, (n+1) tickets are required to be punched to cross n zones. Like if you are crossing 4 zones you have to punch the 5th ticket in the strip. Nobody is there to check if you are traveling free without punching your strips or buying the specific ticket from your tram driver. If you are not carrying a strip, you can buy your ticket for that specific journey from your tram driver. No extra person is there to sell tickets, the driver of the tram does it very efficiently, and this is because most of the people are already carrying monthly pass, weekly pass, weekend pass or the strips. Hardly 10-15% of the travelers will be requiring buying ticket from the driver. The strips and passes are easily available at most of the hotels, trams, specific ample number of outlets.
  Fast Trains: Fast trains connect different cities of Netherlands and Netherlands with Germany, London, France, Belgium some other European countries. A comfortable night journey will enable you to reach any of these locations. From Den Haag to Amsterdam it is half an hour journey. For most of these other countries destinations trains start from Amsterdam. So if you are in Den Haag, you will have to travel to Amsterdam first. Every half an hour you get train from Den Haag to Amsterdam and vice versa. The tickets are available at the station through automatic machines, you check the chart, drop in the money and specify the ticket amount you want for. For outsiders who feel insecure to drop in the money in the automatic machines or fear for lack of understanding of technology, there are manual counters where you get your ticket but then you have to spare 1 Euro extra for availing manual service. The trains are having 2 floors, you can choose wherever you feel comfortable. There are two classes in the train, 1st class and 2nd class. Rates for 1st class are almost double. Even the 2nd class is a luxurious one. All compartments are connected to each other through glass doors. There is a checking in the trains occasionally. Tickets are quite reasonably priced. Den Haag to Amsterdam it is around 7 Euros and for London you will have to spend around 18 Euros. People: People (especially in Den Haag) are friendly in nature (unlike Germans), they will love to help you in case you loose direction or want to know anything about Netherlands. They are helpful up to the extent that they will explain you again if you have not understood a route etc.
  Traffic sense: Being less populated, very less roads are having 3 lanes, most of them have 1 lane or 2 lanes and still there are no traffic jams, no lack of discipline, and highly fluent traffic flow. No body breaks traffic signals, pedestrians use only zebra crossings to cross the roads.
  Living Style: People are serious in earning money and enjoying life. They spend money very sensibly. Usually they would love to go to hotel for dinner on weekends, but locales having a good standard of living do not spend money in casinos or overbuying. They buy only those items and that quantity only that is essential. Most of the people of any age are health conscious, and that they take care while eating, drinking, smoking etc. Cycling in this country is famous in the whole world. This is one the countries where they have separate lane for cyclists, since many young and old people prefer cycling to keep them fit. Temperature being low in this country, you will find people jogging, running, exercising on the roadsides. The day starts quite early with people taking lunch at 1pm and dinner around 7pm. After 9pm most of the eating outlets will be closed. Usually people will take a glass of wine or beer along with the dinner. A Beer Can will cost 1.25 Euros, a wine 1.50 Euros and water bottle 0.66 Euros.
  Cleanliness: The country, airport, trams, trains, buses, people, houses and hotels are clean up to the extent that we can not think of in our country.
  Amsterdam night life: Amsterdam is very famous for its night life and most of the tourists come to this country for two reasons mainly – to enjoy night life and to play Casino. Prostitution is a profession and is legally allowed here and the prostitutes are tax payers here. The pole dance, the night shows, the read light areas are very famous here. There is an official night trip for tourists. The red light hanging on a window is a sign of house of a prostitute.
  Internet: For 17 Euros per day (specifically if I take it for one day, it will be for 26 hours 12 noon to next day 2 pm), I got high speed internet in my hotel room.
Coffee Shop: Don’t mistake it with a normal coffee shop, rather these are the places where you officially get drugs up to a limited quantity if you are 18 or above. You can sit here and consume the drugs.

Thailand: Bangkok: Mi Mou in Thai means I am Drunk

2011-08-31T20:53:00.000-07:00

When Traveled: I landed at Bangkok in April 2006 and stayed there for 4 and half months. It was raining when I reached there, it was raining while I stayed there and it was raining when I left Bangkok in August end. Rainy season is very long here, starting from April till November.
98% of the Thailand population is Buddha. Many Thai families are mixed, like Chinese and Thai couple, or Indian and Thai couple. Many localities in Bangkok are densely populated by Indians mostly Tamilians and Sikhs (especially white turban Sikhs – Namdharis). Although Muslims are in minority, but some areas in Thailand are overly populated with Muslims.
People in general are hard working and fun loving. They live western style having good weekends. On weekends they will have a good get-together, boozing and music, else the working boys and girls who stay alone in Bangkok will go to their native places (they call it upcountry) to meet their parents.
One unique thing is that every workplace, small or big, and every house will have a good number of Buddha’s statues and pictures (except non-Buddhists) but every house and workplace will be having the King’s and Queen’s pictures.
This year is being celebrated as 60th year of the present King in rule. He was studying in UK when at a very young age he had to return to take charge of the Kingdom. Recently the King had an operation for his backbone problem and everyone in the country was worried about his well being. To show their respect for the King, on every Monday all Thais will be wearing a yellow T-Shirt with king’s logo on it. Yellow is the color denoting gratitude towards the King and blue is the color for the Queen. The Queen is equally graceful and beautiful lady. She had her right eye operated recently for some problem in cornea. In last week of April there were general elections and none of the party having won the majority, the then Prime minister Thaksin was told to be the working Prime Minister till the elections are held again in October 2006 (on 23rd) but last week the Army Chief who is very close to the King took over the charge of the country by dissolving the whole cabinet from power including Thaksin. Although people respect Thaksin for being visionary and progressive as he is the key person behind the modernization of Thailand by providing highly structured Malls, Roads, Flyovers, and other infrastructure. But still people are more dedicated to the King and can do anything for their King and the Queen.

Gods places: You will find ample number of Buddha Temples, around quarter dozen of Gurudwaras, and quite a number of Mosques in and around Bangkok. The Buddha statue at home, office, workplace, temple is offered cold drinks (mostly fanta, coke), water, flowers. At many occasions people offer fish to Buddha which ultimately is consumed by the Monks. In first week of August they had a celebration for worshipping Chinese goddess where they offer meats, fish and liquor. Langars are a good point of attraction on weekends in Gurudwaras here.

Death: Death is taken as a normal and natural process of life in Thailand. I happened to attend one such occasion. No excessive mourning and crying happens on a death of any age. The dead body is kept in a temple for 3, 5 or 7 days depending on the status and capability of the family. For all these days prayers, music food and drinks will be happening.

Thinglish: Thai English is superb. There is no tense, verb, adverb, adjective. Most of the people don’t know English, and those who know, speak fantastic. Some examples:
No Have: it is not available, I don’t haveEvery Happy: all are happy, or everyone is happyMany cars: lot of cars on the roadMany traffic: lot of traffic on the roadListen: you speak, I want to listen to what you speakIndia many brains: in India, people are geniusMany money: big salaryAre you hot: are you feeling hot, do you want A/C or more airCome, I want you: come I want to meet you, talk to you, and want to discuss something with you
Thai: I learnt some words, listing below a few that I still remember.
Ontrong = go straightLeosai = go leftLeokwa = go rightSwasdikhrab = hello, good morning, namaste, hiMi Mou = I am drunk
Michai = noChai = yesTuk tuk = auto rickshawCounting 0 to 9: soon, nung, song, sam, cee, ha, hok, chet, peit, kaw
Cabs, Roads, Flyovers and Traffic: No small cars in Thailand – mostly Toyota cabs, Toyota and Honda cars and Isuzu pick ups. But you will find all other imported models of big cars in Bangkok. Roads are really butter coated and at no place I found a broken road. Very less accidents happen here (I remember only 3-4 accidents) as the traffic is much disciplined although there happen to be traffic jams. On a red light you will find the gap of 6-8 feet. A driver uses horn on an average once a month. The accidents happen mostly because of motorcycle-taxis who drive a little rash and zig-zag. The lane discipline is extremely admirable. In the night time most of the cab-drivers will start showing you the massage pamphlets and will ask if you want – massage, sexy girl, sex show, good lady, boom boom…

Beaches and Up-country: Thailand beaches are world famous, and equally famous are its golf courses. One of the reason for world class golf courses is that Tiger Woods has a relation with Thailand (one of his parents belong to Thailand, I heard). I visited a private beach which was adjacent to Police Headquarters of Thailand. It was marvelous, barren and beautiful. Mostly foreigners visit beaches to swim, massage, booze off, leisure and enjoyment. Bangkok is comparatively populated as compared to the outskirts since it offers lot of career and study opportunities.

Swarnabhoomi: It is the new international airport in Bangkok. Domestic flights have started, and international flights would be starting shortly, may be by next year.

Metros: There are two metros, one underground that is run by the government and the other is sky train that is run by a private agency.

The Ladyboy: An eunuch is known here as ladyboy. She will be so beautiful as long as you don’t listen to her voice. But they get equal respect and status.

The girl and the boy: The girls will have following status – single mother, single, married, divorced, live-in. and similar will be for boys. They prefer to live-in with each other for 2-3 years before going for marriage. Boys are outnumbered by girls in numbers as well as in smartness.

The Indian restaurants in Bangkok: The places like Sukhumvit has a number of Indian restaurants like Namuskar, Komala’s (South Indian), Ganesha (South Indian), Hot Curry, Red Chilly etc. At Silom also we found a couple of good Indian restaurants with live music in the evening.

Hot News: Fried Snakes, roasted sea shells being sold on the roadsides and frogs, toads sold in the vegetable markets.
RCA is the place where you will find world class pubs and discotheques.
Silom night bazaar is a market that starts at midnight and is open till the morning.
We lost 2 laptops in Bangkok (one snatched on road, one stolen from hotel)

Thailand: Hua Hin Beach: A Beach for Thai Royal Family, Localz & Foreignrz

2011-08-31T20:22:00.000-07:00

General: This is the most popular beach amongst the Thais and equally important holiday resort for foreigners. The length of the beach is approximately 5 miles and this place has the highest density of world class golf courses anywhere in Thailand (Golf and Football are the two main games preferred in Thailand). This is the oldest (70 years old) of the beaches in Thailand as Phuket and Samui being the new discoveries. The place was unaffected by Tsunami. This place has an 18-hole golf course and a huge fishing port. Most of the Bangkok’s Upper class have their own beachfront summer houses towards the south and north of Hua Hin along the curvy sandy bay and usually they will come here on weekends with their families. This place definitely gives a different holidaying experience.

History: This place was discovered by the King Rama VII in early 1920s. He established his Royal Resorts here and subsequently became popular in a short time. The place is connected to Bangkok via Road as well as Train. In 1928 King Rama VII built his Klai Kangwon (Klai in thai means “far from” and Kangwon means “worries”) Palace which is used by the current Royal family even today and is open to visitors. In 1923 State Railways working under the then kingdom built the Railway Hotel in a traditional old Thai architecture, which today is known as Sofitel Central Hua Hin Hotel.

Bangkok to Hua Hin: Taxi (120 Bahts) from my hotel reached to Bangkok Southern Bus Terminal in 40 minutes to get a bus for Hua Hin. At 7 I was in the bus that was going to Hua Hin. You will find government and private Air conditioned and Non-A/C buses going to Hua Hin from this terminal starting every half an hour. Ticket costs 130 Bahts per person. And the journey started. I adjusted my seat in a semi laying position and dropped my mobile from my back pocket in the bus. It was given to me by a young boy who had got into the bus to sell off cold drinks and snacks. We were amazed at his sincerity. We were half asleep when we reached at this place and the moment we got down one of us noticed that he had slipped out his wallet from his pocket in the bus. The bus was taking a slow turn about 50 metres away and was almost at a standstill and hence my friend could run and get into the bus. And he found his wallet back at the back of his seat. Great!.

We reached Hua Hin: It was around 11 when we reached there. We enquired and got to know that we can take bikes or taxi to go to the beach. Just tried to cross check with a foreigner and got to know that it is at a walking distance (around one plus kilometers) and we decided to go by walk. Near the beach we found an Indian Restaurant and decided that we will have our lunch here while coming back.

At the Beach: The Beachside On the beach side there were so many beachside snacks/beer shops having their shady tables and leisure chairs to relax. We sat on this chairs and immediately the shop owner came to us and told that for one hour sitting he will charge 20 Bahts per person, if for whole day 60 Bahts and if we order something to eat no extra charges for sitting. We negotiated with her that we will have beer and will not pay for it and not extra Bahts for sitting. Into the Sea We decided to swim in the sea for couple of hours and have some photo session with our 7 megapixels camera before we have beer and later lunch before going back to Bangkok. Got into the sea and had a good time. Then to go deeper we decided to take tubes @ 40/- Bahts. Enjoyed the swimming but there is a catch, there are big rocks inside the water, so you need to be careful. I wounded my feet slightly. Locales were busy in capturing sea food items.

Finally the Bikinis, the topless and the Men at the Beach The beach is full of foreigners from almost all parts of the world. Many topless and bikini beauties were spotted easily lying on beach chairs, applying oil on their body after swimming and enjoying sun bath and swimming in the beach. We had a great photo session

Thai English Thai English is different – saw a logo behind a car – “EVERY HAPPY”. They don’t know tenses, verbs etc. but convey the message beautifully. Important lines to catch – “INDIA MANY BRAINS” “MANY SALARY” “MANY CARS” “NO GO” “NO HAVE”

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Pati Patni Aur Flightraja.com (Now Viaworld.in)

Netherlands: “Nieuwe review controleren” ~ “check new review"

Thailand: Bangkok: ~~Mi Mou in Thai means I am Drunk~~

Thailand: Hua Hin Beach: A Beach for Thai Royal Family, Localz & Foreignrz

Thailand: Bangkok: Mi Mou in Thai means I am Drunk