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Beach Honeymoon

Lazying out in the endless coastlines, soaking in the clear turquoise waters and a sunset dinner cruise is your perfect honeymoon destinations, then here are some beaches that will make you so “AWW”.

Glacier Express – A train to fall in love with

Some of the most spectacular train journeys one can make is in Switzerland. Topping the list is the “Glacier Express”. During this 7 ½ journey, expect to see gorgeous villages, soaring steeples, red sloped roofed houses, brown cows munching away the lush green grass, ice melting into little water falls, green forests and wild meadows. This St. Moritz/Davos - Zermatt panoramic train journey, crosses 291 bridges, 91 tunnels, and the Oberalp Pass which is 2033 meter above the sea level.

Hong Kong Highlights

Hong Kong is a vibrant never-say-sleep city. Neon-lit skyscrapers, tightly packed sidewalk, molasses-slow traffic, steam-filled eat outs identifies this overwhelming harbor city. In addition to the Cantonese Chinese and British influence, one can notice a diverse influence from Vietnam to Vancouver making Hong Kong a unique destination

Paris Highlights

Paris, the city of lights and city of fashion, has the reputation of being the most beautiful and romantic city in the world. History, art, culture, food or fashion, one can have a variety of attraction to see in this city.

Adventure Sport: Zorbing down the hill

For Adventure Sports enthusiast, Zorbing is a must do. Simply saying, Zorbing is a recreation activity of rolling down a hill inside a inflated ball. The experience is more like throw inside a washing machine. Though you might think with all the movement inside the zorb, you would end up black and blue, but Zorb is incredibly safe. The Zorbing site was first established in Rotoura, New Zealand.

World Famous Cuisines

The history, climate, geography, religion and culture have a deep impact on any cuisine in the world. The origin and migration of food have in turn influenced the history, culture and culture. For any traveler, tasting the world famous cuisine with its authenticity is indeed a great opportunity. Here are some of the world famous cuisines in no particular order: Lebanese Cuisine, Greek Cuisine, Spanish Cuisine, Japanese Cuisine, Mexican Cuisine, Thai Cuisine, Chinese Cuisine, French Cuisine, Italian Cuise...

Showing posts with label Independent Travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Independent Travel. Show all posts

At the Top - Burj Khalifa (World's tallest building)

Wednesday, January 12, 2011 8:03 AM TOIP
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The pictures of crackers busting from the world’s tallest building was widely circulated in mails. Those jaw dropping pictures incubated a desire in every one to get a slice of the huge building, the Burj Khalifa.

Burj Khalifa, currently the worlds tallest man made structure, is located in the premises of Dubai Mall, in downtown Dubai. Visitor can get a great view of downtown Dubai from the 124th floor observatory deck. In addition to the observatory deck, the building also has about 900 apartments, the infamous Armani Hotels and corporate suites.

Photo credits: phatcity.wordpress.com
Amidst the skyscraper filled skylines of Dubai, one can get a glimpse of Burj Khalifa from various districts of Dubai. The tour to observatory deck called the “At the top Burj Khalifa” starts from lower ground level of the Dubai Mall. The ticket can be purchases at the ticket counter near the entrance. Throughout the journey to the top, multimedia presentations about the history of Dubai, the plan and construction of Burj Khalifa and the facts about it are played out, making the journey entertaining.

Ones you reach the elevator make sure to glue your eyes to the display screen. The elevators that takes you to/from the observatory deck is the current World’s fastest elevator at a speed of 18 m/s, so experience the floor numbers altering in micro seconds. After the ride, disembark to the observatory deck and step into the world’s highest outdoor observatory deck. The observatory deck also has live zooming cameras at various points, take a stall around the deck and enjoy the view of Dubai from all the angles. One can stay for about an hour at the deck and return down. Don’t forget to see the pictures of people behind the construction of Burj Khalifa, there are many Indian names.

Tips:
  1. Buy ticket in advance from the ticket counter or online. The ticket price is 100 AED if bought in advance, otherwise be ready to pay 400 AED if purchased on the same day. [1 AED = 12.5 INR]
  2. Ticket can be bought only for specific time of the day. So make sure you plan accordingly.
  3. Also reach the “At the top” desk at least half an hour in advance, to collect your tickets.
  4. There is long prohibited list one is not allowed to carry to the top, so get a locker if you need.
  5. For independent travelers, take the Metro to Dubai mall station and then take the free shuttle buses from the station to the mall. Then follow the “At the top” signs to reach the desk.

Forbidden City, Beijing China

Monday, December 20, 2010 12:24 PM TOIP
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Forbidden City (Zijin Cheng) in the heart of Beijing is considered as one of the most important palaces in the world. This UNESCO site is the best preserved imperial palace in China and the largest palatial structure in the world.

The Forbidden City was home to 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasty. The palace was constructed by Emperor Yongle of Ming Dynasty. The construction took place for 15 years started in 1406 and ended in 1420. In ancient times, Emperor Yongle claimed to be the son of heaven and the supreme powers have been bestowed on him. Hence, the palace was built as a replica of the Purple palace where God was thought to live in Heaven.
Photo Credits: tourdechina.cn
The Forbidden City covers an area of about 72 hectares with a total floor space of approximately 150, 000 square meters. It consists of 90 palaces and courtyards, 980 buildings and 8,704 rooms. To represent the supreme power of the emperor given from God, and the place where he lived being the center of the world, all the gates, palace and other structures of the Forbidden City were arranged about the south-north central axis of Beijing.

Location: north side of Tian'an Men Square across Chang'an Dajie, commonly referred as Gu Gong (Former palace)
Get there: Tiananmen East (116) or Tiananmen West (117) station in Line 1 subway. Taxi is not recommended as parking near the southern gate is not allowed.
Timings: 8:30AM – 5PM (summer); 8:30AM – 4:30PM (winter)
Entrance fee: 60 RMB (summer); 40 RMB (winter); Additional charges for some exhibits and halls.
Tours: Audio Tour in several languages is available at the gate (40 RMB plus 100 RMB deposit). English Speaking tour guide is available on the other side of the gate and value for groups. They charge per hour basic. [200 RMB for 1 hr, 300 RMB for 1 ½ hr, 400 RMB for 2 hrs and so on]

RMB to INR (as on when posted) – 6.7 (approx)

How to bring authenticity in your trip?

Monday, December 6, 2010 2:01 PM TOIP
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When a traveler packs the bag and boards a flight, he looks forward to experience different culture, tradition and people. It happens sometime that he returns just visiting the commercialized tourist spot and missing out the heart and soul of the place. To bring in authenticity in your trip, here are some tips on what you need and can do:

  1. Stay in tradition house: There are many hotels which are converted from traditional building or built in traditional way. Staying in a Japanese Ryokan or in a Cave House in Turkey will give an insight into the history.
     
  2. Taste the local delicacies: Food is greatly influenced by history and culture. Try out some local cuisine.
  3. Picture in local attire: Local attires are generally rented out in many destination. Clicking few pictures in the local attire is a great remembrance of a trip.

  4. Visit a local market: Though the upscale market sell novelties of the destination, local market is the heart of any destination. In these market, one can find things that influence the culture. Always hire a guide or joining a walking tour, when visiting these markets.

  5. Watch the cultural performance: Every place has its art form. The art performance or heritage shows will stimulate the art and cultural heritage of the place. 

  6. Participate in a local festival: To experience the extravagance of a city, take part in a local festival. The authenticity and tradition is always preserved in these festivals

  7. Commute in the public transport: Commuting in the public transport, exposes one to the day to day life of the place.

  8. Chat with the resident: A chit chatting with a local is great option. But remember not to touch sensitive topics and respect their tradition.

Adventure Sport: Zorbing down the hill

Friday, December 3, 2010 2:43 PM TOIP
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For Adventure Sports enthusiast, Zorbing is a must do. Simply saying, Zorbing is a recreation activity of rolling down a hill inside a inflated ball. The experience is more like throw inside a washing machine. Though you might think with all the movement inside the zorb, you would end up black and blue, but Zorb is incredibly safe. The Zorbing site was first established in Rotoura, New Zealand.

The Zorb is a double-sectioned ball, with one ball inside the other with a layer of air in between, which acts as shock absorber. The numerous small ropes connecting the inner and outer ball holds the Zorb together.
Generally, Zorbing is performed on gentle slopes, but can also be done on a level surface. There are two different types of Zorbs: Dry Zorb and Wet Zorb. In a Dry Zorb, you will be securely strapped and they rolled down the hill, whereas in a Wet Zorb, you are not strapped and you are encouraged to stand up and run inside the zorb, like an hamster in it's wheel, and remain upright all the way to the bottom. To make it more challenging, warm soapy water is thrown inside the Zorb. Now try balancing. 
 
Places to try out Zorbing:
The most popular place to Zorb is in Rotoura, New Zealand. USA, Slovenia, Ireland, Guam, Thailand, Czech Republic, Argentina are other places where you can Zorb.

Good News is that, this adrenaline rushing sport can be enjoyed in India:
  1. Solang Valley, Himachal Pradesh (near Manali)
  2. Adventure+ camp at Bhor (near Pune)
  3. Khajjar, Himchal Pradesh
  4. Bheemeshwari fishing camp, Galibore, Kali(Dandeli), Dubare (Kodagu) and Sita (Udupi) in Karnataka
Please let us know other places in India. We can add to the list

Getting Around a new place

Wednesday, October 27, 2010 11:38 AM TOIP
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Taking Taxi everywhere seems much easier and safer option but did you know the most common tourist rip off in any country is the taxi. Any taxi driver can clearly identify you as a tourist and may try to squeeze out as much money from you as possible. 


There are dozens of ways to travel around any country/city, so make the best use of it.
  1. Trains: Most of the major cities have metro/trains/trams/tubes/subways. This is how the locals travel. You can avoid the traffic jams and also save a lot of money. Information regarding the routes will be available in most of the trains itself. In addition, you can also get maps in various websites prior to your travel so that you can plan your itinerary accordingly.

  2. Buses: Most of the major cities have websites to find the bus routes. If you cannot find one, they the best option is to ask the bus driver. Additionally, many cities have Hop-on Hop-off buses which is intended for tourist purpose and generally route the main tourist attractions. You can hop into these buses anywhere and hop off anywhere according to the type of ticket.

  3. Car Rentals: It is a great option for long holidays. There are many car rentals available which allows  you to pickup a car in any destination and drop off at a same/different destination. From 2 seater to 7 seater, you can get any type of car with/without other car gears. Please note, international driving license might be required in some countries and road rules are strenuous. Though car rental is a great option to travel between places, it is inefficient in cities since traffic jams and parking spaces might be a problem.

  4. Bike rentals: Conventionally, Bike would mean cycle in another countries especially in Western countries. Bikes can be hired or can be found free for use by paying a fee. Bike docks will be available near the tourist spot which allows you to pickup and drop off bikes as you wish. It is a great and faster option compared to walking.
In addition to the above means of commutation, there are cities with water taxis, boats, ropes, etc which help you enjoy the authenticity of the place.

Travel Cards:
In many touristy cities, travel cards/passes are quite popular. This can be purchased for some period of time say 1 day pass, 2 day cards etc. which can be used extensively in that period. These cards permit one to travel in 1 or all the means of transport in the city by just showing the card. In addition, sometimes these cards will also include entry into many tourist spots. Travel Cards/Passes is a time saver and economical option for independent travelers.

Being a local in any place will make your trip more authentic and enjoyable.

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