Travel News

Hampi Utsav 2011

Preparations are underway for the annual Hampi Utsav (Hampi festival) that will be celebrated from January 27th to January 29,2011 at Hampi, the world heritage site. This year the programmes planned include classical dance and music shows, puppet shows and a high impact firework show. The starts expected to perform this year include Kannada film actors; Shivaraj Kumar, Raghavendra Rajkumar, Puneet Rajkumar, Actress Shobana and percussionist Sivamani. As with every year, the illumination of the ancient world-famous monuments at Hampi would be the key attraction.
Karnataka Chief Minister, B.S. Yeddyurappa, would inaugurate the Hampi Utsav on January 27 at Hampi.

This year, the tourism department will run a special service of the luxury train, Deccan Chariot, for the festival. The train will roll out from Bengaluru on January 26 and reach Hospet (nearest railhead from Hampi) in the early hours of January 27. The train will be stationed at Hospet for 2 days during the Hampi Utsav. Post the festival, the train will move to Badami and then on to Goa and return back to Bangalore on January 31.

For history and heritage buffs, Hampi Utsav is a not-to-be-missed event. Travelpaisa has list of hotels in Hampi with contact information and user reviews. For those, who prefer to stay at guest houses at Virupapur Gadde (near Hampi on the other side of river Tungabadra), we have a the list of Hampi guest houses with contact information and reviews.

Goa Guide at Travelpaisa

Every beach in Goa has its own character. The northern beaches of Anjuna, Vagator , Baga and Calangute beaches are lively and party going while the southern beaches of Colva,Palolem, Agonda are sedate and beautiful. Travelpaisa has the most comprehensive coverage of Goa to help plan your holiday.

For making the best of your beach holiday at Goa, it is important that you select the beach that is just right for you. To help you select the beach of your dreams, our Goa Beaches section highlights uniqueness of each and every Goa beach. Our Reaching Goa provides useful and practical information for tourists coming into Goa from various parts of India.

Travelpaisa has the most comprehensive listing of accommodation options - Budget Hotels, Guesthouses, apartments for long stay tourists, Beach Huts, Homestay options and listing of resorts and hotels across all the key beaches of Goa. Our listing does not stop just with Accommodation but includes other useful information like service providers of Water Sports.

Nilgiris Biking

BSA sponsored "Biking on the Rocks" will see over 100 bicycle riders ride a 1000 Kms over eight days across Nilgiri mountains covering states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The tour will be flagged off from Koramangala, Bangalore on December 16th.

Read more: Nilgiris Biking

Goa’s Sunburn Music Festival is back

The popular three-day music festival, 'Sunburn Goa 2010', will commence at Candolim beach on December 27. Sunburn Goa is touted by its organizers as Asia’s biggest and world’s seventh largest music festival.

Read more: Goa’s Sunburn Music Festival is back

Maharashtra to develop one more hill station

If plans go forward, Maharashtra may be the only state with plans to develop three hill stations from scratch. After Lavasa and Amby Valley, a third one is proposed near Mulshi Lake.

Read more: Maharashtra to develop one more hill station

Have a Great Weekend

With Travel paisa, you can easily plan a great weekend getaway – away from the work stress, cell phones and all other activities that make you yearn for a weekend break every day from Monday to Friday.

For Bangaloreans we have Weekend getaways from Bangalore – shortlist of destinations that will act as a great weekend stress buster. If you are looking for a short one day trip to places near Bangalore on Saturday or a stay at resorts near Bangalore , we have worked hard to provide you with the right options. If you are adventure seeker and are looking for short treks, then you should check our special section on trekking hotspots near Bangalore or our compilation of offbeat weekend destinations near bangalore.

For those in Mumbai and Pune, we have shortlist of weekend getaways from Mumbai and another shortlist of Weekend getaways from Pune . Should you choose to relax at a resorts near Mumbai , we have budget options on that too. If you are new to Mumbai and want to explore nearby destinations, check our day trips from Mumbai or day trips from Pune

We are adding weekend option for more cities, weekend getaways from Chennai is the latest. Please do visit often as we add more options and our team shortlists exciting weekend options near your city. With Travel Paisa, you can be sure of one thing : We will ensure that you get the maximum value for your travel budget

Taj Mahal sees minor surge in visitors during CWG

In October, when India hosted Common Wealth Games, it was expected to be a big boost to Indian tourism in general and Delhi and Agra in particular. The corruption controversy surrounding the games ensured that expectations were not fully met. Before the start of Common Welath games, it was predicted 2 million tourists will arrive to witness the games. However, only 75,000 foreign tourists traveled Delhi to watch games.

Read more: Taj Mahal sees minor surge in visitors during CWG

Priety Zinta to be brand ambassador for Himachal

Our tourism board officials definitely believe that Bollywood stars make for the best brand ambassadors. Aamir Khan starred in a campaign for Incredible India, Big B is the brand ambassador for Gujarat. Now, Priety Zinta is all set to become the official brand ambassador for Himachal Pradesh. 

Read more: Priety Zinta to be brand ambassador for Himachal

Taj Mahal by Night

Taj Mahal, the monument of love built by Shah Jahan is exceptional to view at night on full moon days. The best night views are two nights before and after the full moon. (Full Moon dates for November and December 2010 are 21st November and 21st December). Try to visit Agra during those days for spectacular night view of Taj Mahal.

Read more: Taj Mahal by Night

Budget Hotels in Demand

India needs 150,000 hotel rooms over the next three years, two-thirds of which would be rooms meant for budget hotels, as the tourism industry revives, tourism secretary told reporters on Thursday. The inbound tourist traffic "is doing very well. We have positives for January, February and March," Sujith Banerjee told reporters on the sidelines of an industry conference in Mumbai.

He also said 70 percent of the hotel infrastructure needed for the upcoming Commonwealth Games later this year have been completed. The Commonwealth Games is expected to see spurt in demand for hotels at New Delhi. It is scheduled to be held in October.

No more night traffic at Gir Forest.

At last, traffic at Gir Forest have been banned at night. Gir Forest, the last home of Asiatic lions has 10 roads passing thru the sanctuary. The traffic on these roads prevented free movement of the wild animals at night and affected reproductive behavior of the Lions.

Read more: No more night traffic at Gir Forest.

Dusshera celebrations

Dusshera celebrated over ten days is an important Hindu festival celebrated across India. The festival celebrates the defeat of Ravana by Lord Rama and symbolizes the triumph of good over evil. Different regions of India celebrate Dusshera in their own unique way.

In the North, Ramlila are popular. The the most popular of them is the one held in Old Delhi around the Red Fort.  The other famous ones are those of Ayodha, Varanasi, Satna and Madhubani. Each of these Ramlila have their own distinct style of narration.

In Himachal Pradesh, Dusshera is celebrated with much fervor. A grand procession of Kullu valley “Devtas” ( local Deites ) is taken out in honor of Lord Raghunathji. The colorful procession culminates at from all over Himachal Pradesh are brought to Dusshera grounds to Dhalpur Maidan in Kullu.

West Bengal celebrates Navratri as Durga Puja. Beautifully decorated images of the goddess are worshipped in specially erected Puja Pandals. On the final day the idols are taken in elaborate processions, called Bishorjon, to be immersed in sacred Ganges or at the sea.

Mysore is famous for its Dasara celebrations.  For the period of ten days, Mysore city is decked up and the entire city wears a festive look. Dance and Music programmes are held across the city. On Vijayadashami (the last day of Dasara), the traditional Jumboo Savari is the highlight. Idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari is placed on the golden howdah atop an elephant and taken round in a procession from Mysore Palace to Bannimantap. The elephant is accompanied by folk artists, colorful tableaux depicting various regions of Karnataka and decorated horses.

Needless to say, with all these festivities, it is difficult to secure hotel accommodation during this period and tourists are advised to make advance reservation of hotel rooms , train or air tickets

Shimla records high temperature

It seems it may not be a great idea to head to Shimla to avoid the scorching summer.  Shimla which is known as queen of hill stations  has recorded temperature in excess of 27 degree centigrade.>Other areas in the state also saw the mercury stay above the usual for this time of the year with Sundernagar recording a maximum temperature of 36.8 degrees Celsius, Bhuntar 35 degrees, Dharamsala (32.8) and Una (40.6), according to the Met department.

Read more: Shimla records high temperature

Rajasthan to highlight beyond sand dunes and palaces.

Rajasthan is a popular tourist destination and winter months see a fair influx of tourists to key Rajasthan destinations like Jaisalmer, Mount Abu and Udaipur . As per the communiqué released by Rajasthan Government, a total of 2,66,32,105 tourists, including 10,73,414 foreigners visited Rajasthan in 2009. On a year to year basis, there was a decline of 10.74% owing to recessionary economic environment.

Read more: Rajasthan to highlight beyond sand dunes and palaces.

Tar balls spoil the beauty of Goa beaches

Even before the tourism season at Goa starts in October, there has been a dampener in the form of Oil tar balls. It appears that some ship has dumped oil in the international waters near Goa and the same has been washed ashore. These black tar balls have maligned the pristine beauty of Goa beaches

Read more: Tar balls spoil the beauty of Goa beaches

Father of Matheran Toy Train

Not many know that Matheran toy train was set up by  Abdul Hussain Adamjee Peerbhoy nearly a century ago. He set up the train link using his own personal funds so that connectivity could be established to the Matheran hill station . It is rather disappointing that his name almost erased from the public memory. The railway line was constructed by spending nearly 16 lakhs – a princely sum those days. The first train was powered by a steam engine imported from Germany.

Currently, the family of Abdul Hussain Adamjee Peerbhoy, is in discussion to open a museum at Matheran that will provide tourists details on how the railway line came about.
More details

There are other efforts on way to ensure that Matheran Toy Train gets the heritage status. Central Railway is busy restoring the steam engines that ran on the Neral - Matheran line. The restoration team successfully resurrected the B-738 engine and effort is on way for the restoration of B-794 steam engine. The B-794 engine was manufactured in 1917 at Baldwin Loco Works, UK. It was originally commissioned on the Darjeeling mountain railway. It was only in 2001 that the engine started operating in the Neral - Matheran route.

Rajasthan Festivals : October - December 2010

For those visiting Rajasthan, there are many festivals to experience and participate. Some of these festivals are organized by Rajasthan Tourism Department for the benefit of tourists while other festivals have been celebrated by Rajasthanis from times immemorial.

21-22 October 2010: Marwar Festival, Jodhpur: This festival celebrates the music and dance of the Marwar region. Folk dancers and singers provide hours of lively entertainment. The impressive Umaid Bhawan Palace, Mandore and Mehrangarh fort provide the ideal venue for the cultural extravaganza that is Marwar festival

13-21 November 2010: Pushkar Fair, Pushkar : This is an unique festival where thousands of villagers flock to Pushkar for livestock trading, horse dealing, pilgrimage and religious festival. Each evening there is a cultural program where folk dances and music of Rajasthan is showcased. This is a definite not to be missed event.

21-23 December 2010: Kumhalgarh Classical Dance Festival, Udaipur: This festival organized by Rajasthan Tourism Department brings together many of India’s finest performing artists with Classical Dance Recitals set against the backdrop of the glowing citadel. 21-23 December 2010: Kumhalgarh Classical Dance Festival, Udaipur: This festival organized by Rajasthan Tourism Department brings together many of India’s finest performing artists with Classical Dance Recitals set against the backdrop of the glowing citadel.

Medical Tourism at Kerala

Thursday, 02 September 2010 05:25

Medical tourism in Kerala has always been a key thrust area in drafting the tourism policy by the Government. Recently, The Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) has drafted a policy that will encourage more visitors to Kerala seeking medical treatment combined with an affordable vacation.

Read more: Medical Tourism at Kerala

Monsoon Magic

Monsoons in India is enchanting and no traveler should miss the experience of enjoying typical monsoon delights - smell of wet earth, booming thunder, swollen rivers and surroundings rich with green vegetation.

Monsoons are ideal for short weekend breaks and for those looking to go on discounted holidays at top resorts. For weekend breaks, Bangaloreans love to go to Shivanasamudra, Bheemeshwari, Srirangapatna and other river side resorts of Jungle lodges. Mumbaikars have many options including Malshej Ghat, Bhandardara, Lonavala and trek at Sahayadri.

Those looking out for monsoon discounts should head to Kerala and Goa. Many resorts at Kerala offer monsoon packages that include rejuvenation therapies. Synchronised massage, 'Pizhichil, Shirodara, Njavrakizy, Nasayam' etc all form part of the Rejuvenation package. Head to Kerala for rejuvenation and do not miss house-boating in the picturesque Kerala backwaters.Goa in the monsoon season has much to offer- discounts are plenty and it is the best time to try out all the off beat trails at Goa

Bollywood and Malshej Ghat

It appears Bollywood has finally realized the mystique of Malshej Ghat. Two major films have Malshej Ghat as the backdrop for some of the critical scenes.

Read more: Bollywood and Malshej Ghat