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Explosive airfares is killing tourism growth prospects

When the low cost airline was promoted by Air Deccan it really took the fancy of the “Aam Aadmi” as it took the normal person who was accustomed to the train journey to a journey of a lifetime. Air Deccan put wings to the dreams of the layman making him travel first time 35000 ft above the ground and taking him to the destination of choice in a matter of hours than the conventional day long journeys.

Kingfisher made a grand entry and took Air Deccan to a different level. More players came in and suddenly there were too many birds in the sky. When demand grows beyond supply the natural course of correction takes place and the ones who were not upto it got knocked out of the fray. Kingfisher has fallen and from the looks of it , resurrection is unlikely. The government run Air India and Air India Express was going through an internal turmoil for months and lots of flights got cancelled; the turmoil continues but it will get steady in future.  Alongside the currency and oil price fluctuations, the international market started rocking. Nett result of all the xyz translated to hike in prices across the board on all domestic and international sectors.

Delhi Kerala, Delhi-Mumbai, Delhi Ahmedabad sectors which used to cost which used to cost approximately Rs.4-5000.00 per sector shot up by 50%. Short sector which used to cost Rs.2-3000.oo per sector shot up by 100%. Europe to Kerala which used to average around Rs.30-40000.00 for a return ticket has doubled. The nett effect is stifling , leaving  a deadly blowing on the tourist season into Kerala in October. Airfares is only one of the key issue which has led to a bad start or rather as delayed start to the season. First time in the history of Kerala the month of October is turning to be  devastating for many hoteliers and tour operators. It is now gathering momentum form third week of October thanks to the festive periods that is commencing. Hopefully we shall tide over the turbulent  skies and fares to fly more often.

10 tips on Indian driving experience

Travelling to “mystical” India is a dream come true for many. Planning the journey is confusing as you have to decide which part of India you would like to cover and then freeze in on a tour programme. Once that is done the next challenge is getting the VISA done and taking the flight for the long journey to India. All is well up to the time you arrive into India and then you get the first feel of India. The road journey with your chauffeur can be fun or scary for few.

Here are the tips for especially for the first timers

  1. Chauffeur: – He is your “Man Friday” for your tour who will be with you till the time you finish this sector. He is well trained to assist people like you and would be your hands on guide at all times. His may not be fluent and may speak in funny broken English ; you will take some time to understand his “accent” but that’s a mutual adjustment you will have to make with each other.
  2. Transport: – Today you have state of the art best in its class vehicles available in India so take your pick. The most popular ones are Indigo, Innova and Tempo Traveler.
  3. Roads: – India has variety of roads – plain & smooth highways, pot holed city road , village dirt tracks and tracks that are created by your chauffeurs just out of his intuition. So you can expect a good mix of smooth rides and adventurous ones too.
  4. Lane Driving: – In India lane driving is considered to be a taboo. Even though you may find two lane and four lane highways; majority of the roads once you leave the city would be single lane tracks. Getting adjusted to this would be a task that everyone has to undergo. This is a very difficult scenario, especially when you see someone coming right onto you in the opposite direction and then he passes you just when you thought it was the end of the road for you.
  5. Speed: – The speed limit varies in India from state to state which the chauffeur will keep a check on. But once you have had a run and got a feel of the speeds and your chauffeurs driving, tell him what speed limit you would like him to follow.
  6. Driving Skills: – Your chauffeur is hands on with driving skill sets required for handling all kinds of treacherous routes in India. He may at time do things which you cannot dream in your wildest of dreams but trust him-dodging a pedestrian, a cow, elephants or joker on the road will be one of the few little experiences that you would undergo. At the same time if you find him shaky ask him to be replaced immediately.
  7. Seat belts: – Interestingly it is mandatory today but only for the front seat occupants. Rear seats may or may not have the seat belts. So if you are particular about this specify in your mail while making your reservation.
  8. Beggars & Street vendors: – You may get hounded at certain traffic junctions or busy streets. Make sure your windows are up and doors locked at all times. Do not entertain them at any point of time even if you feel sympathetic towards them as you won’t know when the situation may turn sour.
  9. Toilet Stops: – Distances from one location to another is high and infrastructure wise wayside amenities are still not of international standards , so make sure your toilet visit before the start of the journey. In case of any emergency when you “gotta go” ask your chauffeur to stop at the first good hotel/ restaurant that falls enroute.
  10. Travel coordination: – Discuss with your chauffeur the travel plan for the day and next day so that you can decide on the time of travel and make changes wherever necessary. For any assistance get in touch with your tour operator.

In India we are very attached to our vehicles and damage is taken very seriously, yet you will not find many vehicle which may be intact in shape. We have a fancy for horns and you will find a variety in them, although it may not be music to your ears. You are forced to listen to them as many of us believe that honking relieves stress ( yes it does – its passed on to others). Many of us do not believe in obeying traffic rules and this may result in traffic snarls, heated exchanges, shouting etc but do not worry as this a part of life and we feel awkward if they don’t happen.

We are the most hospitable people on earth and you will see that in the people who serve you. Getting acclimatized to a new environment is not easy, so give it time and relax. The ambience and people will catch up with you  in due course and you will start enjoying every moment. Once the feeling seeps into you it will be difficult to let go of it and before you know you are in love with India. One of the toughest decisions then is to finish the tour and take the flight back home.

We hope these tips will prepare the first timers from surprises and help you organize yourself for a safe journey. On a positive note in the past decade i have personally not read, heard or seen an occasion when an tourist was put in jeopardy due to chauffeurs carelessness. We wish everyone a safe ride and a pleasant holiday.

+91 94471 61516

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Interesting informative links
FAQ’s on Kerala Tour Package
FAQ’s on Kerala Houseboats
You may subscribe to our YouTube Channel Tour with Shailesh for informative tourism videos
You may refer the Official Kerala Tourism portal for more information on Kerala

Navratri Festival – The nine nights and nine incarnations of Goddess Durga

Navratri – Nava = Nine and Ratri = nights. This is a Hindu festival of India dedicated to goddess Durga and celebrated across in India.

During this festival of nine nights, nine forms of goddess Durga are worshipped and on 10th day the festival of Dussehra is celebrated. These nine forms are

  1. Shailaputri
  2. Brahmcharini
  3. Chandraghanta
  4. Kushmanda
  5. Skanda Mata
  6. Katyayani
  7. Kaal Ratri
  8. Maha Gauri
  9. Siddhidatri

This festival is most popular in North and Western regions of India where Navratri is celebrated with great fanfare which is high on music and dance. Based on the geographic location Navratri is known by various names like Vijaydashami, Durga Pooja, Ayudha Pooja etc

During Navratri devotees observe fast and prayers are offered for the protection of health and prosperity. Consumption of meat, alcoholic drinks, grains, wheat and onion is a strict no. Navratri is traditionally an auspicious period for starting new ventures. During this period a pot is kept at a sanctified place at home and a lamp is kept lit in it for nine days. The pot symbolizes the universe. The uninterrupted lit lamp is the medium through which we worship goddess. The goddess is celebrated and worshipped as Kali – The destroyer, Lakshmi – Goddess of Wealth and Saraswati – Goddess of wisdom

10 tips for air travel in India

Travelling in India is very easy with multiple modes of transport. Air connectivity is also getting better by the day and future is bright for India as far as aviation is concerned. But for first timers and guest who are coming in from another country some aspects can be irritating or funny. Following are the 10 tips to keep you prepared for a comfortable air travel within India.

  1. Book your tickets well in advance from a known travel agent or tour operator or a consolidator online who has got good credentials so that if you need to make changes in future it could be handled smoothly. Make sure you give your regular email address and local contact number so that if there is change in flight schedule the same could be intimated to you.
  2. Make sure you are at the airport 2 hours prior to departure for a comfortable travel or if you one of those kind who don’t like to wait or willing to take a chance you can be there 1 hour before as the check in counters close 45 mins before  departure. This is strictly advice for the adventurous ones only as traffic in India can play foul with your plans!!!
  3. Almost all airports are well equipped today in cities. Once you get off your vehicle look around and pick up a luggage trolley and walk to the security gate with your photo identity card and copy of the printed ticket. If there is more than one passenger in a ticket please ensure that each one has a photo id card in hand to cross this first check point.
  4. Once you are in, re check your flight schedule and get your check in baggage screened from the correct point (larger airports may have multiple screening option for specific airlines). Your baggage is either tagged or sticker placed next to the lock which indicates the baggage has been screened and is safe to be loaded. For new generation airports there us auto screening along with check in.
  5. Make sure you carry only one handbag or two max if you don’t have a check in baggage as you may be put to trouble if it’s more. Normal baggage allowance in domestic flights is 15 kg as check in baggage and 5 kg as hand baggage, if it’s more be prepared to pay as airlines getting very strict with this now.
  6. At the check in counter you need to produce your printed ticket and photo ID card and if you have booked the ticket with your credit card may be the card too on request. You baggage gets weighed and if it’s within limits you are issued the hand baggage tags which has to be put on immediately lest you forget. Also you are issued the boarding ticket ( make sure you place the seat request online or at the counter when you present the ticket) , do check the same and memorize your gate number for ease of boarding.
  7. Make sure you don’t have any liquid, flammable articles, scissors etc as they will be confiscated if you don’t remove it yourself. Make sure your baggege is clear before you proceed to the next stage. Even water bottles are not allowed in and if you are carrying medicines ideally leave it in your check in baggage. You are permitted to carry 1 liquor bottle and a carton of cigarettes per person in your checked in baggage.
  8. At the next security point you have to deposit your hand baggage for screening. You will have to remove the laptop and place it in a different basket and keep all your belongings including your phone in bag. Just hold your boarding pass and wallet with you and move to the screening section where a police personnel will do a body search (for women there is closed section run by women officers) and then your boarding pass is stamped.
  9. Pick your screened hand baggage and ensure that the tag has been stamped too. Thereafter proceed to the seating area near your assigned gate. Make sure you hear all the announcements just to ensure that there are no gate changes as its possible in India. Once the gate is opened queue up to take your bus to the flight. Once in the flight get to your seat and relax till you reach the destination. Make sure pay attention to security announcements on board. All domestic flights in India are non smoking and no drinks are served on board. Some flights serve water free of charge and some you need to pay. Food onboard can be bought if it’s a low cost carrier at an extra cost.
  10. Once you reach your destination collect your hand baggage and take the bus to the terminal. Once you alight seek out your conveyor belt from the display panels above (some flights announce in advance and inform from which conveyor belt you can pick your luggage). Pick up a luggage trolley and collect your baggage and ensure that all is fine with baggage. Move to the exit gate and onward from there. If you are expecting to meet someone at the airport you can check for him or the placard outside the exit gate.

+91 94471 61516

BOOK NOW

Interesting informative links
FAQ’s on Kerala Tour Package
FAQ’s on Kerala Houseboats
You may subscribe to our YouTube Channel Tour with Shailesh for informative tourism videos
You may refer the Official Kerala Tourism portal for more information on Kerala

Deshadan Backwater Resort, Muhamma, Alappuzha, Kerala, India

A new 4 star resort was opened in the backwaters of Muhamma by the Deshadan Hotels & Resorts last month. Named the Deshadan Backwater Resort this is the seventh cap for the Deshadan group after Deshadan Plaza Kochi, Deshadan Mountain Resort Munnar, Deshadan Houseboats, Deshadan Cliff & Beach Resort Varkala with Chettinadu Mansion and Chettinadu Court Kanadukathan in Tamil Nadu.

Tucked away on the opposite side of Kumarakom facing the Vembanad Lake this unique location is 10 minutes by boat to the Pathiramanal Island and in proximity some of the other well known resorts in this area. 22 Accommodation units consisting of cottages can be broken down as Pavilion Rooms 06, Lake View Rooms 08, Superior Lake View Rooms 06 & Lake View Private Pool Villa 02.

Other facilities include Swimming Pool, Ayurveda centre, Multi Cuisine restaurant, Boating etc

The tariff ranges from Rs.8500 to Rs.10500 plus taxes inclusive of breakfast with supplements in the peak season with attractive deals available on call.

The Deshadan team has been hand picked to deliver service of the highest order. This resort will be open to public shortly, so next time you are planning a break do look at this as an option.

Segway Tours – A new tourism product

New tourism products always adds to the option giving something new to the clients- latest in the list Segway Tour launched by the Bird Group in Delhi. Segway is a Personal Transporter designed and developed by Segway Inc., USA. Segway is unique as its eco friendly and a new mode of green transportation with its unique gyroscope technology and zero carbon emission.  It is battery operated and its lean steer riding way makes its one of the most safe and efficient mode of transport to cover large walking distance for convenient mobility.

Segway is the first self-balancing, zero emission personal transportation vehicle that works on Lean Steer Technology. Founded with a vision to develop highly efficient transportation solution using dynamic stabilization technology, Segway’s research and development was focused on creating devices that took up a minimal amount of space, were extremely maneuverable and could operate on any kind of terrains depending upon the model. However Segway is suitable for only those who are below 100 kilos!!!!!!!!!

Segway tour in the Nation’s Capital New Delhi gives you an experience of the great sights the city has to offer with abundance of photo opportunities of historic buildings, monuments and memorials, like Secretariats, Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament, Various scenic beauty surrounding the Ministry buildings on Rajpath, Amar Jawan Jyoti and India Gate.

Tour supervisors and marshals take special care of your safety and security. Each tourist is provided with a helmet and additional safety gears like elbow and knee pads guaranteeing an optimal tour experience. The excitement commences with a brief training session. Tour sizes are limited in order to provide you with the best of personal attention and care. What’s more this tour can be booked through your local travel agent or tour operator too. Segway tours have made a mark in the National Capital Region and are gearing up to take it across the country. So watch out for this two wheeled personal transporter as its all set to make a mark in the way we do sightseeing and take you away from the conventional experience to an exciting one.

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