22 GAZETTE 14 June 2012
GazetteTTRAVEL FastTravel Get some guaranteed sunshine with Wingsabroad Turkish holiday specials WINGSABROAD, the Turkish holiday specialist is offering some great deals this summer if you want guaranteed sunshine. A stay at the three-star Melissa Apartments costs €359pps (self-catering and two sharing). This includes return flights, seven nights’ accommodation. You will travel from Dublin or Cork on June 24 or June 25, from Shannon. The next offer is a stay at another three-star resort, Sami Beach Hotel, (B and B basis). Prices start at €399pps and include return flights and seven nights’ accommodation. Travel on June 24 from Dublin or on June 25 from Shannon. Another offer is the four-star Golden Day Wings (B and B basis) from €439pps (two sharing). This includes return flights, seven nights’ accommodation. Leave on either June 24 from Dublin or Cork or on June 25 from Shannon. You can stay at the four-star Coastlight Hotel on a B and B basis from €449pps (two sharing). The price includes return flights, seven nights’ accommodation. Leave from Dublin or Cork on June 24 or from Shannon on June 25. To stay at the three-star Summer Gardens on a self-catering basis will cost €419pps (two sharing), including return flights, seven nights’ accommodation as stated. Start out from Dublin on June 24 or from Shannon on June 25. The final offer is to stay at the three-star Marbel Hotel (all-inclusive) from €559pps (two sharing) including return flights, seven nights’ accommodation. Travel on June 24 from Dublin or Cork or else June 25 from Shannon. For more information or to book please visit www.wingsabroad.ie or call 01 8719444 or contact your local travel agent.
Edited by Mimi Murray
INDIA AND NEPAL: LAUNCH OF ESCORTED TOURS FOR BOTH COUNTRIES
Explore a little Eastern mystery I BAIRBRE NI
BHRAONAIN
F you’ve ever thought about making that daunting trek to Nepal or India but didn’t know where to start, here’s your chance to explore these two countries of Eastern mystery with an escort to lead the way for you. Gohop.ie have just introduced an escorted tour of both countries which takes in all of their most important historical and religious sites. Exotic stops on the tour begin with the Indian capital, New Delhi then on to Jaipur and Agra (home of the Taj Mahal). From here you will go onto Jhansi and the medieval riverside town of Orchha which is filled with shrines and temples. Next the tour heads to the UNESCO heritage site of Khajuraho where the temples are of the erotic kind and finally it reaches the spiritual heart of India as you fly to Varanasi. The first stop of the tour is in Old Delhi. You will visit Jama Majid which is the largest mosque in India, take a rickshaw ride in Chandni Chowk and visit Red Fort and Faj Ghat where the shrine
I
Bangla Sahib is the most prominent Sikh house of worship in New Delhi
and cremation site of Mahatma Gandhi. Next to New Delhi which is a modern, vibrant city with fine examples of Indo-Islamic architecture and the world’s tallest minaret at Qutab Minar. It also has the India Gate; a war memorial arch and is the residence of India’s president and parliament. The tour will next take you on to Jaipur where you will visit the magnificent Amber Fort. Rajput is famous as a complex of palaces and pavilions, gardens and
You will enjoy a sunset visit to the spectacular Taj Mahal
temples. You will truly feel like a prince or princess of the old Raj as you ascend a hilltop on a decorated elephant. You will then have the option of seeing Jaipur from the sky in an early morning hot air balloon flight over the pink city. Agra is famous for its marble and also for its intricate leather work. You will enjoy a sunset visit to the spectacular Taj Mahal. This white marble shrine to love was built over a period of 22 years
by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan for his Queen Mumtaz Mahal to house her mortal remains. Orchha, or “hidden place” has ruins of the tiered Jahangir Mahal, a fine example of medieval Indo Islamic architecture decorated with paintings and frescoes done in the 17th century. The Taj Mahal features more murals and frescoes depicting the life of Lord Rama and Krishna and incarnations of Lord Vishnu. Kathmandu is next on the tour where you will enjoy an early morning boat cruise on the Holy River Ganges. On the Ganges you will see the “bathing ghats” where thousands of pilgrims pay homage to the Sun God by immersing themselves in the river. Sarnath is the following place and it’s where Lord Buddha gave his first sermon. You will then visit the 2500-year-old Swayambhunath Stupa. This is one of the holiest and oldest Buddhist
chaityas in Nepal. The tour will then head to Kathmandu’s Durbar Square, the historic seat of Nepalese royalty. The Gohop escorted tours to India and Nepal run from June 1, 2012 until April 15, 2013. You can book your tour of 11 nights by contacting www.gohop.ie and prices include 11 nights’ accommodation with half board, English speaking guides, entrance fees to sights, elephant ride, a boat ride in Varanasi and transportation via car. Prices are €1,590per person sharing (pps) until September 30 2012 (ground only); €1,890pps until April 15, 2013 (ground only); €2,490pps until September 30 2012 (including flights) and €2,790pps until April 15, 2013 (including flights). The return flights to Delhi, which will be priced on enquiry to ensure the best fares, and visas for India and Nepal are not included in the price.