Travelnjoy Jan 2017 Revised

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Travelnjoy Vol. I - Issue 01 - January 2017

Travel & Leisure e-magazine

Valley of Flowers

Kaas 16 Plateau

Chikhaldara 06 Khajjiar 08 The only coffee estate in Maharashtra

Mini Switzarland of India

Care to be taken while travelling in long distance trains

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God’s own country

Kerala 04

Editorial

Dear friends, Travelnjoy is catering online travel services like flight, hotel, bus and holidays booking from past many years. There are many tourists who are happy with the Travelnjoy’s travel services.

After the great success of online travel services, Travelnjoy is now going to own and publish monthly magazine on travel and leisure.

It was my passion from long time to publish magazine on travel and leisure. I know this concept is not new and there are many travel magazines available in market. But my sincere efforts will be to design and produce the magazine more travel informative.

Readers can read articles like favourite, offbeat and unexplored destinations, travel tips, current travel news and many more travel related information. Readers can also find the details of various travel service providers in their local area.

Today’s age is a digital age. Google, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Whatsapp, Youtube and many more internet based apps are the best instances of digital information exchanger. Keeping this in mind I have decided to publish e-magazine online. The magazine will be available on the website travelnjoy.co.in at the same time on many popular online magazine publishers like readwhere.com, issue.com etc. Now this magazine can be read from any corner of world. This will be circulated on social media also. This e-magazine will be available online totally FREE and open to all. However, the print and paid version will also be available for subscribers only.

The year 2017 is declared as International year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by UN. I am planning to be a small part in this development and I hope you all will trust and support my upcoming endeavour the way you trusted before.

Happy Travel N Joy. Regards Shirish Kirtane

Travelnjoy | January 2017 | 03

Destination Kerala

January-February is the best time to visit

Kerala K

erala is situated on the southwestern tip of the Indian mainland on the Arabian Sea. Kerala is surrounded by the Arabian Sea on the west, Karnataka on the north and Tamil Nadu on the east.

Geographically the state can be divided into hills, valleys, plains and coastal area.

The hills of Kerala spreads over the Western Ghat from Ponmudi in the south to Munnar in the centre and Sultan’s Bathery in the north. There is heavy rainfall in this region during the months between May and November. In the coastal area of this state are situated world famous backwaters that is the main attraction of Kerala.

Places of Attraction The entire state of Kerala is a tourist destination and at every corner of this state. Backwaters, historical structures, culture, wildlife, and natural beauty, the state has all these and more.

The major tourist destinations in the state include Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Kovalam, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Munnar, Palakkad, Alappuzha, Kollam, Kannur, Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary and Sabrimalai etc.

Fairs & Festivals Onam is a time for sports and festivities and in Keralawhere one third of the area is low lying, covered with canals, lakes, and backwaters-the people take to their boats and country crafts to celebrate. Colourful aquatic festivals are organized along the sacred rive Pampa.

Depending on the positioning of the stars and the moon, the festival is held at the end of August or beginning of September.

Christmas is another festival that is celebrated with much vigour and enthusiasm in the state. Other important festivals of the state are Eid, Muharram, and other festivals that are traditionally celebrated all over the country.

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Best Time to Visit Best time visit Kerala is from September to March.Summer Season from March to May, is hot but not humid, as it is near the tropics.

Monsoon season between June and August is the best time to visit Kerala for Ayurveda treatments and rejuvenation programmes.

How to Reach

By Air Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city, is verywell connected to most of the major airports of India, including Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, and Mumbai. Thiruvananthapuram airport also possess a good connectivity with many of the gulf countries. Calicut and Kochi are two other airports in the state connecting it to the rest of the country.

By Rail Indian railways are another good option to travel to Kerala. About 200 railway stations in Kerala connect it to the most of the major cities of the country and inside the state as well.

By Road Roads in Kerala are in much better condition than the other states of India. Buses, cars, tourist taxis and autos are main modes of road transport.

Neighbouring states Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil nadu are well-connected to Kerala via fabulous roads.

Keralite food you must try: Dishes like appam, idiyappam, dosa, puttu, pathiri and many more for breakfast that goes along with any vegetarian and non vegetarian curries.

• Puttu and Kadala Curry • Appam with Stew • Idiyappam with Egg Curry • Nadan Kozhi Varuthathu aka Spicy Chicken Fry • Kerala Prawn Curry • Kallumakkaya Ularthiyath or Mussel Stir Fry Erissery or Pumpkin and Lentil Stew • Naadan Beef fry or Kerala Style Beef Fry and Malabar Parotta • Kerala style Fish Molee/Moly Travelnjoy | January 2017 | 05

Offbeat Destination Chikhaldara

The only Coffee Estate in Maharashtra

Chikhaldara a height of 1080m. Close to Amravati, Chikhladara can be reached by road.

The deep misty valleys of Chikhaldara has a new shade in every fold unwrapped. Chikhaldara (chikaldara, chikhaldhara) is located in Amaravati district of Vidarbha region. The only hill station in the Vidarbha region offers you an abundance of wildlife, viewpoints, lakes and waterfalls. Chikhaldara has many things to be explored.

Chikhaldara is full of deep valleys, and these valleys are full of velvet mist and majestic trees. Chikhaldara is situated at an altitude of 1,118 m and has the added distinction of being the only coffee-growing area in Maharashtra. Chikhaldara is full of deep valleys, and these valleys are full of velvet mist and majestic trees. All this makes it a very popular summer retreat.

With abundance of natural scenery, exciting wildlife, breathtaking waterfalls and a placid lake, the beauty of Chikhaldara is overwhelming. The climate is always breezy and walking on the clouds often becomes a reality.

L

ocated in the central region of Maharashtra which is actually an equatorial belt with extreme temperatures, Chikhladara surprises the wary tourist with sights far beyond the ordinary. The only coffee plantation estate in Maharashtra, it is one of most beautiful and yet offbeat destination in the state rising to

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Places of interest Places of interest in and around Chikhaldara are the Melghat Tiger Project, Dhakana-Kolkaz National Park, Hurricane Point, Prospect Point, Devi Point, Gavilgad and Narnala Fort, the Pandit Nehru Botanical Gardens, the Tribal Museum and the Semadoh Lake.

The Melghat Tiger Project has 82 tigers1 and also houses other animals like panthers, sloth bears, sambar, wild bear, and wild dogs.

The scenic beauty of the misty mountains with rich

variety of flora could be observed from Hurricane Point, Prospect Point, and Devi Point.1 Excursions to Gavilgad and Narnala Fort are also memorable ones. The mystery of nature unfolds itself in every twists and turns of the hilly way.

Weather Oct – Feb: Cool and crisp. Temp in Dec-Jan Period is well below 10 deg C. Winter Clothing is necessary.

July – Sept: Monsoon Time. Carrying rain gear is recommended. Also advisable to carry warm clothing for evening.

March – Mid June: Warm in day and cool in the evenings. Comfortable summer clothing.

But carrying a jacket/shawl is advisable for nights.

Travelnjoy | January 2017 | 07

Offbeat Destination Khajjiar, H.P.

In summer

Mini Switzerland of India

Khajjiar K

hajjiar is a hill station in Chamba district, Himachal Pradesh, India, located approximately 24 km from Dalhousie.

Khajjiar sits on a small plateau with a small stream-fed lake in the middle that has been covered over with weeds. The hill station is surrounded by meadows and forests. It is about 6,500 feet (2,000 m) above sea level in the foothills of the Dhauladhar ranges of the Western Himalayas and peaks can be seen in the distance. It is part of the Kalatop Khajjiar Sanctuary.

Khajjiar can be reached from Dalhousie, the nearest major town and hill station, by bus in an hour or so.

It has a rare combination of three ecosystems: lake, pasture and forest.

On 7 July 1992, Mr. Willy T. Blazer, Vice Counsellor and Head of Chancery of Switzerland in India brought Khajjiar on the world tourism map by calling it “Mini Switzerland”. He also put a sign board of a yellow Swiss hiking footpath showing Khajjiar’s distance from the Swiss capital Bern-6194 km. Khajjiar is among the 160 locations in the world that bear topographical resemblance with Switzerland. The counsellor also took from Khajjiar a stone which will form part of a stone collage around the Swiss Parliament to remind the visitors of Khajjiar as a Mini Switzerland of India.

There is a hotel and some cottages run by HP Tourism at

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Khajjiar where the tourists can stay. Besides that, there are two rest houses one each of P.W.D. and Forest Deptt.

A couple of private hotels have also come up, which do not match the above places in terms of location and amenities.

Most tourists travel to Khajjiar by private or rented vehicles. Bus service to and from Khajjiar is limited and timing changes according to local demands.

The best entertainment in Khajjiar is to walk around the lake or to go for long walks in the thick pine forests.

Children enjoy this place because of the freedom of movement and the sloped terrain which permits them to roll down to the lake without getting hurt. Another attraction is horse riding.

Dauladhar Mountains: Dense deodars, pines and lush green meadows are characteristic of Khajjiar.

Since Khajjiar is situated at the base of the Dauladhar Mountains, the tourists here can get panoramic views of the mountains.

Khajjiar Lake: Khajjiar Lake is a small lake, surrounded by saucer-shaped lush green meadow and a floating island. The dense growth of weed called vacha has made its earth spongy. Now the banks stand covered by a thick layer of earth, formed by the years of dust settling down on the weeds.

In winter

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Travel News India

Indian destinations, Agar and Sikkim have bagged positions top travel destinations list Agra and Sikkim now feature in the ‘52 Places to go to in 2017’ list by New York Times Tourism in India might have greater chances of inbound traffic now, with Agra and Sikkim featuring in New York Times’ list of ‘52 Places to go to in 2017’.

While Agra has ranked third in the list, Sikkim has bagged the 17th position among the top travel destinations for this year.

Interestingly, these tourist destinations in the country have left behind popular tourist hubs like Australia, France, Thailand and others.

Air India will start reserving seats for solo female travellers The Press Trust of India (PTI) reports that the national carrier will set aside six seats per aircraft for women on all its domestic routes from next week.

The third row of economy class – three seats either side of the aisle – would be designated for female travellers. This applies to the airline’s domestic flights operated using its fleet of Airbus A320 aircraft.

The move comes into force on 18 January 2017.

The policy only applies to solo female travellers, and not to women travelling with other family members.

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A UN-funded project has just introduced 12 new coastal spots in Maharashtra If tourism in Maharashtra has been progressive, this new development will mark another milestone in boosting the industry. The state now has 12 new coastal tourist locations, identified through a project funded by United Nations and the Centre.

These new tourists sites have been identified along the 121 km coast of Sindhudurg, as part of the efforts to reduce excessive tourist traffic in the region. So far, majority of the tourist activities were concentrated in the Malvan area of the district which in turn were impacting marine life adversely.

The new locations,within 10 kms from the coast, were scouted with fundings from United Nations Development Programme and the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, and an interim report submitted to the state on October 30, 2016.

While this new move echoes the world-wide thrust on Responsible Tourism, the state is also banking on the clear waters and marine life as the USP to attract more number of arrivals to the region. “The water there is the clearest along the coast and there is a diverse range of corals. Near Vengurla, there is a very high diversity in fish, which includes rare predator fish,” Chief Conservator of Forest (CCF) N Vasudevanwas quoted saying by The Indian Express.

Besides, these new sites will also offer various sea water activities like scuba diving and snorkelling to further divert tourist pressure from Malvan.

Local residents too will be having their fair share of impact of this strategy. A report prepared on these lines anticipate employment generation for close to 3000 people in various capacities. The first batch of people in Sindhudurg, who were affiliated with the state, were reportedly earning at least Rs 40,000.

Sindhudurg recorded around 13 lakh tourist arrivals last year owing to the affordability and variety of water sports that the region offers.

Travel News India

New high-speed train that can operate on the existing DelhiMumbai railway tracks The Indian government is accelerating its plan to speed up the key Delhi-Mumbai railway line, by ordering a new high-speed train that can operate on the existing tracks.

The Economic Times reports that India is planning to acquire two trains from Spanish company Talgo, which will be able to cover the 1,384km journey in less than 12 hours. This would be up to four hours faster than the semi-high-speed Rajdhani Express trains that had been earmarked for the line.

“In principle, we want to get two rakes (sets of trains and carriages) on immediate basis,” the newspaper reported a ‘top’ railway official as saying, on condition of anonymity.

The Talgo trains would be more expensive than the Rajdhani Express, but they would have an average speed almost 35kph faster. This will help the Indian government’s long-term goal of accelerating the country’s overall network.

Travellers from the UK and US accounted for the largest share of e-tourist visas Travellers from the UK and US accounted for the largest share of e-tourist visas issued by India in November 2016.

According to the latest data from the country’s Ministry of Tourism, a total of 136,876 international tourists visited India on e-visas in November, up 63.9% year-on-year.

UK nationals accounted for 22.3% of this monthly total, followed by the US (12.9%), Russia (8.7%), France (6.3%) and China (6.1%). Germany (4.6%), Australia (4.1%), Canada (3.6%), Netherlands (1.8%) and Ukraine (1.8%) completed the top 10.

Almost half the e-visas were issued at Delhi Airport (45.0%), followed by Mumbai (18.5%), Goa (14.2%), Chennai (5.3%) and Bengaluru (5.2%) airports.

For the first 11 months of 2016, India has now issued a total of 917,446 e-tourist visas.

The shares of the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) have started being traded on the India’s largest stock exchange The public sector body, which is controlled by India’s Ministry of Tourism, started listing its shares on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) on 30 December 2016, with an opening price of INR229 (approx. US$3.35).

On the same day, the stock touched a high of INR234 before later settling at INR211 per share.

In terms of volume, a total of 122,798 shares were traded on the NSE. “It’s a matter of great pride for us to be listed in India’s largest stock exchange and world’s third largest stock exchange in terms of transactions,” said Pradip Kumar Das, director of finance at ITDC. “At ITDC, we are moving with positive momentum and are sure that we are going to make some remarkable performances in the coming years.”

IDTC had already traded shares on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).

IndiGo’s domestic market share in India is increasing IndiGo with the low-cost carrier now handling more than 40% of total passenger traffic on routes within the country. According to the latest data from India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), IndiGo carried 3.77 million passengers on routes within India in November 2016, accounting for 42.1% of total domestic traffic. This is the third consecutive month that IndiGo has secured a 40% domestic market share.

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Travel News International

Singapore focuses on ecotourism with two new wildlife parks Mandai Park Holdings (MPH) has initiated work on its new ‘Mandai rejuvenation project’. This will see existing Singapore Zoo, River Safari and Night Safari expanded and supplemented with a brand new Bird Park and Rainforest Park as well.

The project will use ‘impacted land’ for redevelopment since 2008, as well as space currently used by Mandai’s three nature parks. The project passed an Environmental Impact Assessment in October 2016.

“Reviews and discussions on Mandai’s rejuvenation have been going on for several years with various stakeholders. With the necessary government approvals now obtained, we are delighted to mark this milestone with our partners today,” said S Dhanabalan, Chairman of MPH. The new Bird Park will feature a range of species, including many which are threatened in the wild, housed inlarge walk-through aviaries, themed after different regions of the world. MPH stated that it will adopt breeding, conservation, educational programmes, acting as a sanctuary where birds will be preserved, studied and reproduced.

The Rainforest Park will replicate a Southeast Asian jungle, with boardwalks elevating visitors into the multiple tiers, from ground level to the canopy.

Aside the new parks, the project will create new entranceways to all of MPH’s parks, a new basement transport hub, event spaces and new walkways.

The project will be completed in phases, with the Bird Park and Rainforest Park scheduled to open by 2020 and 2021 respectively.

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UN declares 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development The United Nations General Assembly declared 2017 as the ‘International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development’ recalling the potential of tourism to advance the universal 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The International Year aims to support a change in policies, business practices and consumer behaviour towards a more sustainable tourism sector that can contribute effectively to the SDGs. “This is a unique opportunity to build a more responsible and committed tourism sector that can capitalise its immense potential in terms of economic prosperity, social inclusion, peace and understanding, cultural and environmental preservation,” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai.

The International Year will promote tourism’s role in the following five key areas: (1) Inclusive and sustainable economic growth; (2) Social inclusiveness, employment and poverty reduction; (3) Resource efficiency, environmental protection and climate change; (4) Cultural values, diversity and heritage; and (5) Mutual understanding, peace and security

Travel Tips

Care to be taken while travelling in long distance trains

T

raveling through Indian railways is one of the cheapest, authentic and advisable, It is one of the most enjoyable way to see this majestic country. Indian railway is the fourth largest in the world and it is connected to most part of the country.

It is essential to be prepared for the journey while travelling through Indian railways.

Here are some tips to ensure a safe and enjoyable trip.

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• Whenever you plan your journey first of all do complete research about the trains such as which train have more seating capacity, train time etc. It will make your journey more comfortable for you.

• Book your ticket well in advance to avoid wait list or RAC. • Don’t leave your luggage unsecured or your valuables on display. Your traveling companions may be honest, but thieves sometimes enter the carriages at night. Bring a padlock and chain as you’ll find facilities for fastening your luggage in your compartment. Also put small locks in the zipper of your every luggage.

• Keep your ticket and ID handy to show to TT when demanded.

• Do not eat food from unknown people or copassengers while travelling in trains. It is very dangerous for your health and wealth. Sometime thieves use medicine which will force you to sleep immediately. After then, thieves get enough time to steal your luggage during your journey in the train.

There are also so many thieves who try to use this technique during your waiting at railway platform.

So, it is also advisable to do not eat any type of food from unknown people during your stay at platform.

• Keep discussions with outsiders short and to the point. Don’t energize stupid discussions with male co-passenger especially by woman travelling alone.

• Always carry a book with you or mobile with headphone. This could help in maintaining a strategic distance from talk with undesirable individuals.

• Request the upper berth (it will say “UB” on your ticket stub) when purchasing your ticket—it has a far more prominent level of protection and you can extend at whatever time, even amidst the day.

• Study all the travelers around you after the train leaves the station. Don’t show that you are afraid of your safety and security.

• Dress comfortably and wear shoes that can be easily removed. There are no change rooms etc. on trains, the bathrooms are small and the majority of people sleep in the same clothes they boarded the train in. Of course you could still pack a pajama along with your toothbrush!

• Don’t take out expensive electronic items in the train compartments. Many people use their laptops in trains. Avoid using it while traveling in trains.

• Keep some Rupees in small denominations in a separate pocket. This way you don’t have to pull out all your money every time you need to spend a few Rupees or perhaps give a tip to someone.

counts. There are two toilets on both the ends of every compartment. At least one of these will be ‘western style’. However, it’s the Indian style toilets that often stay the cleanest as the western style ones are frequently used.

• Peak time for bathroom use is usually between 8 am and 9 am, so it pays to get up early before the rush starts.

• Take some hand soap, anti-bacterial hand wipes and toilet paper in your hand bag with your toothpaste and brush.

• Most of trains has charging point in trains. But it’s better for you if you carry a portable charger with you and use your phone wisely, don’t waste your battery on unnecessary thing, keep your data connection off when not required.

• While there’s not much difference in the standard of the toilets between sleeper and air conditioned class, it’s the cleanliness that

Travelnjoy | January 2017 | 15

Offbeat Destination Kaas Plateau

Valley of flowers

Kaas Plateau K

aas plateau is a plateau located around 25 km from west of Satara in Maharashtra state. It falls under the Sahyadri Sub Cluster of the Western Ghats, and it became a part of a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site in 2012. The plateau is situated at an altitude of 1200 metres and is approximately 10 square kilometers in area. Kaas Plateau is rich in its Bio-diversity. Many species are observed on plateau

These high hill plateaus and grasslands turns into a ‘valley of flowers’ during monsoon season, particularly from August to early October. Kaas Plateau has more than 150 or more types of flowers, shrubs and grasses.

The orchids bloom here for a period of 3–4 weeks during this season. Kaas plateau is a World Natural Heritage site. To control possible damage by tourists, the number of visitors to the plateau has been restricted to 3,000 per day.

There are two ways to reach Kaas. One the more direct way from Satara and another from Tapola via the link road connecting Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani to Kas Pathar. Kas plateau is 20 km away from Northern part of Koyana Sanctuary.

Distance from main cities to Kaas Plateau: From Satara - 25 km From Pune - 125 km From Mumbai - 280 km From Kolhapur - 150 km

which are new to the Botanical Science. Many of the endemic, endangered plants are found on Plateau.

More than 850 species of flowering plants are reported on the plateau. 624 species have entered in the Red Data Book. The major portion of the plateau is reserve Forest. The plateau is largely formed of basalt which is directly exposed to atmosphere. The plants growing on Kas plateau are typically of herbaceous nature of like grasses. The small shrubs and trees are located at the periphery of the plateau at Kaas plateau.

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Travel Tips

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Travel Packing List

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