travel vision

MAURITIUS: 5-STAR HOTELS IN VILLAGES

2009-10-09T04:10:00.000-07:00

So you are talking about five star cultures. Come Mauritius, you will find that the best hotels are situated in the villages. Those who don’t like villages and want to stay in their air-conditioned rooms in the city may be disappointed but it is true the Mauritius government has taken a unique decision in this concern and made the villages the most beautiful tourist spots in the country.
It is a small but beautiful island country surrounded by Arabian sea and full of nature. There are coral reefs, blue lagoons and long beaches on which you can leave all of your sadness and illness without getting medicine. “I stayed there for a period of about a week but did not take any medicine. In fact, I had forgotten to take my medicine during my stay over there because I did not need it over there, if I say it honestly!! I just used to do Pranayaam (deep breathing)”, says Prof. Nityanand Tiwari, former Head of the Department of Hindi at Delhi University. According to him there is hardly any pollution. “I am a patient of arthritis and I have to take my medicine on regular basis when I stay in Delhi at my home”, he adds.

There are several languages in the small country English, French, Hindi and Cryol. As far as people of Indian origin are concerned they speak and understand Hindi, which is basically Bhojpuri. I really amazed that even people of origin from South Indian states like Andhra Pradesh, Tamilnadu etc. speak and understand Bhojpuri very well. However, local dilect is Crayol which is a mixed language of Hindi/Bhojpuri, French and African language.
It is a small country which has an area about Delhi. But unique thing about the country is that there is diversity on every two kilometer. Another thing is that the country is not fit for night animal. Almost all offices, markets and other activities almost close down at around 5.00 pm. If you are interested to walk in the city in the late evening or night you will need a stick to keep away dogs and other animals from you. Though there is business as usual in some big hotels even in late night, says Prof. Tiwari.

Irresistible Shimla

2009-05-12T06:49:00.000-07:00

By Shubhadra

As the summer is going hotter and sultry, delhites and residents of national capital region (NCR) have started to move to Shimla, old capital of India during the British Raj in summer. Though the weather is not so cold in Shimla, as it used to be in 18th or 19th century, it still attracts people of the country and abroad with its unique and irresistible beauty. No wonder if it is termed as ‘Queen of hills’ due to its wonderful town planning and natural heritage and historic monuments.

Though its beauty has got some patches due to recent developments in the urban planning and boom in the reality sector, but still it has so many attractions to lure people. These include historic town hall, viceregal lodge, now Indian Institute of Advance Studies, Chirst church (second oldest in northern India and one of the most beautiful church in the country), Mall road, Shimla museum and several others. Kalka – Shimla rail is another big attraction here. The Kalka-Shimla rail line is probably the oldest and longest narrow guage operational rail line in the country. The route has over 100 tunnels and over 800 bridges.

How to reach: People can reach Shimla by air, train, bus or private vehicles or cab from Delhi or Chandigarh। Shimla is 365 Km from New Delhi and 115 Km from Chandigarh. Buses are available at every 10 minutes at Inter-State Bus Terminus (ISBT) near Old Delhi Railway station. Several tour operators also provide their bus services for the tourists. The bus fare ranges from rupees 150 to rupees 1000 depending upon the services, while the private cab charges rupees 2500 to 5000 for one way.

Where to stay : There are several resorts, five star hotels and lodges are available in the city। The charges to avail services vary according to facilities. It could be around rupees 500 per day to rupees 8000 per day according to the facilities they provide

RELIGIOUS SARISKA

2009-04-30T22:48:00.000-07:00

By C Sharma

If US President Obama is the true follower of monkey god or Hanuman he must visit Sariska, whenever he comes India. Sariska is not a place for tigers or wildlife only. It is a place of religious importance also. In fact it is the only place in the country which connects period of Ramayana and age of Mahabharata together.

It is said that Pandava or five brothers, the then ruler of ancient Indian state Indraprastha (now Delhi), had taken refuge in the forest of Alwar or say Sariska during exile during the Mahabharta period. Bheem, the most powerful among Pandvas, once encountered a huge ape during his walks in the woods. He told the ape to move away from his way but the monkey said he was unable to move due to his old age. It would be great help for him if Bheem could move his limbs or tail from the path. Bheem tried hard but he couldn’t. Then he realized that this ape is not a general monkey but has some angel like power. After this ape appeared as the monkey-god, lord Hanuman.

Later on a temple was built at the place where Bheem met Hanumaan. There is a mythological water stream near the temple. The temple of Pandupol Hanuman is around 35 km from Alwar railway station and 110 Km from Sangner airport.

Also see the link for the wildlife updates: projecttiger.nic.in/sariska.htm

SARISKA : A RESERVE OF BORROWED TIGERS

2009-04-30T05:29:00.000-07:00

SARISKA : A RESERVE OF BORROWED TIGERS

SARISKA: When you reach at the gate of Balaji fort (popularly known as the Alwar fort of Rajsthan, India) you will find a board at the gate warning you to not enter into the woods outside the fort as it is 'tiger zone'. The fort which is situated over 600 meter at the sea level and about 52 km from well known tiger project 'Sariska' and sorrounded by the dense forest and a very long boundry walls still fears that there could tiger in the woods. If believe by the local security personnels at the fort area there may be some tigers in the forest outside the. " Sometimes we hear roars of tigers", says Hoshiyar Singh, a security personal at the fort area.
But rest assured that you will hardly witness any tiger in the Sariska tiger reserve, a national park which was sometimes known for plenty of royal Bengal tigers. Created in 1978 and spreadout in over 860 sq kms, the Sariska reserve had about two dozen tigers and 49 leopard in 1997. But when we visited the tiger reserve, there was no glimpse of tiger in the enitre reserve. Though some roars of leopard was heard during the visit but tiger was remained out of the reach in the Sariska. Not just tigers but finding any wild boars too was a tough task in the woods however the normal boars are plenty. The visitors may be exited to see a good number of deer, spotted dear, antelop, peacocks, jackals and several other animals. But exitement of looking tiger in their natural habitat gives a kind of disappointment for the nature lovers.
Thanks forest department and administrators of tiger projects and pochers who converted the fear of extinction of tigers into reality. According to a local tourist guide three or four years ago there were about ten tigers in the reserve but all the tigers were either poached by the poachers or died due to disease or their own fightings. "For last two years Sariska became tiger zone to 'no tiger zone' till two tigers were brought in the forest from the Ranthambore", says a forest officer of the project on the condition of anonymity.

When we talked to our gypsy driver Ram Avtar, who takes people on the safari, he admitted that getting tiger in the woods is a depends on luck as only two tigers are their in the woods. Since one is tiger and other is tigress so they have not divided their territory. "If there is more tigers in the forest they decide their territories and do not enter into each others territory", he says adding that in that situation we could find them easily.
But tiger reserve is not meant for tourists only, says Amitabh Kumar, who came there to make a documentary on Sariska. According to him the reserve mean save tiger from the extinction and let grow the forest too with family of tigers.

Jobs in India

Careerjet, the search engine for jobs