Category: Special

Nature lovers and adventure seekers looking for a true taste of the Emirati lifestyle don’t have to look any further. Al Badayer Oasis by Mysk, the third gem in Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq)’s ‘Sharjah Collection’, nestled in central Sharjah’s lively Al Badayer Desert, is now welcoming guests. This picturesque oasis is first of its kind in the UAE with a unique design inspired by traditional Emirati heritage. It is the ultimate desert experience nestled in Al Badayer Desert’s burnt orange dunes, which are famously known to be ‘made for adventure’. Al Badayer is one of the most popular ... Read more

Sharjah is a perfect destination for tourists who are into art & culture, adventure and food. Known for its rich cultural heritage and its picturesque landscape, the vibrant destination is also pocket-friendly and an ideal weekend getaway as it’s only a few hours’ flight time from India. Art & Culture Sharjah Art Foundation – Located in Sharjah’s historic Art and Heritage Areas, Sharjah Art Foundation activities and events take place throughout the year and include exhibitions featuring the work of Arab and international artists, performances, music, film screenings and artist talks as well as extensive art education programmes for children, ... Read more

The Association of Tourism Trade Organisations, India (ATTOI), in association with Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala, is all set to host the International Conference on Tourism Technology (ICTT) in Kochi to address the challenges related with technology faced by Indian tourism and hospitality industry. The third edition of ICTT will have a separate session on attracting Chinese tourists to Indian destinations, especially Kerala. Richard Matuzevich from China will speak on the topic ‘How to do social media tourism promotion to get Chinese tourists. Excerpts from an interview with Richard Matuzevich… With the volume of outbound guests, Chinese tourists are ... Read more

An adventure that will leave you breathless! Take a swim in the Gulf of Aqaba in the Red Sea and explore the first Underwater Military Museum offering underwater enthusiasts 19 fascinating relics of battles. The military machines are stationed along the coral reefs imitating a battle tactical formation, that have formed the most exciting underwater escapade, intriguing divers and snorkelers to discover more and more of the dive site, not expecting what to see next and leaving them with a totally unique experience. After 30 days of scanning, photographing and planning, the blueprints for scuttling are ready, and the Aqaba ... Read more

The South Asian Voluntary Association of Environmentalists (SAVAE), a Kashmir based organization which focuses on environmental policy in South Asia, has concluded its drive of identifying and promoting the young environmental ambassadors. The underlying goal has been to bring focus and steer on campaigns to combat global warming and securing water conservation and sustainability in the politically volatile and ecologically fragile Kashmir region. The youngest hiker in the drive was three-year-old Aizel from the business town of Sopore. She accompanied her father, Shafkat Masoodi, a veteran hiker. This baby hiker remained the main attraction of this week-long eco-campaign that concluded ... Read more

Authentic, Compact and Diverse; That’s what Sri Lanka is all about. Only 66,000 square km in area, yet a treasure trove of diverse and astonishing surprises. Sri Lanka is a cornucopia of magnificent beaches, rain forests, charming villages, hill country tea plantations, centuries old cities, emerald green paddy fields, fascinating cultural traditions, spectacular pageants and festivals, spicy, exciting cuisine and so much more. All this is contained in a compact, tropical island in which its people have been justifiably renowned for their warmth and hospitality. Due to its compactness and diversity, you can behold world’s largest animal (Blue Whale) and ... Read more

Being one of the 25 biodiversity hotspots in the world, Seychelles is a must visit for nature enthusiasts. The archipelago is blessed with some of the world’s rarest species of flora and fauna, including endangered birds and plants. However, Seychelles’ biodiversity remains at risk from a variety of human induced pressures; making the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity to be of vital importance for the country’s sustainable development. In this regard, the Seychelles Sustainable Tourism Lable (SSTL) was developed to assess and recognize accommodation establishments in Seychelles that achieve best practice standards in sustainable tourism and environmental management systems. ... Read more

In spite of the terrible weather and the other adverse conditions, the tourist season in Kerala was well on course beating the last year statistics and according to the Ministry of Tourism, the state’s tourism has recorded some good growth from unexpected markets in 2018. The bad weather, religious and political protests, increased competition from Sri Lanka and the devastating floods don’t seem to have affected the tourism industry through out Kerala as more and more visitors have arrived in the state from new markets. “There was rampant apprehension that Kerala’s tourism will take a long time to recover. But ... Read more

As a city known for its free-spirited drive and vibrant culture, Los Angeles has something for everyone. While the City of Angels hosts some of the most splendid museums to cater to history buffs and artistic masterpiece lovers, LA also its share of bizarre and wacky museum experiences to break from the obvious and try something new. Here is a look at some of the most quirky museums in Los Angeles that are certainly worth a visit. The Museum of Death Established in 1995, the gory Museum of Death displays an extensive variety of art and artifacts surrounding the subject ... Read more

Every Sunday, during the 90’s, the houses across the country used to played this song in Doordarshan- ‘Jungle jungle baat chali hai pata chala hai’- the kids who grew up in the 90’s can never forget the long-haired wild boy, Mowgli and his scary encounters with Sherkhan. ‘The Jungle Book,’ aired on Doordarshan every Sunday, is a crucial part of the childhood memories of the 90’s generation, and the massive jungle where Mowgli was raised by animals, is also etched in our memories. Housed in the Seoni and Chhindwara districts of Madhya Pradesh, Pench National Park, is an impeccable place ... Read more

A veteran in the travel and tourism industry in India, E M Najeeb, Senior VP of IATO and President of the Confederation of Kerala Tourism Industry, has seen many changes including the rise and fall of tourism and the golden rise of the God’s own Country. The tourism industry veteran brings with him a wealth of experience. Tourism News Live spoke to EM Najeeb about his experiences and his thoughts on tourism and the outlook over the next few years. Tourism brings people together from all over the world. How do you see the role of tourism in society? The world ... Read more

Vishu, the Kerala festival of colours, joy and prosperity, is celebrated with much pomp and glory across the state. Vishu comes on the first day of the Malayalam month ‘Medam’ (April), which is also the Spring Equinox, when the duration of day and night are equal. This year, Vishu falls on April 15, Monday. Vishu is celebrated in all other parts of India as well, to mark the beginning of the new year of the Hindu calendar, but is known with a different name in different states. For Example, in Mangalore and Udupi districts of Karnataka it is known as Bishu, ... Read more

The four pilgrim destinations Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath in Uttarakhand, are collectively known as Chardham. Attracting more and more pilgrims each year, it has become one of the most important hubs of religious travel in Northern India. Traditionally, this pilgrimage tour should begin from the West and end in the East. Thus, the Char Dham Yatra commences from Yamunotri, then proceeding to Gangotri and finally to Kedarnath and Badrinath. In accordance with the Hindu conventions, thousands of devotees take up this pious tour in the hope to experience bliss and successfully purge their souls of all worldly demons. Each ... Read more

Photo Courtesy: sabyaofficial An exotic and pristine destination, Seychelles offers mesmerizing backdrops for photo-shoots and makes for an ideal location for larger than life celebrations. Charmed by its beauty, Seychelles was recently chosen by the prestigious magazine Condé Nast Traveller, India for their April issue cover photo shoot with Miss World 2017 Manushi Chhillar. Photo Courtesy: sabyaofficial Adding to the glamour of the association was the reveal of the destination wedding collection designed by India’s eminent Sabyasachi Mukherjee, the jewel of Indian fashion and wedding industry. The destination provided a perfect backdrop to showcase an enchanting white wedding setup with Manushi, ... Read more

Come April and the tiny hamlet of Kadammanitta in the Pathanamthitta district of Kerala will witness the world’s most majestic display of the ritual art form of Patayani- the Kadammanitta Patayani. The event will start on April 15, during the auspicious occasion of the harvesting festival, Vishu. Proceedings begin with the lighting of fire and the beating of the ‘thappu’ (Patayani percussion instrument) to appease Goddess Bhadrakaali. The fire for this ritual is brought from the sacred lamp inside the temple. The following days devotees can witness the procession of various Padayani Kolams. It starts with the kolam of Ganapathi. The other kolams in ... Read more