Category: Special

Whether you are new to India or is a resident, planning your vacations in India is a strenuous job as the country is diverse in all aspects. Finding the right deal at the right time and planning your trips in detail will help you experience your travel better. Since the advent of internet, travel planning have become much more easier. However, websites are taking a backseat now pushing mobile applications to the forefront. There are a host of mobile applications available in the Google Play Store. It’s quite difficult to choose from such a variety of options. Here, Tourism News ... Read more

In the second week of September Union Minister K J Alphons said that rupee depreciation was good for the country’s tourism sector, and, his words seem to be true, looking at the growth of inbound tourism. The strengthening dollar and Euro has made India an attractive destination for foreign tourists. Though the outbound tourism has taken a hit, the tourism industry has high hopes regarding the inbound tourists. Alphons has said earlier last month that the central government is taking all measures to double the tourist inflow in India in next three years. Apart from foreign travellers, there’s a remarkable rise in ... Read more

Stroll along the streets of the City of Greater Dandenong at Melbourne in Australia, and it will amaze everyone. The street pillars showcases the traditional mural art of Kerala. The street pillars were painted in hues  of yellow, orange and red by Yogeshwari Biju, a trained Kerala Mural Artist from South India who has vast experience in conducting painting workshops, art exhibitions and art sale. Yoge has used traditional Kerala mural colour palette including deep yellow, orange and red ochre colours that are warm and welcoming. The carefully chose colours also depicts the friendly, welcoming and warm-hearted characteristics of South Indian ... Read more

Packing your suitcase for a long weekend might sound easy but what about packing your bags for 100-plus days at sea or another extended journey? The experts at Cruise Specialists, which is North America’s leading world cruise travel agency, provide their advice on what to pack for that trip of a lifetime. “One of the questions we are asked most often is, ‘What should I pack?’ Our specialists and hosts have been on countless journeys around the world and are leading experts when it comes to providing advice to ensure travelers’ dream trips are as carefree and enjoyable as possible,” ... Read more

Photos courtesy: Fotolia It comes as no surprise that the “workaholic” mindset of many Americans can affect people’s willingness to take vacation days for traveling. However, work isn’t the only culprit hindering American’s travel. A study by Project: Time Off found the three top reasons why people don’t use their vacation days to travel are cost, children and pets. Despite citing pets as a barrier to travel, 60 per cent of pet owners surveyed said they would like to break the working routine and explore. “Traveling can be stressful for people and pets,” said Jessa Paschke, behavior and training specialist at ... Read more

With longer working hours, constant digital contact and increasing obligations, it’s no wonder more people are treating themselves to solo trips to (temporarily) get away from it all! According to a survey by Agoda, one of the world’s fastest-growing online travel agents (OTA), travellers are choosing to go solo to take respite from the stresses of modern living. Agoda’s ‘Solo Travel Trends 2018’ survey, conducted by YouGov, found that relaxation and time to unwind is the number one motivator for solo leisure travel globally (61 per cent), which compares to 48 per cent when traveling with friends. Solo travellers surveyed also ... Read more

Gopinath Parayil and Lakshmi at the Chekkutty stall Chekkutty dolls which became a symbol of survival and hope in flood ravaged Kerala, has conquered the hearts of buyers, sellers, and all the other visitors at the Kerala Travel Mart held in Samudrika Convention Centre in Wellington Island.  Chekkutty was an initiative started to support Chendamangalam weavers who lost their stocks in the flood in August. Ernakulam district Collector Safirulla IAS, Lakshmi Menon and Gopinath Parayil at Chekkutty stall in KTM wearing Chekkutty as a mascot of resilience and hope The dolls are made from handloom sarees weaved for Onam sales, ... Read more

Deenaz Raisinghani with her child (Photo Courtesy: Indian Express) Deenaz Raisinghani, a Jaipur-based blogger is fond of travelling. Having a baby did not stop her craving for travelling. In fact, the mom to a three-year-old has travelled to nine countries with the baby, as a family and even solo. The Backpacking Mama shares her experience of her trip to Kerala. “We travelled to Kerala when my daughter was just 11 months old, and it remains one of our most favourite trips with family. Kerala caters to everyone, on every kind of budget. Along with its scenic beauty, it allures you ... Read more

Munnar is in a revival mode, following the widespread blooming of Neelakurinji, the purple-blue flower, which blooms once in 12 years. And, to the north of Kerala, the Kannur International airport is all set to be operational in a couple of months time. Towards the south, Jatayu Earth Centre is calling all adventure lovers to experience the newly opened facilities. Kerala is on a revival mode, with all these major additions and is expecting more number of tourists to flock the state, with these added attractions. After the slowdown of inbound tourists due to the rain and floods, Munnar is ... Read more

Portugal, with its rich history, fabulous food and wine, mesmerizing beaches, lush green mountains, wonderful weather, romantic cruises, picturesque castles and chapels, colourful valleys and amazing spa and resorts, is an ideal honeymoon destination. Celebrate your love in the most spectacular and special way in Portugal, a country which is a perfect blend of both the ancient and the modern. Near the capital city Lisbon, lies Serra de Sintra, a world heritage site known for its beautiful castles and picturesque natural beauty, that provides stunning stays at 19th-century palaces and mansions. Alongside the villas and the palaces, beaches in Sintra ... Read more

Launch of Flip-Flop dhow at Lamu Island, Kenya Lamu Island of Kenyan has marked history on recycling plastic on 15th September 2018, by sailing on boat built entirely of recycled plastic. They have been collecting plastics from the ocean and the surroundings through their clean-up campaign since last year. In order to curtail the menace of plastic to the environment, the Kenyan government has imposed the world’s toughest law against plastic bags, stating offenders, including producers, retailers, and ordinary users, to face imprisonment for up to four years or fines of USD 40,000. Boat under construction Mostly all the plastic ... Read more

Flights and hotel bookings are the most expensive things while travelling. But, this couple Chad and Hanna Janis, quit their jobs and have set off on an eight-month adventure to 40 countries for free. The travel hacker couple has accured 2 million credit card points, which is helping them book expensive flights and hotels without spending a penny. Over the past year, they’ve opened up 26 credit cards, keeping track of minimum spends on a master spreadsheet. Once they spend enough to get the sign up bonus, they score tens of thousands of points they can redeem for flights and ... Read more

Lakshmi Menon with Chekkutty, the doll A group of designers are making soft dolls out of the stained and torn handloom cloths, the remains of the rain and floods that affected many lives in Kerala. The handloom cloths are collected from the flood affected Chendamangalam in Eranakulam, a region famous from its handloom products. During the floods, handloom sarees worth lakhs were damaged. Normally the damaged cloths would be burned, as the stains would not be fixed by washing. At this point of time the volunteers come forward with the idea of making dolls out of the stained cloths and ... Read more

Team Bond Safari ready for the mission While Kerala has been going through the worst time in its history following the unprecedented rain and flood, lots of people from different walks of life have come forward to take the responsibility of the rescue operations. ‘Bond Safari’ of Thiruvananthapuram was such unsung heroes, who took part in the rescue operations especially in the Chengannur area. Tourism News Live got an opportunity to catch up with Jackson Peter, Managing Partner of Bond Safari, a group of professional scuba divers in Kovalam who are helping people to familiarize with under water activities, regarding their rescue operations ... Read more

When Kerala was badly affected by rain and flood that the state has never experienced in history, we have seen lots of heroes arisen from nowhere to help the flood ridden people. Mesh Manoharan, from Chendamangalam near Kodungallur, which was one of the most affected places, was just one among the many victims of the flood. But, the trained scuba diver he is, Mesh gave it a thought to check on the water level and the situation around, took his kayak out in the river flowing behind his home and rescued 70 people from the flood affected area. Mesh is ... Read more