India is a spiritual land, a land where the religion and philosophy have attained their cultivating points. India travel is very special because India has a very rich and dynamic culture that attracts every traveller. India is like a reward to every traveller who explores this mysterious country.
India culture is like the Indian food, rich and diverse. Rivers, seas, mountains and deserts create an interesting puzzle that makes India Travel an unforgettable experiance. India is a vast subcontinent bringing together people of different languages and numerous dialects. In each region people embrace their own languages and beliefs, making India a land full of history and tradition. It is true that the India History begins thousand years ago. India travel is a fascinating experience and nobody can doubt it.
India has tremendous variations in topography and climate from the desert regions of Rajasthan to the scenic hill stations, green valleys of Himachal, the rain forests of the North East, the extensive sun-drenched beaches, the wild sanctuaries.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
The constant desire for exploring new places
The constant desire for exploring new places and getting different kinds of experiences seems to be in human nature. It is only natural for you to want to have a vacation in an exotic foreign country and indeed this can be the adventure of a lifetime. However, in order to make the most out of it and take only pleasurable memories back home, you have to prepare for the trip as best as you can. Taking care of all the basics will really allow you to enjoy your holiday to the fullest.
Once you choose the destination of your trip, you should go and have a medical check. This is necessary primarily because you might very well need specific vaccinations against different types of diseases. Do not think that you will have to have an immunization only if you are going to a place with a tropical climate or that is not well developed. Given the global pandemics of flu such as the swine one and the local outbursts of different types of contagious diseases, you should really do your best to stay healthy during the trip. The medical exam can also show that you have some problems that have to be treated before you leave so that you do not have any problems when you are away from home.
You are highly advised to get some form of travel insurance. Travelers who are on a budget often tend to underestimate the importance of this aspect of the trip, but as we all know it can be a real life saver. There are different types of insurance packages that you can go for and you will surely be able to find ones on a bargain. It is important for the policy to be adequate to the type of trip that you will be having. The standard situations such as the need for medical care and emergency care as well as travel delays and lost or stolen property are simply a must, but you might also want to get insured for the practice of extreme sports and also for liability. The latter will be of great help especially if you will spend your vacation in a country with specific and severe laws.
Be careful with your budgeting and money. You should really prepare enough money for your trip without trying to save on any of its aspects. Usually there should not be a problem with currency exchange and travelers checks are a good idea - although are falling in popularity. It is best to get some foreign currency at home so that you can cover your basic expenses. Remember that you might be at a place where you cannot use your credit card at large.
Once you choose the destination of your trip, you should go and have a medical check. This is necessary primarily because you might very well need specific vaccinations against different types of diseases. Do not think that you will have to have an immunization only if you are going to a place with a tropical climate or that is not well developed. Given the global pandemics of flu such as the swine one and the local outbursts of different types of contagious diseases, you should really do your best to stay healthy during the trip. The medical exam can also show that you have some problems that have to be treated before you leave so that you do not have any problems when you are away from home.
You are highly advised to get some form of travel insurance. Travelers who are on a budget often tend to underestimate the importance of this aspect of the trip, but as we all know it can be a real life saver. There are different types of insurance packages that you can go for and you will surely be able to find ones on a bargain. It is important for the policy to be adequate to the type of trip that you will be having. The standard situations such as the need for medical care and emergency care as well as travel delays and lost or stolen property are simply a must, but you might also want to get insured for the practice of extreme sports and also for liability. The latter will be of great help especially if you will spend your vacation in a country with specific and severe laws.
Be careful with your budgeting and money. You should really prepare enough money for your trip without trying to save on any of its aspects. Usually there should not be a problem with currency exchange and travelers checks are a good idea - although are falling in popularity. It is best to get some foreign currency at home so that you can cover your basic expenses. Remember that you might be at a place where you cannot use your credit card at large.
Hotels with a golf course
Hotels with a golf course are what most men look for when they are treating their other half to a weekend away, and the majority of the time it is for themselves, not their wife! However, some women do enjoy the green, and look for golf package holidays as gifts for their men.
Whether you are looking to treat your husband or partner to a golf package holiday, or fancy a change and want to learn golf, then choosing hotels with a golf course are an exciting way to spend your break. If you are looking to go abroad, then there are many package holidays which include golf as their main feature.
You will want to look for the best golfing getaways, which include Spain, Portugal or France, which are entrenched in the elite of golf holiday destinations, and are now even more accessible thanks to the availability of low cost air carriers. The golfing calendar is full of events, so you are free to choose wherever you want to go, whether it is a visit to the Wales Open at Celtic Manor or the Irish Open at Adare Manor or even the Scottish Open played at the simply stunning Loch Lomond Club, it's up to you.
There are also golfing experiences available further afield, if you have a bit more cash to splash, then going on a two week long haul golfing holiday may be just what you want. Basking in the sun, while relaxingly playing golf, whether seriously or for fun.
From five-star luxury at the US Masters at Augusta National with private housing, to Official travel package to the Ryder Cup at Valhalla, most companies offer exclusive travel, ticket and hospitality packages all ABTA bonded and insured, for one price.
Whether you are looking to treat your husband or partner to a golf package holiday, or fancy a change and want to learn golf, then choosing hotels with a golf course are an exciting way to spend your break. If you are looking to go abroad, then there are many package holidays which include golf as their main feature.
You will want to look for the best golfing getaways, which include Spain, Portugal or France, which are entrenched in the elite of golf holiday destinations, and are now even more accessible thanks to the availability of low cost air carriers. The golfing calendar is full of events, so you are free to choose wherever you want to go, whether it is a visit to the Wales Open at Celtic Manor or the Irish Open at Adare Manor or even the Scottish Open played at the simply stunning Loch Lomond Club, it's up to you.
There are also golfing experiences available further afield, if you have a bit more cash to splash, then going on a two week long haul golfing holiday may be just what you want. Basking in the sun, while relaxingly playing golf, whether seriously or for fun.
From five-star luxury at the US Masters at Augusta National with private housing, to Official travel package to the Ryder Cup at Valhalla, most companies offer exclusive travel, ticket and hospitality packages all ABTA bonded and insured, for one price.
Each state, which has the authority to create its own constitution, is represented by three senators--two are elected by their constituents, and one seat is assigned to the first minority or the runner-up candidate.
I also didn't know that Mexico used to be a really big nation. New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, parts of Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas and Wyoming were, once upon a time, a part of Mexico. Unlike the United States, however, to which their form of government is similar, Mexico has a multi-party electoral system. Its major political parties are Institutional Revolutionary Party, National Action Party, Party of the Democratic Revolution, Green Ecological Party, and Labor Party.
I also didn't know that Mexico used to be a really big nation. New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, parts of Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas and Wyoming were, once upon a time, a part of Mexico. Unlike the United States, however, to which their form of government is similar, Mexico has a multi-party electoral system. Its major political parties are Institutional Revolutionary Party, National Action Party, Party of the Democratic Revolution, Green Ecological Party, and Labor Party.
Travel overseas is at its cheapest
There's no doubt about it. Travel overseas is at its cheapest in relative terms as it's ever been. This fact is being constantly hammered home by the travel industry (often by ex footballers caked in makeup on certain travel shows). Travel overseas has become so accessible that it's often less of a strain financially to holiday abroad rather than at home.
But do we really think about just how lucky Australian's are when it comes to the opportunity to see the world? There's more to it than just a cheap Jetstar flight and few nights in Bali.
We have a rare combination of cultural acceptance of taking off to see the world, along with the money to do it.
If you look at international travel for the masses it's only been since the 1970's that it's been a financial possibility for most Aussies to take off. Travel in this era might be argued to be more 'free' when baby boomers set out to see the world. There were no shoe checks or body scans at the airport and the term 'Bin Laden' might have referred to an overflowing rubbish bin. Yet international flights were still expensive compared to wages. Compare that to now, with our generally more cashed up accounts and cheap flights.
Looking back further travel was surely more an adventure than it presents now, but only a rare few had the money to pay for an entourage of porters, and minders and maids that usually accompanied grand travel. This travel might have been paid for by a chauvinistic geographic society or publishing company keen on retelling tales of the mysterious other to the masses. Not everybody had the chance to meet Mr. Livingstone, or drag a herd of camels across the Aussie dessert looking for a lake.
Coming back to the present Australia has the distinction of being the only developed country to recently avoid going into recession, with the economy showing signs of bouncing back strongly. We have enjoyed high levels of disposable income for some time now, making us a wealthier and luckier country than we sometimes care to admit (even my staunchly conservative grandfather might concede something has been done right to keep us above water).
To get even deeper into the facts of our good fortune, contrast our wealth with the fact that close to 50% of the world lives in relative poverty to us (that includes every second child). I wonder what percentage of the other 50% actually has the means to travel internationally, or the support or encouragement from parents or general acceptance from society to do so? That better off 50% has suffered much more than us in the past 18 months or so.
Along with the financial means culturally we have almost an expectation to go see what's out there. No longer is Europe or the USA by default out first stop. More and more Aussies are branching out and getting to know other parts of the globe on their first trip away. While Americans are expected to go straight to college, get ahead and take a week off a year in the process, we still have a great attitude to taking time away from our hectic work life. While Europeans are great travellers, their economy has taken a bigger hit than ours.
Some might argue that travel has become sanitised to a point where the best days are over. I'd disagree. With the time and inclination there are always adventures to be had, and allot of travel I reckon is getting out to see things before they disappear. Our kids, or at least theirs, might not have the same opportunities that we do right now.
So yes, the ads are right. It is a great time to travel. But looking at it more deeply now is really the best time to get going and it's not all to do with cramped seats on budget airlines and a high dollar.
But do we really think about just how lucky Australian's are when it comes to the opportunity to see the world? There's more to it than just a cheap Jetstar flight and few nights in Bali.
We have a rare combination of cultural acceptance of taking off to see the world, along with the money to do it.
If you look at international travel for the masses it's only been since the 1970's that it's been a financial possibility for most Aussies to take off. Travel in this era might be argued to be more 'free' when baby boomers set out to see the world. There were no shoe checks or body scans at the airport and the term 'Bin Laden' might have referred to an overflowing rubbish bin. Yet international flights were still expensive compared to wages. Compare that to now, with our generally more cashed up accounts and cheap flights.
Looking back further travel was surely more an adventure than it presents now, but only a rare few had the money to pay for an entourage of porters, and minders and maids that usually accompanied grand travel. This travel might have been paid for by a chauvinistic geographic society or publishing company keen on retelling tales of the mysterious other to the masses. Not everybody had the chance to meet Mr. Livingstone, or drag a herd of camels across the Aussie dessert looking for a lake.
Coming back to the present Australia has the distinction of being the only developed country to recently avoid going into recession, with the economy showing signs of bouncing back strongly. We have enjoyed high levels of disposable income for some time now, making us a wealthier and luckier country than we sometimes care to admit (even my staunchly conservative grandfather might concede something has been done right to keep us above water).
To get even deeper into the facts of our good fortune, contrast our wealth with the fact that close to 50% of the world lives in relative poverty to us (that includes every second child). I wonder what percentage of the other 50% actually has the means to travel internationally, or the support or encouragement from parents or general acceptance from society to do so? That better off 50% has suffered much more than us in the past 18 months or so.
Along with the financial means culturally we have almost an expectation to go see what's out there. No longer is Europe or the USA by default out first stop. More and more Aussies are branching out and getting to know other parts of the globe on their first trip away. While Americans are expected to go straight to college, get ahead and take a week off a year in the process, we still have a great attitude to taking time away from our hectic work life. While Europeans are great travellers, their economy has taken a bigger hit than ours.
Some might argue that travel has become sanitised to a point where the best days are over. I'd disagree. With the time and inclination there are always adventures to be had, and allot of travel I reckon is getting out to see things before they disappear. Our kids, or at least theirs, might not have the same opportunities that we do right now.
So yes, the ads are right. It is a great time to travel. But looking at it more deeply now is really the best time to get going and it's not all to do with cramped seats on budget airlines and a high dollar.
Worrying about the potential dangers which await you in a foreign land can be a little overwhelming particularly if you have not done a lot of travel. The best approach to this fear is to remember your worries are often exaggerated by the unknown element of travel overseas.
Dwelling on your safety while planning your trip will inevitably lead to further paranoia yet ignoring any potential risks only furthers your chance of being robbed or worse.
Look at it this way, Australia has many visitors and travellers arriving every year and they will have many worries about travelling in your home land. Speak to any British backpacker and they will be quietly shitting themselves about snakes and sharks, killer rips (thanks Bondi Rescue), jellyfish and huge unforgivable landscapes and don't even mention the spiders. Many are seriously concerned that they will be bitten by any one of the many deadly insects which call Australia home and spend their last few minutes of life in unimaginable pain. It is not to say that the danger does not exist, but for those of us who live here it is not really a daily concern. The unknown and exaggerated can lead to this sort of worry.
What I am getting at is that any danger is amplified in our heads because it is sandwiched up in a big terrifying unfamiliar world. So when you are planning your trip to a far off land, how worried should you be about your safety?
Firstly, it is worth saying that there are some genuine risks out there and in some parts of the world these are so great you should consider whether travel to that location is worth it. These are normally caused by political instability, general high levels of violent crime, or it may be that a single girl might be at more risk than usual.
For most locations popular with Aussies and other tourists the threat to your personal safety will vary but as at home common sense and awareness of local conditions are the best defense when it comes to your personal safety.
Perhaps the biggest dangers you face while on the road are from common accidents. This might be in the form of a traffic accident out of your control or an incident that involves you, alcohol and or drugs. When you are asking is it safe there? It might be worth asking the same question before using the local transport on offer in places like Africa, South America and Nepal/India.
You may have little other choice but to ride in some dodgy packed out little bus: but this is probably a far greater risk in most places than violent crime. Same goes for being hammered on drugs or drink in any big city; at home or abroad it's always a risk.
When it comes to petty crime; like the loss of your valuables then and travel scams then yes, some places there is a decent chance you will fall victim to theft of some kind. The chance of this theft being violent is usually low. Same goes for travel scams, which are another common form of tourist rip off from Rome to Mumbai. These scams usually involve fast talking con men rather than a fast right hand to the head.
Violent crime does happen, but you have to be either very unlucky or have low levels of common sense as it is pretty rare in Asia and Europe and not as common in African and South American countries as you might think (with honourable exceptions). Sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Latin America are places where daylight muggings do occur, but this is a risk minimised by simply not having anything of valuable on your person, or as little as possible.
For these types of places do your homework and know where the risky areas are in your chosen destination. Ask at your hotel, read your guidebook and be alert by not alarmed (like a fridge magnet once say). Choose not to wander around alone day or night, and avoid getting pissed and walking home from the local pub (taxi!). Using an ATM at 3am in places like Rio, Capetown or Nairobi? You may as well take that money and give it to charity.
Ask hotel or hostel staff about safe taxis and keep your wits about you wherever you are. As a tourist you are a target because you are likely to have more money than locals and you are easily spotted, so use common sense an don't flaunt your cash and carry as little as you can with you when you are out and about.
Many cities will have well defined tourist areas with a high concentration of hotels/hostels to house the well healed. This area might be safe but in many cities straying outside these zones can sometimes be a risk, even by a few streets. Always ask at your hotel where to avoid (we are talking Africa and Latin America again).
Your safety while travelling is an incredibly tough thing to either generalise or give advice on. At the risk of sounding negative Aussies can at times generalise many foreign places as unsafe, while forgetting that many of these places are far more law abiding than home.
Drunken public behaviour in many countries is taboo, and many places have harsh penalties for even minor crimes. Crimes against tourists in countries that rely on the tourist trade can be horrific. Just don't forget a night out in any big Aussie city can barely be described as a totally safe experience.
Dwelling on your safety while planning your trip will inevitably lead to further paranoia yet ignoring any potential risks only furthers your chance of being robbed or worse.
Look at it this way, Australia has many visitors and travellers arriving every year and they will have many worries about travelling in your home land. Speak to any British backpacker and they will be quietly shitting themselves about snakes and sharks, killer rips (thanks Bondi Rescue), jellyfish and huge unforgivable landscapes and don't even mention the spiders. Many are seriously concerned that they will be bitten by any one of the many deadly insects which call Australia home and spend their last few minutes of life in unimaginable pain. It is not to say that the danger does not exist, but for those of us who live here it is not really a daily concern. The unknown and exaggerated can lead to this sort of worry.
What I am getting at is that any danger is amplified in our heads because it is sandwiched up in a big terrifying unfamiliar world. So when you are planning your trip to a far off land, how worried should you be about your safety?
Firstly, it is worth saying that there are some genuine risks out there and in some parts of the world these are so great you should consider whether travel to that location is worth it. These are normally caused by political instability, general high levels of violent crime, or it may be that a single girl might be at more risk than usual.
For most locations popular with Aussies and other tourists the threat to your personal safety will vary but as at home common sense and awareness of local conditions are the best defense when it comes to your personal safety.
Perhaps the biggest dangers you face while on the road are from common accidents. This might be in the form of a traffic accident out of your control or an incident that involves you, alcohol and or drugs. When you are asking is it safe there? It might be worth asking the same question before using the local transport on offer in places like Africa, South America and Nepal/India.
You may have little other choice but to ride in some dodgy packed out little bus: but this is probably a far greater risk in most places than violent crime. Same goes for being hammered on drugs or drink in any big city; at home or abroad it's always a risk.
When it comes to petty crime; like the loss of your valuables then and travel scams then yes, some places there is a decent chance you will fall victim to theft of some kind. The chance of this theft being violent is usually low. Same goes for travel scams, which are another common form of tourist rip off from Rome to Mumbai. These scams usually involve fast talking con men rather than a fast right hand to the head.
Violent crime does happen, but you have to be either very unlucky or have low levels of common sense as it is pretty rare in Asia and Europe and not as common in African and South American countries as you might think (with honourable exceptions). Sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Latin America are places where daylight muggings do occur, but this is a risk minimised by simply not having anything of valuable on your person, or as little as possible.
For these types of places do your homework and know where the risky areas are in your chosen destination. Ask at your hotel, read your guidebook and be alert by not alarmed (like a fridge magnet once say). Choose not to wander around alone day or night, and avoid getting pissed and walking home from the local pub (taxi!). Using an ATM at 3am in places like Rio, Capetown or Nairobi? You may as well take that money and give it to charity.
Ask hotel or hostel staff about safe taxis and keep your wits about you wherever you are. As a tourist you are a target because you are likely to have more money than locals and you are easily spotted, so use common sense an don't flaunt your cash and carry as little as you can with you when you are out and about.
Many cities will have well defined tourist areas with a high concentration of hotels/hostels to house the well healed. This area might be safe but in many cities straying outside these zones can sometimes be a risk, even by a few streets. Always ask at your hotel where to avoid (we are talking Africa and Latin America again).
Your safety while travelling is an incredibly tough thing to either generalise or give advice on. At the risk of sounding negative Aussies can at times generalise many foreign places as unsafe, while forgetting that many of these places are far more law abiding than home.
Drunken public behaviour in many countries is taboo, and many places have harsh penalties for even minor crimes. Crimes against tourists in countries that rely on the tourist trade can be horrific. Just don't forget a night out in any big Aussie city can barely be described as a totally safe experience.
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