Asian Traveller _ September 2015 by Mediasteps

Vol. 8

No. 12

Pages 60

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September 2015

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The Discovery of

Sri Lanka

SEPTEMBER 2015 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

Loi Krathong festival 25 November 2015

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SEPTEMBER 2015 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

Highlights Vol. 8 I No. 12 I September 2015

Cover Story

The Discovery of Sri Lanka

Ten Honours for Kerala at National Tourism Awards

The Complete Destination Scenic, Serene, Sublime. Located on the eastern coast of India, Odisha is a unique combination of beautiful locations, exotic cultures and warm & friendly people.

Kerala Tourism received four awards at the National Tourism Awards 2013-14 held in New Delhi.

44 Kerala Tourism Bags PATA Award for Heritage Conservation Kerala Tourismâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s efforts towards heritage conservation have won it the top Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Award for its Muziris Heritage Project.

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Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Choice Westerners, especially European travelers made the beach holidays famous and started travelling long distances for a nice sunshine when their homes start freezing.

42 ASIAN TRAVELLER | SEPTEMBER 2015

FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK

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America had three distinguished visitors last week (Sept 2127). Pope Francis, by now a global traveller who champions the cause of the greatest human migration since World War II, and possibly the Nobel Peace Prize candidate for the next season, was one of them. Chinese President Xi Jinping, troubled with the Yuan crisis and the impending Fed rate revision upward which will upset the applecart, was the second one. Indeed the most impactful one that made the Silicon Valley nerds dance with joy was Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit. There was a rare meeting of minds at San Jose that could create history. India has already replaced China as America’s Most Favoured Technological Frontier. Chinese President’s rigid stand on Internet rules disappointed US techies, who found in Modi a leader of global vision. They were spell-bound by Modi’s invitation to turn India into the Digital Hub of the world. Techies are looking for global opportunities for new frontiers in technology, and India is oﬀering precisely what they are looking for. It must be admitted that since Jawaharlal Nehru, no prime minister had a greater vision of India than Modi. Rajiv Gandhi, of course, had vision, but not the wherewithal to turn the vision into action. His history’s largest mandate, which could have been an asset, turned out to be a liability. Modi is a perfect blend of vision and competence that gave him the stature of a world leader commanding the destiny of one-sixth of the human population today. During his last US visit, the style dominated the substance: this time, it was all substance, and more substance.

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COVER STORY

The Discovery of

Sri Lanka

ASIAN TRAVELLER | SEPTEMBER 2015

Sri Lanka has seduced travellers for centuries. Marco Polo described it as the finest island of its size in the world, while successive waves of Indian, Arab and European traders and adventurers flocked to its palmfringed shores, attracted by reports of rare spices, precious stones and magnificent elephants. Poised just above the Equator amid the balmy waters of the Indian Ocean, the island's legendary reputation for natural beauty has inspired an almost magical regard even in those who have never visited the place.

arco Poloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bold claim still holds true. Sri Lanka packs an extraordinary variety of places to visit within its modest physical dimensions, and few islands of comparable size can boast a natural environment of such beauty and diversity. Lapped by the Indian Ocean, the coast is fringed with idyllic â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and often refreshingly undeveloped â&#x20AC;&#x201C; beaches, while the interior boasts a compelling variety of landscapes ranging from wildlife-rich lowland jungles, home to extensive populations of elephants, leopards and rare endemic bird species, to the misty heights of the hill country, swathed in immaculately manicured tea plantations. Nor does

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the island lack in man-made attractions. Sri Lanka boasts more than two thousand years of recorded history, and the remarkable achievements of the early Sinhalese civilization can still be seen in the sequence of ruined cities and great religious monuments that litter the northern plains.

Sri Lanka packs an extraordinary variety of places to visit within its modest physical dimensions, and few islands of comparable size can boast a natural environment of such beauty and diversity.

Colombo Sri Lanka’s dynamic capital, Colombo, seems totally out of proportion with the rest of the country, stretching for 50km along the island’s western seaboard in a long and formless urban straggle that is now home to around three million people. The city’s sprawling layout and congested streets make it difficult to get to grips with, while a lack of obvious charms means that it’s unlikely to win many immediate friends, especially if your first taste of the capital is via the hourlong drive from the airport through the northern breeze-block suburbs and hooting files of weaving traffic. There’s plenty to enjoy beneath the unpromising exterior, especially if you’re interested in getting behind the tourist clichés and finding out what makes contemporary Sri Lanka tick – it’s definitely a place that grows on you the longer you stay, and is worth a day out of even the shortest itinerary. The city musters few specific sights, but offers plenty of atmosphere and quirky character: a heady admixture of Asian anarchy, colonial charm and modern chic. Shiny office blocks rub shoulders with tumbledown local cafés and shops, while serene Buddhist shrines and colonial churches stand next to the garishly multicoloured towers of Hindu temples – all evidence of the rich stew of races and religions that have gone into the making of this surprisingly cosmopolitan city. And for sheer adrenaline, a walk through the crowded bazaars of the Pettah or a high-speed

rickshaw ride amid the kamikaze traﬃc of the Galle Road have no rival anywhere else in the country.

Negombo Sprawling Negombo is of interest mainly thanks to its proximity to the international airport, just 10km down the road – many visitors stagger oﬀ long-haul flights straight into one of the beach hotels here, or stay here as a last stop before flying home. Negombo’s beach is very wide in places, but rather shabby compared to the more pristine resorts further south, although the surrounding resort area is often one of the liveliest places around the coast if you’re in search of cheap beer and late nights. A couple of miles south of the beach, Negombo Town oﬀers an interesting introduction to coastal Sri Lankan life, with a lively fish market, a dash of olde-worlde colonial charm and hundreds of colourful wooden boats.

Bentota South of Aluthgama, Bentota oﬀers a further clutch of package resorts, plus an outstanding selection of more upmarket places. The beach divides into two areas. At the north end, facing Aluthgama, lies Paradise Island (as it’s popularly known), a narrow spit of land beautifully sandwiched between the choppy breakers of the Indian Ocean and the calm waters of the Bentota lagoon, though sadly none of the few hotels here really lives up to the setting. Backing Paradise Island, the tranquil Bentota Ganga provides the setting for Sri Lanka’s biggest range of watersports, along with

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interesting boat trips up the river. The southern end of Bentota beach (south of Bentota train station) comprises a wide stretch of sand backed by dense thickets of corkscrew palms – one of the most attractive beaches on the island, although somewhat spoilt by the unsightly amounts of litter that get dumped here. This is also where you’ll find one of Sri Lanka’s finest clusters of top-end hotels and villas, set at discreet intervals from one another down the coast. Despite the number of visitors, Bentota beach remains surprisingly quiet, particularly south of the station.

Hikkaduwa Back in the 1970s, Hikkaduwa was Sri Lanka’s original hippy hangout, a budget alternative to the fancier resort hotels at Beruwala and Bentota. Subsequent decades were not kind to the town: rampant over-development led to the systematic erosion of the beach and the creation of a memorable line of concrete eyesores masquerading as hotels, while the famous Coral Gardens were

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reduced to a circus of boats chasing traumatized fish through a labyrinth of dead coral. Over the past few years, however, Hikkaduwa has begun to rise, cautiously, from its own ashes, as the tourist hordes have largely ignored the town, flocking to newer and less spoilt destinations further south, allowing Hikkaduwa to recapture some of its former sleepy, slightly hippified charm. The much abused beach and Coral Gardens are now being gradually rehabilitated, while following the tsunami many of the town’s bomb-shelter resort hotels were demolished or renovated, and the whole place is now looking better than it has for years, while even the formerly hectic and noxious traﬃc along the Galle Road has lessened somewhat following the opening of the Southern Expressway. It’s still far from unspoilt, but compared to the somnolent resorts further north Hikkaduwa remains refreshingly lively, with plenty of restaurants, bars and shops to tempt you oﬀ the beach, and a crowd of predominantly

young and independent travellers keeping things busy. Things are particularly lively during the annual Hikkaduwa Beach Fest, a three-day beach party in July/ August with visiting international DJs and crowds of hedonistic locals and foreigners partying on the beach. Other attractions include excellent local surf, plus good diving and snorkelling. Beach and sea aside, there are also several interesting Buddhist temples around Hikkaduwa, all easily reachable by tuktuk or bicycle – though be very careful cycling along the treacherous Galle Road.

Wilpattu National Park Occupying a vast swathe of land stretching all the way up to the border of the Northern Province, Wilpattu National Park is the largest in Sri Lanka, and was formerly the most popular until the onset of the civil war, when its position straddling the frontline between Sinhalese and Tamil areas led to the widespread destruction of local infrastructure and killing of wildlife. The park finally reopened in 2009 and

its wildlife is now gradually recovering, although the eﬀects of long-term poaching mean that the overall density of wildlife remains significantly lower than in parks such as Yala, Uda Walawe and Minneriya, although there’s a small but significant chance of spotting the leopards and sloth bears for which the park was once famous, not to mention elephants, deer, and many types of bird. Equally, the lack of visitors and the size of the area open to visitors (around eight times larger than that at Yala, for instance) means that it’s also supremely peaceful compared to many other parks. An unusual feature of Wilpattu’s topography is its numerous villus. These look like lakes (indeed the park’s name derives from villu-pattu, “Land of Lakes”), though they’re actually just depressions filled with rainwater which expand and contract with the seasons, attracting a range of water-birds and wildlife.

Galle Perched on the coast close to the island’s southernmost point, the venerable port of Galle (pronounced “Gaul”) has grown from ancient origins into Sri Lanka’s fourth largest city. At the heart of the modern city – but strangely detached from it – lies the old Dutch quarter, known as the Fort, Sri Lanka’s bestpreserved colonial townscape, enclosed within a chain of huge bastions which now guard the area from modernization as eﬀectively as they once protected Dutch trading interests from marauding adventurers. The Fort is Sri Lanka at its most magically time-warped, its lowrise streets lined with Dutchperiod villas, many of which retain their original street-facing verandas and red-tiled roofs, and dotted with a string of imposing churches and other colonial landmarks. There’s not actually much to see (a few unusual 10

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museums excepted): the main pleasure here is just ambling round the atmospheric old streets and walls, savouring the easy pace of life and refreshing absence of traﬃc – you won’t find a quieter town anywhere else in the island.

Unawatuna Five kilometres southeast of Galle, the ever-expanding village of Unawatuna is now firmly established as Sri Lanka’s most popular resort for independent travellers and remains a pleasant spot to while away a few days, even if rampant commercialization and ever-growing hordes of visitors have now significantly eroded the village’s former sleepy charm. If you don’t mind the increasing hustle and bustle, there’s still plenty to enjoy, including a decent, if heavily developed, stretch of beach, a good selection of places to stay and eat, plus varied activities ranging from surfing and diving through to yoga and cookery classes, while in recent years Unawatuna has begun to compete with Hikkaduwa as Sri Lanka’s beach-party capital, with noisy discos thumping out beats along parts of the beach during the season. The resort also remains busy all year round, making it a good place to visit if you’re on the west coast during the monsoon.

Yala National Park Around 20km southeast of Tissamaharama lies the entrance to Yala National Park (properly known as Yala West or Ruhunu National Park), Sri Lanka’s most visited and most rewarding wildlife reserve. Yala covers an area of 1260 square kilometres, SEPTEMBER 2015 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

although four-fifths of this is designated a Strict Natural Reserve and closed to visitors. On the far side of the Strict Natural Reserve is Yala East National Park, which is only accessible via Arugam Bay. There’s no public transport to Yala, and you’re only allowed into the park in a vehicle, so you’ll have to hire a jeep. The park’s dry-zone landscape is impressively wild and unspoilt, especially when viewed from the vantage points oﬀered by the curious rock outcrops which dot the park. From these you can look out over a seemingly endless expanse of low scrub and trees dotted with brackish lakes next to the dune-covered coastline – particularly magical from Situlpahuwa. In addition, the park’s wildlife has its own distinctive charm, with huddles of colourful painted storks perched on the edge of lagoons between the supine shapes of dozing crocodiles; fan-tailed peacocks kicking up clouds of dust while monkeys chatter in the treetops; or the incongruously conjoined sight of elephants marching sedately through the bush while rabbits scamper through the undergrowth.

Bundala National Park Accessed around 15km east of Hambantota (and a similar distance west of Tissa), Bundala National Park is one of Sri Lanka’s foremost destinations for birdwatchers, protecting an important area of coastal wetland famous for its abundant aquatic (and other) birdlife, as well as being home to significant populations of elephants, crocodiles, turtles and other fauna. Although it doesn’t

have quite the range of wildlife or scenery of nearby Yala National Park, Bundala is much quieter, and makes a good alternative if you want to avoid Yala’s crowds. The park stretches along the coast for around 20km, enclosing five shallow and brackish lagoons, or lewayas (they sometimes dry up completely during long periods of drought) separated by thick low scrubby forest running down to coastal dunes. Almost two hundred bird species have been recorded here, their numbers swelled by seasonal visitors, who arrive between September and March. The lagoons attract an amazing variety of aquatic birds, including ibis, pelicans, painted storks, egrets and spoonbills, though the most famous visitors are the huge flocks of greater flamingoes. The Bundala area is the flamingoes’ last refuge in southern Sri Lanka, and you can see them here in variable numbers throughout the year; their exact breeding habits remain a mystery, though it’s thought they migrate from the Rann of Kutch in northern India. Flamingoes apart, the park’s most visible avian residents are its many peacocks (or Indian peafowl, as they’re correctly known): a memorable sight in the wild at any time, especially when seen perched sententiously among the upper branches of the park’s innumerable skeletal palu (rosewood) trees. Bundala is also home to 32 species of mammals, including civets, mongooses, wild pigs and giant Indian palm squirrels, as well as black-naped hares, though the most commonly seen

mammals are the excitable troupes of grey langur monkeys. There are also a few elephants, including around ten permanent residents and some twenty semi-resident; larger seasonal migratory herds of up to sixty, comprising animals that roam the Yala, Uda Walawe and Bundala area, also visit the park. All five species of turtle lay their eggs on the park’s beaches, although there are currently no turtle watches. You’ll probably also come across large land monitors and lots of enormous crocodiles, which can be seen sunning themselves along the sides of the park’s lagoons and watercourses. The best time to visit is between September and March, when the migratory birds arrive; early morning is the best time of day, though the park is also rewarding in late afternoon. Take binoculars, if you have them.

bastion of the Sinhalese, the Kingdom of Kandy clung onto its freedom long after the rest of the island had fallen to the Portuguese and Dutch, preserving its own unique customs and culture which live on today in the city’s unique music, dance and architecture. The city maintains a somewhat aristocratic air, with its graceful old Kandyan and colonial buildings, scenic highland setting and pleasantly temperate climate. And although modern Kandy has begun to sprawl considerably, the twisted topography of the surrounding hills and the lake at its centre ensure that the city hasn’t yet overwhelmed its scenic setting, and preserves at its heart a modest grid of narrow, low-rise streets which, despite the crowds of people and traﬃc, retains a surprisingly small-town atmosphere.

Kandy

Uda Walawe National Park

Hidden away amid precipitous green hills at the heart of the island, Kandy is Sri Lanka’s second city and undisputed cultural capital of the island, home to the Temple of the Tooth, the country’s most important religious shrine, and the Esala Perahera, its most exuberant festival. The last independent

Sprawling across the lowlands due south of the towering cliﬀ faces of Horton Plains, Uda Walawe has developed into one of Sri Lanka’s most popular national parks mainly thanks to its large and easily spotted population of elephants – it’s the best place in the island to see pachyderms in the wild, although

in other respects it doesn’t have the range of fauna and habitats of Yala or Bundala. The park is beautifully situated just south of the hill country, whose grand escarpment provides a memorable backdrop, while at its centre lies the Uda Walawe Reservoir, whose catchment area it was originally established to protect. Most of Uda Walawe lies within the dry zone, and its terrain is flat and denuded, with extensive areas of grassland and low scrub (the result of earlier slash-and-burn farming) dotted with the skeletal outlines of expired trees, scratched to death by the resident elephants. The actual landscape of the park is rather monotonous during dry periods, although the lack of forest cover makes it easier to spot wildlife than in any other Sri Lankan park and the whole place transforms magically after rain, when temporary lagoons form around the reservoir, drowning trees and turning the floodplains an intense, fecund green. The principal attraction is, of course, elephants, of which there are usually around six hundred in the park; animals are free to migrate along an elephant corridor between here and Lunugamvehera National Park, though most stay here. ASIAN TRAVELLER | SEPTEMBER 2015

There are also hundreds of buﬀaloes, plus macaque and langur monkeys, spotted and sambhur deer and crocodiles, while other rarely sighted residents include leopards, giant flying squirrels, jungle cats, sloth bears and porcupines. Uda Walawe is also good for birds, including a number of endemics and some birds of prey, while the reservoir also attracts a wide range of aquatic birds including the unmistakable Lesser Adjutant, Sri Lanka’s largest – and ugliest – bird, standing at well over a metre tall.

Adam’s Peak Poking up from the southwestern edge of the hill country, the soaring summit of Adam’s Peak (Sri Pada) is simultaneously one of Sri Lanka’s most striking natural landmarks and one of its most celebrated places of pilgrimage – a miniature Matterhorn which stands head and shoulders above the surrounding hills, giving a wonderful impression of sheer altitude (even though, at 2243m, it’s actually only Sri Lanka’s fifth-highest peak). The mountain has accumulated a mass of legends centred around the curious depression at its summit, the Sri Pada or Sacred Footprint. The original Buddhist story claims that this is the footprint of the Buddha himself, made at the request of the local god Saman; diﬀerent faiths subsequently modified this to suit

their own contrasting theologies. Sometime around the eighth century, Muslims began to claim the footprint to be that of Adam, who is said to have first set foot on earth here after being cast out of heaven, and who stood on the mountain’s summit on one leg in penitence until his sins were forgiven – Hindu tradition, meanwhile, claimed that the footprint was created by Shiva. Many centuries later, the colonial Portuguese attempted to rescue the footprint for the Christian faith, claiming that it belonged to St Thomas, the founder of the religion in India, though no one seems to have ever taken this random assertion very seriously. Despite all these rival claims, Adam’s Peak remains an essentially Buddhist place of worship (unlike, say, the genuinely multifaith pilgrimage town of Kataragama). The mountain has been an object of pilgrimage for over a thousand years, at least since the Polonnaruwan period, when Parakramabahu and Vijayabahu constructed shelters here for visiting pilgrims. In the twelfth century, Nissanka Malla became the first king to climb the mountain, while later foreign travellers including Fa-Hsien, Ibn Battuta, Marco Polo and Robert Knox all described the peak and its associated traditions with varying degrees of fanciful inaccuracy.

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ODISHA

The Complete Destination Scenic, Serene, Sublime. Located on the eastern coast of India, Odisha is a unique combination of beautiful locations, exotic cultures and warm & friendly people. With a 480 kilometer long coastline, towering mountains, serene lakes and frolicking rivers, Odisha has something for everyone.

lot of architectural wonders and heritage sites at Odisha (Orissa) oďŹ&#x20AC;er breathtaking views and a wholesome experience to the tourists visiting the state. The beaches in Odisha (Orissa) with some or the other unique feature of their own are the best loved beaches being yet unspoiled. The Puri Beach Festival therefore attracts lots of tourists from all over the world. Among the best tourist attractions in India, you can find a host of amazing tourist places in Odisha, ranging from religious sites to natural wonders. Then there is the Sun temple at Konark that stands as mute evidence to exceptional architectural skills of Oriya artists. The Udaigiri and Khandgiri caves are also a potential tourist attraction in Odisha (Orissa). With exceptional stone carvings, these caves are the best archaeological site at Odisha (Orissa).

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Jagannath Temple Puri Belonging to the 11th century and enjoying the honor of being one of the ‘char dhams’, the pilgrimage that every Hindu intend to visit; Jagannath Temple is the honor of Puri and Odisha (Orissa). The holy sight of Lord Jagannath, accompanied by Subhadra and Balabhadra raises loads of joy among the devotees. The two gods and the goddess of the temple are ornamented in accordance with the occasion and seasonal change. The structural design of the temple can be found to be in pyramid shape. You would be excited to know that the Jagannath Temple of Puri has a latent legend associated with it. It is believed that in the Krita Yuga, the actual image of the lord had the power of granting ‘moksha’ to anyone who witnessed it. Yamaraja didn’t find this justice. So, he decided to keep the image in some distant and unknown corner of the earth. However, as Dvapar Yuga arrived, the idol that is worshipped today in Jagannath Puri was constructed by Lord Vishnu with the help of wooden logs. And it doesn’t make diﬀerence in the Lord’s power in spite of having the hands lacking.

language here. Built in 13th century by King Narasimhadeva, the temple is designed in the shape of a colossal chariot with seven horses and twelve wheels, carrying the sun god, Surya, across heavens.

The name of Konark temple is an amalgamation of t wo words--Kona meaning corner and Arka meaning the Sun. That is to say that the Sun god worshipped in Ark Kshetra is called Konark.

Located at a manageable distance from the seat of Lord Jagannath, Puri at 35 kms; the temple is around 65 kms from the capital city of Bhubaneswar. The name of Konark temple is an amalgamation of two words-Kona meaning corner and Arka meaning the Sun. That is to say that the Sun god worshipped in Ark Kshetra is called Konark. Legend says that after killing the demon Gyasur, Lord Vishnu placed his belongings at several places to commemorate the victory. With His conch at Puri, Disc in Bhubaneshwar and Mace in Jajapur; He placed the Lotus at Konark. The temple being an important landmark in the coastal voyage of European sailors was named

Jagannath Temple in Odisha (Orissa) consists of four entrance gates. They are named as Singhadwara, Ashwadwara, Hathidwara and Vyaghradwara and these names refer to lion, horse, elephant and tiger. Each day, the Lord at the Jagannath Temple is oﬀered ‘bhoga’ six times and it is dispensed among the worshippers close to Ratnavedi.

Konark Sun Temple One of the most stunning monuments of religious significance, a true masterpiece of architecture proudly stands in the form of Sun Temple at Konark. A culmination of Oriya architecture, the temple is a wonderful place as the language of stone defeats the human SEPTEMBER 2015 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

‘The Black Pagoda’ by them. The mythological reference states that Lord Krishna’s son Samba was smitten with leprosy due to his father’s curse. The former underwent severe penance for 12 years at Mitravana near the confluence of Chandrabhaga River with the sea at Konark and ultimately succeeded in pleasing the God Surya, the healer of all skin diseases, and was cured of his illness. In gratitude, he decided to erect a temple in the honor of Surya. While bathing in the river on the following day, he found an image of God, fashioned out of Surya’s body by Viswakarma. Samba installed this image in a temple built by him in Mitravana, where he propitiated the God. Since then, this place has been regarded as sacred. In ancient times worship of Sun god was in vogue and the people were accustomed with the worship of two Supreme deities-one mother Earth as Dharitri Maata and the other the Sun, the Dharam devata. Sun god is regarded as the supreme lord of the universe and the prime object of life giving energy, being the healer of diseases and bestower of desires. Surya has been a popular deity in India since Vedic period. Therefore, it is described in Rig Veda regarding Prayer of Sun God as follows. It was dedicated to the Sun-God (Arka) popularly called Biranchi-Narayan, and the tract in which it is situated was known as Arka-Kshetra as well as padmakshetra. Among the five great religious zones or Kshetra which were located in Odisha (Orissa), Konark was considered to be one, the other four being Puri, Bhubaneswar, Mahavinayak, and Jajpur. There are several smaller shrines situated in the neighborhood of the Sun Temple. In them are found Rameswar,Chitreswara, Tribeniswara, and Utpaleswar, all Siva-lingas; and Ramachandi Rudrani, Khileswari, Charchika

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SEPTEMBER 2015 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

and Chitreswari, various forms of Goddess Durga. Legends embodied in the Kapila Samhita, the Madala Panji, and the Prachimahatmya, take the sanctity of Konark back to mythical times. The legends of these late texts are an obvious adaptation of a much earlier tradition as recorded in the Bhavisya Purana and the Samba Purana.

Chilka Lake Chilka Lake - Asia’s largest brackish water lagoon with water spread ranging from 1165 sq km in the rainy season to 906 sq km in the dry season is nestled in the heart of the coastal Odisha (Orissa). It extends from Bhusandpur in Puri district in the North to Rambha-Malud in Ganjan district in the South, separated from the Bay of Bengal by a 60 km long narrow strip of marshy islands and sand-flats. Some of the prominent islands like Nalabana, Kalijal, Somolo,

Honeymoon, Break-fast, Birds and Rajahansa inhabited by small subsistence fishermen families, are popular destinations for daily boat trips. Because of its rich bio-diversity and socioeconomic importance, Chilka was designated as a Ramsar site in 1981 to afford better protection. Chilka is recognized as one of the most important wetlands in the world because it is home to a phenomenal variety of birds. Chilka Lake offers visitors a spectacular display of its colorful avian charms in a thousand different hues presented by over 160 species in the peak season between November and February. The lake and its reed islands teem with nesting birds-white bellied sea eagles, ospreys, golden plovers, sand pipers, flamingos, pelicans, shovellers, gulls, include migratory ones flying great distances from Iran, Central Asia and Siberia. Located on an island in the

Chilka Lake, Kalijai Temple is one of the famous attractions. The temple worships Goddess Kalijai. The deity is highly revered among the locals as well as in their folklores and fables. The island is also a mesmerizing destination for pilgrims as well as tourists and can be reached via a boat from Chilka Lake. Makar Sankranti is celebrated with great pomp and cheer at the temple that attracts numerous travelers & devotees. The large Nalabana Island (Forest of Reeds) covering about 16 sq km in the lagoon area was declared a bird sanctuary in 1987. The core area of about 9 sq km attracts around 400,000 waterfowls of diﬀerent species. Often underwater, the island gradually emerges with the outset of summer. It is literally a paradise for bird-watchers. Another major attraction at Chilka is Irrawady dolphins which are often spotted oﬀ Satpada Island. Satpada, bounded by the

ASIAN TRAVELLER | SEPTEMBER 2015

lagoon on three sides, oﬀers an excellent view and attracts the visitors to its entire 30 km stretch of sand bar. Boats arranged by OTDC are available for both the islands. The lake also supports the local fisherman in earning their living from Chilka’s prawn, mackerel and crabs.

Bhubaneshwar, the beach is an ideal place for an introvert holiday maker for the scarcity of crowd here.

Fine white sands, roar of the breakers rolling in from the Bay of Bengal and countless devotees flocking the place for a purification dip are the synonyms to the Puri Beach. The beach has continued to be a sacred venue for an endless number of pilgrims coming to pay homage to Lord Jagannath.

The beaches of Puri are also renowned for the sand sculptures created particularly by the internationally famed Sudarshan Patnaik. The subjects are generally inspired by sculptures covering the temple walls, characters and episodes from the mythology and also the contemporary events. An entire beach stretch can be completely yours given the immense number of beaches in Odisha (Orissa) and a comparatively lower number of fun lovers, the city being a popular pilgrimage point for Indians.

With the annual Beach Festival taking place in November, the beach has now become a favorite haunt of both Indian and foreign beach lovers. Located at a mere distance of 35 kms from the Sun Temple and 65 kms from

The beach at Puri oﬀers a unique opportunity to witness the striking sunrise and the sunset on the same beach. Often crowded with holiday makers bathing in the afternoon, and enjoying the brightly lit kiosks in the night,

Puri Beach

SEPTEMBER 2015 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

the stretches, parallel to the main Marine Drive Road, form the domain of the domestic tourists, with a row of hotels, food stalls and kiosks selling souvenirs. A comparatively clean and quite place for sunbathing and a relaxed swim can be found at the eastern end. Local fishermen easily distinguishable by their triangular straw hats and dhotis serve as lifeguards on the beach, and take visitors out to sea in their boats to watch the sunsets. On the Chakratirtha side, the long stretch of golden sand is more tranquil and pleasant place to stroll. Take enough precaution while swimming as the currents can be treacherous in Puri. It is interesting to visit a fishing village along the coast, with dozens of boats made of solid trunks ply oﬀ the coast during the day. Once landed, the rich catch of prawn, pamphlets and other fishes drawn into the nets is transferred to baskets. The

best time to pay a visit is around dawn, when the fishermen head out from the village and row the fleet towards the rising sun over the sea.

Bhitarkanika National Park Considered one of the most impressive wildlife sanctuaries of Asia, the Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary in Odisha (Orissa) is special due to reasons more than one. Housing the dynamic and salt tolerant species of trees, the Mangroves that generally grow in tropical and sub-tropical inter-tidal regions; Bhitarkanika has a luxuriant green, rich and pulsating eco-system. Located in the estuarial region of Brahmani-Baitarani, in the northeastern place of Kendrapara district of Odisha (Orissa), the sanctuary covers an area of 672 square kilometers of mangrove forests and wetland. Crossed by a thick network of brooks, with the Bay of Bengal on the east, Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary is home to over 215 species of birds, including winter migratory birds from Europe and central-Asia. Apart from the Mangroves, another rarity that the sanctuary has to its account is the inhibition of its ecosystem by the Giant Salt Water Crocodiles and numerous varieties of other animal species. It is because of these specialties only that a vast expanse of forest around 145 square kilometers has been oďŹ&#x192;cially declared as the Bhitarkanika National Park. This park including mangrove forests, creeks, estuaries, rivers, accumulated land, backwater and mud flats is very significant for the ecological, biological and geomorphologic background of Odisha (Orissa). To add more, the Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary in Odisha (Orissa) is also rich in avifauna, reptilian and mammalian population. The mangrove forests in the sanctuary are also a good habitat for King Cobra, Water Monitor Lizard and Indian Python. An area of about 4 hectares is visited by a large number of water birds every year from June to October. The area near Suajore creek at the sanctuary is frequently visited by Asian Open Bill, Cormorants, Darters, Black Ibis, Egrets and many more.

ASIAN TRAVELLER | SEPTEMBER 2015

SEPTEMBER 2015 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

TAMILNADU TRAVELLER

Dr. S. Bakthavatchalam Additional Director, Tamil Nadu Tourism

Heritage ASIAN TRAVELLER | SEPTEMBER 2015

ou cannot have enough of Mahabalipuram, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Also known as Mamallapuram, it is widely regarded as a cornerstone of early Dravidian architecture. But it takes only a short detour to explore the other riches lying across Tamil Nadu.

One of these is the RockFort in Tiruchirapalli. Located on the banks Of the Cauvery, Tiruchirapalli is known as the Rock City thanks to the colonial rockface dotted with the remains of an ancient fort. The sight of this 83m rock is all the more astonishing because it is the only outcrop on an otherwise flat land. The rock is more than 3,800 million years old. Also known by its Danish name Tranquebar, the sleepy fishing village of Tharangambadi was a thriving Danish port. Much of this town has survived, and is now an important stop in Tamil Nadu’s heritage circuit. Pop into the Danish buildings that are still standing. Don’t miss the Danish Government bungalow, and Dansborg, a stunning Viking fort with stone walls and seafacing cannons. A remnant of the Raj, the Fort St George in Chennai is a regal Structure—a collection of mansions more than a fort—was one of the first bastions of British power in India. Chettinad is known for its rich culture and architecture, and the traditional homes here are nothing less than works of art. Visit one of these homes, embellished with Burma teak and marble, with inner courtyards. A Chettiar home has high ceilings, a main door, carved with mythological figures, and is lined with pillars of granite or teakwood SEPTEMBER 2015 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

EDITORâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CHOICE

Best Beaches Asia

Westerners, especially European travelers made the beach holidays famous and started travelling long distances for a nice sunshine when their homes start freezing. Asian beach destinations like Maldives, Goa and others fascinate these communities with other incentives for a memorable vacation. Asian traveler has handpicked a few of them. Come and experience the Asian Sun, Sand and Sea! 26

ASIAN TRAVELLER | SEPTEMBER 2015

Beidaihe Beach The Beidaihe Beach located in the west part of Qinhuangdao city in Hebei province extends 10km east to west from the Yinjiao Pavillion to the end of the Daihe. The natural bathing beach with its pristine blue water attracts millions of visitors from all over the world every summer. The sea-shore is against the Lianfeng Mount with green trees on it. With a comfortable weather it is an ideal destination to spend the summer in North China. In southwest of Beidaihe, there is a piece of beautiful seashore in Changli which has been a bathing beach since 1985. The charming costal village with a small-town ambience, it provides a break from the hustle and bustle of the fast urban life. The charm lies mostly in the lively inhabitants, the lively night stalls, the seaside views. Mt. Lianfeng, which backs onto the beach, has two peaks covered by abundant green pines and cypresses. Lush vegetation, strange caves, decorated pavilions, secluded paths and winding bridges cover the mountain and make it unique and appealing. Beidaihe is also one of nine famous sunrise watching spots in China. The Yinjiao Pavilion, on

the northwest beach of Beidaihe, is the best place to watch the sun rise. At the eastern base of Mt. Lianfeng is a park called Lianhuashi (Lotus Stone), named after the several huge rocks standing upright in the shape of a lotus flower. The Tiger Rocks, the central attraction of the middle beach is a rock formation composed of several huge rocks protruding from the sea like crouching tigers. Standing on one of these rocks, one is fascinated by the beating waves beneath and the vast sea in the distance. The Yinjiao Stone in the east is one of the most popular attractions of Beidaihe. It is a separate rock with the unique shape of an eagle perched upon it. Groups of wild doves once dwelled in the rock caves there, so it is also known as “Dove Nest”. Yinjiao Pavillion is at the peak, where visitors can enjoy watching the powerfully energetic ocean. Yingjiaoting (Eagle Horn Pavilion) is a huge rock towering over the sea at the northeast end of the shore. It is on a nearby cliﬀ and popularly called Ying jiaoshi (also known as Geziwo Pigion’s Nest). Wanghaiting (Seaside Pavilion) built on the top of Lianfengshan, aﬀords a panoramic view of Beidaihe.

Beidaihe is also one of nine famous sunrise watching spots in China. The Yinjiao Pavilion, on the northwest beach of Beidaihe, is the best place to watch the sun rise.

SEPTEMBER 2015 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

Goa The premier beach destination in India, Goa is visited by thousands of international and domestic tourists every year. Apart from the beaches, it is also known for its colorful festivals, temples, and world heritage architecture and the rich biodiversity. The Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa makes it one of the biggest Christian pilgrimage sites in Asia. Panaji (Panjim) is the state’s capital and Vasco da Gama (Vasco) is the largest city. A large number of western tourists arrive by chartered flights to Goa every season. Washed by the warm waters of the Arabian Sea, the land is a melting pot of diﬀerent cultures. The land was ruled by the colonial Portuguese for over 450 years and a distinctive European flavor still remains on all aspects of Goa’s life including its food, religion, language, festivals, dances and names. European style central squares and Indian bazaars, Portuguese churches sharing their walls with Hindu temples are worth visiting for travelers having aﬃnity for culture. Goan folklore comprises folk songs, dances, music, visual arts and folk tales rich in content and variety. Music is an incredible part of Goa. Much Goan music is derived from haunting and lyrical Portuguese love songs, but musicans have brought in hard rock. Goa has many distinctive beach stretches in its 100 km coastline. The golden sandy beaches are very much addictive to the holiday makers. The main beaches in Goa include the unbroken seven km crescent sandbank marks the twin beaches of Candolin and Calangute, north of Panjim and the Aguada headland. Calangute became almost a traveller’s cliché in the ‘60s and early ‘70s and tourist literature is fond of referring to it as the ‘Queen’ of Goa’s beaches. Baga, a little further north, is a better beach and a more relaxed place to stay. Farther north, past estuaries of the many streams that gurgle through the land, are a series of secluded beaches. In South Goa at a distance of mere two kilometers are the Colva and the Benaulim beaches. The Anjuna Beach, Arambol Beach, Dona Paula Beach, Palolem Beach, Siridao Beach, Vagator, Miramar Beach, Chapora Beach, Benavali Beach, Varka, Bogmalo Beach, Cavelossim Beach, Mabor Beach and Majorda Beach are other beauties, all worth a visit. White churches, seaside villas, clubs, parties and booze especially ‘feni’ a local drink made from cashew or coconut, long coconut tree lined beaches, souvenir shops make Goa favourite.

ASIAN TRAVELLER | SEPTEMBER 2015

SEPTEMBER 2015 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

Langkawi Thirty kilometers oﬀ the mainland of northwestern Malaysia lay 99 islands in the Andaman Sea is Malaysia’s best kept secret ‘Langkawi’. These unspoilt tropical islands are one of the contenders of the top tourist resorts in Malaysia. Langkawi Island has recently been re-branded to Langkawi Geopark to better reflect the island’s recognition by UNESCO as a World Geopark on June 1, 2007. Three of its main Geopark components are Mt. Machincang Cambrian Geoforest Park, Kilim Geoforest Park and Pulau Tasik Dayang Bunting (Island of the Pregnant Maiden Lake). The islands, part of Malaysia’s Kedah state are located adjacent to the Thai border. Slow paced and relaxed with hideaway coves, lush forested hills, limestone caves and sunsoaked beaches surrounded by tiny deserted atolls thousands of travelers are attracted to this land. Pantai Tanjung Rhu (Tanjung Rhu Beach) is one of Lankawi’s best beaches. This beach ringed with tall casuarina trees is located 22 km away from Kuah on the northernmost tip of Langkawi island. Small cruises can be hired here. Pantai Cenang (Cenang Beach) is the liveliest beach of all Langkawi beaches. It is about 18.4 km from Kuah and the most popular beach destinations in Malaysia. The Underwater World or a 30

15-metre walkthrough tempered glass tunnel has more than 5,000 species of fish and marine creatures. Pantai Kok (Kok Beach) is 24.8 km away from Kuah on the western side of Langkawi Island with stretches of white sand, oﬀers the best accommodation in the countryside. The area is naturally quieter and more secluded than Cenang Beach and makes an ideal romantic getaway or a tranquil honeymoon place. Pantai Tengah (Tengah Beach), 500 metres south of Cenang Beach is preferred by many who prefer to relax. The Lighthouse restaurant, Beach bar, semi open air concept restaurant, is ideal for evening drinks and sunset dining. Pantai Teluk Burau, (Burau Bay Beach) located on the west coast of Langkawi Island features the Kuala Teriang fishing village, Telaga Tujuh Waterfalls and Padang Matsirat. It is one of the gorgeous beaches of all Langkawi. Facing the beach is Burau Island, famous for the migratory birds are just oﬀ this beach. Pantai Batu Hampar (Batu Hampar Beach), Pantai Teluk Datai (Datai Bay Beach), Pantai Pasir Hitam (Black Sand Beach), Pantai Pasir Tengkorak (Sandy Skulls Beach), Pantai Teluk Yu (Sharks Bay Beach) and Pantai Teluk Baru (Baru Bay Beach) are the other major attractions in this part of the world.

ASIAN TRAVELLER | SEPTEMBER 2015

Maldives An archipelago of 1,190 islands, 26 major atolls located south of the Lakshadweep islands in the Indian Ocean is one of the most famous beach holiday destinations in the world. Spread over a total area of 90,000 square kilometers, 820 kilometers north to south and 120 kilometers east to west, 202 of these islands are inhabited, 87 are exclusive resort islands. The sun-kissed pure white beaches, palm fringed islands, warm bluish lagoons, multi coloured coral, exotic marine, seafood and everything here makes the holidayer remember the trip for a lifetime. Described as ‘the flower of the Indies’ by Marco Polo and ‘one of the wonders of the world’ by Ibn Batuta, the destination give an out of the world experience to the travellers. A large percentage of tourists here are repeaters as the landscapes are really addictive. This ‘fit the bill’ destination is also a fine shopping centre with all brands available. Thrilling SEPTEMBER 2015 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

water sports and spas are the main highlights along with yachts, cruises and air taxis. Accommodation of various kinds is available ranging from the most luxurious resorts with the most modern amenities to homestays.

the beachside. Diﬀerent types of excursions and trips for Islandhopping are available. Traditional boats or speedboats can be hired privately. There are options for spending a day and night alone on an uninhabited island.

Although Maldives is a year round sunny destination, the period between December and April is the peak season. It is the driest part of the year. The room rates will be high during this period than the rest of the year. The Christmas-New year period is the busiest and most expensive part of the peak season. Between May and November it is still warm, but the skies can be cloudy, humidity is higher and rain squalls and tropical storm blow in during the southwest monsoon. The transition months of November and April are said to be associated with increased water clarity and better visibility for divers.

Sun bath, swimming, diving, snorkeling, deep sea fishing expeditions and deep sea diving etc are the most popular activities here.

The tranquil beaches here are breathtaking. Islands like Cocoa Island, Nika and Banyan Tree Island provide other activities in

Many resorts offer fishing trips on modern speedboats equipped for big game fishing. Night fishing for groupers, snappers, squirrelfish or barracuda is particularly popular. Fishing trips will usually end with a barbecue at the resort. All of the resorts have professional dive schools with fully qualified multilingual instructors offering a range of courses. Basic diving equipment is provided in all resorts and some also rent out underwater cameras. Most of the resorts also offer reef sightseeing trips on glass-bottomed boats.

Hua Hin The traditional Thai resort lying 281 kilometers south of Bangkok is the oldest beach resort of Thai land. Hua Hin still remains the major attraction among the beaches of Thailand and has developed into one with world-class facilities. Despite the continuous development, it has retained its environmental aspects and its historical identity. This tourist resort combines the attractions of a modern holiday destination with the charm and fascination of a still active fishing port. Hua Hin literally means stone head in Thai. There are many leisure activities in Hua Hin ranging from water sports to golf apart from the warm sunshine and the white beaches. There are many fabulous parks and peaks, historical sites, shopping opportunities, caves and waterfalls nearby. While most other Thai holiday destinations cater mainly to foreign tourists, Hua Hin is holiday resort for both foreigners and Thais. The town was originally known as Ban Samoe Rieng, or Ban Laem Hin (Stony Point Village). The destination was discovered in the early 1920s by King Ram VII as an ideal getaway from the sultry metropolis of Bangkok. The tranquil fishing village was turned into the Royal resort and consequently became popular among Siamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nobility and upper-class. Hua Hin has all the ingredients for a very special holiday experience. There are some local beaches near Hua Hin like Khao Takiab, Suan Son and Khao Tao (Haad Sai Noi). The traditional Thai hospitality along with the Thai massage and the beautiful landscapes take you to another world. Jellyfishes cause a few problems in certain part of the year. Khao Kalok is a long beach with a concentration of good restaurants and has a large rock outcrop with a hole through it. Ao Manao (Prachuab), another beach with clear waters is a popular spot for the holidayers. Ban Krut has a beautiful stretch of golden sands and the area is very popular with Thais. Bangsaphan is only a 20 minute ride from Ban Krut. There is a small beach bar serving beer. Other activities include Koh Talu, a small island ideal for scuba diving and snorkeling. Chumphon located south of Hua Hin, the beach with golden sands and crystal clear sea is located around 15 km north of the city. Diving and snorkeling trips can be taken out to the islands of Koh Ngam Yai and Koh Ngam Noi.

ASIAN TRAVELLER | SEPTEMBER 2015

Bali Bali, a tropical island in the Indonesian archipelago, is one of the twenty six provinces of the Republic of Indonesia. Renowned world over for beaches, volcanoes, lakes, temples, dense tropical jungles, long sandy beaches, warm blue water, crashing surf and terraced rice fields, it is one of the most visited places on earth. The picturesque landscapes are very much captivating. Bali is small, just 140km by 80km and lies between Java, the most highly populated and influential of all the islands and Lombok, one of the quieter and moderately slower paced islands. Bali is a perfect holiday destination for all ages. It offers all modern tourist facilities and accommodation of all classes. It is also a shopping destination especially for clothing, jewellery, handicrafts, antiques, leather works and artifacts. The Balinese people are proud of having preserved their unique Hindu culture although Indonesia is a Muslim country. Balinese festivals and magnificent temples and palaces show its visitors its depth in culture. Bali is called the ‘island of the gods’, the ‘last paradise’, the ‘dawning of the world’ and the ‘centre of the universe’ and is true to these names. The restaurants in Bali offer excellent local delicacies like Nasi Goreng and Sate Campur but also Chinese, Malaysian, Japanese, Italian/European, Greek, Moroccan and even Mexican cuisine. Bali’s wonderful seafood is just irresistible. Being an island, Bali has many beaches surrounding it. Sanur situated in the southeastern part of Bali, offers excellent views of the sunrise. It is the first resort of Bali. The ancient temples by the side of it offer a heritage tone to this holiday resort. Kuta and Legian are the famous beaches in Bali. Surfing is a major activity here whereas shops, Kecak dance performances and pubs are the other attractions. Jimbaran is a twin beach as the village of Jimbaran is the narrow neck of the island of Bali. Nusa Dua, a new name in the resort scenario is an area with world’s most sumptuous hotels. The beach has crystal clear waters making it a snorkeling and diving site. Lovina Beach lies near the northern tip of the island which is an excellent site for sunset watching, snorkeling and diving. Boat cruises can be hired. Night life activities here are also attractive. Soka Beach and Medewi Beach are the other major beaches.

SEPTEMBER 2015 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka renowned for its beaches, elephant’s processions, the masked devil dances, hills carpeted with tea or other plantations oﬀers a lot for the international travellers especially those who are in search of good beaches and surfing. Marco Polo has quoted Sri Lanka the finest island of its size in the world. Climatically the driest and the best season to visit Sri Lanka is from December to March on the west and south coasts and in the Hill Country, and from May to September on the east coast. The main beaches include: Bentota, located 62 km from Colombo is one of the most beautiful beaches as it is the joining spot of a river and the sea. A place with plenty of accommodation, shopping arcades, cafeterias and an open air theatre showing folk and 34

mask dances provides a nice holiday. Negombo, 35 km north of Colombo is a fishing town set amidst lush groves of coconut palms. It is a paradise of sea food. The best snorkeling reefs are in Hikkaduwa and Unawatuna beaches. Hikkaduwa was the first destination that was developed for tourism and it still remains one of the most popular beach destinations. It is famous for its coral and sub tropical fishes. The reef is one few meters below the water. There are several wrecks in the area which oﬀer interesting dives. Scuba equipment and the services of licensed instructors are on hire from PADI centres. Mount Lavinia located 12 km from Colombo is an ideal place to relax and enjoy the sea. The local holiday resort is also known for beach sports activities such as swimming, surfing etc. Kalutara, a spic-trading centre

of the yester years is famous for the fine baskets, the best mangosteens on the island and Gangatil Vihara, with a hollow dagoba (Buddhist shrine). 55 Km south of Colombo, Beruwela marks the beginning of a 130-km stretch of beaches. Galle located 116 km south of Colombo is an old world of charm. It is believed to be the ‘Tarshish of the Bible’. Galle is also famous for its Dutch fort, lace making, ebony carving and gem polishing. Arugam Bay situated 116 km from Colombo is a fishing village having the best surf in Sri Lanka. The beach is good for swimming. To the south the long deserted beach leads to the ‘Crocodile Rock’ where wild elephants can be seem quite often. The best period for surging is between April and September. Ambalangoda, Batticaloa, Beruwala, Kalkudah, Nilaveli, Trincomalee and Weligama are the other beach destinations in the region. ASIAN TRAVELLER | SEPTEMBER 2015

SEPTEMBER 2015 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

Mauritius. The Mauritian winter is from May to November which is the best time to visit. The period from December to April is too hot and humid when cyclones are expected. Apart from the peak cyclone season (January and February), December to March are the best months for diving, when the waters are the clearest, June to August is best for surfing and October to April is excellent for big game fishing.

Mauritius A multitude of colours and tastes, Mauritius is a perfect tropical destination, an island with turquoise sea, serenity and tranquility. Mauritius is a melting pot of many cultures where past and present are blended together. Mauritius is one of the vivid destinations in the Indian Ocean. A tropical paradise influenced by its British and French ties and predominantly Indian population. Mauritius was a volcano which turned extinct for some 100,000 years. There are many peaks and rocks extending to the sea. The island is surrounded by coral reefs.

dish. Other common Mauritian dishes include the ‘dholl puri’, the ‘mine-frit’ (Chines fried noodles), and ‘niouk nien’ (dumplings). A common Mauritian drink is ‘alouda’, a milk-based drink containing basil seeds. The production of rum is common throughout the island. The period around Christmas and New Year is the peak seaon in

Grand Bay was the first area of the island to be developed for the tourists and travellers. It is also an ideal spot for shopping and leisure. It is also an area where Mauritians turn out for a funfilled night life. The restaurants, bars and discos make the holidays extraordinary. La Cuvette beach is well worth a visit. Pereybere is another popular beach with a lot of shopping facilities, restaurants and pubs. The Balaclava Ruins also evoke much interest. The ruins of old Balaclava estate, where visitors can find the old sea walls is a few metres away from Baie aux Tortues. The Triolet Shivala, the longest village on the island oﬀers an opportunity to visit the biggest Hindu temple, the Maheswarnath, built in 1819 in honour of the Gods Shiva, Krishna, Vishnu, Muruga, Brahma and Ganesha.

Mark Twain has quoted about the island nation “God first made Mauritius and from it, He created Paradise”, after he visited it. The cuisine of Mauritius is a blend of Indian Cuisine, Creole, Chinese and European. It is common for a combination of cuisines to form part of the same meal. The ‘cari poule’ or chicken curry is a very popular

ASIAN TRAVELLER | SEPTEMBER 2015

Vietnam Vietnam is one of the vivid destinations in the Northeast. The country with a long coastline, varied climate zones has breathtaking landscapes especially the river deltas and rock formations. The most crowded season is the New Year festival celebrated from late January to early February. Every part of the year is ideal to visit Vietnam as you can find a sunny and pleasant climate in some part of the country when one region is wet, cold or extremely hot. The southern region has two seasons; the wet season from May to November, in which the extreme is from June to August. The dry season extends from December to April in which the hottest and most humid time is latter half of February to May. The central coast is dry from May to October and wet from December to February. The highlands are cooler than the lowlands and temperatures may get down to freezing in winter. In the north November to April features cool and damp winter season while hot summers are from May to October. Typhoons are likely between July and November in the north and central areas. Vietnamese beaches oﬀer something unique to its guests. The main beaches in the country include the China Beach between Da Nang and Hoi is the most unspoilt beach in central Vietnam. Nha Trang, ‘the Vietnamese Riviera’, a little town with 6 miles of white sandy beach is also in central Vietnam. The serene waters with the backdrop of green hills and trees appear splendid. Some good Indian restaurants and seafood restaurants is the specialty of the place. Tran Phu is another inviting beach north of the town. Doc Let Beach, 34 km north of Nha Trang, Dai Lanh Beach, 37km and Bai Tru Beach in Bamboo Island are also worth a visit. Mui Ne Beach near Phan Thiet, 198 km from Ho Chi Minh City has fabulous stretches of sandy beaches. Mui Ne Beach, one of Vietnam’s most beautiful beaches is known for world class wind/kite surfing. Hon Chong Beach and Ha Tien Beach lying near the border with Cambodia are quality beaches. Duong Beach is a seductive beach with soft white sand and calm tropical water. The Hai Tac, accessible by boat from Ha Tien oﬀers great opportunity for scuba diving. Bai Tam and Phu Quoc Island in the south is considered hidden gem of southeast Asia. The island has mountains, forests and superb sandy beaches perfect for nature lovers as well as sun-seekers. Bai Truong on the west coast, Bai Thom in the north and Bai Khem in the south are also popular. SEPTEMBER 2015 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

REVIEW - BOOK

WRIGHT BROTHERS

THE

n a winter day in 1903, in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, two unknown brothers from Ohio changed history. But it would take the world some time to believe what had happened: the age of flight had begun, with the first heavier-than-air, powered machine carrying a pilot. Who were these men and how was it that they achieved what they did? David McCullough, two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize, tells the surprising, profoundly American story of Wilbur and Orville Wright. Far more than a couple of unschooled Dayton bicycle mechanics who happened to hit on success, they were men of exceptional courage and determination, and of farranging intellectual interests and ceaseless curiosity, much of which they attributed to their upbringing. The house they lived in had no electricity or indoor plumbing, but there were books aplenty, supplied mainly by their preacher father, and they never stopped reading.

by David

McCullough

When they worked together, no problem seemed to be insurmountable. Wilbur was unquestionably a genius. Orville had such mechanical ingenuity as few had ever seen. That they had no more than a public high school education, little money and no contacts in high places, never stopped them in their mission to take to the air. Nothing did, not even the self-evident reality that every time they took oﬀ in one of their contrivances, they risked being killed. In this thrilling book, master historian David McCullough draws on the immense riches of the Wright Papers, including private diaries, notebooks, scrapbooks, and more than a thousand letters from private family correspondence to tell the human side of the Wright Brothers’ story, including the little-known contributions of their sister, Katharine, without whom things might well have gone diﬀerently for them.

ASIAN TRAVELLER | SEPTEMBER 2015

SEPTEMBER 2015 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

KTM ELECTIONS The XVth AGM of KTM Society along with the elections were held as scheduled on 12th Sepâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;15. The following members were declared elected to the Mg. Committee for the term 2015-17: President

Hon. Secretary

Jose Mathew

Abraham George

Rainbow Cruises, Alappuzha

Intersight Tours & Travels Pvt. Ltd., Cochin

Hon. Treasurer

Vice President

Hon. Jt. Secretary

Jose Pradeep

Prakash K Nair

Gopinathan G

Hotel Yuvarani Residency, Cochin

The Gateway Hotel, Varkala

BTH Sarovaram, Cochin

Committee Members

Ashraf C.C.

Baby Mathew

Dileep Pottamkulam

George Dominic

Green Gates Hotel, Wayanad

Somatheerma Ayurveda Resort Pvt. Ltd., Trivandrum

Camelot Resort, Munnar

Casino Hotel- A CGH Earth Experience, Cochin

Gopalakrishnan M R

Manoj Babu M

Mathews E V

Rajashekharan Nair

Kadappuram Beach Resort, Thrissur

Medicus Ayurbay Beach Resort, Trivandrum

Eastend Lakesong, Kumarakom

Uday Samudra Leisure Beach Hotel & Spa, Trivandrum

Ross Masood

Roy Chacko

Scaria Jose

Swaminathan S

The Great India Tour Company P.Ltd. Trivandrum

Lezeldor, Cochin

Carmelia Haven, Idukki

Dravidian Trails Holidays Pvt. Ltd., Cochin

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Outrigger Resorts and Best Dives Maldives Announce Partnership

and education. For example, guests can earn PADI Project AWARE specialist certification, for which they don’t need to be a diver. Project AWARE fits in with OZONE and Outrigger’s mission to protect coral reef systems in tropical destinations around the world. Outrigger’s collaboration with Best Dives Maldives complements its existing OZONE partnerships with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the US, the Polynesian Voyaging Society, the Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System, the Waikiki Aquarium in Hawaii, Underwater World in Guam, the Mamanuca Environment Society in Fiji, and Reef Conservation in Mauritius.

New Start Up Review Platform For Tour Operators Worldwide The Outrigger Konotta Maldives Resort, which opened on August 1, and Best Dives Maldives, have announced a long-term partnership to provide all water-based activities and tours to guests. Outrigger management chose to partner with Best Dives Maldives due to the company’s commitment to marine life education and conservation, which fits in with Outrigger Resorts’ global coral health and conservation program, OZONE (Outrigger’s zone). Best Dives Maldives will function as the resort’s full-time activities and tour provider. It will be responsible for conducting an extensive range of snorkeling, scuba diving, water sports, island discoveries, fishing trips and cultural excursions to nearby islands. A fully qualified marine biologist, Caterina Fattori from Polytechnic University Ancona in Italy, joined the Best Dives team on Konotta Island on September 6. She will participate in Outrigger guests’ snorkel and scuba dive excursions on request. She will give talks and presentations to groups. Her additional role will be to train all Best Dive Maldives tour leaders on marine ecology so that understanding and conservation is part of every sea-going excursion. The marine environment adjacent to the Outrigger Konotta Maldives Resorts is second to none. “Konotta Island and the surrounding area in the Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll in the south of the country oﬀers the biggest and best hard coral fields in the world,” says Eric van Melis, the General Manager of Best Dives Maldives, who has been conducting marine trips in the Maldives since 2003. Van Melis says that Outrigger and Best Dives Maldives will work closely on coral conservation SEPTEMBER 2015 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

Changing times and changing trends has brought about drastic changes in all kinds of businesses. Until a decade back “Tour Operations” was considered to be a very serious business with very few venturing into it. Internet revolutionised the way we travel and the once highly conservative business suddenly became the favourite business for many. Unchecked growth of operators, lack of licensing norms, unbelievable number of websites and portals, extensive amount of information available online eventually took the toll and once rosy business of “tour operations” started losing the luster and took a downward swing. ATTOI believes this correction in business is necessary as it will weed out unwanted players. ATTOI is also apprehensive about it as it will hit some of the good operators too. There had to be a medium to safeguard the interest of good tour operators and ATTOI as the body of tour operators decided to take this initiative. www.mytourreview.com is this technological medium with which ATTOI intends to achieve this objective. ATTOI wants to arrest this negative trend of tour operations business by bringing reliable tour operators closer to prospective clients. www.mytourreview.com is a start up concept developed in-house by ATTOI. This portal will function as reliable source of reviews of travellers for travellers contributed by travellers who look for personalised and experiential holidays.

NEWSLINE Reviews and referrals play a crucial role in making a decision when you plan your travel. Since hotel reviews are available, customer tend to look at various options before booking online with hotels. As a traveller there was no standardization or bench marking available online to find quality tour operators. ATTOI President Anish Kumar believes that this global platform will enhance business opportunities within the tour operator community. He believes it will provide real time feedbacks to clients who are in the planning stages just like review sites for hotels. ATTOI with this initiative is confident it will help bring back more clients to tour operators. There is no better marketing tool than the ‘Word of mouth’ propaganda; even with all the technological advancement, this medium beats all even today. ATTOI has decided to use this popular medium and with the help of technology intends to reach across to millions of travellers around the world. This well proven model with contributions from travellers who have experienced services with tour companies will have a detrimental eﬀect on decision making process of future travellers, just like it has with hotels today. India’s prime body of tour operators, Association of Tourism and Trade Organizations, India (ATTOI) has decided to launch this exclusive tour review portal, on September 27. ATTOI believes with this nouvelle initiative will be a giant step in achieving this year’s World Tourism Day slogan “A BILLION TOURISTS, A BILLION OPPORTUNITIES’.

Kerala Tourism Bags PATA Award for Heritage Conservation Kerala Tourism’s efforts towards heritage conservation have won it the top Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Award for its Muziris Heritage Project. PATA had earlier honoured Kerala Tourism for its Responsible Tourism initiative in Kumarakom and Kerala tourism’s popular e-Newsletter in 2014. This time the award came for the state’s trendsetting efforts in reinventing the millennia old Spice Route heritage, an official statement said. “The award is an acknowledgement of the initiative to bring back our tradition and history for the sake of the modern generation and through it achieve the goal of growth and development for our people,” said Kerala Tourism Minister A.P. Anilkumar. “This is an award for the community and

stakeholders in the state who are involved in the day-to-day work carried out on the ground to preserve our rich heritage,” he added. Kerala Tourism secretary G. Kamala Vardhana Rao who received the award said the Muziris Heritage Project is a vital element in the restoration of the historical Spice Route led by Kerala Tourism and supported by the central government and international organisations like Unesco. The PATA awards, sponsored by the Macau Government Tourism Oﬃce (MGTO), has appreciated Kerala Tourism for the Muziris project’s conservational aspect, uniqueness and impact on local community. There were 269 entries from 83 organisations and individuals worldwide for this year’s PATA award, the highest number since 2007.

Bhutan Launches Photo Campaign A small Kingdom in the Himalayas called Bhutan has inspired many around the world by placing the happiness of its people ahead of economic wealth. This is the principal idea behind Gross National Happiness (GNH), Bhutan’s development philosophy which the King refers as ‘development with values’. His Majesty adds that GNH is the ‘national conscience guiding us towards making wise decisions for a better future’. Taking pride in the idea of HAPPINESS, the tourism industry of Bhutan promotes Bhutan with the tagline “Happiness is a place’. This is to simply assure that happiness can be found in simple things and these simple things can be found anywhere and in anything. In an eﬀort to allow everyone from across the globe to share what HAPPINESS means to him or her, the Tourism Council of Bhutan introduced

ASIAN TRAVELLER | SEPTEMBER 2015

NEWSLINE the Bhutan Photo Campaign. The Bhutan Photo campaign is a simple way of sharing what HAPPINESS means to everyone with photographs on www.HappinessIsaPlace.com. The campaign is dedicated to the selfless Kings of Bhutan for introducing and promoting the philosophy of GNH. The honourable Prime Minister of Bhutan, His Excellency Tshering Tobgay launched the Bhutan Photo Campaign on 30th July2015. Attractive prizes will be given away for the photographs with highest LIKES and SHARES from the campaign page. The campaign will end in December 2015.

Nandini Diwakar & Sanjeev Gakhar Win Lufthansa #Cookandfly Contest

philosophy, the Lufthansa #cookandfly contest celebrates India’s cultural and cuisine diversity and aims to engage with target audiences on a topic close to their heart – their food preferences. Hosted on Facebook, the contest also harnessed the power and reach of social media and received overwhelming response with entry submissions pouring even after the submission timeline was over. Commenting on the contest, Mr. Rajiv Kaul, President, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts said, “We are delighted to expand our partnership with Lufthansa to showcase the hidden culinary talent of India and help them spread their wings. The Leela reflects the essence of India and our Master chefs Kunal Kapur and Vinod Saini take pride in bringing the finest Indian culinary experiences from our signature Kitchen – Jamavar - to the skies. We have brought this ethos to the campaign to help celebrate the diverse culinary heritage of India.” The winner wins a Lufthansa Business Class ticket to Europe and a 6 weeks internship with celebrity chefs at The Leela. The winners also gets exciting prizes from The Leela including 1 voucher for 1 night stay for 2 in executive suite with regular inclusions. Other prizes for contestant and runnersup include 1 voucher for Lungo pranzo (long Sunday lunch) at Zanotta for 2 with sparkling wine (for 2nd runners up); 3 vouchers for spectra weekend dinner for (2 non-alcoholic for contestants) and 2 vouchers for Diya weekend lunch for 2 (non-alcoholic for contestants.)

In a gripping finale, Nandini Diwakar and Sanjeev Gakhar beat six other finalists in a live-cook out session to win India’s largest online culinary talent hunt, Lufthansa #cookandfly contest held in partnership with The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts. Nandini and Sanjeev were announced winner at a glittering grand finale ceremony at The Leela Ambience Gurgaon. Rajni Kaura (Paneer-e-husn) and Simmi Sareen (Upma Polenta cakes with mushroom coconut sauce) won the first and second runner up titles respectively. The winning recipes – Nandini (Murgh Noore Bahara with Mawa Pulao) and Sanjeev (Masala Aloo aur khatte pyaaz) will be featured in Lufthansa’s inflight menu. Lufthansa #cookandfly contest is Season 2 of Star Chef Contest where the nationwide hunt for India’s largest online culinary talent is conducted by MasterChefs Kunal Kapur and Vinod Saini of The Leela and Lufthansa’s culinary expert for the Asian region, Chef Thomas Brockenauer. Conceived under Lufthansa’s “Non Stop You” positioning and “More Indian Than You Think” SEPTEMBER 2015 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

Jammu and Kashmir Tourism to Organise Festival at Leh As part of its efforts to attract tourists, Jammu and Kashmir Tourism department plans to organise an eight-day festival at Leh to showcase the rich heritage of Ladakh region. “The Ladakh festival will commence on September 20 and conclude on the world Tourism day on September 27,” an official spokesman said after a meeting chaired by Secretary (Tourism), Farooq Ahmad Shah in Srinagar. The spokesman said the meeting was convened to review the arrangements for the festival being organised by the Tourism department. Apart from showcasing the tourism products of Ladakh region, the festival would also witness handicrafts, Thangka and photo exhibitions, musical concert, Polo matches and ethnic food. Chief Executive Officer of Leh has been designated as the Nodal Officer for the event, the spokesman added.

NEWSLINE

Ten Honours for Kerala at National Tourism Awards

Kerala Tourism Begins Online Holiday Bid War

Visiting ‘God’s Own Country’ has gone under the hammer. And the winner will be the one bidding the lowest price. Kerala Tourism received four awards at the National Tourism Awards 2013-14 held in New Delhi. Private entrepreneurs from the state won six awards, making Kerala’s share of honours ten. Tourism minister A P Anil Kumar and secretary G Kamala Vardhana Rao received the awards from President Pranab Mukherjee. The minister, after receiving the award, said that the state had submitted before the Centre a multiproject proposal worth Rs 568 crore to boost the it’s tourism profile. The state had also sought the clearance of a Rs 283-crore pilgrim tourism circuit with focus on Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, a coastal tourism project of Rs 108 crore, an ecotourism project of Rs 77 crore (of which Rs 52 crore is for Vagamon-Thekkady and the rest Rs 25 crore for Gavi in Pathanamthitta) and Rs 100 crore for Nila tourism project. The tourism department was recognized for its excellence in publishing initiatives in foreign language (German brochure kit ‘Eat Shop Trek’), best tourism film (The Great Backwaters of Kerala), most innovative use of information technology in tourism (for the portal www.keralatourism.org) and successful responsible tourism project (Thekkady initiative). In the private sector, the winners include Dravidian Trail (in foreign exchange earnings category), Coconut Creek Farm (bed and breakfast category), Coconut Lagoon (heritage classic category), Marari Beach Resort (3-star hotel category), Vivanta By Taj, Kumarakom (4-star category) and Somatheeram Research Institute and Ayurveda Hospital (wellness centre category).

The Kerala Tourism department has launched an online bidding game oﬀering holiday packages to the state at virtually no cost. First-ever in the country for a destination, ‘Visit Kerala Bid Wars’ will be played out on the hugely popular Facebook page of Kerala Tourism. The bid, joined by accredited tour operators in the state, will include packages from Rs 8,000 to Rs 78,000. The bid, aimed at domestic travellers, is organised as part of the ‘Visit Kerala 2015’ campaign inaugurated by Kerala Tourism Minister A P Anilkumar in the national capital in April. “Kerala Tourism enjoys round-the-year engagement with our huge fan base across the world,” said Kerala Tourism Secretary G Kamala Vardhana Rao. “This bidding process is a unique way to acknowledge the bond with each other,” he added. “It will also help us continue our association with our fans by providing an opportunity to gain first-hand experience of being in the place they love,” Shri Rao said. The campaign will be anchored on an online bidding system known popularly as the ‘lowest unique bid’. In this bidding system, the package, which is up for bidding, is won by the person whose bids the lowest as well as unique. If two people bid the same price, that amount will get cancelled. For Example, if a person bids for a package worth Rs 20,000 at Rs 10, the package will be awarded to her if nobody else has bid Rs 10 and no other unique

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SEPTEMBER 2015 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

NEWSLINE bid is made which is less than Rs 10. Kerala Tourism, which has more than 1.2 million fans on Facebook, is a pioneer in using Information Technology to spread awareness about the state’s destinations. The tourism department’s website, one of the most popular tourism websites in the world, has won several national and international tourism awards. “The online bidding not only carries forward the conversation with our fans, but also takes it to the next level,” said Kerala Tourism Director P I Sheik Pareeth. “The opportunity for our fans to spend a peaceful day on a houseboat in the famed backwaters or stroll in the picturesque tea hills of Munnar will go a long way in consolidating our association with them,” Shri Pareeth said. For making the bidding a success, Kerala Tourism has partnered with accredited service providers from the state such as Kerala Tourism Development Corporation, Voyages Kerala, Intersight Holidays, Spice Land Holidays, Cosima Holidays, Dravidian Trails, Indus Holidays, Kerala Travels & Travel Planners. The packages range from two nights to 10 days. The bidding will happen for one package each at a time. The details of the package and its worth will be available on the Facebook app. Kerala Bid Wars will takes place on the oﬃcial Facebook page of Kerala Tourism (http://bit.ly/ KeralaBidWars). An android app titled “VisitKerala BidWars” which is available on Google Play Store (http://bit.ly/VisitKeralaBidWars) can also be used to take part in the bidding. The bidding process begins with signing up on Kerala Bid Wars Facebook App or downloading the VisitKerala BidWars app from Play Store. After searching the package on oﬀer, bid the lowest possible price, saying “this is the best year to visit Kerala”. The bid will be active for a few days initially. The winner will be announced for each package soon after it ends and before the next package will be up for bidding.

Tourism Ministry to Have New Office at Mandir Marg Tourism Ministry will soon have its own headquarters in the capital as the government will lay the foundation stone for the Paryatan Bhawan at the Mandir Marg on Septemeber 27, the World Tourism Day. Paryatan Bhawan will be constructed near the Birla Temple on a 9 acre land and Finance Minister

Arun Jaitley will lay the foundation stone for the building on September 27 as part of the celebration of the World Tourism Day, said a senior Tourism Ministry official. The ministry is celebrating World Tourism Day (WTD) with a theme of “One billion tourists one billion opportunities” across the country. All states and UTs have been told to celebrate the WTD involving youth and students to create awareness among this segment of society about the importance of tourism as an engine of economic growth that holds billion opportunities for the youth, the official said. There was a need for the India Tourism office in the capital as the ministry is currently functioning from the Transport Bhawan. NDMC will construct the new building at an estimated cost of Rs 90 crore, said the official. The new Bhawan will be a green building with all modern amenities and adequate parking facilities.

Toronto to Host IGLTA’s 35th Annual Global Convention The International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association is Canada-bound in 2018, bringing its Annual Global Convention to Toronto for the second time in the association’s history. IGLTA’s board of directors selected Ontario’s capital city – long celebrated for its vibrant LGBT community – for the 35th edition of the conference, May 9-12, 2018. The convention, the leading educational and networking event for the LGBT tourism industry, will take place at the downtown Westin Harbour Castle hotel on the shores of Lake Ontario. “Canada stands at the forefront of gay and lesbian rights, and our 2009 convention in Toronto was one of our best attended,” says Dan Melesurgo, Board Chair, IGLTA adding, “Toronto is truly a diverse, multicultural city that has world-class attractions and unique neighborhoods, including a large and popular gay village. We’re excited to return in 2018 and set the bar even higher.” Toronto’s reputation as an LGBT-welcoming destination continues to grow. WorldPride 2014 united advocates and allies from around the globe in Toronto, attracting an estimated 2 million visitors over the course of the 10-day festival, and the city’s annual gay pride event is one of the largest in North America. “Our tourism community looks forward to welcoming IGLTA in 2018,” said Andrew Weir, Chief Marketing Oﬃcer, Tourism Toronto. “The world is taking notice of Toronto’s vibrancy and progressive spirit that makes this not only a welcoming destination but also one of North America’s most exciting cities to explore,” he said.

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NEWSLINE

Tourism Minister Launches Cleaning Campaign in Varanasi The Union Minister of State for Culture (I/C) and Tourism (I/C) and Civil Aviation, Mahesh Sharma launched a special cleaning campaign at the recently renovated historic Assi Ghat in Varanasi. Launching a cleaning drive at the excavated and restored historic Assi Ghat, the Union Minister inaugurated a world class Sulabh public toilet on the occasion. Mahesh Sharma while lauding the eﬀort of Sulabh called upon other organizations to come forward to adopt and clean other ghats. He said a plan is being drafted to clean garbage by using boats as garbage disposal is a major problem in the historic city due to narrow lanes. Now boats will ferry garbage to dump at certain points. Sharma said that a comprehensive plan for the all round development and beautification of the Ghats of Varanasi and cleaning of River Ganga is underway to fulfill the wishes of Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi. He announced introduction of a special project for restoration and beautification of the Ghats. The Minister said a plan has already been finalized to hold light and sound shows at Assi Ghat soon.

Tourism New Zealand Lures Corporate Travellers At the recent Experiential Planner MICE Roadshow in Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, Tourism New Zealand showcased its multiple oﬀerings for corporate travellers across regions in North & South Island. Over 200 event planners attended the event. The roadshow provided a platform for Tourism New Zealand to meet with MICE planners in India. During the session, Neha Bhola, Country Manager – India, Tourism New Zealand, made a destination presentation on the oﬀerings of Auckland, Waiheke, Rotorua, Waitomo, Queenstown, Wanaka, and Christchurch. The attendees also engaged in team-building activities, and were take through the venues/accommodation, adventure, and food and wine available in the regions. Speaking about the event, Steven Dixon, Regional Manager – South and South East Asia, Tourism New Zealand, said, “We have received a great response from the Experiential Planner MICE Roadshows and look forward to more partnerships like this that help us build awareness of New Zealand as a business events destination in India.

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We aim to highlight New Zealand as a destination that is diverse, yet accessible, through the range of activities it oﬀers. We are pleased to see an increase in preference for New Zealand among corporate travellers and hope to keep up the momentum.” For New Zealand, the Indian market is growing at 25.4% with 42,896 arrivals in the year to July 2015, with an increase in holiday arrivals of 23% on the previous 12 months.

National Tourism Awards 2013-14 Presented President Pranab Mukherjee on 18 September 2015 presented the National Tourism Awards 2013-14 at a function held at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi. Some of the important recipients of awards • The state of Gujarat was awarded for the Best State/UT for Comprehensive Tourism Development • Heritage City Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh as the Best Heritage City • Municipal Council of Maheshwar (Distt. Khargone) in Madhya Pradesh for Best Civic Management of a Tourist Destination in B Category. • Gujarat has been awarded as the Best Film Promotion Friendly State/Union territory. • Department of Tourism of Kerala received the award for Most Innovative use of Information technology. • The Great backwaters of Kerala by Kerala Tourism has been awarded the Best Tourism Film. • The Coﬀee Table Book Gujarat’s 50 Golden Destinations by Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Ltd got the award of Best Tourism Promotion Publicity material. • M/s Kuoni Travel India Pvt Ltd, Gurgaon received the first prize for Best Inbound Tour Operators/Travel agents in the category of earning Foreign Exchange of 100 crore rupees or more in a year. • M/s Trail Blazer Tours India Pvt was given first prize in the category of earning Foreign Exchange of 50-100 crore rupees in a year. • M/s Eco Mobility and Hospitality Pvt Ltd won the first prize in Category I of Tourist Transport Operator. • M/s Snow Leopard Adventure Pvt Lts, Gurgaon won the prize for Best Adventure Tour Operator.

NEWSLINE

TIME Hotels Awarded Slow Food Initiative Approval

flavour enhancers; local sourcing of all ingredients/ products up to a radius of 3,000 kilometres; and a focus on sourcing organic where possible,” he added. TIME’s Slow Food menu includes dishes such as labneh cheese with extra-virgin olive oil served with heirloom tomatoes and organic arugula; baked local shari fish with cucumber, carrots and beetroot in a zaatar-black olive sauce; free range chicken machbous with Emirati rice and a secret herb mix; and a delicious cream souﬄé made with khidri dates, nuts and mountain honey.

TIME Oak Hotel & Suites and TIME Grand Plaza have received the oﬃcial ‘snail of approval’ from the Slow Food Dubai, becoming the first hotels in the Middle East to be recognised as pioneers of the 20year old international movement.

Each property was presented with the award at a ceremony attended by team members instrumental in getting the initiative up-and-running along with representatives from Slow Food Dubai, and invited guests.

Apple Festivals to Promote Tourism

To qualify for the award, the TIME Hotels culinary team had to create over 50 dishes from scratch, using only locally sourced ingredients. Founded by professional gourmet Carlo Petrini in 1986, slow food supporters are committed to sourcing and using food that is produced and prepared as per local culinary tradition, and using high quality locally sourced ingredients. The food and beverage team at TIME Hotels has been working in partnership with the Slow Food Dubai Chefs Alliance since early 2015, to promote the benefits of this unique culinary direction across the hotel’s restaurants and banqueting facilities. “TIME Hotels is focused on sustainability across all areas of its operation, and food and beverage is no exception. With around 85% of food items imported into the UAE, we believe that we can make a diﬀerence by introducing the Slow Food initiative in our hotels,” said Bernard Fantoli, Corporate Director of Food & Beverage, TIME Hotels. “The guidelines implemented at both hotels include a commitment to using 100% homemade products with no GMO, MSG or other artificial

Himachal Pradesh Department of Tourism & Civil Aviation will organise apple festivals at Manali in Kullu district on September 6-7 and at Shimla on September 12-13 to promote tourism in the state. A variety of apples grown in the state and dishes made from apples will be on display. There will be entertainment programmes for the visitors. The festival at Manali would be organised at Manu Rangshala where about 20 stalls would be set up. Food stalls would be installed near the HPTDC hotel, Manali. Apples, apple products and exotic vegetables would be displayed at the Ridge and food product stalls would be at Padam Dev Complex in Shimla. Besides exhibitions of various kinds, a painting competition for school children would also be organised at Gaiety Theatre in Shimla on September 11. To promote tourism in the state, the Tourism Department was also planning to take tourists in the vicinity of Shimla in coordination with the Horticulture Department. Tourism Development Corporation vice-chairman Vijay Singh Mankotia will inaugurate the festival in Manali on September 6.

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SEPTEMBER 2015 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

NEWSLINE

West Bengal Tourism to Organise 7-City B2b Road Show West Bengal Tourism will, this month, organise a 7-city B2B roadshow, starting with Indore and Nagpur on September 22 and 24, respectively. Thereafter, the roadshow will take place in New Delhi, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, and Surat. Elaborating on this, Surajit Bose, WBCS (Exe), Joint Director, West Bengal Tourism, said that the state tourism board aims to familiarise the tour operators in the said cities with the new and unique offerings of West Bengal Tourism. Additionally, a new advertisement campaign, being designed by Ogilvy & Mather (O&M), will be out by November this year, along with a television commercial starring the brand ambassador, Shah Rukh Khan, who will be seen welcoming travellers to West Bengal. “We are emphasising on the promotions part. Given the diverse tourism products and rich culture in the state, not much has been promoted among discerning travellers. We are now focusing on experiential tourism with the change in our tagline from ‘Beautiful Bengal’ to ‘Experience Bengal Sweetest Part of India’. Based on the same, O&M is developing new creatives for print, television, website, outdoor, radio, and YouTube, in sync with the new logo. The same is in process and would be out by November. We plan to air it on national television for at least 3 months so as to create a recall value,” said Bose. New destinations in the Dooars and Sundarbans are also being developed on PPP mode, which will come up in few years, he added. Bose went on to inform that the dream tourism projects of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, such as Jharkhali in Sundarbans, are in process. The bid has been floated for the Gajoldoba project in North Bengal, while Sabuj Dwip in Hooghly will be developed by a private player in the next 2 years, he added. Also, cottages are being built at Jhargram Rajbari in Jangal Mahal, which will be ready in the next 2 months, Bose said. About tourist arrivals to the state, Bose went on to say, “We are already witnessing good traffic from the key source markets of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi-NCR, but wish to increase them. Globally, footfalls from China, Sri Lanka, and South East Asian nations have increased due to the proximity and options for air travel. Foreign language guides are also being trained to leverage these markets further.” To publicise the tourism offerings and to increase the visibility of the state tourism board,

Bose informed that West Bengal Tourism intends to participate in all major travel trade marts, both in India and abroad, such as TTF, IITM, SATTE, GITB, Holiday Expo, and Get India.

PATA Travel Mart 2015 Proves a Hit The PATA Travel Mart 2015 (PTM2015) was recently inaugurated in Bengaluru, Karnataka with the official PTM2015 Opening Ceremony hosted by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. The mart, generously hosted by the Department of Tourism, Government of Karnataka attracted over 1,000 delegates from 61 destinations. The total number of delegates for PTM2015 includes 456 Sellers from 266 organisations and 28 destinations, along with 242 buyers from 233 organisations and 50 source markets. The traditional lamp lighting and ribbon cutting ceremony was conducted by Ananth Kumar, Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers, Government of Karnataka; Srimati Umashree, Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Empowerment of the Differently-abled and Senior Citizens & Kannada and Culture, Government of Karnataka and R V Deshpande, Minister for Large & Medium Scale Industries and Tourism, Government of Karnataka in the presence of Kevin Murphy, Chairman, PATA; Mario Hardy, CEO, PATA members of the PATA Executive Board and many distinguished guests from India and overseas. Addressing a media briefing at the Bangalore International Convention Center Murphy stated, “Over the years the Mart’s continued success has been due to its ability to continue to add further value for our delegates and members, while striking the right balance between quality and quantity for our registered buyer and sellers.” Murphy also wished all delegates every success with their networking and contracting activities. He stressed the remarkable value of conducting business at PATA Travel Mart, noting that the annual event remains one of Asia Pacific’s most value adding and cost effective networking and contracting event. The PATA Chairman also used the opportunity to thank Christ University in Bengaluru for hosting the PATA Youth Symposium. The event, organised by the Association’s Human Capital Development team with the theme ‘Human Resources Challenges and Opportunities for Tourism’s Next Generation’, attracted over 200 young professionals. Murphy also praised Phocuswright, a strategic partner of PATA, for co-organising the PATA Technology Forum along with Connecting Travel. The Technology Forum allowed delegates to gain the latest trends and insights into the travel and tourism industry.

ASIAN TRAVELLER | SEPTEMBER 2015

NEWSLINE

Andhra Pradesh Unveils New Tourism Policy

Ministry of Tourism of Jordan Launches Jordan Pass

The Andhra Pradesh government unveiled a new tourism policy that envisages attracting Rs 10,000-crore investments and creating five lakh additional jobs over the next five years in the sector. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu launched the ‘New Tourism Policy-2015-20’ and outlined its objectives at a function in Vijayawada. The policy aims to develop AP as one of the most preferred tourist destinations through sustained investments, robust infrastructure projects and services, and provide world-class tourist experience, he said. On first day of the policy implementation, leading tour operators from across the country signed MoUs with the state government entailing Rs 3,845 crore of investments or fund infusion on operations in AP, the Chief Minister said. Under the new policy, the TDP-led government has decided to set up a single desk for all tourism sector-related clearances, which would be provided within 21 days, he said. If a department fails to follow guidelines or clear applications within the stipulated period, the oﬃcials concerned would be fined and face action, Naidu said. “The policy’s objectives are to facilitate investments in the tourism sector to the tune of Rs 10,000 crore, raise its contribution to 7 per cent of the state GDP and create 5 lakh additional jobs by 2020,” said the document. “All projects with investment above Rs 200 crore, irrespective of the location, will be treated as mega tourism projects. Additional incentives and concessions on a case-to- case basis may be granted with nod from agencies concerned,” it added. The document provides for incentives like reduction in VAT (from 14 to 5 per cent), reimbursement of land registration charges, waiver of entertainment tax for three years and lower rate of electricity tariﬀ, among others, for tourism plans. Stating that Andhra Pradesh with its long sea coast, rivers, hills, water reservoirs and several temples, Naidu said the state has potential and his government was keen to promote tourism as an engine for economic growth here. The government will set up two bodies - Green & Landscape Corporation and Swachh Andhra Corporation - to improve forest cover and promote cleanliness, he said. The Chief Minister appealed to state industrialists to enter into joint ventures with national tourism players. SEPTEMBER 2015 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities of Jordan is happy to announce that it has launched a unified ticket for visiting tourists under the name “Jordan Pass”. The ticket allows visitors to gain access to a number of touristic sites, historic locations and museums in aim to encourage them to visit various sites and prolong their stay in Jordan. The price of the ticket is JOD 70, equivalent to USD 99. The purpose of the ticket is to encourage tourists to visit a large number of historical sites, shed some light on lesser known touristic attractions, to make their trip easier with suggested itineraries, to construct easier access, and guarantee travelers a longer more enjoyable stay in the Kingdom. Moreover, the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Nayef H Al Fayez has stated, “The importance of the Jordan Pass is to save tourists time, money, and stress during their visits around the country, giving them the ability to make the most out of their trips. Through this pass we are reflecting the hospitality of the Jordanian people; a large characteristic of what makes Jordan such a unique destination.” The initiative also reflects that Jordan continues to be a leader in utilizing current technologies in aims to employ online tools that gain the destination larger exposure and enhance the tourism experience. The Managing Director of the Jordan Tourism Board, Abed Al Razzak Arabiyat added, “JTB would be carrying a comprehensive campaign in order to market the Jordan Pass across the globe and among all concerning markets, encouraging all tourists to buy the pass before their planned arrival to the Kingdom.”

NEWSLINE

Switzerland Promotes Winter Tourism in India Switzerland Tourism launched the ‘In Love with Switzerland’ campaign at an event in Mumbai to promote winter tourism in the Indian market. “Switzerland is a year round destination, but now we are promoting winter tourism. We are promoting destinations such as St Moritz, Davos Klosters, Rhaetian Railways and Ticino for winter tourism. We are covering cities namely Chennai, Ahmedabad and Delhi. In all, we will be conducting 14 events to target the Indian travel trade. We have 16 Swiss partners with us,” said Claudio Zemp, Director India, Switzerland Tourism. “We get massive number of tourists from India; the product of Swiss Railways is doing great with Free Independent Travellers, kids up to 16 years of age can travel free with parents, which is a unique proposition. If we continue to receive Indian tourists at a growth rate of 20 per cent, India is going to be well positioned. Apart from India, China and USA are also doing well,” shared Zemp. “This year from January to June we witnessed 26.7 per cent increase in Indian overnights, with 347,056 overnights. During 2014, we witnessed 480,000 Indian overnights overall,” revealed Ritu Sharma, Deputy Director, Switzerland Tourism India. Additionally, Switzerland Tourism has introduced the ‘Grand Tour of Switzerland’ – a 1,600-km-long roadtrip. “This tour can be conducted from diﬀerent gateways like Zurich, Geneva, Basel, Lugano, etc., and can be split into any number of journeys. This has been an extremely successful promotion with many tourists exploring Switzerland by car this year and is going to continue into the autumn/fall season,” he added.

Rajasthan Tourism to Launch Marketing Campaign In Delhi Addressing the media at the recently concluded IATO Convention in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, Sanjay Pande, Additional Director (P&D), Department of Tourism, Government of Rajasthan, revealed that the state tourism board is looking forward to announcing an aggressive marketing campaign in New Delhi on September 22, 2015. On the same day, they would also unveil a logo of Rajasthan Tourism. Alongside, Sunil Gupta, Vice President, Federation of Hospitality and Tourism of Rajasthan (FHTR) and General Manager, ITC Rajputana, Jaipur, informed that would hold a roadshow in the national capital on September 25 and 26, with focus

on Domestic Tourism. The venue will be decided shortly. Throwing light on tourism projects, Pande informed that they are in the process of recognising major fairs and festivals of Rajasthan, such as the Pushkar Fair. Locally known as Pushkar ka Mela, the fair is an annual five-day camel and livestock fair held in the town of Pushkar. In order to increase the overnight stay of tourists in the state, Rajasthan Tourism is promoting Night Tourism during summers at Amer Fort and is looking to replicate the same in other parts of Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Udaipur by the end of this month, Pande added. He went on to say that about INR 100 crore is being spent on the uplifting of the Sambhar Salt Lake area (located 96 km south west of Jaipur and 64 km north east of Ajmer along National Highway 8 in Rajasthan) under the Desert Circuit of the Swadesh Darshan scheme. The project aims to come up with a salt train and dining experience, a salt complex, light and sound show, caravan park, cycle track, cafeteria, and night safari, among others, he informed.

Jharkhand Drafts Film Policy to Boost Tourism Jharkhand government is drafting a film policy to develop and promote the state as a popular filming destination. “The policy is being drafted along the lines of existing ones in states such as West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh,” said AK Pandey, Director of Public Relation Department (PRD). The state tourism, industries and commercial tax departments have teamed up with PRD to chalk out a blueprint of the policy. According to the oﬃcials from tourism and industries departments, the basic idea of the policy is to set up infrastructure by developing a film city. Besides infrastructure, the policy will lay emphasis on maintenance of popular shooting locations and provide tax exemptions for filmmakers who come to the state. A film board, with the chief minister as its head, will also be mandated in the policy, sources said. In a first step towards the idea, the state government approved its first film shooting regulations for those who intend to film here. “It is a basic framework of regulations. The commercial aspect has been taken into account, for filming here will not be free,” Tourism Secretary Avinash Kumar said. Under the regulations cleared by the state cabinet on Tuesday, a filming party will have to inform their time of stay and seek consent from the tourism department. If the party seeks police protection while filming, it will have to pay the district administration. ASIAN TRAVELLER | SEPTEMBER 2015

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NEWSLINE

Ever-Flourishing Tamil Nadu Tourism

Also conducted Parasailing Event at Marina Beach, Chennai during August 2015. Tami Nadu Tourism participated in foreign travel marts like PATA, WTM, London and ITB, Berlin during 2014 and 2015.

Mahindra Holidays Completes Increase of Stake in Holiday Club Resorts Oy Tamil Nadu is resplendent with abundant tourist attractions. The multifarious tourist attractions include historical monuments and forts, towering temples and places of worship, green mountain valleys and tea gardens, long coastline of 1076 km. and pristine beaches, flora and fauna. Tamil Nadu oﬀers five UNESCO – World Heritage Attractions – Mamallapuram, Thanjavur, Darasuram, Gangaikonda Cholapuram and Nilgiri Mountain Railway. Tamil Nadu is ranked first in India for the first time in both domestic and foreign tourist arrivals as per the tourism data of 2014 besides being a health tourism hub. Tamil Nadu received 3275.55 lakh domestic tourists and 46.58 lakh foreign tourists during 2014. Tamil Nadu Tourism has been selected “Tranquebar – Best Civic Management of a Tourist Destination” for “National Tourism Award” for the year 2013-14 by Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. Hon’ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu in the speech at Global Investors Meet held in Chennai on 9th September, 2015 has said to the participants that make the most of this visit and use the opportunity to visit the historic city of Chennai and the many places of cultural and historical significance in Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu receives the largest number of international and domestic tourists amongst all the States in India. Tamil Nadu Tourism has been celebrating Indian Dance Festival 2015 at Mamallapuram during December – January every year. Last year it was celebrated with great pomp and vigour with artistes from all over the country. In recent times, with a view to take Tamil Nadu Tourism to new heights, we are promoting Adventure Tourism activities to attract youth and adventure tourists. Tamil Nadu Tourism conducted Sail and Surf Festival at Manapad in Thoothukudi District during January 2015 and at Kovalam during September 2015 and Hot Air Balloon Festival at Pollachi in Coimbatore District during January 2015.

Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India Limited (MHRIL), India’s leading leisure hospitality provider, and a part of the USD 16.9 billion Mahindra Group, announced completion of the necessary formalities for increasing its stake in Holiday Club Resorts Oy, Finland (HCR) to 83.20 percent through its overseas subsidiary on September 2, 2015. Consequent to this transaction, HCR & HCR Management Oy, Finland became subsidiaries of the Company with immediate effect. HCR is Europe’s leading vacation ownership company, with 30 resorts in Finland, Sweden and Spain. In addition to the above investments, MHRIL will make a fresh investment of 10 million Euros in equity of HCR by the second week of September 2015, thereby subsequently increasing its stake to 86.38 per cent. In July 2014, MHRIL had first announced a definitive agreement to acquire 18.8 per cent of HCR shares with a right to increase ownership over two years. This was increased to 23.3 per cent in November 2014. In June 2015, MHRIL had announced the exercise of the option to increase its stake in HCR up to 88 per cent, subject to customary regulatory approvals in different countries. Commenting on this development, Arun Nanda, Chairman, Mahindra Holidays, said, “It gives me enormous pleasure to announce that we have increased our stake in Holiday Club Resorts to 83.20 percent. We will further make a fresh investment of 10 million Euros to increase stake to 86.38 percent. This is an immense achievement since it turns us into the largest vacation ownership company based outside USA, which is a first for an Indian company.” Kavinder Singh, Managing Director & CEO, Mahindra Holidays, also commented on the occasion, “We are excited about the prospect of deriving immense synergies between the two leaders in their respective markets. With this acquisition we will be able to offer Club Mahindra’s 186,000 and HCR’s 50,000 members wider holidaying options through the combined network of resorts of both the companies.”

ASIAN TRAVELLER | SEPTEMBER 2015

NEWSLINE

Hong Kong Travel Mission to India Concludes

The delegation visited Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata and New Delhi and met with over 800 trade representing more than 600 companies across these cities. The mission also included exclusive MICE and Cruise sessions, highlighting the diverse venues in Hong Kong for meetings and incentive groups. Besides HKTB, the Royal Caribbean International and Star Cruises were co-presenters for these sessions. Harbour City sponsored the luncheons in all the cities during the session to help broaden the dynamic of shopping experience in HK.

The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has successfully concluded its India travel mission from 17 August to 21 August 2015 in India. The Mission witnessed the participation of more than 40 delegates representing Hong Kongâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top land operators, hoteliers, and popular family attractions like Ocean Park Corporation, sky100 Hong Kong Observation Deck, Ngong Ping 360 Limited and PMQ Management Co. Ltd.

SEPTEMBER 2015 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

Leveraging the 14-day visa free facility for Indian passport holders, the number of visitor arrivals to Hong Kong has reached 276,387 in the first six months for this year showing a significant increase of 6.2 per cent over the same period last year. The Indian trade buyers were also encouraged to register at PartnerNet (PartnerNet.hktb.com/in); a B2B interactive platform dedicated to tourism trade partners, to avail exclusive benefits by joining as a Trade Partner member.

NEWSLINE

Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel Honors Grandparents Day To celebrate Grandparents Day, September 13, the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel is making it easier for families to connect and enjoy quality time together throughout September with an offer ideal for a multigenerational vacation. Grandparents and their families vacationing at the Epcot Resort Area hotel can receive a connecting guest room for just $109 per night – up to a 50-percent savings off standard rates – when booking one room at the standard price for stays in September. Connecting guest rooms provide the space, privacy and access ideal for multigenerational families as well as for grandparents traveling alone with grandkids. They’re the perfect way to make priceless memories like sharing a bedtime story with grandma or sneaking a midnight snack with grandpa. Whether grandparents want to enjoy nearby theme parks with their grandchildren or escape for a couples massage, the hotel offers a variety of amenities for each generation and activity level, including: 17 world-class restaurants and lounges, five pools, two health clubs, tennis, nearby golf, the newly renovated Balinese-inspired Mandara spa and complimentary transportation throughout the Walt Disney World Resort. For additional information, or to make reservations, call 1-800-227-1500 or visit www. swandolphin.com/offers. Taxes, resort services fee and gratuities not included. Not valid with any other special offers, promotions, or for existing reservations or groups; offer is based on rate schedule availability.

Visit Florida and Pitbull to Promote the Sunshine State Paul Phipps, Chief Marketing Oﬃcer, Visit Florida recently announced a new partnership with global music superstar Pitbull during the Florida Governor’s Conference on Tourism in Tampa. The partnership is designed to help Florida integrate its travel brand into the international music scene on a huge scale through this unprecedented ambassador program. Under the partnership, with more than 100 million social followers, Pitbull will use and feature Visit Florida’s #LoveFL hashtag on all his video screens at concerts around the world, as well as on his live New Year’s Eve special from Miami on Fox.

Visit Florida will be doing a week-long takeover on Elvis Duran and the Morning Show/iHeart Radio featuring daily prize packages to Miami and VIP passes for Pitbull’s New Year’s Eve event. Florida’s beaches will be the exclusive backdrop of Pitbull’s upcoming video for the single ‘Sexy Beaches’, his videos have over 6 billion views, his worldwide music sales exceed 60 million singles and he has No. 1 hits in more than 15 countries. “Pitbull is certainly ‘Mr. Worldwide,’ but he’s also a native Floridian with a true passion for the sunshine state,” said Phipps. “Aligning our two brands not only allows us to have a Florida ambassador who can help tell the authentic story of the state’s diverse travel experiences, but provides us a platform to reach a new generation of travelers through his global fan base,” he said.

VFS Global bags Express Intelligent Enterprise Award In recognition of its efforts to use technology as a key business driver, VFS Global has won the prestigious Express Intelligent Enterprise Award 2015 for its pioneering Location Independent Document Processing (LIDProTM) solution. VFS Global was conferred the award at a ceremony held at the Fairmont, in Jaipur on 21 August 2015. LIDProTM is an innovative solution that enables remote processing of visa applications collected from multiple locations. A breakthrough initiative by VFS Global, LIDProTM was first developed in partnership with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, and allows stakeholders from multiple geographies to remotely process and assess visa applications on a single platform. The award ceremony was part of the Indian Express Group-led Express Technology Senate, an annual forum for India’s leading CIOs and IT decision makers. The award recognises companies that have optimized IT to achieve business objectives, or have brought about measurable improvements in productivity/time to market. Acknowledging the award, Dhiren Savla, Chief Information Officer, VFS Global, said, “We are honoured to accept this award from the Express Group for their recognition of LIDProTM. This award validates our commitment to develop new technologies, and we will continue to enhance our efficiencies to set new benchmarks in innovation in the visa processing business worldwide.” In May this year, LIDProTM won top honours at the International Business Excellence awards in the Towards 2020 category, in Dubai, and in June, the solution was awarded at the Indian Merchants’ Chamber IT Awards 2015 in the Large Enterprise BPO/ITES category, in Mumbai. The solution also ASIAN TRAVELLER | SEPTEMBER 2015

NEWSLINE won the HP IT Innovation Award in 2014. Says Zubin Karkaria, Chief Executive Oﬃcer, VFS Global, “The LIDProTM solution was a progressive innovation developed by VFS Global and we are proud of the awards and recognition it has received at multiple forums around the world. We firmly believe this solution represents the way forward in the flexibility and scale it oﬀers governments, enabling them to optimise visa services while maintaining the overall integrity of the visa application process.”

Uttarakhand Tourism to Promote Winter Pilgrimage Uttarakhand Tourism Department plans to take up promotional activities to attract tourists and pilgrims for the winter Char Dham pilgrimage. The tourism department will take up at least four big festivals and fairs and will try to sell the events via its publicity measures across the country and also invite stake holders like tours and travel agencies and other experts to take part in the events. Tehri Fair in November and Mussoorie Carnival in December will be held under the aegis of the state tourism department. Mussoorie festival will have some exclusive hill cuisines on display along with clothing items, and other attractions and Tehri Festival will have larger dimensions to sell the scenic beauty of lake and the new Tehri Township. Tourism department has planned a winter carnival at snow-capped Auli, known for skiing and other adventure sports. “We have finalised the plan for Tehri festival to be held in November, Mussoorie in December and Auli carnival for February 2016. These events will be held mainly to promote the winter tourism in the state,” said A K Dwivedi, Additional Director of Uttarakhand Tourism Department. Dwivedi said festivals and carnivals are being organised to curtail the diversion of tourists who often prefer to visit destinations like Shimla, and Jammu & Kashmir during winters.

Tourism Australia and Visa Form Global Partnership Tourism Australia and Visa Inc have entered into a three year partnership, using Visa’s Cross Border (#notatourist) campaign to demonstrate why ‘There’s Nothing Like Australia’, with a focus on increasing the number of international holiday makers, Down Under and how much they spend when they are here. Both parties will commence work in the Asia Pacific region to extend SEPTEMBER 2015 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

promotions highlighting Australia’s exceptional food and wine as well as the unique coastal and aquatic experiences through banking partners, travel partners and merchants to convert interest into increased tourism expenditure in Australia. Key markets identified in the Asia Pacific region for the partners to work together include China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Japan and South Korea. “Across all of our target markets Australia is a ‘must-see’ destination, and high yielding international travellers have been responding very well to our global consumer marketing campaign, ‘There’s Nothing Like Australia’,” said John O’Sullivan, Managing Director, Tourism Australia adding, “We are now increasingly working with partners to better target international travellers and make sure we turn the interest our campaigns create into tourism’s contribution to the Australian economy.” Visa Inc’s Cross Border campaign, #notatourist, complements Tourism Australia’s strength in social media marketing and the agency’s remit to encourage visitors to disperse throughout the country. “Visa Inc’s Not a Tourist campaign is designed to engage those that are looking for authentic local experiences. We will be providing local knowledge to travellers to help them explore destinations beyond the regular tourist sites, with our platform enabling them to be ambassadors or tour guides for their favourite travel spots,” said Chris Clark, Group Executive for Asia Pacific at Visa Inc.

Kerala State Tourism Announces 2013-14 Awards The Kerala State Tourism Awards for the year 2013-14 were announced. Kochi-based Intersight Tours and Travels has won the award for the Best Inbound Tour Operator to Kerala. The winners for Best Three Star, Four Star and Five Star Hotels are Alappuzha’s Marari Beach, Kovalam-based Uday Samudra Leisure Beach Hotel and Spa and the Kumarakom Lake Resort respectively. The Raviz Hotel’s Leela Kovalam is the Best Five Start Deluxe Hotel. Coconut Lagoon in Kumarakom won the Best Heritage Hotel award. Somatheeram Ayurvedic Beach Resort bagged the Best Approved and Classified Ayurvedic Centre title. The Best Approved and Classified House Boat Operator is Rainbow Cruises, while the Best Approved and Classified Homestay is Coconut Creek Farm and Homestay in Kumarakom and the Best Approved and Classified Serviced Villa is Munnar’s British County.

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appointed as Area Manager, Ethiopian Airlines

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