TRAVEL
Home & Away with Robert Walshe CONCORDE Travel are offering 9-night packages on a charter programme from €854 per person which includes flights, transfers, taxes and 9 nights in 3*+ hotel. Travel Dates as follows: Belfast 6th September (one off), Cork 15th September (one off) and between 24th September and 21st October from Dublin. Only a five hour flight from Ireland, Tel Aviv is the East’s hidden hotspot that offers a temperate climate, fabulous beaches, archaeological and historical sites, and unique geography to make this country one of the most appealing holiday destinations around. www.concordetravel.ie
Holiday Hotspot
Delhi is a city of extreme wealth and brutal poverty, outstanding natural beauty and polluted urban sprawls, modern metropolises and medieval bazaars. For the first time visitor like me, a trip can be daunting; however if you look beyond the surface, and you’ll find a place rich with history, culture and overwhelming colour There are monuments, mosques and tombs in abundance, impressive colonial architecture, brilliant museums, excellent restaurants and more than enough bazaars, markets and shops. In fact, your only problem will be fitting it all in. You will see many aspects of India in Delhi, with its vast diversity in culture, tradition and religion. It’s a city of contrasts, where an elephant can overtake a Mercedes on the streets, where colonial mansion stands next to a slum, and where cows are revered and allowed to freely roam. The city’s pace is chaotic, yet relaxed, and makes it ideal for exploring. In New Delhi, you’ll see the remnants of the former colonial power with wide streets, big squares, and spacious parks. This is also the part of Delhi where you can visit Gandhi’s memorial. Old Delhi is quite the opposite with small narrow alleys, little shops and a bustling daily life. This is also the area where you’ll find, amidst all the hectic daily practices, serenity and quietness when you enter the Jama Masjid (Friday Mosque) and have a look over Delhi’s outskirts and visit the Red Fort. This is one of the most impressive sights in Delhi. It was built in red sandstone
by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in 1648. The monument is located along the river Yamuna as an irregular octagon. The main entrance is the Lahori Gate, a former royal market. There are a lot of interesting buildings inside the Fort like the Rang Mahal (the water cooled apartments for ■ Leela Kem the royal ladies (or pinski Gurga on Delhi M the Diwan-E-Aam for ain lhi De New e, gat ia Ind ■ public audiences. Besides that, there are several good museums and interesting sights dispersed over the rest baths are outfitted with large of Delhi and its vicinity, such as the soaking tubs and rain showNational Museum and Humayun’s ers and some rooms have Tomb. Rajghat is the cremation site terraces. I absolutely loved of The Father of Nation, Mahatma The Royal Club which offers Gandhi. Situated on the banks of guests a private lounge and Yamuna River, the entire area is personalized butler service very peaceful. The Iron Tower at on two floors. The Leela Qutub Minar is another monument Kempinski is also home to that is a must see in Delhi. Built by the award winning “Spectra Qutub-ud-din Aibak it represents “restaurant with live kitch■ Spectra at Leela Gurgaon Delhi the highest stone tower in the coun- ens serving dishes from all try and is one of the major tourist across the globe. Cuisines sites. If you are more of an adven- offered include Chinese, turous person, do not miss taking a European, Indian, Thai, Manot even 1.5 minutes from St. ride on a cycle rickshaw. . It is an laysian and Japanese and eco-friendly ride amid the modern the experience was one of most James’s Park, walking distance to means of transportation and is an memorable culinary experiences Piccadilly and Oxford Street, minamazing experience. Cycle rick- to date. When it comes to dining utes away from the West End and shaws are banned from New Delhi Indian, their option is “Diya” while all the exciting museums and galleritself but can be handy for travel- “Zanotta” with an open kitchen lay- ies, shopping, walking and wonderling around ‘Old’ Delhi. The city and out offers the best Italian culinary ing, the London Eye, and whatever suburbs are awash with hotels to delights. The “ Lavanya” spa at The else you can think of! This August suit all budgets and tastes. As the Leela Kempinski Gurgaon can only and September is for families with hub of Delhi’s burgeoning informa- be described as a refuge from the the Stafford Family Package, starttion technology business, Gurgaon stresses of the nearby and hectic ing from £ 600 per night for two inis also seeing the launch of many city life offering everything you terconnecting King or Twin bedded new hotels and leading the charge need to indulge, pamper and revive rooms in the main house or from £ is the ultra chic Leela Kempinski. A yourself.. The Leela group of luxury 800 per night for two interconnec15-minute drive from the Indira Gan- hotels has properties in Mumbai, tion Junior Suites in The Stafford dhi International Airport and 20 km Bangalore, Goa, Kovalam, Gurgaon Mews. The price includes contifrom the Delhi city centre the hotel and Udaipur, with new properties nental breakfast for four as well as adjoins the largest luxury shopping set to launch in Chennai, New Delhi, some bread to feed the ducks in St. and entertainment centre in India. Hyderabad and Pune. For special James’s Park! For individual travelThe property designed in a modern monsoon and honeymoon deals, lers or couples, the ‘3 for 2’ offer is minimalist style. offers the capitals see www.theleela.com.. India tour- perfect to soak up the lively atmosmost expansive rooms and suites ist information is available at www. phere of London without breaking the bank. Rates start from £ 220 boasting as standard LCD televi- incredibleindia.org for a single room, and £ 235 for a sions with Blue Ray players, Bose Weekly Best Buy double room per night. This rate iPod docks, high-speed Internet and The Stafford London, by Kem- excludes VAT and breakfast and advanced security systems. King and twin beds come equipped with pinski is a British gem in Mayfair, every third night is free www.kemergonomic mattresses, the marble tucked away in St. James’s Place pinski.com/london
Pet’s Corner...
with Kathleen Murray
with Kathleen Murray: Animal Behavioural Therapist EVERY year there are several dog shows in the county. These are mostly held during festivals, agricultural shows and as fund-raisers for local charities. Every year more and more dogs come along and it is great to see the interest rising. It is a great opportunity for you and your dog to be sociable. Dogs need to learn to be in the company of other dogs, and people, from a young age to help them to grow up into well rounded, sociable personalities... but there is a limit as to when to start. Every year, as more people become interested in the shows, and the socialising, there are always people that bring along very young pups. This is a big No No. A young pup has no defence against disease. It’s immune system is not strong enough to fight off the serious germs that it may encounter at dog shows.
Living
Anywhere that a group of dogs come together there will be risks for unvaccinated dogs. That’s why vaccinations are important. The initial vaccinations that a pup gets at the veterinary surgery are very important. They protect the pup from deadly diseases like parvovirus and others. Parvovirus kills very quickly. A pup can start off with some diarrhoea, it may be sick, it will stop eating and drinking and become tired and dehydrated... then it dies. This can take place within 2 days. From the time that people notice the problem until they get it to a vet, the pup is already too far gone.
This is not a disease to be messed with. Your pup or grown dog (if not vaccinated) can pick up Parvo anywhere at any time. Dog shows, and anywhere that dogs roam, are dangerous places for an unvaccinated pup. Breeders often tell owners that the pup is vaccinated when they come to pick
Home and Away Extra SAS will increase the number of departures this autumn on several intra-Scandinavian routes due to strong demand. SAS will add two daily departures between Copenhagen and Stockholm, taking the total number of daily flights to 15 as of September 1st. SAS will also increase the number of departures on the following routes: Copenhagen-Bergen, CopenhagenOslo, Copenhagen-Stavanger and Oslo-Stockholm. In total, SAS will add 62 new departures a week. Scandinavian Airlines fly 24 times a week direct from Dublin to Oslo, Stockholm, and Copenhagen and onwards to Scandinavia and the Baltic’s from as little as €69 one way including taxes. www.flysas.ie Robert Walshe is a freelance travel contributor / broadcaster and is guest travel writer for River Media newspaper titles across the island of Ireland
Local Dog Shows it up. The danger here is that it may have been done by the breeder and not a vet. If an injection is not given properly then the pup may not have received the proper dose. Half of it may have run down the dog’s coat on the outside. Paperwork to prove that the vaccination was given can only be handed out by a vet. If the vet doesn’t give the vaccination themselves then there will be no paperwork and the pup will have to start over again... putting the pup through more upset than is necessary. Pups under 3 months should not be at a dog show. Pups that are not vac-
cinated (regardless of age) should not be at dog shows. Vaccinated dogs can pass on diseases even though they are protected themselves so please don’t pup your pup at risk. There are people that will say “I had my pup at a show and nothing happened, it even won a prize”. I would say “You are an irresponsible owner and your pup was very lucky”. The pup should not have gotten a prize because this only encourages people to take big risks with helpless young animals, regardless of how pretty they, are or their future potential in the show ring. The pup deserves better. As a dog gets older it’s immune system becomes stronger and it can handle things better but young pups have no defence once they are weaned from their mother and find themselves in the outside world for the first time. Always ask a vet for advice.