Here's How you Explore Pune and Delhi

Separated by an aerial distance of 1173 km and road distance of 1533 km, life in Delhi is completely different from that in Pune. Pune is surrounded by hills, experiencing semi-arid and tropically wet and dry climate. On the other hand, Delhi has a subtropical humid climate with extreme weather conditions.

Both these places are home to countless tourist attractions, ideal for individuals who wish to feed their wanderlust with something unexplored. There are several flights from Pune to New Delhi and vice versa that can let you cover the distance in a mere two hours.

Unexplored Places in Pune

• Bhuleshwar Temple: Made with black rocks and boasting marvelous rock carvings of the 14^th century, Bhuleshwar Temple is a Shiva temple on top of a hill.
• Aga Khan Palace: One of the biggest landmarks in Indian history, the Aga Khan Palace was built by Sultan Muhammed Shah Aga Khan III in Pune in 1892. The palace is today the Gandhi National Museum.
• Yashwantrao Chavan Udyan: Popularly known as 'Aba Bagul Udyan', Yashwantrao Chavan Udyan houses the miniatures of the 7 wonders of the world. Don’t forget to watch the 4D shows scheduled in the evenings.
• Ramdara: A mandir located by a small lake with mountains behind it, Ramdara is an ancient temple to Lord Ram that exists on the Solapur Highway, at Loni Kalbhor. The greenery, coconut trees, ducks and birds can easily make you fall in love with this place and tempt you come again.

Unexplored Places in Delhi

• Delhi War Cemetery: This tall monument in the Delhi Cantonment area is home to the graves of soldiers who fought for the British Commonwealth, especially on the Eastern Front, during World War II. The Delhi war cemetery is a delight for the eyes, as it is beautifully landscaped and the lawns are well manicured.
• Jahaz Mahal: All set to visit a place that can soothe your soul? Located in Mehrauli, the palace was named Jahaz Mahal as its reflection in the surrounding reservoir creates an illusion of a ship floating on a lake.
• Bhardwaj Lake of Asola: A lake in South Delhi, located within the Asola Wildlife Sanctuary area, Bhardwaj Lake of Asola is spectacular and glorious. In this area, you can see various sanctuary birds and animals.
• Bhool Bhulaiya: Another delight in Mehrauli, the Bhool Bhulaiya is located at the back of the well-known Qutub Minar. The Bhool Bhulaiya is actually the tomb of Adham Khan.

So, check out the flights from New Delhi to Pune and vice versa and explore these offbeat locations.

Things You Need to do Before You Take Off

According to a May 2016 article on The Huffington Post, research shows that taking regular vacations can have various health benefits, including reducing stress, helping with heart health, improving mental health and also improving relationships. So, if you haven’t gone on a vacation, away from your everyday responsibilities, in some time, the time to start planning is now. You don’t need to go to an exotic destination or splurge till it hurts to have an unforgettable vacation. Actually, the key to a memorable holiday is to plan meticulously, from booking domestic flight tickets to chalking out the itinerary, so that every step of the journey and back is smooth and hassle-free. Here’s a look at some key things you need to do before going away on vacation.

Steps to Planning a Memorable Vacation

1. Pick Your Destination
   Well, without this step, there won’t be a holiday, right? There are some excellent holiday destinations in India, so don’t worry about having to spend a packet. The key to choosing a destination is to decide on what kind of vacation you want and who all will be traveling with you. For instance, if you are traveling with young children, you might look for destinations that have a lot to offer children. On the other hand, you might want to spend a beach holiday with the family, just relaxing, enjoying the water and eating loads of sea food. This is also a good time to decide on how long you wish to stay at your destination.


2. Set Your Budget
   It is easy to overspend when you are having fun. However, one vacation shouldn’t put you in a financial crisis. So, decide on the total budget beforehand, keeping in mind the cost of flight tickets, accommodation, food, travel at the destination, shopping for souvenirs, etc. Once you know how much you can comfortably afford to spend on the holiday, you can plan your itinerary based on that.


3. Book Air Tickets
   The first step to booking domestic flight tickets is to look for the best prices. You might also come across deals with air and accommodation bookings and discounts. The best way to ensure that you get the best flight deals & offers is to book your travel online. For this, you can either visit the website of the airline itself and check out their offers or try aggregator sites. Staying with the same airline and winning loyalty and travel points is a good idea, since this will open up many offers and discounts for you.

What you need to do is go to the airline’s website, pick the dates for travel and the destination and choose the airport of departure and that for arrival. You will also need to fill in the number of adults and children travelling. It is advisable to book return tickets because these tend to be cheaper than buying one way tickets at a time, when you know you have to come back home. You can also check for flights with stop overs rather than direct flights for cheaper air fare.

Once you’ve filled in all these details, you can proceed to pay for the tickets through the website’s secure online payment gateway. You will need a credit or debit card or use net banking for this. Payment providers, such as PayTM or RuPay, might also be accepted. So, choose the mode you are comfortable with. Once the payment is received, you will receive the confirmation of the ticket booking on the email address you have provided. You can either save this on your smartphone or print it out and use at the airport at the time of travel.

Don’t forget to book your accommodation in advance too, especially if you are travelling during the peak holiday season.

Bangalore – India’s latest fine dining hub

The country’s exciting culinary scene has a new entrant – IT city Bangalore now teems with fine dining restaurants that add panache to a city used to fast food joints.

This has been part of India’s growth story all over the country. Wherever offices for IT and MNCs spring up, small food joints follow. The demographic working here normally comprises younger persons who are used to fast food that arrives within minutes of ordering it. This is a class of people that likes to eat at its desk, so it prefers simple, no-fuss meals. This has been the prevailing trend in Bangalore – the city’s IT centres teem with casual eating joints, where one may nip for a quick bite with colleagues before heading back to work. 

But every kind of work culture is subject to change over time. Bangalore is no different in this regard. Home to ‘darshinis’ and dhabas across such areas as Indira Nagar and Whitefield Road for years now, techies love the array of dosas, pizzas, sandwiches, parathas and milk shakes that many restaurants here regularly dish out. But these places are fine for a quick bite in the middle of a work day – what happens when one wants to go out with their families and friends?

And so, fine dining restaurants in Bangalore slowly gained in importance over the last few years. Today, fine dining restaurants have become an essential part of the dining experience in the IT city. 

The change did not happen overnight. Normally, fine dining restaurants are more expensive to run, and they also hire experienced talent in the food and beverage industry. A certain amount of regular clientele, or bookings, are required daily to keep operations afloat. Bangalore did not previously have what is known as the ‘food mass’ required to anchor fine dining restaurants in most places. The trend started changing when, spurred by job opportunities offered by MNCs setting up base in the city, techies moved bag and baggage to Bangalore. 

This influx of tech talent needed supportive infrastructure like housing and transport to grow further. Capitalising on the growing demands for the kind of lifestyle that the prominent metros enjoy, restaurants started flying in renowned chefs from other locations to create Bangalore-specific menus and add international cuisines for world travellers.

Bangalore is also a prominent hotspot for international conferences and business meetings. Bangalore Palace Hotels and their convention rooms are also booked for these. The Leela Palace Bangalore is a prime example – it has a range of 284 royal, deluxe and conservatory rooms, apart from 29 well-appointed suites. The national and international delegates attending business events love to unwind at the hotel’s spa and tuck into delectable delicacies at its many restaurants. 

For delegates wishing to explore Bangalore city and its thriving fine dining scene, we recommend such restaurants as the High Ultra Lounge, Shiro, Grasshopper and Rim Naam (at The Oberoi).

The Mango Festival is Here!!

Goa is famous for its scenic beauty. Travelers visit this charming destination from across the world and go back rejuvenated. Most travelers are attracted by the breathtaking beaches, with views of the Arabian Sea, lush Western Ghats in a backdrop and soft sands framed by palm trees. Some even come to explore the fascinating churches. However, there is so much more that Goa offers.

Goa: Where Celebrations Never Seem to End

 

This popular holiday destination serves its guests with delicious Konkani cuisine. The freshness of the seafood, whether its prawn chilly fry, mackerel curry, fried mussels or crab xacuti, makes each dish a gastronomical experience to remember. Your visit to Goa is incomplete without trying feni (or fenny), an exotic cashew wine that you will not get anywhere else in the country. This destination has a vibrant nightlife and the bars and pubs are open till the wee hours.

With airfares becoming more affordable, people are planning even weekend getaways to this fabulous destination. In fact, one can easily book low cost domestic flights and have a memorable time even if the holiday is a short one.

Some Special Celebrations 

 

While the celebrations never seem to end in Goa, there are a few festivals that have made New Delhi to Goa flights even more popular. The two of these are Christmas and the February Carnival.

Christmas is a major festival in Goa. During this time, the streets are decorated with lights and the city becomes even more lively and colorful. The churches are lit up and hold evening mass. You may find decorated Christmas trees in every hotel, restaurant and mall. The air has music and celebrations.

The Goan carnival has been celebrated since the 18th century.  Usually celebrated in the months of February/March, this festival is a precursor to the abstinence and fast of the 40 days of Lent. You will get to see amazing dancing in the streets, vibrantly colored floats with flowers and feathers and masks. The carnival is also marked by the crowning of the legendary King Momo.

Don’t Miss the Mango Festival

 

Many tourists are unaware of Goa’s exciting Mango Festival. Organized by the Directorate of Agriculture, the Mango Festival is held every year, usually in April. The festival promotes the cultivation of mangoes. You can see a large variety of mangoes, including – local varieties (like mancurad, mussarad, ilario, colaco, xavier, furtado and alfonso), hybrid varieties (like ratna and amrapali) and varieties from across India (like totapuri and neelam.

4 amazing international trips to take in the year 2017

Year 2017 is a good year for tourism. We recommend four international destinations to check out this year.

Travelling all over the world has its own charm. You learn about other cultures and see many gorgeous sights. But often, deciding where to go is confusing – the whole world is open for exploration. Allow us to point you in the direction of 4 excellent destinations for 2017:

1. Canada. There is never a good reason needed to visit Canada. The US’s friendly Northern neighbour has many sights, cuisines and activities to keep visitors occupied all year. Since the people are outdoorsy and always in for a bit of fun and socialising, you will never be bored even on a solo journey in Canada. We especially recommend booking yourself into a special tour to view the Northern Lights in late November or December – the estimated viewing dates are announced mid-year.
2. Estonia. Gorgeous Estonia has less population and is high on beauty, but that is not to say that the local residents are not down for some fun. In recent times, Estonia has developed into a thriving music festival destination, and this year, the Tallinn Music Week takes place here in spring. You can get tickets to experience the music of over 200 performers from the country and around the world, across a wide variety of genres. You can also participate in the discussion tours, food walks and artiste symposiums all around Tallinn during this time.
3. Vietnam. Laid-back, scenic and grappling with dire poverty for the last decade, Vietnam is the ultimate backpackers’ paradise. The country is extremely safe for solo women travellers as well, and it offers many stunning vistas, temples, amazing local food and excellent accommodation at very affordable rates. It is best for a week-long family vacation or a girls’ trip.
4. Indonesia. Romanticised by the famous Elizabeth Gilbert novel Eat Pray Love, Indonesia offers up a tantalising mix of adventure, beachside tranquillity and spiritualism. You can camp at any of the country’s over 1000 islands, gorge on delicious food, and enjoy its wonderful summer season from May to September. You should especially book yourself into Bawah Private Island, a collection of five stunning islands spread over 300 acres and incorporated into an eco-sensitive resort. It opens every year in July.

Now that you have an idea of where you want to go, you can start booking your trip and getting visas. But do not leave an important task for the last minute – arranging for foreign currency. Get your bank’s guidance on how much money you should carry in cash and travellers’ cheques. Next, find out the bank’s range of foreign exchange services and if it offers an international forex debit card that you can use on your trip. Your bank will give you the best forex rate to maximise the value of your money.