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Pushkar TraveL Information

Pushkar TraveL Information

14-km from Ajmer, Pushkar is legendary among travellers looking for new experiences. It offers much more than most weekend getaways can hope to pack in: temples, ghats, street bazaars, caf?s, and of course, desert safaris. As a religious site, Pushkar practically sells itself: it is home to one of the two Brahma temples in the country. The region is a labyrinth of 500-odd temples, 52 ghats and palaces clustered around a holy lake.
According to legend, the lake sprang up at the spot where a lotus fell from Lord Brahma`s hands-and has curative properties. Religious site notwithstanding, Pushkar is an artsy hippie region peopled with sadhus, hippies and pilgrims. On the one hand, it attracts the flower child. On the other, it is a sanctified spot characterized by temples and ghats. Whether you detoxify in a heritage hotel, take part in religious rituals, study temple architecture, or simply do touristy things like shopping, eating out and camel safaris, Pushkar has much to draw you in.
For the uninitiated, it has been on the hippie circuit for years is easily available in this vegetarian and alcohol-free town! The town is very small and as someone put it, “you could pretty much cover it in about an hour”. Pushkar has all requisite distractions; visitors can purchase florescent shirts, a set of drums, paintings, books, trance and reggae CDs, religious paraphernalia, silver jewellery, sequinned and embroidered sandals, blankets, and handmade weapons; try multicuisine delicacies at caf?s littering the marketplace; and party at night-long desert raves. More surprises awaited in the form of Salvador Dali! Emporiums in Sadar Bazaar either hawk paintings, wall hangings, diaries and T-shirts of his works or inspired thereby.
If Rajasthan is a land of diversity, Jaipur is its most sublime expression. The seduction`s easily explained. Jaipur is a city of vivid and unforgettable images: Jal Mahal [a palace in the midst of Man Sagar lake], ochre-pink buildings, camels standing astride a Mercedes Benz at traffic lights, theatres showing  films in a busy marketplace[!], artisans engaging in block printing, gem cutting, and puppet making.
The staggering maze of old-world palaces and forts-the city`s archaeological treasures-are for many the sole reason for traveling to Jaipur. I began my odyssey at a vantage point in the city-Amer fort, Jaipur`s grand icon and showpiece. A centre of royal pomp under the reign of Raja Man Singh, Amer was initially a palace complex within the original fort, which is today known as Jaigarh fort. Connected with Amer through fortified passages, Jaigarh fort is renowned for the world`s biggest cannon on wheels, Jai Ban.
By 10 a.m., the tourists are out on the streets, battling crowds and traffic as they wind their way from palaces and baroque buildings to the ruins of antiquity. Indeed, Jaipur often appears to have two populations: one of locals and another of visitors. The old city is a fascinating place to wander around, with its quaint bazaars [there`s a market that only sells bangles!], artisans` digs, and the Hawa Mahal [it is part of the City Palace and has 953 windows]. During the winters especially, it plays host to a horde of sightseers who converge on it with guidebooks and cameras in hand. To all-Americans, Europeans, Indians-Jaipur extends a warm welcome … wining, dining, and entertaining them in its inimitable fashion. The traffic, unfortunately, is worse than ever.

Lock up your Home and other Good Advice before Going on Holiday

Lock up your Home and other Good Advice before Going on Holiday

In all the preparations for your summer holiday don’t forget to take good care of one thing that isn’t going with you – your home! After enjoying a fabulous week or two away the very last thing you would want to return to is a burgled house.
If possible, leave your keys with a family member, friend or trusted neighbour and ask them to pick up any post to leave the doormat clear and therefore remove an obvious clue for would-be burglars to non-occupancy. Alternatively Royal Mail offers a service known as Keepsafe where your mail is held at the sorting office and not delivered between dates that you specify. For less than a tenner you can have the mail withheld for up to 17 days, but remember that you need to allow at least five days notice for the service to be set up.
If you still have milk delivered to your doorstep don’t forget to cancel it, and the same applies to any newspaper deliveries. There is no bigger clue to an empty house than an accumulation of full milk bottles outside the front door.
One of the most often made mistakes when leaving home for a holiday is to close the curtains. All this does is alert thieves to the fact that the house is empty. Leave your curtains open but do use automatic timers to turn lights on and off to give the impression of occupancy.
Home insurance policies cover non-occupancy of a property, but most for only a limited number of days, typically around 90. So, if you are leaving on an extended break ensure that your home will be covered by your policy.
Make it harder for any would-be burglars by ensuring that when you travel that you do not display your home address on any luggage labels. That is the equivalent of broadcasting to the world that you are leaving your home empty. Obviously, that doesn’t apply at the end of your holiday when you are checking in luggage for a flight home, but on outward travel only.
If the worst should happen don’t make it easy for burglars by leaving important documents, valuable items and credit cards that you may not be using within easy reach. Either hide them away, deposit safely off-site such as with your bank or with family members.
Lastly, before departing make sure the house is secured. As well as locking and bolting all the doors, make sure that if you have lockable windows that they too are locked and the keys hidden away. That particular piece of information is very important as if burglars do get access to your home leaving keys in the window locks will make it easier for them to exit the property.

Traveling to Maui on a Budget

Traveling to Maui on a Budget

A FEW WORDS ABOUT MAUI

Just say the word “Maui” and images of tropical breezes, blue ocean waters, sandy beaches and lush foliage come to mind.  All of this is true, and then some.

You will find Maui to be a welcoming, world class vacation destination.  The locals are friendly and helpful and willing to give visitors assistance in getting around their Island.  However, one caution, remember that Hawaii is the 50th state in the United States and the local people do not take kindly to remarks such as “back in the States” and the like.

Travel around Maui is almost all by personal automobile.  There is virtually no public transportation on the island, so renting a car is a must when visiting Maui.  Most of the major car rental companies have operations on Maui with locations at the main airport.  You should be sure to make advance reservations before you get to the island as there are a limited number of cars on the island and if they are all reserved previously you could have a supply problem if you don’t have a reservation.  This is particularly true during the “high” season.  The key to economical car rental is to reserve your car is to shop for a car on line considerably before your trip is scheduled.  Rental rates change frequently, and can vary widely so do your homework.

Maui has a good network of roads covering most of the island.  They are paved and well maintained with traffic control markings and  driving rules as you would have on the mainland.  One thing that you will notice are the street names, which are mainly in Hawiian.  That means that the names will be long and somewhat strange at first.

WHERE TO STAY

A major concern when visiting Maui is deciding where to stay on the Island.  In general you will find that the western side of the island is relatively dry and sunny and is where most of the major resorts and condominimum buildings are located.  Even then, you must also think about if you want to stay “ocean side” or somewhat removed from the shore.  As you would think, Ocean side will be more expensive.  At that you will find accomodations which are “ocean front”, ocean side, ocean view and a lot of more imaginativly described sub divisions.  All that means is that you need to ask, and be sure that you fully understand where your accomodations are relative to the ocean, so you won’t be disappointed when you find that in order to see the ocean from your “ocean view” room, that you have to stick your head out of the window to see it two blocks away.

There are definate tourist seasons on Maui.  In general the “high season” is from December 15th through April 15th.  The rest of the year is the “regular season”.  You will find that during the high season the island is more crowded and some things are from somewhat to very much more expensive.  Lodging is one thing that can sometimes double in price during the high season.

One other option is to reserve accomodations “upcountry”.  That means locating on the side of the extinct volcano, which is in the center of the Island.  This volcano is name Haleakla.  It is about 10,000 feet above sea level and it provides a distintively different experience on Maui.  There is a national park there which, if you enjoy hiking and other outdoor activities could be very enjoyable, and quite economical.

ACTIVITIES

Maui offers all of the world class vacation activities that you can imagine, and some that you never heard about.  You will find no end of activity brochures easily available throughout the island.  Again, to get the most economical actilitys for your travel group you must shop aroung.  There are travel agencies that will gladly recommend and book your reservations for everything from sailing adventures, through submarine rides, through dinner and sunset cruises and luaus.  Here, you can be economical, or you can be extravagant.

Of course, ocean activities play an important part of Island activities.  Maui has many world class beaches, and by law, all are public beaches.  Here you can do everything from simply sun bathing to snorkeling (free stuff) to scuba diving, kayaking, parasailing and much, much more.

SUMMARY

In short, you will find that Maui has something for everyone.  It is called “Magical Maui”, and I am sure that you will be enchanted with your Maui experience and if you are like so many other visitors to the “Valley Island” you will be planning your return visit as soon as you get home from your vacation.

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT  Traveling to Maui on a Budget

Why it Pays to Take Care Abroad – Reducing the Risk to Yourselves

Why it Pays to Take Care Abroad – Reducing the Risk to Yourselves

Although the following tips, aimed primarily towards women travellers, should help to ensure a hassle free and safe trip abroad, many are just common sense suggestions that equally apply to male travellers and also for travelling in the UK.

When travelling around, the key is to act confidently. For women travellers, wearing dark glasses can boost confidence and think about how your clothing will fit in with local customs and attitudes. If travelling alone, you may attract unwelcome attention and you may receive unwanted propositions or remarks. It is best just to ignore them. Never accept car rides from strangers or hitchhike and if possible try and double up with someone you know when travelling by taxi. Always pack your own baggage and never leave it unattended. Never carry packages or anything else through customs for other people. In your accommodation abroad, never leave a key where someone can note your room number. Don’t leave your window open if your room is on the ground floor and use a door wedge on the inside of your hotel room door for extra security. Again women travellers need to take extra care when checking into hotels and hostels such as, don’t use a title such as Ms, Mrs or Miss, use only a first initial and be careful about opening your door to anyone – if in doubt check with reception.

Try and stay in touch. Keep your family and friends aware of your plans and leave a copy of your itinerary, passport, travel insurance documents and credit cards with someone at home. It is worthwhile taking a copy of these with you when travelling and keep separate from the originals. Once abroad, e-mail or telephone home regularly. Carry a list of British Consular offices in the countries you plan to visit.

Don’t forget to check out the latest travel advice from the FCO before you go and find out about the culture and customs of the countries you will be visiting. And why not take a look at the travel advice section on the Travel & Insure website which contains easy to read advice on the support you can expect from embassies and consulates worldwide should you get into difficulty.