Showing posts with label TRAVEL TRENDS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TRAVEL TRENDS. Show all posts
Saturday, February 4, 2023
Champing: Church Camping
Sunday, September 11, 2022
Beach Reset
(This article first appeared in the 11th September 2022 issue of The Hindu newspaper's Sunday Magazine section on page 8 https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/travel/thailands-maya-bay-from-dicaprios-the-beach-is-slowly-recovering-from-the-devastating-effects-of-mass-tourism/article65844485.ece)
Wednesday, August 24, 2022
Four New Countries Offering Visa Free Travel to Indians
(This article first appeared online on 24th August 2022 on ZeeZest
https://zeezest.com/travel/four-new-countries-added-to-the-list-of-visa-free-travel-for-indians-i-zee-zest-2253 )
Tuesday, December 14, 2021
Pet Staycations In and Around Mumbai
Saturday, July 25, 2020
Bali-hoo!
The idyllic island of Bali seems poised to become the post-pandemic world’s epicenter for the hipster drifter with ‘digital nomadism’ finding a strong footing in the millennial lexicon.
By Raul Dias
“Trust me, it’s paradise. This is where the hungry come to feed. For mine is a generation that circles the globe and searches for something we haven’t tried before…”, says Leonardo Di Caprio’s mononymous character ‘Richard’ in the 2000 film The Beach. A backpacker cult classic, so ahead of its time that it effortlessly segues into the current milieu, exactly two decades later. A time when digital nomadism seems to be the way forward for millennials-on-the-go, as they chart their course in the (hopefully!) post-pandemic world. One that is ruled by the unholy trinity of anxiety, apprehension and uncertainty.
All this, while attempting to precariously juggle travel, work and a little adventure on the side. Constantly searching for their version of a modern-day Valhalla if you may. Nesting in places as far flung as Cancun in Mexico to Bali in Indonesia where tribes of wannabe digital nomad warriors like themselves—be they app developers, social media marketers or the ubiquitous travel vlogger–hunker down for extended periods of stay. Armed with their hi-tech weaponry and millennial coolth, ready to conquer the digital world and beyond, one oat milk latte at a time!
Digi go-go
Loath as I may be to admit, I am one of these people now. Even though I have been on the fringes of the digital nomadic lifestyle for nearly a decade as a freelance travel and food writer, setting up temporary ‘shop’ wherever I travel, I have somehow always found succor and comfort in being tethered to the familiarity of my writing desk, here in my home base of Mumbai. The fulltime, peripatetic lifestyle scene was not something I could wrap my head around for an assortment of reasons that seem trivial to me today.
Like a lot of things in our lives that have changed over the course of the tumultuous first half of this pandemic-ridden year, I have done a rethink. I guess it was the ennui resulting from five months (and counting) of suspended animation that has sealed the deal for me. I want…nay, need a change. “If I can work from home, I can work from anywhere”, is a mantra I now chant on a loop.
As we do a rethink—both about how we work and how we travel—an important realisation comes to the fore. The tradeoff by combining work with leisure over an extended period, while remaining socially distant is far greater than the ephemeral lure of a short trip. The latter no longer as attractive and realistic as before, what with mandatory Covid-19 testing and fortnight quarantines putting a kibosh on everything.
I am not alone in recognising this need of being untethered. Quick on the uptake and saddling up to this cultural sea change are countries like Estonia which recently announced a special long-term digital nomad visa. The eastern Caribbean island of Barbados too has unveiled a similar 12-month digital nomad work visa to allow visitors from all countries to live and work there, tax free.
Seas the day
But we need not look that far. As a frontrunner on the honeymoon-meets-family vacation scene for decades, the sea-n-surf paradise of Bali has had a facelift of sorts. Transforming itself into a hip digital nomad haven for the last couple of years, the Indonesian island is undoubtedly poised to become the post-pandemic world’s epicenter for the hipster drifter for a host of reasons that I will unspool shortly.
Exactly a year ago, back in the day when ‘Corona’ to me was just a brand of bottled beer, served with a wedge of lime bunged down its neck, I took a wee detour to Bali in the middle of a two-week-long work trip to Thailand. The purpose of my two-day trip to the island was to scope out an abridged version the digital nomadic lifestyle there as part of a writing project I was in consideration for. While said project did not work out, what I gleaned from that trip was a destination ripe for the picking.
Like almost every prospective digital nomad, I found myself in Canggu, Bali’s de facto digital nomad capital along the south coast of the island. A place that is relatively inexpensive to live and work in and easy to navigate around. I was there checking out the three main things a digital nomad in Bali seeks: accommodation, a place to work and something extra when R&R beckons.
Ticking all boxes
While other areas in Bali like Ubud—the rice terrace-surrounded bucolic heart of the island—and the more upmarket Seminyak are no less attractive, there is something to be said about the beachy vibe of Canggu. Here, surfing lessons on lunchbreaks are the norm, as are al fresco sunset yoga sessions that replace post-work drinks.
With its explosion of avocado-toast serving cafés, cheap dive bars, art galleries and Insta-friendly vistas, Canggu garners some serious cred on hipster street. But is the wide variety of both coworking spaces (with lightning fast internet speeds) and a plethora of accommodation options available here that make it the very epicenter of Bali’s digital nomadic scene. From inexpensive guesthouses and plush Airbnb rentals to communal ‘coliving spaces’—the latest buzzword in digital nomad circles—the search in Bali ends here.
I was barely an hour into my dalliance with ‘digital nomading’ working at the open 24 hours a day Tropical Nomad Coworking space near Canggu’s Echo Beach trying hard to swallow the luridly purple contents of my acai fruit bowl, when I got chatting with Sarah. A digital content curator originally from Texas, she had been based in Bali for the last six months and by the look of it was still in the honeymoon phase with her digital nomad life. “It really does not matter if you are an aspiring digital nomad or an experienced one,” Sarah says rather encouragingly. “Bali is the kind of place where you are almost guaranteed to find some truly unique and inspiring places and people who help you get to your productive best, while living life to the fullest.”
Quite the prophetic solution for these bleak times, no?
Travel log
Getting There
As there are no direct flights from India to Bali, one can take connecting flights via Bangkok, Singapore or Kuala Lumpur. Travel within the island of Bali is extremely easy with cheap and plentiful transport options available, including private taxis and bikes on hire. Citizens of 169 countries (including India) get a free 30-day on arrival which allows one to work as a digital nomad and which can be renewed by taking a short ‘visa run’ to places like Malaysia, Singapore or Thailand and coming back to Bali.
Stay and Work
* Dojo Bali (dojobali.org) along Canggu’s famuous surf break of Echo Beach ticks all three boxes offering a trendy coworking and coliving space along with recreational facilities like surf lessons and Balinese cooking lessons, all at very reasonable prices.
* Outpost (destinationoutpost.co) with its flagship sister property in Ubud is another great coworking and coliving space with an apt slogan of “design your best life.”
Tip
While the whole of Bali is very safe for women, there are places like Goddess Retreats (goddessretreats.com) which is a women-only retreat offering everything from accommodation and outdoor activities to transformative yoga sessions and spa treatments that are perfect for solo women digital nomads.
(Note: While it is not advisable to travel at the moment, the above information is intended to provide a general idea for future travel—whenever it is safe to do so again.)
(An edited version of this article first appeared in the 25th July 2020 issue of The Hindu Business Line newspaper's BLink section on page 20 https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/blink/takeaway/bali-is-the-capital-of-digital-nomadism/article32177278.ece)
By Raul Dias
“Trust me, it’s paradise. This is where the hungry come to feed. For mine is a generation that circles the globe and searches for something we haven’t tried before…”, says Leonardo Di Caprio’s mononymous character ‘Richard’ in the 2000 film The Beach. A backpacker cult classic, so ahead of its time that it effortlessly segues into the current milieu, exactly two decades later. A time when digital nomadism seems to be the way forward for millennials-on-the-go, as they chart their course in the (hopefully!) post-pandemic world. One that is ruled by the unholy trinity of anxiety, apprehension and uncertainty.
All this, while attempting to precariously juggle travel, work and a little adventure on the side. Constantly searching for their version of a modern-day Valhalla if you may. Nesting in places as far flung as Cancun in Mexico to Bali in Indonesia where tribes of wannabe digital nomad warriors like themselves—be they app developers, social media marketers or the ubiquitous travel vlogger–hunker down for extended periods of stay. Armed with their hi-tech weaponry and millennial coolth, ready to conquer the digital world and beyond, one oat milk latte at a time!
Digi go-go
Loath as I may be to admit, I am one of these people now. Even though I have been on the fringes of the digital nomadic lifestyle for nearly a decade as a freelance travel and food writer, setting up temporary ‘shop’ wherever I travel, I have somehow always found succor and comfort in being tethered to the familiarity of my writing desk, here in my home base of Mumbai. The fulltime, peripatetic lifestyle scene was not something I could wrap my head around for an assortment of reasons that seem trivial to me today.
Like a lot of things in our lives that have changed over the course of the tumultuous first half of this pandemic-ridden year, I have done a rethink. I guess it was the ennui resulting from five months (and counting) of suspended animation that has sealed the deal for me. I want…nay, need a change. “If I can work from home, I can work from anywhere”, is a mantra I now chant on a loop.
As we do a rethink—both about how we work and how we travel—an important realisation comes to the fore. The tradeoff by combining work with leisure over an extended period, while remaining socially distant is far greater than the ephemeral lure of a short trip. The latter no longer as attractive and realistic as before, what with mandatory Covid-19 testing and fortnight quarantines putting a kibosh on everything.
I am not alone in recognising this need of being untethered. Quick on the uptake and saddling up to this cultural sea change are countries like Estonia which recently announced a special long-term digital nomad visa. The eastern Caribbean island of Barbados too has unveiled a similar 12-month digital nomad work visa to allow visitors from all countries to live and work there, tax free.
Seas the day
But we need not look that far. As a frontrunner on the honeymoon-meets-family vacation scene for decades, the sea-n-surf paradise of Bali has had a facelift of sorts. Transforming itself into a hip digital nomad haven for the last couple of years, the Indonesian island is undoubtedly poised to become the post-pandemic world’s epicenter for the hipster drifter for a host of reasons that I will unspool shortly.
Exactly a year ago, back in the day when ‘Corona’ to me was just a brand of bottled beer, served with a wedge of lime bunged down its neck, I took a wee detour to Bali in the middle of a two-week-long work trip to Thailand. The purpose of my two-day trip to the island was to scope out an abridged version the digital nomadic lifestyle there as part of a writing project I was in consideration for. While said project did not work out, what I gleaned from that trip was a destination ripe for the picking.
Like almost every prospective digital nomad, I found myself in Canggu, Bali’s de facto digital nomad capital along the south coast of the island. A place that is relatively inexpensive to live and work in and easy to navigate around. I was there checking out the three main things a digital nomad in Bali seeks: accommodation, a place to work and something extra when R&R beckons.
Ticking all boxes
While other areas in Bali like Ubud—the rice terrace-surrounded bucolic heart of the island—and the more upmarket Seminyak are no less attractive, there is something to be said about the beachy vibe of Canggu. Here, surfing lessons on lunchbreaks are the norm, as are al fresco sunset yoga sessions that replace post-work drinks.
With its explosion of avocado-toast serving cafés, cheap dive bars, art galleries and Insta-friendly vistas, Canggu garners some serious cred on hipster street. But is the wide variety of both coworking spaces (with lightning fast internet speeds) and a plethora of accommodation options available here that make it the very epicenter of Bali’s digital nomadic scene. From inexpensive guesthouses and plush Airbnb rentals to communal ‘coliving spaces’—the latest buzzword in digital nomad circles—the search in Bali ends here.
I was barely an hour into my dalliance with ‘digital nomading’ working at the open 24 hours a day Tropical Nomad Coworking space near Canggu’s Echo Beach trying hard to swallow the luridly purple contents of my acai fruit bowl, when I got chatting with Sarah. A digital content curator originally from Texas, she had been based in Bali for the last six months and by the look of it was still in the honeymoon phase with her digital nomad life. “It really does not matter if you are an aspiring digital nomad or an experienced one,” Sarah says rather encouragingly. “Bali is the kind of place where you are almost guaranteed to find some truly unique and inspiring places and people who help you get to your productive best, while living life to the fullest.”
Quite the prophetic solution for these bleak times, no?
Travel log
Getting There
As there are no direct flights from India to Bali, one can take connecting flights via Bangkok, Singapore or Kuala Lumpur. Travel within the island of Bali is extremely easy with cheap and plentiful transport options available, including private taxis and bikes on hire. Citizens of 169 countries (including India) get a free 30-day on arrival which allows one to work as a digital nomad and which can be renewed by taking a short ‘visa run’ to places like Malaysia, Singapore or Thailand and coming back to Bali.
Stay and Work
* Dojo Bali (dojobali.org) along Canggu’s famuous surf break of Echo Beach ticks all three boxes offering a trendy coworking and coliving space along with recreational facilities like surf lessons and Balinese cooking lessons, all at very reasonable prices.
* Outpost (destinationoutpost.co) with its flagship sister property in Ubud is another great coworking and coliving space with an apt slogan of “design your best life.”
Tip
While the whole of Bali is very safe for women, there are places like Goddess Retreats (goddessretreats.com) which is a women-only retreat offering everything from accommodation and outdoor activities to transformative yoga sessions and spa treatments that are perfect for solo women digital nomads.
(Note: While it is not advisable to travel at the moment, the above information is intended to provide a general idea for future travel—whenever it is safe to do so again.)
(An edited version of this article first appeared in the 25th July 2020 issue of The Hindu Business Line newspaper's BLink section on page 20 https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/blink/takeaway/bali-is-the-capital-of-digital-nomadism/article32177278.ece)
Saturday, August 10, 2019
Journeys of a Lifetime!
Sit back and have the railway journey of a lifetime
seeing all of what magical India has on offer. Raul Dias brings you four of the country’s most iconic rail journeys,
where old world luxury meets adventure in a glam embrace.
By Raul Dias
Maharajas’ Express
Finding itself on the top of our list, and rightly so, the super-exquisite Maharajas’ Express, has been bestowed the “World’s Leading Luxury Train” award at the World Travel Awards for seven consecutive years from 2012 to 2018. In its tenth year of operations, this luxury train is just as glamourous and awe-inspiring than ever before. Though it does have several exotic itineraries to pick from, the train’s signature Indian Panorama six nights/seven days itinerary will take you on a magical journey through some of India’s most celebrated and venerated places like Orchha, Varanasi and Khajuraho, besides stopping at other well-visited tourist hot spots like Jaipur, Agra and Fatehpur Sikri. The train itself is well-equipped with all the important pe-requisites to make you feel like royalty. For your comfort, the train has a four-cabin choice. Take your pick from either a Deluxe Cabin, Presidential Suite, Suite or Junior Suite. Each of these are designed so beautifully that if one sees through the window, one can enjoy uninterrupted vistas of the rolling landscape outside. For your dining needs, the dining car is where amazing world class cuisine is served on gold- and silver-plated cutlery that are in-keeping with the elegant décor of the train. The theme restaurants like the Peacock Restaurant (Mayur Mahal) and Haveli Restaurant (Rang Mahal) along with The Safari Bar will make sure that your post-excursion evenings are made equally memorable.
Finding itself on the top of our list, and rightly so, the super-exquisite Maharajas’ Express, has been bestowed the “World’s Leading Luxury Train” award at the World Travel Awards for seven consecutive years from 2012 to 2018. In its tenth year of operations, this luxury train is just as glamourous and awe-inspiring than ever before. Though it does have several exotic itineraries to pick from, the train’s signature Indian Panorama six nights/seven days itinerary will take you on a magical journey through some of India’s most celebrated and venerated places like Orchha, Varanasi and Khajuraho, besides stopping at other well-visited tourist hot spots like Jaipur, Agra and Fatehpur Sikri. The train itself is well-equipped with all the important pe-requisites to make you feel like royalty. For your comfort, the train has a four-cabin choice. Take your pick from either a Deluxe Cabin, Presidential Suite, Suite or Junior Suite. Each of these are designed so beautifully that if one sees through the window, one can enjoy uninterrupted vistas of the rolling landscape outside. For your dining needs, the dining car is where amazing world class cuisine is served on gold- and silver-plated cutlery that are in-keeping with the elegant décor of the train. The theme restaurants like the Peacock Restaurant (Mayur Mahal) and Haveli Restaurant (Rang Mahal) along with The Safari Bar will make sure that your post-excursion evenings are made equally memorable.
The Golden Chariot
Snaking its way through the four South Indian states of Karnataka, Goa, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, along with the union territory of Pondicherry, the Golden Chariot train is the epitome of luxe travel. The eight days/seven nights’ circular Southern Splendour and Pride of the South journeys start and end in the dynamic city of Bangalore with a whole host of interesting destinations covered en route. From Madurai, one of the oldest cities in South India, famous for its silks, pearls and spices that you can shop for to ogling at the sunset in Kanyakumari at the very tip of India, there is a whole lot on offer on this epic train journey. The journey also offers one a glimpse into South India’s colonial past, taking in the Portuguese flavour of Goa and the French flair of Pondicherry with specially designed day trip options. The ornately decorated train is made up of 18 coaches that are each distinct and theme-based. Inspired by the Mysore and Belur-Halebeedu schools of art and architecture, the Golden Chariot’s 44 cabins are as plush as they can get. Other luxury amenities onboard include two speciality restaurants, Madira—the lounge bar and Arogya—The Spa and Gym that aim to take care of all your sybaritic needs to the hilt.
Snaking its way through the four South Indian states of Karnataka, Goa, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, along with the union territory of Pondicherry, the Golden Chariot train is the epitome of luxe travel. The eight days/seven nights’ circular Southern Splendour and Pride of the South journeys start and end in the dynamic city of Bangalore with a whole host of interesting destinations covered en route. From Madurai, one of the oldest cities in South India, famous for its silks, pearls and spices that you can shop for to ogling at the sunset in Kanyakumari at the very tip of India, there is a whole lot on offer on this epic train journey. The journey also offers one a glimpse into South India’s colonial past, taking in the Portuguese flavour of Goa and the French flair of Pondicherry with specially designed day trip options. The ornately decorated train is made up of 18 coaches that are each distinct and theme-based. Inspired by the Mysore and Belur-Halebeedu schools of art and architecture, the Golden Chariot’s 44 cabins are as plush as they can get. Other luxury amenities onboard include two speciality restaurants, Madira—the lounge bar and Arogya—The Spa and Gym that aim to take care of all your sybaritic needs to the hilt.
The Heritage Palace on Wheels
With a compact three-day itinerary, this legendary luxury train journey—that operates from September to April—will take you to three beautiful cities in northern India. Be it a wander around the pink city Jaipur or to follow the trail of the mighty tiger in Ranthambhore or perhaps to Agra, home of the immortal symbol of love—the exquisite Taj Mahal, the journey aboard The Heritage Palace on Wheels will have the sights, sounds and memories of this wonderful part of the country permanently etched onto your hearts and minds. The train has 14 air-conditioned coaches that are each named after former Rajput states and each matching the aesthetics and interiors of the royal past. Each saloon has a mini pantry to ensure availability of hot and cold beverages, and refreshments at all times. The modern conveniences have been thoughtfully provided to include plush sofas to sink into, strategically placed lights to read by, wonderfully appointed beds with comfortable furnishings, inbuilt wardrobe and huge glass windows to watch the countryside roll past. Taking care of all your dining needs, the train has two restaurants aptly named Maharaja and Maharani with a Rajasthani ambience, serving everything from continental, and Chinese to the much-in-demand Indian and Rajasthani cuisines. And yes, for those with a yen for getting pampered, the train even has its very own spa that’s called…you guessed it—the Royal Spa!
With a compact three-day itinerary, this legendary luxury train journey—that operates from September to April—will take you to three beautiful cities in northern India. Be it a wander around the pink city Jaipur or to follow the trail of the mighty tiger in Ranthambhore or perhaps to Agra, home of the immortal symbol of love—the exquisite Taj Mahal, the journey aboard The Heritage Palace on Wheels will have the sights, sounds and memories of this wonderful part of the country permanently etched onto your hearts and minds. The train has 14 air-conditioned coaches that are each named after former Rajput states and each matching the aesthetics and interiors of the royal past. Each saloon has a mini pantry to ensure availability of hot and cold beverages, and refreshments at all times. The modern conveniences have been thoughtfully provided to include plush sofas to sink into, strategically placed lights to read by, wonderfully appointed beds with comfortable furnishings, inbuilt wardrobe and huge glass windows to watch the countryside roll past. Taking care of all your dining needs, the train has two restaurants aptly named Maharaja and Maharani with a Rajasthani ambience, serving everything from continental, and Chinese to the much-in-demand Indian and Rajasthani cuisines. And yes, for those with a yen for getting pampered, the train even has its very own spa that’s called…you guessed it—the Royal Spa!
The Deccan Odyssey
Using the same blue print as the iconic Palace on Wheels, this luxury train takes you on a classy joyride traversing through the wonders of Maharashtra and beyond. The Maharashtra Splendor eight days/seven nights’ journey starts from Mumbai and covers ten popular tourist locations including Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Goa, Aurangabad, Ajanta-Ellora Nashik, and Pune, returning to Mumbai after wowing you silent. The itinerary makes sure you get to visit highlighted places like the wine capital of India—Nashik, colourful Kolhapur, India’s party capital—Goa, Aurangabad and Jalgaon known for housing UNESCO World Heritage Sites Ajanta and Ellora Caves and the holy city of Ratnagiri. The Deccan Odyssey train comprises of 21 luxuriously appointed coaches. Out of these 21 coaches, 11 are to accommodate guests and the rest are used for different purposes such as dining, lounge, a conference car and a health spa. Inspired by the imperial carriages used by the Maharajas of yore for travelling, each of the coaches in this luxury train pays homage to a different royal era of Maharashtra that was once ruled by diverse dynasties. Dining options include two restaurants on board that serve a wide selection of Indian, Oriental and continental delicacies. All this—coupled with impeccable service and attention to detail—makes your meandering journey through western India one that you wish would never end…
Using the same blue print as the iconic Palace on Wheels, this luxury train takes you on a classy joyride traversing through the wonders of Maharashtra and beyond. The Maharashtra Splendor eight days/seven nights’ journey starts from Mumbai and covers ten popular tourist locations including Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Goa, Aurangabad, Ajanta-Ellora Nashik, and Pune, returning to Mumbai after wowing you silent. The itinerary makes sure you get to visit highlighted places like the wine capital of India—Nashik, colourful Kolhapur, India’s party capital—Goa, Aurangabad and Jalgaon known for housing UNESCO World Heritage Sites Ajanta and Ellora Caves and the holy city of Ratnagiri. The Deccan Odyssey train comprises of 21 luxuriously appointed coaches. Out of these 21 coaches, 11 are to accommodate guests and the rest are used for different purposes such as dining, lounge, a conference car and a health spa. Inspired by the imperial carriages used by the Maharajas of yore for travelling, each of the coaches in this luxury train pays homage to a different royal era of Maharashtra that was once ruled by diverse dynasties. Dining options include two restaurants on board that serve a wide selection of Indian, Oriental and continental delicacies. All this—coupled with impeccable service and attention to detail—makes your meandering journey through western India one that you wish would never end…
(A shorter, edited version of this article first appeared in the July-Aug-Sept 2019 issue of HDFC Imperia magazine)
Tuesday, May 14, 2019
Summer Travel—Your Way!
Summer travel is all about making the most of that much-needed vacation time. And so, we’ve put together a list of exciting getaways around the world for all sorts of travellers—be they couples on a romantic break or the solo adventurer on their own wanderlust-driven path.
By Raul Dias
For Full Family Fun
Toronto in Canada
Almost every year, this vibrant Canadian city makes it to the top of the list of the world’s most family-friendly destinations. And rightly so! Come summer and this usually frigid city blossoms into a family fun paradise with scores of attractions that have something for every member. The well-maintained Toronto Zoo is a paradise for animal lovers with everything from Canada’s native polar bears to baby rhinos and hundreds of other creatures there to see. Prefer the more aquatic kind of adventures? Then a deep-sea adventure awaits at Ripley’s Aquarium. The Bat Cave at the Royal Ontario Museum is a fun way for kids to discover the real stories behind these mysterious creatures. And for the sportier families, scale to the top of the CNN Tower and earn yourself a panoramic view of the city. But for a truly memorable vacation, head down to the Canadian side of the mighty Niagara Falls just over an hour by road from Toronto. Once there, take a ride aboard the Hornblower Niagara Cruise in the morning and head off on an aerial tour of the falls with National Helicopters in the afternoon.
Getting There: There are daily direct and connecting flights from both Mumbai and New Delhi and other Indian cities to Toronto on airlines like Air India, Jet Airways, Air Canada and Emirates.
For the Romantic Couple
Turtle Island in Fiji
Picture this. The two of you on a private beach somewhere in the South Pacific with the soft white sand squeaking under your feet, a calm breeze lulling you into sweet submission, while the azure waters provide the ambient soundtrack with their gentle lapping… Bliss, right? But what’s even better about this montage is that it can be your very own reality at the super-exclusive Turtle Island in Fiji’s Yasawa chain. As part of this all-inclusive island resort—that is home to only 14 couples at a time—you even get access to your very own private beach that is only one of the 14 others that the resort is famous for. From there, your eyes are met with stunning vistas of the renowned Blue Lagoon which is an icon of Fiji, having featured in the 1980’s movie of the same name. Besides a romantic private dinner and couples’ massages, the resort even tailor-makes all your aquatic adventure requirements, be it snorkelling or swimming with the dolphins. Ah, bliss!
Getting There: Connect from most cities in India to Nadi, Fiji via Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific in association with partner airline Fiji Airways. From Nadi, one can reach Turtle Island by taking a 30-minute seaplane flight.
For the Solo Traveller
Safaris and More in South Africa
There is very little doubt that for most travellers, the words ‘South Africa’ and ‘Safaris’ go hand-in-hand. Home to a wondrous selection of wildlife, including the coveted Big 5, the iconic national parks like Limpopo’s Kruger and Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in Upington are the best places to get your fill. And better still if you’re a solo traveller. Most safari resorts like the Hamiltons Tented Camp in Kurger offer up a variety of activities from daily group safari drives to nightly bonfire BBQs where you can meet and swap stories with fellow solo guests. And once you’ve got your fill of the country’s number one calling card, head down to the Garden Route in South Africa’s Western Cape region which is just the place to indulge your every adrenaline-laced fantasy. With everything from cave exploring at the magnificent Cango Caves in the Klein Karoo area to bungy jumping at the world’s highest bungy off the Bloukrans Bridge (that fords over the Bloukrans River valley at a height of 216 meters!), the Garden Route has it all and then some more for the solo adventure seeker.
Getting There: The best way to get to South Africa from India is via Dubai on Emirates that has daily flights to and from Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg. Once in South Africa, you can hire a car and drive to most national parks and down to the Garden Route as well.
For a Memorable ‘Pet-a-cation’
New York in the USA
For most of us with pets, the idea of leaving them alone while we waltz off on a vacation is pretty traumatic. No longer. As one of the world’s greatest pet-friendly cities, New York has a plethora of hotels—from the iconic The Peninsula near Central Park to the Hilton Times Square—that are more than happy to welcome you and your pet. Among one of the best hotels in the city, The Conrad in fashionable Lower Manhattan is so pet-friendly that guests travelling with their pets also have access to dog beds, bandanas, food bowls and additional amenities through the hotel’s pet program. It even provides you with private GPS-tracked dog walking services, which include a map of the route travelled, arrival and departure times, and a recap and photos of your pooch’s adventure. And for those travelling sans pet, but craving some non-human company, the Roxy Hotel Tribeca, one of Manhattan’s most stylish boutique hotels will even offer its in-house posse of goldfish to guests—free of charge—for the duration of their stay!
Getting There: There are daily direct flights from both Mumbai and New Delhi to New York on airlines like Air India, Jet Airways, Delta and United Airlines.
(An edited version of this article first appeared in the April-May-June 2019 issue of HDFC Imperia magazine)
By Raul Dias
For Full Family Fun
Toronto in Canada
Almost every year, this vibrant Canadian city makes it to the top of the list of the world’s most family-friendly destinations. And rightly so! Come summer and this usually frigid city blossoms into a family fun paradise with scores of attractions that have something for every member. The well-maintained Toronto Zoo is a paradise for animal lovers with everything from Canada’s native polar bears to baby rhinos and hundreds of other creatures there to see. Prefer the more aquatic kind of adventures? Then a deep-sea adventure awaits at Ripley’s Aquarium. The Bat Cave at the Royal Ontario Museum is a fun way for kids to discover the real stories behind these mysterious creatures. And for the sportier families, scale to the top of the CNN Tower and earn yourself a panoramic view of the city. But for a truly memorable vacation, head down to the Canadian side of the mighty Niagara Falls just over an hour by road from Toronto. Once there, take a ride aboard the Hornblower Niagara Cruise in the morning and head off on an aerial tour of the falls with National Helicopters in the afternoon.
Getting There: There are daily direct and connecting flights from both Mumbai and New Delhi and other Indian cities to Toronto on airlines like Air India, Jet Airways, Air Canada and Emirates.
For the Romantic Couple
Turtle Island in Fiji
Picture this. The two of you on a private beach somewhere in the South Pacific with the soft white sand squeaking under your feet, a calm breeze lulling you into sweet submission, while the azure waters provide the ambient soundtrack with their gentle lapping… Bliss, right? But what’s even better about this montage is that it can be your very own reality at the super-exclusive Turtle Island in Fiji’s Yasawa chain. As part of this all-inclusive island resort—that is home to only 14 couples at a time—you even get access to your very own private beach that is only one of the 14 others that the resort is famous for. From there, your eyes are met with stunning vistas of the renowned Blue Lagoon which is an icon of Fiji, having featured in the 1980’s movie of the same name. Besides a romantic private dinner and couples’ massages, the resort even tailor-makes all your aquatic adventure requirements, be it snorkelling or swimming with the dolphins. Ah, bliss!
Getting There: Connect from most cities in India to Nadi, Fiji via Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific in association with partner airline Fiji Airways. From Nadi, one can reach Turtle Island by taking a 30-minute seaplane flight.
For the Solo Traveller
Safaris and More in South Africa
There is very little doubt that for most travellers, the words ‘South Africa’ and ‘Safaris’ go hand-in-hand. Home to a wondrous selection of wildlife, including the coveted Big 5, the iconic national parks like Limpopo’s Kruger and Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in Upington are the best places to get your fill. And better still if you’re a solo traveller. Most safari resorts like the Hamiltons Tented Camp in Kurger offer up a variety of activities from daily group safari drives to nightly bonfire BBQs where you can meet and swap stories with fellow solo guests. And once you’ve got your fill of the country’s number one calling card, head down to the Garden Route in South Africa’s Western Cape region which is just the place to indulge your every adrenaline-laced fantasy. With everything from cave exploring at the magnificent Cango Caves in the Klein Karoo area to bungy jumping at the world’s highest bungy off the Bloukrans Bridge (that fords over the Bloukrans River valley at a height of 216 meters!), the Garden Route has it all and then some more for the solo adventure seeker.
Getting There: The best way to get to South Africa from India is via Dubai on Emirates that has daily flights to and from Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg. Once in South Africa, you can hire a car and drive to most national parks and down to the Garden Route as well.
For a Memorable ‘Pet-a-cation’
New York in the USA
For most of us with pets, the idea of leaving them alone while we waltz off on a vacation is pretty traumatic. No longer. As one of the world’s greatest pet-friendly cities, New York has a plethora of hotels—from the iconic The Peninsula near Central Park to the Hilton Times Square—that are more than happy to welcome you and your pet. Among one of the best hotels in the city, The Conrad in fashionable Lower Manhattan is so pet-friendly that guests travelling with their pets also have access to dog beds, bandanas, food bowls and additional amenities through the hotel’s pet program. It even provides you with private GPS-tracked dog walking services, which include a map of the route travelled, arrival and departure times, and a recap and photos of your pooch’s adventure. And for those travelling sans pet, but craving some non-human company, the Roxy Hotel Tribeca, one of Manhattan’s most stylish boutique hotels will even offer its in-house posse of goldfish to guests—free of charge—for the duration of their stay!
Getting There: There are daily direct flights from both Mumbai and New Delhi to New York on airlines like Air India, Jet Airways, Delta and United Airlines.
(An edited version of this article first appeared in the April-May-June 2019 issue of HDFC Imperia magazine)
Sunday, May 12, 2019
The Learning Vacation
Travel these days is much more than simply
ticking off those all-important boxes of must-visit sites and must-do
activities. Enter the learning vacation where picking up a new skill or craft
while immersing yourself in the local culture of the place you visit is the
latest buzz word in travel. Raul Dias shows you just how to go about that!
Tips To Keep In Mind
1. Choose an activity that really interests you and don’t just do it because the rest of your family or travel group is enthused by it. Let’s be honest; kite-boarding isn’t for everyone!
2. Don’t feel the pressure to pack in too many learning activities into your vacation. Remember it is a holiday after all, not an offsite skills course.
3. Do ample research before signing up and make sure that the place or the person from whom you are learning from has the right credentials and is truly an expert in their field.
4. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you don’t seem very good at that particular skill or craft. Give yourself some time and practice. It’s worth remembering that clichéd phrase: “Rome wasn’t built in a day!”
By Raul Dias
Not content with merely
sitting around sipping fruity cocktails by the beach on your next summer
holiday? We hear you. For most of us these days, the idea of the vacation has
evolved from the one of the past where sight-seeing and picking up souvenirs
was all we ever wanted out of it. And one the greatest agents of this evolution
is the learning vacation. A popular trend in the west, the learning vacation is
now one of the top ways we Indians travel. More and more of us are choosing
this style of seeing the world, while taking back something less material and
more life enriching.
Today’s holiday is all about getting more bang for one’s buck by partaking in more immersive (and dare-we-say, ‘Insta-friendly’) experiences while we pick up skills and hobbies that will not just be with us forever, but skills that may come in handy later. The learning vacation seeks to be the conduit to all this and much, much more.
Imagine picking up a skill like pottery while embracing Mother Nature in all her glory! You can very much do that. Regarded as India’s pottery capital, the bucolic village of Andretta set against the mighty Himalayas in Himachal Pradesh is where all you pottery enthusiasts should head to. Here, the Andretta Pottery and Craft Society in Kangra is THE place to get an immersive experience by staying at a potter’s collective where you will participate in daily hands-on classes to make your own bowls, jugs and other earthenware under the guidance of an expert (andrettapottery.com).
For those with a sportier inclination why not learn to surf in some of India’s best beaches? Located 10km north of the union territory of Puducherry, near the village of Tandryankupam, Serenity Beach is home to the Kallialay Surf School run by two expat Spanish brothers. Here you can channel your inner (hidden!?) surfer as you learn the watersport’s finer nuances by signing up for their five-day surfing course that teaches you all you need to know about cruising the waves (surfschoolindia.com).
The learning vacation shouldn’t be just limited to your domestic travel. Expand your horizons and do things you’ve never done before. For example, the Northern Thailand region of Lanna is well-known as a place, not just for learning and its amazing culture, but also as a bastion of exquisite food. So, on your next Thailand vacation take some time and head up country to the arts capital of Chiang Mai to include some skill-gathering? Sign up for a four-hours long, hands-on cookery class with Chef Chanrat Karatna who will teach you to whip up from scratch local dishes like the Northern Thailand version of the ubiquitous somtamthai papaya and prawn salad and more, all served with sticky black rice that is a specialty of the Lanna region (airthaikitchen.com).
Fancy something a bit fancier? Simple. Learn all there is to truffle hunting when in Italy! A mere 15 minutes outside the Renaissance-rich city of Florence, the forested hills of Bagno a Ripoli are said to be rich with that magical, perfumed haute cuisine ingredient called black truffles. Sign up for a day foraging for and learning about all there is to know about the delicious fungus with truffle hunting expert Giulio Benuzzi and his specially trained sniffer dog named Eda. You will explore the forest near their home and follow Eda’s keen sense of smell and instincts on the track to truffles. And that’s not all. Once you unearth a few delicious truffles, you will be treated to a lunch made from them (giuliothetrufflehunter.com).
While we’ve kept this list to a minimum in adherence to brevity, the possibilities for a learning vacation are excitingly limitless. Learn a new language or hone those salsa dancing skills. Remember that the world is your oyster and it’s never too late to add value to your next vacation.
Today’s holiday is all about getting more bang for one’s buck by partaking in more immersive (and dare-we-say, ‘Insta-friendly’) experiences while we pick up skills and hobbies that will not just be with us forever, but skills that may come in handy later. The learning vacation seeks to be the conduit to all this and much, much more.
Imagine picking up a skill like pottery while embracing Mother Nature in all her glory! You can very much do that. Regarded as India’s pottery capital, the bucolic village of Andretta set against the mighty Himalayas in Himachal Pradesh is where all you pottery enthusiasts should head to. Here, the Andretta Pottery and Craft Society in Kangra is THE place to get an immersive experience by staying at a potter’s collective where you will participate in daily hands-on classes to make your own bowls, jugs and other earthenware under the guidance of an expert (andrettapottery.com).
For those with a sportier inclination why not learn to surf in some of India’s best beaches? Located 10km north of the union territory of Puducherry, near the village of Tandryankupam, Serenity Beach is home to the Kallialay Surf School run by two expat Spanish brothers. Here you can channel your inner (hidden!?) surfer as you learn the watersport’s finer nuances by signing up for their five-day surfing course that teaches you all you need to know about cruising the waves (surfschoolindia.com).
The learning vacation shouldn’t be just limited to your domestic travel. Expand your horizons and do things you’ve never done before. For example, the Northern Thailand region of Lanna is well-known as a place, not just for learning and its amazing culture, but also as a bastion of exquisite food. So, on your next Thailand vacation take some time and head up country to the arts capital of Chiang Mai to include some skill-gathering? Sign up for a four-hours long, hands-on cookery class with Chef Chanrat Karatna who will teach you to whip up from scratch local dishes like the Northern Thailand version of the ubiquitous somtamthai papaya and prawn salad and more, all served with sticky black rice that is a specialty of the Lanna region (airthaikitchen.com).
Fancy something a bit fancier? Simple. Learn all there is to truffle hunting when in Italy! A mere 15 minutes outside the Renaissance-rich city of Florence, the forested hills of Bagno a Ripoli are said to be rich with that magical, perfumed haute cuisine ingredient called black truffles. Sign up for a day foraging for and learning about all there is to know about the delicious fungus with truffle hunting expert Giulio Benuzzi and his specially trained sniffer dog named Eda. You will explore the forest near their home and follow Eda’s keen sense of smell and instincts on the track to truffles. And that’s not all. Once you unearth a few delicious truffles, you will be treated to a lunch made from them (giuliothetrufflehunter.com).
While we’ve kept this list to a minimum in adherence to brevity, the possibilities for a learning vacation are excitingly limitless. Learn a new language or hone those salsa dancing skills. Remember that the world is your oyster and it’s never too late to add value to your next vacation.
Tips To Keep In Mind
1. Choose an activity that really interests you and don’t just do it because the rest of your family or travel group is enthused by it. Let’s be honest; kite-boarding isn’t for everyone!
2. Don’t feel the pressure to pack in too many learning activities into your vacation. Remember it is a holiday after all, not an offsite skills course.
3. Do ample research before signing up and make sure that the place or the person from whom you are learning from has the right credentials and is truly an expert in their field.
4. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you don’t seem very good at that particular skill or craft. Give yourself some time and practice. It’s worth remembering that clichéd phrase: “Rome wasn’t built in a day!”
(An edited version of this article first appeared in the April 2019 issue of Purple Hues magazine of Sterling Holidays https://www.sterlingholidays.com/content/dam/sterlingholidays/footer/files/sterlingworld/purple-hues-magazine-apr-2019.pdf)
Sunday, February 10, 2019
Notes from St. Petersburg
By Raul Dias
My metal tray slides along the purpose-built rails generating a loud, clanging sound as it collides with the person’s in front of me. I mutter a feeble apology and swiftly move ahead. The grumpy lunch lady behind the plexiglass screen glares down at me, grunting every time I point at something that catches my fancy on the buffet counter she’s manning. Plonking down a bowl of luridly pink soup and a quarter plate of the greyish hamburger patty onto my tray, she all but ‘banishes’ me to the cashier with a wave of her mighty arm.
Now, before this begins to sound like some dystopian, boarding school-meets-prison lunch hall memory I’m conjuring up, let me set the record straight. I’m in St. Petersburg, trying out a dining experience that I had been wanting to have a go at ever since I had heard about it. Lunch at a Soviet era stolovaya is slowly becoming something of a tourist must do when in the most western city—culturally speaking—of Russia.
And so, there I was at the Ligovsky Prospekt branch of Stolovaya n.1 Kopeika, a popular stolovaya chain in St. Petersburg, where both, the brusque service and the pink-tinted beetroot borscht are said to be equally legendary!
Servings of Nostalgia
The word stolovaya simply means “canteen” in Russian and is a nostalgic leftover (pun intended!) from the Communist USSR days when providing an “adequate” level of care and provision for the population in all areas of their lives was the well-flogged mantra. The Germans even have the perfect name for this—ostalgie. Loosely translated, this implies a sort of nostalgia for the bygone communist days.
While these are public cafeteria-style restaurants that can be found everywhere in Russia, it is St. Petersburg that boasts the most number of them—both old and more recent, 21st century iterations. Each trying to distil the bleakness and “dark” atmosphere of the older ones into them. Right down to the Soviet style prints hanging on their walls and work staff that are mostly from the ex-Soviet republics of Central Asia.
In St. Petersburg, most stolovaya are open 24/7 and are cash-only establishments. And in a city where buying groceries and cooking one’s own meals can be a rather expensive affair, eating all three meals at a not-so-friendly neighbourhood stolovaya is the norm. For here, a hearty lunch of a soup, a soft drink, a main and a dessert can often be bought for as less as 200 roubles (Rs 218 approximately).
Herring under Fur Coat!
Speaking of dishes, the food on offer at most stolovaya are simple, homestyle, fill-your-belly kind of no-frills stuff. Here, one can expect to find dishes like the ubiquitous mayonnaise-doused fruit and veggie Salad Olivier that is known to the world as Russian Salad. Apparently, the salad was named after Lucien Olivier, a Belgian-origin chef who invented it at Moscow’s Hermitage restaurant in the 1860s.
Equally popular are other dishes like the kotleti hamburger-style patty and the beetroot borscht–both of which I’d tried earlier and loved. Not so much the insipid, watered down kompot, however. This soft drink is said to be a stolovaya mainstay and is made from synthetic ‘fruit’ syrup with tiny bits of fruit flotsam bobbing along its room-temperature surface.
But then there are some stolovaya specimens that are so confounding to a non-Russian that seemingly innocuous dishes like the pickled fish and boiled eggs shuba salad end up with weird translations such as ‘herring under fur coat’ on menu boards. The traditional Russian dish of yezhik (literally, hedgehog!) is another example, where the rather tasty side dish of rice-spiked meatballs has a strange-sounding English translated name.
Interestingly, breaking away from the traditional stolovaya model as far the food is concerned seems to be the latest trend in Russia. I was soon to find out that there are a bunch of speciality stolovaya options in St. Petersburg such as all-vegetarian (Rada & K on ul Gorokhova 36), organic and even a few where the emphasis is on ethnic cuisine. Puris in St. Petersburg, anyone?
(This article first appeared in the 10th February 2019 issue of The Hindu newspaper's Sunday Magazine section on page 7 https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/travel/notes-from-st-petersburg/article26212860.ece)
Wednesday, January 2, 2019
The Journey Ahead…
Poised to be the year that redefines the word ‘travel’, 2019 has a lot in store for the intrepid traveller—from Artificial Intelligence-enhanced hotel stays to the Instagram vacation. Travel writer Raul Dias introduces you to a few such exciting new possibilities for the New Year.
By Raul Dias
On many levels, today is one of the most important days in our year. Never mind the fact that said year began just a few hours ago! Some of us have already begun to set new goals, both personally and professionally and chart a fresh, new game plan for the year ahead. But if you’re like me, then one of the first things you’ve probably done is decide how your travel year is going to pan out. Will I finally make it to elusive Madagascar? Is this the year that sees me embark on my very first luxury train journey through India’s ancient sites? Should I sign up for that deep-sea diving course in the Andamans that I’d been contemplating? All important questions seeking even more important answers.
But then, there are always those among us who seem to need a little nudge in the right direction—travel wise that is. And so, I’ve put together a list of what I think will be trending this 2019.
One of the most interesting and au courant styles of vacationing will surely be the ‘Instagram Holiday’ what with most of us putting the “Instagrammability” of our holiday destination above all else. Catching onto this trend, Shoot My Travel is a vacation photography platform that pairs travellers with local professional photographers at the vacation destination to capture your trip memories.
In this era of both TV and digital entertainment platforms, travel based on shows aired/streamed will be big this year. And I’m sure that the upcoming last season of Game Of Thrones will also inspire trips to Croatia, Iceland and Northern Ireland, home of the famous Dark Hedges trees. This year is also poised to be the year of the solo traveller and an increase in LGBTQ-friendly travel. Platforms such as Destination Pride are harnessing the power of multiple data sources to provide travellers with a ranking of how LGBTQ-friendly their chosen travel destination is.
As far as lengths of vacations goes, I see the ‘micro vacation’ being the “in” thing, so that one can now squeeze in more curated travel itineraries into shorter time frames. All this, thanks to improvements in flight routes, transport, cheap flights, on-demand car rentals and accommodation.
Speaking of accommodation, Booking.com says that keyless room-access with your phone and the robotic concierge who can communicate with guests in their own language will be big. Also, 2019 will also see more tech developed for use pre-trip at research stage with aids like the virtual travel agent and augmented reality helping travellers familiarise themselves with a destination before they arrive.
So, get set to hit that exciting new road ahead this 2019!
(An edited version of this article first appeared in the 1st January 2019 issue of The Free Press Journal newspaper on page 20 https://www.freepressjournal.in/lifestyle/peek-into-2019-the-journey-ahead/1426410)
By Raul Dias
On many levels, today is one of the most important days in our year. Never mind the fact that said year began just a few hours ago! Some of us have already begun to set new goals, both personally and professionally and chart a fresh, new game plan for the year ahead. But if you’re like me, then one of the first things you’ve probably done is decide how your travel year is going to pan out. Will I finally make it to elusive Madagascar? Is this the year that sees me embark on my very first luxury train journey through India’s ancient sites? Should I sign up for that deep-sea diving course in the Andamans that I’d been contemplating? All important questions seeking even more important answers.
But then, there are always those among us who seem to need a little nudge in the right direction—travel wise that is. And so, I’ve put together a list of what I think will be trending this 2019.
One of the most interesting and au courant styles of vacationing will surely be the ‘Instagram Holiday’ what with most of us putting the “Instagrammability” of our holiday destination above all else. Catching onto this trend, Shoot My Travel is a vacation photography platform that pairs travellers with local professional photographers at the vacation destination to capture your trip memories.
In this era of both TV and digital entertainment platforms, travel based on shows aired/streamed will be big this year. And I’m sure that the upcoming last season of Game Of Thrones will also inspire trips to Croatia, Iceland and Northern Ireland, home of the famous Dark Hedges trees. This year is also poised to be the year of the solo traveller and an increase in LGBTQ-friendly travel. Platforms such as Destination Pride are harnessing the power of multiple data sources to provide travellers with a ranking of how LGBTQ-friendly their chosen travel destination is.
As far as lengths of vacations goes, I see the ‘micro vacation’ being the “in” thing, so that one can now squeeze in more curated travel itineraries into shorter time frames. All this, thanks to improvements in flight routes, transport, cheap flights, on-demand car rentals and accommodation.
Speaking of accommodation, Booking.com says that keyless room-access with your phone and the robotic concierge who can communicate with guests in their own language will be big. Also, 2019 will also see more tech developed for use pre-trip at research stage with aids like the virtual travel agent and augmented reality helping travellers familiarise themselves with a destination before they arrive.
So, get set to hit that exciting new road ahead this 2019!
(An edited version of this article first appeared in the 1st January 2019 issue of The Free Press Journal newspaper on page 20 https://www.freepressjournal.in/lifestyle/peek-into-2019-the-journey-ahead/1426410)
Sunday, December 30, 2018
2018—A Year in Travel
From new air routes linking India with exotic new places to Airbnb seeking to replace the traditional ‘hotel’, Raul Dias brings you a few important highlights that shaped the way we travelled in 2018.
By Raul Dias
There’s no denying the fact that Indians are the new ‘world travellers’. Interestingly, a recent report by Skift Research titled ‘The State of India Outbound Travel 2018’ shows how in just the last 20 years, the number of outbound tourists from India has grown from 3.5 million to 21.9 million. Thus, making India the fastest-growing outbound market after China.
No wonder then that we see each other almost everywhere, from places as obvious as Manhattan to those as deliciously obscure as Ulan Bator in Mongolia. From reports of a bunch of raucous Indian men virtually taking over an entire cruise ship in Australia as part of an office offsite trip to big fat Indian weddings in Lake Como and Las Vegas, there’s really no escaping us! And be it Prague or Phnom Penh, there will probably na’er be a restaurant menu that won’t cater to our vegetarian food predilections.
And so, on the cusp of a brand-new year, let’s ponder over a few milestones in both travel and hospitality that have most certainly changed the way we travelled in 2018…
Visa Power
Let’s face it. Visa woes have often gotten the better of us all. Me included. Despite having travelled to 62 countries, I still get bothered and flustered with all that requisite paper work when applying for those pesky “may-I-please-visit-your-precious-country” passport stickers and stamps called visas! Well, as it so happens, I needn’t be so despondent anymore. As of October 2018, Indian citizens have visa-free or visa on arrival access to 60 countries and territories. We no longer need a visa to travel to Indonesia, Ukraine, Tunisia and Qatar. In fact, Serbia became the first and only country in Europe to offer visa free entry to Indian passport holders. As for the online visas, a biggie like Australia started offering an online, e600 visitor visa to Indian passport bearers with others like Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Vietnam and Uzbekistan following suit. All Indian passport bearers are now eligible for a visa on arrival in countries like Gabon, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Angola, Iran and Jordan. And just a few days before I write this piece, Myanmar has announced visa-on-arrival for Indian tourists beginning 12th December, 2018.
The Young and the Restless
With India being a nation of the youth, 2018 was all about the 18-35-year-old travellers leading the way. Usually the ones to set the trends before following them, Millennials, and the even younger Generation Z, seek more hands-on and rewarding experiences. According to the website travelagentcentral.com, activity destinations that offer music, food and up-close nature experiences like safaris and sailing were up there on the top of the list for 2018. Young travellers gravitated toward destinations that offer more than a typical backpacker’s European-style getaway and instead provide more immersive natural and urban experiences. No wonder one of the hospitality world’s greatest disruptors like Airbnb decided to target Indians with their new vertical called Airbnb Experiences that offers everything from learning to surf in Sri Lanka to the more fine dining-centric activity of truffle hunting with an expert in Florence.
Homestay over Hotel?
Speaking of Airbnb, according to a recent report by Business Insider, the home sharing company now has 4 million listings in 191 countries worldwide, an amount that tops the number of listings held by the top five hotel brands combined. And Indians seem to have taken to this vacation accommodation model vis-a-vis traditional hotels like never before in 2018. Be it family reunions in Chiang Mai or bachelor parties in Phuket, renting out an Airbnb for the entire duration of stay is the preferred way to have to good time in the perennial favourite South East Asian destination for Indians—Thailand! Conversely, listings on Airbnb in India have grown by 115% year-on-year to more than 35,000, with the domestic segment of Indians travelling within India growing the fastest for the company.
New Connections
The last quarter of 2018 saw a host of both Indian and international airlines offering as many as six new non-stop routes from Mumbai. Operating for the first time from Maximum City, we saw airlines like Air Italy and Uzbekistan Airways flying in. While the former started its five times a week non-stop flight from Mumbai to Milan, Italy from 31st October, Uzbekistan Airways kicked off three direct flights a week between Uzbekistan’s capital Tashkent and Mumbai from 30th October. Among the Indian carriers, Air India restarted its direct flight services from Mumbai to Frankfurt, Germany. And while Jet Airways has now started connecting Mumbai to Manchester, UK with five-times a week flight services, Go Airways started its direct flights from Mumbai to Phuket in Thailand and Male in Maldives. Bring it on, we say!
(An edited version of this article first appeared in the 30th December 2018 issue of The Free Press Journal newspaper's Weekend section on page 3 http://epaper.freepressjournal.in/m5/1959000/Free-Press-Mumbai-Edition/30-Dec-2018#page/13/1)
By Raul Dias
There’s no denying the fact that Indians are the new ‘world travellers’. Interestingly, a recent report by Skift Research titled ‘The State of India Outbound Travel 2018’ shows how in just the last 20 years, the number of outbound tourists from India has grown from 3.5 million to 21.9 million. Thus, making India the fastest-growing outbound market after China.
No wonder then that we see each other almost everywhere, from places as obvious as Manhattan to those as deliciously obscure as Ulan Bator in Mongolia. From reports of a bunch of raucous Indian men virtually taking over an entire cruise ship in Australia as part of an office offsite trip to big fat Indian weddings in Lake Como and Las Vegas, there’s really no escaping us! And be it Prague or Phnom Penh, there will probably na’er be a restaurant menu that won’t cater to our vegetarian food predilections.
And so, on the cusp of a brand-new year, let’s ponder over a few milestones in both travel and hospitality that have most certainly changed the way we travelled in 2018…
Visa Power
Let’s face it. Visa woes have often gotten the better of us all. Me included. Despite having travelled to 62 countries, I still get bothered and flustered with all that requisite paper work when applying for those pesky “may-I-please-visit-your-precious-country” passport stickers and stamps called visas! Well, as it so happens, I needn’t be so despondent anymore. As of October 2018, Indian citizens have visa-free or visa on arrival access to 60 countries and territories. We no longer need a visa to travel to Indonesia, Ukraine, Tunisia and Qatar. In fact, Serbia became the first and only country in Europe to offer visa free entry to Indian passport holders. As for the online visas, a biggie like Australia started offering an online, e600 visitor visa to Indian passport bearers with others like Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Vietnam and Uzbekistan following suit. All Indian passport bearers are now eligible for a visa on arrival in countries like Gabon, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Angola, Iran and Jordan. And just a few days before I write this piece, Myanmar has announced visa-on-arrival for Indian tourists beginning 12th December, 2018.
The Young and the Restless
With India being a nation of the youth, 2018 was all about the 18-35-year-old travellers leading the way. Usually the ones to set the trends before following them, Millennials, and the even younger Generation Z, seek more hands-on and rewarding experiences. According to the website travelagentcentral.com, activity destinations that offer music, food and up-close nature experiences like safaris and sailing were up there on the top of the list for 2018. Young travellers gravitated toward destinations that offer more than a typical backpacker’s European-style getaway and instead provide more immersive natural and urban experiences. No wonder one of the hospitality world’s greatest disruptors like Airbnb decided to target Indians with their new vertical called Airbnb Experiences that offers everything from learning to surf in Sri Lanka to the more fine dining-centric activity of truffle hunting with an expert in Florence.
Homestay over Hotel?
Speaking of Airbnb, according to a recent report by Business Insider, the home sharing company now has 4 million listings in 191 countries worldwide, an amount that tops the number of listings held by the top five hotel brands combined. And Indians seem to have taken to this vacation accommodation model vis-a-vis traditional hotels like never before in 2018. Be it family reunions in Chiang Mai or bachelor parties in Phuket, renting out an Airbnb for the entire duration of stay is the preferred way to have to good time in the perennial favourite South East Asian destination for Indians—Thailand! Conversely, listings on Airbnb in India have grown by 115% year-on-year to more than 35,000, with the domestic segment of Indians travelling within India growing the fastest for the company.
New Connections
The last quarter of 2018 saw a host of both Indian and international airlines offering as many as six new non-stop routes from Mumbai. Operating for the first time from Maximum City, we saw airlines like Air Italy and Uzbekistan Airways flying in. While the former started its five times a week non-stop flight from Mumbai to Milan, Italy from 31st October, Uzbekistan Airways kicked off three direct flights a week between Uzbekistan’s capital Tashkent and Mumbai from 30th October. Among the Indian carriers, Air India restarted its direct flight services from Mumbai to Frankfurt, Germany. And while Jet Airways has now started connecting Mumbai to Manchester, UK with five-times a week flight services, Go Airways started its direct flights from Mumbai to Phuket in Thailand and Male in Maldives. Bring it on, we say!
(An edited version of this article first appeared in the 30th December 2018 issue of The Free Press Journal newspaper's Weekend section on page 3 http://epaper.freepressjournal.in/m5/1959000/Free-Press-Mumbai-Edition/30-Dec-2018#page/13/1)
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