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Journalist and travel writer View all posts by Andy →
How to plan a tour to the Grand Canyon?
There are several sites on the must-see list if you are traveling to the United States of America. You cannot miss any of them and struggle to make time for each of those places. However, the Grand Canyon is a site that you cannot afford to lose at any cost.
One of the most famous natural wonders of the world makes visitors go wow.
The unfathomable depth of the cliffs, the vast stretch of the canyon, the meandering course of the Colorado River form a breath-taking sight for the travellers. With several layers of rocks, the place is a rich mine of geological history. Continue reading How to plan a tour to the Grand Canyon? →
How to get the benefits of travel without physically going anywhere
Travelling is one of the most worthwhile things we can do.
Whether it’s to the city next door or to a country on the other side of the world, we can gain so much from it. But travelling just doesn’t make sense at certain times. Maybe we’re busy, we’re cash-strapped, or we’re just not in a place to go jet-setting. That doesn’t mean we need to cast aside every aspect that comes with a trip.
If we break travelling down to its most important components, we can find good substitutions in other aspects of our lives. So, how can we experience the benefits of travelling without really going anywhere? Continue reading How to get the benefits of travel without physically going anywhere →
Make a conscious effort to be a pleasant co-passenger
Indians are not known as the best co-passengers. They tend to be loud, have little or no sense of personal space and generally don’t care if something they do could inconvenience a fellow-traveller.
As an Indian, I of course do not like to be perceived this way. But the fact is, a large number of Indian tourists outside of the country or just co-passengers in public transport whether in India or elsewhere exhibit the above-mentioned traits all the time.
This is the story of the day I undertook the journey from Gangtok in India’s Sikkim state to Kolkata and how the journey could have been much more comfortable had I been lucky enough to not have the two co-passengers that I did. Continue reading Make a conscious effort to be a pleasant co-passenger →
5 things to know about New Zealand’s casinos
When you travel to New Zealand, your primary focus is probably going to be on the outdoors. Most of the country’s most popular attractions consist of parks, hiking trails, coastal getaways, and natural phenomena, to the point that a trip there can feel like jumping from one postcard to the next.
As wonderful as all of this can be though, it’s important not to overlook the cities of New Zealand along the way. The dual-island nation may be best known for its natural appeal, but its cities can be a whole lot of fun as well.
One thing you’re likely to notice if you do spend time in places like Queenstown, Auckland, and other cities, is that there’s a fairly active casino industry you may not have heard much about. Most destinations around the world with high-profile urban casinos — places like Las Vegas, Singapore, and Macau — advertise those casinos as major tourist attractions. In New Zealand, there is no such hub full of extravagant resorts to promote. However, there are still high-end casinos in the big cities, and they do a great deal of business with locals and visitors alike. Continue reading 5 things to know about New Zealand’s casinos →
I enjoyed passing through the tiny Andal airport
I’d totally forgotten that there existed a tiny airport serving Durgapur.
I had a family wedding to attend in Durgapur, which is a three hour drive northwest from Kolkata, and a dear friend’s wedding the following day in Delhi. I had initially planned to return to Kolkata and take a flight from there in the late afternoon. But then my mother reminded me of the Andal airport.
Located at Andal, Kazi Nazrul Islam Airport serves Durgapur and Asansol. As of December 2019, the only two airlines serving it are Air India and Spicejet. While India’s flag carrier flies from here to Delhi and Hyderabad, Spicejet connects to Chennai and Mumbai. Continue reading I enjoyed passing through the tiny Andal airport →
Your knowledge of English could make your trip to Vietnam way cheaper
Vietnam is currently one of the world’s most up-and-coming travel destinations and not without reason. The place is incredibly beautiful, the people nice and has the most delicious coffee.
More direct flights from new places are increasingly connecting the capital, Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) and Hanoi, the more popular northern city from where thousands of tourists go on their Halong Bay tours. But large parts of the country are still waiting to be discovered and right now is a great time to go before everyone discovers the hidden gems. Continue reading Your knowledge of English could make your trip to Vietnam way cheaper →
Four ways to save money while on a holiday in Chile
South America, and Chile in particular, can be surprisingly pricey for travellers but, with a little thought, it is possible to shave quite a lot off your costs.
This is particularly true if you’re going at a busy time, such as the total solar eclipse in Chile and Argentina on 2nd July 2019.
Not only will these tips save you cash they may also add to your adventure… Continue reading Four ways to save money while on a holiday in Chile →
Thai Smile Airways to join Star Alliance as ‘connecting partner’
Frankfurt (TAN): Thai Airways’ regional subsidiary Thai Smile Airways has become Germany-based global airline alliance Star Alliance’s Connecting Partner in its global network.
The announcement was made at the 75th IATA Annual General Meeting in Seoul, South Korea.
The Connecting Partner concept, started in 2016, allows airline to link to Star Alliance without becoming a member. Connecting Partners are usually regional airlines or subsidiaries of member airlines with complete commercial links with three or more member airlines so that they can cover any network lags that may exist on a regional basis. Continue reading Thai Smile Airways to join Star Alliance as ‘connecting partner’ →
India: SpiceJet introduces 20 new domestic flights
New Delhi (TAN): India-based budget carrier SpiceJet has introduced 20 new domestic flights, 18 of which will connect Mumbai to several cities across the country.
For the first time, the airline launched daily flights to connect Mumbai with Thiruvananthapuram, Vijayawada and Tirupati.
Frequencies on various routes from Mumbai to cities including Kolkata, Goa, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kanpur, and Patna will be increased. While Hyderabad will get a sixth frequency, Kolkata will be given a fifth frequency. Continue reading India: SpiceJet introduces 20 new domestic flights →
An innovative application can get you that multiple-entry Canadian tourist visa
My mother has just reached Canada and met her penpal of 46 years for the first time ever! It was a trip she had been looking forward to for many years. But this one almost didn’t happen because the Canadian visa office had rejected her application the first time.
On that occasion, we had played everything by the book. With me handling her visa application, I ensured we gave everything that an usual visa application requires. If your application is approved, Canada now gives you a multiple entry tourist visa that is valid till your passport expires.
Consequently, it was a bit of a setback when the first application, which we had applied with return tickets, financial documents, detailed itinerary and hotel bookings, was rejected on the ground that they didn’t believe my mother would return to her home country. Continue reading An innovative application can get you that multiple-entry Canadian tourist visa →
Beppu: To the hells and back
Hell is not somewhere you plan on visiting. But when in Beppu, you should do just that. All eight of them!
From Tokyo, get on a Shinkanshen (Japan’s famous Bullet Train) to Kokura. While a direct train will take you there within five hours, you need to change once at Shin Osaka if you don’t find a direct one. From Kokura, Beppu is less than one-and-a-half hours by a limited express train.
From the station, you can buy tickets that let you enter all the “hells”. Get it and take a bus to the starting point! If you don’t want to spend a day here, you can use lockers at the station to store your luggage for the day. Continue reading Beppu: To the hells and back →
After 5-year gap, Biman resumes Dhaka-Delhi direct flight
Dhaka (TAN): Bangladesh’s flagship airline Biman resumed its nonstop flight services between Dhaka and India’s capital Delhi on Tuesday.
State minister for civil aviation and tourism Md. Mahbub Ali inaugurated the service in Dhaka before the maiden flight departed Hajrat Shahjalal International Airport for Delhi with 152 passengers.
He said in Bengali: “I’m happy that flights between Dhaka and Delhi have resumed after being unavailable for the past few years. The direct service will now make business, tourism, and access to education and medical facilities between the two neighbouring countries easier and more comfortable.” Continue reading After 5-year gap, Biman resumes Dhaka-Delhi direct flight →