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Indonesia & Malaysia emerge top Muslim-friendly travel destinations
Jakarta (TAN): Indonesia and Malaysia share the top spot in the Mastercard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) 2019.
The report, which was published this week, includes 130 destinations around the world, both within and beyond the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
Singapore continues to be the top Muslim-friendly travel destination among non-OIC destinations, followed by Thailand, the United Kingdom, Japan and Taiwan. Continue reading Indonesia & Malaysia emerge top Muslim-friendly travel destinations →
What’s so special about Magdeburg?
I went to Magdeburg to research my first book and not primarily to travel.
Most tourists don’t find much that is special about this city, which is why they decide to skip it during their trips to Germany. Truth be told, if you take an inter-city express train from Berlin and land in Magdeburg a couple of hours later, chances are that you will find it boring after the throbbing vibe of Berlin.
But there is way more to this sleepy city that meets the eye. Magdeburg, incidentally, celebrated its 1,200th anniversary in 2005.
Those into art, architecture and history will find enough in the city to keep you interested. Continue reading What’s so special about Magdeburg? →
India: Dal Lake in Kashmir gets a revamp to attract more tourists
Srinagar, India (TAN): The tourism authorities of north India’s Jammu and Kashmir state have decided to restore the beauty of Char Chinari Island in the famous Dal Lake here to attract more tourists.
The authorities are planting two chinar (also known as Oriental plane) trees on the island, once a favourite spot for the shooting of Bollywood films. Chinar trees are synonymous with Kashmir tourism.
The small island located in the Dal Lake has always attracted tourists, along with riding “shikaras”, narrow boats indigenous to this beautiful mountainous state. Two of the chinar trees on the island had been damaged over time, especially after the 2014 September floods, much to the dismay of photographers, for whom Kashmir, Dal Lake and Char Chinari Island have always spelt “paradise”. Continue reading India: Dal Lake in Kashmir gets a revamp to attract more tourists →
Spend at night at the Louvre, thanks to Airbnb
San Francisco (TAN): Staying in a treehouse or a castle during a getaway might be fun, but nothing can beat the excitement of spending a night at the Louvre.
Yes, that’s right. Come April 30, you could check in to the world-famous Parisian museum for a night.
Global home-sharing platform Airbnb, in partnership with Louvre, has announced the museum will host the winner of the contest ‘Why would you be the Mona Lisa’s perfect guest?’, along with a friend for one night. Continue reading Spend at night at the Louvre, thanks to Airbnb →
Two relatively unknown weekend destinations from Kolkata
‘Payer tolay shorshe’ is a Bengali expression (literally meaning ‘mustard seeds under the feet’) to describe someone who frequently travels.
The fact is, even if the Bangali bhodrolok/bhodromohila (gentleman/lady) if not on a trip at the moment, chances are they are halfway into planning their next one, whether it be Digha in southern West Bengal coast, Puri in the neighbouring Odisha state, or Paris.
But often, due to work and other commitments, long trips are not possible. But even if the leave is only one-day long, the ‘payer tolay shorshe’ Bangali looks for weekend destinations that don’t take long to reach and provide a welcome break from the monotony of the office-home life. Continue reading Two relatively unknown weekend destinations from Kolkata →
MCAS to blame for Lion Air, Ethiopian Airlines crashes, admits Boeing
Chicago (TAN): American aircraft-making company Boeing has admitted that the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashes – both involving the 737 MAX aircraft – was due to the automatic activation of the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS).
Experts aware of this system have already been pointing out the problems with the MCAS system in the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft since the Lion Air Flight 610 accident in October, 2018.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Boeing chairman, president and CEO Dennis Muilenberg apologised for the lives lost in the crashes. Continue reading MCAS to blame for Lion Air, Ethiopian Airlines crashes, admits Boeing →
Why Charlottesville deserves to be on your US itinerary
Charlottesville to me is this incredibly beautiful little city that is obsessed with the third US President Thomas Jefferson. And it doesn’t deserve the kind of global publicity it has received in recent times.
In August 2017, two months after my visit to the university town, white supremacist groups organised a rally in protest against the removal of a controversial statue from a city mark. After the rally, a white nationalist drove a car into the protesting killing one and injuring 19.
I was sad this happened in city that I had grown to love during my four-day stay there. Continue reading Why Charlottesville deserves to be on your US itinerary →
India’s election is now a major tourist attraction
New Delhi (TAN): An increasing number of foreign tourists are developing an interest in experiencing the carnival that is Indian elections scheduled to be held in April-May 2019 as much as traditional tourist attractions such as the Taj Mahal.
The Indian tourism service providers are catering to the demand at a time the world is looking at its largest democracy to find out whether the sitting Prime Minister Narendra Modi wins another term or the Opposition registers a win.
Indian tour operators such as Akshar Travels, Sita Travels, Travel Corporation India and the like are ready with election package for potential international clients. On the offing are seven-day election tourism packages that would include regular tours apart from experiencing political rallies. Continue reading India’s election is now a major tourist attraction →
Major IT outage delays flights across the US
Boston (TAN): United States airlines were temporarily affected earlier this week by data issues, the country’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said.
The computer outage was reportedly related to Aerodata, a programme that is used for planning weight and balance for flights. Airline dispatchers in remote offices approve weight and balance calculations before a flight can take off, which is why flight schedules can be disturbed if computer systems crash.
The problem started early morning, and lasted for 48 odd minutes. Although the situation was resolved, the data disruption had hit at least five airlines, including Southwest Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, JetBlue, and Alaska Air. Hundreds of flights were delayed in several major cities across the country, from New York to Boston, and Chicago to Miami. Continue reading Major IT outage delays flights across the US →
US tourist tries to steal artefact from Auschwitz death camp, faces jail
Krakow (TAN): An American tourist faces up to 10 years in jail for attempting to steal a portion of the railway tracks from the infamous Auschwitz extermination camp in Poland.
The 37-year-old, who has admitted to the action, has been released pending legal proceedings, Deutsche Welle reported. He has been charged with attempt to steal and item of cultural importance.
A report quoting an Auschwitz Museum spokesman said visitors raised an alarm when they noticed the man trying to remove the part from the tracks. Continue reading US tourist tries to steal artefact from Auschwitz death camp, faces jail →
My travel style has changed over the years. Here’s how
My eyes were fixed on the Kolkata airport terminal building as the Thai AirAsia aircraft I was in taxied towards the runway. My face was calm (at least, that’s what I thought) but a hundred thoughts were sprinting inside my head.
The year was 2011 and it was my first solo trip. Continue reading My travel style has changed over the years. Here’s how →
Nothing has changed with Brexit row, Scotland assures Europe
Edinburgh (TAN): Scotland is letting Europe know that despite the uncertainty over Brexit, it will always be as open and welcoming to the rest of Europe as ever.
On the original date that the UK was scheduled to leave the European Union – March 29 – Scotland launched the latest chapter in its global marketing campaign with the message, “Europe, let’s continue our love affair”.
The launch deliberately coincides with the UK government’s original ‘Brexit day’ and intends to convey the message that Scotland remains an open and welcoming nation. Continue reading Nothing has changed with Brexit row, Scotland assures Europe →