Tag: India
Kolkata-Dhaka-Agartala bus cuts travel time
June 7 (TravelAndy): Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina flagged off a bus service connecting the Indian states of West Bengal and Tripura via Dhaka on Saturday.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee was also present at the event in the Bangladesh capital.
The new bus route has significantly shrunk the road distance between the two Indian states to around 500km with one not having to go around Bangladesh. Continue reading Kolkata-Dhaka-Agartala bus cuts travel time
Air India announces Delhi-Colombo flight
June 3 (TravelAndy): India’s flagship carrier Air India will start operating direct flights between New Delhi and the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo from June 15.
All-inclusive return airfares will start from INR15,555, the airline said.
Except Wednesdays, the flight will depart every day at noon and reach Colombo at 3.35pm. On Wednesdays, it will depart at 1.30pm and arrive in the Sri Lankan capital at 5.15pm.
Wi-Fi in Indian skies likely soon
May 31 (TravelAndy): Indian authorities might soon allow Wi-Fi on airplanes. Reports said an announcement to this effect is likely to be made shortly.
“The department of telecommunication has already said (informally) the proposal is possible to implement,” The Times of India quoted an aviation official as saying.
At present, only foreign carriers such as Lufthansa, Emirates and Turkish Airlines offer Wi-Fi on international flights in Indian airspace. Continue reading Wi-Fi in Indian skies likely soon
Air Arabia woos Indian passengers
May 30 (TravelAndy): Air Arabia has started accepting payments for bookings through Indian debit cards and netbanking services offered by Indian banks.
Indian travellers could already book tickets of the low-cost UAE-based air carrier using Indian credit cards
Air Arabia now allows payment through debit cards and online banking services from around 50 banks operating in India including State Bank of India, HDFC, ICICI, Citibank and Axis Bank. Continue reading Air Arabia woos Indian passengers
India: Rohtang pass restrictions to stay
May 28 (TravelAndy): India’s top court has agreed with the National Green Tribunal restrictions on tourist vehicles heading to the popular Rohtang la (pass) in Himahal Pradesh, a north Indian state nestled in the Himalayas, reports said.
Only a thousand vehicles can cross Rohtang each day, on a first-come first-serve basis, till August 14.
Petrol-run private vehicles will have to pay an environmental tax of INR1000, whereas diesel-run vehicles will have to shell out INR2000.
Protecting the environment is more important than tourism, the Supreme Court said. Continue reading India: Rohtang pass restrictions to stay
Jet Airways: 25% off on domestic flights
May 27 (TravelAndy): Jet Airways is offering 25 per cent off on all direct flights within India. The discount is valid for the economy class.
Booking is open from May 27 to May 30 for travel between June 15 to October 15.
According to the airline, one million seats are on offer and these are available on a first come, first serve basis. Continue reading Jet Airways: 25% off on domestic flights
Interview: Why Anna loves India
Foreign visitors to India, especially if they are women, usually think twice before deciding to travel in the sub-continent. The media has not been kind to India in recent times, and not entirely without reason. The country has, in many aspects, failed to be what we refer to as “tourist-friendly”.
But that’s just me talking.
I spoke to Anna Phipps from the UK, who has spend six months (spread over two trips) travelling around India. Read on to find out what she loves this country and why you too should give India a chance. Continue reading Interview: Why Anna loves India
Indian Railways talk disabled passengers
May 11 (TravelAndy): A panel set up by Indian Railways will take up the issue of how to make train travel across the country easier for people with disabilities, said reports.
The chairman of the the committee, industrialist Ratan Tata, reportedly assured National Centre for Promotion of Employment of Disabled People that he would take it up at the first meeting of Kaya Kalp, which is the name of the panel.
Kaya Kalp has been created to help better the services of India’s state-owned railways. It’s first meeting will be held on Tuesday in New Delhi.
This is positive development at a time when most European cities are built with people on wheelchairs in mind. There is always an elevator near a flight of stairs or escalator. Even trains and buses are build in such a way so that temporary ramps can be used by such people to get on or off.
India & China drive air travel growth
May 8 (TravelAndy): The demand for air travel around the world in March rose by 7.4 per cent as compared to the corresponding period in 2014, said International Air Transport Association (IATA), which represents the airline industry world-wide.
During this period, domestic air travel increased by 8 per cent worldwide riding on a 22 per cent growth in China, followed by 18 per cent in India.
While China’s growth is attributed to the Lunar New Year celebrations, India’s figures are a reflection of the way local carriers are driving the market, apart from a strengthening economy.
“March traffic continues the trend of healthy demand for travel. We may, however, see a softening of demand in the second quarter,” IATA CEO Tony Tyler said.
French help for faster Delhi-Chandigarh train
April 13 (TravelAndy): If things go to plan, the travel time between Delhi and Chandigarh by train will come down to less than two hours.
Indian Railways and its French counterpart signed a pact to this effect during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the country, PTI reported.
The two countries will co-finance an execution study “a semi-high speed project on upgrade of the Delhi-Chandigarh line to 200kmph”.
At present, the fastest train on this route is the Shatabdi Express that takes nearly three-and-a-half hours to complete the 266km journey.
10 countries offering visa on arrival for Indians
Your Indian passport is more powerful than you think. Here are 10 countries that offer visa on arrival to Indian passport holders.
Continue reading 10 countries offering visa on arrival for Indians
Seven reasons to visit Hornbill Festival
I was at the Hornbill Festival for just two of its 10 days. Yet, I found enough reasons to fall in love with it and want to return.
The northeast Indian state of Nagaland is known as the land of festivals with all its tribes enthusiastically celebrating their own festivals. To encourage inter-tribal interaction and promote the cultural heritage of the state, the Nagaland government organises the Hornbill Festival every year in the first week of December. Continue reading Seven reasons to visit Hornbill Festival