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Canada issues travel advisory for its citizens on Indian heat wave

Canada has issued a travel advisory on heat wave and power outages in India, asking its citizens to follow instructions of local health authorities. “A heatwave (sic) is affecting India. The heatwave has caused wildfires, power outages and damaged harvests. Wildfires may also affect transportation, leading to train service suspension and highway closures,” said the Canadian advisory on Wednesday. It urged Canadian citizens to stay hydrated, avoid outdoor activities especially in areas affected by smoke from wildfires and asks them to be prepared for change in travel plans on short notice including cutting short or cancelling the trip. The Indian Association of Tour Operators however does not see a significant impact of this advisory on tourist arrivals. “Indian government is currently not issuing e-visas to Canadians and this has limited the number of tourists travelling to India,” said Rajiv Mehra, president of IATO. The Indian Meteorological Department in its latest update has said that Northwest and Central India experienced hottest April in 122 years with average maximum temperatures reaching 35.9 and 37.7 degrees Celsius. The department has also predicted that states like Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana would experience above normal temperatures in May as well.

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Travel to Portugal during Covid-19: What you need to know before you go

Portugal has long been overlooked in favor of Europe's bigger hitters, but over the past few years, that's started to change rapidly. The capital of Lisbon, with its trams rattling up hills and peerless views of the Tagus River, is the place to start. Then there's the Algarve, whose beach resorts are set atop crumbling cliffs. There's also the dramatic Atlantic coast, beloved by surfers, and the vast Alentejo region, whose landscapes and hilltop towns have been barely touched by tourism. Who can go Anyone can travel to mainland Portugal by plane. See below for the rules and restrictions. What are the restrictions? These restrictions reflect arrivals to mainland Portugal. There are no longer any restrictions on travel to the island of Madeira. For instructions on visiting the Azores, see here. All travelers entering mainland Portugal must either show proof of vaccination, or valid recovery certificate, or a negative PCR test taken 72 hours before boarding, or a negative antigen test taken 24 hours before boarding. EU travelers to Portugal can show their EU Digital Covid Certificate proving vaccination, test or recent recovery. Vaccinated travelers hailing from non-EU countries with a reciprocal agreement with the EU can show relevant vaccination certificates. For a list of these applicable countries, see here. Passengers no longer need to complete a passenger locator form before departure. Children under 12 can enter Portugal without showing a certificate or test. Arriving in Portugal by sea entails the same entry regulations as air. See this link for advice on arriving into Portugal by land. What's the Covid situation? Portugal has had more than 3.8 million cases and over 22,300 deaths as of May 5. More than 92.3% of the population has been fully vaccinated.

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Pune NGO to boost ‘border tourism’ in Kashmir

11 villages have been selected in the initial run for the project which aims at making strife-hit border villages accessible to tourists With the wheels of tourism humming in Kashmir like never before, a Pune-based NGO is planning to take it a step further: ‘Sarhad’, which is known for its work with students and orphans living in India’s conflict zones, is set to launch its ‘border tourism’ project in Kashmir with the aim of making hitherto inaccessible strife-hit border villages hospitable to tourists. As part of the project, around 2,000 youths, many of them orphans, hailing from the lower-income groups are to be trained over the next five years. “We plan to train orphaned youths from the social margins, who have expressed a desire to do something for the development of their backwater, but scenic villages,” according to Sarhad founder-president Sanjay Nahar.

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Planning a trip to Ladakh? Add these must-visit places to your travel itinerary

Nestled among the two of the world's mightiest mountain ranges-- the Great Himalayas and the Karakoram-- Ladakh is the Shangrilla on the earth. Lying at an altitude ranging from about 9,000 to 25,000 feet, the cold desert of Ladakh is undoubtedly a great summer getaway one can have. At the western edge of the Tibetan plateau, Ladakh is located at the "Crossroads of High Asia" that served as an important link in trade with Central Asia and was exposed to the cultures of its neighbouring regions. Over centuries it has evolved into a unique composite culture. The blend of its landscape, culture, tradition, environment and adventure tourism makes it an ecstatic holiday destination. When it comes to Ladakh, the very first thing that comes to our mind is Pangong Tso Lake. Remember the scene from the movie '3 Idiots' where the beautiful lake captivates the attention. The 12 km long lake extends from India to Tibet. The unique thing about the lake is it changes colour from azure to light blue, green and grey. Snuggled among the Karakoram Range, Nubra valley is a green oasis in the cold desert. The mountainous rivers and lush greenery soothe the eyes. The valley gets adorned with pink and yellow roses during summers. You can enjoy Bactrian camel ride in Nubra valley. Bactrian camels are of the rarest kind that has two humps. They were the primary mode of transportation on the historical silk route. Visit Diskit Monastery which is known for the 32 metre Maitreya Buddha statue. Further, you can enjoy activities like ATV rides, ziplining and others. At an elevation of 5602 metres, Khardung La, the highest motorable road in India is an ecstasy for mountain biking aficionados. You can witness breathtaking views of the Karakoram range and the Himalayas from the top. Around 35 km from Leh, Sangam is the confluence of the Indus and Zanskar Rivers. The contrast between the bluish Indus River and the greenish Zanskar River creates a spectacular sight. If you love adventure, river rafting in the Zanskar River can be one of the best expeditions in Ladakh. The Hemis National Park is a delight for wildlife enthusiasts. Situated at an altitude ranging between 3,300 and 6,000 metres, the National park is believed to be the highest park in the world and is home to rare snow leopards. You can enjoy camping and trekking here. Further, the 400-year old Hemis Monastery is also situated here. Besides them, Thiksey Monastery, Shey Monastery, Hemis Monastery and Diskit Monastery are some of the most popular monasteries in Ladakh you can visit. Bring home the memories of the Ladakh visit by shopping at the famous Main Bazaar. You may collect Tibetan handcraft and art pieces, silver and stone jewellery, pashmina shawls and woollens, rugs and Kashmiri carpet, apricot and others. (ANI)

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Mumbai AC Local Fares cut by 50%, now enjoy the AC travel at low price

In a big respite for Mumbai local train commuters, the Indian Railway Board has reduced Mumbai AC Local Train fare by 50 percent. The railways anticipate that a warm response from commuters could be seen after the major decision of slashing the AC local trains fares and first class fares to half of their price. The existing minimum fare of Rs. 65 for a 5 km journey will be reduced to Rs 30. In a piece of good news for the local train commuters in Mumbai, the fares of single-journey ticket fare for first-class and AC-class in local trains of Mumbai have become substantially cheaper. The new and revised fares will be in effect from May 5. According to a statement issued by Central Railways, the Ministry of Railways has decided to rationalize single journey basic fare of AC ordinary services running over suburban sections w.e.f. 05.05.2022. In addition, single journey basic fare for the first class of ordinary train services over suburban section has also been rationalized. There shall be no change in season ticket basic fare for AC and the first class of ordinary services running over suburban section. All other existing terms and conditions applicable for AC ordinary services running over the suburban section shall remain same.

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IRCTC's Bharat Gaurav Tourist train to start on June 21 with stopover at Janakpur, Nepal

Come June 21, IRCTC will run its first Bharat Gaurav Tourist train on the Ramayana Circuit, as planned under Swadesh Darshan scheme. The circuit will cover all prominent places associated with the life of Lord Rama. The train will also make a stopover at the famous Ram Janaki temple in Janakpur, Nepal. The Bharat Gaurav Tourist train tour is an 18-day journey, and will cover various parts of India and Janakpur in Nepal by train and some parts by road. The tour will start from Delhi, with the first stop at Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Rama. First attraction will be the Shri Ram Janmabhumi temple, followed by Hanuman temple and Bharat Mandir at Nandigram. The train will next stop at Buxar, Bihar, for a visit to the hermitage of Maharishi Vishwamitra and the Ramrekha Ghat. Moving along, the next stop is Sitamarhi, the birthplace of Sita. From here, the group will be taken to Janakpur, Nepal, to visit the Ram Janaki Temple. From here the train moves back to Varanasi, India, where tourists will be able to explore the temples. The trips to ‘Sita Samahit Sthal’, Prayag, Shringverpur and Chitrakoot will be done by road. The next destination will be Nasik for the Trayambakeshwar Temple and Panchvati. The ancient city of Krishkindha in Hampi comes next in the itinerary. Here, the temple of Hanuman atop the Anjaneyadri Hills will be the main attraction. The train will next move to Rameshwaram where tourists will visit the famous Ramanathaswamy Temple and Dhanushkodi. Next comes Kanchipuram for the Shiv Kanchi, Vishnu Kanchi and Kamakhshi temples; and finally the last destination – Bhadrachalam in Telangana, also known as ‘Ayodhya of the South’. Covering roughly a distance of around 8000 kms, the Ramayana tour will finally return to Delhi.

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