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IRCTC launches tour package to holy cities of Ayodhya, Varanasi and Prayagraj

The tourism arm of Indian Railways, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), has recently announced domestic air package (four nights/five days) Holy Kaashi with Ayodhya Darshan which covers Varanasi, Ayodhya and Prayagraj. IRCTC will start the tour will start on 02 December and tourists will board their flights from Cochin Airport. The cost of the tour package start at ₹ 28755 Day 01: Kochi-Varanasi Departure Kochi 06:30 hrs Arrival Varanasi 13.00 hrs. (Tourists to report at Airport at least 02 hrs prior to the scheduled departure of the flight Check in to hotel. Evening attend Ganga Aarti. Overnight stay at Varanasi. Day 02: Varanasi City Tour Post Breakfast proceed to Kashi Vishwanath Temple & Annapurna temple. Post lunch visit to Sarnath. Night return to hotel at Varanasi for overnight stay at Varanasi. Day 03: Varanasi - Allahabad Morning depart to Allahabad 3 hrs. drive approx. Arrive and check-in to Hotel. Afternoon tour of Allahabad - visit The Sangam, Allahabad Fort, Patalpuri Temple. Overnight stay at Allahabad. Day 04: Allahabad-Ayodhya- Varanasi Morning 08:00 depart to Ayodhya 4 hrs drive approx. Visit the major attractions of Ayodhya, Ram Janmabhumi (birthplace of Lord Rama) where he spent most of his childhood, Lakshman Ghat, Kala Ram Temple, Kanak Bhavan Temple Evening proceed to Varanasi for Overnight stay at Varanasi. Day 05: Varanasi - Kochi After breakfast, check out from the hotel Drop at Airport, Departure Varanasi 13.30 Hrs. Arrival at Kochi by 20:15 hrs

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Curfew in North Goa extended till August 30

The district administration of North Goa has extended the Covid-induced curfew until August 30. According to the office of the district magistrate's order, there are sufficient grounds for proceeding under Section 144 (1) of CrPC, 1973 to take preventive steps to contain the spread of the virus by public gatherings and activities. The curfew has been extended in North Goa from 7 am on August 23 to 7 am on August 30. During this period, casinos, auditoriums & community halls, river cruises/waterparks/entertainment parks, spa/massage parlours, cinema halls for beyond 50 per cent seating capacity and schools for students will remain closed. The administration has also restricted any kind of congregations, including marriage, beyond 50 per cent capacity of the venue. Passengers coming from outside states need to carry RT-PCR negative test, not more than 72 hours before entering Goa.

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Madhya Pradesh: Air India to resume Indore-Dubai flight from September 1

17 months after Air India is going to resume its international flight from Indore. The Indore- Dubai flight will resume from September 1. Indore-Dubai is the only International flight from Devi Ahilya Bai International Airport, Indore. The operation of the flight was remained suspended since March 22, 2020 because of COVID-19. As per the schedule released by Air India on Monday, the flight will take off from Indore at 12.05PM and will arrive back at Indore Airport at 10.05PM. According to sources, Indore Airport administration has written to the Airport Authority of India seeking detailed guidelines including medical screening for departing and arriving international passengers. Besides, Air India has also decided to start a flight for Bangalore from Indore. However, its schedule is yet to be released. TK Jose, chairman of Madhya Pradesh Chapter of Travel Agents Federation of India said that passengers had been demanding for a Bangalore flight for a long time.

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Lucknow airport gets instant RT-PCR facility

Lucknow airport now has an instant RT-PCR facility that will allow passengers boarding for international flights at Lucknow airport to avail the facility of on-the-spot RT-PCR test. As per the reports, the airport officials have installed 30 real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) machines. Reportedly, airlines have made it mandatory for passengers to carry a hard copy of the RT-PCR report at the airport before boarding international flights. To facilitate the travel of people, booths have been set up at the airport to collect samples of those arriving from international destinations. Referring to this, Chief Airport Officer SC Hota stated that around 30 rapid RT-PCR test boots have been installed at Terminal 1 of Lucknow Airport, which will help passengers to get their instant test reports at ease. Further, more than 50 per cent of the adult population in Lucknow has been vaccinated with at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine since the mass immunisation drive started on January 16. However, according to the reports, only 16 percent of the adult population is fully vaccinated. Elaborating more on this, Chief Medical Officer Dr Manoj Agrawal urged people to follow COVID protocols strictly, and elaborated that nearly 50 percent of the population is inoculated with at least a dose, whereas a large number of people have developed natural antibodies. It means that they are considerably well-equipped to face the impending third wave of COVID-19.

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‘Mesmerising Maldives’ – The Leading Safe Travel destination for Indian travellers

Great news for Indian travellers - The gorgeous, magical Maldives with over a thousand islands, dispersed over a length of over 870 kilometres is once again happy to welcome all Indian tourists and visitors offering convenience, precautions and safety. Now, Indian tourists require a negative PCR test result within 96 hours as opposed to earlier 72 hours before departure from the first point of embarkation. The Government of Maldives has eased travel restrictions at all international airports in the Maldives for international travel after taking all the precautionary measures against the spread of COVID- 19. EASE OF TRAVEL: Now, Indian travellers who are planning to visit Maldives can make the most of the new rules of the Maldives Immigration. It has granted an extension on the validity for PCR Test for Covid-19 presented on arrival into the Maldives by all travellers. All inbound tourists including those who have completed the prescribed dose(s) of Covid-19 vaccines and recovered from Covid-19 should now hold a negative PCR test result for a sample taken 96 (ninety-six) hours, as opposed to 72 (seventy-two) hours, before departure from the first point of embarkation. This would definitely provide greater convenience to those travelling to Maldives. To ensure the safety of all its visitors and tourists, Maldives has also recently launched a campaign under the name ‘I’m Vaccinated!’ with the aim of making the Maldives, the first destination with a fully vaccinated tourism sector in the world. As of 15 June 2021, over 96% of resort employees have received the first dose of the vaccination whereas 69% have completed the full dose(s) of the prescribed COVID-19 vaccine. The Maldives was in fact one of the first countries in the world to open its borders for international travellers. All travellers arriving in Maldives with a confirmed booking for a stay at any registered tourist facility are granted a free 30-day on-arrival visa.. There is no mandatory quarantine on arrival. The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) has also granted the Maldives ‘Safe Travels Stamp’ in recognition of the efforts to implement enhanced health and safety measures, in line with the WTTC global safe travels protocols. It is no surprise that the world has taken notice of the immense priority set on health, safety, and wellbeing in the Maldives. COMFORT & LUXURY: For a comfortable stay in the Maldives, you have the option of choosing from gorgeous luxury resorts (154 at the present), boutique guesthouses, a great assortment of liveaboards and hotels that cater to various budgets. Liveaboards are a perfect option if you desire sightseeing, sea life interaction or the option of seeing a variety of islands during your holiday. The Maldives is truly something special – “A garland of islands” consisting of over a thousand islands of all forms, shapes, and sizes. A destination that is incredibly unique in its natural geography and formation, ensuring each island is naturally social-distanced, providing a level of unparalleled safety, isolation, and comfort during these otherwise challenging times. This island nation has ensured a fine balance of maintaining health, luxury and comfort together with stringent health and safety measures in place. A fully-vaccinated tourism sector ensures that you are spending your vacation in a destination that is safe, secure and free. CAPTURE YOUR MEMORIES: Apart from its natural beauty and heritage sites, Maldives presents unparalleled luxury. Every moment on your holiday will be worthy of a picture.The taste of local food by the lagoonas you enjoy the balmy sea breeze, the vast bluish green Indian Ocean kissing the horizon and panoramic view of marine life will make you experience a new sense of calmness, serenity and tranquillity. The islands of Maldives will also excite you with varied options of water sports and adventure activities including kayaking, canoeing, sea-bobbing, jet-skiing, snorkelling etc. The picture-perfect, the adventurous and the vibrant experiences at the Maldives will indeed mesmerise a traveller. The Maldives welcomes all Indian tourists to one of the safest travel destinations in the world.

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Odisha: Bat Island to become attraction for eco-tourists

People visiting Hirakud Dam Reservoir will soon be able to get a glimpse into the hitherto unexplored Bat Island, the Mahanadi river island which is home for more than one thousand of bats. Visiting the island is part of ‘Hirakud Cruise’ to be launched by the Forest and Environment department of the state government soon. The Bat Island is around 10 kilometers away from the zero point of Hirakud dam and only one kilometer away from the Debrigarh eco-tourism. One has to take a 20 minutes boat ride from zero point of Hirakud dam to reach the island, which is near village Mahutalu and around 20 to 25 fishermen families have been living in the village. During summer, when the water dries up, the village Mahultalu gets connected with the Bat Island and one can walk up to the patch of the land in the river. A dense forest is there at the island where the sunlight rarely reaches and there is darkness in the island even during the daytime. Since the bats are nocturnal and they take rest in daytime besides avoid the sunlight, the island, which spreads over around 2 hectare areas, has become place for nesting and resting of the hundreds of bats. The other reason behind the bats flocking to the island is the serenity of the place. Moreover, the bats, which rest during day time on trees in upside-down condition, also get plenty of prey at the island. Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Hirakud Wildlife Division, Anshu Pragyan Das said, the forest officials have enrolled 12 fishermen families for the conservation of the island. Eco-tourists can view the bats from distance without causing any disturbance accompanied by trained Eco-Guides once the ‘Island Odyssey’ and ‘Hirakud Cruise’ begins at the Hirakud Dam Reservoir. Binoculars will be provided to the tourists to watch the bats, she said. Many villages besides farmland and hillocks submerged after the Hirakud Dam was constructed. The place, which is called Bat Island, was a hillock and it became an island after the water surrounded it following the construction of the Hirakud Dam.

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