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Leisure Hotels Group and Paddy Adventures India introduces river rafting in Corbett

In a first of its kind initiative, Leisure Hotels Group (LHG), and Paddy Adventures India (PAI) have introduced river rafting on the Kosi river in Corbett. Leisure Hotels Group is the largest resort chain in Corbett, with 2 upper upscale & 1 luxury resort, that adds up to the maximum number of keys in the world’s second most popular Wildlife National Park. The hotel chain is witnessing an influx of visitors this monsoon season following the decision to open Corbett Tiger Reserve for round-the-year tourism by the State Govt. Highlighting the popularity of Corbett as a wildlife destination, Vibhas Prasad, Director, Leisure Hotels Group said “Our properties are located on the banks of river Kosi and a stone’s throw away from Corbett National Park. In addition to the already teeming demand for Wildlife tourism, Corbett now also becomes a magnet for adventure tourism during the perceived off-season months of July - September”. Pardeep Raj Singh, Director, Paddy Adventures Pvt Ltd. said “Kosi is ideal for Class II rapid rafting during the monsoon season making it an ideal experience for beginners. These water activities are organised under the aegis of Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN). Our rafting packages include short & long trips for four people in a raft. Corbett is well connected to several big North Indian cities, which enables convenient travelling by road. Less than 5-hours’ drive from Delhi NCR, Corbett is a perfect weekend getaway for family, friends & couples, away from the hustle bustle of the city. This season offers a wonderful opportunity for visitors to re-discover the unseen beauty of the flora & fauna of Corbett National Park during the monsoons. Paddy Adventures Pvt Ltd. has been organising successful outdoor adventure programs across India, Nepal, Bhutan, USA, and Mexico for the past 23 years. They are the official travel consultant for many embassies namely – Chez, Polish, German etc. In the past, Paddy Adventures has assisted Uttarakhand and Himachal Governments in rescue operations for international guests. The Riverview Retreat, a wildlife resort spread across 9 acres on the banks of the river Kosi, offers 90 well-appointed rooms, cottages & villas. Be it a Wedding, an anniversary, a festive celebration, or any other type of special occasion, The Riverview Retreat is built for guests who enjoy privacy and comfort. With its intricately built private lawns, balconies, dining areas and picturesque scenery, the jungle resort offers travellers an exclusive leisure and adventure experience.

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Portugal has now eased restrictions

Portugal has gone ahead and eased its restrictions as the country sees its vaccination campaign moving faster than it was earlier estimated. Portugal has decided to increase the number of people that are allowed to enter restaurants, and cultural venues. The initial plan was to ease restrictions after about two weeks. Mariana Vieira da Silva said that the number of people permitted to sit in restaurants and cafes have now been raised from six to eight for indoor dining. For outdoor dining it has been increased from 10 to 15. For cultural events such as weddings, baptisms, or more, the venue can be filled up till 75 percent of its original capacity. It was at 50 percent before. Also, restaurants, businesses, and cultural venues can remain open until 2 am. Cabinet Minister Mariana Vieira da Silva spoke at a news conference where she said, "The pandemic is not over. It has surprised us with new variants we did not expect. It is our responsibility to continue monitoring its evolution and maintaining necessary behaviours to control the pandemic." However, you must keep in mind that a negative test, or vaccine certificate is mandatory for hotel stays, or dining reservations, and dining indoors during holidays, and weekends. The Delta variant that hit Portugal, much like most other countries across the world, had caused a lot of concern in the country. However, the vaccination campaign really got some speed over the summer after a slow start. By the end of July, Portugal began recording around 3000 cases a day

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Kerala: Tourist centres witness heavy rush during Onam in Idukki

After the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic, tourist centres in Idukki and Munnar evoked a good response on Saturday and Sunday. According to tourism stakeholders, the tourist inflow shows that the sector is getting back to normalcy. But at many tourist centres, most of the visitors are Malayalis, and fewer north Indian and Tamil tourists are arriving at the destinations. District tourism promotion council (DTPC) secretary Gireesh P S said that all 12 tourist destinations under DTPC witnessed normal tourist arrival on Saturday and Sunday. Eravikulam National Park Assistant wildlife warden Job J Neriamparambil told TOI that 2,728 tourists visited the park on Sunday. “The park's total capacity is 2,880 per day, and Eravikulam witnessed nearly 97% occupancy on Sunday. On Thiruvonam, 1,760 tourists visited the park. We hope the trend will continue in the coming days,” said the official. Idukki and Cheruthoni dams, one of the major tourist attractions in the district, under the hydel tourism department of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB), witnessed heavy tourist inflow on Sunday. Sreenivasan, an official with the ticket counter, said that 3,197 tourists enjoyed the scenic beauty of the dams on Sunday. “On Saturday, 1,300 tourists visited the dams,” said the official. A tourism department official said that the mandatory vaccine certificates for entry to the centres have affected the entry of youth tourists. “Most of the visitors in the tourism centres are between 18 and 25 years. But many youths are yet to receive their first vaccine dose. To enter these destinations, youths need to undergo an RT-PCR test. But as per government order, we can't allow tourists without a vaccine certificate or RT-PCR test result,” said the official. Jubina, a tourist from Kannur, said that after the pandemic, her family visited Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Thekkady and witnessed that officials followed all Covid-19 guidelines. “After the pandemic, the trip provided a new life to us,” she said, adding the strict adherence to Covid protocols will give confidence to tourists to visit the tiger reserve.

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Indians with tourist visas conditionally allowed in UAE

Indian citizens will now be allowed to visit the UAE on tourist visas if they have not been in India in the last 14 days, according to Dubai-based low cost carrier flydubai. The visitors will need to follow all other pandemic-time requirements. “Passengers carrying passports of India, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka or Uganda with tourist visas can be accepted if they have NOT entered or been in India, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka or Uganda in the previous 14 days. PCR requirements will be based on the country of departure,” flydubai website says. The UAE has been slowly opening up for Indians after imposing restriction on travellers from here in April-end at the height of the deadly second Covid wave. In the past few weeks, it has been gradually allowing more categories of visitors from India. However, since entry rules keep changing frequently during Covid, visitors need to check the latest regulations before they plan a trip these days. Indian citizens with a valid US visa/green card or having a residency of UK/EU are now be eligible for UAE visa on arrival. The visitors will need to follow all pandemic time requirements for travel. From earlier this month, it allowed holders of valid residency permits who got both the jabs in UAE to return from India and five other countries. Irrespective of their vaccination status, it allowed healthcare workers like doctors, nurses and technicians employed in UAE; students and people working in UAE education sector; humanitarian cases with valid residency permit and those working in government agencies there, to return to the UAE from India. UAE is the biggest overseas destination for Indians.

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Tamil Nadu: Tourist attractions in Nilgiris ready to welcome visitors

After four months of being closed to the public, several parks and gardens in the Nilgiris district will reopen on Monday. Among attractions to reopen are the Government Botanical Garden (GBG), Government Rose Garden (GRG) in Ooty, Sim’s Park in Coonoor, the Kattery Government Park, the Ooty boat house and the Pykhara boat house of the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation. Visitors should follow the standard operating procedure, a release from Nilgiris collector J Innocent Divya said. Hoteliers in the district welcomed the decision of the state government to reopen tourist spots. “Gardens and boat houses would attract more tourists to the hill retreat. The SOPs prescribed by the government will be followed strictly while accommodating tourists,” said a hotelier. Tourist cab operators and drivers, who had lost their business, said they hope to get more business in the coming days. Tourist spots in the Nilgiris were closed for visitors on April 20.

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Indigo resumes Hyderabad-Maldives direct flights

Direct flights between Hyderabad and Maldives were resumed from Sunday. The flights will initially operate between Hyderabad and Malé three times a week from August 22 (Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday). The frequency will increase to four times a week from October 15 (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday) According to GHIAL (GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited) authorities, IndiGo has started this new route from Hyderabad. IndiGo flight 6E 8108 departed from GMR Hyderabad International Airport at 2.20 PM (IST) and arrived at Maldives’ Velana International Airport at 4.30 PM (IST). The return flight 6E 8107 from Malé will arrive in Hyderabad at 20.50 PM (IST).

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