News

International Flights: Air India Announces Flights to Hong Kong, Bookings Open| Full Schedule Here

At this time of coronavirus, Indian national carrier Air India on Tuesday announced that it will operate an additional flight between Delhi and Hong Kong on 7th and 8th February 2021. Notably, these flight services will be operated under Vande Bharat Mission Phase 9. “Air India will operate an additional flight on the Delhi- Hongkong-Delhi sector on 7th/8th February ’21.” Air India said in a tweet. In the tweet, the airline also stated that it has opened the bookings for the flights and tickets can be booked through Air India Website, Booking Offices, Call Centre and Authorized Travel Agents. The development comes as the order to suspend flight services between India and Hong Kong ended on December 3 last year. Hong Kong had suspended flights of Air India operating between the two countries till December 3, 2020. It must be noted that all scheduled international passenger flights have been suspended in India since March 23 due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, special flights have been operating under the Vande Bharat mission since May and under air bubble arrangements since July. Moreover, Air India has announced its schedule for February 2021 under the Vande Bharat Mission phase 9. As per the schedule published on the official website, it will operate a total of 165 flights that connect different cities of India to Bangkok, Colombo, Kuala Lumpur, Kuwait, Rome, Singapore, Sydney, Tel Aviv, and Yangon. Meanwhile, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has extended the international flight operations ban till February 28. However, the restrictions will not apply to international all-cargo operations and flights specifically approved by DGCA.

Read more

Kandima Maldives launches skydiving programme

Kandima Maldives has launched a new skydiving programme in partnership with Skydive Maldives. Imagine a jaw-dropping free-fall from 12,000 feet in the air at incredible speeds, and views of the pristine islands surrounded by limitless blue ocean as you safely parachute down. Adventure enthusiasts can capture every moment of this experience! This sums up the swanky new skydiving experience with Kandima Maldives, a must-do activity when staying at the resort. Upon arrival at the Dhaalu Airport, guests are greeted by the skydiving team and take a 15-minute safety briefing before hopping aboard a specially modified Cessna 208 seaplane. After 20 minutes of flight time, guests launch into the sky at an altitude of around 12,000 feet with an experienced skydiving instructor. After a-minute long free-fall at extreme speeds of 200 km per hour, the parachute opens and a five-minute descent later, guests safely land at a secluded beach on Kandima Maldives. Tandem skydiving is the quickest and easiest way to experience the thrill of a free-fall. Take the leap with qualified skydiving instructors and capture the best views of the blue Maldivian islands and coral reefs! A video footage of this experience is also available to share with friends and family back home. With daily scheduled departures between 8.00 am to 5.30 pm, tandem skydive packages range from US$ 594 to US$ 900 + taxes per person (minimum of two guests per booking). While Kandima & Skydive Maldives makes it all perfect for beginners and first-timers, they also offer two options for the more experienced adrenaline jumpers out there; group and solo skydive packages that range from US$ 79 to 252 + taxes per person. Transfer charges from Kandima Maldives to Dhaalu Airport are additional. Neeraj Seth, Director of Marketing Communication & Public Relations, Kandima Maldives, says, “We are excited to launch this awe-inspiring skydiving experience for our guests at Kandima Maldives. Always aspiring to be the first and bringing innovative active lifestyle experiences to its guests have been at the heart of the Kandima brand experience. Adding another new dimension to our high-spirited ‘Lifestyle Reimagined’ campaign, this is one of the first of its kind skydiving programmes in the Maldives. We invite guests to rediscover the thrill of travel, as they can now explore world-class adventure and the breath-taking island views the destination has to offer!

Read more

Maharashtra state tourism dept to organise 20 mini festivals in Feb-Mar

The Maharashtra tourism department on Thursday said it will organise 20 mini festivals across six regions -- Konkan, Pune, Nashik, Aurangabad, Amravati, and Nagpur -- in February and March to boost the sector. The state tourism department has earmarked ₹100 lakh for organising these 20 festivals, according to a press release. After a difficult year of the pandemic, the state government is all set to welcome tourists through 20 mini festivals so that travellers can explore the less-known destinations across Maharashtra. These festivals will also provide opportunities for tourists to celebrate cultural heritage tourism of Maharashtra, it noted. Some of the landmark festivals to be held in Nashik include Grape Harvesting, Nandur Madhyameshwar, Bhandardara in Ahmednagar and Laling Fort Festival in Dhule. In the Konkan region, popular festivals such as Vengurla (Sagareshwar) in Sindhudurg district, Shrivardhan Festival in Raigad district, Katal Shilpa Festival and Anjarle Festival in Ratnagiri district will be organised. Aurangabad division will witness Ter Festival in Osmanabad district, Kapildhara Festival in Beed district and Hottal Festival in Nanded district, while Sindkhed Raja Festival in Nagpur district, Narnala Fort Festival in Akola district and Tipeshwar Forest Festival in Yavatmal district are planned under the Amravati region. Nagpur will also organise the illustrious festivals, including Ramtek Festival, Bor Dam and Wildlife Festival, in Vardha and Bodalkasa Bird Festival in Gondia district, it stated. These festivals will be organised through regional offices of the Directorate of Tourism with the help of the local district administration and are aimed to help feature the less explored destinations prominently on the Maharashtra tourism map, it added.

Read more

Spiti Valley to open up for tourism with these guidelines in place

A visit to Spiti may be on the cards soon, as the destination decides to reopen for tourism from February 17 onwards. The Spiti Tourism Society released a statement saying that hoteliers, panchayats, travel agents, mahila mandals, and community leaders have jointly decided to reopen the valley for tourism. Mentioning that the valley has remained incomplete this past year, the statement further says that the region is looking forward to welcoming tourists. However, the order comes with a strict set of guidelines that must be followed by all concerned. Travelling during the pandemic can be tricky, and it is everyone’s responsibility to make sure that the holidays do not have an adverse impact on the environment or humanity in any way. These below mentioned guidelines must be followed - Tourists will not be permitted to enter Khibber village, and Khibber wildlife habitat. This is because the village has decided against hosting travellers at this time. Tour operators need to ensure that all travellers going to Spiti have gotten their RAT/RT-PCR test done from an authorised lab/hospital. The test needs to be taken 72 to 96 hours before reaching the valley. All those who are entering into Spiti independently, including drivers, must report to a government hospital to take a rapid test. Hotels and homestays need to ensure that all guests have been tested before they venture outdoors. Social distancing must be maintained at all times, at all costs, and individuals must wear masks outside of their rented accommodation. Above all, tourists must keep themselves safe, and ensure the safety of the locals.

Read more

Uttarakhand all set to host Tehri Lake Festival on February 16 - 17

Uttarakhand is gearing up to host Tehri Lake Festival from February 16 to 17. It is the most exciting time to visit Uttarakhand, when it plays host to Asia’s biggest lake festival. Every year, the Uttarakhand state government hosts this festival during this time, and anyone interested in being a part of this festival needs to book their seats well in advance. The state government’s focus has been in developing the lake as an international tourist spot. The highlights of this festival are aerial sports, stunning fireworks, and other adventure activities, along with a host of water-based sports that will remain the main attraction here. When here during this time, make sure you indulge yourself in a number of other experiences, such as yoga sessions, music performances, and cultural dances. There will be other attractions to keep you busy, such as photo and jewellery exhibitions, which are equally fun and delightful. How to reach? By Air: If you take a flight, Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun will be the nearest to the said spot. Once you land in Dehradun, you can take a taxi, which is easily available, to reach the festival spot. By Rail: If you want to take a train, the nearest railway station from Tehri will be Rishikesh, which is around 73 km away from the spot. You will easily get buses from the station that run on the said route frequently. You can even opt to take a taxi. By Road: Tehri is well-connected to all major cities such as Mussoorie, Rishikesh, Haridwar, Srinagar, New Delhi, and more. You can either opt for government/private buses or hire a private car.

Read more

Andaman and Nicobar Islands India’s first to be ‘Covid-free’

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands has become the first state or Union territory in India to be officially rid of the Covid-19 infection, at least for now, with active cases falling to zero in the islands. The health ministry’s website reported on Tuesday that the last four infected persons in Andaman and Nicobar Islands had been declared cured. The UT had reported a total of 4,932 cases and 62 deaths from the virus. Meanwhile, the share of Kerala in India’s daily cases crossed 50% for the first time on Tuesday. There were 11,024 fresh cases in the country out of which Kerala alone reported 5,716, 51.8% of the total. The state also has the highest count of active cases at 69,157, out of around 1,61,000 in the country, as per data collated by TOI from state governments. The daily case count had fallen to a nine-month low of 8,584 on Monday. Cases fall sharply every Monday because of lower testing and staff shortages over the weekend. While fresh cases were back to more than 11,000 on Tuesday, a comparison with the same day last week shows that fresh infections continue to fall in the country. Last Tuesday (January 26), India had reported 12,738 new cases. The daily death toll from the virus too rose from the previous day’s number to 112 on Tuesday. The toll had dropped to below 100 on Monday, again for the first time in nine months. Delhi, meanwhile, reported just two deaths on Tuesday, the lowest daily toll in at least nine months. Maharashtra continued to report the highest number of deaths, adding 30 to the toll on Tuesday. The state recorded 1,927 new cases, the lowest in eight days. For the second day in a row, Mumbai reported less than 400 cases. Active cases in the state dropped to 41,586, of which 5,530 cases were in Mumbai. In Kerala, the test positivity rate remains high at 10.8%, which means that one out of every 10 tests conducted in the state had reported positive for the virus. The state also reported 16 more deaths from the virus on Tuesday. However, the last week of January witnessed an 8.3% decline in the Covid caseload in Kerala as compared with the previous weeks, the state health department said.

Read more