Kerala Tourism: The Culture and The Curry

Kerala is a gateway to paradise. The state offers an enthralling experience with its captivating landscapes, mind blowing backwaters, majestic hills, wildlife parks and sanctuaries, tea plantations, and last but not the least, its stunning sun-kissed beaches. With the hordes of tourists and travelers visiting Kerala for spending holidays, Kerala tourism is rising at great strides. Apart from an excellent getaway to nature, Kerala tourism is also redefined as Kerala Health Tourism, Kerala Backwater Tourism, Kerala Culture Tourism, Kerala Beach Tourism, and many more.

Kerala takes pride in being one of the oldest civilizations on the face of the earth. Historians suggest that Kerala culture is a blend of numerous civilizations, varied customs, practices and beliefs as a result of interaction of Indian as well as overseas cultures. A variety of performing arts such as Koodiyattom, a type of drama or theater and UNESCO-listed human heritage art; Kathakali, a dance drama that depicts ancient epics; Kerala natanam, a popular offshoot of Kathakali; Koothu, a light-hearted comedy performance similar to modern-day stand-up comedy; Mihiniyattam, the dance of the enchantress which is a choreographed performance by women accompanied by music and vocalizations, and many more art performances are unique to Kerala.

The Kerala culture is reflected in its festivals, pilgrimages, literature, music, traditional performances, customs, practices and cuisine. Variety and uniqueness of Kerala's culture may be experienced by being a part of its annual ten-day festival known as Onam. During Onam, a host of colorful sports, cultural programs and rituals are organized. Celebrated at the end of August or beginning of September, the festival is a complete reflection of the rich culture that Kerala boasts of.

The Kerala food is unusual which offers some of the most sumptuous tastes on earth. Keralites are gourmets with a difference. The cuisine is usually hot, spicy, aromatic and flavored. Use of coconut is an integral part of the cuisine. It is used either chopped or grated to garnish the dishes. Coconut milk or paste is used to thicken gravies and its oil is used for cooking. Rice is the staple diet. A typical lunch or dinner may consist of rice, seasonal vegetables cooked in coconut oil with different spices for flavor, dal, seafood curry and a sweet dish as dessert. Seafood is taken almost with every meal. Fish like sardines, tuna, rays, and crabs, mussels and oysters are taken with unique preparations. Apart from meals, different snacks such as banana chips, murku, shakaruperi and many types of halwa are consumed any time during the day.

Sorce:http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/62158

Goa Hotels: Staying at the Beach Capital of India

Goa, a romantic confluence of cultures offers finest accommodation matching with international standards. Goa people are lovely and hospitable. With their warm, broad smiles and affectionate hospitality, you will be swept off your feet with the intimate atmosphere at Goa hotels. With many hotels residing next to the beaches, the guest have additional privileges to enjoy such as overlooking the sparkling sea from the balconies and enjoying the refreshing ambience of the lush green locales. Some hotels have their own private walkways leading to beach. Strolling in the evening with your beloved through these walkways may be an ultimate experience you will relish with fond remembrance.

Luxurious accommodation with state-of-the-art amenities. Swimming pools, spas and Ayurveda are available with most of the hotels. Sightseeing tours, adventure sports, water sports and musical nights are some of the features that these hotels often offer. What's more, they come in a range of budget, which suit to every pocket and preference. No matter what hotel or resort you choose, the unforgettable stay with warmest hospitality is assured.

Visit Ranthambore for a 'wild' holiday

Ranthambore is known for it's tiger sightings and for the ones who are looking for an audience with the king of the jungle, the Ranthambore National Park is a great weekend getaway, about 140 km from Jaipur.

Ranthambore is well connected both by rail and road and for those wanting a jungle holiday, away from the hustle and bustle of the city, Ranthambore is the place to be.

The Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan is probably one of the only sanctuaries in the country where one can sight a tiger up close.

''Yes I saw a tiger. First we saw it walking along the road and then by a tree watching the deer as they were coming close,'' said one of the visitor to Ranthambore.

''I gather about 35 tigers here and we were just lucky, it was so close to the lorry that I am glad it had it's breakfast,'' said another visitor.

Safaris at the break of dawn, and a drive through the jungle at dusk are among few exciting Ranthanbore offers.

Between an open gypsy and canters, people vacationing in a large group can pick up their mode of travel.

Most of the routes for tourists run alongside the tigers favourite water holing, making it a great place to sight the big cats.

In the past two years, there has been a baby boom in Ranthambore. They have had 13 new cubs and a visit to this place can get a glimpse of the king of the jungle.

And to take back memories of these majestic animals, Ranthambore also offers a variety of tiger mementos.

The Ranthambore tiger sketches, mostly done in charcoal, are quite famous. T-shirts and souvenirs all add to make an interesting collection of tigeria.

There are hotels to suit everyone's budget in Ranthambore, from luxury five star hotels to those which are light on the pocket but heritage properties can also add a touch of history and romance to the jungle adventure.

The best time to visit Ranthambore is during winter but it is open for guests now too, except between July and September, the three months when it's shut during the monsoons.

source:http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20080050080&ch=5/17/2008%207:35:00%20AM

Rajasthan Train Tour: The Palace on Wheels

The state of Rajasthan, which is a major international and domestic crowd puller, also has a good railway network that connects to major cities like Udaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Jaipur and more. However, the best of Rajasthan Train Tour can be experienced on board the Palace on Wheels- one of the premium luxury trains in India.

The inception of the Palace on Wheels has been an important step in the promotion of Indian tourism industry. The Palace on Wheels starts from Delhi and visits Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Sawai Madhopur, Chittorgarh, Udaipur, Bharatpur, Agra before returning to Delhi. Palace on Wheels is thus by far one of the best cost effective means of traveling to Rajasthan. Easily the most recognized name among luxury trains in India,

The Palace on Wheels is truly in no way less than a luxury heritage hotel. The Palace on Wheels is thus a very important aspect of luxury Rajasthan tourism and has their customer base mainly in the foreign tourists and the leisure tourists. In fact, travel in Rajasthan these days carries tremendous scope for luxury tourism. Thanks to the large number of palace turned hotels and the traditions of luxury prevalent due to the existence of the royalty, Rajasthan is now a haven of pleasure tourism and the Palace on Wheels is just another feather in the cap of Rajasthan Tourism.

The World is Full of Mysterious Places, Needs a calm Exploration

In the monotonous life, most of us feel the need to change. This is a universal fact that after a particular time period, we all resist with our same old ways of doing things.

Our tedious works do not allow us to dream beyond the box and go wild with our strange way of imagination. This actually puts us in a dilemma of what to do and how to do. Is there a better way to get out from this boring life? Well, for those who are still confused and thinking about different ways to break the restraints of obscure lives. Holiday packages are the only way that helps you in breaking the barriers of life and gives the moral fiber to break all the conventions of life.

So, before the scheduled life gets over you, indulge yourself with your kin with any of the holiday retreats. There are numerous benefits of these tiny yet meaningful holidays. Even the researchers have shown that the best from a man evokes after a happy and eventful break from his daily work.

If you able to manage a holiday vacation for yourself then you can get benefit from numerous websites that give you a clear idea about the prospective destinations. These websites give valuable information’s that will help to plan your holidays in a memorable way. In fact, most of the travel agencies, tour operators, and travel agents take help from these websites to come up with all cheap holiday packages to their clientele.

The tourism industry could be seen growing at a very fast pace. This is the result of the growing market competition, emergence of new tourist market players and the urge to offer products and services to the customers at a reduced price. There are so many unexplored destinations that need your wild visit. These destinations ensure to spend quality time with your family away from the hassles of the life. There are places like Goa, Kerala, Seychelles and Zurich requires more and more visitor.

So don’t think twice, just grab the chance and go for your dream holiday vacation.

Sliema - Tourist Attraction in Malta

Shops, Bars, Hotels, beautiful beaches and belvedere are amongst the few of the tourist attraction. Sliema is beautiful all year round, but especially in summer.

If you are a hardcore tourist looking to live in the centre of things happening in the island, we suggest you book a hotel in Sliema. Most hotels (even budget hotels) are just a two minute walk from the sea and the main shops and bars in Sliema.

As with many other major cities and villages in Malta the festa is one major yearly event. The feast of Sliema is held in honor of Our Lady Stella Maris (the festa is held in August) and another in of the Sacre Cour in July. Whilst to a lesser extent other feasts are Our lady of mount carmel in July and St. Gregory in September, all these feasts make for a great tourist attraction in whilst visiting Sliema and highlight different areas of this lovely city. We strongly recommend that if possible you book your vacation around these months and try to make it a point to get a glimpse of these spectacular local celbrations.

Vacation Spot

The city of Sliema began rapidly developing in the 19th century and later it became a popular summer resort for wealthier Maltese citizens. Villas and town houses started to be developed in front of sea in the quiet and orderly streets. The 3 kilometer sea promenade and belvedere started to attract the first tourists and many started to look for places where to spend their vacation and many hotels emerged as a result. A very important and centre place is the Independence Garden near a small sandy beach on the coastline.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?Sliema---Tourist-Attraction-in-Malta&id=570466

Kerala Ayurveda : From holistic treatments to health tourism in Kerala

The Indian state of Kerala is located in the South Western tip of India. The state has a tropical type of climate and covers a total area of about 38, 863 square km. God´s own country as it is famously known, it is surrounded by the Eastern Ghats in the East and the Arabian Sea in the West and has a network of 44 rivers, lakes, and estuaries popularly known as backwaters, that drains into the Arabian Sea,. The state has a long shoreline with tranquil beaches which attract tourists from all across the globe. Besides this, the state is also famous for its age-old Ayurvedic therapy. Kerala Ayurveda is indeed gaining momentum worldwide for its holistic effect on the body and mind. The healing effects of Ayurveda have spread as much by government initiatives as well as by word of mouth. As a result, you now you can also avail of comprehensive Kerala Ayurvedic tour packages.

Ayurvedic massage is a medical treatment which can be applied to individuals of any age. However, the intensity of the massage varies from age to age. The ayurvedic massage therapy helps in relieving pain, improves blood circulation, relieves stress, sleep better, provides flexibility in muscles and remove toxic materials that gets accumulated in the joints and tissues. Interestingly, this age-old holistic treatment has become one of the main revenue generators for India in terms of health tourism. Tourists, who are Indian, but mostly foreign, are keen on Ayurvedic therapy forming part of the package deal for a tour of Kerala. The resort or spa which offers Ayurveda treatment in Kerala also provides you with Ayurveda diet, yoga and meditation classes, and massage therapy. From obesity to liver problems, skin care to hair loss everything is believed to have an answer in Ayurveda.

he equable climate and the natural abundance of forest with a large variety of herbs and medicinal plants make Kerala a wonder destination for Ayurveda. Kerala Ayurvedic tour packages are some of the most healing and restorative packages in India. The ideal time to book tours for Kerala Ayurveda is in the monsoon, when the atmosphere remains dust free and cool.

Several types of Ayurvedic therapies are practiced in Kerala. The most prominent ones include the Abhyangam, Dhanyamla Dhara, Dhara, Kativasthi, Ksheeradhoomam, Njavarakizhi, Sirovasthi, Snehapanam, Udvarthanam, Urovasthi, Vasthi and the Yoni Prakshalanam. The duration of these treatments ranges from seven to fourteen days or even more depending upon the package you are choosing. Each of these packages has some distinct medicinal value and helps in attaining the harmony of body, mind and soul.

Kerala Ayurvedic tour packages generally include accommodation for days depending upon the massage pack chosen, body massage and food. One can also avail the shared accommodation at a discounted rate. Kerala tour Operators have basically three options – a seven day package, a fourteen day package and a twenty one day package, from which the guests can choose depending upon his need. Among the prominent resorts which offer Ayurveda in Kerala include Sanjeevanam Resort, Somatheeram Resort, Thirummal Resort, Manal Theeram Beach Resort and the Keraleeyam Ayurvedic Resort.

source:http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/58894

UK - A Great Tourist Destination

United Kingdom can be a best destination option for the vacation to any age group of people. This beautiful country has a constitutional monarchy comprising of four constituent countries. These countries are England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, and collectively called United Kingdom.

London city is one of the major tourist attractions of the world and is a highest visited place in UK by tourist. In London (England) many famous tourist places like Alton Tower and Buckingham Palace are welcoming to the London visitors. Wales is another beautiful tourist destination in UK and traveling in Scotland is a wonderful experience to the tourist, because of its natural beauty and traditional approach. The large cities of UK like London, Edinburgh and Glasgow are famous for their cuisine, pubs, and traditional approach.

In all major cities of United Kingdom you can choose your accommodation according to your choice. These choice hotels are available in every city of the United Kingdom, with a variety of range. UK is fifth most powerful economy of the world and one of the major tourist destinations in world map therefore there is lots of good and cheap hotels are available according to your need and expenses. Inter city hotel, Maranton house hotel, Fraser Suites Glasgow- Scotland and many other good hotels are provide a best services to their customers.

There are various good cheap hotels in UK, which provides best facilities in lower prices. These cheap hotels are started their prices from 30 Euro to 40 Euro pre night. During the festival seasons like Christmas and New Year Four Star and Five Star hotels also offer various discounts in their services. So find a cheap hotel with best facilities is not a tough task in UK. UK is a place where you can find cheap hotels to Choice hotels easily.
Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?UK---A-Great-Tourist-Destination&id=875213