NEWSLETTER - April 2018
Travel Desk

 

Spectacularly jagged, arid mountains enfold this magical, Buddhist ex-kingdom. Picture-perfect gompas dramatically crown rocky outcrops amid whitewashed stupas and meditational mani walls topped with mantra-inscribed pebbles. Colourful fluttering prayer flags spread their spiritual messages metaphorically with the mountain breeze. Prayer wheels spun clockwise release more merit-making mantras. Gompa interiors are colourfully awash with murals and statuary of numerous bodhisattvas.

Ladakh’s remarkably well-balanced traditional society has much to teach the West in terms of ecological awareness.

This month we bring to you Ladakh, as the destination of the month.
 

GITA - India Unveiled!
Hotel News

Ginger Hotels opens 24-key hotel in Goa
Ginger Hotels has opened its second hotel in Goa with the launch of Ginger Goa, Dona Paula. The move is in line with Indian Hotels Company Limited’s (IHCL) focus on increasing its footprint across segments to meet the consumer demand at various price points. The hotel offers 24 rooms with a choice of a private terrace or a balcony.
Dona Paula enjoys a prime location and is situated between the Dona Paula beach and Vainguinim beach. The hotel is within a 40-minute drive from the airport and is near Panjim city centre as well as the Karmali railway station (Old Goa). It features a multi-cuisine restaurant, fitness centre, swimming pool, meeting facilities and complimentary Wi-Fi.

Marriott International scores century in India with opening of 100th hotel in Bengaluru
Marriott International has marked an important milestone in India with the opening of its 100th hotel in the country – the Sheraton Grand Bengaluru Whitefield Hotel & Convention Center in Bengaluru.
The Sheraton Grand Bengaluru Whitefield Hotel & Convention Center has 360 rooms with 39 suites. It also features the Sheraton brand’s signature amenities and facilities like Shine Spa for Sheraton, Sheraton Club Lounge, Sheraton Fitness and Sherato Signature Sleep Experience.

Leisure Hotels debuts in Himachal Pradesh with property in Kasauli
Leisure Hotels has entered Himachal Pradesh with the launch of 7 Pines – “An English Retreat” in Kasauli. With this launch, Leisure Hotels are now available at four sates in India including Uttar Pradesh and Goa. “7 Pines – “An English Retreat”, is located in the quaint hill town of Kasauli, home to one of the largest breweries in the world. A quintessential English Retreat, The ‘7 Pines’ is built with a British colonial décor and is a perfect weekend getaway. Kasauli has a colonial ambience

Hyatt Amritsar rebrands to Hyatt Regency Amritsar
In a bid to enhance customer experience, Hyatt Amritsar has rebranded itself as Hyatt Regency Hotel. The property, which was established in 2013, offers a full range of services and amenities – remarkable restaurants and bars; technology-enabled ways to collaborate with associates; and space to work, engage and relax. Featuring 248 adorned rooms (including 10 Regency Suites), Hotel Hyatt Regency is the idyllic holiday retreat to unwind at. The culinary professionals of Hyatt Regency Amritsar take visitors on a gastronomic expedition not just to the different nooks and crannies of the country but also to the different cities of the world with their numerous eclectic recipes. Hyatt Regency Amritsar is ideal for all sorts of events, both social and corporate. Keeping up with the brand’s identity, Hyatt Regency Amritsar has exclusive facilities for rejuvenation in the form of a spa, a fitness centre and a swimming pool. The beautifully appointed spa rooms offer the perfect ambience to unwind and destress. The facility equips a total of eight rooms that are divided into two Ayurvedic Therapy Rooms, four Western Therapy Rooms, one Couple Therapy Room and one Oriental Therapy Room.

Lemon Tree Hotels doubles inventory in Goa, inks contract for Red Fox hotel in Morjim
Carnation Hotels, the wholly owned subsidiary and management arm of Lemon Tree Hotels, has signed an operating agreement for the groups’ first Red Fox hotel in Morjim, Goa with Unicorn Real Estate. With this signing, Lemon Tree Hotels doubles its consolidated inventory in the city. Red Fox Hotel, Goa will have 111 rooms and cater to leisure travellers looking for a pocket-friendly experience in Goa. The hotel is strategically located just a stone’s throw from the Morjim beach known for the fabled Olive Ridley Turtles and the golden sands. The hotel will be refurbished and renovated as per the Lemon Tree brand standards in the next few months and is expected to open doors to guests by October 2018.

Novotel opens first international hotel in Kakkanad, Kochi
AccorHotels along with the MuthootPappachan Group, has opened its Novotel Kochi Infopark located in the IT Hub of Kakkanad Infopark, making it one of the first international mid-scale brands to debut in the industrial zone. The hotel is a 40-minute drive from the Kochi International Airport and 30-minute drive from the Ernakulam Railway Station. It features 128 rooms including eight suites and a room designed specifically for the specially-abled.

 

Tourism Update

Foreigners Can Travel To Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur Unrestricted

The Home Ministry has decided to relax the six-decade-old Protected Area Permit regime from Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur for five years with effect from April 1, a ministry official said.

Foreign tourists, except those from Pakistan, China and Afghanistan, would now be allowed to visit some of the most pristine locations of the country which, so far, were out of bounds for them without a special permit, officials said today.

The Home Ministry has decided to relax the six-decade-old Protected Area Permit regime from Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur for five years with effect from April 1, a ministry official said.

Under the Foreigners (Protected Areas) Order, 1958, all areas falling between the Inner line and the International Border of some states were declared as protected areas.

The protected areas currently include whole of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim, besides parts of Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir. Some parts of Sikkim fall under the protected area regime while others under the restricted area.

"A review is underway to lift the PAP from other areas too," another official said.

Citizens from Pakistan, China and Afghanistan, however, continue to be banned from all PAP areas, including Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur.

 

Now, foreigners travelling to India can get visa extended online

 Foreigners touring India will no longer need to visit the Foreigners Registration Office or the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRO/FRRO) for visa-related services, including registration and visa extension, which will now be offered online through the e-FRRO platform.

In the new system, foreigners will be able to get 27 visa and immigration-related services in India from the comfort of their place of stay. Using the e-FRRO application, foreigners can apply online and obtain the service(s) through email/post without appearing in person at the FRO/FRRO.

Some of the features of the e-FRRO include online FRRO service delivery mechanism without requirement of visiting the FRRO/FRO barring in exceptional cases. Using this application, foreigners are required to create their user ID by registering themselves. Afterwards, they can apply online through registered user ID for various visa and immigration related services in India like registration, visa extension, visa conversion, exit permit etc. The e-FRRO scheme has been running successfully in four FRROs (Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai) since February 12. Now, it has been rolled out in Kolkata, Amritsar, Hyderabad, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Lucknow and Ahmedabad.

 


Aviation News

Jet Airways to add 30 new weekly flights between North East and rest of the country
Jet Airways announced its plans to expand its presence in the North East and make Guwahati its regional gateway to/ from the region. The initiative forms a part of Jet Airways’ strategy to further strengthen its domestic footprint of 45 cities in the country, complementing its three hubs at Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru.
Strengthening connectivity between the country’s capital and the North Eastern region, Jet Airways introduces non-stop services including thrice-a-week flights to Aizawl and Jorhat and four times-a-week flights to Silchar from New Delhi. The airline also resumes its operations from Imphal, the capital of Manipur, commencing four times-a-week non-stop service to Imphal from Delhi.
Delhi and Aizawl are now be connected by a Jet Airways daily service. For three days a week, 9W 851 departs Delhi at 11:00 hrs and arrives into Aizawl 14:00 hrs. For four days, Jet Airways 9W 605 departs at 10:30 hrs, arriving into Aizawl at 14:55 hrs. On its return leg for three days, 9W 852 departs at 15:30 hrs to arrive into Delhi at 18:30 hrs.
Connecting Delhi with Jorhat, flight 9W 956 (non-stop) departs from Delhi at 11:00 hrs, and arrives into Jorhat at 14:00 hrs for three days of the week. During the other four days, 9W 917 departs Delhi at 09:20 hrs and arrives into Jorhat at 13:10 hrs. On its return leg for three days, 9W 957 departs at 15:20 hrs and lands in Delhi at 18:20 hrs. For the other four days, 9W 918 departs at 14:20 hrs and arrives into Delhi at 18:55 hrs.
Silchar is now also connected with Delhi by a daily Jet Airways service. For four days a week, 9W 991 (non-stop) departs from Delhi at 11:00 and arrives in Silchar at 13:50 hrs. For three days, Jet Airways 9W 669 depart at 09:20 hrs, arriving in Silchar at 13:10 hrs. On its return leg for four days, 9W 992 (non-stop) departs at 15:30 hrs and arrives in Delhi at 18:30 hrs while for the other three days, 9W 606 departs at 14:25 hrs and lands in Delhi at 18:55 hrs.

The daily service between Delhi and Imphal is four days a week, 9W 908 (non-stop) departs Delhi at 11:05 and arrives in Imphal at 14:05 hrs. For three days, Jet Airways 9W 827 departs at 10:30 hrs, arriving into Imphal at 15:00 hrs. On its return leg for four days, 9W 909 (non-stop) departs at 15:30 hrs and arrives in Delhi at 18:35 hrs.

SpiceJet to commence Delhi-Leh flight from May
SpiceJet is set to commence its New Delhi-Leh daily direct flight service from May 1, 2018. The flight service will be operated from Terminal 1D at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport. The airline said that it will deploy a Boeing 737-700 aircraft on the route.

AirAsia announces four new routes connecting Kolkata
AirAsia India has announced the induction of its 18th aircraft and the introduction of four new routes connecting Kolkata. The 18th aircraft will be stationed in Kolkata, which is also the third base for AirAsia India, connecting it to Imphal, Pune, Vizag and Guwahati, in addition to increasing the frequency of flights between Kolkata and Bagdogra.
 

 

Hot Destination

 

Ladakh

Hidden over high passes in an arid, largely treeless rain shadow, Ladakh is classic Trans Himalayan scenery: huge khaki-coloured valleys and harsh rock walls brought alive by the occasional splash of irrigated green. Traditional Tibetan Buddhist culture remains intact here, with spectacularly located monasteries that burst into life during medieval masked dance festivals that have changed little in 500 years. For travellers there's a bit of everything – epic treks, sparkling high-altitude mountain lakes and a well developed backpacker infrastructure based around the capital, Leh.

 

Ladakh is a land like no other. Bounded by two of the world's mightiest mountain ranges, the Great Himalaya and the Karakoram, it lies athwart two other, the Ladakh range and the Zanskar range.

In geological terms, this is a young land, formed only a few million years ago by the buckling and folding of the earth's crust as the Indian sub-continent pushed with irresistible force against the immovable mass of Asia. Its basic contours, uplifted by these unimaginable tectonic movements, have been modified over the millennia by the opposite process of erosion, sculpted into the form we see today by wind and water.

Yes, water! Today, a high -altitude desert, sheltered from the rain-bearing clouds of the Indian monsoon by the barrier of the Great Himalaya, Ladakh was once covered by an extensive lake system, the vestiges of which still exist on its south -east plateaux of Rupshu and Chushul - in drainage basins with evocative names like Tso-moriri, Tsokar, and grandest of all, Pangong-tso. Occasionally, some stray monsoon clouds do find their way over the Himalaya, and lately this seems to be happening with increasing frequency. But the main source of water remains the winter snowfall. Drass, Zanskar and the Suru Valley on the Himalaya's northern flank receive heavy snow in winter; this feeds the glaciers whose meltwater, carried down by streams, irrigates the fields in summer. For the rest of the region, the snow on the peaks is virtually the only source of water. As the crops grow, the villagers pray not for rain, but for sun to melt the glaciers and liberate their water. Usually their prayers are answered, for the skies are clear and the sun shines for over 300 days in the year.

Ladakh lies at altitudes ranging from about 9,000 feet (2750m) at Kargil to 25,170 feet (7,672m) at Saser Kangri in the Karakoram. Thus summer temperatures rarely exceed about 27 degree celcius in the shade, while in winter they may plummet to minus 20 degree celcius even in Leh. Surprisingly, though, the thin air makes the heat of the sun even more intense than at lower altitudes; it is said that only in Ladakh can a man sitting in the sun with his feet in the shade suffer from sunstroke and frostbite at the same time!  

The main tourist sites relate to Tibetan Buddhism, and to the stunning landscape.

 

Ladakh is not only home to some of the most beautiful and serene monasteries you'll ever see, but it also a land of rich natural beauty - and it's this natural beauty that hits you so hard, because it's a barren beauty. Many travelers find themselves at a loss to understand how something so barren can yet be so beautiful. Be respectful, these are holy places and active monks in most of them. 

Must-see sites include "Moon-land-view" (the area around Lamayuru) on the Leh-Kargil highway.

Many places in Ladakh need an inner line permit which is available for free in DC's office in Ladakh.

There are some regular tourist circuits which entail driving 200-400 km round-trip out of Ladakh.

1.) Leh-Karu-Chang La-Tangtse-Pangong Tso & Back: This is a popular trip to Pyongyang Tso Lake and can be done by taxi/bike. Most people do it as a day trip starting early in the morning and come back in the evening. However, there are arrangements for the stay near the lake in Lukung & Spangmik and one can stay overnight to enjoy this place at a slower pace. Camping is also possible.

2.) Leh-Khardung La-Nubra Valley(Valley of Flowers): This is another popular trip but difficult to do in one day. Nubra Valley may not be as beautiful as is touted to be, and is the second favorite for tourists as a trip out of Leh. Some people return from Khardung La (18,380 ft), which is claimed to be the highest motorable pass in the world. It provides excellent views of Ladakh Range as well as Karakoram Range on the other side. 

3.) Leh-Upshi-Tso Kar-Tso Moriri: This is another trip which covers two smaller lakes Tso Kar and Tso Moriri.

4.) Leh-Lamayuru-Leh: This is an easier drive along Indus river towards Kargil and one can also see the confluence of the Indus and Zanskar on the way. Lamayuru is a beautiful place and is home to the oldest monastery and one of the most important in Ladakh. One can stay in the monastery or in the surrounding village.

5.) Various monasteries-around Leh: There are 4-5 big monasteries around Leh and can be covered in one day. Most important of them are Thiksey, Hemis, Spituk, Stok and Shey.

One needs to acclimatize to the attitude in Leh (3500m) before heading out as AMS (acute mountain sickness or altitude sickness) can ruin the entire trip.

The Hemis Monastery: This is the largest monastery of Ladakh. Tourists can find at least 150 lamas living in the monastery, at any point of time throughout the year. Hemis is famous for a huge painting of Buddha, which is brought to the public or displayed to the public only once in 11 years of the time period.

Padum Valley: Padum is located at an altitude of 3505 m from the sea level. It is the capital of the ancient Zanskar and presently administrative headquarter of the Zanskar region. Podium has a population of around 1500-1600. Padum is a very scarcely inhabited valley in the Zanskar. Padum is one of the famous trekking destinations for trekking lovers, Zanskar.

Zanskar Valley: Zanskar is one of the remotest regions of the Ladakh. Zanskar 1 is spread in around 300 km of area, which is only accessible through high passes. This valley is higher than any other valley in Ladakh region and located in the inner Himalaya. Here the rainfall is very less and the climates are very harsh.

Parang La Trek: Parang La Trek is one of the most challenging and adventures trekking trail. This trek is located on an isolated route far into the mountains with many rivers to be crossed.

Kang Yatse This trek is located in the south east part of the leg, in the Markha valley. This valley is a dream for every trekker and everyone wish to trek the Markha Valley for at least once.