http://wanderlust.in/traveller/ Travel Advisor is your destination for reading about best hotels, resorts, luxury palaces and more. en-us Nucleus CMS v3.51 Weblog http://backend.userland.com/rss http://wanderlust.in/traveller//nucleus/nucleus2.gif http://wanderlust.in/traveller/ http://wanderlust.in/traveller/index.php?itemid=39 Travel Guides http://wanderlust.in/traveller/index.php?itemid=39 Fri, 7 Oct 2011 15:28:46 +0830 http://wanderlust.in/traveller/index.php?itemid=38 Without doubt Goa is one of the coolest tourist destinations in the world. Tourist and travel enthusiasts flock to the place from all over the world throughout the year.

Although most of the tourists visit Goa for its exotic beaches and a cosmopolitan fun and frolic experience, there are plenty of other things you can do and places you can visit while you are in Goa.

A comprehensive list of Goa travel is presented below.

Visit historical monuments: Goa has numerous ancient churches and cathedrals built by the Portuguese. Some of the famous churches and cathedrals you can visit in Goa are Se' Cathedral, Church and Convent of St. Francis of Assisi, Chapel of St. Catherine, Basilica of Bom Jesus; Church of Lady of Rosary; and Church of St. Augustine.

Visit temples in Goa: Being true to its multicultural aspect for also has many Hindu temples for instance Shree Kamakshi Temple at Shiroda, Shree Saptakoteshwar Temple at Narve, Shree Shantadurga Temple at Dhargal, Shree Damodar Temple at Zambaulim, Shree Navdurga Temple at Borim and many more.

Attend a Goan carnival: Although it is always festive in Goa and the place is always buzzing with lots of colourful activity and cultural events, it especially becomes more vibrant in the month of February. You can experience the Portuguese carnival extravaganza just before the austere 40 days of Lent.

Enjoy Goan food and drink: A place that is perpetually happy and festive got to have some really exotic eating and drinking culture, and this is perfectly true for Goa. Being a coastal community you will obviously get plenty of seafood to savour. Aside from that you also have a grand assortment of vegetarian delicacies exclusively belonging to Goa. And if you love and enjoy your liquor then you wouldn’t like to miss the Goan Fenny, an enchanting alcoholic beverage prepared from coconut water.

Visit old Goa: Old Goa is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that used to be the capital of the Portuguese India from the 16th century onwards. In the 18th century there was a widespread outbreak of plague and the place was completely abandoned. It still remains abandoned and a visit to this place can be really thrilling.

Enjoy the nightlife in Goa: This again, is intrinsic to the Goan culture. The place brims with pubs, bars, restaurants, eating out joints and casinos. In fact this is one of the few places in India that have legal casinos. Drink and make merry to your heart’s content and dance into the wee hours of the night.

Engage in water sports: Water sports in Goa are aplenty. There are many beach resorts in Goa where you can enjoy wind surfing, sailing, para-sailing, water skiing, banana rides, canoeing and scuba diving.

Have a glimpse of the wildlife in Goa: You may think that Goa is a small place,but it has its fair share of wildlife and wildlife sanctuaries. From botanical gardens to zoos to big and small aquariums to a deer park and full-fledged conservation projects such as the Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary, if you are an admirer of the natural beauty, Goa definitely has plenty of flora and fauna to offer you.

Have fun on the beach: Eventually, Goa is known for its beaches and it is practically impossible to not to have some quality time on some of the beaches in Goa when you visit the place. Goa has many famous beaches such as Anjuna Beach, Benaulim Beach, Candolim Beach, and Colva Beach.

I got a some great Goa Deals online

This pretty much covers every interesting thing you can do, see or experience during your vacation in Goa. Got some interesting anecdotes and experiences to share about your Goa trip? Please share them in our comments section.
]]> Travel Guides http://wanderlust.in/traveller/index.php?itemid=38 Tue, 4 Oct 2011 12:06:35 +0830 http://wanderlust.in/traveller/index.php?itemid=35
So you almost cancelled your eat out date with your friends merely because the group of 5 couldn’t arrive at a consensus regarding what to eat and what restaurant or hotel to choose? Seriously, this is an existential dilemma faced by many discerning minds whenever a few individuals decide to go out together to indulge in a gastronomical bonhomie. Within a few minutes this bonhomie turns into an animosity (not a serious one, though).

But why is it such a sensitive issue? Unlike the olden days, going together with a bunch of friends is not as easy as it used to be even 15 years ago. It’s not only traffic congestion and a seemingly unlimited plethora of choices, even among friends, it is extremely difficult to get everybody together and ready on the same day and at the same time. So like a United Nations meeting, even an eating out affair needs to be well coordinated and thought of.

Here are a few way that can help all of you arrive at a common ground and eventually enjoy your dinner, lunch, or whatever in-between meal you intend to have.

● Use a draw: All of you must have your favourite hangouts and restaurants. Write down the name of your favourite restaurant on a chit, fold it properly and put it inside a jar. Ask your friends to do the same. Then call a kid who has no clue what you guys are up to and ask him or her to draw out a chit. The restaurant that gets picked wins.
● Conduct an online poll: Using the various free tools available on the Internet you can organise a free poll on your blog, website or Facebook and invite your friends and followers to vote for a particular restaurant among various choices. Whichever restaurant gets the maximum number of votes, you all have to go there. You will need some time to do this, perhaps 3-4 days.
● Call up your other friends: Although this is a tricky business because they are definitely going to ask why they aren’t being included in the group that gets to go, you can take your chance, call people and ask them to suggest restaurants.
● Call up a telephone directory: Calling up a telephone directory is a good way of finding out what are the hot and happening restaurants around your area. Although there are many services available you can begin your search with the JustDial service. Tell them your preference and they will immediately offer you multiple options. You can also visit their website and use their search engine. Now that you have decided to go online, you can also check out the Tata Yellow Pages website.
● Chuck the idea of going out and go for home delivery: This is not as much fun as going out but at least you will be having your favourite dishes in familiar surroundings. You can rent a movie or hook your TV onto some YouTube channel and watch the latest flick while having your Chinese, Italian, Mughlai or whatever preference you have.
● Use mobile social networking: Applications like Foursquare are a good source of right places to visit. For instance, if Foursquare shows lots of your friends and colleagues visiting a particular place, and that too multiple times, you can be sure of their quality (of course assuming your friends have good taste).
● Browse some daily deals websites: Aside from the fact that these websites bring you killer deals that can eventually save you thousands of rupees, they also highlight places you have never visited or never known, sometimes. If you can find a place you all agree with, you can quickly buy discount coupons and then go to that place.

Eating out with your close friends and acquaintances is not just about food. Food is just a catalyst that brings everybody together and creates a common ground. Hence, it’s all the more important that you can all agree upon the place and the food. Bon appetite.

I usually get great restaurant deals online.


You can find some great ]]> Travel Guides http://wanderlust.in/traveller/index.php?itemid=35 Tue, 4 Oct 2011 12:02:19 +0830 http://wanderlust.in/traveller/index.php?itemid=33 Fish spas are catching up fast in various countries especially in Asia in general and Japan, China, Korea and other oriental countries in particular. The treatment is also available in India these days.

It is a natural treatment in which you dip your entire body into a pool of water containing “doctor fish” that immediately begins to nibble at your epidermis. Initially the treatment was recommended to treat psoriasis and other eczema-type diseases but these days it is also used, in fact mostly used, for skin exfoliation and pedicure.

Scores of fish nibbling at your outer skin is not as strange as it sounds. This treatment has been in practice for centuries in various forms and it is only now that fish spa services are being offered by salons and beauty parlours. It is totally harmless activity because the fish eat your dead skin (or affected skin in case of skin infection) while leaving your healthy skin alone. So by the time you are through with the therapy/treatment your skin begins to look shiny and smooth.

Benefits of spending time in a fish spa

The biggest benefit of having your beauty treatment in a fish spa is of course it’s totally natural way of removing your skin’s dead cells and making it look brighter and healthier. It no longer needs harsh chemicals and creams to remove the layer of dead skin in order to reveal the fresh skin underneath. In a fish spa, the fish eat away all the dead and unwanted skin leaving behind a fresh layer of skin.

Your body is constantly regenerating your skin cells. The uppermost layer, since it is constantly exposed to dust, sun and pollution, begins to look jaded and discoloured. To make matters worse the dead skin cells adhere to your body giving it an extra layer of old and dead skin. The fish, also called the “reddish log sucker” eats away the unwanted portion of your skin without harming the fresh skin underneath.

The procedure is totally hygienic. The water where the fish are kept and where people immerse their feet, hands, and even their entire bodies, is constantly filtered and circulated. In most of the reputed fish spa centres and salons even the fish are changed after a few months (although they typical lifespan is 6-7 years).

You can find some great Fish Spa Deals on the internet.
]]> Travel Guides http://wanderlust.in/traveller/index.php?itemid=33 Tue, 4 Oct 2011 11:54:52 +0830 http://wanderlust.in/traveller/index.php?itemid=31
Experience intimate personalized service and customized activities to create unforgettable moments in your life.

The Devi Garh Presidential Suite is based on the theme of “Shiv” and “Shakti” – the male and female energies, the motifs explore form and the image of the bull Nandi. The use of semi-precious stone inlay in marble lends a local flavour to clean modern interiors.

Situated on a floor higher than the reception the suite allows a view of the surrounding Aravali hills. Relax in the private black marble pool, sun deck and rooftop jacuzzi scented with rose petals.

Call for the local astrologer to hear what the stars foretell. Take a camel safari, enjoy our chef’s specialities at a different special venue each evening: surrounded by colourful mirrorwork, frescoes, a courtyard with a water maze or a rooftop alcove, while soft flute music floats across the mountains.

Luxury at Devi Garh is a feeling that comes from its ambience, design and service . The experience at Devi Garh, takes you away from the everyday world to a magical place where you can unwind, relax and be pampered like royalty.

More details about the Devi Garh Presidential Suite
]]> Travel Guides http://wanderlust.in/traveller/index.php?itemid=31 Mon, 8 Aug 2011 13:24:52 +0830 http://wanderlust.in/traveller/index.php?itemid=30
Futuristic cubes at Rasa, explore a vision of modern Indian nomadic tents. Aiming to offer an experience that is distinctive and of local origin, Rasa offers an ever-changing mosaic of colour, form and patterns that invite intimate dialogue between man, nature and design.
The tents, that look like canvas cubes, are interspaced with sculpted landscape against a background of rocky hills. The tents are staggered to receive an unrestricted view of the surrounding hills and are separated from each other bya Mondrian like grid of outdoor texures. The land is thus seen as a living sculpture; subject to seasonal change and expression.

This combination of contrasts evokes a range of emotions and tastes that the word “rasa” stands for. A traditional arch gets a contemporary twist creating a roof for the restaurant, large bay-windows combine with light filtering jali-work, Indian food meets western herbs and a whole new pallete of experience is created.

Discover the Rasa


View RASA on Facebook]]> Travel Guides http://wanderlust.in/traveller/index.php?itemid=30 Mon, 1 Aug 2011 17:57:18 +0830 http://wanderlust.in/traveller/index.php?itemid=29 Devi Garh - Spa -

Devi Garh, nestled in the Aravali Hills of Rajasthan, India has clearly established itself in the minds of discerning travelers as a destination of distinction. The combination of a magnificent 18th century palace restored with a modern sensibility, the atmosphere of tranquility and impossibly romantic venues make it unforgettable. Devi Garh adds to it repertoire of select experiences in a joint Spa venture with renowned French beauty brand - L'Occitane. The Devi Spa by L’Occitane at Devi Garh is one of India’s most luxurious wellness retreats providing a holistic wellbeing experience that is based on a harmonious incorporation of the physical space, the customer journey and fusion bespoke treatments.

Guests are encouraged to pluck fresh flowers and herbs they would like mixed with natural L’Occitane products to create recipes prepared a-la minute for their treatments while the protocols incorporate the best of the west and east, with Swedish, Hawaiian Lomi Lomi, Balinese, Shiatsu & Ayurveda combined with exclusive L’Occitane sequences.

Light orange hues sets the tone for the color of the Spa. Immortelle and Lavender bunches are scattered tastefully across. Soft lights and candles lead you through glass doors to 5 indoor treatment rooms overlooking a colorful herb garden. Each treatment room offers a private steam and shower. Complementing the indoor treatment rooms are the outdoor Spa Cabanas which offer a choice of view of the majestic 18th century palace, the enchanting Indian village next door or India’s oldest mountain range. Built to harmoniously incorporate sunrises and sunsets into the Spa experience, the Spa truly provides a unique visual spectacle.

Start your day with a private meditation session on the Palace Terrace followed by a refreshing Yoga module. Renew the body with our Wellness Cuisine and then head back over to the Palace to one of the outdoor Spa Cabanas for a Basil infused Sweet Lime Relaxing Massage to soak in incredible views, fresh aromas and a bespoke fusion treatment. Continue the journey indoors with our deep exfoliating Rajasthan Desert Sand Scrub followed by a highly nourishing Devi Signature Wrap infused with fresh fruits, spices and Shea. With the body refreshed, it is time to bring back that glow on the face with the L’Occitane global favourite, the anti-ageing Immortelle Secret to Brightness Facial.

Discover holistic natural wellbeing combined with Devi Garh’s unparalleled settings and standards for a one-of-its-kind holiday.

Discover more about the Devi Spa by L’Occitane at Devi Garh

View Dev Garh on Facebook]]> Travel Guides http://wanderlust.in/traveller/index.php?itemid=29 Mon, 1 Aug 2011 17:50:26 +0830 http://wanderlust.in/traveller/index.php?itemid=27 Kanatal Resorts, a name for restoration, is a concept based spa resort located in the Himalayan vicinity. An insignia for absolute living, Kanatal resort, with its exquisite range of spa therapies, christened as Rasayana, extends the essential ingredients for exploring the true self. In an encapsulation, Kanatal resort is the most precise term for natural curing by way of sophisticated spa treatments.



Here is the new photo gallery of kanatal resorts that is now available on Picasa.


Kanatal Hotels]]> Travel Guides http://wanderlust.in/traveller/index.php?itemid=27 Wed, 27 Jul 2011 13:58:05 +0830 http://wanderlust.in/traveller/index.php?itemid=24 Devi Garh has been active in its efforts to contribute to the quality of life of the community around it and to be responsible in its own day to day activities.

Environment

Community service

Philanthropy:

Conservation :
Environment
Reduce/Reuse/Recycle : Use of paper bags and support of women’s employment by using paper bags made by them from recycled paper. Use of CFLs, common transport, organic farming for hotel needs, water conservation by use of full loads and advice to guests to reuse towels. Recycling of kitchen waste and reduction of office paper usage etc..

Community service
Addressing the issues of poverty and education among the peri-urban surrounding areas, via supposrt to local NGO group and by directly training the youth in vocational courses (Accounts, Housekeeping, Production, Horticulture and Security) during the off season.


Philanthropy:
Check-dams were funded to store water for the village and in times of drought, water was provided to the villagers. We have repaired and repainted the local clinic and facilitated a cleanliness drive in the village by putting in place a garbage collection and disposal system.

Conservation :
A pride in their heritage was instilled by example in the renovation of Devi Garh. Delwara is town with a glorious past. Each street has a temple (both of Jain and Hindu religions, that are several centuries older than the fort) of exquisite carvings all of which was falling to ruin. Devi Garh works closely with a local NGO group called Sadhana, that created awareness among the villagers about the value of their heritage and slowly brought about a change in their attitude.

View the grandeur of Devi Resorts.
]]> Hotels and Resorts http://wanderlust.in/traveller/index.php?itemid=24 Wed, 27 Jul 2011 13:12:56 +0830 http://wanderlust.in/traveller/index.php?itemid=22 Devi Resorts has been in operation for ten years, starting in the year 2000, with Devi Garh fort palace in Udaipur. Since then, Devi Garh has consistently earned awards and accolades from the best in the industry for its design and service.

Devi Resorts has now launched Devi Ratn in Jaipur. Devi Ratn presents an interpretation of the culture and traditions of Rajasthan in a contemporary manner, while emphasising the quality of service.

Conceived as a place where past and future meet, Devi Garh was designed in keeping with the philosophy of Devi Resorts, where tradition and modernity go hand in hand. Nestled in the Aravali hills 28 kilometers away from the bustle of Udaipur, Devi Garh is an all suite luxury resort that assumes the look of new India with an emphasis on design and detail. The interiors of the 18th century fort palace of Delwara were transformed in a minimalist contemporary manner while conserving the ancient exterior, creating the unique mix that is Devi Garh.

With a vocabulary of design that looks inwards at Rajasthan for inspiration, Devi Ratn is located in Jaipur . Devi Ratn takes its name from the “Nav Ratn”; nine pure gemstones that are said to focus the cosmic energy of an associated celestial body, ruled by a deity. The lustrous gem-craft of Jaipur, is reflected in the materials used.

The intricate quality of detail and the sculptural architecture are the outstanding features of Devi Ratn. It is a new landmark for Devi Resorts with this all suite luxury hotel. Devi Ratn is located 10 kms from the heart of the city, thereby being conveniently close yet away from the noise of the city.
]]> Hotels and Resorts http://wanderlust.in/traveller/index.php?itemid=22 Thu, 14 Jul 2011 12:27:21 +0830