Kovalam Lighthouse Gets Elevator Facility

Introduction

True beauty of imposing scenery with the blue sea in the background was beyond the limit of people with little energy and old people. Those guys who were not bold and strong enough used to miss this mesmerizing view due to the steep stairs at the Lighthouse near the Kovalam beach in Trivandrum. The famous lighthouse has swirling stairs that take you to its top. These stairs take bends at sharp angles to increase the steepness in accordance with the lighthouse structure.

6 Unconventional Accommodations for the Travel-geeks

Introduction

Many people harbor the intention to travel. However, some of them eventually venture out taking leave from the workplace and enjoy with family.  Others don’t get time to travel with the family as they have paucity of time and workload at the workplace. There are some others who are hardcore travelers who pick up the backpacks and venture out to know about the nature. This article is for those hardcore travelers who have become bored with the conventional stay-ins that they might have come across during their travels. They can look for the unconventional ones to satiate their wish to stay differently and comfortably.  Next time when they venture out, they can use this list as reference to pick up the one they like to stay, provided that type of accommodation is available at the destination.

1. Shaam-e-Sharhad Village Resort: This resort is at Hodka village in the Bhuj district of Gujarat. Located in the middle of nowhere, this resort is open from October to March every year. It has a range of hutments that take the travelers back to the rustic life. They can find eco-friendly tents to traditional bhungas or circular mud houses. Built under Endogenous Tourism Project or Rural Tourism Scheme, the cost of stay in these stay-ins for a night is from Rs. 3300 onward.

2. Sharnga Guest House: This accommodation is available at Auroville in a place called Bommapalayam in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. While staying in this guest house, the visitors can experience in a residential settings and tranquillity of natural surroundings. In the early morning, they can wake up to the chirping of birds and attend an early morning yoga session in the neighborhood. The cost per head for staying in this guest house is from Rs.1500 onward.

3. Tantra Beach and Shacks: It is situated at a place called Saint Michael Vado, near Anjuna Flea Market Path in Anjuna, Goa. This provides a tree-house type accommodation along with the hut options. The interior of this accommodation has tantric decor, arts, statues and colorful fabrics.  The visitors seeking stay in these shacks and huts can blend with the nature and fall into a gentle sleep listening to the sounds of Arabian Sea playing lullaby. The visitors need to fish out Rs. 1800 or more for their stay there.

4.  Houseboat:Though costlier when compared to other destinations discussed so far, Kerala’s houseboat provides an experience of lifetime. What is so special about this? The travelers can spend a night in total privacy in a gently floating houseboat in backwaters. Being waterborne, the setting gives cool and blissful experience if they sit just outside the launch in the houseboat. This is ideal for the honeymooners who want experience for their lifetime. They can hire a houseboat from either Alleppey or Kollam. The route the houseboat takes from Kollam to Alleppey is calm. The cost of the stay generally is on higher side and it is Rs. 6500 or more for a single person.

5. Guhantara Cave Resort:  It is India’s first underground cave resort. Situated just outside the Bangalore city, Guhantara resort provides an exhilarating experience of being inside a cave. The resort has all the infrastructure of a modern resort inside a cave-like setting. It has lounge bar, swimming pool, restaurant, kids’ play area, spa, and herbal garden. The water for the swimming pool comes from a waterfall. The water body within the cave plays host to different adventure sports activities. The cost of stay for a single person at night is from Rs. 8500 onward.

Bhutan – the Land of Tranquillity and Natural Beauty

Introduction

Have you heard of the land of tranquillity? Yes, you have guessed it right. It is Bhutan. It is a landlocked country which is nestled in the eastern Himalayas. When tourists visit this country, true to its legend, they lose track of time. This is primarily due to the presence of serene nature, and colourful culture and tradition. The landlocked country is famously dotted with colourful dzongs and serene monasteries. In Bhutanese language, dzongs are nothing but small fortresses. Being a secluded country buried deep in the Himalayas, the culture and traditions grew different from the rest of the civilization in the Eastern region. In this blog, we will list out some of the best visited region in this country.

1. Thimphu: This is the capital of Bhutan. This capital city is known for the presence of National Memorial Chorten where the people from the various parts of the country assemble to offer their prayers. The city is also home to the country’s revered monarchy. In fact, it is the only capital city in the world where there are no traffic lights to control vehicular movement. This primarily due to the absence of traffic jams on roads.

2. Tashichho Dzong:  This beautiful little fort is situated to the north of the capital city Thimphu on the western banks of the river Wang Chu. It blends seamlessly well with the beautiful surrounding valley. Noted for the regal splendour, the dzong was once home to the National Assembly. It currently houses the secretariat, throne room, the offices of the monarch and ministries of home affairs and finance.

3. National Memorial Chorten: Located in the south-central part of the capital city, this impressive chorten is crowned by its golden spire. This memorial was built in 1974 to honour the third king Jigme Dorji Wangchuck. His Majesty is also known as the Father of Modern Bhutan.

4. Dochula Pass: It is situated at an elevation of 3100 meters from sea level. Travelers moving towards central Bhutan can have the spectacular views of the Himalayan mountain ranges at this pass, which is about 30 kilometres from the capital city. The fluttering colourful Buddhist prayer flags dotting the pass add more beauty to the scenery. The visitors can also see tall snow-capped trees standing in the surrounding valley.

5. Paro Valley: It is surrounded by Himalayan ranges. The valley derives its name from a small and beautiful town that it surrounds. Paro town has many sites known in the international tourist circuit. They include Taktstang Monastery and the National Museum. The latter one is visited by thousands of visitors each year. Located at the northern end of the valley is the 7300-meter-high Mount Jomolhari. This mountain range looms over the town and is home to a glacier that feeds the Pachu River flowing through the valley.

6. National Museum: This Paro-based museum is housed in a 17^th century watchtower. The museum is home to numerous bronze statues, handicrafts and paintings that depict the history and cultural heritage of the country. These exhibits showcase 3000 works of Bhutanese art.

7. Taktsang Monastery: It is built on a 3000-metre-high precipice. Hence, the visitors to this monastery have to take a treacherous winding path in the Paro Valley. However, it is a worth-taking exercise. On reaching the monastery, one can hear tranquil sounds of the prayers and chanting of Buddhist monks. It was originally built in the year 1692. There was a massive fire at the monastery in 1998 that charred the structure. Hence, it was rebuilt later to house the Buddhist monks and preserve their thousands-year-old customs.

8. Punakha Dzong: It is a 590-foot-long and 236-foot-wide dzong located in the Punakha Valley at the confluence of Pho Chu and the Mo Chu Rivers. Known also as Pungathen Dechen, the dzong is mainly divided into three courtyards. Cut away from the city nearby, the fort is bordered by tall Jacarandas trees. It famously hosts an annual Demoche festival in the month of February or March. This famous structure has withstood severe earthquakes and wild fire over the years.
   

Nature and History Beckon Tourists to Sri Lanka

Introduction

Formerly known as Ceylon, Sri Lanka is a tear-shaped island-country situated south of the Indian peninsula. The island is well-known in the international tourist circuit for its lovely beaches, lush vegetation, monuments and cash-crop plantations. Moreover, the people of the country are known for their hospitality and love for the foreigners visiting their country. The place is also rich in historical monuments that talk about its glorious past.

Island Economy

Sri Lanka is dotted with lush scenery and dotted with plantations of coffee and tea. These plantations provide currency to propel the island-country’s economy. The other bread winners for the country are the tourism industry. and heritage sites. It is blessed with lovely beaches and beautiful monuments. Being a Buddhist country, Sri Lanka has a lot of monasteries and monuments that are preserved by the monks. These specialties keep the island-nation active in the international tourism circuit. The country also gets money from fishing activities in the coastal region. Hence, the visitors to the island get a lot of opportunities to taste the mouth-watering seafood-based cuisines there.

Important Tourist Destinations

A trip to the island-nation starts with a visit to its capital Colombo. It is also called as the gateway to the island-nation. The capital is buzzing with modern metropolitan culture and hi-fi life. Hence, one can find the judicious mix of Colonial architecture and the modern designs in posh hotels, museums and cafes in the city.

Southern and Western Sides

As we leave the country capital, its rustic nature reveals itself to the tourists. Sri Lanka’s most popular beaches can be located on its western side. Hence, one can find numerous hotels, beach resorts and other tourism avenues on the western coast. Some other well-known destinations in this island-country are Kalpitiya peninsula, Wilpattu National Park, Tangalla and Matara. On the southern coast is the quaint and attractive Galle. There are also other places of tourist interest beyond Matara, such as Tissamaharama, which is close to Yale and Bundala National Parks. 

Northern and Eastern Sides

There are plenty of tea and coffee plantations towards the northeast of Colombo, the gateway to Sri Lanka. The second largest city of the country Kandy is situated north of the Sri Lankan Capital. This city is home to the Temple of Tooth and most popular festival Esala Perahera. From this beautiful city, one can easily reach British-era town Nuwara Eliya that is home to Horton Plains National Park. The places of historical importance in the northern side of the island nation include Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa. The cave temples of Dambulla are closer to the latter place.

Uruguayan Circular Bridge Provides Panoramic View to Drivers and Pedestrians

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Introduction

Recently a circular bridge was built on the southern coast of #Uruguay, replacing the traditional raft that used to connect its two cities Rocha and Maldonado. The construction and location of the bridge marks a marked departure from the traditional bridges that are constructed over the water bodies. This bridge was constructed in a record period of 12 months or a year when such constructions take many months or a few years in our country.

Circular Bridge

Designed by the noted architect of Uruguay Rafael Vinoly, the bridge provides road connectivity to two cities Rocha and Maldonado on the country’s southern coast. The connectivity earlier used to be through a traditional raft crossing over the water body skirting the coast. The journey through this newly constructed circular bridge is rather breath-taking for the drivers as well as the pedestrians. The name of the water body over which this architectural marvel has come up is Laguna Garzon.

Novel Concept

The concept of the architect was to transform the journey of people over the water body into an event marked with panoramic view of the sea and the surrounding landscape. Due to this visual cue, the vehicular movement on this bridge becomes slower, thereby lowering the incidence of accident. This novel concept in design has enabled the people passing by to have enough time to enjoy the beautiful surroundings. Now, people are even seen stopping their vehicles on the side lanes to get the full view of the sea and the surrounding landscape. The architect has not even forgotten the pedestrians as they have amble place at the centre to stop and watch the nature in action.