Travel Lakshadweep
Hundred Thousand Islands
Island Tourism Festival 2012 – Andaman and Nicobar
Jan 8th
The Island Tourism Festival 2012 hosted by the Andaman & Nicobar Islands was kick-started on January 5th, inaugurated by Andaman and Nicobar Governor Lt Gen. (Retd) Bhopinder Singh. There is participation from Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Delhi, Karnataka and Meghalaya are also participating in the festival.
The main venue for the cultural and other programmes is the capital – Port Blair. Others are Diglipur, Long Island in North and Middle Andaman, Neil Island, Havelock Island, Wimberleygunj, Bathubasti in South Andaman, Wandoor, Amphitheatre at Anarkali Basti and Netaji Stadium in Port Blair Municipal Area and Car Nicobar in Nicobar District. There will be a showcasing of the islands’ lifestyle, languages, tribes, cuisine and other island traits.
All tourism agencies will be up and offering all their services – those who love adventure tourism will have a whale of a time. Water sports, Scuba diving, parasailing, surfing and others will be popular. There will be magic shows and puppet shows for children. Other attractions are the Canoe Race, Nicobari Hodi race or Dog shows. Restaurants, hotels and resorts will be serving the best dishes on the islands.
25 New Themed Cruises in 2012 – Crystal Cruises
Sep 3rd
Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony, from the Crystal Cruises brood, is out on a theme. Or, rather, themes. The next year will see the cruise line offering 25 cruises with 12 innovative themes. Some of the themes range between music concerts and fine dining. There will be multiple sailing dates for both the cruises.
In the Ocean Views category, leaders and foreign correspondents can meet for debates and discussions. The Big Band and Ballroom Dance theme is self-explanatory. So is the Wine and Food Festival one – guests can meet mixologists, culinary professionals and chefs. Golf and Creative Learning are two other themes for the twice-a-year categories.
Once a year there will be a sailing each on themes such as Film and Theatre, President’s Cruise, Jazz and NFL Legends. Cruise travellers can enjoy complimentary wines and an open bar service.
India’s Own Cruise Liner – Amet Majesty
Jun 23rd
The country’s first indigenous cruise liner is here! Flagging off from the east coast port of Chennai, it can accommodate about a thousand passengers. The liner is called Amet Majesty. It will be travelling to and offering packages to Thailand, Maldives, Sri Lanka and a few Indian ports, including Port Blair in the Andamans. There will be separate plans for trips to ports on the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea.
The cruise liner has good amenities that you find in luxury cruises. Take a stroll down to the dance bars or swim in the pools. You can relax in the luxury restaurants and spas. You can pamper yourself on the Amet Majesty. The liner gives scope for over 200 professionals to train aboard it.
Aboard The World’s Largest Floating Library!
May 27th
Visiting mv Logos Hope was a grand experience for Terence and me. We left with great expectations in our heart: Hope was advertised as the largest floating library in the world. And, it definitely is! Six hundred and ten square metres of book space. I had gone onboard Hope’s sister vessel, Doulos, when it called on Cochin in 2004. But this is a bigger, wider ship.
We picked up our tickets and waited in line to step onto the gangplank. A security person and a crewmember greeted us and welcomed us aboard the huge ship. At the entrance itself there was a ship-like seating area and a wall-mounted screen where we were shown a three-minute video about the vessel. We walked down the large wood-panelled floors into the book fair area, and were struck by the neatly-stacked rows of books.
Mv Logos Hope is under the GBA ships banner, with their headquarters in Germany. They also have a base in the US. We spoke to Sarang Shin at the information desk. He has been onboard Hope for the last eight months. When I asked him how the work was, he was quite excited to add, “We are all volunteers on Hope, including the captain. We work with a two-year contract.” Sarang is from North Korea and has previous work experience on ships. Read the rest of this entry »
Football Stadium In The Andamans
Mar 25th
Something that the Andamans have been missing till now – a football stadium – is gonna be soon a dream come true. The proposed stadium will have a seating capacity of 4,000 and is hoped to be completed by the middle of this year. The Andamans are known for adventure sports and seaside activities such as Scuba diving, rafting, boating and angling. This new venture will add another feature to Andamans tourism.
The football stadium will be located near Jawaharlal Nehru college complex and the building project is being funded by games international body (FIFA) through its Indian counterparts, All India Football Federation.
Oldest Student In India – 100 years old!
Oct 29th
Going to university sounds quite nice. Especially if you’re a hundred years old! Freedom fighter Bholaram Das, on his 100th birthday, told his family that he wants to do a PhD at the Guwahati University. As his subject he’s going to study how his native Bohori village helped in the spread of neo-Vaishnavism, especially in Assam. He currently has 10 grandchildren and a great-grandchild. And who else to guide him in his PhD than one of his granddaughters, a university professor!
He said that he feels he must work towards a PhD to satisfy his hunger for learning. He has an interesting history: Bholaram Das was jailed in 1930 for protesting against the British rule, at the age of 19; before joining the Congress Party in 1945 he studied law and commerce; and he has worked in the fields of law and education. He’s been a lawyer, a magistrate and a district court judge. He retired in 1971.
In the mean time, the authorities at the university feel that the presence of a 100-year-old student will encourage others to take up courses with them. Even youth in his family will be inspired by this endeavour.
Chennai – Agatti Flights By Air India
Sep 23rd
nk Now travellers to the Lakshadweep islands can catch a flight to Agatti from the east coast of India. Air India offers flights six days a week connecting Chennai and Bangalore and Kochi to the islands. Even tourists planning to visit Lakshadweep from Mumbai and Delhi will get connecting flights at Bangalore.
The flights will start from September 24. This is Air India’s 64th domestic destination. This will also reduce flights fare of newer airlines that might start operations to the islands.
Artificial Reef In Kovalam, India
May 20th
Kovalam in Kerala has got India’s first artificial reef. Read it right here http://travel.homestayscochin.com/2010/05/20/kovalam-to-have-indias-first-artificial-reef/
India To Get Its First Bridge-on-Sea Runway
May 19th
A first for the country. A runway that extends into the sea? Yes, it’s gonna happen in Agatti, which houses Lakshadweep’s sole airport. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) plans to extend the runway at Agatti island by building a 1,000-foot-long bridge on the sea and connect it to the existing 4,500-feet-long runway.
They are also planning a new terminal building for the airport. Once the Lakshadweep government agrees, it might take up to two years to complete the building.
India-Bangladesh Sunderbans Ecosystem Forum
Apr 5th
Calling it ecologically vulnerable would be an understatement. We’re talking about the Sunderbans. Forty percent of this ecosystem lies in India, and the rest in Bangladesh. The Sunderban Tiger – which has seen better days – is on the decline. This forum also plans to take a joint tiger census, too.
The forum will be launched in September 2010. Minister Jairam Ramesh stressed the need to conserve this stretch of land as it affects the region’s climate, sea level and mangrove growth.
The forum’s efforts will lay special emphasis on afforestation, prevention of islands’ erosion, management of mangroves and conservation of the tiger. The Union Cabinet has approved Rs 300 crore to be spent in West Bengal; and most of it on the Sunderbans. The project will also look into eco-tourism.