I would like to thank you for allowing us to have the same tour guide – Jaspal Singh - for our third national polio immunisation trip Bhiwadi/Gurgaon in January/February. Yet again, he was fantastic; he has built up good relationships over the past two years with our host Rotarians in Bhiwadi ensuring our stay went as smoothly as possible (despite the last minute change in destination), expertly dealing with any issues that arose and ensured we turned up in the right places at the right times. One of his strengths is being able to inject humour into a situation whilst striking the right balance between integrity and professionalism at all times, ensuring we had a most enjoyable trip.

He is a first class guide and a real asset to Creative Travel.

Paula & Roger Byrom,
The Rotary Club of Braunton Caen, UK

Bhutan through a prism of festivals

Bhutan has a charismatic simplicity that feeds into an integral statistical data for the country – Gross National Happiness. A nation that is willing to record an evolved data like this is naturally anchored on high thinking. This has a lot to do with the spiritual background of the country. Steeped in Buddhism, the Bhutanese anchor their life on the mantra of high thinking. Bhutan’s festivals too, dip into the pool of intense spirituality with most of them hosted in monasteries. The festivals are a great way of seeing Bhutan at close quarters. Here are some of the most vibrant festivals of the country.

The festival of Ganga Dussehra is celebrated to mark the descent of the holy Ganges River to earth, a significant part of Hindu mythology. Pilgrims in large numbers assemble alongside the holy river, to take a dip and worship.

During Ramadan, Muslims traditionally fast daily from sunrise until sunset. This holy month of fasting concludes with the festival of Eid-ul-Fitr. It is a month of charity, reflections and resolutions. People show their gratitude to god and abstain from food, alcohol, smoking and physical intimacy, and are only allowed to eat during an early-morning meal, suhur, and a night-time meal, iftar.

Kerala’s Coastal Cycling Tourism Destination Project (CCTDP) has the potential to develop the state as the most preferred cycle tourism destination. Part of the larger initiative to develop coastal highways, this project may help tap into the ample opportunity the state offers for cycling tourism.

Mumbai, the commercial capital and cultural hub of India, is coming up with the longest ropeway of the country.
This first-of-a-kind ropeway over the sea will be 8km long and will connect Mumbai to the scenic Elephanta Island in the Arabian Sea. The route will start from Sewari Fort in the east coast of Mumbai and end across the harbour, in Raigad district of the island.

Parts of the Red Fort, which have been inaccessible to the public till now, are being restored by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and will soon be a part of the unique Lal Qila experience for visitors.

A new airport ferry terminal has opened at Baina beach in Goa. The passenger ferryboats Drishti Two and Drishti Three, which have already been made operational between Vasco, Panaji, Old Goa and Sinquerim, are expected to be used by tourists landing at Dabolim airport to travel to these areas using waterways.

In Luxury trains  could soon be easier on the pocketbook by at least 20%, say railway officials.
The Railway Board has directed that the tariff for luxury trains like the Maharajas’ Express and Palace on Wheels be reduced.dia’s first yachting festival took in place at Vizag (Andhra Pradesh) in March.

India’s first yachting festival took in place at Vizag (Andhra Pradesh) in March. The Vizag Yachting festival is a first of its kind in the country where people can enjoy luxury yachts, water sports activities like scuba diving, snorkelling and spend a day at the sea.

Ask a non-vegetarian about their love for Butter Chicken and you can measure it in the eyes. And if you ask the same person about the humble origin of this iconic dish of the Indian cuisine, they go blank. Well, it’s nothing surprising, because many of us are actually not aware of the interesting story behind the origin of the dish that is also a favourite of every non-veg lover.

The first privately-occupied saloon coach, run by the Indian Railways, is now operational and open to public. Complete with air-conditioned rooms, valet service and attached bathroom, the cost of chartering this saloon coach is Rs. 2 Lakh.

With water level falling considerably, boating at Thekkady Lake could be called off since tree stumps pose a threat to boats. Currently, the Forest Department and the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) offer boating services at the lake.

Each city has its own distinct flavours and its specialty lies in its street. Pune, or Poona, has nailed the traditional Maharashtrian street food culture.

On a long weekend not far from now, travellers will be able to take an impromptu trip from Mumbai to New Delhi, bypassing last-minute flights bookings or long train rides. Thanks to the swanky new Super Expressway between the Capital and Mumbai, by the bay at speeds exceeding 120km/h.

Foreign tourists, except those from Pakistan, China and Afghanistan, would now be allowed to visit Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur, which were out of bounds for them without a special permit. The Home Ministry has decided to relax the six-decade-old Protected Area Permit regime for five years with effect from April 1.

Ticket prices for India’s first canopy walk at Kuveshi forest area near Castle Rock in Joida taluk of Uttara Kannada district, Karnataka have been fixed and soon it will be open for tourists.

Kaziranga National Park is currently home to 2,413 one-horned rhinos, 12 more than what it had in 2015, according to the latest census of the species. This rise, though marginal, is noteworthy considering the park's rhino population had dwindled to a few hundred in the 1970s.

Invariably, the quest for wildlife results in our being directed to the verdant jungles of a Corbett, Kanha or a Kaziranga, and seldom do they disappoint the visitor. The diversity and breadth of this country's wildlife heritage, however, is such that lesser known sanctuaries harbour species rarely seen elsewhere.

To add an all-new dimension to food and beverage landscape, JW Marriott Chandigarh has launched a 'food truck' to cater to varied gastronomical preferences of the city's populace.

Budget lodging chain Ginger Hotels has opened their second hotel in Goa with the launch of Ginger Goa, Dona Paula. Perched on a hillock overlooking the Arabian Sea, Ginger Goa, Dona Paula enjoys a prime location and is situated between the Dona Paula beach and the Vainguinim beach.

The Park Hotels, a boutique hotels group in India, has launched its first adults-only hotel at the Baga River, Goa. The Park Hotel at Baga River, surrounded by rich greenery and coconut trees, is just 30 minutes from the airport and a ten-minute drive from the beach.

Jukaso Journeys, an Indian hospitality brand, has recently acquired the following properties: Jukaso Sai Palace Udaipur, Jukaso Jim Corbett, Jukaso Seven Heaven Bhimtal, Jukaso Mrikula Cottage Manali, Jukaso Palace Dharamshala. The acquisition adds to the growth of Jukaso Journeys in Tier II cities.

One of Asia Pacific’s largest hotel management groups, StayWell Holdings, has announced it will further expand its Park Regis portfolio in India, with the rebranding of Aveda Resort & Spa in Kumarakom to Park Regis Aveda, Kumarakom scheduled to be completed by the end of May 2018.

The AirAsia X will start direct flight services between Amritsar and Kuala Lumpur as part of its expansion plan in India this year.
From August 16, the four times a week service will provide visitors access to Amritsar, which has a tremendous potential as a religious, tourism, commerce and trade destination.

SpiceJet will commence daily direct flight service from New Delhi to Leh  from May 1, 2018. According to the company, the flight service will be operated from Terminal 1D at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport.

Jet Airways announced its plans to expand its presence in the North East and make Guwahati its regional gateway to/ from the region.

Jet Airways will introduce a ‘red eye hour’ flight to Pune, besides adding two more, connecting Mumbai and Bengaluru with Patna, in the summer schedule beginning March 25. Jet also proposes to introduce a direct service between Indore and Patna once a week—on Sundays — from July 1.

Singapore Airlines is set to scale up India operations to tap into the growing number of global air travellers from Asia’s third largest economy. The airline will step up the frequency of flights between Singapore and various Indian cities as well as offer more options to Indians travelling to the rest of the world.

IndiGo has announced launch of daily service on the Chennai-Tiruchi-Chennai sector from June 1.

Indigo Airlines is planning to launch services to destinations like Guwahati, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Delhi by end of May or early June.

Air India has launched non-stop flights between New Delhi and Tel Aviv, Israel. The airline will operate the route with Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft three times per week every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. Air India’s B787 has 18 business class seats and 238 economy class seats.

Vietjet plans to launch flights between Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) and New Delhi, India. The airline says it will launch four flights per week in the third quarter of 2018.

AirAsia has started operating direct flights between Imphal-Delhi. The airlines will operate direct flights seven days a week and the daily scheduled arrival at Imphal is 12.25 pm and the departure schedule is 12.55 pm.

AirAsia India has expanded its fleet size to 18 planes with the induction of a new Airbus A320, which will help it add new routes and enhance the frequency between Kolkata and Bagdogra.

Mango Peach Chutney

Serves: 4-6
Ready in: 1h5m