Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Singapore or Seattle?

Recession or no recession - travel lovers always look out for the less travelled places and good deals on accomodation. Had been to a travel fair recently with a couple of friends. Picked up lot of brochures and info on some cool travel options for December(Christmas holidays). On our way home my friend asked me to pick two destinations from my lucky/favourite alphabet - S. The two places that I selected were Singapore and Seattle.

After returning home I did a search on the tourist attractions in both these places. Heres what I found. Singapore is a very affluent country with a good night life and lots of shopping options. The Orchard Road has miles and miles of shopping malls. The Singapore zoo is also a must visit. I also found some good deals on accomodation in Singapore. There are many cheap hotels in Singapore. Another attraction in Singapore is the Sentosa Island Resort which is the Singaporean equivalent of Disneyland.

Seattle, Washington, is the largest city in the Pacific Northwest. There is lot to do in Seattle. There are lot of museums and parks in Seattle. The Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle is also a major attraction. There are numerous tour operators who offer everything from walking tours and sightseeing opportunities by plane, boat or mini bus. Cheap hotels in Seattle are also available.

So all that is left to decide is whether it is going to be Singapore or Seattle. Both have more or less the same stuff to offer and cheap hotels are available in Singapore as well as Seattle.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Rail, Road and Ferry services in Ernakulam (Cochin)

Hugging the coast of the Arabian Sea, the charming district of Ernakulam bustles with life. The city of Cochin in Ernakulam is hailed as the commercial capital of Kerala. Blessed by one of the finest natural harbours in the world, Cochin is celebrated as the Queen of the Arabian Sea.


Accessing Cochin


By Rail
Ernakulam is well connected to all major cities in India.
Ernakulam Junction - Phone 131
Ernakulam Town Railway Station - Phone: 2395198
Aluva Railway Station - Phone: 2624141

By Road
The KSRTC Central Bus station is near the Junction Railway Station. Phone: 2372033
Private buses operate from High Court Jn, Railway Station and Kaloor Junction
Tamil Nadu Road Transport Bus Station - Phone: 2372616

Inter state private bus services to Bangalore, Coimbatore, Mangalore, Chennai and Madurai
Indira Travels - Phone: 2360693
Yesbee Travesl - Phone: 2375080
Princy Tours - Phone: 2354712

Ferry Services: There are two ferry stations in Ernakulam. The main boat jetty is 1km from the Junction Railway station and the other is near the High Court.

Ferry timings from the main boat jeety
Vypeen - Frequent services (1/2 hour journey)
Mattancherry - Daily 6 ferries (1/2 hour journey)
Fort Kochi - Daily 30 services (20 minutes journey) First trip at 6am and last trip at 9.10pm
Willingdon Island - Frequent services (15 min journey)

For more information contact:
Tourist Information Office - Phone: 2360502

Elephant Pageants in Kerala

No celebration in Kerala is complete without an elephant pageant. This gentle pachyderm is accorded the privilege of escorting the numerous gods and goddesses. The elephant pageants feature colorfully decked up elephants with mahouts atop them holding aloft tinselled silk parasols, swaying white tufts and peacock feather fans.

The main elephant pageant is held in Thrissur. Its called the Thypooya Mahotsavam.
It is to be held on the 30th of January 2010.

The other elephant pageants for the coming year are:

Uthralikavu Pooram - Thrissur
March 02 2010

Thrissur Pooram - Thrissur
April 24 2010

Arattupuzha Pooram - Thrissur
March 28 2010

Pariyanampetta Pooram - Palakkad
On 19th February - every year

Chinakkathoor Pooram - Palakkad
February 28 2010

Nenmara Vellangi - Palakkad
April 03 2010