Tag: Travel

Articles, Lifestyle, Travel

HiFive’s @ Halifax!

Enjoy business travel? Yes, No, Maybe so?

“Bleisure” travel, can be exciting if we piggyback vacation onto our business trips. That’s exactly, what we experienced when we went to #f55fsummit, a Conference hosted by our wonderful organization Freedom 55 Financial, in the beautiful city of Halifax.   It’s an absolute truth that nearly every destination has something worthwhile to see and experience.  Halifax offered us something more, beyond our expectations.

Here’s HiFive’s to the Top Five from my perspective:

  • Fall Colours: The coastal city Halifax becomes alive with colour as the day shortens and temperature begins to cool. The roadside was set ablaze with a magnificent display of autumn colours from yellow and orange to rust, red and brown. There was plenty of opportunity during our Conference days to catch the fall foliage in   the City’s scenic landscapes, parks and streetscapes. We basked in the city’s diverse tree   species like poplars, maples, oaks, hickories and willows. So, we made some time every morning and evening for Mother Nature and take in the beauty of Halifax’s stunning autumn colours.
  • Peggy’s Cove: We stayed in the Barrington, Halifax. during the tenure of the conference. Day One day was dedicated to Peggy’s Cove! Really marvelous!! A gorgeous, sunny day, with a bagpiper playing on the rocks surrounding the lighthouse, we truly felt we were in Scotland!! The waves of the Atlantic Ocean were crashing as clouds rolled in! The colorful village provided plenty of photo ops! We had delicious lunch at a restaurant and ducked into little shops that explained the history of the cove. If you are in Nova Scotia, do not miss Peggy’s Cove!!

Continue reading “HiFive’s @ Halifax!” →

Business, Global, Lifestyle, Travel

175-room Hyatt Place hotel opens in the heart of downtown Atlanta
Hyatt Place Atlanta/Centennial Park Celebrates Official Opening

Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE:H) announced today the opening of Hyatt Place Atlanta/Centennial Park, the second Hyatt Place hotel in downtown Atlanta. The new hotel features the Hyatt Place brand’s intuitive design, casual atmosphere, and practical amenities such as free Wi-Fi & 24-hour food offerings. The hotel is in a joint venture led by Songy Highroads.

Located in the heart of downtown Atlanta, Hyatt Place Atlanta/Centennial Park is just steps away from the Georgia Aquarium, Mercedes Benz Stadium, State Farm Arena, City View Ferris Wheel, and many other local attractions and dining options. In addition to offering 1,983 square feet of meeting space and a rooftop pool located on the third floor, the hotel’s spacious guestrooms provide scenic views of downtown Atlanta.

“As Atlanta continues to grow and thrive economically, we are excited to add to the momentum by welcoming the second Hyatt Place hotel to the downtown area,” said General Manager Eileen Archer. “With our smartly designed social spaces and guestrooms with separate work and sleep areas, our multitasking guests can easily accomplish what they need to do while on the road.”  Continue reading “175-room Hyatt Place hotel opens in the heart of downtown Atlanta” →

Articles, Community, Global, Lifestyle

‘Travel is the best education’- Madhur Jaffrey

–Exclusive interview by Usha Pudukkotai

One of India’s   most admired voices on Indian food, MADHUR JAFFREY is set to appear at the upcoming Jaipur Literature Festival.  She’s an award-winning actress and bestselling cookery author has appeared in over 20 films, including Merchant Ivory’s Heat and Dust, and written over 15 cookery books.

In an exclusive interview, we chat to her about her exciting career she fell into by happy accident and is pursuing full-time with great enthusiasm.

You will be joining us in Toronto for the ‘Jaipur Literature Festival’. What can the audiences expect from you?

 It depends on the questions I get asked! It could range anywhere from my early life, travel, my books, recipes. I am excited about my latest book Madhur Jaffrey’s Instantly Indian Cookbook: Modern and Classic Recipes for the Instant Pot®. It’s the first book that I’ve done which is gadget-based. Continue reading “‘Travel is the best education’- Madhur Jaffrey” →

Global, India, Travel

Incredible India Wins Pata Gold Award 2019

The Incredible India “Find the Incredible You” campaign released globally by the Ministry of Tourism during 2018-19 has been declared winner of the PATA (Pacific Asia Travel Association) Gold Award 2019 in the “Marketing – Primary Government Destination” category. This year’s awards attracted 198 entries from 78 organisations and individuals worldwide.

The Ministry of Tourism, as part of its promotional initiatives annually releases Global Media Campaigns under the ‘Incredible India’ brand-line in the Television, Print, Digital and Social Media, in key and potential source markets overseas.

To take the Campaigns to the next level, the ‘Incredible India 2.0’ Campaign was launched in September 2017, which marks a shift from generic promotions undertaken across the world to market specific promotional plans and content creation. The campaign focuses on digital and social media and the promotion of Niche Tourism products of the country.

As part of the 2.0 Campaign, five new television commercials were produced by the Ministry, which were aired globally in the television, digital and social media. These were:

  1. Yoga   :           “The Yogi of the Racetrack”
  2. Wellness :      “The Reincarnation of Mr. and Mrs. Jones”
  3. Luxury  :        “The Maharani of Manhattan”
  4. Cuisine  :       “The Masala MasterChef”
  5. Wildlife :       “The Sanctuary in Paris”

The campaign strategy was to shift the focus from the external experience of tourist destinations to the internal experience of travelers themselves. This series of transformative experiences was brought alive through unique storytelling in the format of autobiographies of travelers, with the tagline “Find the Incredible You”.

The series of films have received a very good response and have registered over 153 million views on social media. They were earlier awarded the First Prize in the category of TV Cinema Spot at the International Golden City Gate Tourism Awards at Berlin in March 2019. Continue reading “Incredible India Wins Pata Gold Award 2019” →

Articles, Travel

Book, Beach & Boca Chica! Sun, Sand & Santo Domingo!

Those of us who chose to make Canada our home, obviously love the snow! The world looks pretty! Even so, when it snows non-stop, for weeks, we seek the sun! Reading week for my university student was a perfect time to get warm and cozy. That’s when we landed in Punta Cana!

Since our preference was a not so touristy location, we chose an all-inclusive resort in a small village-town called Boca Chica. The bus journey from the airport to our resort was scenic, laden with hills and greenery! Arriving at our destination by night, our family, a hungry bunch headed straight for dinner! This beach resort, which was home for the next week had plenty to offer! Food, drinks, beach, nightly entertainment, easy access to the village……

On day two, we decided to visit Santo Domingo, the vibrant city that combines splendid centuries-old cathedrals and buildings with amazing parks, lakes and caves.

Travelling in a private car was a fun way to get around. Our enthusiastic driver, who spoke English was more than willing to be our tour guide. He brings us to gorgeous Zona Colonial, where the city’s oldest sights and trendiest shops co-exist adjacent to each other.

Although Santo Domingo’s Colonial Zone is small and walkable, the slow-moving Chu Chu Colonial train is an exotic way to explore the area’s treasure of antiquity. This 45-minute guided tour gives you a ride through cobblestone streets as you admire the historic monuments, cathedrals and archaeological ruins that have been there for centuries. Continue reading “Book, Beach & Boca Chica! Sun, Sand & Santo Domingo!” →

Business, Global, India, Travel

Mumbai Airport makes India proud @ ‘Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Travel Awards’
Mumbai International Airport bags the runner up award in the Favourite Airport Category at The 8th Edition Of Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Travel Awards

Adding to its extensive list of laurels, Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) administered by GVK MIAL bagged the runner up award in the ‘Favourite Airport’ category at the prestigious ‘Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Travel Awards’.

The star-studded award ceremony, hoisted by bollywood diva Chitrangada Singh held at The Lodhi, New Delhi on 29th November, was attended by government officials, industry leaders, influencers and leaders from the travel and tourism fraternity. The annual Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Travel Awards has set the benchmarks in the hospitality and travel industry year on year, since its inception in 1989 in the United States of America.

Selected by thousands of readers in a survey carried out by Condé Nast Traveller, the award reflects Mumbai airport’s excellence in service parameters that go towards satisfying the needs of travellers.

The accolade is an acknowledgement of GVK MIAL’s continuous efforts towards setting quality benchmarks and implementing best practices for the airport industry across the globe. Continue reading “Mumbai Airport makes India proud @ ‘Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Travel Awards’” →

India, Lifestyle, Travel

EXPLORE ‘SCOTLAND OF THE EAST’ – MEGHALAYA WITH EXCITING JETESCAPES
’ HOLIDAYS FROM JET AIRWAYS

~ All-inclusive holiday packages starting at Rs. 34,160 from Bengaluru~

With the onset of the holiday season, JetEscapes Holidays from Jet Airways – India’s full-service, premier international airline is offering brand new, all-inclusive holiday packages to visit the ‘Scotland of the East’ – Meghalaya in the country’s north-eastern reaches from the Silicon Valley of India, Bengaluru.

With holidays starting at Rs.34160/- JetEscapes offers guests tailor-made travel packages which include a Jet Airways return economy airfare (inclusive of all taxes), airport transfers, three-star hotel accommodation with breakfast and sightseeing. Guests can also customise packages with accommodation in four or five-star properties for a luxurious experience.

The new packages will give guests the opportunity to take a trip to discover the less explored and increasingly popular Northeast India as part of a three-night/four-day Shillong-Guwahati holiday, or four-night/five-day visit and stay to savour the Northeast with Cherrapunjee – all this for an unforgettable experience, replete with

snow-clad Himalayan peaks, dense hilly jungles nestled in a cool and pleasant environment. Travel is easier and comfortable via direct daily connectivity between Bengaluru and Guwahati via Jet Airways’ 9W 659. Once in the Northeast, guests can experience the iconic confluence of many cultures, races and tribes together with a legendary visit to the Umiam Lake, Nohkalikai falls, Seven Sisters falls, Mawsmai caves and Elephanta falls. Continue reading “EXPLORE ‘SCOTLAND OF THE EAST’ – MEGHALAYA WITH EXCITING JETESCAPES” →