Amber Fort now open at night

The 16th-century Amber Fort in Jaipur has now been opened for viewing at night to promote night tourism in the city. ‘Amber by Night,’ initiated recently by the Department of Art and Culture, presents a spectacular and mesmerizing view as sombre lights illuminate it in various intensities. Different hues of coloured light lend a new perspective to the fort’s ambience and elegance.

Open from 7 pm till 10 pm, ‘Amber by Night’ offers a vibrant tour of Jaleb Chowk, Diwan-e-Aam, Mansingh Mahal and Sheesh Mahal to the visitors. The facility is enhanced with lights, fixtures, additional security and a café to provide a fulfilling experience to the visitors.

Train Tickets can be booked 120 days in advance from 1st April

Ministry of Railways has decided to increase the Advance Reservation Period (ARP) for booking accommodation from 60 (excluding the date of journey) to 120 days with effect form 1st April 2015.

Presently one can reserve ticket maximum 60 days before journey, the new rule will provide opportunity to book reserved ticket even 120 days before journey.
Foreign travelers will continue to be allowed to book ticket 360 days before journey. There will be no change in the case of ARP limit of 360 days for foreign tourists. At the same time 60 days period of booking will continue to be effective in case of select express trains.

AirAsia connects India to Indonesia

AirAsia has added three new routes in its operations, strengthening its network between India and Indonesia. Two new destinations, Visakhapatnam (India) and Pontianak (Indonesia), are now a part of the AirAsia network with direct flights from Kuala Lumpur, while the Johor Bahru – Medan route will be revived. The Kuala Lumpur – Visakhapatnam direct flights will commence from May 7, 2015 with 3x weekly flights, while the Kuala Lumpur – Pontianak and Johor Bahru – Medan flights will both commence from March 27, 2015 onwards with 2x weekly flights

New daily to Abu Dhabi from Ahmedabad, Mangalore & Pune

Jet Airways (India) has launched daily international flights from Ahmedabad, Pune and Mangalore to Abu Dhabi, stated a release. The new services, will strengthen Jet Airways’ growing international network and offer connections to destinations in the Gulf and beyond to North America, Europe and Africa with its strategic partner, Etihad Airways. This is the first time the carrier is offering international flights from Ahmedabad and Pune. The airline has deployed a Boeing 737-800 Next Generation aircraft on the Ahmedabad, Mangalore, and Pune routes. The aircraft have a capacity of 12 seats in Premiere class and 156 seats in Economy class.

Delhi Toronto on Air Canada from Nov 2015

Canadian national carrier Air Canada will re-start its flights from India, eight years after it stopped operations here. According to Duncan Bureau, Vice-President, Global Sales-Air Canada, the airline will begin its operations from November. “We will launch operations from New Delhi to Toronto with a Boeing 787-900 aircraft. Ours will be a premium service and we will operate four flights a week,” Bureau revealed. He said the aircraft will have 29 business class seats, 21 premium economy and 247 economy but will have no first class seats.

Flydubai connect to Chennai

Flydubai started its service to Chennai from April 1. Chennai becomes the eighth destination on the airline’s network in India. The launch of this route will be served with three flights a week which will see flydubai operate a total of 29 weekly flights between Dubai and India. Sudhir Sreedharan, Senior Vice President, Commercial (GCC, Subcontinent, Africa), flydubai says the airline sees India as a key market on its network and is committed to delivering the best, reliable travel options whether in economy or business class. With the launch of four new points in India in 2014, flydubai saw a 70 per cent growth in passenger numbers and we are confident that this will significantly contribute to the growth of not only trade and tourism between the two countries but across the region

4 times a week to Seychelles from April 29

Air Seychelles has announced additional flights to Seychelles and will now fly four times a week starting April 29, 2015. The airline will connect Mumbai to Seychelles on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays departing at 0400 hours. Seychelles to Mumbai flights will take off on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays arriving into Mumbai at 0255 the next day.

Countryard brand by Marriott international debuts in Agra

The new Courtyard by Marriott International was recently launched in Agra. The property is the first property by the brand in Agra. It offers 189 rooms and 18 suites, three F&B outlets, a swimming pool and wellness facilities and is located within walking distance of the Taj Mahal. The property also features more than 2,700 square meter of conference and banqueting facilities able to accommodate up to 1,200 guests.

Fortune Park Hotels opens its 45th Hotel at Dahej SEZ

Fortune Park Hotels, opened its 45th hotel, ‘Fortune Park Dahej’ in Dahej SEZ Gujarat. Owned by Sapthagiri Hospitality, the 60-room hotel is a contemporary, full service business hotel conveniently located in the port town of Dahej Special Economic Zone-1, which has earned pride of place as one of the best global economic zones providing world-class infrastructure for the industries. Located on a 6 lane State Highway connecting Bharuch (50 km) with NH 8, Fortune Park Dahej provides easy access to Vadodara (125 km) and Ahmedabad (250 km). With an imposing facade and tastefully done interiors, the hotel offers an excellent range of guest facilities along with efficient service, making it a preferred destination for the modern day business traveller. The newly-designed 60 guest rooms at Fortune Park Dahej have been done in a smart and contemporary decor and come equipped with a complete range of modern amenities.

Lemon Tree Hotels to open in Vadodara in April‘15

Carnation Hotels, the hotel management joint venture partner of Lemon Tree Hotels has signed a management contract with a group company of Parikh Inn Pvt. Ltd., for a midscale hotel in Vadodara. Branded as Lemon Tree Hotel, Vadodara, this new hotel is located opposite Parsee Agiari, Sayajigunj, in the heart of the 3rd largest city in the prosperous state of Gujarat.

This bright 48-room hotel is scheduled to open its doors to guests in April 2015.

Events and Festivals in May 2015

Moatsu Festival, Nagaland 1-3 May
International Flower Festival, Sikkim— 1 May
Buddha Purnima, North India—4 May
Urs Fair, Ajmer—6 May