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Best Hotels of India

Hotels in India

Hotels in India have witnessed a sea change in recent times, thanks largely to the changing lifestyle of the Indian people. Gone are the days when only a few could afford to dine and stay at luxury hotels; most middle class families today have the purchasing power to do so. Hotels in India are projected to grow tremendously in the coming times, especially in light of the Commonwealth Games that will be held in New Delhi in 2010. Most hotels in India provide world class facilities like executive suits, wi-fi enabled internet access, currency exchange facilities, air conditioned rooms, multi-cuisine restaurants and recreational bars among others to customers. 

According to the World Travel and Tourism Council statistics, growth in the hospitality industry is estimated to be 15% annually. It is also estimated that 2, 00,000 rooms in both luxury and budget hotel will be needed in the country, so the hotels in India sector is poised for huge growth. One of the major reasons for the surge of hotels in India is business opportunities that the country has to offer. To tap this huge potential, overseas companies and professionals are arriving in India in droves thus increasing the room rates and occupancy of hotels.

Types of Hotels

There are various types of hotels in India; in fact there is something for everybody, one just needs to spell out their requirements. Broadly hotels are categorized in the following types:

 Ø      4 Star Hotels

Ø      5 Stars Hotels

Ø      Deluxe Hotels

Ø      Airport Hotels

Ø      Luxury Hotels

Ø      Heritage Hotels

Ø      Economy Hotels

Ø      Business Hotels

Ø      Apartment Hotel

Ø      Boutique Hotels

Ø      First Class Hotels

Ø      Bed and Breakfast

 HRACC

 HRACC is the Hotel and Restaurant Approval and Classification Committee that works under the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. This committee gives ratings to various hotels operating in the country based on the factors that has been suggested. Hotel ratings have a significant impact on the kind of business they do and the services that are offered to customers.

 Hotel Chains in India

 All the major brand names in the Indian hotel industry have a hotel chain operating across the country. Hotel chains offer a genre of hotels across India to customers including heritage resorts, sea resorts, luxury hotels, business hotels, boutique hotels, heritage hotels etc. Some of the essential characteristics of the hotel chains include the presence of an idyllic atmosphere of comfort, serenity, luxury, customized services along with the other basic amenities for the customers. Some of the renowned brands operating hotel chains in India are:

Ø      Park Group of Hotels

Ø      Choice Group of Hotels

Ø      The Taj Group of Hotels

Ø      Neemrana Group of Hotels 

Ø      The Oberoi Group of Hotels

Ø      Le Meridien Group of Hotels

Ø      The ITDC Ashok Group of Hotels

 For more, on the Best Hotels in India and their booking, visit http://www.mapsofindia.com or http://www.mapsofindia.com/hotels-india/

Indian Railways Time Table

Ever wondered how your ticket for the train in which you are traveling is decided? Here is a quick view on how the Indian Railways Time table is set

Indian Railways Time Table is the schedule that charts the arrival and departure times of the trains at various stations. From Indian Railways Time Table, passengers can also learn about the distance of their destination, time required to reach that and even the fares in different classes.

 About Indian Railways Time Table

 Indian Railways Time Table is the schedule that charts the arrival and departure times of the trains at various stations. It gives commuters detailed information on the timings of each train in the respective station. Not only showcases the timings of the trains, Indian Railways Time Table also provides information about the available options (trains) to travel between two stations. From Indian Railways Time Table, passengers can also learn about the distance of their destination, time required to reach that and even the fares in different classes.

 Types of Indian Railways Time Table

 There can be two types of time tables in Indian Railways:

 §  Time Table for Mail/Express trains: It is the all India time table that lists the schedules of the mail/express trains.

§  Time Table for Sub-urban trains: Sub-urban time tables of the respective railway zones list the schedules of the local trains.

Time Table for Mail/Express

 The Indian Railways Time Table for the mail/express trains is known as “Trains at a Glance”. It gets published by the Indian Railways once in a year. The latest version was published in November 2009.

 Time Tables for Sub-urban Trains

 These time tables are for the local trains. There are several railway zones in the Indian railway. Every zone has its own time table.

 Features of Indian Railways Time Table

 Indian Railways Time Table has the following features:

§         It comprises detailed information on scheduled timings of trains.

§         Arrival and departure times are listed.

§         However, it lists only selected stations en route. Not all the stoppages are listed.

§         Other information like accommodation classes, availability of pantry cars, daily services etc. are available.

§         One can also learn about the distance between two places from the time table.

§         It tells about the time required to reach from one place to another.

§         Fares (in different classes) between two destinations can be known from the time table.

§         It also acts as a guide for domestic as well as foreign tourists.

 How to Use Indian Railways Time Table

 It is quite easy to use the Indian Railways Time Table. However, you need to know some lingo before you can use it successfully.

 Train Number:

 Every train of the Indian Railways has their distinct numbers. Mail/Express trains have four digit train numbers, while the passenger trains may have 3 or 2 digit numbers. Among the mail/express trains, there are some super-fast trains that run faster to reach its destination in lesser time than the ordinary mail/express trains. The numbers for super-fast trains start with ‘2’.

 Station Code:

 Each station in the Indian Railways network has their distinct code, which they are identified by. For example, New Delhi has the station code ‘NDLS’, while Howrah has the station code ‘HWH’.

 Accommodation Class Codes:

 There can be several types of accommodation in the trains, which have their distinct codes. Following are the codes of the accommodation class:

Table Number:

 In the Indian Railways Time Table, the entire routes in the Indian Rail network have been classified by Table Numbers. Each Table Number represents a distinct route. For example, Table No. 1 represents the route New Delhi to Howrah. On the other hand, Table No. 1A lists the timings of the trains in the route Howrah to New Delhi.

 Inside the Time Table:

 In each route, important stations are listed. Also listed are the trains that run in that respective route. The time table lists the arrival and departure times of the trains in every station in the entire route. Time table also lists the days of service and the accommodation classes available in the respective train.

 Special Trains

 In Indian Railways Time Table, one can find the presence of few special trains that offer special facilities and services. These also take the passengers to their destinations in much less time. Following are those:

 §         Rajdhani Express

§         Shatabdi Express

§         Sampark Kranti Express

§         Duronto Express

§         Yuva Express

 For more on Indian railways refer here: http://uurl.in/5n84j

By MapsofIndia Team

A state called Telangana

A state called Telangana

Demand of Statehood

Voices demanding a new state called Telangana were first heard in 1969; with the course of time the demands by various organizations sometimes became vociferous, some took a U-turn while some sank due to lack of adequate support. Several political parties have used the issue of statehood as a platform for political gains by promising to accelerate the separation process. In 2004, the ruling Congress entered into an electoral alliance with the TRS by promising to slice out a separate state from Andhra Pradesh. However, no action was taken until recently when the demands for statehood turned violent.

Merger of Telangana with Andhra Pradesh

After Independence, when the Nizam’s rule came to an end, the state of Hyderabad was formed. However, in 1956 the Telangana region of Hyderabad was merged with the then state of Andhra which was carved out of the Madras Presidency in October 1953. Currently The Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh comprises of Mahbubnaga, Warangal, Rangareddy, Adilabad, Medak, Nalgonda, Nizamabad, Karimnagar, Khammam and Hyderabad. When a new state of Telangana is carved out of Andhra Pradesh, it will become the 29^th state of the Indian Union.

Impetus to other statehood demands

The proposed bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh is estimated to revive similar statehood demands in other parts of India. Currently there are demands for a separate Gorkhaland in North West Bengal, a separate state of Vidarbha in Eastern Maharashtra and Bodoland in Assam. Already workers of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha or GJM, demanding a separate state to be carved out of North West Bengal have announced a 96 hour strike in Darjeeling; some members are slated to go on fast soon. 

In a single day, 60,000 views have been received for Telangana.

For How the state of Telangana would look: http://uurl.in/96lm0

Regards

Mapsofindia

Did you know that Travel was affected by Global recession?

 Did you know that Travel was affected by Global recession

Travel affected by Global recession

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things”, according to Henry Miller. This approach of seeing things have in a new way been affected by the global recession. With travel affected by global recession, it has been predicted by global experts that the industry would recover slowly.

How global recession affected travel?

The World Travel & Tourism Council predicted that the tourism sector would experience growth but at a reduced pace. Figures show that the international tourist arrivals in 2008 increased by marginally 6% from that of 2007, touching a total figure of around 900 million visitors. Middle East has seen the fastest average growth in travel.

But things are definitely going to go a bit haywire in 2009-10, due to the impact of the global crunch, pinch of which has been felt all over the globe. The challenges are slowly being handled and the situation has been improving.

In the past two decades, the travel and tourism sector turned out to be the fastest growing economic sector globally, registering an average growth of 7.1% per year in arrivals and 12.5% in receipts.

Statistics of travel affected by global recession

Travel getting affected by global recession included hoteliers around the world and the holiday companies as well. All other countries getting affected by global recession left out an exception. Egypt in all probability is the only country in the world which expects the tourism industry to grow in 2009 in spite of the financial crisis. In 2008, Egypt registered 12% growth over 2007.

In 2009, the tourist season may turn out to be the worst of all. Till now, the bookings in advance for summer vacations are 50% lesser when compared with 2008. Travel & tourism industry experts are of the opinion that the financial crisis could encourage the development of domestic tourism in many countries. A bit of advice for those who want to travel is that it is the right time to take advantage of discount programs, pick out the famous hotel brands and plan the tour details in advance.

The UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) brought out the most recent global tourist arrivals figures which depicted a 7% downfall to 600 million arrivals between January and August 2009. To mention specifically, the rate of fall has calmed down in the past few months, with only a 3% fall in the two high-season months of July and August, that was against a first half-year fall of 8%. Earnings from international arrivals have also gone down to a certain extent as there has been reduction in the volumes of travel, less consumers and shorter stay period.

Scope of travel recovery

UNWTO’s initial estimate for 2010 shows that international tourist arrivals in all probability would witness a tempered recovery in the next year, growth hovering around 1%-3%. There would be gradual betterment of international tourism figures due to few economic indicators improving in the major markets. Asia would see the hardest bounce back, with Europe and America taking more time to recover.

Till then find India maps, if you plan to travel this or may be next year, only on http://www.mapsofindia.com.

The Top destinations of Travel and Tourism in India

Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal located in Agra, India, built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beautiful wife, Mumtaz Mahal.The Taj Mahal is a finest example of Mughal architecture. Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.The Building of the Mahal began around 1632 and was completed around 1653, and also employed thousands of artisans and craftsmen.

Goa

The bright green piece of land on the western coast of India, Goa is a desired destination for the mass. The state was released from the Portuguese rule in 1961. Being the smallest state in terms of area, Goa’s capital is Panaji. While in Goa, visit the Calangute Beach, Candolim Beach and The Se Cathedral and Basilica of Bom Jesus, Noroa River, the Arvalem Waterfall.

Corbett National Park

Named after the renowned hunter turned conservationist Jim Corbett, Corbett National Park, founded in 1936, is the oldest national park in India. Located in Nainital district in the state of Uttarakhand, Corbett National Park works towards protection of critically endangered Bengal Tiger through its ‘Project Tiger’. Consisting of 520.8 sq. km. area, Corbett National Park is the home to about 488 species of plants and wide variety of fauna. This ecotourism destination is a heaven for the wildlife lovers and adventure tourists.

Ganges River

Ganges River, also popularly referred to as River ‘Ganga’, is the lifeline of India. Rises in the western Himalays and then flows east through the Gangetic Plain in the northern part of the country, Ganges River drains into the Sunderbans delta in the Bay of Bengal to complete its journey of 2,510 km. It’s a holy river that carries enormous importance in Hinduism and is worshiped as goddess Ganga. Not only that, Ganges River also has great impact on the agriculture of the country as well as on the life of its people.

Varanasi Ghats

Once the famous American Writer Mark Twain wrote about this place – “Varanasi is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together”. And the Varanasi Ghats, with no surprise, have been the key elements for the absolute charm of the place. The ghats of Varanasi, on the banks of River Ganges, complement the concept of divinity. Hindu pilgrims take a dip in holy Ganges to get absolved from all the sins, religious ceremonies are also conducted there. Varanasi Ghats are full of bustling activities throughout the day.

Khajurao

Famous for erotic sculptures, range of medieval Hindu and Jain temples, Khajurao is one of the top tourist destinations in India. The monuments of Khajurao are definitely a wonder to watch. Tourists have the leverage to visit places in Khajurao like Chaunsat Yogani, Chitragupta, Vishwanath, Matangeshwar, Parsavnath, Ghantai, Adinath, Duladeo, Chaturbugha. The gestures exhibited in the sculptures of Khajurao, denote love or ‘kama’ – the symbol of life and creation.

Kerala

‘God’s own country’, whichever way you name it - Kerala, on the south-western tip of India, is a sure bliss for the tourists. One of the paradises in the world, Kerala boasts of serene beaches, quiet stretches of backwaters, lush hill stations. While in Kerala, definitely be a part of the classical art forms, colorful festivals, exotic cuisines and ayurveda.

 Places to visit in Kerala

«     Kumarakom backwaters

«     Kovalam Beach

«     Poonjar Palace in Kottayam

«     Malayattoor Church

«     The Hill Palace Museum

 Himalayas

Desire to be in the lap of the lofty Himalayan peaks? The Himalayas is the house to the world's highest peaks, the Eight-thousanders (including Mount Everest and K2). The Himalayas offer a wide range of adventure activities for the tourists. Be it – Biking Cycling, Himalayan Jungle Safari, and Himalayan River Rafting, trekking, Rock-climbing and mountaineering. Rejuvenate yourself in the adobe of snow between mid April to May-June and also between September to November.

Ajanta

It often makes you wonder and think how human beings made it possible! Ajanta Caves are 2^nd century BCE rock-cut cave monuments that showcase masterpieces paintings and sculptures representing both “Buddhist Religious Art” and “Universal Pictorial Art”. These also had considerable artistic influence at the same time. A UNESCO World Heritage Site located outside the village of Ajinthā, near Jalgaon in Maharashtra, Ajanta Caves was discovered in 1819 AD. There are 30 caves at the site.

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