Archive for June, 2010

Our trip to Mahabaleshwar the hill station in Maharashtra, India in 1997. Mahabaleshwar, which is about 220Km away from Mumbai (Bombay) is considered to be the queen amongst all hill stations of Maharashtra

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You must be wondering where do all people travel but just imagine your life without traveling. We all like to travel and it is part of our life. People travel for many reasons as mentioned below.

Most of us do travel, as we want to spend our time with our friends and relatives no matter at what distance they live. This type of travel is solely decided by you just to be with them. Sometimes people travel in search of soul mates and they try their luck by traveling till they get their life partners. Sometimes people need to travel due to job reasons. In search of work you may be forced to travel or as a business traveler, you have to move around leaving your families behind.

Some people travel to different places to learn their culture. Culture aspects like celebrations, food, dressing, language etc are always strange and new to a traveler. Travelers want to experience this significant difference and learn with fun while traveling.

Some writers travel to destinations for writing articles and story relevant to the place. There are people who are nature lovers and they travel to different countries to see the nature and enjoy all beautiful sceneries.

There are people who travel just for shopping alone. Rich people alone do not travel; everyone travels depending on budgets. Travel always makes you relaxed with lot of fun and gaining rich experiences. Today the development in transportation and communication technologies has changed the people’s lifestyle with a lot of movement. You have a number of options for travel planning and by choosing wisely you can save your money and time.

Travel agents provide you all the services needed for your travel and there is a misconception that you have to pay the travel agent, an extravagant fee. It’s not true because the travel agent provides you all the services at a discounted price but they get commissions from the service providers like hotels, airlines and car rentals for the sales done by them. Another advantage of using a travel agent is that your travel package will comprise travel insurance and that’s a bonus to you.

By using the Internet you can do online booking and compare the rates and services offered by different companies. Online booking saves your time and also hard earned money, by sitting in your home.

The best friend for a traveler is the guidebooks and these books will be available in the local libraries free of cost. Seasoned and experienced travel writers compile these guidebooks and all our requirements will be available. Cruise lines and tour companies have special deals for customers who do bookings directly with them. If your travel plan is flexible, you will get best rates on last minute bookings.

In the Unites States, the following forecast for travel industry is made. First, the baby boomers will have huge effect on the industry and the recent estimation is there are one million of them reaching their sixties. So they won’t settle down for tea after retirement but they have serous travel plans. Secondly, consumer spending is increasing because of the outgrowing economy and so the economists strongly believe that travel will get double in this decade. Travel encompasses all facets of transportation and lifestyles like dining, boating, lodging, air transport, safari etc. and the list of activities does not have an end.

Manali, May 3(ANI): With mercury levels rising in northern India, the number of tourists visiting hill stations is also on the rise. A large number of tourists, both Indian and foreigners are thronging the picturesque Manali in India’s northern Himachal Pradesh to get respite from the scorching summer heat. With almost three-fold increase in flow of tourists, the number of hotels in Manali has increased to about 1000 during the past few years.

The Hill stations in Karnataka are generally unexplored and more pristine than better known ones in South India. Kudremukh, Kemmangundi, Agumbe, Horanadu, Nandi Hills are some of the poplar sights. Tourism hasn’t affected these places like Ooty (in Tamil Nadu) which is falling victim to commercialization.
Apart from scenic treks, bird watching, boating and picturesque waterfalls, these areas are also close to major coffee producing areas in the state, making a trip all the more interesting. Many resorts have sprung up to accommodate those who want to relax.

1. Agumbe Hillstation
2. B. R . Hills
3. Bababudangiri Hills
4. Biligiri Hills
5. Bisle Ghat Hillstation
6. Coonoor Hillstation
7. Gangamoola Hillstation
8. Horanadu Hillstation
9. Kemmannugundi Hillstation
10. Kudremukh Hillstation
11. Munnar Hillstation
12. Nandi hills
13. Ooty Hillstation
14. Savanadurga Hill station
15. Yana Hills
16. Yercaud Hillstation

Reference: Hill Station in Karnataka
Link: http://www.bangaloreorbit.com/india-karnataka/hill-stations-in-karnataka/bangalore

Author Profile:

This is Srikanth from India, I am frequent traveler and working in Medical Domain. My hobbies writing medical related article,travel related articles and doing research in medical tourism. Please reach me on http://www.cmsGalaxy.com

A travel agent engages in purchase and sales of tour and related services of travel. Travel agents can be employees or they can do business independently. In the tourism industry if travel is considered as the leg for the industry, then the travel agents are the very important backbone of the whole system.

Even though the Internet has created revolutionary changes in the tourism industry, travel agency cannot be replaced. You are using the Internet as a travel agent for arranging your travel services. Websites of travel agents and travel suppliers are providing you their services depending totally on your needs.

As the travel industry is very competitive, being a travel agent is not an easy one. Travel agencies are under constant pressure like facing stiff competition among them and also with online portals and they have to survive with lower profit margin. There are travel agencies specializing on packages like honeymoon, health, water sports etc.

In the past, the travel suppliers used to sell their packages to the public through travel agencies. Nowadays, the usage of Internet for travel service by travel consumers has been increasing and so all the travel suppliers are opting for online travel agencies. The Travel Industry Trade Associations are linked with many Travel suppliers, Travel Wholesalers and Consolidators, though the travel suppliers have web sites on their own. The Outside Sales Support Network (OSSN) supports travel agents like home based, Independent contractors and outside sales agents with 100,000 members in it.

Being a travel consumer you can access the catalog e-vacation that includes reading of needed information and watching online videos of the destination you want to travel without any verbal communication with the travel agent. Some travel agents offer packages or services with mark up price and there are others who offer the product for the same price charged by the supplier and there is always a debate of these travel deals offered.

The United States State Department encourages group travel of US citizens while traveling abroad. The travel agencies understand this silent push and they offer services that are affordable to everyone at unbelievable price. Being a holidaymaker, there are stories revolving around them for bad services and rip-off stories. You must be wondering how to find a creditable agent for your travel services. Here are some ways by which you can find many travel agents who offer good travel services for you.

First, be clear with your travel objectives and look for travel agents offering all types of packages and travel services. Flexibility in the price offered for your travel service will make you feel comfortable with the travel agent and so a good agent must be ready for negotiation of prices with a customer. Get recommendation from other customers who have used the travel agency for their needs and always feed back is very powerful. Your network of contact will help you a lot and will give an idea of the travel agents’ competency.

Always choose agencies that wish to sustain good relationship with customers. These agents will give you the utmost benefits on the services provided by them because of expecting repeat business and for having long-term association with you. If you have found an agent who keeps his word and has offered you his best services, then you stick to him for all your travel needs.

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There are many quiet charming and stunning hill stations in  north India, which are defined in this article. To patronize you for exploring these most charming hill stations, Travel India is with you to explore the magical beauty of these hill stations for instance Darjeeling, kullu, Shimla, Manali, Dalhousie, Ladakh, Mahabaleshwar, Mount Abu, Mussoorie, Nainital, Srinagar, Patnitop, etc.

Darjeeling is the most beautiful hill station; it is famous for natural beauty. The nature of beauty in Darjeeling welcome you to visit with great heart, fresh air and air round pleasant whether. Darjeeling is also known as visitor paradise because every day, Darjeeling provides some thing new to everybody.

Manali is the queen of the hill stations. Manali is an important hill station of Northern India. It is situated in the center parts of Himachal Pradesh. It provides the cool atmosphere and wide diversity of mountain resorts that are covered with apple orchards and pinewood. Manali is one of the most beautiful, charming, and attractive destination. Manali is also popular for adventure Sports like Mountaineering, Skiing, Hiking, Para Gliding, Trekking, Rafting, Kayaking, and Mountain Biking.

Shimla is a charming and wonderful hill Town in the lap of nature; it is surrounded by Pine and Forest. Shimla is one of the most beautiful and charming places. Here you can feel your self very good and see wonderful sight. It is well linked by road to the plains. There is good facilities and maintains and friendly people.

Srinagar is the state capital and great and beautiful Town in Jammu and Kashmir. Srinagar is called by name of paradise on the earth due to have mesmerizing charm and spectacular sights. There are many tourist places which may mesmerize you with their natural beauty. With the help of tour package for Srinagar, you can see Treasure Trove of Breathtaking natural beauty, Replete with Picturesque Lakes, Verdant and Unparalletd Pease and tranquity.

If your idea of a perfect summer holiday destination is one that offers breathtaking views, picturesque landscapes and clean fresh air redolent with the scent of pine trees and herbs then you should head to any of the hill stations like Darjeeling, Kasauli, Kashmir, Kodaikanal, Manali, Mt.Abu, Mussorie Nanital, Ooty, Shimla and Ranikhet just some of the destinations that bring pleasant memories to mind.

Usually, to reach any hill stations in India one needs to aboard a metre-gauge train from the nearest railway station. As the train begins to chug along the tracks you would realize that the train journey itself is a treat to the senses. Each curve in the mountain-trail presents some breathtaking views worthy of any postcard and the most thrilling part of the journey comes when the train howls through dark tunnels enveloping everyone in complete darkness.

One can experience absolute bliss and tranquillity in these exotic destinations. A mountain trek on a bicycle is perhaps the best way to explore a hill station. What they offer is breathtaking beauty; the sight of hills covered with lush greenery and meadows ablaze with wild flowers, terraced fields, waterfalls and spring-fed streams is a sight to behold. It is perhaps the quietest way to enjoy the hills. One gets to see abundant flora in these hill stations: pines, cedars, himalayan oaks, rhodendrons, wild cherries and so forth, the astonishing variety is for all to see.

Most international carriers offer daily/weekly flights to India that land in Delhi, Mumbai or any other metro. Package deals are the best option as they provide customers the choice of availing bundled offers which include air-tickets and hotel reservations. Customers save themselves from the hassle of booking tickets and rooms separately while agents benefit from higher revenues.

Summers are usually the best time for visiting any hill station in the North of India or if you plan to visit a destination down south then the best time would be from November to March. Ensure that your bookings are made months in advance, so that you get the best deals on airfare and hotels and the maximum value for your hard earned money.

Travel insurance is necessary for your vacation packages and without it all your travel dreams cannot come true. Travel insurance is essential for a traveler as it covers your medical and financial expenses and losses incurred on your domestic or international travel. It’s usually arranged at the time of booking the trip and covers the exact duration of the trip.

Many travel agents offer insurance, as part of their travel packages but it will be worth for you if you arrange it on your own through an online source. You can search for a good insurance policy and choose between single and multi trip insurances. If you plan to travel once in a year, then travel insurance of single trip policy will be suitable. But if you have plans to travel frequently then you can consider taking multi trip insurance policy. Continuous insurance can be bought from travel agents, travel suppliers like tour operators, cruise lines and companies offering travel insurance.

A multi trip insurance policy is commonly referred as annual insurance travel policy and can save big money in the long run. While arranging for insurance policies for travel, be clear with what the insurance coverage is provided along with the inclusions and exclusions. Always remember to look at other things also if you look for a compromise between your travel insurance coverage and the premium to be paid. Never assume that a policy with cheap premium will not offer good insurance coverage. This may work in reverse also. A policy taken at a higher price need not cover all aspects of insurance coverage required by you.

As a traveler you face lot of problems and risks while traveling like loss of property and money, trip cancellation, natural calamities, accidents, occasionally death and terrorist attacks. You cannot prevent these risks or stop your travel plan but you can reduce the risk involved by taking travel insurance policies.

The concept of travel insurance is very simple. You pay a travel insurance premium to the company and they in turn covers for your loss of valuables, accidents and unforeseen things.

The premium you pay for travel insurance covers risks faced on travel like:

There are lots of possibilities for trip cancellation due to unavoidable circumstances and last minute cancellation will fetch you very less amount as refund. Your travel insurance covers such losses and provides the cancellation cost but the reason for cancellation must be part of the agreement you have signed with the company.

If you lose your baggage then the insurance company pays for the baggage cost but again based on the rules of your insurance contract. A travel insurance policy sometimes covers your medical expenses if incurred while traveling. But if you have got health insurance separately then you don’t have to spend again for health insurance during travel.

Generally travel insurance covers other things like accidental death, medical evacuation etc.

An important golden rule of all insurance policies is to go through the agreement carefully because most of the time you apply for insurance policies during emergencies.

Travel insurance is offered with various options for different types of travelers like student, business, adventure, international and leisure travelers. Travel insurance is also offered for participating in sports involving high risk and traveling to certain countries which have a high risk.

Carlton – Is one of the finest Hotels In Hill Station Kodaikanal located in Tamilnadu. Make reservation online in Kodaikanal Hotels with beautiful scenery and gorgeous Hill Stations from www.krahejahospitality.com

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Welcome to Himachal Pradesh. It is one of the most beautiful tours and travel destination in India, where tourists come from across the globe. It is endowed with imposing natural beauty, snow capped mountains, religious temples, inviting trekking routes, colonial buildings, fruit laden orchards and several other striking tourists attraction. Hill stations of the state are also very popular for adventure and sports. Its soothing climatic conditions, tourism options and accommodation facilities attract tourists all the year round.

Some of the most popular hill stations of the Himachal Pradesh are

Shimla

Dominated by the beauty of nature, Shimla is the capital city of Himachal Pradesh. It is also known as the “Queen of Hill Stations” due to its exceptional natural beauty. It is the ideal place to enjoy sometime in peace breaking away from the hustle and bustle of the city life. Once you are in this beautiful hill station, windows of scintillating natural beauty starts opening for you. Some of the tourist attractions of this beautiful hill station are

Kullu

It is another popular hill station in the state of Himachal Pradesh. It is also known as the Valley of Gods. In the spring season the valley of is bedecked by the crimson rhododendrons while the winter is decorated with fairy white snow. It is too endowed with the sheer natural beauty that appeals tourists all the year round from all the nook and corner of the world. Due to its astounding beauty and pleasant ambiance Kullu Manali tour is very popular among domestic and international tourists. Come and treasure the experience of lifetime exploring the beauty of Kullu. Some of the tourist attractions of Kullu are

Raghunathji Temple Vaishno Devi Jagannathji Temple Bijli Mahadev Temple The Great Himalayan National Park Kanawar Sanctuary

Manali

It is outstandingly beautiful, festooned by the beauty of nature. It is the hill town where the beauty of the apple orchards and the full bloom meadows with wildflowers, transform the region natural paradise. The snow capped mountains, gushing waterfalls, flower bedecked valleys and friendly people at your own home while you are enjoying the beauty of Kullu Manali. Some of the popular tourist attractions of this picturesque hill town are

Kothi Solang Valley Rahala Falls Manali Sanctuary Rhotang Pass

Manali is also the dream destination of the honeymoon couples. Newly wedded couples love to spend their honeymoon vacation in Manali to give a magical start to their newly married life. So honeymoon package Manali is frequently booked package by the newly wedded couples. Well if you are planning for tour in this Traveler’s Paradise State, book your tour package and enjoy your vacation in a delightful and memorable way. Surely you will treasure a lifetime experience which will last forever.

Think about it for a minute.  Are there really Online Travel Business Opportunities?  Well, the answer is yes, absolutely.  The hardest question to answer for most people is who, what, where and why ? 

These are exactly the same questions we had here, and so we decided to search out the answers.  We looked at numerous online travel business opportunities.  Some were not opportunities at all, some were over exaggerated opportunities, and one stood out above the rest.  The criteria we used on reviewing online travel business opportunities were simple. We wanted a company with a proven track record, a real future, an easy to use system, extensive connections in the travel industry, a strong management team, and very importantly a company we could make money with and grow with.  As travelers we wanted to be able to book our own travel and earn a commission.  Basically we wanted to get paid to cruise and travel.  But we also wanted to be able to grow our online travel business and keep traveling.  We also wanted to present the opportunity to others as we traveled.  Sounds impossible, but it is not.  It is being done right now.

Ok , so who is the company.  The company that we feel is the best online travel business is YTB   Online Travel. 

What is YTB Online Travel?   YTB Online Travel Business brings you the perfect opportunity to transform your life through combining the fun of travel with the speed of the Internet, multiplied by the power of referral marketing to provide you with the ultimate home-based business solution. YTB Online Travel Business is taking the industry by storm!!  By combining an advantage-rich, home-based business (built around the Internet) with an extremely lucrative (and copyrighted) compensation plan, YTB Online Travel Business has become “The Choice” for thousands of opportunity seekers. In today’s marketplace, myriads of companies seek your time and attention, each claiming that their opportunity is the best.  By combining the powerful information handling capability of the Internet with the world’s most dynamic product (TRAVEL) and the personal touch of independent, home-based business people, YTB Online Travel Business has joined these three trends together in a flawless combination. The Internet is opening the doors to the riches of travel as never before. By utilizing the YTB Online Travel Business simple strategies and proven techniques you will learn how to leverage your time to generate a residual income 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  YTB Online Travel Business leaders work with you from the very beginning to set up and promote  your online travel business.  They  are experts in online marketing.  They teach you the secrets to success.  

Where is YTB Online Travel?  YourTravelBiz.com (YTB), is a wholly owned subsidiary of publicly traded YTB International Inc., and located in Wood River, IL.  Each YTB Online Travel Business has their own travelsite, maintained and updated for them by YTB.  Reps work from home, everything is completely internet based.  It’s better and easier than “plug and play” hardware.  No computer geeks here and we did it with no problems.  Setup takes only a few minutes.  And YTB Online Travel Business experts do this for you.  YTB International Inc is celebrating their 7th. year in business.  Subsidiary YTB Travel Network is the fastest growing travel company in America and are building for the long run. 

Why YTB Online Travel?  YTB is a top 35 US travel seller, and based on current rate of growth is set to sell $1 BILLION of travel in 2008.  YTB has proven their stability and paid out several million dollar bonuses to its top Directors, which may set a network marketing industry record.  YTB Online Travel Business has grown impressively over the years.    The company is 7 years old and has just entered exponential growth. They’ve grown from 3,209  reps in 2003 to 8,348 reps in 2004, 21,399 reps in 2005, 60,063 reps in 2006 and 132,700 plus reps in 2007.  At present they are well over 140,000 reps. 

YTBI has five times more retail customers the RTAs purchasing their travel.  This is one of the highest customer to RTA ratios in the direct sales industry.  This fact alone makes it hard for anyone or any authority to not recognize the YTB Online Travel Business as a legitimate retailer of travel no matter how the network marketer model is structured.

YTB Online Travel Business is in its seventh year  and the majority of all RTA’s that have ever been with YTB are still active.  That is, every RTA including all six previous years according to YTB Online Travel Business.  That is a phenomenal record in direct sales. 

Although you can start earning fast in the YTB Online Travel Business and earn bonuses up to a million dollars as many Directors have, over and above the commission structure, YTB Online Travel Business wants to be known as the large, long term residual company.  It already has more than 100 Reps earning six figures annually with many earning $50,000.00 a month or more.    In fact, six are earning six figures a month.  That’s right, per month, not just in a year. Of course the phenomenal RTA retention rate contributes to the ease of creating a large, long term residential income.  The above incomes are extra ordinary and being made by a small number of established Directors of YTB Online Travel Businesses and are not indicative or guaranteed as to what you will make.  However the YTB Online Travel Business is still a great opportunity for anyone who likes to travel,  wants to get paid to cruise and travel, wants to earn additional income (YTB has a program that guarantees $6,000.00 first year income)  from an internet home based business, and would like to share this opportunity with others. 

In the nearly ten years that we have been researching MLM or network marketing we have never found any company willing to guarantee “BOTH” the first year profitability and the residual income derived from ones efforts.

In fact, much to the industries detriment, companies all too often made outrageous income and life style claims to lure the unsuspecting into programs where true success was all but impossible except for a select few. These few would be paraded across the stage, given huge bonus checks to perpetuate the dream, or more aptly put, the myth of a success full home based business.

The blame was always assigned to the individual. The most egregious of companies were closed and or failed but the industry as a whole supported, promoted, and taught the flawed approach of “through enough against the wall and some will stick” or “if they fog a mirror sponsor them”. With very few exceptions the industry has never focused on insuring success with a valid business plan nor have they promoted retention by guarantying that the average person would have a chance to leverage their success through duplication.

Sadly, until now, most companies actions showed they cared little for the individual once their application fee had cleared.

Well, we’ve succeeded in making a short story long. We’ve made our point. This is the first instance we’ve found where a company has addressed the above mentioned problems. In our estimation they’ve found a solution. Their product, “travel”, may not be a uniquely differentiated but it can be marketed to every single niche market without exception.

The company is 7 years old and has just entered exponential growth. They’ve grown from 3209  reps in 2003 to 8348 reps in 2004, 21399 reps in 2005, 60063 reps in 2006 and 132700 plus reps in 2007. 

Simply put, this is the easiest opportunity we have ever found to market. One that we can finally say, with full confidence, that any person joining can make a profit without any reservations.

YTB Online Travel Business looks at every RTA who joins the travel company as a group waiting to happen.  Each RTA is a center of influence and brings a warm market to YTB.  The company has an infrastructure in place to help them with family reunions, church groups, fundraising trips, etc.  Over 60 percent of YTB’s cruise business are groups and YTB Travel is working on tools to help its RTA’s with land group sales also.    

For more information on the YTB Online Travel Business Opportunity go to 

www.travelveracity.biz         

Indias tourism industry is booming with new opportunities and government support. Every year millions of foreign visitors visit on India holidays. India is well known throughout the world for its culture, heritage – both manmade and natural, famous buildings, hills stations, sightseeing places and wonders of the world. The climate of India is variable as we move from north to south. This country is famous throughout the world for its spiritual richness as well. India offers wide variety of tourists destinations to the visitors. Each attractions and sightseeing places of country has been blessed with some unbelievably beautiful and attractive scene. In India there are various beautiful places and hill stations where you spend your holidays and picnics happily while India tours.

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Hill stations in India

Darjeeling

Darjeeling is the queen of all hill stations, famous for its natural beauty, clean fresh air, year round pleasant weather and above all, the ever smiling and welcoming local people. The 3rd highest pick in the world, mount Kanchenjunga is very close to this place and also gives the clearest view. During tours to India, Darjeeling is widely known as visitors paradise because every day it offers something new to everyone ,may be the first time visited and may be the regular one.

Manali

Manali offers wide variety of mountain resorts that are Covered with pinewoods and apple orchards. Manali is one of the attractive, adventure and nature lover destinations from all over the world. At an attitude of 1929 meters, it is bordered by the Rohtang Pass, the gateway to the mighty mountain desert-Ladakh. Perched on the left bank of the River Beas, the Holiday In Manali overlooks a fertile valley covered with gently terraced paddy fields. The majestic snow clad peaks of the Himalayan range provides a breathtaking backdrop.

Ooty

Ooty in India is known as Udhagamandalam is the “Queen of hill stations” and the capital of Nilgiris district India. It is one of the most popular tourist resorts in India. Nilgiris means “Blue Mountains”. While holidays in India Ooty is used as land of picturesque picnic spots and Used to be popular summer and weekend getaway for the Britishers during the colonial days. It is situated at an altitude of 2,240 meters above sea level. An added attraction for the tourists to Udagamandalam is the mountain train journey.

Srinagar

The climatic conditions in Srinagar are mostly alpine. Summers (April-June) are gentle and soothing while the winters (November-February) are icy cold. During December-February it is blessed with heavy snowfall. Srinagar is best visited during summers between the months of April and June. During tours to India you will need to carry heavy woolens while traveling to Srinagar.

Shimla

Shimla is a beautiful hill town in the lap of nature, surrounded by pine and deodar forests. Temperature is ideal in summers and tourists flock it in great numbers and it is highly advisable to get hotel reservations done well in advance despite the fact that there are over 1000 hotels in Shimla. It is well connected by road to the plains. Facilities and amenities are good. People are friendly. It is also comparatively safer than other tourist destinations. All this makes it the favorite travel destination of tourists from India and across the world. A amazingly high percentage of tourists come back here again. It is situated in the north-west Himalayas and is the capital of the state of Himachal Pradesh in North India.

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Panchgani

Panchgani is an idyllic mountain retreat in the Krishna valley. Tucked away in the Satara district of Maharashtra, Panchgani is a well-known hill station of Maharashtra on the highway to Mahabaleshwar from Pune.

Mahabaleshwar

Mumbai to Mahabaleshwar via Mahad is 220 kms Mumbai to Pune is 180 kms & further Pune to Mahabaleshwar is 120 kms. Panchgani to Mahabaleshwar is 20 kms. Vast green plateau of about 150 sq. kms. Height is about 4500 feet above sea level. Climate is never too hot because of the heights. Never too cold bacause of the nearness to the Arabian Sea. Duration of higher temperature is short.

Matheran

Matheran is Just 85 miles from Pune is an unsullied, pollution free hill station and the most loved one by nature lovers, trekkers and honeymooners. The place is special as you will need to walk a lot here; motor vehicles are not allowed beyond a point. You will find ponies, horses and man pulled carriages if you do not intend to walk. Sharlott lake, Panorama Point, Porcupine Point and the train journey from Neral to Matheran are not to be missed when in Matheran.

Travellers or Travelers today, whether experienced or not, have unlimited choices, so why use a travel agent?

Savvy travellers or travelers, when in need of information relating to specific destinations or activities, seek out travel agents with knowledge, experience and expertise of those destinations and activities.

It is not always easy choosing a travel agent. Many agents are called specialists, but sometimes the qualification to be a specialist is a simple test run by a tourism office or tour operator. Sometimes, these tests do not require the agent to have ‘been there, done that, got the t-shirt.’ Some of these tests are too simple and could harm the reputation of the travel industry if allowed to continue unchecked. A ’specialist’ can mean, ‘I know the brochure product’ or ‘I have seen a training video’ or ‘I have taken a test given by a Tourism Office.’

If you find a specialist, ask about their expertise. Ask them if they or their colleagues have any direct knowledge, experience and expertise of where you want to go and what you want to do, after all, it is your hard-earned money.

Experts are out there. Find them locally or use the internet and then do your bookings with them. You may have to use different experts for different destinations and activities, just as you would select any other professional for accounting, legal, medical or mechanical matters, except in your lifetime you will probably (or hopefully) spend more on travel than all of the others put together.

Reality Check: “I once tried a major chain of travel centres to get 2 tickets to Mexico from Canada. I was only offered 2 airlines. I then used an internet search and came up with 5 airlines and made my bookings online. Perhaps the travel centre did not earn commission or was not able to charge a fee for the booking or did not want an ‘air only’ booking or did they only offer their ‘preferred products’ which limits client choices?” The Nomad

If you do not need an expert agent you can use the internet to find all kinds of global travel choices and then you can make your booking directly with an online agent or travel operator. If you decide to make your own bookings directly with the travel operator you should not have to pay the full retail price which has a built-in amount for commissions to be paid to sellers of their travel products. Retail agencies that have their own in-house tour products which are sold through other agencies should also be prepared to sell at a net price for a direct booking from a consumer.

It is only fair that agents and agencies earn commissions and fees from travel providers such as hotels, lodges, tours, cruises or mark up their own tour products to allow for a third-party sale. They all have overheads which have to be covered to give local consumers the convenience of local shopping and it is important to support your local businesses as long as they offer excellent pricing and service. At the same time, it is only fair that consumers who make their own bookings directly with travel operators should not have to incur this extra cost. Fair fare prices should be available for consumers who want to handle their own direct bookings.

If you are comfortable with dealing over the internet directly with the travel providers and you want to get fair fare prices you can check out a travel website that was launched in April 2008 that, for members only, offers free travel vouchers that saves them the commission or fee elements in retail travel prices. The site offers thousands of travel vouchers for travel in over 70 countries ranging from simple B&B accommodations to complex adventure travel, all at net of commission prices. This travel site is operated by an online travel club that does not sell travel or make reservations and all monies therefore, are handled directly between the members and the travel operators.

The internet has just about everything a traveller or even a traveler could want, whereas agents and agencies can only offer limited selections of brochures from travel providers and operators. There are thousands of travel businesses that never get to see the inside of a travel agency or brochure, but they would still be prepared to pay commissions to sellers of their products. This online travel club allows travel businesses to promote their products and services at no cost except the requirement to issue travel vouchers that represent the normal commissions and fees in the retail price. 100% of these savings are then passed on to members who do their own direct bookings. As a member, all travel vouchers are free but if you do not want to join there is an associated website that sells the same travel vouchers without requiring a membership fee.

A tip from the website. When you make your own direct bookings, do make sure that the time in the time-zone that you are calling is appropriate as “it is embarrassing to wake up a Greek Sea Captain at one in the morning somewhere in the Greek Islands to discuss their listing.” The Nomad at The Top Travel Club.

This site is continually adding new travel selections and as long as you are comfortable and prepared to be a D.I.Y. Traveller or D.I.Y. Traveler over the web, you might find some interesting trips and adventures, some of which are not readily available elsewhere.

In closing, I hope you find the little bits of attempted English language humour humorous and as I consider myself 1 L of a Traveler, I say 2 L with travellers but at last I am happy to have found a web travel centre centered around saving me money. Apologies to both Websters and Oxford dictionaries.