Archive for June, 2011
Ryanairs Cancellations Could Equal Decreased Tourism For Fuerteventura
The holidays business like many is suffering as a result of the credit crunch quite simply many families that normally took one or even more holidays per year can no longer afford to do so and the problems that the airline industry has had with regards to fuel cost increases earlier this year and growing pressure to cut down on the number of flights to save the environment has made the tourism industry for many country suffer.
This suffering spreads to destinations as well with many resorts and countries relying on tourism as their main product and industry. If there are no tourists in some resorts then businesses restaurants and hotels can go out of business after a poor peak season. This is a growing problem with many airlines now cutting back on flights to destinations and putting prices up whilst they are at it.
Recently budget airline RyanAir has cancelled flights to two main tourism destinations but the reasoning behind them has not been as expected they have cancelled their flights services to Valencia and now Fuerteventura as the local authority have failed to comply with the budget flights companys demands.
The airline is able to offer cheap flights because they make deals with local authorities and publicly owned airports typically smaller ones to promote their company through advertising and in return they can guarantee tourism hotspots that they will attract large amounts of tourists.
Now that airport owners are feeling the pinch too they are cutting back on the spending that they have up until now have paid out and cutting back on the number of flights they handle in an attempt to cutback on flights.
RyanAir has retorted by ceasing all flights and cancelling any that have already been booked those who had been set to take flights to Fuerteventura will be refunded their money but will have to look elsewhere if they plan to visit these destinations next year.
The travel industry has seen many changes like this in recent months and unfortunately they have mostly been changes for the worse for customers. Many holidaymakers have been urged to consider destinations either closer to home or to find other ways to bring the cost of holidays down such as all inclusive to help reduce the amount you spend when actually on holiday.
Next year may herald more unappealing changes but for now holidays are returning to their previous state as a luxury and not a cheap deal that we have now become accustomed to over the past ten years.
About the writer: Andy Adams is an IT worker and experienced writer
Rajasthan Tour And Travel Information
Lofty rocks rolling sand dunes of burning heat and freezing cold of fertile plains and deep wild glens and jungles Battle scarred forts turreted marble palaces of breathtaking grandeur and whimsical charm delightful folk art and culture riotous colors this is Rajasthan a land full of color and contrast.
It is the largest state of India in terms of area encompassing the enormous Thar Desert. The state is diagonally divided into the hilly and rugged south eastern region and the barren north western.
The Land
The main and most spectacular geographic feature of Rajasthan is the Aravalli Range which is one of the oldest mountain ranges of the world. The range runs for more than 850 km nearly through the entire state from southwest to northeast almost from one end to the other.
The northwestern portion of Rajasthan is generally sandy and dry as most of the region is covered by the Thar Desert. The Aravalli Range and the lands to the east and southeast of the range are in general more fertile this area of Rajasthan is home to the KathiarbarGir dry deciduous forests with tropical dry broadleaf forests.
The Climate
Rajasthan has a tropical desert climate. It is extremely cold from October to February while the scorching sun tortures the land from March to September. There are distinct temperature range variations diurnal and seasonally throughout the state.
Temperature reaches a high a 49C during the summer months. Nights of summers see a considerable temperature fall with a minimum daily temperature around 20C to 29C. January is the coldest month in the stare of Rajasthan. The minimum temperatures sometimes fall to 2C.
The People
Rajasthan is the region of the proud Rajputs who the epitome of Chivalry and whose exploits and bravery in battle are legendary. Before Independence Rajasthan was referred to as Rajputana but the Rajput population is a minority in this state now there numbers have dwindle down with there wealth.
Many tribes are also found in different parts of Rajasthan with their own social systems and customs religion and dress. The Rajasthanis are wellknown for their spirited dances and musical renderings their extremely colorful attire and the royal culture. . Rajasthan is known for its handicrafts and paintings; it is associated with a rich tradition of art culture music and dance.
The Cities
Rajasthan is famous for its grand forts intricately carved temples and ornamented havelis built by kings in previous ages. Jantar Mantar Dilwara Temples Chittorgarh Fort Lake Palace Hotel City Palaces Jaisalmer Havelis are part of the true architectural heritage of India. Jaipur the Pink City is noted for the ancient houses made of a type of sand stone dominated by a pink hue. At Ajmer the white marble Baradari on the Anasagar Lake is wonderful.
Jain Temples are found all over Rajasthan Dilwara Jain Temples of Mt. Abu Ranakpur in the fort complexes of Chittor Jaisalmer and Kumbhalgarh Lodarva etc. The most tourists worthy cities are:
Jaipur Jaipur was built in 1727 by King Jai Singh after whom it was named it is the capial city of Rajasthan. Its most striking feature is the pink wash of the buildings giving Jaipur it the name ‘Pink City’. Jaipur is a royal city filled with palaces jagged fortresses; some of the palaces once the residence of Maharajas have been converted into beautiful heritage hotels.
Jodhpur Is the second largest city of Rajasthan; at the edge of the Thar Desert. It was once the capital of the Marwar state. It was founded in 1459 A.D. by Rao Jodhachief of the Rathore clan of Rajputs. The city is dominated by the massive Mehrangarh fort on a rocky hill; it is aweinspiring with its wealth of historic appeal and colorful markets.
Udaipur is called the ‘City of Lakes it was founded in 1599 by Maharana Udai Singh. The city hailed as the ‘Venice of the East’ set amidst the Aravalli hills of South Rajasthan is one of the most romantic destinations in India. It has a cornucopia of marble palaces lakes temples and rugged hills.
Mount Abu is perched on a 1219 meters high rock plateau at the far southwestern end of the Aravalli hills. Wellknown for its exquisitely carved marble Dilwara temples Mount Abu is an appealing hill resort built around a lake and surrounded by thick woods and hills.
About the writer: Raman Verma is a travel consultant with India tour packages . Provides detailed information on Custom tour packages Rajasthan.
Pulau Weh – Divings Last Frontier
Pulau Weh is located at the tip of northern Sumatra a small volcanic island that plays host to prolific marine life and pristine coral reefs. Until recently this part of the world was considered out of bounds due to civilian conflict however in 2005 a peace agreement was signed and the first international flight left from Kuala Lumpur shortly afterwards. Now after the rebuilding process following the tsunami in 2004 Aceh is looking forward to a peaceful more prosperous future fueled by a growing adventure travel industry which many small businesses are seeing the potential in.
Diving in Indonesia is seen by many as the last frontier. Still remote and off the beaten track the area has some of the most bio diverse marine habitats on earth and Pulau Weh is no exception. Here where the Andaman Sea meets the Indian Ocean a well preserved and rich underwater realm can be found. Deep craggy walls volcanic pinnacles boulders and sloping reefs are all typical of the topography around the island. The deep oceanic trenches that lay around the island bring nutrient rich waters for passing pelagics including Whale Sharks Mantas and Mola Mola when the season is right.
To the very north westerly point of the island lies the monument Kilometer 0 the starting point of Indonesia in the west from here dense primary rainforest cascades towards the reefs that lie just below the surface. Huge labyrinths of boulders lay on sandy slopes before reaching the craggy walls where the reef descends away. Typical of diving in Indonesia the marine life is in abundance particularly the fish life. Angelfish Butterfly Fish Batfish and other common species can be found but whats most special about this area and diving in Indonesia in general is the rare and weird wildlife that can be found. Critters by what divers generally refer to them by are weird and wonderful creatures that are supremely well adapted to their habitat. Colorful Frog Fish take the shapes of the sponges on which they lay in wait for a passing meal. Leaf Fish are also masters of mimicry and even able to drift along the sand in a leaf like way. Many Octopus and species of Moray can be found here also.
Diving in Indonesia has long been considered as some of the finest in the world a truly untouched masterpiece and Pulau Weh will surely not disappoint even for the seasoned professional. Although this territory is remote it is certainly not unreachable. For more information on Pulau Weh and Aceh including travel operators who visit the region visit http://www.divingasia.co.uk.
About the writer: After ten years of worldwide dive travel and professional employment we created a travel company that seeks to enter Asia’s most remote and exciting locations for experiences above and below the surface Dive Safari Asia. For photos video footage destination guides and details of our tours visit
