Worried about #NoteBan? Travel Cashless with these Easy Tips

The “demonetization” step by the Indian government to fight black money looks promising, however, it has negatively affected several industries. Travel is one such industry that has witnessed a slump in the number of travel bookings. The currency crunch has forced many to abandon their travel plans. Those in the travel business are fighting hard to lure travelers. We, however, look at this situation from a different angle. According to us, the significant plunge in the prices of holiday, hotel, and airline packages is an opportunity for you to travel. The ‘right time’ for a vacation. All you need to know is how to travel cashless. Here are a few tips.

International Travelers

Whether you’re planning to travel to USA, Singapore, or any other country, book your tickets online, instead of booking through local agents who mostly deal in cash. This would mean less hassle for you as you don’t have to stand in the long ATM queues to withdraw cash. Booking online also gives you the freedom to choose from several national and international packages available at discounted prices, and the best part is that you can book a ticket from the comfort of your home.

Apply online for Visa

We understand that many people, who are short on time and find applying for Visa a little complicated, prefer hiring an agent. Agents, however, may not have the facility to pay online and may require you to pay for the booking fee in cash. As arranging cash may be an issue at this time, you can choose to book your Visa through an online travel portal. Most companies offering holiday travel packages also offer visa services. You would get all the necessary information on their website, for example – information on how to apply for a Visa, the required documents, and the time it will take to for your Visa to be processed.

Buying Foreign Currency Online

Buying foreign currency through a local Forex dealer in exchange of local currency in cash is almost next to impossible during these days as cash is rarely available. An alternate way to get foreign currency is to get the exchange done online. There are a number of benefits of exchanging foreign currency online. First, you can lock the rate of a particular currency to ensure you’re not at loss even if its value increases. Second, booking the currency online also means you can get it delivered at your doorstep. You can even buy a Forex card online if you want to avoid carrying cash.

Domestic Travelers

Even when you’re traveling within India, make all your bookings online. There are various websites offering single, family, and group tour packages such as FlamingoTravels.co.in. You can get at reasonable rates. Here are a few tips to go cashless when traveling.

Use your e-wallet

Use e-wallets such as, paytm, mobikwik, PayU money, freecharge, Airtel Money, Vodafone’s mPesa, and Citrus Wallet for food, recharging your mobile phones, and other daily necessities. You can use such apps to book bus, hotel, and flight tickets, and grab good discounts on these bookings.

App-based Cabs

When you’re traveling within a city, use apps such as Ola, Meru, and Uber to save cash. They may cost you a little more than what you have to pay when hiring an auto, but are a safer and more comfortable alternative. Most importantly, you can pay online and don’t need cash to make the payments.

Some More Tips

• Book a complete travel package online that includes hotel, air tickets, breakfast, and dinner.
• Purchase ready to eat foods such as cheese spread, noodles, bread, protein bars, biscuits, and medicines using plastic money and pack them in your backpack.
• It can be challenging to find ATMs in off-beat destinations such as Kasol. Therefore, use your debit/credit cards for all the purchases here. Carry cash in lower denominations.
• Use the Walnut app to find an ATM near you.
• Always use plastic money in fast food places such as Pizza Hut, McDonalds, and KFC.
• If by chance you’re in Mumbai, and plan to travel in a local train, use Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS) app. This app lets you transfer money from your e-wallet and book online tickets.

Conclusion

Although demonetization has affected various industries, including the travel industry, it has many advantages for people who want to travel.  Airline carriers, hotels, restaurants, and other travel related businesses have significantly cut down on the prices of their services to attract travelers. Use the tips mentioned in this post and take the benefit of the current cash crunch situation.

Happy Traveling!

Beware of this travel scam in India

India can be a dangerous place if you aren’t careful. You think of a travel scam and India has it all. Don’t get us wrong, I am not trying to scare you; most Indian people don’t go around scamming tourists. But there are people who thrive on scamming and robbing unsuspecting tourists. Here’s a story I would like to share with travellers to India. It was sent to me by a fellow tourist to India and it is my duty to advise people to be careful.

Hi Shalu

I have just been reading your travel advice for India and it has been really helpful. I just wanted to a share an experience my husband and I had at Delhi train station on 16th Nov. We had booked the 6.45 am train to Dehradun and had arrived at the station found the departure board and couldn’t see our train. Our Airbnb host has told us the train usually goes from platform 1. A well dressed English speaking man approached us and explained that the board was not working and guided us to a more official looking English speaking man who asked us where we were going and told us that our train had been cancelled. He told us that a pre paid taxi had been arranged and when I asked to see his ID. He just spoke louder with more authority and wrote an address down saying that all would be sorted at the Tourist Office DTDC at the Baba Kharak Singh Marg.

They then ushered us into a taxi before we really had time to collect our thoughts together. We were taken to a travel agent who proceeded to tell us we would have to pay 21,000 rupees to fly to Dehradun he also phoned the coach station and handed us the phone to speak to a man in English who told us there were no coaches for the next 4 days. We realised we had been scammed and demanded that the taxi that had brought us to the travel agent took us back to the station.

I had been trying to phone our Airbnb host in Delhi but we had no signal in the travel agent and conveniently no Wi-Fi. There were 2 men in the taxi one who spoke very good English and tried to make out that he didn’t know the man at the station who had put us into his taxi, he said the man at the station had said that we had asked to go to the travel agent. So he took us to another travel agent and he said he could arrange something for £200. Luckily at this point I finally managed to speak to our host who told us to come back to her and we would sort something out. She was so shocked and told us the trains never get cancelled. We were put into a taxi and the driver offered to drive us to Dehradun for 6,000 rupees.

We went back to our lovely friend in Delhi who helped us organise an air conditioned Volvo bus at 12.30 that day for 700 rupees each! We felt so stupid for having been taken in. I think we fell for all their reasoning about the currency shortages and the fact we couldn’t see our train on the board, the fact that they spoke very good English and were very convincing and it was only our second day in Delhi and we were overwhelmed by the train station. What we should have done in hindsight is taken a porter, as we now know having travelled a few times by train. They know exactly what train goes where. So my advice to anyone travelling by train is to get one of the official porters wearing the red scarves and they have metal arm band stating they are official to help them if they are in any doubt! I hope this helps some of your readers and that sharing our experience prevents others from falling for the same scam.

It all worked out in the end and we really enjoyed our coach ride which we would not have experienced if we had not been scammed! Apart from this experience we have had a truly incredible time in India!!!!

Kind regards Julia

Marina Beach of Chennai - The longest beach in India

A lot of drastic changes have happened in past few years’ courtesy to all the technological advancement but by the grace of God some things haven’t changed and one of them is the urge to travel and explore. When it comes to beaches the urge has only increased! Going for a dive, or just lazily relaxing, soaking in the for Vitamin D, enjoying a swim or surfing, this is what comes to mind when we think of a beach and this is exactly what Marina Beach (Chennai) offers.

Marina Beach of Chennai is probably the most famous beach in the country, more famous than the beaches of Goa. If anyone thinks of Chennai one creates an image of Marina Beach in their mind. The beach is pride of Chennai (formerly known as the city of Madras). What makes it famous is the fact it’s the longest beach in the country and second longest beach in the world. The turquoise crystal clear waters, the golden sand and a lot of fun activity on the beach make Marina Beach the prime tourist destination of Chennai. Marina beach is different from the rest of beaches as we rarely encounter a beach with statues of Tamil actors. The beach has become a sort of tomb for leaders like Anna and MGR.

Marina Beach Food Stall – Photo by Aleksandr Zykov

The beach is pleasantly cool during the evenings and the smooth breeze from the ocean makes a walk very nice. During the day in the South Indian summer, it’s scorching hot and humid. Chennai has never very cool but it can get pleasant in winters and breeze on the beach a little cooler. A lot of people come to the beach for an early morning or evening walk. It is thought that around 15000 people go to the beach every day.

Marina Beach starts from Fort St George and ends at Besant Nagar and covers a length of 13 kilometres. The beach has wide foreshores with width around 300 metres. Over the last few years it has become a bit dirty with plastic bottles being littered all over the place but nonetheless it’s the most popular picnic spot in Chennai.

Things to do on Marina Beach

Leisure & Entertainment Activities at Marina Beach

Located along the Bay of Bengal on the eastern side of Chennai Marina beach is a popular site for surfing thanks to its strong currents. Because of the very strong currents, people don’t usually swim. This doesn’t stop people coming to this place in large numbers. It’s a picnic spot on the weekends and also the meeting point for youngsters. There are number of food stalls on the beach where people enjoy snacks and dinner. In addition, there are numerous excellent restaurants along the beach some catering finest food in Chennai. Chennai is the best place to try the famous “masala dosa”.

Masala Dosa

For those interested in shopping, the local hawkers have everything Indian you can think off. From sea shells to the kites, silks sareesa and shawls, you can buy whatever you want.

Attractions around Marina Beach

Some of the most of the famous buildings that you could visit in Chennai like the Chepauk Palace, Chepauk Stadium, University of Madras, Senate House lie along the Marina Beach drive. There is a famous lighthouse called the “Madras Light House” facing the Bay of Bengal a popular landmark is worth visiting. There is also a huge golf course along the drive if you are interested in playing golf in Chennai. Here’s more on what to do on Indian beaches.

Aquarium, Pool and the Memorials

Located on the beach there is an aquarium which is home to some of the rarest and exotic tropical sea fishes. The aquarium makes you feel like you have taken a dive into the sea to watch the beautiful fishes. The aquarium also houses a variety of freshwater fishes. There is also an Ice House where ice have been brought from the lakes of US and Canada. There is also a pool alongside the beach that attracts a lot of swimmers. There is also a victory memorial constructed in memory of Indian soldiers who died fighting for the British Army during the first and Second World War.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfDLYeZhkOM&spfreload=5

Marina Beach was completely destroyed in December 2004 when Tsunami lashed the shores which killed hundreds of people. Since then it hasn’t got back its lost sheen but work is being done for it to regain its lost status and become a major tourist attraction like it used to be in its glory days. When in Chennai, a visit to the Marina beach is a must to soak up the vibrant Tamil ambience.

Places to visit and things to do in Kerala

When you think of Kerala, you can think of beaches, back waters, house boats, coconut trees, ayurvedic treatments and massages, festivals, artforms and exotic hill stations. Do you need any more reasons for visiting this nature made beautiful land? Perhaps not!

Kerala is the land of coconut trees and coconuts called Kera. Fantastic wildlife and the added beauty of green paddy fields are like feast to the eyes. This narrow strip of land which stands as an independent state lies along the South western tip of Indian Peninsula. The land is guarded by Western Ghats towards east and the Arabic sea towards west.

One of the peculiar features of this state is its backwaters which connects canals and lakes paving way for water navigation system. There are 44 rivers in the state and the famous few are Bharathapuzha (209 kms), Periyar (244 kms), Pamba (176 kms), Achancoil (128 kms), Valapattanam river (110 kms), and Kadalundipuzha (130 kms). Kerala is truly the land of waters, don’t you agree?

Kerala backwaters houseboat. Source: Globetrotter girls

The must do’s in Kerala other than visiting places and beaches:

• Kerala is the home for traditional Ayurvedaic treatments. The most famous and indigenous treatments are the Shirodhara and mud bath whose authenticity belongs to Kerala! Apart from these you can get the lavish and exquisite ayurvedic spa and massages.

• Every year, Malapurram district of Malabar hosts the bullock race. You can bet and win your bit!

• Anamudi, the South India’s highest peak is beautiful. You can also experience trekking in the Eravikulam National Park.

• Thekkady, the wildlife treasure is something you cannot miss. Herds of Indian elephants is the main attraction. You can also find Tigers, Leopards, Barking deer and many other animals here.

• Try making it to HomeStay in Kerala. Many local people offer home cooked meals and stay at home in Kerala. This would bring in some distinct experience than staying at hotels.

• Must try Kerala delicacies are puttu and appam for breakfast. For lunch payasam and karimeen pollichathu. Other delicacies are neyyappam, pazham pori and vada. Here’s a typical Indian breakfast, lunch and dinner.

• Do not forget to replenish your electrolytes by sipping nature’s nectar i.e. tender coconut water and also try road side special tea known for long stretch of pouring from one glass to another.

Chai and Pakora

• The Kerala festivals and feasts are unique so are the dance and art forms. Do not miss to get a glimpse of Kathakali dance, Mohiniyattam dance, Thiruvathira kali and kalari payattu. Learn more on Hinduism here.

• In the months of August and September, the snake boat race brings the calm backwaters of Kerala to life. The 130 feet long boats known as snake boats are packed with hundred rowers who put in sweat and blood to row the boat in frantic speeds.

• Elephant pageant and para-gliding are the other best options to see and try!

Kerala just after sunrise

The must visit destinations in Kerala:

• Thiruvananthapuram– It is the capital city of Kerala. The City of Thiruvananthapuram has many interesting places to visit such as the Napier Museum, the Sri Chitra Art Gallery, the Padmanabhaswamy Temple and Ponmudi hill station. A State owned handicrafts emporium, is the best place to buy authentic craftsmen’s articles.

• Alappuzha– It is called ‘Venice of the East’. It is known for houseboats which are no less than cruise with luxury comforts. You can hire house boats such as Alleppey boat house to experience the rustic backwaters of Alappuzha.

• Bekal– The fort at Bekal is one of the largest and best preserved forts in Kerala along with a beach known as Bekal Fort Beach.

• Cochin/Kochi– Fort of Kochi, residence of Vascho-Da-Gama and not to forget the beaches. The backwaters and the harbor from Marine Drive is really breathtaking. Cochin is called as the “Queen of Arabian Sea.”

• Kovalam– It has one of the best beaches which attract international tourists. Many people do Sunbathing, swimming, take the herbal body toning massages, go to many of the cultural programmes and catamaran cruising.

• Kumarakom– This is a cluster of islands famous for its bird’s sanctuary. Houseboats and traditional Kettuvalloms (rice barges) are the main attractions.

• Munnar– It is a hill station situated at the juncture of three mountain streams – Muthirapuzha, Nallathanni and Kundala is a mesmerizing place for a holiday. Tea museum, National Park and many other attractions beckon the visitors.

• Thekkady– Thekkady is famous for elephants, chains of hills and spice scented plantations. The Periyar forests are a well known wildlife reserves in India. Mountain climbing and trekking freaks could enjoy their every bit in this place.

• Wayanad– It is a place in the Western Ghats which has pristine beauty of nature preserved from ages. It is known for its sub-tropical savannahs and picturesque hill stations apart from bearing rich cultural traditions.

Dani & Jess at the backwaters of Kerala: Read their interview here.

Do not forget, Kerala is also a hot favourite destination for love birds and honeymoon couples. Take a houseboat in the serine backwaters along with your partner, the scene is just perfect! Kerala is a must visit destination. If you are looking for deals then try these Kerala Tour Packages and you might find something that you would like.

5 photos that will make you think differently about India

Here are 5 photos of India that will make you think! These pictures will give you an entirely different outlook on India and life in general. These photos are in the public domain clicked by various people and uploaded on the net. Let’s take a look at some of these photos.

Cracked feet

I liked this one the best. This is a photo of an old man sleeping. Cracked soles like this are very typical of people in rural India. People in India work hard and don’t bother to care about their feet.

Old woman scavenging

This will be a common sight in many parts of India. Although many people have been uplifted out of poverty but you do see people scavenging scraps of plastic so that they can sell to make some money.

Agriculture in India

Take a visit to the villages of India and you will see people working in their fields. Farmers will not only till their land manually, they will also harvest and collect everything manually. Other parts of the world may have moved on, but in India many of the poor farmers still work manually. In this picture a rural woman is selling fruits to motorists.

Old women

Go to any small town, you will find women sitting and looking at the traffic go by. The ashes on their forehead are holy ash called “vibhuti” made of burnt wood used to worship Lord Shiva.  The act of applying vibhuti is to remind Hindus that the world is impermanence.

Man having a trim and shave

Another common scene in India! Many men don’t shave at home and hence go to roadside barbers who charge next to nothing. Next time you go to India, you might try it.

India is a great place for taking photos. Here are tips on how to take beautiful photos in India.

Guide to Diwali - The Indian festival of lights

If you are in India right now then you are going to see the best fireworks you have ever seen. Every single household in India will be lighting clay lamps and cracking fireworks. Here’s a brief guide to the festival of Diwali.

Diwali (also known as Deepavali) as it is known to the world is the Hindu festival of lights. It is a five day festival but the most important is the day when fireworks are displayed. Generally, it falls between mid October to early November every year. The 2014 Diwali falls on the Thursday 23rd of October. The date is dictated by the Indian lunar calendar. Many a times it coincides with Guy Fawkes Night (5th of November) of Great Britain.

Diwali is supposed to be the celebration of the victory of good over evil. Followers of all principal Indian religions Namely Hinduism, Sikhism and Jainism will celebrate Diwali. Sikhs and Jains celebrate Diwali for separate reasons. It is thought that Mahavira the “founder” or the last Jain Tirthankar of the Jain religion attained Mokhsha on Diwali while the Sikhs celebrate because the sixth guru called Guru Hargobind freed himself and other Hindu rulers on this day in October 1619 from the Muslim Mughal ruler Emperor Jahangir.

Hindus consider this the day Lord Ram came back to his kingdom of Ayodhya after spending 14 years in exile. It is also the day when “Lakshmi”, the Goddess of wealth and prosperity is worshipped. Not many people know this but this was the night when Lakshmi choose Vishnu as her husband. Diwali is also the beginning of the new year in the Hindu calender.

The way Indians celebrate Diwali is by lighting row of lights all around the house. The lights typically are of clay lamps with oil as fuel but nowadays electric light and candles are used. Special prayers will be done to please “Lakshmi”. It is thought that “Lakshmi” would find her way to a house using these lights.

We eat sweets, buy new clothes and utensils, worship Lakshmi and give presents to friends and family and of course crack the fireworks.

Here are the top places to celebrate Diwali in India

Hinduism For Kids: Beliefs And Practices (Book)

Ask your hotel the best place to see Diwali lights. But the best way to get to know about Diwali would be to spend time with an Indian family. If you can’t, then you can always wonder around the local markets and see what’s going on.

Happy Diwali

Trying tobacco products Gutka and paan masala in India

If you are up for the challenge then you might consider trying Gutka (Gutkha) or paan masala during your trip to India. I personally do not eat Gutka but sometimes would have some paan masala which is the same thing without the tobacco.

However I must warn you about these products!

Gutka in a pouch

Gutka and its other variant Paan Masala are unregulated and dangerous tobacco products in India that has seen increase in occurrence of oral and other forms of cancers. It is light brown colored powder which contains various chemicals besides tobacco. The easy availability of the sachets and its cheap price – a sachet may cost anywhere between Rs.2/- to Rs 10/- has seen its increase in consumption even by young children. Gutka is consumed by people for various reasons like:

• After meal digestive aid
• Mouth freshener
• Dealing with irregular eating habits due to work
• Too stay awake during night driving
• To not fall asleep during night shift at work
• To quit smoking

Unfortunately, those who try to quit smoking with the aid of gutka end up being addicts to both the harmful products.

Read about Paan here

Tobacco has been consumed in India from time immemorial in one form or other. Indians are the 4^th largest consumers of tobacco and 3^rd largest producer of the crop. The unhealthy crop has great influence on Indian economy. Though many countries use tobacco for manufacture of cigars and cigarettes, in India only 14% of the crop is used for making cigarettes. The rest is consumed as chewing tobacco, paan, snuff and in from of Bidis.

Paan Masala

Paan masala and Gutka are initially consumed by people after heavy meals as mouth fresheners. Earlier the mixture of powdered areca nut, paan, tobacco, slaked lime and catechu would contain a lot of healing herbs which aided in dental care and digestion. Some of them contained energy boosters to help people build up stamina for heavy work.  But as days went by, the consumption changed into mere stimulator which lent a kind of high to the consumer. With the change the benefits of the product died down and it became a great health hazard to the people who became addicted to it. Some people are known to consume as many as 25-35 sachets of gutka or paan masala everyday.

In 1976 some industrialists started manufacturing Gutka and Paan masala with mild stimulants on large scale. The product was made alluring with welcoming flavor and taste which was marketed in small sachets easy for purchase and intended for single use. Not many consumers knew about the additive property or health risks involved with consumption of Gutka or Paan masala back then.  Most of the manufacturers misled the public by claiming they have added various spices and healthy herbs to the product whereas the ingredient was in negligible amount. The advent of the small sachets of Gutka and Paan masala which were openly advertised on TV saw a huge surge in its consumption and production. No one was bothered to find out how deadly the combination of tobacco and areca nut would be. The dangerous product containing alkaline pH 8.5-9, nicotine, nitrosamines, benzolapyrene, Cadmium, Lead, Nickel and Arsenic was voraciously consumed by people of all ages who were unaware of its ingredients.

Read about Bidis here

It was only when the matters went out of hand did the government of India realize that the products are highly carcinogenic and have addictive influence on the consumer similar to drug and alcohol. Though the powder is light in color, it turns deep red when combined with saliva which slowly stains the lips and teeth. It is known to cause a mild ecstasy while being chewed which makes the consumer yearn for it more and more. Often Paan masala is said to be free of tobacco unlike Gutka, but the claim stands to be verified by research.

Gutka

The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) has warned all the manufacturers of tobacco product to have warning regarding health issues due to its consumption. The Gutka sachets have a small invisible warning in English which cannot be understood by many consumers. What is more worrisome about the product is its consumption by young children, especially in South Asia. Gutka has become more common addictive among teens than chewing tobacco ever was.

Following the footsteps of parents or trying to be a part of the peer group, children often end up becoming addict to the harmful product. Medical practitioners are concerned with the high rise of OSF (oral submucous fibrosis) commonly known as lock jaw among young consumers of Gutka, which is painful condition leading to oral cancer in future. Some of the children are unable to open their mouth more than an inch. Youngsters who have been exposed to Gutka are most likely to become addictive smokers in future.

The present awake politicians of India are trying to curb the menace of Paan Masala and Gutka by various means and an outright ban on it. The addicts and money hungry manufacturers are finding loopholes and marketing it secretly though. It will take a lot of awareness program and will of the consumers to put an end to this unhealthy, stimulating and addictive product.

Paan Ingredients

You can buy Gutka and paan masala in a paan stall and other smaller shops called “kirana stores”.