>> September 2008    >> Newsletter Archive  

top

In this Edition.....

• Creative News - Creative Travel is once again proactive in information sharing.....

• Where you can find us next - ITB Asia 2008, WTM 2008. We will also be at.......EIBTM 2008, ILTM 2008.

• Festival Alert - Gandhi Jayanti, Dussehra and Diwali.

• Guest Comment of the Month - Find out what our clients have to say about us in this section.

• Personally Experienced - Amanbagh, Ajabgarh (Alwar) in Rajasthan.

• Destination News - The PATA India Chapter hopes for an increased awareness on Incredible India, India scores over Thailand, Malaysia in foreign tourists spend, Pinjore Heritage Festival in Haryana from October 5th, Wax Museum - Old Goa's new attraction.......all this and more Destination news. 

• Hotel News - Introducing Private Villas at Ananda in the Himalayas, A Beach Symphony opens, Dickwella Resort reopens with Spa, W Retreat & Spa - Maldives launches James Bond Promotion.....all this and more update on hotels.

• Aviation News - Air Deccan is now Kingfisher, Deccan Aviation launches India’s First Helicopter service from BIAL, Jet Airways to connect Bengaluru (Bangalore) with New York and Toronto via Brussels, BA suspends all flights to Pakistan......and more.

• Indian Recipe of the month - Phool Gobi (Cauliflower) aur Mattar (Peas) ki Subzi (Vegetable).

• Special Feature of the month - Kaya Kalp : ITC Mughal's Royal Spa.

top

Creative News.....

top

Where you can find us next.....

To meet us at ITB Asia, Singapore, click here and email us your details   

To meet us at WTM, London, click here and email us your details   

We will also be at:

• EIBTM in Barcelona - December 2 - 4, 2008

• ILTM in Cannes - December 8 - 11, 2008

top

Festival Alert.....

top

Guest Comment of the Month.....

We at Creative track guest feedback very carefully. Each evaluation form gives us an insight on our operations and allows us to constantly refine our service delivery process. Now and then we get a few letters that brighten up our days. These are some of them :

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

From - Walter C. Monecke, Caracas

To - Creative Travel

Dear Sirs,

This week we returned to our home in Caracas/Venezuela after our tour through the province of Rajasthan and visits to Dubai and Germany. I already expressed to my Travel Agency since more than 25 years our thanks for their recommendation of Creative Travel as the agency which they had selected to be our tour guide during our visit to Rajasthan. Click here to read more.....

top

Personally Experienced.....

Been There.....Seen it.....Experienced it.....Loved it.....

"Amanbagh, Ajabgarh (Alwar) in Rajasthan"
Visited in August, 2008
by Gopal Iyer for Team Creative


I took some of the team members over a week-end in August 2008 to Amanbagh, Ajabgarh (Alwar) in Rajasthan. It was a product knowledge trip and we all had a great experience there.

The Joint General Manager couple (Robyn and Manav) are there to ensure that every guest of Amanbagh are well taken care of with personal touch as they would meet each one of them. Click here to read more....

top

Destination News.....

India scores over Thailand, Malaysia in foreign tourists spend
Foreign tourists spend more time and money in India than its competing destinations like Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore. Forex earnings of other Asian destinations (barring China) from tourists are lower than that of India even as India has been able to attract fewer number of tourists, according to tourism ministry data. In 2007, around 5 million tourists arrived in India and spent nearly $11 billion, while Malaysia and Singapore could attract 20.2 million and 10.2 million foreigners respectively. Their foreign exchange earnings were $10.1 billion and $9.16 billion respectively, says an official data. “We have always promoted the country as a destination of long stay. Foreign tourists, on an average, stay for 14-17 days in India as against 5-7 days in neighbouring countries,” a senior official in the tourism ministry said. India attracts the highest number of tourists from countries like the US, the UK, Bangladesh, Canada and France.

Railways to launch Royal Rajasthan on Wheels
After the huge success of Palace on Wheels, the Railway Ministry in close cooperation with the Rajasthan Tourism will be launching a second super luxury train in December. The itinerary of the train will be same as Palace on Wheels except that it will go to Bikaner instead of Sawai Madhopur. Besides, it would be more luxurious than the Palace on Wheels. The fully air-conditioned new train with a capacity to accommodate 82 passengers per circuit will have one super-deluxe saloon, 13 deluxe saloons, two restro-lounges, one spa car, one kitchen car, two staff cars and two power cars. For the first time a train would have an international gym and spa facility. For the corporate, there will be a state-of-the-art boardroom which will be equipped with all modern facilities. The train will also have internet connectivity, TV, channel music and a public address system. The two restaurant lounge cars, combined would have a capacity of 120 passengers. The proposed journey will be for a week covering New Delhi - Jaipur - Bikaner - Jaisalmer - Jodhpur - Udaipur - Chittorgarh-Bharatpur - Agra - New Delhi.

Tourists flow to Ajanta-Ellora to go up next year
The airport at Aurangabad will be upgraded before the end of this year to receive wide-bodied aircraft, a measure which will give a further fillip to tourism in the region which has the world heritage sites of Ajanta and Ellora. The new the integrated terminal building at the airport will have new state-of-art facilities for the convenience of the travelers and to handle increasing passenger traffic. This will significantly boost international tourist traffic to the region which has several Buddhist monuments.
 

Pinjore Heritage Festival in Haryana from October 5th
Haryana Tourism Corporation will host its annual feature, ''Pinjore Heritage Festival'' at Yadvindra Gardens, Pinjore in October this year. This is a five day event and was started to showcase the 17th century grandeur of the ancient heritage of Pinjore town and its gardens. A street bazaar reminiscent of the Mughal times will be created with shops and clusters of food stalls, tented pavilions and amphi-theatre for cultural performances. The gardens will be illuminated in the evenings in a manner which would enhance its pristine beauty by highlighting its architectural, aesthetic and landscape splendour. Cultural evenings will be hosted on all five days of the festival in which most gifted artists of the nation will regale the audience in their inimitable style. These unique gardens have been laid at 7 levels on a descending scale. The ownership of these enchanting gardens vested with different dynasties from the Mughals to the hill rulers of Himachal Pradesh, the Gorkhas and the Royal house of Patiala.

Wax Museum - Old Goa's new attraction
Old Goa, dotted with several world heritage monuments including churches of the colonial Portuguese era, has got another tourist attraction - ''Wax Museum''. The 300 sq mts museum, called ‘Wax World’, has over 20 statues of various prominent personalities ranging from spiritual leaders to Hindu deities. The statues have been sculpted by Shreeji Bhaskaran, who owns the museum and is also responsible for giving India its first wax museum located at Ooty in a 142-year-old bungalow, which houses 21 statues of various public figures. There is also a wax model of the famous 'The Last Supper' made from 500 kilograms of wax and measuring 22 feet in length. The Wax World in Goa will be open to the general public daily from 9.30 am to 6pm for viewing.

Rajasthan to promote Bandit Tourism
Rajasthan has embarked on an innovative concept of tapping into the untouched bandit-prone areas of the state, such as the Chambal Valley and use the services of ex-bandits as local guides in and around the place. Rajasthan Tourism is in the process of getting in touch with ex-bandits through police records to work out an agreement with them. According to the Chairman of the Dang Area Development Board, “The Bandits will now play the role of local tourist guides and tell tourists about their true life experiences over a campfire.” Rajasthan Tourism is also planning to open the jungle and ravines in the Chambal Valley to tourists.

top

Hotel News.....

Introducing Private Villas at Ananda in the Himalayas
Ananda -In The Himalayas has 3 new private villas, each with its private heated pool with a built in jacuzzi. Two of these villas are with 2 bedrooms and one is a single bedroom villa. The size of the private pools is approximately 40 sq. metres (10 X 4) with a deck area around it with lounge beds. Each villa has a living room, a pantry for the butler, a dressing room and come equipped with a personal butler to cater to your needs at any time of the day. The single bedroom villa is approximately 200 sq. metres in size and the 2 bedroom villas are 300 sq. metres in size. Log fire places, high vaulted wood ceilings and polished parquet flooring add an old world charm. The bathrooms are exquisitely appointed with wide windows overlooking scenic forest and the private pool views and one is unlikely to find a better view from a bathtub anywhere else in the world! These 3 new villas vie for position as being the most luxurious ‘villa suites’ in India!

WelcomHeritage adds one more property in Nainital
WelcomHeritage has added another property to its portfolio in Uttarakhand. The new property, WelcomHeritage Bob’s Place, is situated amidst fruit orchards 6,200 feet above sea level in the Kumaon Himalayas in Nainital district. In the mist of verdant valleys and mountains clad in forests of oak and rhododendron, deodar and pine, WelcomHeritage Bob’s Place offers five rooms, a suite, and an exclusive cottage, each with its own sit out. The bedrooms are inviting and comfortable with all modern amenities. There’s a common lounge and dining area, and a deck that faces the Himalayas. The many terraced gardens are perfect to just hang around in and unwind.

A Beach Symphony opens
A Beach Symphony is situated on the Marari Beach, less than 2 hours from the airport. They have 4 cottages, all different in style and atmosphere but all decorated with the same attention for detail and finishing. The 4 cottages are named after local musical instruments, and finished to a very high standard. 2 cottages are on the front and the other 2 cottages are just behind it. Each cottage has its own terrace with hammock and sun loungers. At ‘A Beach Symphony’ the beach comes up to your veranda. The garden is very natural to give you a real beach experience. The sound of the sea is never far away wherever you’re on the premises. All meals are prepared up to order in consultation with the chef.

Casa Susegad opens
Casa Susegad, 30 minutes from Dabolim Airport, is located in Loutolim, one of the prettiest villages in Goa, with many charmingly well preserved homes dating back to the Portuguese era. Casa Susegad is one of the largest such houses in the village, and has been restored to the highest standards of comfort and luxury. The property is set in one and a half acres of grounds with a private pool and offers four double rooms. The Bedrooms are individually designed and decorated. Each room opens out onto its own terrace area with granite topped table, comfy chairs and canopy cover if needed. This in turn leads to your own sunbed area next to the pool, where you can enjoy the 4ft wide sunbeds under traditional Rajasthani sun umbrellas.

New luxury business hotel 'VITS' launched in Aurangabad
A 100-room VITS property has opened in Aurangabad. Located near the domestic airport and Aurangabad station, the hotel offers contemporary luxury business accommodation. The majestic exterior of the property is well matched by its plush interiors. The hotel offers varied dining options: a spacious 24x7 coffee shop with a midnight buffet option in a contemporary ambience; Herbs & Spices, a restaurant that serves vegetarian flavours from all continents and Behind the Bars, a bar with a lounge area. VITS offers a range of spacious and luxurious accommodation to suit the needs of guests: deluxe rooms, one bedroom apartment & club rooms, twin and double rooms equipped with all modern & technical facilities, various mid size and a bigger banquet hall.

Launch of The Residence Bangalore
The Residence Hotel, Bangalore is located at Ulsoor Road and is well connected to all the major transit points of Bangalore. The City Railway Station, the City Bus Terminus and the City Airport are at a distance of 7, 7 and 6 km from the hotel respectively. The Residence offers six luxury guest rooms (350 sq ft each), four deluxe rooms (500 sq ft each) and two penthouse suites (800 sq ft and 1000 sq ft ). All categories of rooms are tastefully decorated and well equipped. The facilities on offer do tend to vary, but ease and comfort is assured by all of them. Burma teak furniture finds their place in the rooms. Exclusively chosen original art pieces adorn their walls. Pure silk curtains also enhance the beauty of the rooms. The Residence Hotel, Bangalore boasts of a roof top restaurant.

Ramada Hotel Cochin
Just 45 minutes from Kochi International Airport, Ramada Lake Resort and Spa is an exclusive 5 star deluxe resort. 8 acres of secluded waterfront land. 42 designer rooms (24 Cottages and 18 Deluxe rooms) in first phase. Floating pool villas, villas on stilts, lake facing cottages and deluxe rooms. A 5500 sq.ft. spa overlooking the lake. The resort also features the biggest meandering pool in Cochin (92 Meter Long). From October, the hotel will also house one Club Lounge, one Library bar, one specialty grill restaurant and a pool bar. The resort will also feature a state of the art Ayurveda centre and ‘Fashion TV; signature spa “The F-Chisel Spa”.

Dickwella Resort reopens with Spa
Dickwella Resort and Spa has invested over Rs. 50 million to reopen the hotel after it was damaged by tsunami. Located at the southern tip of the island nation, the resort is 210 km from the international airport, and an hour from Colombo. The Hotel’s standard guest rooms all feature spacious bedrooms with canopied beds and sitting areas decorated with Sri Lankan style furnishings. All rooms have a terrace with ocean view. Services and amenities in the rooms include a refrigerated mini bar, tea / coffee maker, telephone, fan, air-conditioning and daily housekeeping service. The Royal Suites have a Jacuzzi on the balcony overlooking the Indian Ocean. The restaurant offers casual dining in a Sri Lankan setting and features Sri Lankan and European specialties with particular attention to Italian cuisine. The Sanctuary Spa is world renowned for offering an exceptional spa experience.

W Retreat & Spa - Maldives launches James Bond Promotion
The W Retreat & Spa - Maldives has launched a special James Bond promotion allowing you to live like the famous double agent; flirt with adventure by day and your Bond Girl by night. The James Bond package includes 5 nights’ accommodations, 1 hour private speed boat rental, SeaBob lessons, night snorkeling, Parasailing, Kite Surfing lessons and 2 martinis at 15 BELOW. The award-winning W Retreat & Spa – Maldives features everything a modern Bond would demand; style, access and sleek retreats with private plunge pools, plasma screen televisions, DVD/CD players, indoor/outdoor showers, BOSE speakers, the W Signature bed, a wine fridge and more.

Conrad Maldives Rangali Island to enhance Spa Retreat Menu
From 1 September, the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island will offer guests a new Spa Retreat menu, comprising treatments from three new spa lines - Eminence, Terrake and ghd spa - as well as a wealth of new wellbeing and fitness options. Each new spa range will complement the Spa Retreat philosophy with aromatherapy blends, treatments and spa cuisine tailor-made to the symbolic elements of earth, air, fire and water. The introduction of a fifth element ‘Plant’ will also offer guests a range of nourishing and fortifying therapies. And, to complement the new treatment lines, the Spa Retreat will also launch an enhanced wellness timetable to offer guests a wider range of innovative fitness options; from Brazilian and hip-hop dance classes and fitness combat to an extended range of yoga styles including Vinyasa and Yoga Nidra. Comprising of nine spa treatment suites, a gourmet spa restaurant, in-house Naturopath and Nutritionist, Herbal Dispensary, Spa Boutique and 21 luxuriously appointed Spa Water Villas with a private treatment room and in-villa mini gym, the Spa Retreat is ideal for guests seeking a tailor-made wellness getaway.

top

Aviation News......

Domestic

Air Deccan is now Kingfisher
UB Group chief Vijay Mallya, who bought around 50% stake in the budget carrier Air Deccan, has rebranded the airline as “Kingfisher Red”  The Deccan website announces that the airline “is now Kingfisher” and tickets will be sold on the latter’s website with the flight code IT. Deccan’s code DN is being discontinued. While the merged company will be called Deccan Aviation to be entitled to go abroad, the brand will be Kingfisher, under which there’ll be a LCC - Kingfisher Red - and the full service carrier. The company’s name is likely to be changed to Kingfisher once all legal formalities are completed, possibly within this year.

Jet Airways enhances frequencies on popular Delhi-Udaipur leisure sector
Effective September 1, 2008, Jet Airways will re-introduce its third service on the Delhi-Udaipur sector with a new, state-of-the-art ATR 72-500 aircraft. The flight will operate six days a week, with the exception of Tuesdays. The new flight will complement the airline’s current twice-daily services on the sector- a direct flight (9W 3317/3318) and another flight between Delhi and Udaipur, via Jaipur (9W 3401/ 3301). Click here for the flight schedule......

Deccan Aviation launches India’s first Helicopter service from BIAL
‘For Those Who Have Everything - Except the Time’ is the motto of ‘Deccan Skylimo’, a new helicopter charter facility targeted at a niche clientele by Deccan Aviation that was launched at the Bengaluru (Bangalore) International Airport to key business locations in Bangalore. With the launch of the helicopter service by air, travel time to the new airport would take just 20 flying minutes from HAL airport and Electronic City. The highlights of this service includes : The Skylimo service uses a ‘Bell 206 Jet Ranger’ helicopter; Airline passengers can carry a single piece of baggage up to 12 kgs; The service is from BIAL to Electronic City, Whitefield and HAL and vice versa with the Palace Grounds as fourth pick-up and drop facility to be added; The first service will start from 6.30 am and the last charter will take off at 6.00 pm daily.

International

Jet Airways to connect Bengaluru (Bangalore) with New York and Toronto via Brussels
Jet Airways is to launch flights between Bengaluru (Bangalore) in India with New York (Newark and JFK) and Toronto, via its European hub, Brussels commencing 31st October 2008. The airline will operate daily direct flights from India’s IT hub, and its European hub in Brussels. The new flights will allow arriving passengers from Bengaluru to conveniently connect to Jet Airways’ transatlantic services to North America and Europe in a seamless manner, on board its state-of-the-art Airbus 330-200 aircraft. Click here for the flight schedule......

Kingfisher Airlines to debut International services with launch of India-UK Service
Kingfisher Airlines will be the first airline to operate between India and UK with industry-leading in-flight entertainment including live TV channels such as BBC World, CNN International, Bloomberg and EuroSport/ESPN via satellite at every seat as well as some 357 hours of programming on 36 channels. Along with impeccable cuisine by London`s famed Chutney Mary`s restaurant, Kingfisher Airlines offers guests innovative product offerings including mood lighting, web chat and email, USB connectors and in-seat plug/chargers throughout the aircraft. In Kingfisher First, pampered guests also enjoy in-seat massagers, a bar and bartender, a jacket pressing service, and even spectacles cleaning. Click here for the flight schedule......

BA suspends all flights to Pakistan following hotel bombing
British Airways has suspended all flights to Pakistan following the bombing of the Marriott hotel in Islamabad. A BA spokesman said. "The safety of our customers, crew and aircraft is of paramount importance. The announcement came as rescuers continued to pick their way through the ruins of the hotel complex in the Pakistani capital.

Air India trims routes
AS a cost-cutting measure, Air India is trimming its low-yield flights on some international routes. The Airline is terminating Delhi-London-New York daily flight at London Heathrow since September 10. On September 1, the airline terminated its flight to Dar es Salaam on the Mumbai-Nairobi-Dar es Salaam route. The thrice-weekly service to Los Angeles via Frankfurt were terminated on September 13. The Mumbai-Delhi-Hong Kong-Seoul flight will terminate at Hong Kong and not carry on to Seoul from October 1.

Air India to resume operations to Yangon from October 3, 2008
Air India has announced its plans of resuming operations to Yangon from Kolkata from October 3, this year. The flights had been suspended from May, this year owing to bad weather conditions and lack of passengers. Two flights will operate every week, one on Monday and another on Friday. On Mondays, the flight will reach Yangon directly, while on Fridays it will take a route via Gaya.

AirBlue launches flights between Lahore and Abu Dhabi
AirBlue, one of Pakistan’s largest privately-operated airlines, has launched flights between Lahore and Abu Dhabi. AirBlue is initially operating four flights per week from Lahore to Abu Dhabi, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Click here for the flight schedule......

Delta switches New York, Mumbai service to Atlanta
Delta Air Lines is to launch a new daily nonstop flight between Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Mumbai, India, starting 1 November 2008. Delta’s recently acquired Boeing 777-200 Long Range (LR) aircraft will make the 17-hour, 55-minute westbound nonstop flight possible. The world’s longest range commercial jetliner bolsters Delta’s ability to connect customers and cargo between virtually any two cities around the globe, nonstop. Since April, these aircraft have been serving the New York-JFK-Mumbai route, which will be discontinued with the start of nonstop service between Atlanta and Mumbai. Click here for the flight schedule......

Jet Airways reschedules flights between Kochi and Kuwait
Jet Airways has rescheduled the timing of its flights between Kochi and Kuwait. Jet Airways will serve these sectors with Boeing 737-800 aircraft. Click here for the flight schedule......

Colombo Dhaka direct flights commence
Bestair, one of Bangladesh’s leading carriers, commenced direct operations between Dhaka and Colombo on 28th July 2008. These will be two, weekly frequencies on a charter basis. Click here for the flight schedule......

top

Indian Recipe of the month......

top

Special Feature of the month......

Kaya Kalp : ITC Mughal's Royal Spa
Mughal magnificence now finds a new meaning at Kaya Kalp -The Royal Spa, a regal new addition to ITC’s 35-acre resort hotel, The Mughal, at Agra. The Spa experience is spread across an area covering more than 99,000 square feet, where guests will have the opportunity of experiencing traditional therapies, in interiors that celebrate the opulence and grandeur of the Mughal dynasty. Click here to read more....

 

top

Newsletters from the past.....

August 2008, July 2008, June 2008, May 2008, April 2008, March 2008, February 2008, January 2008, November 2007, October 2007, August 2007, July 2007, June 2007, May 2007, March 2007, February 2007, January 2007, December 2006, November 2006, October 2006, September 2006, August 2006, June 2006, May 2006, April 2006, March 2006, February 2006, January 2006, November 2005, October 2005, September 2005.

top

Contact Us......

Creative Travel Pvt. Ltd.
Creative Plaza, Nanakpura, Moti Bagh, New Delhi 110021. India.
Tel : 24679192, 26872257-58-59, 26114281     Fax : ++91-11-26885886 / 26889764     Email : creative@travel2india.com
USA Fax: +1-646-349-1614       EUROPE Fax : ++44-20-7681-1242      www.travel2india.com

24 Hours International Emergency Contact Number : +91 - 99 11 266 277
(prefix a "0" before the number if dialing from outside New Delhi but from within India)

top

Our Regional Sales teams.....

You may contact us or any of our regional sales team nearest to you.

top

This is a formatted HTML email. If you receive it in a unreadable / garbled form, please let us know. 
To keep the message size low, some images are linked to the internet and would show only when you are on-line.
If you would like to be removed from this mailing, please see the removal instructions at the end of this mail or email us.
This mailing is going out to individuals we have met over the years or to people whose names have been
obtained from various lists provided to us by various trade shows. We do not mean to be intrusive to anyone.

top