Here’s a special offer for Central government employees travelling to the north-east under the LTC (Leave Travel Concession) scheme. The Sinclairs group along with Air India is offering a 7-night/8-day package for Central government employees that covers Dooars, Darjeeling, Pelling and Gangtok. The package will take you to the Gorumara wildlife sanctuary, the tea gardens of Darjeeling and of course, you get to enjoy a spectacular view of the Kanchendzonga. Valid till March 31 2009, the package comes at Rs 66,491 for two people if you are travelling from Calcutta, and Rs 83,611 if you’re travelling from Delhi. It includes return airfare, accommodation (at the three-star Sinclairs hotels in Dooars and Darjeeling, the Norbugaong Resort in Pelling and the Oriental Hotel in Gangtok), meals as per itinerary, transfer to and from Bagdogra airport and excursions in a non-AC vehicle. The offer is open to travellers from Calcutta, Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Nagpur, Indore, Pune, Jaipur, Kochi, Trivandrum, Lucknow, Bhopal, Ranchi, Patna and Bhubaneswar. Junior government employees can also avail of this package. Rates will vary from one city to another. Log on to www.airindiaholidays.in for more information.

My favourite holiday

ACHLA SACHDEV,
model

I’ve always preferred places with a difference. My favourite holiday destination is Turkey, with its exotic sights and sounds and stunning locales. I went there for ten days and each day was better than the last. I stayed in Istanbul for three days and had a great time. The city is full of beautiful mosques and dazzling medieval architecture that lend a charming touch to its scenic magnificence. Of course, I did some touristy things including going on a Bosphorus Sea cruise. From Istanbul I went to Cappadocia which was another experience altogether. I couldn’t take my eyes off the lovely rock formations there that are a major tourist attraction. The caves with exquisite paintings on their walls in cobalt blue and ruby red are truly gorgeous. I also visited the ancient city of Ephesus, which had a classical Mediterranean feel to it.