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Come summer and the newspapers are full of advertisements luring you to exotic and exiting destinations at unbelievable prices. The Grand tour of Europe, the mystical East, a Kenyan safari, South Africa, Australia and exotic Egypt, you name it and travel companies will offer you a holiday of a lifetime.
But before you fall for the ?world-class holidays at middle class prices? line, there are a couple of points that should be double-checked. First and foremost read the itinerary very carefully and don?t be afraid to ask the travel agent a thousand and one questions. Otherwise, the trip of a lifetime may turn into a fiasco ? or at best a disappointment.
For instance, if your European itinerary includes a city tour of London, carefully run through the fine print and examine whether it says ?see? Trafalgar Square, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, London Eye etc or ?visit?. Yes, there is a world of difference between the two words. Seeing means just that ? you get to see the sights from the seat of your coach ? while visit means you get to see them up close and personal.
Says Sanyukta Gupta who recently went on a European holiday with a tour operator, ?The itinerary said city tour of Paris and see the Eiffel Tower etc. Imagine my disappointment when I realised that we won?t be stopping and climbing the Tower but just seeing it from a distance.? Gupta stayed an extra day in Paris at the end of her scheduled tour to actually visit the Eiffel Tower and other sights. ?I couldn?t go to Paris and come back without clicking pictures in front of the Tower,? says a disappointed Gupta whose budget was thrown totally off balance thanks to the extra day in Paris.
Also, make sure every landmark you want to visit is mentioned in the itinerary. Generally, itineraries do not list things point-wise. Instead there,s a paragraph listing the sights that?s easy to miss.
Says Amit Singh who recently went to Egypt on his honeymoon, ?In Luxor, the itinerary listed Valley of the Kings and a few other sights but was silent about Valley of the Queens and Karnak Temple. Considering that these are some of the most important sights we assumed we would be seeing them. Luckily, we checked with our travel agent and stayed an extra day to see them on our own.?
On careful examination of your itinerary you may realise that lots of excursions are optional. Many tour operators offer you a plain vanilla package to keep costs low. But that means you must pay extra for the optionals. Usually, you only realise these are add-ons when you reach foreign shores. The unenviable choice ? miss out on seeing something important or pay extra. Since people on coach tours are usually on tight budgets, this can hurt.
Shikha Sharma who went to Europe on a budget holiday a few years back had a similar experience. ?Once the tour started we were handed a list of optional sightseeing. For instance, in Paris one could go for the Can-Can show but it would cost an additional $150. Since I was on a budget holiday and short on foreign exchange, I couldn?t go,? laments Sharma.
Then, there are entrance fees. Some itineraries specifically state if the entrance fees to various monuments and museums are included in the tour package. However, some are silent on the subject. If the entrance fees are not included check on the Internet or ask your tour operator and plan accordingly.
Lastly, ask for a time schedule. Since most of these holiday packages try to pack in as much they start very early. So after your holiday, you may need to take a few days off to recuperate.
Says Sharma, ?We got a wake-up call at 6:30 every morning and after a hurried breakfast we were sitting in our coach by 7:30. After a hectic day of sightseeing and travelling we only returned to our hotels late evening.?
Also, it?s important to know if there?s any time for shopping or for seeing sights not included in the itinerary. Says Singh, ?The light an sound show at the Pyramids was not part of our itinerary so we made sure we had an evening free.?
Once you are satisfied about the holiday schedule and the sights, it?s time to look at boarding and lodging.
Most tours include breakfast on all days and lunch and dinner on some days. Check if breakfast is Continental (just coffee and bread) American (with meat and cereals) or buffet. Also, what options are available on days meals are not included in your package.
This brings us to the question of hotels. The rule of thumb is the same as when buying real estate ? location. Cheaper hotels are usually in the far-flung suburbs away from the town centre and far from the tourist sights and city hotspots. Conversely, the hotels in town are always costlier. If you are not venturing out on your own then staying in a suburban hotel is fine. But remember that public transport in some European cities can be prohibitively expensive.
Most tour operators usually give you a list of hotels to choose from depending upon your budget. Check the details of the hotel on the Internet and don?t be fooled by statements like ?overlooking the city? or ?beautiful view?. Often a hotel will have only a few rooms with a view while others face a back alley. Insist that your tour operator book you in a room with a view.
It is important to pay attention to all these small details before leaving on your holiday because in pre-booked tours you pay for the entire trip before departure and very few companies are likely to hand your money back if you aren?t satisfied. So it?s better be safe than sorry and enjoy your holiday.
Taking the leap
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How would you like to jump off a suspension bridge 500ft above the Bhoti Kosi River? The Nepalese advertise it as the highest bungee jump in the world and anyone who has the nerve can get a great view of the fast-flowing mountain river and the gorges all around as they hurtle to the ground.
Bored with your normal nine-to-five existence? Why don’t you try bungee jumping, the adventure sport that probably produces enough adrenaline around the globe to fire a space rocket?
Bungee jumping started life as a tribal ritual with the people of Pentecost Island in Vanuatu in the Pacific. Modern bungee jumping began with four simultaneous jumps off the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol, England, in 1979.
Anyone who thinks it’s just a freefall should think again. There are several types of jumps allowed such as the swallow dive, back dive and railing jump. Also, there are other classified as extremely dangerous. But overall, bungee jumping in considered a ‘safe’ sport and the one above the Khosi advertises that all precautions have been taken.
Good quality equipment plays an important role in bungee jumping, since it involves the jumper being thrown off a high point with a rope tied to a harness around his body that pulls him back up once the rope has extended to its full length. The vines traditionally used by tribal practitioners of the sport have been replaced by special nylon and fibre ropes and harnesses and come in several varieties. Most people prefer a body harness or a leg harness. In a body harness, the jumper gets quite a bit of freedom to move around, with arms and legs free to flail around. The cord is normally attached to a point close to the belly (the centre of gravity), making spins and flips easier.
These days, the equipment and safety standards have become so good that many operators offer slightly riskier jumps, such as water touchdowns. The jumpmaster has to be confident enough to judge how much the cord will stretch before the jumper hits the water. You jump as normal, but at the bottom you go into water — and you’d better try this only where the water you dive into is deep enough.
| Indian getaways |
| • Location: Goa Type: tower Company: Gravity Adventures Address: North Anjuna Beach, Goa, India Phone: 6001079/6055878 Email: gravity@bom3.vsnl.net.in • Location: Kanteerava Stadium in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai & Cochin • Location: Waterbanks Island (40km from Delhi at Damdama Lake) • Location: Ganga Banks (17 km from Rishikesh on the Ganges) For equipment, training and consulting: Stikage (Oudoor |
Bungee jumping operations take place all around the world, from the US and Canada to the UK and several new locations in south Asia. Several adventure tour operators have now started cashing in on the popularity of the sport and set up operations in countries such as China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Singapore. Nearer the sub-continent, Nepal and Sri Lanka are two countries that offer world-class bungee jumping facilities.
The sport’s popularity is growing in China with regular jumps organised by the giant Shanghai Bungee International. In Hong Kong, you have Bungy Zone Adventures in Kowloon run by A J Hackett Bungy that also runs operations in several locations in India such as the Kanteerava Stadium in Bangalore, as well as in Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai and Cochin.
In Singapore, you’ve got to go in for the reverse bungee organised by G-Max Reverse Bungee at Clarke’s Quay. In this take on bungee jumping, ‘jumpers’ can actually feel like human slingshots as they are thrown up instead of down. This is done by tying jumpers between two impossibly stretched ropes and flinging them up.
Although bungee jumping isn’t big in India there are some operators offering jumps (see box). Says Sunil Roy of Vertigo Expeditions, a Bangalore adventure travel company, “Not too many operators are willing to get into this, as the equipment costs can run pretty high. Also, very strict safety guidelines have to be followed and permits obtained before setting up operations and this puts some operators off.”
Still, the number of people showing interest in bungee jumping is constantly on the rise, says Roy. As Indians get more and more interested in adventure sports and travel, this favourite pastime of the Pentecost islanders is sure to find more enthusiasts hoping for excitement in mid-air.
Route map
It’s one of the most aggressively promoted countries in South-East Asia and with good reason. For Malaysia with its modern cities, amazing shopping and exciting nightlife is a destination that has risen up the list for travellers. Vensimal World Travels is offering a range of packages to Malaysia. Among the most affordable of them is the three nights and four day stay in Kuala Lumpur at just Rs 14,499.
Travellers get to stay at the imposing Grand Season, incidentally the tallest hotel in the city, and a four-star property to boot. Take in the sights and sounds of Kuala Lumpur with a half-day guided city tour, while the rest of the time you can explore the nooks and corners of the city on your own. The package includes airfare, accommodation, airport transfers, complimentary buffet breakfast and of course, the sightseeing. The taxes and visa charges, however, are extra, chalking up to Rs 6,600.
Should your budget permit, you can even add on three nights in scintillating Singapore for an extra Rs 6,500. For the Singapore leg of the trip, a stay at the four-star Golden Landmark hotel and a complimentary river taxi ride are included apart from the others mentioned in the Kuala Lumpur package. Again, taxes and visa charges are extra, so if you opt for the combined trip, expect to pay a total of Rs 8,010 for taxes and visa charges. For further details, contact Vensimal World Travels at 2225 3230.
My favourite holiday
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Sharbari Dutta,
fashion designer
nJust two months ago, I visited Singagpore and Kuala Lumpur with my son, daughter-in law and their two children. It was a leisurely three-week break and we made the most of it. In Singapore, we stayed at a friend’s place and then a hotel. In the midst of the innumerable Chinese and Thai restaurants, we came across an Indian restaurant called Anand where the food was excellent. And of course, we did shop till we dropped at the various markets and malls. I’ve been to Singapore several times before and while it’s visually more appealing, I found Kuala Lumpur more exciting.
In Kuala Lumpur, we visited the famous Genting Highlands and even went on a small safari where we came across rhinos, deer, elephants and chimpanzees. We also took a cable car ride over the rainforest there and it was awesome, to say the least. What’s more, besides being a lovely place, the people are extremely warm and welcoming. of course, the whole trip was made all the more special as I had my family along with me
