nWhen the world-famous Aman Resorts sets up shop in a country, it?s a fair bet that it has spotted an opportunity which nobody else had even dreamt about. That could be true in India too, where Aman is experimenting with a brand-new strategy that it hasn?t looked at anywhere else in the world. It?s building urban resorts where its discerning rich and famous clientele can come to while their time away.

Aman?s most high-profile move has been to snap the former Lodhi Hotel in the heart of New Delhi where it?s building a 40-room resort that will have small pools attached to each room. Besides that, it has also bought the Manor Hotel in Delhi and will be building a resort at Golden Greens Golf and Country Club just outside Delhi. Moving further afield, it has luxury tents in Ranthambhore which have been highly successful and a new resort in Alwar. Will Aman Resorts be a hit in India? The fact is that nobody in the travel trade ever dares to place a bet against Aman.

nHere?s one more highflying airline that?s soaring to new heights. South African Airways (SAA) celebrated 10 years of its India operations with daily, direct Mumbai flights. Now the airline has upped its five-times-a-week flight between Mumbai and Johannesburg to seven. What?s more, it?s now flying the Airbus A340-300E on this route. South Africa is a destination that?s becoming increasingly popular with Indian travellers and some are even using it as a transit halt to other parts of Africa.