Delhi

Delhi, India’s national capital, will never fail to astonish you. It happens to become the only city in the world with a rare distinction within its limits of having not one but three UNESCO World Heritage sites.

There is no lack of fun things to do here if you have the will and resources to explore Delhi. The city has many cafes, bars, bazaars, and other fun places that can enhance the culture and it gives some of the world’s better-known cities a run for their money.

In Delhi, let’s choose the best things to do:

1. Spending time at Qutab Minar

Qutab Minar is a renowned UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Delhi’s main attractions.

This tower has 240 feet height, was built by the first king, Qutb-ud-din, of Delhi in 1192. The name of this architecture is given after its founder.

This tower is constructed solely of red sandstone and marble and 379-step spiral staircase it has and with these you can go to the top of this structure. However, since 1974, it is so famous to general people.

1. Lotus Temple

An architectural pleasure is the Lotus Temple. The entire top to the bottom complex is covered in white marble.

The universal sign of harmony, a lotus flower, not only gives the name but also gives form to the temple.

In the inner sanctum, photography is prohibited and there is a strict code of silence to be retained at all times. The temple, open to all castes and creeds, is an ideal venue for anyone who wants to meditate and pray. The temple is also regarded as the place of faith of the Baha’is.

1. India Gate

Deeply committed to the remembrance of the soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the Afghan War, a tour to this iconic and historic landmark of Delhi, 42 m high, is not only an educational opportunity but also a delight for photographers.

Each of the 13,500 individuals who laid down their lives fighting on the Northwest Frontier displays the names of the walls.

In the evenings, India Gate is best visited when the monument is beautifully illuminated and the beautiful fountains around it offer a truly magical look to the place and after that choose a hotel in Delhi to stay.

1. Akshardham Temple

The Akshardham temple in East Delhi is a place of worship, complete with exhibitions, boat trips, water shows, and lush gardens, unlike any other, not only in India but throughout the world.

Viewed to be among some of the world’s largest Hindu temples, the area’s architectural beauty and decoration would certainly leave you spellbound.

Sadly, within this temple, photography is strictly forbidden.

1. Rashtrapati Bhavan

The President of India’s official residence, the Rashtrapati Bhavan, is a magnificent palatial building with more than 400 rooms. It keeps the bodyguards, stables, and other utility workers, apart from the President.

In height, it’s second only to the President of Turkey’s residence. On weekends, the palace doors are thrown open to tourists via a registration process that can be reached online.

The beautiful Mughal Gardens are the pride of the Presidential Place here, attracting a large number of tourists, both local and foreign and they can stay in a hotel in Delhi for a few days.

1. Jama Masjid

In the 17th century, the largest Islamic mosque in the region, Jama Masjid, was founded way back. The imposing building is iconic of Old Delhi landmark and a significant place of worship.

The mosque can hold up to 25,000 people and the sight of such a number is a scene to behold, particularly during Friday prayers.

There are several entry points to the main building, all of which ultimately lead to the main deck. Entry for all nationalities is free and available, except that you need to cover up from head to toe. If one wants to take photos, a small fee is charged for photography.

1. Connaught Spot

The nightlife in Delhi might not be so lively, but Connaught Spot, the commercial and party hub of Delhi, it has its fair share of resto-bars, clubs, and music outlets.

Joints like Junkyard Cafe, Excuse Me, Boss, Lord of the Drinks are accompanied by a broad and vigorous crowd. Accessorized like the Royal Crescent of Bath, England, Connaught Place is undoubtedly Delhi’s most famous night out venue, and then pick a proper hotel in Delhi to stay.

1. Chandni Chowk

The commercial center of Old Delhi is Chandni Chowk, translated as Moonlight Lane.

One of India’s oldest markets, its tiny narrow lanes are a circus tent of daybreak activity, offering on sale any commodity you can imagine under the sun.

The best way to stop being swept away in the mass of humanity that gathers here is to take a leisurely rickshaw cycle tour.

As a local guide, the rickshaw driver doubles up and happily imparts important inputs to everything, including places to eat, shop, and visit. A visit to Chandni Chowk should be high on any tourist’s agenda in order to see how the real Delhi survives.

1. Pragati Maidan

Facing the castle walls of the Old Fort, aka the Purana Qila, lies Pragati Maidan in New Delhi.

The grounds are used solely for the planning of national and international exhibitions. A visitor can visit stalls ranging from textiles, food, drinks, vehicles, electronics, furniture, and much more under one roof.

The items are not only genuine, but they also originate from exhibitors in India and a number of foreign countries. There are hundreds of shops that show an impressive variety of goods that draw clients from all over and wide.

1. Little Tibet

For specialty food, every cosmopolitan city has at least one traditional location. Very few people, including locals, are aware of the fact that, for almost a century, a large number of Tibetan refugees have been living in North Delhi.

These Tibetans converted their modest homes into small food joints in order to make a living, serving some of the most delicious Chinese, Korean, and Tibetan cuisine you can find anywhere in Delhi.

The food is not only fresh and delicious here, but also relatively inexpensive. Restaurants such as Dolma and Ama are regularly lined with clients on the main road.

Things just don’t work out as you expect them to, and after taking rest in a hotel in Delhi while touring around, certain difficulties will always occur.

But don’t let the frustrations get you down, don’t let them hold a good outlook.

Lonavala tourism

There are many hill stations in India where you can calm yourself and cherish nature. The green environment will please your eyes and will burst your stress. There are many small towns in India where you can visit for a day to chill and have fun with your family, friends, or even alone. And every place in India has a kind of history behind it which makes it more fascinating for the tourists to visit. Every generation loves lakes, mountains, natural falls, etc where they can enjoy the heights and the green valleys.

Lonavala is one of the best hill stations which is located in western India near Mumbai. It is heightened at 2,047 feet from sea level which is far away from the extreme conditions of the city. It has pleasant weather and a clean environment and has beautiful views and mesmerizing green valleys. Lonavala is located in Maharashtra near Mumbai and Pune. Lonavala is 96km away from Mumbai and 64km away from Pune. If we talk about history, Lonavala was a part of the Yadava dynasty. The Mughals realized the importance of the region from the strategic aspect and ruled for a long time. The ‘Malawa’ warriors played an important role in the history of the Mughal Empire and peshwas. In the 1870s Lonavala was declared as a tourist place by Lord Elphinstone. You will see many forts from ancient times which are still the most famous spots and holds importance in Lonavala and some of them are lohagad fort, rajmachi fort, Karla caves, etc.

So if you are planning to make a visit to Lonavala, you need to know about the following information:

• Best time to visit- The best time to visit Lonavala is during the monsoon season. It starts from July till September. During this season the temperature ranges between 23-35 degrees Celsius which is considered to be pleasant. For sightseeing, winter month is the best season which ranges from October to March. People living in Mumbai or Pune or other places visit Lonavala in summers as well or during weekends for a one day trip to enjoy and relax.
• How to reach- Lonavala does not have its airport. It can be reached via Mumbai or Pune airport and further taxi can be hired. Mumbai and Pune are widely connected with the other cities and even internationally which makes it easy to reach there. If planning by bus, many governments, and private busses are running on the road which plies on the route regularly. Lonavala has its railway station and is connected with all the major cities like Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Delhi, etc. This will make it easy for you to travel by train.
• Culture- The culture of Lonavala is very polite and warm for people. Their official language id Marathi but many among them can speak English, Hindi, Urdu, and Gujarati. There are many people following different religions which are Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Jainism, and most of all Hindus. You will get a variety of options in mouth-watering cuisines as there maybe south-Indian, Chinese, north-Indian, continental. But on the top, their local Marathi food is very delicious. Every festival whether it is Ganesh Chaturthi, Pune festival, Diwali, etc is celebrated with full joy and enthusiasm.
• Attractions- You will see many forts like lohagarh fort, Tikona fort, koregad fort, Tung fort, etc. Also, you will come across many lakes like Valvan Lake, Tungarli Lake, and Pawna Lake Etc which have a serene environment and spectacular view. From religion aspects, you will see many historic temples which are famous for their architectural style and religious belief. There are many places as well which are famous for trekking and have mind-boggling views from high hills.
• Hotels- You will find plenty of cheap hotels to 5-star hotels, apartments, resorts, cottages, lodges, home stays, andvillas in Lonavala with amazing luxuries. You can book them online to get amazing deals and offers. If travelling by bus or train, try to choose near them which will make it easy to travel back. Also, you can try to get to the central location where you can easily travel to the marked places you wish to go.

So above are some of the important information you need to know about Lonavala. It is the best thing to make a list of all the destinations you wish to visit. This will help you not to waste time and you will not be confused. Choose one in which your interest lies in. Also, try to dig in the culture so that it becomes easy for you to settle down. Make sure to book the hotel room in advance to avoid the last-minute rush. While booking, keep some of the following tips in mind:

• Budget- Always look for the room which is under your budget. Lonavala provides you will low to high-budget rooms with all the required amenities and luxuries respectively. The higher the cost, the higher will be the luxuries.
• Location- Try to get one which is in the central location rather than the outskirts of the town. With this, you will be able to feel the essence of the culture and the local people. Also, it will make it easy to travel from one place to another as you will have easy access to transportation.
• Review and recommendation- While choosing one, do not forget to go through the reviews and recommendations on the website. For this, you can choose any online website as well to know the experience of stay and price charged by the previous users. This will provide you with a clear picture of the stay and on that basis; you can take your decision. You can also ask your friends and relatives for the same if they have visited before.

So above are some of the tips you can consider before booking any hotel in Lonavala. You will find plenty of options so do not rush. During peak season, the hotels get full so try to pre-book them as soon as possible to avoid any issues at the moment.

Visiting Egypt

Having a plan before traveling to Egypt is a very important issue in order to have an exciting trip free of any troubles all through your as there are lots of places to visit in Egypt, some very recommended activities and other not recommended ones, lots of good places to stay at and others not that good so in order to manage your Egypt Trips and plan them in a perfect way, you should definitely know the main things to avoid in Egypt and that is why we have included in this article the main points to keep in mind while planning a vacation in Egypt so keep reading to get our point.

What to Avoid While Being in Egypt??

1- Avoid Traveling Without A Currency Converter App

It is highly recommended to have such a converter app with you while being in Egypt so that you don’t get deceived by anyone of the locals or at any place as this app show, you the exact exchange rate of the same day and that is how you will get the best exchange rate.

2- Avoid Not Knowing All About the Best Places to Visit in Egypt

Unfortunately, some travelers who visit Egypt alone without booking a tour with a travel agency miss actually a lot from the main sites in Egypt through spending lots of time at one or two places without visiting the other attractive sites but a travel agency with professional tour guides are exactly what you need to book with in order to have a real satisfactory vacation.

3- Avoid Drinking From the Tap Water in Egypt

It is highly not recommended to drink from the tap water since it is heavily chlorinated and it is even not being drunk by the locals unless it is treated or being purified so it is highly recommended for any traveler to buy bottled water while being in Egypt from and shop or market and drink lots of water during the day tour. The cost of a bottle of water is only 3 to 5 EGP in Egypt and can be found anywhere so you won’t face any kind of problem regarding having them.

4- Make Sure Not to Book Hotels on Your Own Before Scheduling Your Tour With the Travel Agency

Sometimes, tourists find it much cheaper to book hotels & domestic flights on their own and hire only a tour guide and a private car from the travel agency but they eventually discover that all of their bookings don’t even match the tours schedule or the Nile Cruise schedule and as a result, the tour itinerary won’t be doable. So the main advice regarding this point is that the guest should check with the agency first the itinerary he or she wants to go for, which special requirements the traveler wants to apply, and then based on the agreed on the itinerary, the traveler should do the necessary bookings to enjoy some of the best Egypt Tour Packages is a rich historical country like Egypt.

5- Avoid Waiting Till the Last Moment Before Your Arrival Date

Egypt is a wonderful tourist country that contains lots of amazing sites & landmarks and it is visited by thousands of tourists during the whole year and for your knowledge, the peaked seasons in Egypt are the Easter and the Christmas ones and you need to book your vacation in Egypt as soon as you can to guarantee that there will be available for you as if you come to book a couple of months or a month prior to your arrival, you may not find availability for you.

6- Avoid Wearing Inappropriate Clothes

You need to make sure that you pack culturally appropriate clothes with you before your arrival to Egypt as Egypt is an Islamic country and it is not appropriate at all to wear mini-skirts, scrappy tops, shorts, or that clothes that reveal too much of the one’s flesh as it will bring upon you too much unnecessary attention especially if you are a woman so make sure to wear what fits culture in Egypt and what makes you feel comfortable.

Here are some of the recommended clothes to wear in Egypt:

• Maxi skirts & dresses
• Pants & Jeans
• Cotton blouses
• Loose fitted trousers
• Jumpsuits if you are in a coastal city or on board of a Nile Cruise.

7- Don’t Forget to Tip in Egypt

Tipping is actually part of the Egyptian culture and it seems that everyone in Egypt expects that you give him “Baksheesh” after offering you some kind of service. It is something that is not obligatory but it is also expected and you need to give tips to the ones who offer you satisfactory services during your vacation in Egypt just like the local tour guide, the driver, the waiter at a restaurant, the cabin crew, and similar people whom you may meet and require their services. That is why you need to have some cash with you for the tipping matter to give money in a small currency like the 5 or the 10 pounds.

8- Avoid Buying Gold Without Doing Lots of Research

Since gold is purer and much cheaper from foreign countries, lots of tourists love buying gold during their vacation in Egypt but unfortunately, there are some gold scams by the Egyptians for the tourists who don’t have enough experience in gold just like weighting it incorrectly or manipulating in the price of the gold of the day without letting the tourists know. So you need to do your research to make sure you are getting the golden items at the best price.

9- Avoid Heading to Unsafe Places in Egypt

There are so many attractions in Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, Alexandria, and other cities in Egypt that should be visited and spend a vacation around but there are some places that aren’t recommended for travelers just like Sinai or the Western Desert which you can actually visit but things may change due to some political issues and they may not be safe for travelers.

There are some essential things to pack with you for your Egypt vacation including:

• An Entry Visa can be obtained upon arrival for some nationalities and should be prepared in advance for other nationalities so you need to check first whether you can obtain your visa upon arrival to Egypt or whether you need to head to the Egyptian embassy in your country to apply for the visa.
• Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, all travelers are required to bring a negative PCR test with them that should be issued a maximum of 72 hrs prior to their arrival.
• A valid Passport that has a validity of at least 6 months prior to the date of the arrival.
• Suitable comfortable clothes that match the season of the visit and of course suitable hiking shoes to be able to tour around without any pain.
• And medicine that the traveler is used to taking daily.
• The Tour should be booked with a travel agency and the traveler should be accompanied by a local tour guide who knows all of the most visited places, the timing that should be spent on each site, the best sites to do shopping trips, and also have the best negotiation skills to assist the guest to buy the things he or she wants with the most reasonable prices.
• Exchange some of your money in EGP and make sure to keep a little amount of cash with you for any emergencies or for any small purchases.
• Learn some Arabic words and phrases to be able to communicate with the locals who don’t speak English.

As a final word, make sure not to spend so much time worrying about unnecessary things in Egypt as it is such a lovely country that is blessed with so many natural, historical, and cultural destinations to visit and the majority of tourists who come to visit it, love every single moment they spend in Egypt and always hope to be able to return to it again in the future. So start preparing for your adventure and let your dream begin.