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Travelling for Business? Then Airbnb it.
Tags: Airbnb, Travel, Business, Hotel, London

Travelling for Business? Then Airbnb it.

I spent 5 days in London for a business trip in November. Contrary to all my previous experiences, I decided to stay in an Airbnb apartment because, hey, I work in digital marketing, I have to be aware of what’s the real end product of one of Silicon Valley’s unicorns.

Although I had booked the flights from August, I only started actively looking for an apartment on mid-October. This was my first mistake since all the good, downtown apartments were already taken. Lucky for me, I got a great 2 bed home in Portobello.

Let me talk a little bit about this home. It had 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a fully equipped kitchen, a living room (yes, with a Smart TV with Netflix!) and a balcony.

Prior to finalize my booking, I did a research on what I could get with the same amount of money (~165€ / day). The results were devastating; only 3 star hotels were available.

I cannot think of any reason on why to choose a small hotel room over this Airbnb apartment. But I can think of a couple of reasons to choose a hotel over Airbnb.

Contrary to hotels, airbnb does not offer breakfast. Yes, our host was kind enough to provide us with a couple of tips for local shops where we could get our breakfast (and lunch, and dinner) but is this always gonna be the case?

On the upside though, wandering around the neighborhood, looking for new places everyday and trying unique tastes, can be a great experience and will help you step out of your comfort zone.

The other reason that someone could pick a hotel is the everyday cleaning service. Unless stated/agreed otherwise, the Airbnb apartment will be cleaned prior to your visit and it will not be cleaned again during your stay. Well, I do not clean my home everyday but it would be nice if someone was tidying up my apartment every single day.

I stayed in London for 5 full days and my schedule was not very different from the one I have when I am in Athens (my hometown): I wake up early in the morning, I grab a quick coffee and then off to work.

I worked from cafeterias (long live free WiFi), I had some downtown meetings (Canary Wharf, you were magnificent) and, once work was done, drinks were in order with friends living there. By 10pm, I was back home to do my next day planning and watch some Netflix before going to bed.

I was not a tourist in London, this could have been my “real” life. Returning back to an actual home with all the amenities, made London much more cozier and welcome.

Moreover, the finance & accounting department were very happy for the Airbnb. For starters, they got a business invoice from Airbnb so they won’t have any taxing compliance issues. The most important thing though, was that a similar hotel room would have cost the company much more.

Was I happy with my Airbnb choice? Definitely. I am really looking forward to my next Airbnb stay, for business or pleasure.
Dog-friendly retreat with treats! Pawsome Staycation!
By: Stay, Wag
Tags: Staycation, Hotel

We are big fans of Lord Crewe Arms in Blanchland and have already visited several times before. This time was different. Our mischievous dachshund had arrived in early 2020 and was now settled in or ruling the roost more like.

We needed a break. A treat for us all. Lockdown had ended and hotels were open again. Lord Crewe was our go-to escape and now more than ever we needed that. Plus they are a dog-friendly hotel. Yippee! High paws all round!

Arrival and check-in

New covid secure procedures were in place on arrival and we had a great welcome from a 2m safe distance. Our pooch got the attention he loves and so was settled-in in no time.

We were shown to our room which was located across the road from the main building. As usual, the room was well laid out, cosy and welcoming. Bonus points on this visit as we had our own stove. Let the fire building commence!

Pooch Extras

We had booked the Pawsome Retreat package and so extras were left in the room. Treats, bowl, Lily’s kitchen food, cosy bed, and a dog food menu were all provided and had him rubbing his paws together in anticipation.

Due to the room being away from the main building it allowed easy exit for taking breaks with our pooch when nature called. I must admit a daxie bark sounds ten times louder in a tranquil location such as Blanchland!

Dining

Our package included an evening meal with a glass of wine plus breakfast. Lord Crewe has dog-friendly areas where you can take dogs so they can dine with you.

Food and drink were excellent as usual and all staff were really friendly.

For convenience, we dined in our room for breakfast which was very tasty.

Value for Money

A stay at Lord Crewe Arms isn’t the cheapest option and neither should it be. Location, food quality, and staff are all excellent and well worth it as a treat. We can’t wait to return!

Scores on the Paws rating

5 Pawsome — Pooch Heaven

Links

Lord Crewe Arms, The Square, Blanchland, Consett, DH8 9SP

Dog and Bone: 01434 677 100

Web: lordcrewearmsblanchland.co.uk

Due to ongoing restrictions Lord Crewe Arms are hibernating for the winter and due to reopen on Friday 5th March 2021.
Curious men flock to Hilton hotel in Sanya after sexy blogger offers ‘free sex’
Tags: Social Media, Sex, China, Prostitution, Hotel

Curious men flock to Hilton hotel in Sanya after sexy blogger offers ‘free sex’

After groups of men began arriving at her hotel door, the woman tried to explain that her offer was only a joke

A sultry blogger recently set off a veritable stampede of men to a Hainan hotel after posting a message on social media offering “free sex.”

Last Thursday night, the woman, Ye Mouyi, who goes by the username Qianjin Yeye (千金怡怡), posted on Weibo and WeChat a brief message saying: “Who’s coming to find me… to have sex… for free… 6316.”

That number was Ye’s hotel room, while the message was geotagged, placing her at the DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Hotel overlooking Sanya’s Haitang Bay. The post was also accompanied by a video showing Ye in her bikini inside her hotel room.

Social media rumors claim that around 3,000 people showed up at the hotel after reading Ye’s message. While that is almost certainly an exaggeration, a number of men did make their way to the Hilton, even going so far as to knock on Ye’s door, while others chose to call up the hotel’s front desk and ask for more information about the occupant of Room 6316.

One guy even uploaded a video of himself giddily walking the hotel’s halls and arriving at Ye’s room.

And here’s a photo of what allegedly was going on in neighboring Room 6315 that night.

Ye quickly came to regret her message, imploring people to stop forwarding it around, claiming that she was only joking.

Eventually, she was forced to call the front desk and have hotel employees escort her out of the building.

According to the Beijing News, after receiving complaints from the hotel, local police launched an investigation into the matter, apprehending Ye the following day at the airport.

Ye admitted to sending out the post to attract more social media followers. On charges of prostitution and disrupting the hotel’s busines, she has been placed under detention for 15 days, fined 500 yuan, and has had her Weibo account taken down.

[Images via Beijing News]
Digital Skills You Need Before Kickstarting a Career in Hospitality.
By: Yvonne Joseph, The Hospitality Queen
Tags: Digital Marketing, Digital Skills, Hotel, Hotel Management, Hotel Marketing

In order to reach potential clients, you need to leverage on the powerful influence of the digital world.

As a career person in hospitality, you need to have necessary knowledge about the digitalization of the hospitality industry.

The following are five digital skills you need to possess as a hospitality career person:

-1- CONTENT MARKETING: Making use of the right words to attract your prospects is very important. You should be able to come up with great content for your target audience. Any content you share must be relevant, easyto-read, straight-to- point, engaging and directive.

-2- SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGEMENT: You should have a pretty good knowledge of how social media runs. Millions of your prospects are chilling on these platforms, you need to find the right way to get to them. Know how Instagram works, as well as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

-3- GRAPHICS DESIGN: There is a need for your business page to look appealing at a glance. This is possible if your visual contents are eyefriendly. You can outsource this to a graphics design agency if you find it stressful or difficult.

-4- EMAIL MARKETING: Being able to contact your existing customers and prospects via email is a needed skill. Email marketing also enables you to introduce your offers and new services to your customers. And the conversion rate via email marketing has been recorded to be high.

-5- FACEBOOK & INSTAGRAM ADS: Presently, businesses are taking their services to Facebook and Instagram. They even pay for the paid sponsored adverts to reach a larger audience base. Knowing how to set up ads on these platforms is a valuable skill.

Which of these skills are you yet to posses? Share with me in the comment section.
New Hotel In Phuket
Tags: Hospitality, Hms, Hotel, Business

New Hotel In Phuket

Founder and CEO of Veranda, Verawat Ongvasith, spoke to Bangkok Post about a new hotel in Phuket that is being currently designed.

«We expect to start construction by the third quarter of 2021, then we will wait for a recovery in the tourism market before launching residential units for sale,” he said. “The Phuket tourism sector is likely to bounce back in the second half next year.»

The project will comprise four-storey towers with a total of 150 hotel rooms, branded and operated by the Veranda Resort. It will also include residences under a separate brand, in two-storey buildings for condo units and villas.

“Covid-19 has driven Thailand to stand out as one of the world’s safest destinations. When vaccines are available, Phuket will attract vacation home demand from foreigners”, — says Veranda CEO.

Mr. Verawat believes in a positive scenario for 2021, assuming a vaccine becomes available in Europe, which is a key traveller market for Thailand.

«An influx of tourists from Europe will return quicker than expected in 2021 as they will be able to travel anywhere around the world once they get vaccines, no matter if people in those destinations are vaccinated or not», — he added.
When AI Works For You
Tags: Blockchain, Cryptocurrency, AI, Hospitality, Hotel

”Thank you for your stay, we hope to see you again” — this phrase has been almost customary in a lot of self-respecting hotels. However, now, on the cusp of 2021, it pays for hotels to turn this routine saying into a guarantee if they want the guest to come back to the hotel next time.

How does one achieve that? AI knows no equal when it comes to gathering and analyzing ANY data. This provides booking managers with an excellent opportunity to “have their finger on the pulse” at all times, monitoring if the guests were satisfied with everything during their stay, what they liked and what they didn’t, and mend the situation as fast as possible. By minimizing the negatives and amplifying the positives while staying in close contact with the guest who has already stayed in your hotel at least once.

If the guest feels that the hotel is their friend, that the hotel remembers their visit, his preferences — the chance of their coming back next time they are in town will be much higher. It is essential to be careful in reminding the guest about your hotel. This is where, again, AI knows best: it relies on the data showing, for example, that the guest was on a business trip last year, and is coming back for the annual convention next year.

After all, if Expedia and Booking.com are so enthusiastic about investing in software solutions, and always ask their users the question “You have stayed at hotel A and left a positive review. Would you like to book it again? Here’s the best price for these dates:”, why not borrow this approach?
Madurai located on the banks of Vaigai River, is the third largest city in Tamil Nadu state.
By: India Hotels Room
Tags: Travel, Hotels

Madurai — Offers Numerous Sightseeing Opportunities

Madurai located on the banks of Vaigai River, is the third largest city in Tamil Nadu state. This 2500 year old city is located close to Coimbatore and Chennai. This city has been inhabited for at least two millennia. The Nayak kings of Madurai and the Pandyans built this city in Dravidian architecture and style. Towards its western region lies the beautiful Nagamalai and Sirumalai hill where agriculture is the main activity. The Periyar Dam nurtures this agricultural land. People can make the most of affordable Madurai travels to see the place.

Madurai climate is hot and dry. There are a number of sightseeing opportunities offered by this ancient city. On referring to the Madurai map you get to know that there are numerous palaces and temples to see in this beautiful city. The Meenakshi Amman Temple with 33000 sculptures, dedicated to goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva is a historic one and a prominent landmark. The complex is housed in the 14 gateway towers.

Surrounded by a mountain range, Fortune Pandiyan Hotel Madurai features rooms with flat-screen TVs, situated in landscaped gardens. Offering free parking, it features a spa, outdoor pool and fitness centre. Air-conditioned rooms at Fortune Pandiyan feature classic wood furnishings and neutral fabrics. They are equipped with a flat-screen satellite TV and safe. Private bathrooms have a hairdryer and bathtub.

Tourists can consider any of the affordable Madurai Hotels and restaurants offer delicious international food and local cuisine. Popular snacks are the idly, vada, sambar and coconut chutney. Many of the travel companies organize tours and travels within the city, regions close by and abroad. For your travel needs you will need to select one of the best Madurai travels offering great leisure, comfort and relaxation on the trip. Reputed travel and tour agencies offer personalized and authentic services, car rentals and car hire services in Madurai.

For more information about Madurai travels Online Booking Services, Please visit our website for booking Madurai
Great Travel Tips For Having A Wonderful Ladakh Tour!
By: James Martel
Tags: Travel, Hotel, Hotel Accomodation

Great Travel Tips For Having A Wonderful Ladakh Tour!

A tourist who has a love for adventure and shares a great feeling for nature and natural aspects, Ladakh tour is the best travel option to go with. It is a real paradise on this earth and hence, a tour to Ladakh gives you an impression on heaven that you get on being on this earth only. Ladakh is the highest plateau of J&K state. The amazement of this place encourages tourists to gaze around its surroundings for hours. The beautiful snow-capped attractive Himalayas ranges which are dotted with alluring green shaded pine trees and the chilly weather present an ever-lasting impression to vacationers.

The overall location of Ladakh is simply beautiful as it is located at 3500 meters height above the sea level and is spread up in the Himalayas lap, this place is actually a must-go tourists spot in Indian tourism. Due to the rarely visible natural elements and mesmerising location of this place, it has become a favourite destination of adventure lovers, young generation of India and honeymooners. So, whichever tourists’ category you fall in, a tour to Leh Ladakh will always prove the best tour experience of your life. However, to make it actually mesmerising and memorable for your lifetime, here are few great tips that will help you having a wonderful tour experience in this region.

Book Luxury Cottages In Ladakh To Ensure Convenience & Comfort During Your Tour –

If you care for high quality accommodation during your tour, then you should only book luxury cottages in Ladakh. These cottages present amazing amenities, services and overall stay experience that you cannot have by staying in a hotel room or in resort. These luxury cottages present a fully personalized experience that you won’t feel like you are away from your home. Though all the services that make you feel comfortable in luxury cottages in Ladakh appear to you immediately on your command. So, to get the best time during your tour, you should not forget to make advance booking in luxury cottages in Ladakh.

Other Important Tips For Having A Great Tour In Ladakh –

· As the location of Ladakh is at high altitude, so you should prepare to bear harsh sun during your tour around this region. Therefore, do not forget to carry a sunscreen lotion with you that protects your skill from being damaged by sun rays.

· Sometimes, the Ladakh weather turns to be nasty. Therefore, it is a good idea to leave your cottage in group and take a tourist guide who will keep you supervising during your tour. Before stepping out from your hotel, make sure to pack a small bag carrying woollen clothes as it protects you from extremely cold weather. Here, the days are often sunny, so wear light cotton outfits when you going to tour around the town in daytime.

· There are some prohibited areas in Ladakh. So, we suggest not to enter to those areas just to try adventure as it may turn to be life-threatening event for you.
5 most beautiful ski hotels in Europe
By: Alwoodlands Hotel Oorty
Tags: Travel, Skiing, Hotels

5 most beautiful ski hotels in Europe — the bright idea of ​​travel “tourism subtleties”. Best holiday starts here, on the “subtleties”.

Tours New Year around the world

Fireplaces in the room, multi-storey spa, runs directly from the threshold, restaurants Michelin-starred dining, stunning views from all windows — all this can be found in the most luxurious hotels in European ski resorts.

The Grand Hotel is the Tschuggen (Arose, Switzerland)

Each of the 130 rooms of this elegant hotel in the Swiss Arose careful attention to detail and decorated in their colors, down to the color of the door handles. His main pride — the one of the largest spas in Europe Tschuggen Beerhouse. It covers more than 5,000 m² and is located on 4 levels. Above design wellness center worked famous architect Mario Beta, and all the interior of the hotel was decorated by the Swiss architect Carlo Rampazzi.

Apart from the huge spa with an abundance of a variety of procedures, the hotel has its own cable car leading to the ski slopes and the restaurant of author cuisine.

The Grand Hotel is Des the Kaminski Baines (St. Moritz, Switzerland)

Another luxury hotel in the Swiss Alps — Kaminski Grand Hotel Des Baines in St. Moritz. It is located next to the cable car station leading to the slopes of the Corviglia region.

This hotel is famous for its gastronomic delights. On its territory there are as many as three restaurants with a Michelin star and Asian dining outlet, where you can find almost any delicacies. Incidentally, in the Christmas and New Year’s Eve (December 24 and 31) Les Seasons restaurant offers free gala dinners absolutely for all guests.

Lech Aurelio (Lech, Austria)

Hotel Aurelio Lech — one of the most elegant Austrian ski spas in Austria. Its rooms are elegant and tasteful: the furniture of fine wood, natural fabrics from Africa and France, as well as panoramic windows with views of the ski slopes.

Access to the ski slopes at your doorstep, and the hotel has a restaurant serving classic Austrian cuisine and a spa. Separate pride of the hotel and restaurant in particular — is the wine list, where you can find several rare and vintage varieties.

The Chalet Zanier the Le (Magee, France)

Hotel Le Chalet Zanier — the three luxury chalets in the French Alps. A total of 12 deluxe rooms, almost all have a private terrace and fireplace. Hotel in Magee is renowned for its secluded location and a high quality wellness center with pool, sauna and hammed.

The Schlock Liebenberg Hotel is (Kitzbuhel, Austria)

This hotel is a real 16th century castle, situated on the outskirts of Kitzbühel. Despite the fact that the building itself is old, everything inside is equipped with the most modern way: comfortable and spacious rooms with a seating area, a spa, restaurants, etc. The scenic views. Austrian Alps open here from almost every window, including an indoor pool and a Finnish sauna.

Hotels in Ooty
The Bed & Breakfast Guest House in Noida at Budget Price
By: Modernio Guest House
Tags: Travel, Hotel, Guest House

The Bed & Breakfast Guest House in Noida at Budget Price

Many of the travelers prefer to stay at bed and breakfast guest houses. These kinds of accommodation are considered to be reasonable and also provide them with the luxuries that are offered by the other expensive hotels. Many of the boutique hotels are now adopting the bed and breakfast module as these are especially popular with the international guests as well. They offer luxurious facilities to their guests and make sure they are comfortable.

The bed and breakfast guest houses are especially popular with guests who are traveling on a budget and would not like to compromise on the quality of services. It is highly preferred by business travelers who like to stay at quaint places that offer good facilities. The luxury bed and breakfast hotels allow the guests to stay for small duration also. This helps the travelers to cut down on their travel expenses.

Most of these guest houses have spacious bed rooms so that the guests can feel comfortable. The rooms have attached baths also and are equipped with all the modern facilities. Since the luxury hotels cater to a limited number of guests only, the guests are able to get quality service. The staff at the luxury bed and breakfast hotel caters to their needs efficiently. This helps the guests to enjoy a better stay.

When choosing a luxury hotels with bed and breakfast facilities, there are a number of things that should be considered. For instance, many of the guest houses are located on the outskirts of the main city. This makes it difficult for the travelers to commute easily. So if you are planning to stay at a guest house then you can make your reservation at luxury guest houses like Modernio. The boutique hotel enjoys a central location of Noida City and offers good bed and breakfast facilities to the guests.

The facilities offered by the luxury bed and breakfast should also be considered before you make your reservation. If you are on a business trip then you may like to look for guest houses that have a business centre. A guest house that has a wi-fi facility and a business meeting room should be considered. This way you can entertain your client at the hotel and can check your business mails regularly.

The kind of food served at the bed and breakfast hotels should also be considered. A luxury serving multi cuisines can help you get a better variety and you would not have to compromise on the quality of food.

Modernio Guest house in Noida has these kind of facilities at very budget price. It’s very near to City Centre Metro Station and running in a commercial complex. There are lots of facilities available here like SPA, Snooker, Restaurant and more.
Everyone should have at least three ICE numbers on their phone
By: Ig
Tags: Ice, Hotels, Travel, Traffic

She’s in a jam and he’s got HotelNowNow.com’s concierge line.

Everyone should have at least three ICE numbers on their phone

I remember watching a movie in the late nineties where the victim of a car crash had amnesia and no identification on his person. Doctors searched his phone and couldn’t figure out who to call no “Mum”, “Dad” or “Sweetheart”. Then one of them tried looking for ICE numbers and found two. ICE in this instance stands for ‘In Case of Emergency’. That was the most useful thing I got out of an otherwise crappy movie.

This is where ICE numbers come in… if you ever need urgent help, or lose your phone; people can dial the ICE number on your phone. You could even save the important stuff on the single digits i.e. dial 1 for Dad, 2 for Mum, 3 for Bae and so on.

A typical ICE number is next of kin

Now let’s see how an ICE number could be useful to you the owner of the phone as well. Imagine you frequently drive from one state to the other on business. You always make it home at the end of the day but today the traffic is bad and you can’t get home. What do you do, drive around looking for hotels with cheap but secure accommodation?

Only one number would be useful to you 24–7 in the aforementioned scenario; 01–8881111. It’s the Hotelnownow.com concierge line; simply dial it when you have an accommodation emergency and someone will get you a booking within your locale. I was a boy scout and still believe the motto ‘Be Prepared’ works for everyone.

With all the events, weddings, parties and traffic mishaps that spring up especially during the last quarter of the year, saving 01–8881111 under ICE wouldn’t be such a bad idea. You can thank me later.
Eco-friendly & Natural Bamboo Toothbrush Bamboo Comb & Bamboo Razor — Highly Recommend
By: Petop Hotel Supply
Tags: Hotel, Hospitality, Bamboo, Toothbrush

Eco-friendly & Natural Bamboo Toothbrush Bamboo Comb & Bamboo Razor — Highly Recommend

For hospitality industry, around 100 million pounds of plastic toothbrushes, combs and shaving razors end up in landfill sites each year. In order to reduce the amount of plastic that exists, Petop Hotel Supply offers biodegradable bamboo toothbrush, comb and shaving razor over the world for hotels and resorts.

Latest new bamboo toothbrush is made of bamboo handle, natural and durable, with soft and nice bristle, lightweight, hygienic and resistant. Bamboo toothbrush can come in a kraft paper bag which is 100% recyclable as well. Bamboo toothbrush is biodegradable, natural and eco-friendly, which means when you brush, you protect your teeth, also the planet. Biodegradable bamboo toothbrush is a nice alternative to the classic plastic toothbrush. Petop Hotel Supply specially design an adult size bamboo handle and small head that is ideal for aged care, which is very comfortable and durable.

Bamboo comb is the beautiful and sustainable alternative to plastic disposable comb for hotels. It’s not only eco-friendly to earth, also it’s static-free and softly brushes hair in a safe way and helps maintain healthy hair. Wooden comb easily distributes natural oils from the scalp throughout the entire hair strand, and leaves hair less greasy looking. Disposable plastic comb in hotels produces so many waste that is bad to planet. Wood comb is natural, biodegradable and eco-friendly alternative to plastic one. Impress your guests with our latest new natural wood comb and send query to Petop Hotel Supply.

Bamboo shaving razor is an effective swap for plastic-free shaving, total zero waste and environmental friendly to planet. It has natural bamboo handle and for men and women use. Sustainable and eco-friendly.

Sleek and durable wooden razors help acquire a more smoother and closer shave. Using a bamboo razor is one of the sustainable alternative to reduce waste. Easy way to encourage this plastic free option. For more details, please refer to Petop Hotel Supply and get query.
The Advantages of PHP Based Hotel Reservation Portal System
By: Sabina Yeasmen
Tags: Hotel, Travel

The Advantages of PHP Based Hotel Reservation Portal System

A PHP based hotel booking portal system is a powerful and efficient online booking or reservation site script. It is the fully functional and best PHP solution that can be used in managing small to average sized hotels, guesthouses or holiday flats.

This particular system will begin, as soon as it is installed, the online reservation as well as the customer management in just a few minutes. This has been specifically designed in order to simplify the whole task of hotel booking online. Any administrator could manage the types of rooms available, the hotel rates as well as the available options for booking. Powerful online reservation and administrator panel manager at the back end may include reports and invoices functionality.

The visitors would be able to search for room’s availability through the use of a PHP based hotel reservation portal system. They can also view the room’s inventory and check the availability including the booking in real time. A PHP based hotel reservation portal system is considered as the best tool to use for any of the following:

· Online hotel reservation and management

· It can be used in any website offering breakfast and bed

· Hotel reservation system with real time availability

· Automatic booking engine for 2 or more hotels

· Integration booking engine with existing site

· Quick delivery & assured file download

Most businesses these days choose to use an online reservation software system because it comes with different advanced features. With the help of all these features, it will be easy to keep all the records of the business in a systematic arrangement. This software offers to customize the website of all business work according to the requirements and specifications.

Aside from that, it is easy to make a category between the rooms, location class and any other options available for the convenience of visitors and customers. This type of software has been proved to be very useful as it will allow customizing each aspect of the website. In addition to that, adding the newly customized aspect in the hotel search section is available so as to make the navigation a bit easier for visitors.

Consistent development & refinement process makes this type of software mature and stable. It is also a realistic business solution that ensures the success of hotel business. The hotel booking system is flexible, and reasonably priced, no need for coding, and also simple to integrate.
Festivals of Udaipur and their Significance
By: Daisy John
Tags: Festivals, Udaipur, Hotels

Festivals of Udaipur and their Significance

Festivals are an important aspect of Indian culture, and there’s no way you can come to India and miss the many festivals celebrated here. To get a flavour of this country and its culture, you should visit the many states during some of the festivals. One of the country’s most culturally-rich states is Rajasthan. Udaipur is an important city in the state, and is known for its vibrant culture. While Diwali, Holi etc are festivals common to a vast majority of the country, here are some festivals unique to the Udaipur region, and the significance of each of them:

Speaking of summer…

Gangaur festival: A summer festival, Gangaur / Gauri pooja is performed by women seeking a happy married life. The goddess is also a symbol of fertility and harvest, apart from fidelity in marriage. The festival is celebrated after Holi, and involves collecting ashes post the Holi fire. Barley and wheat seeds are buried in the ashes, and watered till they germinate. One week after Holi, the idols of Isar (Ishwar) and Gauri are made. Gauri is a spring-related festival and is all about abundance, growth and prosperity.

Heralding the rainy season

Hariyali Amavasya: This festival is celebrated during the monsoon, and the scale of celebrations is really huge. Hariyali means greenery, and therefore, a sapling is planted on this day. Also, the festival marks the beginning of the rainy season. Amavasya is the moonless night, and Lord Shiva is worshipped on this occasion. People fast the whole day on the day of Hariyali Amavasya. The festival/fair is held at the Sahelion ki Bari and Fatehsagar Lake. Sahelion ki Bari is a popular haunt in Udaipur, and is a well known garden.

· Celebrating the arrival of spring

Mewar festival: Indian festivals are all about celebrating seasons, be it summer, spring or the monsoon. The Mewar festival marks the arrival of spring, and is celebrated with great pomp and enthusiasm across the town of Udaipur. Processions of Isar and Gangaur (Gauri) are taken out across the city of Udaipur. The procession culminates at Lake Pichola’s Gangaur Ghat. The festival is also marked with music and dance programmes. To catch the full glory of the Mewar festival, you should visit the areas in and around Bagore ki Haveli or Bharatiya Lok Kala Mandal. You can also enjoy the spectacular fireworks display as part of the festival.

Stay and local experience

Udaipur is called the ‘Venice of the East’, thanks to the many lakes in the city. You should visit this city of lakes and palaces to enjoy the essence of Rajasthan. Udaipur is also a great place to explore if you are a foodie, and want to taste the local culinary delights. In terms of accommodation, there are plenty of options on offer, from a range of medium and budget accommodation choices to 5 star hotels in Udaipur. There are many resorts in Udaipur that offer a rich experience, in terms of food and cultural extravaganza.
Rocking The Daisies: The Eco-Friendly Music Festival
By: Mack Prioleau
Tags: Festival, Travel

I recently attended Rocking the Daisies, a four-day music festival in Cape Town, South Africa. The event took place October 1st through the 4th. This year was the festival’s 10th birthday and the really went all out for the occasion. With 9 stages and over 22,000 people in attendance, the festival was an amazing scene to behold. There was a wide range of music styles from jazz to reggae to Cuban to funk.

Some of the larger names to headline the event include: The Kooks, Milky Chance, The Cat Empire, Crookers, Scuba, Thomas Jack and Betoko. The festival featured over 180 acts, including both local performers and larger, internationally recognized groups.

Furthermore, the Daisies coincided with the Rugby World Cup this year. In the Rubgy World Cup Village, attendees could go watch South Africa or other participants play their matches, witch provided a very electric atmosphere to watch the games.

What makes Rocking the Daisies particular unique, is the message of greening and being socially and environmentally conscious. SA’s Premier Music & Lifestyle Eco Festival is committed to limiting its impact on the environment through the reduction in trash and litter. Festival attendees can regularly be found assisting the festival crews in keeping the area clean throughout the weekend.

As South Africa’s premier eco-friendly music and lifestyle festival, Rocking the Daisies has continued to raise the bar, incorporating innovative environmentally conscious products into the festival and spreading the message of ‘play hard, tread lightly.’ The festival utilizes solar and wind powered electricity, biodiesel generators, LED lighting, biodegradable soaps, recycling and tree planting initiatives to name a few. Rocking the Daisies is committed to becoming the most carbon neutral green event possible.

In the Green Village, you could tap into “your inner Eco-Warrior” with the solar-powered Hemp Stage lineup, environmentally-conscious vendors and much more earth-friendly activities.

Rocking the Daisies was an amazing opportunity to enjoy amazing musical acts, both local and international, while taking part in a festival that is committed to improving the environment at the same time.
Durga Puja — Lights, Cameras and Actions
By: Subhamoy Chakraborti
Tags: Durga Puja, Kolkata, India, Festivals

Edit: The Puja is coming to an end today. As we say in bengali — “asche bochor abar hobe” (it will happen next year again). Added few snaps from old pujas of the landlords/zaminders/royals.

Arguably the biggest festival of India is ON right now. Kolkata is bustling with the joy of festivity. The madness is flowing across the streets, lanes and bylanes. Sharing few snaps of the festival — wish you a very happy Durga Puja and Dusshera.

A large sunflower themed “pandal” where the Goddess is located. Thousands of such pandals are dotting the city

The traditional Durga idol gets new shape by the various installation artists

Some pandals highlight the old Kolkata charm

While some believe in grandiose

the creativity goes on a spree

The Goddess at her best with her family

Decoration using bamboo!

The lights

The Camera(s)

And some action

The rural drum beats in an Urbane Puja pandal — check out the man in dark glass at the back of the stage, must be the Manager ;-)

Creative representation gone a bit stretched :)

Little volunteers showing you the way

She studies in standard 6, and was worshipped as Durga in one of the royal houses in Kolkata. Kumari Puja, where a girl is worshipped as the goddess is practised in some of the pujas, including Belur Math (Ramakrishna mission)

Used in sandhi Puja

Durga Puja is also a time for reunion, of meeting relatives and friends after a long time

The old houses get a fresh coat of paint possibly, while they open up to the commoners

And the jewellery pieces come out of closet

The structure and story of the idols differ

But the spirit remains same — of worshipping the goddess

Finally a short 17 second video of the Bisharjan (Immersion) procession from Sobhabajar Rajbari — they are taking her to Ganges.

#DurgaPuja #Durga #Kolkata #Festival #PhotoStory
Fall fun with wines, brews and views!
By: Thea Dwelle
Tags: Beer, Events, Festivals

Fall fun with wines, brews and views!

This is one of my favorite times of year. The weather is chilly, I can curl up by the fireplace, and sip…cold beer! That’s right, even the Wine Brat loves some beer from time to time.

On Sunday, November 15th, beer lovers from the Bay Area will converge on Fort Mason to celebrate with the BevMo Holiday Beer Fest. Over 50 holiday, Sesasonal & Special, and soon to be released brews will be poured, and all of the beer will be available for purchase at BevMo.

Seasonal brews go back as far as the art of brewing itself, where these big bold sippers were made to celebrate the coming of winter. The Medieval Monks, the first professional brewers, added special ingredients to create warming beers to get us through the long cold winter. Today, brewers use these old methods and add new techniques and flavors like fruits, herbs, coffee and chocolate. Mmmm chocolate!

Join me and The Beer Wench for this special event! Tickets are $35 adn can be purchasd HERE, which includes all of your beer tasting. Food will be available for purchase as well.

Next door to the Beer Fest, the SF Vintners Market will be the first and only wine tasting and buying event in the Bay Area. On November 14th and 15th at Fort Mason Center over 300 wineries from Napa Valley, Sonoma County, Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Russian River Valley and beyond will be pouring their favorite wines including new releases, special collections and hard to find vintages for you to taste. The fun part about this event is that you can actually buy the wine after you taste it, something that hasn’t been done until now due to licensing issues and legal tangles.

The brainchild of Cornelius Geary and Jeff Player, founders of Wine 2.0 and RadCru.com, this event promises to be a good time. WIth the economy still in the dumper, smaller wineries struggle to get their wares of there. These event will get the winemaker closer to the customers, and allow us to buy what we like without searching out after a tasting. In addition to the winemakers at many of the winery booths, we’ll be hosting a special section for “Major famous” winemakers and wine industry celebs where you can get a few minutes of personal time and a quick picture with the winemaker!

Tickets for the SF Vintners Market are $15 each day for General Admission, or $50 for a VIP ticket which allows you access to a special VIP section each day. You can buy tickets HERE.

I hope to see you there!
I Cried on my First Day as a Digital Nomad
By: Darren John Smith
Tags: Digital Nomads, Thailand, Festival

..and I couldn’t be more happy that I did.

I didn’t cry because of sadness; noone has passed away. I didn’t cry because I was unhappy with something in my life. I didn’t cry to get what I want. I didn’t cry because I hurt myself. Nor did I cry because I wanted to cry.

I think — although this has never happened to me — I cried because of the happiness of the moment I was experiencing.

This sounds fucking weird right? Especially as an emotionally secure London boy who has just moved away to Thailand… but this is the only way I can rationalise it.

If you care to join me, I’d love to tell you why I think I cried… this is going to be a ramble!

I’m really only 2 days into my journey. It’s the beginning. Although I’ve been away over a week, I’ve spent most of it in Mumbai for a friend’s wedding. There were expectations and things to do, places to be etc. I felt as if I was in transit between 2 different lives. I’ve been waiting for this moment for years… and I’m so happy I’m here, doing it.

Yesterday I met the most awesomely inspiring dude, Peter — levels.io — He’s building cool sh_t to help people live and work where they want. He’s also the guy behind 12 Startups in 12 months. Anyway, he got me setup in my first co-working space, introduced me to a few people and got excited about what I’m working on — Pillow Talk.

I’ve got purpose. I believe I can build something that can make people’s life better, and I’m making it happen.

I’m learning. I’m enjoying a new culture, picking up a new language, smiling to strangers, nodding when saying thanks. All these small things are just fascinating. I absolutely love it.

Anyway, I had my first good night sleep since arriving into Thailand followed by a delightfully healthy noodle soup breakfast. I walked to the co-working space, hacked away and built stuff. I had a couple of coffees, had a ride on the back of a moped and ended up in a beautiful park where the locals were celebrating Loy Krathong.

These lanterns just lit up the lake. They moved slowly, with the light glistening on the ripples of the water. Each lantern has a candle and incense, so the whole park was filled with this beautiful aroma. Many people were in couples, praying, and delicately placing the lanterns in the water. I sat there watching the fish jumping up and splashing. Everyone, all around me, just looked so happy and literally, just like that, I started shedding tears. I couldn’t quite believe it myself. Few things have ever made me cry.

It was as if at that moment everything came together. I was there, just observing, experiencing and feeling. Not the past. Not the future. Just being. There. Present. It felt fucking amazing.

I wish that you will experience this joy too. I’d love to hear similar stories.
Festival that can demolish the evil .
By: Saheli Bishnu
Tags: Solve, Festival, Engineering

Festival that can demolish the evil .

Festival that is most celebrated with warmth and happiness .

Why cannot do something meaningful to portray those people who are not valued .

Like the glimpse of words and gesture which last for a cobbler , as satisfaction , at days end .

How does a rag- picker sees the world, where her little daughter can fit in .

We don’t mean donation or sympathy here , we mean knowing us more .

Latest trend dwell in startup .

Why cannot we have the feedback round here , basically when engineers built a prototype for those who cannot afford alternative in market.

We can have Theme based on pop up stores of make and create, show our human and plants centred ideation phase .

Examples:

Prosthetic and 3D based arm , or smart stick for old and quick learn books and screen for children who work and school dropouts .

Engineering is for the humanity and by the humanity ,

to solve the problems we face everyday .

Visitors can speak up their message , this get recorded .

This is going to create the purest voice filled air ,where we think for others .

Lease share your feedback .

We need implementation at every level possible .

We need the children to discover about their grandparents and write a journal .

We need to Solve , we all need to .

Subho Bijoya #Durgapuja #greetings
My Circle of Light
By: Geoffroy Petit
Tags: Moscow, Travel, Festival

I’ve recently been attending here in Moscow the 5th edition of the Circle of Light Festival.

The concept is pretty simple, amazing buildings squares places animated in light shows created by different artists from all over the world.

The result is fantastically impressive. My favorite place to attend this festival was the Bolshoi Theater in the very city center. The building in itself, stunning by day, becomes a real wonder during this festival.

Getting out of the metro station, taking the good exit of course (here I was lucky enough to be guided to that one), I suddenly face a totally different square and building than the one I knew. People all around crowding the place to enjoy a show of magical lights lighting up the theatre. I was now in a fairy Moscow.

From my favorite very ‘Bolshoi Like’ traditional theme playing Tchaikovsky and screening some ballerinas to the most futuristic theme inviting a spaceship to crash the building on a techno/deep house music background, or Historical theme going over some part of Russian past. Even a vibrating ‘Galaxy Bolshoi S6’ for commercials. Unrealistic but true, nobody took the call. I also liked a lot all the foreign projects invited to participle to the festival and their creative ideas on how to mix their culture and the local one, very colorful ‘Mexico’ and ‘India’.

I so much loved it that I was ready to watch it a second time in a row, if it wasn’t the cold.
Beware the barrenness of a busy life.
By: Saurabh Pareek
Tags: Diwali, Festival, India

Beware the barrenness of a busy life.

We are born in a country of festivals where birthdays and death anniversaries bear more significance that the life-story. The day marks the beginning of a Hindu New year and the return of Lord Ram to Ayodhya. But who cares about that ! Now is the time when media is flooded with discussions on ‘Ram was a bad husband’ or ‘Ram bears no significance in the 21st century’ and even ‘Indian gods are all killers and war maniacs’. Surely whatever the truth is, Ramayana and Mahabharatha can be counted as World’s best sellers (Fiction) with global reach to billions. You might not be able to feel the Diwali but surely you can hear and smell this season of smoke and noise.

We are in the times when economies all around the globe are in downfall and some nations are fighting for their sustainable existence. And surely India too. A nation whom the world recognizes as a land of elephants, snake charmers and poverty.

But this is the magical day which has often proved all the economists wrong.

Before 10–15 years, Diwali celebrations comprised of getting your house cleaned and whitewashed before Diwali, buying new clothes, enjoying sweets, meeting friends and lightening clay diyas.Whitewashing has given way to choosing from a plethora of expensive paints for your house. Branded clothes have replaced new clothes and electronic decoration has dethroned the traditional diyas and candles. Wherever they are used, it is their modern avatars- artistically shaped diyas, Chinese lanterns and aromatic candles. Sweets are being gradually replaced by chocolates and cupcakes (those gold foil covered Swiss chocolates or better to say ‘Bilayati Laddoo’ which a traditional Indian will attempt to eat without even removing the wrap) and people have little time and patience to meet friends and relative, let alone the neighbors.

Diwali isn’t what it used to be. It’s not just that India’s festival of lights but should now be more appropriately called as the Festival of Chinese lights because china’s where they all come from. Essence is there, but the flavors have changed, drastically. Dhanteras, which falls 2 days before Diwali, was earlier believed to be a day of Yam, the god of death, is worshiped for protection from untimely death. Some consider it auspicious to buy precious metals like gold or silver on Dhanteras for good luck. Now it’s more about a day to buy sleek I-pods, shiny new laptops, Smartphones, tablets and much more.

It’s not a festival which India used to celebrate out of faith. It was more serene, more pious. But now, it’s commercialized. It’s more of a show. Now it’s the official day and opportunity to show-off, prove others the purchasing power and social status is better than others. What’s more to say about crackers and fireworks, they are loud enough to confuse people if it was a cracker or some terrorist attack.

All the discussions lead us to one thing, especially counting the urban youth count and educated internet savvy India that whatever the mainstream thinks can be changed and its just the way we celebrate has changed.