Categories
Beaches Favorite Get aways

Kovalam – “the beach”

There are many light houses in the costal areas of south india, most of these constructions are remenants of the british in India. These vanguards have navigated many ships saftely. Some of these areas have been developed into beaches now to attract the western travellers. Kovalam is one such beach, it is an amazing beach and was frequented by the tourists in large numbers during the 70’s and 80’s. The KTDC the state tourism development corporation did put some starred hotels to attract the visitors and keep them comfortable, now the trend in the tourists are changing, the wealthy of the country are traveling to this southern beach state. Air travel has become common and affordable and the economic boom has created quite a number of nouveau rich who are willing to take a vacation. Formerly it used to be traditionally rich and the expat polulation to did the travelling. The political, economical and cultural environment has changed positively which is ushering in an era of travel locally, south India is becoming quite a hub. Another interesting area travellers seek is the backwaters of Kerala. The calm and serene inland water ways are quite an attraction with millions of rupees being invested by large companies and corporations “House boats” have become the “in thing” for any traveller visiting the state. These large boats come in many sizes and prices. You can rent it for a day or a week, well equipped with all the modern amenities and excellent local cousine, where you can have a family get togeather or a corporate meeting.

Travelling by road is an experience in itself, especially if you are driving, you will take with you many memorable experience. As of 2011 what I see I have to do when I decide to drive is change my philosopy in driving, shift from defensive driving which I have practiced all along to aggressive driving, if not you may not get places. The number of vehicles are growing exponentially with time, however the infrastructure is not growing at the same rate. The political climate is still not mature enough in letting go of the petty issues which one can use to win an election, quite often the casuality is the infrastructure. In spite of being the most literate state in the country it is yet to evolve in its response to common issues as a developed nation would. I still enjoy the hustle and the bustle while taking a leasurly trip thorugh the state which has a variety of attractions to offer in this dying rain forest state. In conclusion I would say this one piece of excitement that you would not want to miss for the world. Loved it.

Categories
Local transport

Bixi Bikes

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Bixi – Torontos public bike system
If you want to see the city on the bike this is an excellent means of transport. The bikes are available 24 hours a day, Rent it only for the period you need; drop it off at the nearest location no worries. If you are planning to travel by VIA rail, they give discounts to bixi riders. Rain or shine or snow bikes are available for all the seasons. Mind you these bikes are only available for the cities.
Other cities that offer bixi bikes are Montreal, Ottawa and London in Ontario.

This is one of the most economical modes of urban transport. A one year membership is only 95C$’s.

What to do and how to get your bike – The following information is obtained from the bixi website

  • Go to the pay station, choose the icon representing a bike, then read and accept the Terms and Conditions.
  • Pay by inserting your credit card (Visa, MasterCard or AMEX). A $250 deposit is placed on your credit card for 10 days. Your credit card serves to identify you as a user; a maximum of two (2) 24 or 72-hour accesses per credit card is permitted at one time.
  • Print or view your unlocking code on the screen. It is valid for 5 minutes. If you take longer than this period of time, repeat the process
  • Enter your unlocking code on the keypad of the bike dock of your choice.
  • When you see the green light turn on*, pull the handlebars firmly toward you to release the bike.
  • Your 30 included minutes start now!
  • Return the bike to any BIXI station. Push the front wheel firmly into any empty bike dock.
  • Make sure the green light turns on* after having locked in the bike. You must wait 2 minutes before taking out another bike.
  • To obtain a new unlocking code during the 24 or 72-hour period, start over again by inserting your credit card again: the system will recognize it and no additional fees will be charged to your card if you make trips under 30 minutes.

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Some links to reviews

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Categories
Events

Toronto International Car show 2012

The Toronto car show is one of the events that you should not miss if visiting Toronto during the winter months, some activity to take away your winter blues away. One of the interesting parts of the show is the free test drives at the Mercedes Benz booth. All you have to do is sign up, you will need a valid drivers license from any country, that’s your pass. You get to drive all the different models as many times as you want and willing to line up for the different drives. The lines were usually long for the E-class. Don’t miss this opportunity if you can. The YouTube video below is from year before last.

The 2012 Canadian International AutoShow will open Friday February 17th and run till Sunday February 26, 2012 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

The online advance ticket box office will open Tuesday, November 1st 2011. You can save 25% off the regular ticket rate if you make an advance booking.

This year the weather is mild and hope it stays that way.

 

Formula Eye level camera – nice video

Categories
Favorite Get aways

Accomodations


There are a number of houses for rent in Kerala for travelers, these houses are well furnished available for short stays of a few weeks. These places are situated in small towns from where you can visit most parts of the state and experience the local culture. Currently there are two houses available for rent in Kollam district in Kerala state. If interested in knowing more about such accommodations do post a comment and more pictures and detailed information will be made available.

Kerala is a state with considerable amount rain forest and numerous waterways with house boats and a rich cultural heritage. There are amazing getaways from Trivandrum to Cannanore.

This state is also called Gods own country
Some areas of interest are

  • Beaches
  • Festivals
  • Waterfalls
  • Hill stations
  • Backwaters
  • Houseboats
  • Ayurveda

Virtual tours

Categories
Favorite Get aways

Favourite winter get aways

Here are three selections one the the cold regions of north america, the next is locations down under and finally a relatively warm winter in the middle east.

If you love spending the winter wanting to enjoy the season here are a number of opportunities for you in Ontario – Canada
This is the official website of Ontario Tourism.

If downunder is you choice destination here are a few places you can choose to go. This site gives you opportunities to select places of interest in any of you state. Australian Getaways

Another winter destination is Dubai – here is an article from the daily telegraph. It is a good idea to beat the chill with this warm paradise.