Dear All...We are moving to a new Hi-Tech Space to facilitate World-Class Products and Services to our valued Customers. As a privileged Customer/Well wisher, we kindly request your gracious presence and blessings on the Door-Opening Day...

Comment from one of our Guest Mr. Dinesh Dholakia - iKeralaTourist.com

Comment from one of our Guest Mr. Dinesh Dholakia

Dear Aneesh

Thanks for your greetings and all that co opration extended by you and your team during my 6 days tour to kerala.We really enjoyed a lot in this pleasent tour,however a little bit disturbance due to rain. Your company Driver Mr Nideesh- a true gentlemen was really a help full person thru out the tour.

Will definetly convey my friends and collegues to arrange a tour thru I Kerala tourist.

Best Regards

Dinesh Dholakia

Kerala - God's own Country

Happy Onam to all...iKeralaTourist.com

TRIPUNITHURA ATHACHAMAYAM 2014...

Athachamayam marks the beginning of the ten day 'Onam Festival' in Kerala. It is an occasion to witness almost all the folk art forms of Kerala. Conducted every year on the Atham star of the Malayalam month Chingam, the event held at the Royal historical town of Tripunithura is a celebration of a legendary victory of the Kochi King.

Photos:- Thanks to Mr.Vineeth...

our New Package "Monsoon Celebrations in Kumarakom" - iKeralaTourist.com

Aneesh Nair with our Guest Mr. Shaukat Maqsood - iKeralaTourist.com

EID Mubarak to all...

Our Recruitment Ad in today’s Malayala Manorama News Paper...

with our Guest Mr. Rohitash Srivastava @ Airport

Comments of our Guest - iKeralaTourist.com

Feedback from one of our esteemed Guest Mr. Anoop Kumar Pandey, Chief Engineer-Samsung R & D Institute, Delhi

“Dear Aneesh,

Many thanks for all the kind hospitality been provided to us.

Houseboat: Nice crew, Excellent food, special thanks for the Honeymoon freebies - cake, candle light dinner & fruit basket

City Tour: Good experience

Taxi: Excellent, Car was better than the one promised, Driver was very humble and cooperative, and special thanks to the driver for playing hindi songs :)

All in all, I would like to rate my experience as 'excellent'.

It was only a 2 day trip. In future, i am looking forward to come down to Kerala once more, this time it would be around 1 week trip and would definitely ask you to for your best hospitality ! Thanks again ! Cheers !”

Kerala Backwaters make a Splash

Kerala Tourism's campaign to promote the backwaters has gone viral. It is an to the waterscapes of the state. The backwaters of Kerala are making waves on international shores and in cyber space. A campaign for Kerala Tourism – ‘The Great Backwaters’ – is a visual symphony in greens that plays up the lifestyle, culture and unique ecosystem of the backwaters. While the print ads have been winning eyeballs and awards too since it was released last November in Europe, the video, which has just been released, is a collage of never-before-seen scenes of the backwaters. The video has gone viral on social media. Scenes of life in the backwaters smoothly glide by in the two-minute video that gives us a peek into a culture that is specific to the region. Images of school children, coconut climbers, toddy tappers, fishermen, swimmers, ducks, boats and mangroves seamlessly merge into the landscape as aerial shots and underwater images blend to yield a clear portrait of the languid lifestyle of the region. Playback singer and music director Alphons scores the music that flows along with the images and accentuates the rhythms of a land that celebrates its songs of the soil.

With an Eye on Rs 25,000 crore Revenue, Kerala Tourism Readies Offseason Plan

The Kerala Tourism Department, the putative goldmine of the god’s own country, will make it big by launching various campaigns to boost the sector during the offseason period. Attempting to reach out to a wider customer base, the state would run a televised campaign on Sony Pix, TLC, Zee Cinema, Star Movies, NDTV and Discovery Channels. The government has allocated `1.64 crore for the ad campaign that is expected to rev up tourism activity in April and September. Plans are also afoot to leverage the sector through different advertisements which will be played in movie theatres across the country. Further, the Tourism Department has launched a social media marketing campaign targeting the domestic audience two weeks ago. Travel enthusiasts are now able to post their plans on the Facebook page created by the Kerala Tourism Department. The system works in such a way that five tour operators from the state would contact the facebook user immediately, with a detailed package. “The offseason campaign will bear fruits,” said Suman Billa, secretary of Kerala Tourism. “Normally, April-September period is a bleak season for the tourism sector. However, the summer vacation often kicks off some activity during April and May. From June to September, the number of people who visits the state is relatively low. With the new offseason campaigns, we are hopeful of garnering more revenue, and have plans to promote the sector throughout the year. The target for this period is domestic tourists,” he said.

Happy VISHU to all !!! - iKeralaTourist.com

Today is our Anniversary…..iKeralaTourist.com

Anniversary has colors when our customers speak about us and hold us up with remarks on our performance and outstanding customer service. We are grateful to each and every customer on boosting our profile with good remarks. All this can only possible with the amazing strength & support of our Staff and unconditional support of Business Associates.

Yesterday was a Beginning, Today is our Strength, Tomorrow is Hopes built on Customer's Satisfaction.

Weaknesses are opportunities, hurdles are strength, customer base is hopes, as we move to our next Anniversary Year; these are our Hopes, Strengths and Opportunities. We are committed, and as part of our ongoing commitments, we ensure in upcoming year with introduction of more systems on Customer Service, Economically competent & Tailor-made Packages, Global Website, own fleets of Vehicles and partnership with more Idealistic Properties.

We would like to thank each one in their Name, but such name list is huge, though we are sincerely grateful to each one, we take this opportunity to THANK YOU all - our Valuable Customers, Business Associates, Staff, Guides, Drivers and all their Families - for making this year remarkable.  We look forward to you, as 

We respect your Relationship, 
We esteem your Supports, 
We value your Encouragements, 
We remain always at your Service..

Team - iKeralaTourisT.com...

Goa International Travel Mart 2014: 02 – 04 April 2014

Venue: Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium, Taleigao, Goa

‘Goa International Travel Mart’ is a Buyer-Seller meet cum exhibition, organized by the Department of Tourism, Government of Goa in Panaji, India. The event is aimed at bringing together business leaders, investors, corporations, thought leaders, policy and opinion makers; With more than 250 International and National hosted travel-Buyers from over 30 countries, it is a perfect platform to understand and explore tourism opportunities in the State of Goa. The state of Goa, has over the years has contributed immensely to the Indian tourism industry and this is an opportunity to be part of ‘Goa International Travel Mart’ and reach out to India’s fastest growing tourism markets.

Highlights:

Ø  3rd and Biggest ever edition of 'Goa International Travel Mart': Most important congregation of the Travel Trade in the region.

Ø  Supported by all major Tour Operator Association such as IATO - 'Indian Association of Tour Operators', ADTOI - Assc. of Domestic Tour Operators Association of India, ATOAI - Adventure Tour Operators Association of India, etc

Ø  Over 250 Hosted Buyers and media from over 30 countries. Biggest ever Inbound Travel Event in the country.

Ø  150 Exhibitors from India from over 15 diverse tourism segments

Program:

Ø  02 April 2014: Buyer Registration & Inauguration

Ø  03 - 04 April 2014: B2B Business Meetings with Hosted Buyers

Website: http://www.goatravelmart.in/

Holy Land Tour – Jerusalem - iKeralaTourist.com

We are delighted to announce Holy Lands Group Tour to Jordan, Israel (Jerusalem), and Egypt for 10 days commencing from Cochin - May 19, 2014. Total package cost per person is US $ 1,310/- only.  The Group Tour has limited seats, hence we humbly request to hurry and book your seats at an early date, before the seats are fully booked. 

For more information, kindly contact us on info@ikeralatourist.com.  

We wish and hope the package will benefit you or your near ones to grab a remarkable experience in visiting these most spiritual holy places with an experienced guide.

Special Anniversary Offer - iKeralaTourist.com

iKeralaTourist.com is celebrating Anniversary on 4^th April.  Celebration has colours when you are with us. This is our “Special Anniversary Offer”, designed especially for you. We will be much happy to serve you, or your dear/near ones with this package with a high note that ‘iKeralaTourist.com is an adviser for your complete travel needs’.... For more details, please feel free to contact us.

Miracle Garden

MIRACLE GARDEN 

Miracle Garden in Dubai is an awesome tourist spot. A garden full of flowers, flowers arranged resembling various models including Burj Kalifa covered in flowers, amazing color combinations, fantastic art pieces, plenty romance, neatly organised. It is the best place for lovers and couples to share some wonderful honey moments. Those who love flowers and photography, Miracle Garden is the must visit tourist spot in Dubai.

Nat'l Award for Tourism Website

Kerala Tourism’s website has for the sixth time bagged the National Tourism Award 2012-13 for the Best Website. The website gets the award for the most innovative use of information technology for promoting tourism. The website (www.keralatourism.org) has been named the 10^th best in the world. The website designed by Thiruvananthapuram-based Invis Multimedia has bagged many laurels, including the award of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) in 2010 and the PATA best e-mail newsletter award in 2005 and 2013. Most of the search engines have ranked www.keralatourism.org as the first site for information on Kerala. The website can be virtually called an online encyclopedia on Kerala. Rich with more than 3000 videos and 1500 pictures, the website is available in English, Hindi, Russian, French, Italian, German, Japanese, Spanish, Chinese and Arabic, besides Malayalam.

India to extend visa-on-arrival facility to 180 countries

India will extend visa-on-arrival to tourists of all nations barring eight, including Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Sudan and Iran, as it looks to boost tourism, Planning Minister Rajeev Shukla said on Wednesday. India currently offers visa-on-arrival to tourists from 11 countries like Finland, the Philippines, Singapore and Japan. This facility is now being extended to 180 countries. The only exception to this rule will be nationals from Pakistan, Sudan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Sri Lanka and Somalia, he said without giving reasons. Following a high-level meeting with representatives from various ministries, he said the electronic visa would be valid for 30 days from the date of the tourist's arrival in India. "The facility will provide a major boost to the country's tourism sector. This is historic," Shukla said. A separate website would be set up for extending the facility to foreigners intending to visit India as tourists. To get visa, they would need to apply in the designated website along the required fees. They would be granted an electronic version of the visa within three days. "Visa-on-arrival can be availed in all 26 major domestic airports from where international flights ply," he said.

MUNNAR - Honeymooners Paradise

Happy Republic Day to all proud Indians

Kerala wins UN award for Sustainable Tourism

It is for the first time that India has won this recognition. The state lifted the coveted honour for its sustainable development initiative in the world renowned backwater resort of Kumarakom, a Kerala tourism release said on Thursday. Kerala Tourism bagged the honour yesterday at the annual United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Awards for Excellence and Innovation in Tourism presented at Madrid in Spain. Kerala won the UNWTO Ulysses Award for Innovation in Public Policy and Governance, the highest honour given to the government bodies for shaping global tourism policies through innovative initiatives. Kerala Tourism was chosen for the honour for its path-breaking 'Responsible Tourism' project in Kumarakom, which has successfully linked the local community with the hospitality industry and government departments, thereby, creating a model for empowerment and development of the people in the area while sustaining eco-friendly tourism. "Kerala, a popular ecotourism destination, portrays responsible and sustainable tourism in an exceptional manner," said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, at the awards ceremony. Instituted in 2003 by UNWTO, the United Nations agency for the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism, the UNWTO Awards showcase innovation and application of knowledge in tourism with the aim of effecting governance and society. "We are humbled by the UNWTO's decision to confer this highest international award on our state," said Kerala Tourism Minister A P Anilkumar.

Enchanting Cruise in Houseboat just for $ 115/-

Allappuzha (or Alleppey in Kerala), a town with picturesque canals, backwaters, beaches, and lagoons, it was described as the one of the places known as "Venice of the East" by Lord Curzon.   Venice is a city in north eastern Italy sited on a group of 118 small islands separated by canals and linked by bridges. It is located in the marshy Venetian Lagoon which stretches along the shoreline, between the mouths of the Po and the Piave Rivers. Venice is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. The city in its entirety is listed as a World Heritage Site, along with its lagoon.

We are proudly offering a delightful experience of ‘Venice of the East’ in a houseboat cruise on backwaters for two persons - two days and one night for only INR7,000/-($115/-)*.  Exclusive cruise with two persons* and houseboat crew.  Inclusive of food* and drinks*.  This offer is never before and never after.  Just for you, as our privileged customer.  Bookings open now.  Offer is valid till 31/March only. Cruise can schedule on any date till 30/Sept.  Please hurry and book your cruise on or before the validity expires.


Other attractions in Alappuzha are Alappuzha Beach, offering one of the most beautiful views of the Laccadive Sea, Ambalappuzha Sri Krishna Temple, Mannarasala Temple, Chettikulangara Devi Temple, Haripad Subrahmanya Swamy Temple, Mullakkal Temple, Edathua Church, Alappuzha CSI Christ Church (oldest Anglican church in Kerala) and Champakulam Valia Palli. Krishnapuram Palace also attracts many tourists. The tasty ambalappuzha payasam is a popular dessert.  If you want to add any of these placed during your trip, please mention in your booking.  This will be added with additional charges.


SERVICING & PROCEDURE

Ø  Welcome Drink on Arrival, Bottle of Drinking water, Lunch, Evening Tea & Snacks, Dinner, Morning Tea, Breakfast
Ø  Room/Supplies: Double Bed, Blanket, Attached Bath, Towels, Bath Soap | Extra mattress on floor for Extra Person
Ø  Houseboat Check in time 12:30 pm
Ø  Houseboat Check out time 09:00 am
Ø  Cruise starts from 12:30 pm from Allotted Jetty | Halt during Lunch 01:00 pm – 02:00 pm | Cruises till evening 05 pm | Halt by lake side evening – Overnight – Morning Cruise starts from 08:00 am – 09:00 am
Ø  Air Conditioning in rooms will be from 09 pm – 06 am as per Deluxe A/C plan | In Premium A/C plan A/C will be Full time in Rooms
Ø  *Houseboat Menu: Traditional Kerala Meals, Veg & Non Veg (Fish & Chicken), Chappati/Roti, Kerala Breakfast/North Indian Breakfast
Ø  *Food Preference: Any food preferences like Pure VEG, Cooking Oil, Any ingredients/similar to be updated in advance
Ø  *Additional Food Preferences/dishes like Prawns/Seafood/Non Veg etc will be arranged on extra direct payment basis
Ø  *Early check-in/late check-out will be on extra charge basis and can be a full rate basis
Ø  *Houseboat service team: 03 Persons are dedicated during the cruise (Sailor, Cruise assistant & Chef)
Ø  *A/C in Rooms works on Generators – the cooling time and quality will not be at PAR with a hotel unit working on direct power supply

PACKAGE COST INR 7000/- ($ 115/- only) net for a Couple

Only limited bookings and are on first come first service basis.

Travel Bloggers compete to head to Kerala

Kerala Tourism received many entries from across the world for an online campaign to bring the world's best bloggers to the state for an on-the-road experience. "Kerala Blog Express", a two-week road journey from the south of the state to the north, on luxury bus, will be undertaken starting March 1 by the winners of this campaign-contest. Twenty-five top bloggers from around the world will be selected for the road journey, through online voting on the website www.keralablogexpress.com, specially created by Kerala Tourism for this initiative. The website, launched recently, has already received over 100,000 visits, and some of the top travel bloggers from India and abroad have entered the competition. Travel writers, photographers and bloggers who already have their own travel blogs are eligible to enter the competition. The profiles of participating bloggers are available on the Kerala Blog Express website for voting by the general public. The online vote process will be completed on January 15, and the bloggers with the highest votes will earn seats on the Kerala Blog Express, following a final review by a judging panel of the tourism department."This is a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country to attract the travel blogger community for a first-hand experience of our land, its geography and culture," said Kerala Tourism Minister AP Anilkumar. Entries were received from as many as 80 countries, including United States, United Kingdom, Poland, Spain, Germany, Canada and Indonesia. Some of the world's best-known travel bloggers like Venezuela-born Marcello Arrambide whose Wandering Trader is one of the most popular travels blogs on the internet, and Romanian Cezar Dumitru whose extensive travel experiences have been recorded on his Imperator Travel website, are taking part. Several of the writers participating in the race for the 25 seats on the Kerala Blog Express have featured in the National Geographic, Conde Nast Traveller and Lonely Planet. "Kerala Blog Express would be a stepping stone to experience Kerala along with other travel bloggers," said US-based bloggers Veronica and David James in their new post after entering the contest.

http://keralablogexpress.com/

Bekal to Get Seaplane Services Soon

Seabird Seaplane Private Limited, a Kochi-based company, will operate a 9-seater seaplane from Kochi international airport to Lakshadweep soon. Flights will be operated in the Kochi-Bekal as well as Kochi-Gokarna (Karnataka) routes, according to initial plans.

The company has ordered a ‘Quest Kodiak 100 Amphibian aircraft’ from the U.S., which can accommodate 9 passengers. “It has received all regulatory approvals,” the official said.

Promoted by a group of hoteliers and aviation professionals, the company, Seabird Seaplane Private Limited, has received permission from Director General of Civil Aviation, New Delhi, to operate non-scheduled air transport services.

The operator intends to connect airports in South India such as Kochi, Bangalore and Chennai. The flights could be operated to any resort with a water body access, according to the company. The seaplane could be chartered at Rs. 50,000 per hour. It could be hired for carrying patients on emergency medical services or for relief operations during natural calamities.