Hotels in India

India is a very famous holiday destination in the world, and provides ample facilities as far as lodging is concerned. It has state of the art hotels to cater to its ever booming travel and tourism industry. Many hotels and resorts have popped up in India over the last few years to cater the accommodation needs of everybody. India is dotted with hotels that fit in every budget. There are hotels ranging from Luxury Hotels to Economy Hotels India. A travel agent can help in finding a suitable accommodation.

Hotels in India provide detailed overview of the various categories of hotels, and the important groups of hotels that play a major role in the field of tourism. Located in all major tourist and commercial destinations of India, the hotels are known for their warm hospitality and comfortable accommodation. A number of hotels in India are counted among some of the best hotels in the world.

Categorization of Hotels in India
The hotels in India can be divided into various classes on the basis of room types, amenities and location. Some of the prominent categories of hotels in India include:

Heritage Hotels
Reflecting the old glory and grandeur of India, most of the havelis and mansions of ancient times have been turned into Heritage Hotels, that provide the tourists with an opportunity to experience royal pleasure in traditional ambiance. Most of the Heritage Hotels in India are concentrated in the princely states of Rajasthan, Delhi, and Madhya Pradesh

Luxury Hotels
Equipped with world class infrastructural amenities, the Luxury Hotels in India offer the tourists with a fine lodging and dinning experience. Catering primarily to the upper class executives, the luxury hotels extend a warm welcome to all the customers

Budget Hotels
A home away from home, the budget hotels accommodate customers from upper middle and middle class. Also referred to as Economy Class Hotel, Business Hotels and Discount Hotels, the Budget Hotels support all the modern infrastructural facilities for a comfortable and pleasant stay

Resorts
Resorts are mostly found in hill stations and sea side tourist destinations of India. Located amidst natural scenic beauty, the Resorts are the ideal place to enjoy some valuable time with family and friends or in solitude

Important Hotel Groups in India
Hotel Industry is a booming business sector of India that has given a boast to tourism in the country. Taj Group of Hotels, Park Group of Hotels, Radisson Hotels India and ITC Hotels are some of the luminaries in the field of hotel industry that are famous for unique amenities and superb accommodation arrangements.

Goa Kerala Tour

Day 01: Arrive Goa
Transfer to the airport to connect flight to Goa. Upon arrival, the guests will be met & transferred to the hotel.
GOA - It's 450 years under Portuguese domination produced a unique, syncretic blend of East and West. Rest of the day at leisure.
Dinner and overnight at hotel .

Day 02: Goa
Fullday sightseeing our Goa - Visit Old Goa, the most important Cathedrals and churches - namely Se-Cathedral, Church of St. Francis Xavier, St. Catherine's Church, Arch of Vice Roy of Goa. Miramar Beach - This is the only beach close to any city and has a good view of the river Mandovi flowing into the sea. Also visit Dona Paula fishing village which is a small village at the tip of Panaji, the place has a very good viewpoint and a monument at the same place. Overnight at hotel

Day 03: Goa
Full day at leisure for own activities and to enjoy the facilities of the resort. Dinner & overnight at the hotel

Day 04: Depart Goa
Transfer to the airport for flight to Delhi or Mumbai

Day 05 - Arrive Cochin
Late night, arrive Mumbai and transfer to the domestic airport for your flight to Cochin by 9W 405 at 0545 hrs. On arrival in Cochin at 0730 hrs, assistance at airport and transfer to hotel. Rest of the day free.

Evening attend the Kathakali dance performance.

Overnight in Cochin.

Day 06 - In Cochin
Morning Guided city tour.Afternoon free.

Cochin - the palmgreen commercial town of Kerala has one of the finest natural harbours in the world.

The Chinese fishing nets can be seen at the entrance of the harbour. The Chinese through trade contact taught this technique of catching fish.

Overnight in Cochin.

Day 07 - Cochin - Munnar
Morning: Drive to Munnar (135 kms/04½ hrs) enroute visit tea plantations. On arrival in Munnar, check in at hotel. Afternoon: Boat ride in the lake.

Overnight in Munnar.

Day 08- In Munnar
Full day free to visit the bazaars, plantations etc.

Overnight in Munnar.

Day 09 - Munnar - Periyar
Early Morning: Drive to Periyar (100 kms/03 hrs) and on arrival, check in at hotel. Afternoon: Boat ride in Lake Periyar to watch wildlife. Later visit Kumily spice market to see and buy spices.

Overnight in Periyar.

Day 10 - Periyar - Kottayam
Early Morning: Drive to Kottayam (120 kms/03 hrs) and on arrival, switch over to the House Boat and cruise along the backwaters, passing through paddy fields, villages, market etc.

The cruise is through `Kuttanad' literally meaning the land which is lower than the sea level but is kept intact by its bunds and dikes. It is the `rice bowl' of Kerala. The rice fields are very beautiful and this lush land and surrounds governs the placid way of life of the people who live on the backwaters.

Overnight on board HOUSE BOAT.

Day 11 - Arrive Alleppey - Kovalam
Morning: Drive to Kovalam (180 kms/04½ hrs) and on arrival in Kovalam, check in at a beach resort. Rest of the day to relax at the beach or indulge in Ayurvedic massages.

Overnight in Kovalam.

Day 12 - Kovalam
Full day free on the beach.

Overnight in Kovalam.

Day 13 - Kovalam
Full day free on the beach.

Overnight in Kovalam.

Day 14 - Kovalam - Trivandrum - Mumbai - Depart
Morning: Assistance and transfer to Trivandrum airport (25 kms) in time to connect flight 9W 335 at 1335 hrs to Mumbai. On arrival in Mumbai at 1535 hrs, assistance at airport and transfer to city hotel for wash and change. Rest of the day free for last minute shopping/packing. Evening: After farewell dinner, assistance and transfer to International airport in time to connect your onward flight home….

Travel To Goa India

The 131 km long coastline of Goa on the golden Konkan coast of the Western Ghats is along the Arabian Sea. This small former Portuguese enclave is one of India most popular tourist spots, both for the domestic and international traveller. The name Goa is derived from the Konkani word `Goyan', which means a patch of tall grass.

The 131 km long coastline of Goa on the golden Konkan coast of the Western Ghats is along the Arabian Sea. This small former Portuguese enclave is one of India' most popular tourist spots, both for the domestic and international traveller. The name Goa is derived from the Konkani word `Goyan', which means a patch of tall grass.

The sheer inaccessibility of Goa by land has always kept it out of the mainstream of Indian History. On the other hand, its control of the seas and above all the lucrative spice trade made it a much-coveted prize for rival colonial powers. Until a century before the arrival of the Portuguese adventure Vasco Da Gama who landed near Kozhikode in Kerala in 1498, Goa had belonged for over a thousand years to the kingdom of Kadamba. In the interim it had been successfully conquered by the Karnatakan Vijayanagars, the Muslim Bahmanis and Yousuf Adil Shah of Bijapur but the capture of the fort at Panaji by Alfonso De Albuquerque in 1510 signaled the start of a Portuguese occupation that was to last for 450 years.

Meanwhile, conversions to Christianity started by the Franciscans gathered pace when St.Francis Xavier founded the Jesuit Mission in 1542. With the advent of the inquisition soon afterwards laws were introduced censoring literature and banning any faith other than Catholicism even the long established Syrian Christian community were branded heretics. Hindu temples were destroyed and converted Hindus adopted Portuguese names such as DA Silva, Correa and De'Sousa which remain common in the region. The transitional influence of the Jesuits eventually alarmed the Portuguese government. The Jesuits were expelled in 1749 which made it possible for Indian Goans to take up the priesthood. However, standards of education suffered and Goa entered a period of decline. The Portuguese were not prepared to help but neither would they allow native Goans equal rights. An abortive attempt to establish the Goan Republic was quelled with the execution of fifteen Goan conspirators.

When you have decided to opt for Goa tour travel packages from the tour operators in Goa, be prepared for you might just swoon over the beauty of this enchanting state.

Goa packages from the tour operators in Goa take you on a sightseeing tour that involves churches, temples, beaches and of course the villages. Besides this, when you avail a Goa packages from tour operators in Goa, you get to relish the delicious Goan food, which is always hot and spicy.

Fair & Fastival in Goa

Bonderam Festival, Goa
Bonderam Festival goaThe feast of Bonderam is celebrated on the fourth Saturday of August every year at Divar Island, 12-km from Panjim.
On this day, the quiant land of Divar, away from the hustle and bustle of Panjim, is agog with excitement. Melodious music drift from the village to mainland Old Goa - once the hub of Portuguese Goa - even before the crack of dawn on the Saturday. At noon people begin trickling into the village. By the evening the trickle is a deluge. An expectant crowd assembles along either side of the main through fare of the village. The tempo is set by lands and lasses wielding "fotashes" engaging themselves in mock battles. The gaily coloured floats accompanied by colourfully dressed youngsters make a pretty picture.

Feast Of Three Kings ,Goa
Feast Of Three Kings goaIt is on the Festa dos Reis or the Epiphany on January 6 that the isolated Hill station of Remedios and chapel suddenly spring to life and activity. After staying almost whole year in isolation, just nine days before the Feast of the Novena starts, the hill revives and resounds to human voices and feet. Come early dawn, kettledrums and the blare of trumpets, announce to the sleepy little neighboring villages that the day of rejoicing and festivity has arrived.The tolling bells call the faithful to prayer and devotees visit the shrine in a non-stop stream. There's now an excellent road winding its way up the steep hill right to the door of the chapel, making the ascent possible by car. Still, most of the devotees prefer to climb up hill. Even the very old and infirm make their way up for nine consecutive days to hear Mass and recite the Rosary before the Lady of the Blue Mantle. Many come to offer their thanks for fulfilling their wishes. The devotees are always lead by a drummer-boy with his kettledrum who, by the loud beat of his drum, announces of another favor having being granted by the Lady of Remedios.

Goa Carnival
Goa Carnival Carnival in Goa is a non-stop 3-day festival of color, song and music, providing a healthy entertainment for all, young and old. The soothing climate, full of fun- 'n' -frolic, which the Carnival generates, is much longed for. It does not matter whether one enjoys or see others enjoying. There is enthusiasm and happiness all around.
The Goa Carnival is an integral part of the Portuguese heritage of the state, which was a dominion of Portugal till 1961. The carnival epitomizes the fun-loving culture that is characteristic of Goa. It was introduced by the erstwhile rulers as a rowdy celebration in which flour, eggs, oranges, lemons, mud, sand-filled gloves along with dirty water, various liquids and glue were aimed at passersby. Used pots, pans, and other kitchen utensils were also thrown out of windows. Perhaps this was done to discard the old and the dirty before the Lenten fast.

Sao Joao Festival in Goa
Sao Joao Festival in Goa Sao Joao is the feast of St. John the Baptist observed all over Goa on 24th June. Newly wed sons-in-law celebrate at their mothers-in-law's house. On this occasion the mother presents the daughter a basket full of fruits like jackfruits, mangoes, pineapples, etc. to be taken home. A procession of village youth wearing crowns of leaves, carrying bottles of Feni advances through the village, ultimately arriving at a well of pond into which they jump along with the sons-in-law.

Shigmoutsav in Goa
Shigmo in Goa is esentially a festival of the masses. Though it is celebrated under different names and in different ways in various parts of the country.It is the festival of farewell to winter celebrated on the full moon day in the month of Phalguna (March), the last month of the Hindu calendar.In Goa, which has always been land of temples, Shigmo begins with Naman or collective obeisance of villagers from 9th moon day to full-moon day. During all these days, they are to 'Shun' non-vegetarian food and all intoxicants.

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS IN GOA

Attraction Tour in Goa Goa has so many tourist attraction that one is confused as to which Goan tourist attraction to surrender to.

Temples in Goa:
When you think of Goa in India, then images of beaches and sea cross your mind, so it comes as an added surprise to find that Goa in India also has numerous temples doted all around. Once you visit these temples in India one is washed with a sense of purity and sanctity.

Churches in Goa:
Thanks to the Portuguese invasion, Goa, India, has a number of churches to boast about. Many of these Goan churches are outstanding and exemplary cases of Christian architecture. Most of the church in Goa display a tiered frontispiece and are framed with columns and pilasters. They belong to the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. The local population, with their artistically receptive minds, assimilated the symbols of Christian art.

Villages in Goa:
To this day, if you ask the Goans where they are from, they'll give you the name of their village, their 'ancestral village' as they often call the Goan village. And since many of the villages in Goa have probably evolved from early Stone Age settlements, each Goan village has had plenty of time to develop its individual character overlaid by an Iberian stamp.

Beaches in Goa:
God has been very kind to this Indian town of Goa in terms of beaches. Beaches in Goa rank among the top beaches in the world. And why shouldn't it? With over 40 lovely beaches to its credit, one can just get lost in the mesmerising beauty of these beaches in India have to tour across Goa, India to experience the beauty first-hand.

Carnival in Goa:
Come February and you will find excitement bubbling across Goa…the reason…well, Goa is getting dressed for the carnival. It doesn't take much time for this small Indian state of Goa to get into the carnival mood, basically the party mood.

Getaways in Goa:
You will never get tired of the beaches or the temples or the churches in Goa, but just in case, you want to try something different, then there are many getaways in India's Goa.

Fairs And Festivals In Goa

With the majority of the population being Hindu, Goa has scores of festivals celebrated all around the year. The festivals are celebrated through out the year. Most of the Goan festivals are Jatras (feasts) of the local or family deity celebrated at the temple, called Devasthan. There is gala affair in the temple complex with thousands of devotees taking part in the colorful celebrations and the palakhi or palanquin procession.

The long period of Portuguese colonisation, has given unique Goan character to the Hindu festivals and are celebrated in distinctive and stylish elegance.

Most of the Hindu, Christian and other religious festivals are celebrated in the same manner as around India, but with a Goan flavour. Mainly celebrated Hindu festivals, by the Goans are Ganesh Chathurti, Gudi Padwa, Diwali, Dassra (Dussehra), Holi, Rakshabandhan, Ramnavmi and Krishnajanmashtami.

Sao Joao Festival

The Sao Joao Festival is most pompously celebrated in Goa amongst the Catholic community and is dedicated to St. John the Baptist which is celebrated on 24th June every year.

This occasion marks the celebration by the local youth in the villages of Goa who normally get drunk and jump into wells according to the existing tradition of Sao Joao festival.

They consume plenty of fruits on this occasion and are virtually unstoppable when they indulge in revelry. Specially in Salcete taluka, different types of folk dances or Mandos are held which are popularly known as Sangodds. Fruits and other eatables are exchanged between friends and relatives.

It is an existing tradition wherein anyone who owns a well and has a girl who is newly married exchanges pleasantries and food items to their in-laws as is the custom in every Goan village.

It is a real treat to watch the local youth with crowns of leaves and varied fruits on their heads going out in processions carrying Goan liquor along with them and jumping into wells to have fun. Later, they enjoy a lavish feast of meat and seafood marking the end of the festival. The rainy season is a perfect foil for the Sao Joao festival as most of the people enjoy it more when its raining heavily

Mardi Grass Festival

Mardi Grass is famous festival in Goa. The time for celebrating Mardi Grass is around the months of February and March every year. Lent is the period of time from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday which is a span of forty days. These forty days symbolize the forty days spent by Moses and Elijah roaming in the wild, the forty days and nights of continuous rain by God during Noah’s time, forty years of wandering by the Jews in search of land and the forty days of fasting by Jesus. There are a number of Pre Lenten festivals that are celebrated by the Christians all over the globe. The most famous of such festivals is the Mardi Grass (Mardi Gras) Festival, or Fat Tuesday. The Mardi Grass Festival is celebrated in Goa mainly three days before Lent commences.

The Mardi Gras Festival is celebrated in Goa with a lot of enthusiasm. There are guests arranged and carnivals that take place before the 40 day fasting take place.The Mardi Grass Festival take place comes together with a lot of music, good food, dance, colors and a lot of festivities.

Feast Of St Francis Xavier

St. Francis Xavier is better known as “Goencho Saib” (Lord of Goa) by Goans, is the Patron Saint of Goa. The Feast of St. Francis Xavier is a feast held annually on the 3rd of December – the day he was buried – after nine days of prayer, called the Novena.

St Francis Xavier was a Basque Jesuit missionary in the 1500s, was known as the Apostle to the Indies and one of the supreme Christian missionaries. His accomplishment in Goa in particular earned him many followers and today he is respected as the area's patron saint. The fest is commemorated to honor his contribution and popularity. The festival draws thousands of followers who gather at the Bom Jesus Basilica to celebrate mass and to get in line with fellow devotees to kiss the relics of St Francis that are held there.

During his lifetime the saint was far and wide identified for nursing the sick and dying. Today, many pilgrims come to the feast in the hope that they may still recover from his healing powers and to give thanks for the comfort he has given them.

Thousands of devotees from across the country as well as abroad attend the Feast, which has a Pontifical Mass performed by a congregation of high-ranking clergy.

Masses begin as early as 4am, with the solemn High Mass celebrated mid-morning. Later the visitors move on to the Old Goa fair, one of the largest in the region. This major festival usually lasts for 9 days with devotees visiting the Bom Basilica.