Luxury River Cruises in India

India is increasingly becoming a central location for luxury travel and luxury cruises. Luxury River Cruises in India are all the more spectacular because they provide travellers with an opportunity equal to none to observe the astounding geography of the region. The

Ganges River is the starting point for a host of luxury river cruises.

All river cruises in India start and finish with the River Ganges, or India's "Holy River." The Ganges flows east through the Gangetic Plain of northern India into Bangladesh. The Ganges then rises in the western Himalayas and drains into the Sunderbans delta in the Bay of Bengal.

For Hindus in India, the Ganga is not just a river - but a mother, a goddess, a culture. Many Hindus believe that life simply isn't complete without bathing in the Ganga at least once in one's lifetime. Many Hindu families keep a vial of water from the Ganga in their house. Hindus believe that the water from the Ganga can cure the ill.

Some of the most important Hindu festivals happen on the banks of this vital body of water. Festivals are celebrated on the banks of the river, such as the Kumbh Mela, Allahabad and the Chhath Puja.

The River Ganges is a primary tourist destination. Three towns holy to Hinduism - Haridwar, Allahabad, and Varanasi - attract countless pilgrims to its waters. Thousands of Hindu pilgrims arrive at these three towns to take a dip in the Ganges. The rapids of the Ganges also are popular for river rafting, attracting scores of adventure seekers in the summer months.

A Brahmaputra Luxury River Cruise provides the best opportunity to explore one of the world's finest combinations of river and jungle.

The River Brahmaputra merges with the Ganges in Bangladesh and splits into two: the Hugli and Padma Rivers. When it merges with the Ganges it forms the world's largest delta, the Sunderbans. The Sunderbans houses the largest mangrove swamp and Estuarine National Park in the world and is home to one of the largest tiger reserves in the world.

The notions of wildlife and wilderness are central to any Brahmaputra Luxury River Cruise. The sand spits and estuaries of the river abound with a variety of bird life and Gangetic Dolphins.

A cruise along this river also allows access to a number of spectacular National Parks, including Kaziranga, the last home of the one horned rhino. Kaziranga National Park is the oldest National Park in Assam and a World Heritage site. Spread over an area of 430 square kilometres, the park is home to a variety of species, such as: the one horned rhinoceros, elephant, Indian bison, swamp deer, samber, hog deer, sloth bear, leopard, capped langur, gibbon, jackal and ibis.

The mighty Brahmaputra River charts its majestic course through the state of Assam. This mystic land of blue hills and beautiful rivers is renowned for its rich flora and fauna, the one horned rhinoceros and other species of wildlife on the verge of extinction.

Assam is the state that houses many holy sites, such as: Kamakhya Temple, the Shakti Temple of mother Goddess Kamakhya situated on the top of Nilachal Hills. The greatest shrine of tantric Shaktism, devotees from all over India converge on this holy place during festivals.

Umananda Temple is another great Shiva temple situated on the Peacock Island in the middle of the Brahmaputra. This temple attracts devotees from all over the country during Shiva Ratri.

The Brahmaputra soon becomes the Hugli River, which glides snakelike through the Kolkata district. Kolkata is regarded as the intellectual capital of the nation. Several of India's great 19th and 20th-century heroes were Kolkatans, including guru-philosopher Ramakrishna, Nobel Prize-winning poet Rabindranath Tagore and film director Satyajit Ray.

Dozens of venues showcase Bengali dance, poetry, art, music, film and theatre. Kalighat's Kali Temple is Kolkata's holiest spot. The current structure dates from 1809.

However, the site is many, many centuries older and possibly the source of the city's name. Inside the temple pilgrims jostle to present hibiscus offerings to Kali. This site has been an important pilgrimage destination since the 16th century.

Luxury river cruises in India provide travellers with an unequalled opportunity to observe the astounding geography of this stunning region.

See Also : Forest homes Accommodation Coast Wooden Bridges

European Cruises - A Trip Away From Reality

Imagine yourself reliving the grandeur, lifestyle and history of Europe. Visit the cities and archaeological sites for an insight into the lives of the ancients. Sail through Rome, Vienna, Istanbul, Monte Carlo, Copenhagen, Athens and all the cities your heart desires, on European Cruises.

You can see all you daydream about and read about at sometime or the other in your life. All it requires is proper planning and you will get an experience of your lifetime and your money's worth. There are Northern Cruises, South European Cruises, Mediterranean Cruises and the general European Cruise tours.

If you want to have non-stop fun and activity on your travel then it is best that you choose a megaship and if you are looking forward to a relaxed and elegant cruising experience which will take you in and out of small ports and pretty villages then go in for smaller local alternative cruises. European Cruises are one of the four cruise lines which are distributed according to itinerary plans.

The others are Luxury and Ultra-luxury Cruise lines, the Alternative and the American Mainstream Cruises. The Europeans have ships of all sizes. The larger megaships are built along the American lines but the smaller ships are less expensive.

The European Cruises offer the Luxury and Ultra Luxury class too which of course has the best of everything, including world-class cuisines and other enrichment opportunities. The Alternative Cruise Lines are 3 to 5 mast ships with lesser number of passengers and cruise to the lesser known places.

See Also : Gold Coast River Raft Summer Trips

Cruise in Style Aboard the Carnival Spirit Cruise Ship

Image : http://www.flickr.com

World-class resorts can be found on all four corners of the Earth: from the desert casinos of Las Vegas to the Mediterranean resorts located on the coast of Southern France, there's no end to the five-star resorts available to vacationers with luxurious tastes. However, did you ever think that one of these world-class resorts would be located...on a ship?

That's right - Carnival Cruises, the most famous cruise line on the planet - is the proud owner of Carnival Spirit, the floating resort that ushered in the Spirit-class with innovations such as the two-level promenade and the reservations-only supper club. Add to the fact that 80% of her staterooms have ocean views - with 80% of these rooms boasting balconies - it's no wonder that those looking for a luxury Alaskan cruise will delight in Carnival Spirit's unparalleled amenities and memorable shore excursions.

Your family will take delight in the wild and breathtaking beauty of Alaska as Carnival Spirit slices through the pristine waters of the Northern Pacific Ocean. Watch in delight as you witness a wide variety of wildlife, including whales, porpoises and seals. Feel your energy and spirit renewed as you explore the local life of the following shore excursions: Tracy Arm Fjord, Alaska; Skagway, Alaska; Juneau, Alaska; Ketchikan, Alaska; and Victoria, British Columbia. In addition to these excursions, you can also enjoy a wide variety of onboard activities, endless entertainment options and the Total Choice Dining Package. There's so much to do on Carnival Spirit that you'll be amazed at how quickly your seven-night stay will fly by!

You'll be savouring every moment onboard that you'll want to come back again and again, making it a yearly adventure for you and your family. The kids will be talking up their cruise adventure for years to come so much so that you'll be saving every penny to make it a twice yearly event. And when you discover that there's scope for a substantial savings on every cruise, then your kids will think that you're the best parents in the world as you make the cruise lifestyle come atleast twice a year.

My Links : Gold Coast

Understanding the Need of Having a Luxury Travel Membership

Man, by nature, loves to travel. He has the innate passion to go to different places and discover new things he has not seen before. He would go cross seas and climb mountains, until eventually he finds the place he can call home.

This is one trait man has carried over centuries, even today. Thanks to today's advancements, he now has the ability to plan and come up with reservations in order to prepare for his trips to different places. But of course, due to changing needs and preferences, he has to enjoy his travels with the best treatment possible. And he can do that by getting luxury travel memberships such as the Global Resorts Network.

The Global Resorts Network is a luxury resort membership which you can apply for in order to enjoy your trips and travels to different places. When you are a member of this network, you can get various benefits that would make your travel and lifestyle a lot better, which conveniences such as:

1. Luxury treatment in hotels and resorts at a discounted, member-only price. You will enjoy quality hotel and resort accommodations even if you are not as rich as other elite tourists on vacation. Because the memberships are discounted, you get to save some of your money and get to use them elsewhere.

2. Long-term memberships. The memberships provided by the Global Resorts Network last up to 20 years, so you will enjoy fast access to different vacation spots which you want to visit, and not suffer from getting reservations for your trip.

3. Savings on travel expenses. The memberships of Global Resorts Network also cover other needs such as airfare, car rentals and cruises. You will be able to do what you want and go wherever you choose as the travel automobiles are readily available to you.

The Global Resorts Network is different from other travel business offers beginning from its structure as a business. Travel packages usually come with high front costs and they require their users to pay annual dues and other recurring fees. The Global Resorts Network meanwhile only asks for a one-time membership which you can use up to your whole lifetime (depending on the package your chose), and expenses are all in.

Most of all, if you refer your friends to purchasing travel memberships at the Global Resorts Network, you too can get a bonus. Referrals do provide certain commissions, thus you get extra income from introducing them to the network!

My Links : Vanity Light

Luxury River Cruises in Egypt and the Middle East

The majestic River Nile, considered by many to be the lifeblood of Egypt and the Middle East, offers the ultimate in luxury river cruising. Temples, sacred valleys and amphitheatres abound on a cruise between riverside destinations. Few places on earth continue to captivate from one century to the next.

All luxury river cruises in this region feature Cairo as a top sightseeing destination. Cairo is the capital and largest city of Egypt and aptly translates to "the triumphant."

Cairo is located on the banks and islands of the Nile River in the north of Egypt.

Cairo is a fascinating juxtaposition of ancient and modern architecture, citing such monuments as the Pyramids, the Hanging Church, the Sphinx, and Heliopolis as its own. The oldest part of the city is east of the river.

The Egyptian pyramids are essential viewing when in Cairo. There are over 100 pyramids in Egypt. The best known Egyptian pyramids are those found at Giza, on the outskirts of Cairo. The Pyramid of Khufu at Giza is the largest pyramid and the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still in existence.

No luxury river cruise is complete without a visit to the city of Edfu - situated on the west bank of the Nile River. Edfu is the site of the Ptolemaic Temple of Horus and an ancient settlement, Tell Edfu. Of all the temple remains in Egypt, the Temple of Horus is the best preserved.

Esna is a city that is situated on the west bank of the River Nile, 55 kilometres south of Luxor. This city was built in the area of ancient Latopolis and is the site of a major temple dedicated to the god Khnum. Ancient texts mention that it was built on the site of a temple that may have been constructed as early as the reign of Tuthmosis III.

Aswan is the ancient city of Swenet, which in antiquity was the frontier town of Ancient Egypt. It stands on the east bank of the Nile and is a busy market and tourist centre and one of the driest inhabited places in the world. The stone quarries of ancient Egypt were located at Aswan, due to its abundance of Syenite, a granitic rock.

One of the highlights of an Egyptian river cruise is a stop at Luxor. Translating to 'the palaces', Luxor is home to the most awe-inspiring collection of ancient monuments in the world. From the magnificent temples of Karnak to the Valley of the Kings on the river's West Bank, Luxor is the jewel of any journey.

One of the first stops in the city must be the Temple of Luxor - built by Amenophis III.

The Temple of Luxor is a large Ancient Egyptian temple complex located on the east bank of the Nile. The temple begins with the 24 metre high First Pylon, built by Ramses II. The main entrance to the temple complex was originally flanked by six colossal statues of Ramses - four standing, and two seated - but only two have survived.

Just outside of Luxor lies another spectacular destination for sightseeing. The Valley of the Kings is a valley where, for a period of nearly 500 years, tombs were constructed for the kings and nobles of the New Kingdom. The valley stands on the west bank of the Nile, within the heart of the Necropolis. The area has been a focus of concentrated archaeological exploration since the eighteenth century. In 1979, it became a World Heritage Site.

Outside Egypt, you may also want to explore Dubai by water. Dubai is a modern metropolis situated on the Persian Gulf coast of the United Arab Emirates. Dubai Creek is a large body of water (suitable for large ships to enter) running northeast-southwest through the city, making for an ideal destination for river cruises.

A Dubai river cruise offers stunning views of the city. Tour Dubai and the Arabian Gulf and witness the beauty of Dubai in all its present and former glory. Points of interest along the way include: the National Bank of Dubai, the Heritage Village and Sheikh Saeed's house.

Dubai is known internationally as a premier tourist destination. Dubai offers an endless array of unique opportunities for things to see and do. Highlights include: desert safaris, dune driving; sand-skiing; moonlit Arabian desert barbecues, camel racing, horse racing, falconry, and exploring the old city markets.

Sightseeing opportunities include: traditional architecture; ancient mosques, magnificent palaces, dusty Bedouin villages, lush oases, and beautiful sunsets.

Thanks To : Motels North

Want to Go on a Luxury Cruise? - Can You Afford That Luxury Cruise You Have Always Wanted?

There are many ways of getting on a cruise ship!

If you thought you would always have to go to a travel agent and pay crazy prices for a luxury cruise, then you are mistaken. There are many ways to get on that ship!

My name is Tim Riley, I have been at sea since the age of 18 and have sailed as a captain on some of the largest Luxury Cruise liners in the world. I have worked for Holland America line, now part of Carnival corporation and also prior to that worked for P&O cruises as a First Officer.

I have cruised to almost every one of the favourite cruise destinations chosen by the travellers of the world and I have seen some pretty awesome sights too whilst accompanying them there.

My wife and children have regularly accompanied me to some fantastic destinations like Alaska, Northern Europe, the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Africa, South America, South Pacific, Australia and most of the far East. I have completed world cruises and returned a wiser Man!

What's in it for You?

Cruise ships are places for people to lay back and relax and let someone else do the driving, to visit multiple destinations in a short period of time and take in a snapshot of a culture or city. You don't spend enough time there to find out the really nice places the locals go to relax, or the ghettos that are carefully driven round so You the cruise visitor doesn't see them.

When you sail as 'crew' you can get the opportunity to see more of these ports and see them regularly too. If you fancy signing on as crew and being paid a reasonable wage for long hours and a Lot of fun, then sign up now, there are many lines to choose from, but I'm sure there are many amongst you who are a little past the waiting on table team and would prefer to part of the 'being waited on' team!

The Lowdown on Cruise Ship Vacations

Cruise ship vacations generally cost the shipping company around $100 per head for a week to keep you on board, their victualling rate is around $7 per person per day!! That includes the all day buffet, breakfast from 0600 to 1130, long lunches in the sunshine and a great sit down meal in the evening, followed by the late night buffet and/or the chocolate extravaganza! (all for $7 a head) It's amazing what bulk buying does to the price of food.

Wages are pretty low, the average cruise ship Captain earns somewhere around $130k a year plus around 10-20% bonus if his vessel is successful through the year. The guys and gals down on the lower decks don't fair so well and only the top 5 staff onboard get bonuses. The lower wages can be as low as $500/m!

Many of the crew have their wages boosted by tips, especially on American managed cruise lines. It has now become even worse for the crew as the tips are now pooled! So, the crew working in areas away from the passengers, galley staff, laundry etc. now get tips, but the people you see face to face, wine waiters, bus boys, cabin stewards/stewardesses all take a hit on their tips, which they are working for. The company also takes some of these tips and places it into various schemes for the crew fund, instead of giving it all to the crew. This acts like a kind of 'smoothing' in the accounts, so when the company is not making so much, sailing part full, the pay and tips are boosted from previous tips! Not really fair! as the personnel that were onboard when the money was given, have left and gone on leave! There were some legal arguments made against these tactics and I am not at this time sure how they were resolved!

Where in the World?

Cruise ships travel to destinations, ports in various parts of the world where it is financially viable! If the port charges are high, they will go elsewhere or ferry you in by tender (cruise companies make a lot of their profits through the tour companies!). As cruise ships get larger, they will be able to go only to the larger, more commercial ports and not to the smaller, quaint little tourist traps of old. Ports see this as a loss and are rapidly trying to respond to the demand for larger berths, the Caribbean being a prime example, where piers are extended regularly to accommodate longer and bigger vessels. The larger ships bring more passengers, more passengers bring bigger problems for the ports and less intimacy for the passengers. With some of these ships bigger than my home town and carrying in excess of 5,000 people onboard, why would you want to take a vacation on a luxury cruise with 5,000 people? It can't possibly be luxury, you certainly won't get personal service, apart from your cabin steward and it is very likely that you will be in queues for hours every day, getting into dinner, onto buses, onto tenders, into the shop ashore and in fact almost everywhere you go.

Take Skagway in Alaska, a little town of some 800 people living there during the winter, whose population swells to around 2,000 in the summer for the cruise ship season, and then the cruise lines DUMP around 12,000 passengers plus around another 3,000 crew a day into a village some 1000 yds long and 700 yds wide.

I have never counted the number of horses in the town, but if I were to guess, it is probably the closest thing to a one horse town most people that have visited will ever see. (I still love the place though, even if it is being ruined!) The mountains and scenery behind are a dream come true for hill walkers and adventurists, take a hike!

My Advice to You

Take a cruise, Yes, I did say take a cruise, If you like the sun, go for it, head to the sun; If you like Ice and Snow, go to Alaska, Norway or even further up to Greenland, it's more spectacular.

Here's the BUT..... find the smallest cruise ship you can. Find one that doesn't go to all the same places as the big cruise lines. If you have teenage kids, and aren't too bothered about keeping them on a leash, then Carnival is fine. Something more sedate, with some great fun opportunities, Royal Caribbean or P&O, need to sleep a bit more? Then Holland America Line will suit. Celebrity and Norwegian Cruise lines fit in the middle as well, so there is choice and Cunard is in the middle to top end as well.

But be warned, if you want something special, go smaller rather than large. Find a ship under 2,000 passengers and that's a start. Less than a thousand and you're doing great. 500 - 600 and you're onto the cruise of a lifetime. Smaller still and try out the really beautiful ships in the south pacific, medi and caribbean under the windstar banner. They even have sails and if the wind is right, you can have that moonlit walk on the teak decks under the stars without 2,000 other passenger pushing and shoving to get the same view and NO Engine or soot to spoil the tranquility. (Dolphins and whales love swimming with sailboats! and don't get hurt by propellers!)

Smaller ships cause less local damage, visit smaller, more private, more intimate ports in more remote spots from the main civilisation centers. Less bus time and more You time.

Travel the world and see it for yourself. It is still a beautiful place, you just need to find your place in it.

All the best,
Captain Tim Riley

Thanks To : Vanity Light

Titanic Survivor Lived Another 97 Years

For many people, the sinking of the Titanic exemplifies the risks of luxury ocean travel - even under the supposed best and safest of circumstances. For Frances Taylor and her family, the Titanic stands for the power of Fate to reshape lives and herald a new beginning.

Way back in 1912, Frances Taylor was a shy, curly haired 3 year old. And she was coming to America. Her Scottish Dad was already here, making a new start. Things were looking up - he had rented a new home for the family and he had saved some money. So he booked tickets for his wife and five children to join him. That passage was on the Titanic.

Frances knew this story by heart. A bit from memory, and a bit from her own parents' telling of the tale. Much later, from her home in Lake Forrest, Orange County, California, she told it many times to her children, and grandchildren, and great grandchildren, who never tired of hearing it.

Gamrie, Scotland, is a small town on the North Sea coast, some 40 miles north of Aberdeen. It had been many months since Frances' father had left. Now in the States, he was looking forward to being reunited with his brood. He had a lot to tell them. And he would have woken early as usual on the morning of April 15, 1912 then washed and dressed for work. He probably would not have bought a newspaper - he was Scottish after all - and he needed his money for other things. But he would have heard the news:

TITANIC DISASTER - GREAT LOSS OF LIFE

To Frances' family, the dramatic events of 1912 as they impacted the family were indeed a headline - a personal headline. Watching articles and documentaries over the years about the terrible event, they thought that their Frances deserved a documentary. Her story warranted a proper telling and a permanent record - like the other survivors of the Titanic.

Actually, 3 year old Frances and her family did not make it on board the Titanic. Booked steerage, their Titanic tickets were still a hot property. And, as the family story has it, the family was bumped off the passenger list at the last minute in favor of some higher status travelers. They would travel to the New World on another ship.

Is the shock of great loss any the less because the news later turns out to have been mistaken? Frances' father was crushed by reports of the Titanic going down. His work, his sacrifice - it was for nothing. Only later did he learn that his family was safe. He would have collapsed a second time - this time from relief. It became the stuff of family legend.

Frances survived the Titanic. Boy, did she survive it. She survived her near miss on the Titanic by 97 years. Talk about making the gods of fate pay.

Frances Taylor died on October 6, last year at her daughter's home in Lake Forest. Just before that she was honored at Disneyland in Anaheim and drew local headlines which said "Woman who avoids Titanic disaster celebrates 100th at Disneyland". And Frances took one more boat ride - this time on one of those small skiffs sedately ferrying passengers through the "It's a Small World" attraction. She was 100 years old and had survived the sinking of the Titanic by a whopping 97 years.

Before she passed, daughter Maggie Winn helped put together a custom-made video biography documentary for her mother - just like "A&E". Speaking later she said, "She went peacefully. We played her video at her memorial and got so many wonderful compliments on it. It was so touching, beautiful and humorous."

Frances' family thrived after they all arrived safely in America. And her story of surviving the Titanic made successive generations even more appreciative of the opportunities they were given by that first lonely Scotsman who thought he has lost it all.

And Frances' story finally got the attention it deserved - at least as far as her grateful family were concerned.

Thanks To : Summer Trips Holiday Mountain Luxury Travel Guide