7 Reasons Why India is a Perfect Place During Monsoons

Written by: Rohit Agarwal

You should be ready for the weeks of rain that will come around with the monsoon season in June. Enjoying the rainy weather is not difficult, as the rain alleviates the summer heat and brings on a refreshing change. Rain can remind you of fun times during childhood where you could jump into puddles and play football on the muddy field.

With monsoon being such a big deal in India, here are some great places to enjoy the rainy season in. So remember to pack up your raincoats and umbrellas!

1. Shantiniketan, West Bengal

A small town owned by the Tagore family, Shantiniketan is famous for the ashram Rabindranath Tagore. A centre for culture and arts, its full glory comes out during the monsoon season.

Photo by Kaustav das Modak CC0 1.0

If you want to learn more about the local culture and food, it is best that you lodge at a homestay. Classes in the university established by Sir Tagore are held in an ancient gurukul style, out in the open underneath a tree. You can find many local artisans who sell handicrafts here for cheap prices as well. Shantiniketan really makes monsoons beautiful and enjoyable.

Money Saving Travel Tips That You Must Know

Written by Kyle Doran

Travelling and experiencing novel adventure is a great way to escape your daily routine and expand your perspective in life. Boosting your mental health, reconnecting with loved ones, or discovering a new and exciting culture are just few reasons to set aside time to travel. However, taking a vacation can also be a very expensive pursuit. Along with the added costs of travel, you will also be missing out on wages that you'd normally be earning. As a result, it may leave you more stressed out than relieved. 

That's why learning how to travel smarter and make your money go further, is essential. In this article, we'll detail a few money saving travel tips that will help relieve your wallet.

Credit Card Airline Miles

Want to fly for free for your next vacation? Of course you do, but you think "what's the catch?" No catch, just a little spending discipline and responsible planning and you can cut your flying costs significantly. By signing up for an airline credit card, and using it to pay for all of your regular monthly expenses, you can accrue airline miles to cover your travel costs. 

For instance, if you spend $1000 within the first 3 months of signing up, you will earn x amount of points. These points can be used in exchange for free air travel. You just want to be sure to stick to two rules. To pay off your credit card's balance each month and avoid impulse buying. That way, you're not stuck with any of the late fees or spending any more than you would have regularly. As long as you stick to these two rules, you will reap the benefits of having an airline credit card, while avoiding the interest rate pitfalls.

How to Make Your Family Getaway Memorable

Written by Cloe Matheson

Photo Credit: Pexels

Whether young or old, we all dream about going on one of those picture-perfect family getaways that promises a million kodak moments. Although, as a parent, you may have had a few less-than-golden experiences of holidaying with the kids - don't let that ruin your belief in a fun family vacation. Here are six brief tips to make your getaways more memorable and enjoyable for the entire family. 

1. Go Slow

Firstly, try not to rush. This goes not only for individual activities, but also for your general mindset regarding the holiday. We, as parents, tend to make life more difficult for ourselves by either trying to pack too many activities and pit-stops into each day or by rushing through the holiday because we're eager to get back to pressing work matters or other pressures of daily life.

6 Must-Do Tips to Avoid Loss of Your Baggage

Lost luggages keep piling up most especially during the holiday season

I am lucky to be spared with these stressful situation on most of my travels. No, I was not totally spared as there was one incident on my trip from Toronto to Hamburg where we had to stop and change flight with a domestic aircraft in Frankfurt bound for Hamburg.

And guess what happened when we arrived at the Hamburg Airport. Yes, your guess is as good as mine. One of our checked in baggages was lost.

Photo Credit : Twenty20

Our host did not waste time and called the airline, Lufthansa if I remember it right. The lost and found section of the airline was not much of a problem. The night after, our luggages were delivered right to our door. A bad experience that turned to a good impression of the airline.

10 Action Packed Road Trips in India

Written by Rohit Agarwal

Travelling is getaway from our dull boring routine life. Thus, we seek unconventional unique experience when we travel. Road trips are one avenue which provides a life changing treat to us.  It is one of those sojourns of life where we reinvent and discover ourselves. India, with its large networks of roads spanning the length and breadth of this country offer a range of possibilities.

Today, we are seeking to redeem some of the most thrilling road trips available in India.

1. The Exotic North-East, Gangtok-Tsomgo Road Trip

The north-east beckons with its wide arm. The charm of the hills of the country is out, totally out of this world. People vouch for road trips in this area and it is the only way to travel here. This will be a thrilling experience in Gangtok, along the ancient silk route in Nathula pass region. This 55-km long road trip along the Indo-China border has a rare scenic beauty.

Tsomgo Lake, Photo Credit: Varun Pratap CC BY-SA4.0

2. The Mesmerizing Srinagar to Leh Road Trip

This is a 417-km trail starting from Srinagar in Kashmir and ending at Leh which is ideal for campers and bike tours. The road moves along the Zojila pass covering the picturesque hilly terrains of Kargil and Grass Valley. It is considered as one of the most taken road trips in India that offers a unique challenge to travellers.

Why I Chose to Travel and Live my Life in Toronto

Toronto is not perfect as with other cities in the world.

While I agree that my city is one of the best places to visit and live, there are of course pros and cons that should be considered.

I have been rubbing elbows with Torontonians for more than two decades and find it appealing in many ways. I have travelled, lived, worked and play in this city for over twenty years and I can tell you that it deserve the honour. It is, yes, Toronto still is at its best.

Pros:

• Suburbs is one of the best ways to travel and get away from the big city
• The transport system is so convenient and spans a large area
• Many prestigious schools in and near the city
• A great opportunity for the educated
• The country's financial and manufacturing hub
• Longer, hot summer though too humid for some people
• Parks, lakes and recreation are some of the best leisure options

How to Travel with a Pet All Over the World

Written by: Rebecca Crawford

How to Travel with a Pet all Over the World

It's summer and time for vacation! The world is your oyster on where you want to go, whether you want to fly to a distant land, or take a road trip to see everything your country has to offer. But there's just one problem: what to do with Fido?

Many people choose to have their dogs left at kennels or hire pet sitters to watch their pooches for them while they're on vacation, but that can cost a lot of money. Instead, you should consider taking your dog with you on your trip! After all, he's only going to be depressed while you're gone, so why not keep his doldrums away and share in your exciting trip?

Keep in mind, you're going to need some special accommodations and some extra gear to make your trip work. However, once everything is set, you're going to wonder why you never considered taking your dog on vacation with you in the first place. So what are some important things to keep in mind.

5 Places in India that are Ruins of Royal Palaces

Written by Himanshu Agarwal

It is no secret that India is a land of dense history with bottomless roots. From the very beginning, India has been a witness to the rules of kings and the show of their riches, their lavishness, their enviable lifestyle and their unbelievable creations.

A part of such creations, a big part, were palaces. Huge, magnificent, beautiful, grand and extremely royal. The grandeur of these palaces got their names inked in golden letters in the scriptures of Indian architectural history, with the names of their creators. They were a matter of pride amongst the royalty then. These forts stood through the highs and lows of the empires and have seen many wars and rules. And with the passage of time, they have withered and nothing but their ruins are left to be marvelled upon.

Here are some places in India which are ruins of those once splendid examples of architecture and design, definitely worth a visit!

1. Daulatabad Fort, Aurangabad

Photo by cool_spark, CC BY 2.0

Believed to have been built in 1857, by Yadav king Bhilan, Daulatabad Fort once stood tall in Daulatabad, the capital of Tughluq Dynasty since 1327. Muhammad Bin Tughluq, who shifted his capital here from Delhi because he was smitten by the beauty and the architecture, but later he shifted back to Delhi due to the scarcity of water. Tughluq was a far-sighted ruler, owner of the moniker "Mad King". He is known for shifting his capital from Daulatabad to Delhi and from Delhi to Daulatabad, quite a few times.