8 Stunning Destinations for a Family Holiday in India

The pictures of slums, people-flooded streets, deafening incomprehensible sounds all-day long, animals frequenting the roads, and weird smells everywhere are perhaps what some people imagine about India. But hey, India isn’t all about that. There are certainly tons of reasons to love about India. Believe it or not, you’ll find serene places around the country to explore, with just you and the breathtaking beauty of nature.

India’s best travel destinations are also not just about the man-made, centuries-old, jaw-dropping architecture such as the Taj Mahal. Its sceneries and tourist spots are diverse which could cater to every family’s differing preferences. India Someday Travels offer awesome tour ideas as well for the whole family.

While you can’t leave the country without touring around Taj Mahal, be sure to visit equally worthy places abundant in India’s different regions.  From beaches, to lakes, to mountain ranges, and forests—it’s definitely a feast for a family who is passionate about traveling.

1. Andaman Islands

Those who are always itching for sandy toes, constant sunshine, and salty blue waters, no doubt, you are beach people. You can’t let a vacation pass without visiting a new beach destination or a good old family favorite island.

Andaman Islands offer everything you’ll ask for in a beach getaway. The turquoise ocean is alluring. The palm trees exude a refreshing tropical vibe. The long stretch of white sand gives those long, meaningful conversations a chance. And oh, a close encounter with marine life! Andaman Islands is known for its awesome dive spots. Get your snorkel gear ready! Learn more about Andaman Islands in this article.

2. Goa

When it comes to beaches, Goa is probably more popular than Andaman Islands. In fact, it receives a big number of tourists each year—foreign and local tourists alike. No wonder, it’s probably the reason why Goa can get pretty crowded in the summer. If it’s not your ideal beach situation, then Andaman Islands should be your top choice.

If it’s the other way around and you love meeting new people and making new friends, Goa is indeed great for that since more people visit its beaches. Best things to do in Goa include taking up some watersports lessons of your choice or join a dolphin-watching tour.

3. Meghalaya

Now this is one of the truest escapes from India’s bustling cities. The cool breeze, picturesque sceneries, lush mountains that almost kiss the sky, jaw-dropping waterfalls you’d fall in love with—what more could you ask for? It’s definitely a paradise for a family of nature lovers.

The Nohkalikai Falls is a must-see. It’s simply magnificent. You can’t help but admire the postcard perfect view! You’d also love to ride a boat down the clear emerald water of the Umngot river surrounded by high cliffs with protruding lush greens.

On top of it, you can experience the idyllic, nature life in Mawlynnong which has been dubbed as the cleanest village in Asia. You see, folks, India isn’t all about the chaos in major cities. In Mawlynnong, you’ll see a completely different side of India you’ll find astonishing. You’ll see zero trash on the roads. Homes and gardens are well-kept. And oh, be sure to try living in a bamboo tree house that the locals have built!

4. Himachal Pradesh

Are you in the mood to hike up the mountains? Or perhaps, it’s your favorite holiday destination? Then, Himachal Pradesh is the right place for you. It is home to beautiful snow-covered mountains and breathtaking rivers tucked beneath valleys. You’ll never go short with outdoor activities because of the region’s amazing terrains. Go skiing, trekking, hiking, and rafting. You’ll surely need a fully-charged energy for those nonstop adventures! Find out more about cool things to do in Himachal Pradesh: https://www.cntraveller.in/story/15-crazy-cool-things-to-do-in-himachal-pradesh/

5. Tamil Nadu

One of the best places to visit in Tamil Nadu, is Ooty, which is considered as one of the most popular hill stations in India. You’ll never run out of things to do in Ooty. Anything that’s related to farm-fresh living, you’ll experience it here.

Whether that means trout fishing in the Avalanche Lake, indulging yourself with homemade chocolates, or visiting the lower hillside tea plantations, it’s definitely a farm life you’ll love. This becomes much more special when you’ve lived all your life in the bustling city. It would surely be a refreshing vacation for the whole family!

6. Kerala

Kerala is a famous honeymoon destination for newlywed couples, particularly Allepey which has been considered as the state’s best paradise. The best features of Allepey include cruising its rivers’ backwaters as well as the unique experience of living in a houseboat. To the couples out there: Isn’t that romantic? Also, it’s not every day that you can find an Airbnb home floating in a serene, refreshing river!

7. Uttarakhand

Even the Indian families themselves love summers at Uttarakhand. Who …

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Travel Hacks for International Flights from NZ

It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been travelling, there are always hacks to make the journey better. From newbie to seasoned pro, this comprehensive list has a hack -and some common sense advice from seasoned travellers – for you!

Airliners at Auckland International Airport by Follash

   Flight booking hacks

• Credit card: There are a variety of credit cards that offer different benefits. Find one scheme that allows you to gain points towards travel and use it consistently.
• Airline membership: Loyalty pays off for airline memberships. If you travel on a range of different airlines, you’re not going to accrue as many points. Choose your favourite airline and try to stick to them – it helps with getting upgraded and will save you money.
• Buying flights: It’s cheapest to buy flights on a Tuesday. Every time you look for flights, do so in an incognito window, otherwise that flight will get more expensive every time you look at it! The cheapest flights are generally between 140 – 180 days in advance of travel. Leaving it to the last minute can either reward you with very cheap, or extremely expensive flights.
• Travel off-peak: If you can, travel in the off-peak or shoulder season. It’ll save you money when visiting attractions, the flights will be cheaper, and there will be less tourists and crowding.
• Choose your seat: If you don’t have the extra bank balance to be seated up in the pointy end, then seat selection is the best way to make your flight more comfortable. Avoid sitting by the toilet, and middle seats often leave you sandwiches between two strangers. Window seats give you wall space to lean on. Aisle seats make it easy to get up and move around- and are great if you need regular toilet breaks. Seat Guru makes it easy to see what seats are good on your flight.
• Packing: If you can get away with carry-on only, this is easiest and fastest at both ends of the airport. Remember, no liquids over 100ml though. Backpacks are great as they are flexible and easier to carry around than suitcases. Check luggage size and weight requirements for your airline before packing. Packing cells are great to help keep clothing organised, and remember to roll rather than fold clothes- it wrinkles them less and takes up less space.
• What to pack: Passport (take photos of all relevant pages and have a soft copy on your phone). All relevant chargers and adapters. An external battery for charging is great as you can’t always rely on airlines or hotels. A scarf is a great adaptable piece of clothing for cold climates, if you need to cover up in temples, a temporary towel or as a headscarf to keep off the sun.
• Workout: A workout the day of or the day before a flight is a great way to prepare yourself for a day of sitting still.

   Travel hacks on the plane

• Comfort on the flight: While the airline might offer these to you free, buy your own good quality set of earplugs and eye mask. Not only is this better for the environment than a throwaway set, but it is nicer to have quality gear. A neck pillow helps some people sleep, and a scarf is essential – if it gets cold, it’s a blanket, or you can use it for a pillow. A noise cancelling headset is nice but not a must-have. Wear layers of clothing that are comfortable.
• Sleep: Sleep is important. You want to get some sleep and use the flight time as a way to try and prepare yourself for jet lag – so if you are arriving at 7am, you’ll want to sleep towards the end of the flight. There are a range of ways people get sleep- alcohol, sleeping tablets and melatonin tablets. Do whatever works for you, but follow your doctor’s advice for sleeping tablets and melatonin and don’t mix sleeping tablets with alcohol.
• Hydrate: Take a reusable water bottle with you. Once you are through customs, find a water fountain and fill it up. Not only are you creating less waste, but staying hydrated keeps you healthier on the flight and helps to avoid jet lag.
• Entertainment: It’s worth taking your own earbuds/ headphones and an adaptor if you want to watch a movie. Take a book and catch up on your reading.
• In-flight care: A toothbrush, toothpaste, facial wipes and hand sanitizer will keep you feeling less fuggy. Antibacterial wipes are great for wiping down your tray table and seat arms. If you don’t want to brush your teeth on the plane, chewing gum or mints will help to chase away the furry feeling. Lip balm and hand moisturizer is

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Top challenges Australian freight logistics managers face

Today’s global economics has seen to a continuous change in the sea freight transportation industry. But it is not the only major actor in this subsector. Changes in government policies, economics and the dynamics of customer demands on logistics managers has succeeded in creating newer challenges for Australian logistics managers as they do for those around the rest of the world.

Understanding this and what these challenges are can help in advancing towards more efficient and effective ways. This is important especially as logistics is at the heart of fostering smooth trading. For the average person looking to ship to Australia, it can be insightful. This article will also show you how they are able to combat each challenge resulting in successful Australian shipping for you.

  Government and Environmental Regulations

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority are charged with implementing government environmental regulations with a deep eye to shipping. Part of the goals is to improve on the country’s air quality. However, these regulations can be a challenge to logistics managers who are  affected by the severity of the compliance regulations imposed on carriers. Some of these environmental regulations are the anti-idling and the emission reduction regulations championed by government.

However, there is the concern that these compliance costs might significantly exceed their benefits for the managers and other actors involved. What they do instead is try and stay on top of the changes and determine the implications of every new one in order to adopt measures to mitigate the negative ones. Therefore, if you are looking to make an ausmove, it is important to go into detailed research as things change fast in the sector. The best place to start is Ausmove NZ as they provide you with the freshest information to stay on top of your Australia freighting needs.

   Peak season congestion

Certain periods of the year like Christmas sees to a significant increase in sea freight. With sea freight managers working on a stretch, the implications are congestion. Capacity and space unavailability problems coupled with the usual slow custom clearance tradition results in delays and increase the inefficiency of tracking systems.

Logically, the solution for this, if you are hoping for your shipment to arrive as scheduled in Australia, is to opt for the air freight solution. But these are already expensive in themselves and a peak season in sea freight sets off further increase in this subsector. In this case, the solution lies most with you than the managers. What is recommended is to find out what these peak periods are and plan ahead of them.

   Fluctuating prices

Changing oil prices, the Bunker Adjustment Factor, General Rate Increase, Peak Season Surcharge, Port Congestion Charges, and so on. These are some of the economic factors in the form of changeable elements which conspire to make for unstable prices to the Australian freight managers.

Regardless of the fact that these prices are highly unstable, the managers are still required to factor all of them in effectively as they all hold significance in other roles such as determining the prices of the items freighted and your profit margins.

However, there are a couple of solutions available here such as signing a contact with your freight forwarder or shipping line. This way you have better and stronger price certainty. You can also implement a buffer in your forecasting to cushion you in the event of any freight cost increase.

   Customer Service

Like every other kind of service, freight logistics has to provide a customer service because customers require complete transparency all through the delivery of their shipment. What customers expect as customer service has also affected their willingness to pay for faster shipping thereby making the work of the freight managers more difficult.

   Risk management

The more the changes in the factors that affect shipping the greater the risks involved. However, there is bound to be these changes owing to product launches, intellectual property and its protection, and so on.

The Australian freight managers, like their counterparts, have to constantly engage the results of these changes through constant assessments in order to stay on top of them.

   End to end management

There are lots of agents involved in shipment and delivery. Therefore, the job of the freight manager doesn’t end at the dock. Instead, they have to coordinate with the other agents like those in charge of th surface transportation which will see the shipment to the end customer. This factor makes it more important to find q freight forwarder who will keep track of your shipment and predict all the unstable factors that may arise.

   Conclusion

These challenges are capable of jeopardizing your move to Australia and even when the shipment arrives the dock, it is possible to still experience delays. The best solution is to hire a professional …

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