This Easter, celebrate with a special Easter delicacy from The Resort Hotel.
The Chef has put together special Easter menus for you selecting recipes from the wide array of traditional Easter dishes like Roasted lamb prepared in Provencal and mint sauce, Roast Roulade of chicken in mint Demiglaze and Pomerry mustard sauce paired with Easter Eggs. Complete your Easter treat with Easter Hazy desert and Lemon Souffle Cheese Cake with Black currant. The menu is guaranteed to make this Easter an unforgettable meal.
Roast Chicken Roulade
Experience Chef’s Easter delicacies which includes Roasted Almond Soup,
Tom Yum Gung,
Vegetable Deluxe,
Chicken Parmesan Lasagna,
Zucchini Trifolate,
Cozy Dog (Dijon Mustard/Ranch Dressing/Honey Mustard Mayo/Sweet Chili Sauce /Red Chili sauce/ Jalapeno peppers/Gherkins),
Wok Tossed Tofu & vege in Pepper Sauce,
Vegetable Yakhni pulao,
Bharwan Harayali Kumbh,
Subz Paneer lahori, Tawa Arbi,
Madras Style chicken Curry,
Gujarathi Sev tamatar na Saak,
Dal Makhani,
Paratha Wali gully
High Tide – Pool & Sea View Restaurant
Easter Delights Sunday Brunch
Where: The High-Tide restaurant, at The Resort, Madh-Marve, Mumbai
When: Sunday, 1st April 2018 Cuisine on offer: Veg & Non-Veg Cost: Per Person: From INR 1,799 (All inclusive)
Are you really stressed and bogged down because of your disturbed family life and tedious work pressure?
If yes, then I would suggest you go on a birding spree. What? You think that’s a boring idea?
Well, it’s not just you; there are several people who think that bird watching is boring and not a fruitful activity.
But in reality, this is really going to help you break free from all the stress (work or home related) that has been bothering you for months! Wondering where did I come to know about the benefits of bird watching? Well, I came to know about this from a friend of mine, who is a clinical psychiatrist. She said- “Bird watching is an awesome hobby that is beneficial to your health and happiness. It’s much more than just an aesthetic treat.” After she said this to me, I immediately packed my bags and set out for a birding voyage. And trust me, it really helps! So, if you really want to flush all your stress, please go on a birding tour.
Wondering, where should you go on a bird watching tour? Well, that depends on your choice. But, if you want to visit a place that’s not just well-known for being a home to several species of birds but also for its scenic beauty and tranquillity, then please visit Yunnan Province by booking a China birding tour package from a well-known travel company. But before that, there are a couple of questions that you need to ask the travel agency.
Thinking what kinds of questions should you ask them? Well, below I have listed the two sets of questions that you must ask the travel agency that is arranging Yunnan Birding Tours.
Set 1: Questions to Ask About the Company
“Are You a Registered Company?”
Before you book a Yunnan bird watching tour package from a travel agency, the first and foremost thing you need to ask them is whether they are registered or not. In case they are not, please find some other company.
Choosing a registered company is a must because after all, you are about to visit a different country and obviously, you wouldn’t want to end up being trapped by a team of frauds.
“Can You Provide Testimonials?”
The next question you must ask is if the company can provide client testimonials or not so that you can get a fair idea about what their previous customers have to say about their package, their guides, etc.
However, in case they are unable to provide testimonials, please make sure you ask them to share the link to a website (such as TripAdvisor) where their online reviews and ratings are posted.
Set 2: Questions to Ask about the Package
“Is the Package Inclusive of Food, Lodging and Travelling?”
The first package oriented question that you need to ask the travel agency is whether food, lodging and travelling are included in their package or not. If anyone of these three things is not included, then please do not book a birding package from that particular company. Why? Of course, because, these three things are the most important or rather, the staple elements of a tour package! If one is missing, you’ll have to spend double once you reach the destination.
“Is the Package Inclusive of the Guide’s Fee?”
If the travel agency from which you are thinking of purchasing Yunnan birding tours packages is charging separate fees for the guide, which you’ll have to hand over to them after reaching Yunnan, then please refrain from hiring that company. Instead, you must always choose a company that has the guide’s fee included in the travel package.
So now, what are you waiting for? Get in touch with a travel agency that you have in mind, ask these above-mentioned questions and then, decide if they are worth choosing or not. And for more articles on birding tours, keep following me!
Festivals and holy days play a significant role in every community. The total number of sacred days adds up to 138, comprising feasts, fasts and prayers. An interesting feature of these holy days is that there are a ‘new years’ all the year around! Although 1st January has become the de facto global New Year date, yet many religious communities and faith-based traditions follow other calendar systems and celebrate New Year during different months.
The new year of the Baha’i Faith coincides with the vernal or spring equinox and is preceded by 19 days of fasting-abstaining from food and drink from sunrise to sunset each day. This fast, the Baha’i teachings say, purifies the body and the spirit.
This year, Navroz will be celebrated on March 21. The occasion will also bring down curtains on the year-long bicentenary celebrations of the birth of Baha’u’llah (1817-1892) which was commemorated around the world by his followers and their friends. The biggest gathering was at New Delhi’s Lotus Temple. Baha’u’llah calls out to humanity for good deeds, kind words, and upright conduct; service to others and collaborative action for constructing a world civilisation; and urges every member of the human race to walk the mystical path.
Navroz has its origins as a Zoroastrian observance in ancient Iran and to this day, it is celebrated as a cultural festival by Iranians of all religious backgrounds. In addition of being celebrated by Iranians and members of the Iranian diaspora, the observance of Navroz also spread to many other parts of the world; it is being celebrated as cultural holiday in India, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Iraqi Kurdistan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. Navroz is typified with common forms of celebrations, but at its most basic, the holiday is seen as a period to firm up ties with family, friends and loved ones. Therefore, cards are sent to associates and friends and families sit in groups to have communal meals.
At the Baha’i World Centre in Haifa, Israel and in many other countries around the world, besides the community celebrations, special receptions are hosted for governmental, societal and community leaders that open a space for people of diverse backgrounds to celebrate our common heritage as a human family.
Navroz celebrations are held in a number of countries of Central Asia, particularly in Iran, where it is national festival. Traditionally, the celebrations last for 13 days- to mark the advent of spring and renewal of seasonal time. “Religion or dharma should unite all hearts and cause wars and disputes to vanish from the face of the earth; it should give birth to spirituality, and bring light and life to every soul’, Baha’i writings affirm. For the Baha’i is, Navroz is not just a calendar event, rather it is an opportunity to reinvigorate the powers of the spirit and re-examine matters of the heart and conscience. It begins with the idea that renewal in the world of nature is in fact a symbol of spiritual renewal and occasion for the individual to explore how to contribute to the material and spiritual welfare of others. To this end, the first of the Baha’i new year is yet one more occasion for sacred contemplation on our plight and to take resolute action for the betterment of our world.
A K Merchant is a national trustee, Lotus temple. The article on the significance of Navroz for the Baha’i community has been published in Speaking Tree
Jim Corbett National Park is one of the few national parks in India which allows night halts in the heart of the forest. For this, tourist complexes at Dhikala, Gairal and Bijrani are to be booked in advance. Jim Corbett Park, mainland Asia’s first National Park, spans over 1318.54 sq. kms, of which 520 sq. kms is the main area and the remaining is the buffer area. In 1936, the Park was named Hailey National Park but later renamed Corbett National Park (after James Edward Corbett, the famous hunter turned conservationist). Subsequently, the Park came under Project Tiger in 1971 for its population of the Royal Bengal Tiger and has also been declared as an ‘lmportant Bird Area’ (IBA) by Birdlife International for its many bird varieties.
Asian Elephant at Corbett National Park Image credit- Vikram Gupchup
Comprising mainly marshy, riverine belts, grasslands and a large lake, the Park can be viewed in an open wheeler jeep or on elephant back. It shelters a healthy population of tigers, known to kill much larger animals like buffalos and even elephants for food! The call of the sambar is believed to be a good indicator of the presence of the predator! The Park has leopards in the hilly areas and a sizable population of jungle cats, fishing cats and leopard cats.
The Park is also home to rare species of fauna like otters, four to five species of deer, the fish eating crocodile, Indian elephants, the Indian python, local crocodiles and gharials, the Asiatic black bear, hog deer, walking deer, sambar, sloth bear and yellow-throated marten, among many others. It also hosts aqua fauna and birdlife with approximately 650 species including the great pied hornbill, white-backed vulture, Hodgson’s bushchat, orange breasted green pigeon, Pallas fish eagle, golden oriole, tawny fish owl and Indian Pitta.
For convenience, Corbett has been divided into different zones – The Bijrani Safari Zone, popular for its abundant natural beauty and open grasslands; the Jhirna Safari Zone, open for tourists round the year; the Dhela Safari Zone, a new ecotourism zone in tiger reserve zone popular for its wealthy flora and fauna; the Dhikala Zone, the largest and most varied zone and is famous for its abundant natural beauty and a night stay here is not to be missed; and the Durga Devi Zone, a bird watchers’ paradise. The Sitabani Buffer Zone, although doesn’t fall under the Corbett Tiger Reserve area, is visited for its serene ambiance.
Rivers are the lifeline of wildlife and Corbett is fed by 3 of them — the Ramganga, the Kosi, and the Sonanadi. The Park remains open from the mid-November to mid-June with some parts like the Jhirna Zone open round the year. Also, the Birjani zone is open from mid-October to mid-June; and the Dhikala Zone from November 15 to mid-June. Interestingly, during monsoons the road of Dhikala and Birjani gets completely washed away. Do visit the Kaladhungi Museum which used to be the house of the legendary Jim Corbett, as also the museum at the Dhangarhi Gate, where you can get to see some of the preserved tiger, leopard and other wild animals. All visitors to Corbett National Park have to obtain permits.
Want to enjoy a game of cricket? A little away but surrounded by deep forest Jim Corbett Park, matches are played on the ‘Turf’ pitch. For this please check on coaching camps who offer a facility of net practice on ‘Turf’ and cemented pitches.
