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Attractions

The highest peak in Mahabaleshwar is the Wilson Point. Situated at an altitude of approximately 4171 feet, it is famous for its view during the sunrise and sunset. Connaught peak is also famous for its sunrise and sunset views. It is also the second highest peak in Mahabaleshwar. Elphiston point offers a spectacular view of Koyna and Savitri valleys. One can view a stretch of Sahyadri range from the Marjorie Point.

Arthur’s seat is one of the most famous attractions in Mahabaleshwar. It offers the best view of the Savitri valley. There is the window point below Arthur’s seat, which can be reached through steps. If one uses the steps then one will also find a small spring known as the Tiger’s spring, which is the source of Savitri River. Kate’s Point offers view of the Krishna valley and the dhom dam. In close proximity to this point is an echo pint.

Baghdad Point is perhaps the most scenic point among all. It is surrounded by picturesque sights. One can view the plateau of Mahabaleshwar in the right, the Koyna dam in the left and the river Solshi and its lush green river banks in the front. The other pints, which provide a good view of the Koyna valley, are the Northcote Point, Falkland Point and Carnac Point. The Bombay point is another sunset point, but it also offers a view of Pratapgarh.

Gaolani Point is situated at a distance of approximately 7 kilometres from the main bus stop and can enjoy the scenery of valleys on both the sides on the way to this point. Lamington Plateau is a very good place to hike to. Panchgani Point, as the name suggest offers the view of the Panchgani plateau. Helen’s Point is the place where river Solshi originates and there is also a small fall here. The other waterfalls in Mahabaleshwar are Dhobi, Lingmala and Chinamans waterfalls. Although, the waterfalls can be quite dry during the summer and winters.

The other attractions within city limits include the Polo ground, which is mostly used as a helipad and bee Keeping Centre, which gives insight to the manufacturing of honey. Table Land, which is a little further, is a great picnic spot that offers spectacular views. It is the largest table land in Asia and has the capacity to serve as a landing spot for a small plane.

Situated at a distance of approximately 25 kilometres is Pratapgarh. This is a fort built by the Maratha ruler, Shivaji. The fort is on top of a small hill and it’s a 500-step climb to reach the fort from the foothill. There are two temples in this fort, one dedicated to goddess Parvati and the other one dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is next to the Shiva temple that one can find the ruins of the army barracks and residential buildings. The fort also houses the tomb of a Muslim general, Afzal Khan. There is a memorial service held for a month every year in the tomb.

Mahabaleshwar is also very famous for its Hindu temples. The Panchaganga Mandir is famous for its five springs that run close to each other and finally merge into a channel. Shri Shankar Mandir, dedicated to Lord Shiva is famous for its Linga that is believed to be formed by itself. This Linga is shaped like a rudraksha and is also one of the 12 jyotirlingas, spread across India. There is also an old temple in the Krishna Valley, known as the Shri Krishnabai Mandir.

The Stay

Owing its close proximity to Pune and Mumbai, Mahabaleshwar gets a lot of tourists and even a lot of weekenders. This is the reason for a diverse range of accommodation option in this hill station.

Star hotels with swimming pools, ac and non-ac rooms and a choice of various type of accommodation from deluxe rooms to cottages and suites will cost anywhere between Rs 4500 to Rs 16000 per night. Some of these hotels and resorts include Sherwood Resort, Grand Resorts, Surya Retreat and Bright land Holiday Village. There are quite a few luxurious hotels, which serve only vegetarian food; these places include The Executive Inn, Saj Resort, Valley View Resort, Hotel Lakeview and Hotel Gautam.

There are a number of mid-range hotels and resorts, which offer meal packages along with the rooms. Some of these hotels include Hotel Mayfair, Hotel Shreyas, Hotel Regal, Honey Wood and Hotel Vimal Gardens. A stay in these hotels can cost anywhere between Rs 1000 to Rs 2500, depending upon the choice of accommodation. Apart from these there are a number of budget hotels, which cost approximately Rs 350 to Rs 1000 per day. Some of these budget hotels include Hotel Sunny Classic and Savoy Village.

There are a number of bungalows that can be rented too. Most of these bungalows are in the outskirts, mostly in the Mahabaleshwar-Panchgani road. There are a variety of options to choose from. One can either rent a room in the bungalow for approximately Rs 1200 per night or hire the entire bungalow. These bungalows have all the modern facilities, including a fully functional kitchen. A three bedroom bungalow will approximately cost Rs 4500 and an 8 bedroom bungalow can cost up to Rs. 20,000 during the peak season. However, the rates are very less during the monsoons and off-season.

There are a lot of restaurants in Mahabaleshwar; most of them serve vegetarian food. Most of the hotels and resorts in Mahabaleshwar have their own restaurants serving different kind of cuisines. Most restaurants in Mahabaleshwar do not serve alcohol. There are of course the star hotels, which do serve alcohol and have bars.

By: Aakash Shah

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Barcelona, the capital city of the Catalonia region in Spain, is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Barcelona has many attractions and day tours in Barcelona are the perfect way to get familiar with them.

In such tours, you can see the city’s main attractions and monuments in one day. The Day tours in Barcelona include the service of an audio guide in many different languages, that provides the tourists with important information about the sights. There is also a professional guide that explains about the sights and answers questions.

When traveling with Day tours in Barcelona, you can get off the bus wherever and whenever you wish and you can get on it again as many times as you want. This way you don’t have to start finding places or walk long distances. In the price of one ticket you can ride the bus multiple times.

The marvelous sights of Barcelona that you can see with tours in Barcelona are:

La Sagrada Familia, a Catholic church designed by Gaudi, the famous architect. It is considered as a master piece and is one of the city’s main attractions.

La Pedrera, the Mila House, is another fabulous and famous work by Gaudi.

Plaza Catalunya, which is a famous plaza in Barcelona. It is in the heart of the city and it’s located between the old and modern parts.

The Gothic Quarter, which includes buildings from medieval times and a cathedral.

The Spanish Village, Poble Espanyol, a small village with houses that replicate the style of different parts throughout Spain.

These are just some of the sights and you can see them all in a convenient way. You can choose from various tours, according to their stops and duration. When you are on Day tours in Barcelona, you can sit in an open top bus. You get familiar with the city and have a city orientation which can help you plan your visit. Day tours in Barcelona are the best way to enjoy this amazing city.

By: Alex Bloom

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New York City is considered as a center of international finance, entertainment, culture and politics. Every year this world famous city draws millions of recreational and business visitors. To help the visitors to travel hassle free, New York City bus charter offers a comfortable and also cost-effective transport service.

In New York City rental and charter buses are forms of public transportation. With so much traffic and congestion on the roads, charter buses provide an undisturbed and worriless alternative, especially to group transportation. You will come across many companies that provide charter bus services in New York. These services consists of transportation to and from recreational events, airports, meetings, sports events, conventions, religious events, school trips, group tours, parties, and places of tourists attractions.

Along with charter bus service the companies will also provide you personalized customer service. Some companies have extensive fleet of luxury and touring coaches, which will surely meet your charter bus needs. Thus, you should find and choose the right charter bus, which goes well with your specifications. For an instance, when you plan to visit New York with a group of people; you must make sure that you choose a good bus service provider which has efficient group transportation facility. It is necessary so that you along with your group get a wonderful experience traveling in New York in a safe and well- organized manner.

If you want shuttle bus transportation to and from your hotel or else a double-decker tour bus, your charter bus service provider will handle your bus rental trips of whichever size or description. The company’s executives have thorough knowledge of the traffic, landmarks, roadways, seasonal events, and conventions. So they make it certain that your New York City tour bus travel goes well.

As stated earlier charter buses are more economical for group transportation. So as to find out all about local and distant charter buses for rental purpose, research on the internet. There are many good charter bus service providers that offer their official websites. You can easily look for the bus that is appropriate for you to travel. Also, you can compare prices of different charter bus service providers. All you have to do is just access the web and get on track to attain enough background information about services or companies you would like to consider. Select a company which best suits your requirements.

You can at any time inquire to the company about bus rental availability, regular pricing, and any other data you think is necessary. The more you be aware of about the bus rental service, the comfortable you will be while traveling. Thus, obtain proper knowledge about New York City bus charter services so that you can travel with ease and comfort.

By: David Corn

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Located at the northern part of New York Metropolis is the Upstate New York region, a place famous for its historical importance, prestigious educational institutions like Cornell University, University of Rochester and State University of New York, bustling cities like Albany, Buffalo, Rochester, Ithaca and Auburn, and diverse natural resources like rivers, mountain ranges, lakes and forests.

The Upstate New York region is considered as a tourist’s paradise with million of tourists visiting this region annually. Some important tourist destinations that are widely preferred by tourists include the majestic Niagara Falls located at the U.S.-Canadian border, mountain ranges like Adirondack Mountains and Catskill Mountains, Corning Museum of Glass, The Great Escape and Splashwater Kingdom, Soccer Hall of Fame, Baseball Hall of Fame, International Boxing Hall of Fame, Saratoga Race Course, Seabreeze amusement park, Sylvan Beach and Turning Stone Resort and Casino.

Upstate New York region is also known for its beautiful lakes and breathtaking waterfalls. Famous among them are the Finger Lakes located on the west-central part of Upstate New York. Finger Lakes are actually a collection of eleven lakes that are linear in shape and located in the form of fingers. Famous among these are the Cayuga Lake and Seneca Lake. Others include Conesus, Hemlock, Canadice, Honeoye, Otisco, Skaneateles, Owasco, Keuka, and Canandaigua Lakes. Region around Finger Lakes is a natural paradise. Located in the region is the Taughannock Falls State Park famous for Taughannock Falls. Most of the area contains forests filled with oak, hickory, maple, chestnut, ash, and hemlock trees. Activities like fishing, hunting, skiing, snowmobiling and ice fishing are famous around the Finger Lakes.

Prairie grasslands are located in this region. Hence, the entire area is an important agricultural destination in New York. Farms raise crops like corn, hay, wheat, soy, oats, barley, cabbages, sweetcorn and potatoes. Finger Lakes area is New York’s largest wine producing region.

By: Kum Martin

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It’s not easy to decide how to spend your time in the Big Apple.
With so many things to see and do, where do you begin? This top-ten list of must-see New York City attractions is a good place to start.

The Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty is one of the most popular of all New York attractions and no trip to the Big Apple is complete without a visit to this iconic structure.

The Statue of Liberty, officially called Liberty Enlightening the World, was constructed from bronze and was given to the United States by France in 1885 as a symbol of freedom and to mark the centenary of America’s Declaration of Independence.
Standing at Liberty Island, in the mouth of the Hudson River in the New York Harbor, it welcomes visitors as it once did for the thousands of immigrants who arrived in New York by boat. The Statue of Liberty has come to symbolize freedom, independence and American values and is an attraction not to be missed by anyone visiting New York.

Empire State Building

The Empire State Building is possibly the most famous skyscraper in the world and one of the greatest New York attractions. It’s been in numerous Hollywood blockbusters and a defining symbol of the city. It was opened on 1 May 1931 and is a must-see for any visitor to New York City – just ask any of the 10,000 to 20,000 people who visit the building every day.

The observatory, located on the 86th floor, 1,050 feet (320 meters) above the city’s busy streets, provides an unsurpassable view of New York City. It offers panoramic views from within a glass enclosed pavilion and from the surrounding open air promenade.
The building offers a variety of attractions for visitors; observatory tours 365 days per year, day and night, rain or shine provider breathtaking views of Manhattan and beyond. There are also, two restaurants, a sushi bar, three coffee shops, a drug store, a Hallmark card shop, a post office and two banks as well as the famous New York SKYRIDE virtual-reality movie theater and various art exhibits.

Times Square

Times Square is not really a square, it’s more of a district, bordered by 6th Avenue and 9th Avenue and by 39th and 52nd Streets, and is one of the greatest New York attractions. Originally it was called Longacre Square, but in 1904, when the New York Times Company moved there, it took on the name we all know today. Shortly thereafter, in 1907, Times Square began its New Year’s Eve tradition, securing the area’s place in history.

Madison Square Gardens

New York City’s Madison Square Garden is sometimes called “The Most Famous Arena in the World”. It is a 20,000-seat arena located atop the city’s Pennsylvania Station on 7th Avenue between 31st and 33rd Streets. Built in 1968, the current arena is the fourth in a line of Madison Square Gardens; the facility is home to the New York Knicks and New York Liberty basketball teams and the New York Rangers hockey team. In addition, the arena hosts over 600 events per year, including concerts, conventions, award shows, the NBA draft, and the Ringling Bros Barnum Bailey Circus.

United Nations HQ

The United Nations Headquarters is located on an 18-acre site along the East River in New York City. Home to the international organization, The United Nations, the striking glass-fronted “Secretariat” building dominates the New York midtown skyline. The building, opened in 1951, was instantly popular with tourists and continues to be one of the most popular destinations in New York City.

American Museum of Natural History

Located on New York City’s upper west side, the American Museum of Natural history continues to be one of the world’s most important natural history collections and research facilities. It has attracted world-class research scientists throughout its history and today attracts a wide range of visitors from all walks of life. It is a delight for guests young and old, and the sheer volume of exhibits means there’s always something new to see.

Central Park

Central Park is Manhattan’s back garden – in a city of high-rise apartments with a dense population, this 843-acre oasis is a place to take a walk, read a book, attend a concert, and much, much more. Over 25 million people visit the park each year, making it the most visited of any park in the United States. With four million trees, shrubs, and plants, representing 1500 species, Central Park has something to interest every visitor. In addition to the vast Great Lawn and other green spaces, the park boasts several artificial lakes, two ice-skating rinks, miles of hiking and bike trails, a zoo, a wildlife sanctuary and several children’s playparks.

Wall Street

Wall Street, a narrow street in lower Manhattan between Broadway and the East River, was the first permanent home of the New York Stock Exchange. It was also the one-time headquarters for all of the major banks and brokerage houses in the United States. While the brokerages have since moved to other parts of New York’s financial district, New Jersey, and Connecticut, the term, “Wall Street” is still synonymous with the US financial markets.

Brooklyn Bridge

Probably one of the most recognizable landmarks in New York City, the Brooklyn Bridge is the oldest suspension bridge in the United States and at 6016-feet long, one of the longest too. When it opened in 1883, after being under construction for almost 14 years, it was the world’s longest suspension bridge. It spans over the East River and links New York’s Manhattan and Brooklyn districts.
Over the years, the traffic across the Brooklyn Bridge has included horses, trolleys, elevated trains, and streetcars as well as pedestrians and automobiles but these days just cars, cyclists, and pedestrians are permitted.

Carnegie Hall

This beautiful and acoustically perfect concert hall, or more accurately, three concert halls, has been the host of over 50,000 events in its long history. Today it is completely restored and as beautiful as ever, Carnegie Hall welcomes visitors to three concert stages, a museum, and fascinating archives. In addition to watching performances, visitors to Carnegie Hall may tour the facility on guided tours, which include back stage, dressing rooms, and rehearsal halls.

Check out New York hotels online & book flights and car hire so you can go and enjoy these attractions for yourself.

Flying business or first class across the Atlantic has been out of reach for many travellers. Airline ticket prices from New York to Europe have ranged between $3,000 and $7,000 in business class. Here are some tips to reduce that airfare and help get you in to that business class premium cabin.

Tip 1: Fly All-Business Class L’Avion

L’Avion is an all-business class carrier serving Paris Orly from New York Newark. It flies twice daily using a Boeing 757 configured to 90 seats. Flights are available from $1,550 return.

Note that L’Avion is currently the only all-business carrier flying transatlantic after the recent bankruptcies of Maxjet, EOS Airlines and Silverjet.

Tip 2: Get a deal with BA’s OpenSkies

OpenSkies is a British Airways subsidiary which partners L’Avion and flies daily from Paris Orly to New York JFK. It also uses a Boeing 757 but is configured with 3 classes and a total of only 82 seats.

“Biz” class is BA’s top notch product and prices are available from $3,700 return. Economy fares are priced from under $1,000.

Watch for special offers and introductory prices as they expand their network around Europe over the next year or two.

Tip 3: Airfare Wars

The “open skies” agreement between the EU and US has opened up the market for transatlantic flights – resulting in lower airfares for the passenger.

The most competitive route is London – New York and prices have dropped to under $2,000 for some business class fares.

Keep an eye on the “war” between Air France (and its partner Delta) and British Airways (and partner American) as they encroach on each other’s territory.

Tip 4: Fly via Iceland

If flying transatlantic business class, get price quotations from the more ‘off-beat’ airlines that you may never have considered.

For example, Icelandair flies from London to New York via Reykjavik and can be extremely competitive with its Saga Class (business class) airfares. Prices are often under