Travel News: Singapore-Bhutan direct flights put off Until September

Thursday, February 16, 2012
DRUK Air – The national airline of the Kingdom of Bhutan which signed a memorandum of understanding with Changi Airport Group last August to conduct Singapore-Paro direct flights starting this March, is expected to carry through with the route launch in September – November instead, just before Bhutan’s peak autumn holiday season begins.

Karma Lotey, chairman of the Association of Bhutanese Tour Operators and a member of Druk Air’s executive board said that the twice-weekly flights between Singapore and Paro, where Bhutan's only international airport is located, were now anticipated to commence on the month of September. This is because Druk Air has yet to acquire an additional Airbus A319 aircraft to ply the route.

The launching of the Singapore - Paro direct flights, which will take five hours including a 45-minute refueling stop in Kolkata, have already been postponed before and were initially scheduled to be available on May 17.

Lotey stated that “Singapore is a key transit hub for Bhutan’s two biggest inbound segments, the US and Japan. The decision to start flights to Singapore was therefore a natural one, after gathering feedback from our key customers”.

Bhutan’s flag carrier is also considering launching flights to Hong Kong, however this venture will be subject to the performance of the Singapore-Paro flights. Druk Air does not expect to introduce this route, aimed at capturing the mainland Chinese market, until at least 2014, Lotey added.

Source:
TTG Asia

EVENT: The Singapore Airshow 2012

Tuesday, February 14, 2012
The Singapore Airshow is Asia’s largest aerospace and defense event, and one of the Top 3 aviation functions worldwide. From masterful aerobatic displays to exciting fairground attractions, this event promises sky-high thrills as spectators get face-to-face with the power and glory of warbirds and graceful commercial aircrafts.

This event which showcase world-class exhibitors, serves as a global marketplace and networking powerhouse for the world’s aviation community. It has always been greeted with tremendous support from industry players and continues to be the only event of its kind that brings together heads of the international aviation community, including key political and military leaders. In 2010, the Airshow closed on a high note with deals and announcements worth about US$10 billion in spite of a recovering economy.

It also features a series of high-level conferences dedicated to leading players in the global aviation industry - the Singapore Airshow Aviation Leadership Summit and the Asia-Pacific Security Conference.

This year, Singapore Airshow will be a 6-day event, taking place from 14 to 19 February at the purpose-built Changi Exhibition Centre (CEC).The first 4 days of the event are exclusively for trade attendees while the final 2 weekend days are open to public.

The public can look forward to a spectacular aerobatic flying displays, which will be the highlight of the event. They can also see the latest aerospace technologies and innovations in the exhibition hall and meet the fleet of aviation stars at the aircraft static display area. For younger visitors, a world of fun and entertainment awaits them, with lucky draws, roving costumers, Wii and Kinect games and many other activities that are sure to fill the show ground with color and excitement.

Young and old, aviation enthusiasts or not, and anyone who enjoys a day of adrenaline-pumping revelry under the sun are bound to have a wonderful and exciting weekend at the Singapore Airshow 2012!

Exciting Spots in Bangalore

India, with its vast land area, diverse culture and traditions has a lot of interesting places to offer to its visitors. Each place is unique in its own way with its own set of festivals, authentic cuisine and famous tourist attractions. One of those places is Bangalore, also known as Bengaluru. It prides itself as the city which has witnessed the rise and fall of great empires such as the great warrior Tipo Sultan and the rule of East India Company. The richness of its exotic culture and the significant role it played in the country’s history entice tourists to book airfare to Bangalore.

Bangalore is a subtle mix of cosmopolitan and traditional culture, thus it features a modern way of life being the IT Hub of India at the same time projecting a deep respect for its traditional beliefs and practices. From the bustling city to the quiet life in the outskirts, visitors won’t run out of things to do in Bangalore.

The Vidhana Soudha is among the popular tourist destination in Bangalore because of its magnificent architecture. Vidhana Soudha is the State Legislature and the Secretariat of Karnataka, designed with 12 granite pillars in Neo-Dravidian style. It also bears the essence of Chola, Rajasthani and Kannadiga architectural style. This building has 4 domes, on top of the biggest dome stands “Ashoka Sthambh” (4 lions facing 4 directions) – the national emblem of India.

Another ancient structure worth visiting is the Tipu Sultan Fort. It houses the Tipo Sultan Palace, known for its stunning artistry. The palace is a two-story building made mainly of wood with arches, pillars and balconies reflecting an Islamic design of architecture. The fort also features the Ganapati Temple and a museum containing a number of relics dating back to the period of Haider Ali and Tipu Sultan.

Historical buffs will surely enjoy a trip to the Bangalore Palace. It was built in the year 1887 bearing the style of Tudor architecture. Believed to be inspired by the Windsor Castle of England, the place is smeared with lawns, towers and arches. Some windows of the palace were designed in Gothic, paintings and rich wood carvings. Nowadays, the place is a popular venue for concerts, exhibitions and weddings.

The city of Bangalore also boasts well-maintained parks gardens and gardens such as the Cubbon Park, Bannerghatta National Park and Lalbagh Gardens.

The famous Lalbagh Gardens was built by Haider Ali and cultivated later by Tipo Sultan. Considered as the most beautiful botanical garden in India, Lalbagh Gardens features a “Glass House” with over 1800 species of trees, herbs and plants. The garden encompasses a land of 240 acres, housing a lawn clock which is a first of its kind in the country and one of the four Kempe Gowda Towers.

A stroll in the Cubbon Park will bring tourists face to face with statue of significant people in Indian’s history such as Queen Victoria, Chamarajendra Woodeyar, Major Gen. Sir Mark Cubbon, Rajya Dhurandhar, Sri K. Sheshadrilyer and Edward VII. With its beautiful flowers, trees and fountains, the park creates a natural and soothing environment perfect for relaxation.

On the other hand, Bannerghatta National Park is famous to tourists because of some of its main attractions like Tiger and Lion Safari, Crocodile Farm and Butterfly Park. The safari was divided into two sections namely carnivore and herbivore. It is home to a wide variety of animals such as royal Bengal tiger, hyenas, bison, black buck, leopard, barking deer, elephant and wild boar. The park also serves as sanctuary for those animals that were rescued from circus.

Ulsoor Lake is also an ideal place to just relax and soak in to the feeling of serenity and peacefulness. It is the largest lake in Bangalore well-known as a destination which offers rowing facilities and home of the boat club. One can just sit down, relax and enjoy the scenic beauty of the surrounding tiny islands.

There are some tourists who booked air tickets to Bangalore mainly to see the breathtaking scenes of Nandi Hills and travel back in time exploring the historic relics scattered around the place. Two temples of Lord Shiva can be found at Nandi Hills, one is at the foot of the hill while the other one is at the foot. Other attractions are the cliff named “Tipu Drop” where convicts where pushed as a form of a death sentence, “Amrutha Saravora – a lake on top of the hill, a secret tunnel which served as an escape facility for kings during the ancient times and a fort built by a chieftain.

For those who would like to learn more about the history of India particularly the city of Bangalore, the Government Museum and Karnataka Folk Museum have all the information complete with collections of artifacts reflecting the different periods of time.

Karnataka Museum was established to promote the folk culture of Karnataka. All the collections about the folk culture are kept safely in three buildings namely Lokamatha Mandiral, Lokamahal and Chitrakuteera. Temple chariot, ancient carvings, videotapes of folk-dance, artifacts, puppets, earthen jars and mask are some of the interesting collections to see at the museum.

Set up in the year 1886, the Government Museum possesses some of the rare collection from different periods of time which played a significant role in the country’s history. The museum has 18 galleries presenting Neolithic finds like antiques, jewellery, and textile from various civilizations. Sculptures, old paintings and coins are some of the artifacts kept in the museum.

Art lovers will have wonderful time looking at the paintings in Venkatappa Art Gallery. This art gallery in Bangalore displays the works of Indian people who became famous because of their extraordinary gifts in arts. Works of famous painter Venkatappa, wood sculptor Rajaram and Hebar adore the walls of the gallery.

Bangalore is also famous because of its religious places for worship such as Nandi Bull Temple, ISKCON Temple Complex and Venkataramana Swami Temple. Learn more about the religious beliefs and practices of the people as you visit each temple and get acquainted with their sacred figures.

Indeed, Bangalore is a wonderful place for exploration and discovery. With all the travel deals offered by various online companies, traveling to Bangalore and other parts of India has become more affordable. For some cases booking air ticket online will give you the best airfare deal especially during promotional period thus spending holiday overseas can costs much lesser than the usual cost.

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