Assulted - Visitors to Kovalam??

%26#39;On Friday, a set of taxi drivers stopped an Akbar Travels car as it made its way out of the airport, abused the passengers (two women and their children), roughed up the driver and smashed the windscreens of the vehicle.%26#39;

Full story at:-

hindu.com/2009/…2009032360460300.htm

Not a very good way to start the holiday. I just hope that these people are able to enjoy the rest of thier holiday.

Not sure if they are TA members or if they are staying in Kovalam.

Regards

Paul

Happy Childrens%26#39;s Home - Helper

just for info(liquids)

Forgot to add to trip report .On return journey NO liquids at all allowed in hand baggage .Guess most people her ewill know this but was a shock to us and many others on return last month.

just for info(liquids)

Hi

do you mean not even the 100ml max containers in re-sealable plastic bags that you are allowed in UK airports?

just for info(liquids)

Hi, At Goa Airport they also took my disposable lighter, saying that NO lighters were allowed on board. At Gatwick a lighter was allowed so long as it was %26#39;carried on your person%26#39; ie. in handbag or pocket.

Was this on a Charter of Schedule flight. Did not have a problem with this a couple of days ago at Mumbai Airport.

Just thinking about it - we departed from Goa, schedule last week and nobody said a word about liquids of any kind except they took bottles of drinking water from people. I had lots of small items, Rescue Remedy, antiseptic creams, lipstick etc in my scanned hand luggage but was waved through.

I was on a Thomsons/First Choice flight. I was waved through all of the security checks until I was actually on the walk way to the aircraft, where they had set up another security check before I was stopped. I must admit that there was a lot of security at the airport that day ( a lot more than I remember from our last trip to Goa) so maybe they were looking for something to do?.

we had at least 5 checks including a armed solidier come on the bus before we were on sight.They were clear NO liquids not even contact lens solution (was only allowed inhaler for obvious reasons).Was a Thomson flight was told it was due to it being military airport was a real pain as cound%26#39;t take moisturiser of toothpaste for flight .

visa for india

can anyone tell me if the vfs office in london victoria is open as they never seem to answer the phone

visa for india

we had the same issue. tho most of the information is on their website.

visa for india

thanksf or the reply

do you know if the victoria street office is actually open!!

I am told it is, but we did everything by mail. It was very efficient, though.

thanks for the info

Hi

Is it Kovalam (Cove Long) in Tamil Nadu you want or Kovalam in Kerala?

Kovalam in Kerala Forum can be found at:-

tripadvisor.in/ShowForum-g311295-i10148-Kova…

Regards

Paul

paul

thank for responding i have sorted it out

Day trips from Cochin or Varkala- Festivals/temples/sites?

We%26#39;ll be travelling in Kerala from 28th March - 11th April - It%26#39;s my 5th trip - and this time I%26#39;m taking my mother who is a very fit 70 plus and a very keen painter...

We%26#39;re staying in Varkala for a few days when we arrive, then on to a homestay at Kottayam which we have already booked, and then a couple more nights in Fort Cochin (4th-6th April)... I love Cochin, but as this will be our 3rd visit there, we have already seen most of the sites in Fort Cochin.

Just wondering if anyone knows of places of interest on the way from Cochin back to Varkala (we will probably take a taxi rather than the train this time)or places just outside Cochin or Varkala that we could visit that week? I know there is a festival at Shornur, but it is some distance away, and in the wrong direction!

Any suggestions would be very welcome, Thanks. K

Day trips from Cochin or Varkala- Festivals/temples/sites?

what about Vegaland fron cochin ?

This is a water park 30 mins from Cochin and a great day out. Not sure if you have kids, but ours loved it.

Choosing a right bed and breakfast accommodation or lodging

Choosing a right bed and breakfast accommodation / lodging in Delhi is a difficult job, in this over flooded market of B%26amp;B%26#39;s in New Delhi. Travellers should be vigilent in selecting the right B%26amp;B.

A bed and breakfast is usually an exceptionally nice place to spend the night, as most are remodeled old homes or mansions. Some of these homes have been restored to represent the way they were originally built and contain beautiful woodwork, wood floors, beautyful stone or brick work and other designs of the era in which they were built.

Most provide breakfast in the morning, which consists of a complete meal with breakfast either Indian style or english style, eggs, toast or biscuits, fried potatoes, pancakes and waffles, coffee, juice, etc., while others only provide a continental breakfast, consisting of coffee, juice and doughnuts. Then, some provide no breakfast at all, but still call themselves a bed and breakfast. The morning meal is normally included in the room rate.

As you can see, each bed and breakfast can be different and even the Bed and Breakfast Associations have no accepted definition of what they are. When placing a reservation, be sure you understand what accommodations they offer, or better yet get a recommendation from someone who is familiar with that particular bed and breakfast.

Normally, we think of a bed and breakfast as being a beautiful house with all the amenities to %26#39;cater to our every need%26#39;. A suite of rooms with your own private bath is available instead of just one room and connection to the Internet is also available. Depending on location, recreational activities must be nearby.

If you are looking for a romantic getaway, a weekend at a bed and breakfast can fill the bill. Many offer a %26#39;special romance package%26#39;, which means the weekend is professionally planned. Be sure you understand what the package includes and the cost. The proprietor of the bed and breakfast should be able to recommend romantic restaurants so you will be able to make advance reservations. They can also advise other romantic locations in the area that might interest you.

In order to find the perfect bed and breakfast, take time to plan and research each one on your list. Be sure it offers what you are looking for and make sure the price is right. There is always one that will fit your budget. It is suggested that you plan on spending more than one night to get the full benefit of your stay.

Keep in mind, a bed and breakfast is a great way to get away!

Choosing a right bed and breakfast accommodation or lodging

Clever contagious advertising Saivilla!

Choosing a right bed and breakfast accommodation or lodging

Thankyou dilli billi and i hope it is as per your house rules....

The house rules suggest that you cannot promote your own B%26amp;B; and having an id like yours with a photo of your B%26amp;B is already treading the thin line, saivilla. To combine this id with your little piece of B%26amp;B ';advisory'; is, if not downright underhand, then at least definitely not above board in my view.

I did not know much about Sai Villa, and this post is my first real introduction to you. Do you think it is a good one?

Since your behaviour on this website says something about you and the way you run your B%26amp;B business, it is good to be careful about what impression you give.

- Deepa

Deepa if you read the post carefully you will notice that, not a single word in respect to self promotion is been used in the post, rather it is a very general post for everyone to join.

Since, any TripAdvisor member can give his own opnion or comments and those opnions may be liked or disliked by others or even by a destination experts.

I don%26#39;t think that if I need to post any opnion, comment or advisory, I need to hide my name or picture, why should I be hidding away?

Regarding your question of ';is sai villa a good one'; appears insulting and derogatory because you have a tag on you of being a so called destination expert and if something has missed your attention even after being listed for more then a year on the same site of which you are a destination expert means either you are not very good in what you suppose to do or you are pretending to be ignorant to make your point.

In any case just for your information I am categorically submitting that Sai villa is as good as your owned Delhi magic and Mumbai magic, which are highly promoted and advertised companies on this very forum of which you are a destination expert, I have only read about them only on this forum as being two tour operator companies owned by you Deepa.

Would you mind please telling me how good are these companies you own?

This is for the knowledge of our fellow readers that both delhi magic and mumbai magic is been promoted on tripadvisor forums which they can check by putting ';delhi magic'; or ';mumbai magic'; in the search box.

One example of the way they are misusing this forum under the support and help of various destinations experts can be self explaintory in the following lead:-

tripadvisor.in/ShowTopic-g304551-i3482-k2449鈥?/a>

Type ';BertNYC'; to get the above said lead details:-

Post count: 4

7 Jan 2009 Rajasthan Rajasthan Touring -- Guides %26amp; Drivers: A Report

6 Jan 2009 New Delhi Delhi Guides: A Report

6 Jan 2009 Mumbai (Bombay) Mumbai Guides: A Report

6 Jan 2009 Rajasthan Rajasthan Touring -- Guides %26amp; Drivers: A Report

It is also to be noted that this person with id ';BertNYC'; has till date made only four posts and all are aimed at advertising and promoting none else but guides, tour operators like delhi magic and mumbai magic, either he is a stake holder in these tour operation companies owned by Deepa or is an act of self promotion under a fake id, either our so called destination experts or only the God knows the truth.....

Any explainations Deepa????

Dear saivilla -

I don%26#39;t promote my businesses, and my id is my personal id. As per the website guidelines, information on my companies is fully disclosed in my profile, which is how it should be.

Several clients have posted good references of our tours, thank you for highlighting all of them!! I wouldn%26#39;t have been able to do that myself!!

Thanks again!

Gleefully yours,

- Deepa

prices

hi all going to calangute soon with 2 weeks with my wife.

how much spending money should we take to livbe like kings and do lots of trips

prices

Hi,

My father in law has been going for the past 11 years and he says its impossible to spend your money there. We are going 6th of april with them and there three of us and we are taking about £1500 for the two weeks but hoping to bring some back hope this helps you.

Marie.

prices

Hi, last year we took just over a grand and spent £840 for the two of us B %26amp; B in a fortnight. This included loads and I mean loads of shopping, taxis to and from town day and night, lunch, dinner and enough alcohol to sink a battle ship and a couple of trips.

Meerkat

when you say %26#39;loads of shopping%26#39;, don%26#39;t you mean a suitcase full of sandals? LOL

On our last visit (Feb 08) for 3 weeks, we didn%26#39;t do any trips but we ate out every lunch %26amp; dinner and I bought: Olay Anti wrinkle cream x 3, designer high heel sandals , Himalaya foot cream x 9, Mulberry handbag, Prada handbag, opal %26amp; diamond ring, diamond ring, Pashmina x 6.

We took £1600 %26amp; brought £600 back.

Prettypollycat - well a gal can%26#39;t have too many shoes now can she?! I didn%26#39;t even mention the four %26#39;designer%26#39; handbags and five watches before either :)

Meerkat

do you ever buy sandals from Bombay Bazaar in Panjim?

I have small feet (UK 2, 35 EU) and their size 5 seems to fit me OK.

I%26#39;ve bought some really lovely diamonte ones from there, although last time I was a bit more restrained than usual. Only one pair? I can%26#39;t believe it!

We%26#39;re really missing our visits to Candolim this season.

Dear PrettyPollyCat I am going to Panji thic coming Monday to see a dentist. Is the BombayBazaar easy to find, or will I be easier to use a taxi my dentist is quite central? Cheers.

Lisa

Bombay Bazaar is (I think) on 18th June Road, which is one of the biggest.

It%26#39;s a large shop that you%26#39;d find hard to miss.

Shoes are upstairs.

They have some costume jewellery downstairs that I usually look at too.

The shop assistants can be a bit hassling.

Years ago in there, I had 3 assistants all bringing me sandals to try on.

I%26#39;d chosen one pair, then found another pair I liked so they were taking the first pair away until I said %26#39;No! I want those too!';.

I think the concept that people would buy more than one pair was quite strange for them but they%26#39;re probably used to it now (especially if Meerkat%26#39;s been in. LOL).

so you and yer man like ah small refreshment meerkat next year we will have ah battle of britain competition and i think the couple from the north will win handsdown so bottoms up cheers jon n eileen

wont need that much unless u by our drinks all week

Hi there... we are just back and we spent £700 in a 2 week stay, we did not scrimp on anything, this includes shopping, Taxis,Trips, Hotel charges (safe) eat and drunk like Kings and went to some of the more expensive restaurents as well.

Cheers

Martin

Visa by post - How long does it take?(B'ham Office)

Could anyone tell me how long to expect to wait for my Visa? The passport application and payment I did online, and then sent it to the Birmingham office - Now the website says that it will take at least 10 working days - and I leave 27th March!I%26#39;m getting a little anxious - Or if anyone has a phone number for chasing up passports next week if it hasn%26#39;t come - that would be great. Many thanks.

Visa by post - How long does it take?(B'ham Office)

i applied in January and got it within a week. I understand that this time of year gets busier. They seem terribly bureaucratic to me and chasing probably wont help much. I would have faith that it will be here in plenty of time. Good luck!

Visa by post - How long does it take?(B'ham Office)

many thanks for replying - I%26#39;ll keep my fingers crossed

Keep an eye on this thread:-

tripadvisor.in/ShowTopic-g311295-i10148-k262鈥?/a>

Regards

Paul

Happy Children%26#39;s Home - Helper

hi

i did my visa on line then booked the appointment and was there in 2 days after which i was asked to go back 5 days later to collect

you can track on line when you have the name of the person whose passport it is ( last name only ) then their D O B and their passport number

thats all you need to put in to the companys web site and you can track how long its gonna be

molly

Thanks everyone who wrote to me - passport with Visa turned up last Thursday - not sent to the address I requested (and paid for) it to be, but, Hey, at least it%26#39;s arrived safely. I just find it incredibly frustrating that it now is so much more complicated to get an Indian visa, takes much more time, and is more expensive than it used to be...

glad u r sorted Kitti. Enjoy!