DUBAI - Some Snaps..

I want to visit Scotland !!

Burjuman Centre, Dubai

It's one of the major shopping centres in Dubai

Major Hotels in Singapore

Hotels Orchard Road
Asia's most famous shopping boulevard. Home to the world's premier retailers and fashion houses, hotels on Orchard Rd are international five star properties such as (Hilton, Le Meridien, Meritus, Marriott) as well as luxurious local hotels (Orchard Hotel, Royal Plaza etc).


Hotels Heritage District
Between Orchard Road and the Financial District and true to its name, the Heritage District boasts many beautiful buildings from Singapore's colonial era as well as Bugis Junction. Hotels here cover all bases; 3 star value hotels to the most luxurious 5 star international name hotels.


Hotels Financial District
Encompassing the area around North Bridge Rd. over to Suntec City and Singapore Convention Centre, down to the Singapore River, this is Singapore's Central Business District. Hotels here are the larger, five star international hotels (Marina Mandarin, Pan Pacific, The Oriental, etc).

Hotels River District
The historic Singapore River has been transformed. Old warehouses are now glitzy entertainment venues and chic boutique shops. Hotels here are 4 & 5 star properties with an emphasis on value for money (i.e. Copthorne Kings Miramar and the ever trendy Gallery Hotel).


Hotels Chinatown
A colorful area where modern Singapore brushes up against its traditional past, Chinatown is now one of Singapore's most popular neghbourhoods, Chinatown has lodging for every budget from beautiful 5 star hotels to newly renovated boutique hotels and decent guest houses.


Hotels Little India
North of the Heritage District on Serangoon Road is Little India, one of Singapore's most vibrant neighbourhoods. Hotels in this area are locally run 2 and 3 star hotels favoured by value conscious businessmen. As well there are several budget hotels and guest houses for students.

Hotels North of Downtown
Those neighbourhoods to the north of downtown Singapore that are primarily suburban residential areas. With the extension of the MRT lines and convenient bus routes these areas are becoming more accessible and popular for tourists looking for less expensive accommodation.


East Singapore / Airport
Visitors transiting Singapore and in need of overnight accommodation or just a few hours, here is a list of transit hotels near the airport. Clean and inexpensive, hotels in East Singapore are a good deal for anyone on a budget. Especially popular are the Hotel 81 chain properties.


Hotels Sentosa Island
Once a military outpost, later the local weekend getaway place, Sentosa is Singapore's best known island off its southern coast. A complete desination onto itself with golf course, butterfly park and underwater world Sentosa is a nice day trip (take the cable car) with 4 & 5 star resorts.

Accomodation in Dubai

Visitors to Dubai have an extensive choice of places to stay, which offer superb service and facilities. There’s a range of hotels to suit every traveler and every budget.
Large families on the move can also choose from an extensive range of furnished and equipped hotel apartments. These provide excellent value, particularly if one is planning to be in Dubai for a somewhat long duration. They can be rented daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly.

List of Hotels: http://www.mydsf.com/dsf/eng/dsf_hotelslisting.aspx

Fore more travel links: http://www.travellinks.tk/

Dubai Shopping Festival

Dubai Shopping Festival 2008 Started on 24th Jnuary. Fore more details Visit:
www.mydsf.com

Rotating Skyscraper

The Arab city which has amazing and impressive buildings like palm-shaped islands and the sail-shaped hotel is now going to build a rotating skyscraper.

Rotating Skyscraper is an eclectic skyline and it is a 30-story apartment tower that revolves on its base. The tower will use the Persian Gulf's abundant sunshine to power the building's slow rotation that brings it full circle once a week.

Work on the rotating tower is supposed to begin in June. Rotating Skyscraper will use solar energy to power 20 electric motors that will rotate the tower through 360 degrees over the course of a week.

The tower was designed by UK architecture firm, Glenn Howells Architects (the company behind the Birmingham Rotunda in the UK) and Palmer and Turner, the master developers of City of Arabia.

This tower has a height of 250 meters and 59 floors mounted in a concrete core which will serve as a rotating shaft. The floors will be preassembled and then attached to the core of the building.

Each floor will rotate in separate direction from others. The velocity will be slow and not noticed by the residents. The project is Italian and has not begun yet. It is predicted that its construction will last two and a half years. The project cost will be around 500 million dollars.

Dubai Marina - Dubai Waterfront Real Estate

The vision of Dubai Marina is to create an awe-inspiring city-within-a city that delights residents with its
cosmopolitan, free-spirited atmosphere and unique, invigorating lifestyle. It will be an urban centre on the water, comparable to the most exclusive waterfront developments in the world's leading cities. Ideally positioned along Dubai's new growth corridor, Dubai Marina will be the place where people meet, laugh, live and enjoy life to the full. Always alive, with the glittering Marina at its heart, Dubai Marina will be unlike any other place, in Dubai, the Middle East and even the world.

The marina will contain over 200 high-rise buildings and comprise of an area of 50 million square feet. Upon completion it will be the world’s largest man made marina. It was carved along a 3.34km (2 mile) stretch of Dubai's shoreline and is a mixed-use canal-city inspired in the Venetian tradition. It will accommodate over 120 thousand people in their luxury apartment towers and villas, with a unique waterfront view. Marina living has become one of the most desirable and sought after lifestyles in the world. The exclusivity, the status and rewards of waterfront living are abundantly visible in Dubai Marina. It offers the exhilaration and vibrancy of a chic, urban lifestyle fused together with all the advantages of owning a home on the water. Dubai Marina offers unobstructed views across the vast marina, the Arabian Gulf, the Palm Jumeirah Island, also providing fresh sea breezes and the experience of a lifestyle most people can only dream about.

The Colosseum

The Colosseum is the most famous monument of Ancient Rome. Its original name is Flavian Amphitheatre. It was started by the Emperor Vespasian between 70 and 76 AD, and completed by his son Titus in 80 AD. The Colosseum was dedicated the year after Vespasian's death by Titus. They celebrated the opening by holding 100 days worth of games there. It was built on the site where Nero had had a huge villa for himself. Vespasian wanted to build something for the people rather than for himself. It got its popular name, the Colosseum, because it was built near where Nero had erected a huge statue, or colossus of himself. It showed him as the god of the sun. It was 100 feet high, and it was the largest gilded bronze statue in antiquity. It was later moved away. It took 24 elephants to move it!

All over the empire, Romans enjoyed going to the theater to see concerts and plays, and to the stadium to watch chariot races and the amphitheater to watch bloody sports. Going to the amphitheater (Colosseum) was probably the most popular. Gladiatorial combats, fights with beasts and other fights were held in the Colosseum. The Colosseum was big enough to hold the whole population of a town--as many as 50,000 people would sometimes spend the whole day there watching sports. The games were really bloody and for four centuries, men died as an entertainment for the crowd. Gladiators went to training schools; most of them were slaves and criminals. At first there were fights to the death between wild animals: bear against buffalo, buffalo against elephant, and elephant against rhinoceros. Sometimes there would even be fights between men and tame beasts. These fights were called venationes.

The Amphitheater is built of travertine outside, and of tufa and brick in the interior. It had Greek columns decorating the outside, but these did not support the architecture. The Colosseum had a circumference of 527m and it was 50m high. There were 80 entrances, all numbered except for the four main entrances which were wider than the others and were reserved for the Emperor. It was designed so that the crowd could get out in five minutes. The interior was divided into three parts: the arena, the podium, and the cavea. Now more than two-thirds of the original building has been removed and the rows of the seats in the cavea are missing. It is very similar to other amphitheaters except this one is much bigger.

Al Burj

Al Burj is a skyscraper proposed in Dubai, United Arab Emirates by developer Al Nakheel. Originally hyped to become one of the world's tallest skyscrapers, but currently thought to have been redesigned on a more modest scale, it is to form the centrepiece of the Dubai Waterfront, the world's largest man-made waterfront which is also being developed by Al Nakheel.

Although ground leveling and land reclamation has begun on the Dubai Waterfront, construction of the tower itself has not yet started. However, Nakheel is in talks with several potential contractors which include South Korean Samsung Group who is also building the Burj Dubai, Japanese Shimizu Corporation and Australian Grocon.
Technical Data
Height to tip 1,050 m (3,445 ft)
Height to roof 850 m (2,789 ft)
Height to top floor 850 m (2,789 ft)
Floors 228
Total Built-up area 1,490,000 m² (16,038,226 sq ft)
Useable Space 492,000 m² (5,295,844 sq ft)
Usage Mixed Use

Developer Al Nakheel
Architect Woods Bagot

Burj Dubai- The tallest building in the world..!!

Computer image of Burj Duabi and surrounding buildings which will be completed in November 2008..

In Dubai..

I'm in Dubai now..It's thrilling to live in world's fastest growing company.. Burj Dubai (means DUBAI TOWER) is rising to it's glory which will be the tallest tower in world.. You can see the tower from any where in Dubai.. I had boat ride in Abra (a boat service between BurDubai and Deira). I enjoyed it a lot..The "Heritage village" is where u can see the old style buildings and the culture of UAE. Big shopping malls are the main attraction in Dubai. The shopping festival will be in December.. If you are interested in traveling, come and enjoy the world's fastest growing city..

Beaches in India

Thousands of sun-deprived tourists visit India because it incredibly has the most diverse varieties of beaches anywhere in the world. Placid backwaters and lagoons, bays and rough lava-rocked seas, marine estuaries with fish, crashing surf, powdery golden sand or palm fringed shores - Incredible India has them all.

The West Coast with the Arabian Sea and the East Coast with the Bay of Bengal offer many a verdant vistas to the traveller. The coasts of India have their own seafood cuisine, relaxing spas, diving and water sports and great places to stay for a balmy holiday.

Kovalam undoubtedly is one of India's best sea resorts. The long coastline lined with swaying coconut palm trees dotted with an occasional fishing hamlet is fast developing into one of the world's finest string of beaches. The sea applauds the beach temple in Mahabalipuram, gloriously silhouetted against the spectrum of the seven colours in the sky. Puri, on the East Coast, is surely one of the world's most picturesque beaches. And then there is Digha, a three-hour drive out of Kolkata, a beautiful beach, splendid in its isolation.

The beach holiday to beat them all is in the Isles of Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshwadeep, where you can see the myriad colours of the flashy fish in the coral reefs from above the green waters.

Now fully developed as an international beach resort, Goa offers the best holiday villages on its beaches. Everything about Goa is spellbinding from the landscape dotted with Portuguese architecture, to the way of life that exudes an irresistible Old World charm. Anjuna or Calangute Beach, and Miramar Bay in Panjim are quieter. Beach vendors sell all manner of kitsch in Anjuna and Calangute. You can rent beach mats and mattresses, sunglasses, and the usual tourist paraphernalia. You can even get all sorts of spaghetti, German bread and Italian food. The beach at Calangute is rocky. At Anjuna the waters are gentle and offer opportunities for boat rides, sea scooter rides, spot-the-dolphins rides, and motorboat rides. Colva and Benaulim are quieter and less crowded than Anjuna. The Fort Aguada beach offers gorgeous views that merit a visit. Sinquerim and Candolim are also quiet beaches that afford anonymity.

Whether it's the isolated horizons of the Konkan Coast or the Arabian Sea; the golden sands or the water drenched seashores, every beach in India makes a picture perfect holiday destination.

DUBAI- Tips for better trip..

The best times to visit UAE are in December, March, April sees the Sharjah Ramadan Festival, Abu Dhabi Festival of Sales, Dubai Summer Surprises and the Dubai Shopping Festival on - this may be of interest to shoppers looking for good bargains. These are also the cooler months, a good time to explore the UAE. For the culturally oriented, December 2nd , the National Day of the UAE is one of the best times to visit. Abu Dhabi ruler and President of the UAE, H H Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan has taken an active interest in promoting culture and this month is full of cultural activities. Various international sporting events, exhibitions and trade shows create a festive atmosphere and is a good time to visit.

Being a country of booming metropolises and a melting pot of different cultures, various events are held all the year around, so keep an eye on the Events calendar to decide on the time you want to visit.

How to get there

From outside the Gulf :
You can reach Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Dubai, Sharjah and other emirates by air from almost all the international destinations. Most of the emirates have world-class International airports and many flights stop here en route from Asia to Europe or vice versa.
From outside the UAE :
If you are in a neighboring country like Oman or Muscat, it is very easy to drive down into the UAE provided you have the visa.

Shopping - Business Hours
Shops are generally open from 9:30 - 1:00 and from 4:30 -9:30 on Saturday through Thursday. Many shops in the malls are remaining open all day which can offer a time for shopping without crowds. On Friday, the Islamic holiday, shops do not generally open until 2:00 or later.


Bargaining
Part of the tradition of shopping in the UAE is bargaining over the price. In the souk, a rule of thumb is to offer half of the first price and work your way up. In other shops except for truly fixed price stores, a bit of negotiating will bring a reduction in price. If you have to ask the price of something, the price is not fixed

Health Matters

Immunizations
No health certificate or special immunizations are required when traveling to the UAE unless you have been in a cholera or Yellow Fever affected area 14 days prior to visiting. it is wise to check with your travel agent before traveling, however, should the situation change.

Coping with the Heat
For eight months of the year the Emirates are hot and along the coast, very humid. It is important that the visitor take precautions not to overexert. All hotels and restaurants are air conditioned as are most shops but outside is still hot. Try to limit going in and out of the air conditioning and be sure to drink plenty of fluids when outside for a long time.

Medical Care
Even the smallest emirate is now equipped with a modern hospital so there is no need to worry about the availability of health care. Most major cities have several hospitals and an abundance of private clinics should you be in need.
Travel Links >>>

Dubai-Some information

Dubai is the second largest emirate in the U.A.E. Its total area is around 1000 square miles.

The city of Dubai is divided by the famous Dubai creek or Khor. This natural harbour, and Dubai's strategic location on the international trading map has made it one of the world's leading trading and commercial centers.
The Jebel Ali Free Trade Zone - the fifth largest in the world within a short span of ten years, has attracted over 900 international companies that include global giants - a few of these are General Motors, AEG, Aiwa, BP, Ciba, Geigy, Daewoo and Heinz.

Dubai's attractiveness not only lies in its trade. Like the rest of the U.A.E., it has also been actively promoted as a tourist destination. A few of its notable achievements are :

The gold prize for the best destination in the Middle East in the 1996 World Travel prizes ceremony held in June 1996 in Las Vegas, USA. Dubai also won the silver medal for the best tourism and conference centre in the Middle East.


The Dubai Shopping Festival, held every year is a major attraction for tourists worldwide.


The Dubai World Trade Centre has also emerged as the best Exhibition and Conference centre in the Gulf Region by hosting innumerable International Fairs and events like the Gitex and Index, that attracts buyers, sellers and customers from all over the world.


The Dubai International Airport considered as the world's second best transit airport, currently handles 7.3 million passengers per year with a growth rate of 12% that is double that of any other airport in the world.


The Dubai Air Show is currently ranked third as the most significant international air-shows on a global scale. The first being Farnborough in Britain and the second Le Bourget in Paris.


The Dubai Summer Surprises is an innovative tourist attraction, aimed at increasing tourism in the usually inactive summer months. The peak summer months of July, August upto mid September are filled with shopping bonanzas, entertainment for children, Ice circus, with entertainment and educational programmes held daily at all the major shopping complexes.

The ancient cities in Srilanka

Adam’s Peak

It is believed that Lord Buddha during his third visit to Sri Lanka placed his footprint on the summit of this sacred mountain. So, the name Sri Pada the sacred footprint. This mountain is also known as Samantakuta, Sumanakuta, Samanalakanda, Samanhela, Samangira, Medumhelaya etc. The Christians call the mountain Adam's Peak, derived from the Portuguese Pico de Adam (Peak of Adam). It is 7,360 feet in height and is the forth highest mountain in the country and has several approaches, the main ones being through the Hatton town and Ratnapura District. Annually, from December to April, devotees climb the mountain to pay obeisance.

Dalada Maligawa

Kandy ’s main attraction is the Dalada Maligawa, the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. Brought to Sri Lanka in the 4th c. A.D., the sacred relic has ever since been the symbol of sovereignty for its rulers and always enshrined in great splendour. Kandy’s Dalada Maligawa is a magnificent shrine, with decorative walls, moat, turrets, golden roof and fine wood-work and its 16th – 19th century ambience vividly alive. Three religious services (pooja) with traditional music, held daily at dawn, mid-day and in the evening, can be viewed by visitors.

Kelaniya Temple

This temple, consecrated during the third and final visit of Lord Buddha to Sri Lanka, eight years after gaining enlightenment, is situated 7 miles from Colombo in Gampaha District on the banks of the Kelaniya River. Its history goes back nearly 2,563 years. The Mahawansa records that the original Dagoba at Kelaniya enshrined a gem-studded throne on which the Buddha sat and preached. The temple is also famous for its image of the reclining Buddha and paintings which depict important events in the life of the Buddha, in the history of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, also incidents from the Jataka tales. lt is the venue of the annual Duruthu Perahera held in the month of January.


Dambulla Vihara

Located north of Kandy and considered by most to be the center point of SriLanka, Dambulla is a town built around a vast isolated rock mass 500 ft and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.It was here that King Valagambahu took refuge in the 1st century B.C. The view from the top of this rock is breathtaking 350 ft. above are a series of five caves which was later turned into a magnificent rock temple by King Valagambahu.

In the first cave is a recumbent image of the Buddha 47 ft, long , cut out from the rock. There are images of deities associated with Buddhism. The frescoes on the walls and ceiling could be dated to the 15th - 18th centuries. In the second cave, the finest and the largest , are not less than 150 life size statues of gods. There are numerous images of the Buddha as well. The ceiling too is covered with frescoes which depict great events in the life of the Buddha , and landmarks in the history of the Sinhala People.


Sigiriya Rock

The history of Sigiriya dates back to over 5000 thousand years, to the Mesolithic period. One of SriLanka’s major attractions and a World Heritage Site, Sigiriya(Lion Rock) came into prominence in the 5th centaury AD, when the patricidal King Kasyapa, afraid of reprisals led by his half - brother, Mogolan, chose to move the seat of power from Anuradhapura to this 500m rock. It was Kasyapa and his master-builders who were responsible for the complex plan which made Sigiriya the glorious capital it was, for 17 years (477 – 495 AD). The frescoes of the ‘ heavenly maidens ‘ halfway up the rock in a sheltered gallery, are the only painted renderings of a secular subject in this country.The ‘ mirror wall ‘, which records the poetic outpourings of early visitors to the rock and the colossal plan of the royal palace, water gardens and fortifications, is entirely fascinating.

Mahinyangana Maha Seya

This Cetiya (stupa) was built during the lifetime of Lord Buddha enshrining the lock of hair given by Him to God Saman on the occasion of His first visit to Sri Lanka, nine months after attaining enlightenment. It is the first ever stupa to be constructed in Sri Lanka.
It was enlarged by Arhat Sarabhu to a Cetiya 12 cubits high after receiving and enshrining the collar bone relic of the Buddha taken from the funeral pyre. The son of King Devanampiyatissa's brother, for greater protection, covered it over and made it thirty cubits high. King Dutugemunu -(161-137 BC). Dwelling there, while fighting the invading forces of the Tamils, enlarged it to eighty cubits high. It was subsequently rebuilt by Vijayabahu 1 (1055-1110 CE) and restored again during modern times.

Ruwanveli Seya

Situated in Mahamega Gardens. Built in the second century B.C by King Dutugamunu. It is 100 metres tall, 77 metres wide, 300 ft in diameter.
Originally the shupa was designed in a " Bubble " shape . Sadly different restorations of the Thupa have changed its shape. The Great Sthupa cost the King 6.4 million coins in wages. The construction was commenced on a full moon day in May 144 B.C. The foundation was made of butter-clay, imported from India, which was used as cement. Further four small Stupas are to be seen in the 0four corners in order to give more respect. Entering the shupa , you come across a sand court yard from which rises the Elephant wall.
Walking around the stupa you see a life size statue of a king, believed to be King Dutugamunu. Further you see an Inscription done by King Nissankamalla in the platform. King Dutugamunu fell sick with a sickness that was to be mortal, He sent for his younger brother Saddhatissa to complete its work. So King Dutugamunu had his wish fulfilled as he lay dying, and the stupa was later finished by King Saddhatissa.

Gal Viharaya

Located in the ancient city of Polonnaruwa and built in the 12th century A.D by the great King Parakramabahu the 1st. It is a group of Buddha images that probably mark the high point of Sinhalese rock carving.The Gal Viharaya consists of four seperate images of different postures carved and cut from one long slab of granite.
First is a samadhi image in meditation posture, while the second is inside a cave and the third is a standing Buddha image which is 23 ft in height and the forth is a recumbent Buddha image measuring 46 feet, depicting the passing away.

Wewurukannala Vihara

15 miles east of Matara is the town of Dikwella, where there is one of the most amazing Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka. The Wewurukannala Vihara temple is dominated by an image of a seated Buddha. It is 160ft high, the largest statue in all of Sri Lanka and dates back to the time of King Rajadhi (1782 - 1798).
The temple has three parts, the oldest being about 250 years old; however this is of no particular interest. The next part has life size models of demons and sinners shown in graphic detail. If you don't follow the path to enlightenment this is what happens to you. Punishments include being drowned in boiling cauldrons, sawn in half, disemboweled and so on. Finally there is the enormous seated Buddha that is as high as an eight-storied building.
The temple walls show you the path towards enlightenment by depicting hundreds of comic strip representations of events in the Buddha's life. Among one of the episodes is the Chulla Dhammapala Jataka. It tells the story of how King Maha Prathapa of Varanasi on entering the palace found the queen cuddling her seven month old child. After ignoring him the King was left insulted so ordered that the prince be executed and the body be thrown into the air. Several Jataka Stories are also amid the paintings, which where selected for Vesak stamps in 1991. One depicts The Kattahari Jataka showing Prince Kastavahana, son of King Brahmadatta resting with his entourage.

Buduruwagala Rock Sculptures

Located 5kms south of Wellawaya a side road branches west off the road to Tissa to the rock cut Buddha figures of Buduruwagala.Buduruwagala means stone images of Buddha.The figures dates back to 10th century AD, and are of the Mahayana Buddhist school.The gigantic Buddha statue still bears traces of its original stuccoed robe and a long streak of orange suggests it was once brightly painted.The central of the three figures to the Buddha’s right is thought to be the Buddhist mythological figure, the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara. To the left of this white painted figure is a female figure in the thrice-bent posture, who is thought to be his consort, Tara. The three figures on the Buddha’s left appear to an inexpert eye to be of a rather different style. One of them is holding up the hourglass shaped Tibetan thunderbolt symbol known as a dorje – an unusual example of the Tantric side of Buddhism in SriLanka.One of them is said to be Maitreya, the figure Buddha , while another is Vishnu.

Kataragama Devalaya

One of Sri Lanka’s holy places where Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims visit on religious pilgrimage. It is a large Complex with the `Mahadewala’ – Main Hindu shrine being the most important place. This Shrine of God Skanda, the Hindu war God who is worshipped as the Kataragama Deviyo is venerated by pilgrims of all three religions. It is believed that King Dutugemunu the warrior king and Sinhala folk hero built a shrine here for the worship of the Kataragama God in the 2nd century BC. There is also a first century BC Buddhist Dagoba - `Kirivenhera’ at this site. The annual Hindu Kataragama festival is held in July and August.

Tirukoneswaram Kovil

At the northeastern most tip of the Fort Frederick's promontory is a cliff known as Swami Rock, dropping about 360 feet directly into the sea. On its topmost pinnacle is the Tirukonesvaram Kovil , destroyed by the Portuguese though the Kovil was restored and completed in 1963.Three ancient bronze images and a Shiva lingam, later found by divers at the bottom of the cliff beneath the temple , were installed for worship. Puja services are especially colorful at twilight on Fridays. Trincomalee may take its name from the site of this temple - perhaps from the Tamil words tiru kona malai , " mountain scared to Konesvara ( Shiva )."

Lakshadweep, a magical realm of existence

Located in the Arabian Sea off the south-eastern coast of India, the charm of Lakshadweep Islands (known as Laccadive Islands till 1973) lies in their remoteness. Far from the chaos of civilization, as we know it, they represent a rather magical realm of existence. Each island is densely covered with coconut palms, and serenely set in a sea, the waters of which range from palest aquamarine and turquoise, to deepest sapphire and lapis lazuli.

The Lakshadweep islands are India's only coral islands. The Lakshadweep chain of islands are coral atolls. An atoll is a coral organism lying exactly at the surface of the ocean where air and water meet; this being the only condition under which coral can live. The coral here is shaped like a ring and encircles a staggeringly beautiful emerald-blue lagoon. Each atoll is the topmost point of a submarine pillar of limestone extending several thousand feet from an extinct volcano. Tempting as it is to pick up a coral as a souvenir, it is strictly illegal, being punishable with heavy fines. Non-availability of drinking water accounts for a number of islands being uninhabited. Of the 36 islands covering a land area of 32 sq. km, only 10 are inhabited.

Ethnically, the people of the islands are very similar to the people of the state of Kerala. Majority of them are Muslims, and speak Malayalam except in Minicoy where Mahli is spoken.Coconut cultivation and fishing, are the chief occupations of the people, whose folklore and customs are, not surprisingly, largely derived from the sea. The people of Lakshadweep are often commended for their honesty.

A Boat journey through the backwaters of Kerala

Yes, it'll be an amazing experience..These are from Thattekkadu, Kerala.

Peermedu, Kerala..Beautiful hills

Kerala, God's own country is well known for its natural beauty. These snaps are from Peermedu, near Kottayam, Kerala When I've gone there..

When to go to India..

Climate plays a key factor in deciding when to visit India. Keep in mind that climatic conditions in the far north are distinctly different to those of the extreme south.

Generally, India's climate is defined by three seasons - the hot, the wet (monsoon) and the cool, each of which can vary in duration from north to south. The most pleasant time to visit most places is during the cooler period: November to around mid-February.

The heat starts to build up on India's northern plains from around February, and by April or May it really hots up, peaking in June. In central India temperatures of 45°C and above are commonplace. South India also becomes uncomfortably hot during this time.

Late in May the first signs of the monsoon are visible in some areas - high humidity, electrical storms, short rainstorms and dust storms that turn day into night. The hot season is the time to abandon the plains and head for the cooler hills, and this is when hill stations are at their best (and busiest).

When the monsoon finally arrives the rain comes in steadily, generally starting around 1 June in the extreme south and sweeping north to cover the whole country by early July. The main monsoon comes from the southwest, but the southeast coast (and southern Kerala) is largely affected by the short and surprisingly wet northeast monsoon, which brings rain from around October to early December.

Things don't really cool down: at first hot, dry and dusty weather is simply replaced by hot, humid and muddy conditions. It doesn't rain all day, but it generally rains every day. Followed by the sun this creates a fatiguing steam bath environment.

Around October the monsoon ends for most of the country. This is when India sees most tourists - however, it's too late to visit Ladakh (May to October is the optimum period). During October and November it's generally not too hot and not too cool (although October can still be hot and/or humid in some regions). In the thick of winter (around mid-December to mid-January), Delhi and other northern cities can become astonishingly cold, especially at night - and it's bone-chilling in the far north. In the far south the temperatures become comfortably warm during this period.

It's worth checking the dates of particular festivals - you may be attracted or repelled by the chaos (and jacked-up prices) that attend them. There are virtually no festivals in May/June. The wedding season falls between November and March, when you're likely to see at least one lively procession through the streets