India Train Travel

December 13th, 2007 by 02Articles Editor

LUXURY TOUR TRAINS OF INDIA
Depending upon your budget and preference, the Indian Railways offer you a plethora of options when you choose to explore India by train with. There are exclusive and royal luxury trains like the Palace on Wheels, the Royal Orient Train, the Deccan Odyssey, the Heritage on Wheels and the Fairy Queen. Traveling India with an authorised India Travel Agent by these luxury trains is an experience of lifetime. Some of the famous Luxury Trains of India are:

1. Places on Wheels
Palace on wheels is a journey worthy of kings with its cream saloons, with a border of flowers, forbidding fortress, fairytale palaces, fully vestibule and centrally air-condition, truly a Palace on Wheels.

2. Heritage On Wheels
No other region in India, or perhaps, even in the world, has such a large concentration of high quality frescoes as the region of Shekhawati. The Heritage on Wheels, a luxury tourist train on meter gauge enroute to the unexplored regions of Bikaner and Shekhawati, famous beholders of the Heritage of Rajasthan. Heritage on Wheels is a prefect royal treat for all those on board organized with restaurant and shopping facility.

3. Royal Orient
The Royal Orient train is one of the world’s most exotic trains where you get to explore two of the most fascinating and culturally rich states of India, Gujarat and Rajasthan. The journey by the Royal Orient takes you back to the times of Rajas and Maharajas which is fitted with all the modern conveniences you would expect in five star hotels like clean, comfortable and furnished cabin with spacious bath equipped with running hot and cold water and multi-cuisine restaurants, bar and library.

4. Fairy Queen
The Fairy Queen starts once in a month from October to February renowned for its oldest working engine in the world with the capacity of 50 passengers starts from Delhi to Alwar. The train stops at every major destination and the ambience inside the Fairy Queen makes you feel like a Maharaja as you take on the royal journey. The comprehensive two-day tourist package includes on-ground catering, lodging, boarding, transfer facility, visit to Sariska National Park, cultural programmes etc. In the package, the tourists would be taken to Alwar and would be lodged in Hotel ‘Tiger Den’ at Sariska.

5. Deccan Odyssey
The Deccan Odyssey criss-crosses the Indian Deccan Plateau over 2400 km in Eight days covering beautiful beaches in Goa and Maharashtra, the grand forts and palaces of the Marathas, the Osho Ashram in Pune, the historic sites of Ajanta, Ellora, Aurangabad and the modern city of Mumbai. The 21 coach Air-Conditioned Deccan Odyssey offers combination of richly furnished Deluxe Cabins and Presidential Suites. There are two Dining Cars, One Bar Saloon with smoking lounge area, Conference Area/recreation saloon with small Business Centre, Spa Saloon with mini-gym. Each passenger Saloon has four Deluxe Cabins and is serviced by a private attendant/butler, who looks after tea/coffee service and housekeeping.

6. Konkan Train
Konkan Railways, one of the most luxurious train journey offers breathtakingly beautiful sights to the commuters, unexplored destinations with natural charm covers the length of 760 kms, with 1,798 bridges and 88 Tunnels on the route. Konkan Railways offers a mesmerizing picturesque from Mumbai to Thiruvananthapuram via Veer-Khed-Chiplun-Ratnagiri-Rajapur Road-Sindhudurg-Mapusa Road-Goa-Udupi-Mangalore-Kochi.
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Gift-Giving Etiquette In Various Cultures

December 8th, 2007 by 02Articles Editor

The businessman who heads off to China to secure more business with a clock as a gift, may find himself returning home with a loss of business instead!

The reason? In many Chinese dialects, the phrase “give clock” [song zhong] sounds the same as the ones which refer to attending a funeral or seeing someone off into death. Some also see it as referring to the ending of a relationship rather than beginning or stengthing one. Either way, the businessman should have done his homework before leaving.

If you intend to give a gift in another country, it may be advisable to give some thought to what will be appropriate and acceptable. Giving gifts in North America is basically a very simple process because we understand our culture. But we also realize that giving gifts in certain circumstances may not be appropriate. A man might refrain from giving a woman a gift because it could be misinterpreted as a sign of romantic interest. Even if the woman may understand the true sentiments behind the gift, onlookers may not. And over the years, giving gifts to purchasing agents or buyers has become more and more
frowned on as it takes on the appearance of a bribe. These are the types of things that you need to be watchful of in other cultures as well. But sometimes it is not as easy as it looks. In North America, long stemmed red roses [with thorns] are considered a romantic gesture. In some other countries it is interpreted as you actually wishing the relationship to suffer - the exact opposite sentiment!

Giving corporate gifts, coming up with unique gifts or great gift ideas may simply not be enough to advance a business relationship in a foreign land with a culture that differs from your own. You need to be aware of any implications a gift may have on your business relationship.

How can you find out? Searching the internet today is obviously one way to discover gift giving etiquette in various countries. There are also books that you can find online or possibly in your local bookstore or public library. If you know someone from that particular cultural background, you can simply ask them about sepcific dos and don’ts. Or you can call the embassy from that particular country and ask them. Embassies are not just there for political reasons only. Oftentimes they are also involved in strengthening the relationships between countries on a cultural level. Helping you in a social or business setting can only enhance the understanding on each side. Don’t hesitate to approach a cultural attaché to help you learn about a particular country and its culture.

In North America, giving gifts is quite often looked on as an afterthought to business while in many other countries it is considered an integral part of the business approach and strategy of a company. In fact, in Europe, it is usually the CEO of a company who makes the final decision on the appropriateness of a specific gift, not one of his employees. And quite often it is only the CEO that will present the gifts.

Don’t make the mistake of believing that it’s simply the thought that counts. It may be the wrong thought you are delivering if you don’t do your homework before your business trip.

Find some great gift ideas at our online shopping mall today!

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