Author: Travel and Tourism Desk

By: Hiren Gandhi The United States has decided to end the lottery-based selection system for the H-1B work visa and introduce a salary-based selection process. The new system will come into effect from February 2026. This move is being seen as a significant shift in US immigration policy. The change is expected to have the most direct impact on Indian professionals, as more than 70 percent of H-1B visa recipients each year are from India. Until now, the H-1B visa process was based on a lottery system, under which eligible applicants were selected randomly. This system gave equal opportunity to…

ભારતીય રેલવે છેલ્લા કેટલાક વર્ષોમાં સુઘડતા, સ્વચ્છતા અને સેવાઓના સ્તરમાં નોંધપાત્ર સુધારો લાવ્યું છે. કનેક્ટિવિટી અને હોસ્પિટાલિટી મામલે હવે વિદેશી પ્રવાસીઓ પણ ભારતીય રેલવેની પ્રશંસા કરે છે. જોકે નવા વર્ષની શરૂઆત સાથે મુસાફરો માટે થોડી વધારાની ખર્ચાળ સ્થિતિ સર્જાવાની છે. રેલવેએ જાહેરાત કરી છે કે 26 ડિસેમ્બર 2025થી 215 કિલોમીટરથી વધુ અંતરની મુસાફરી માટે ટ્રેન ભાડામાં વધારો લાગુ કરવામાં આવશે. સામાન્ય વર્ગના ભાડામાં પ્રતિ કિલોમીટર એક પૈસાનો વધારો કરાયો છે. જ્યારે મેઇલ અને એક્સપ્રેસ ટ્રેનોના નોન-એસી વર્ગ તેમજ તમામ ટ્રેનોના એસી વર્ગમાં પ્રતિ કિલોમીટર બે પૈસાનો વધારો લાગુ રહેશે. આ વર્ષમાં રેલવે દ્વારા ભાડામાં કરવામાં આવેલો આ બીજો વધારો છે.…

Indian Railways allows passengers to carry personal luggage on trains, but there are limits on how much you can carry without paying extra. These rules are meant to ensure safety, comfort, and fair use of space for everyone travelling. Recently, authorities have emphasised that passengers must adhere to these rules and pay charges when their baggage exceeds the allowed limits. This article explains these luggage guidelines in straightforward language and also highlights some key challenges in enforcing them. Free luggage allowance: How much you can carry without extra charges When you board a train, you can carry a certain amount…

Before towering cathedrals, stained glass windows, and grand Christmas choirs, Christianity survived in silence and secrecy. Early believers gathered in homes, caves, and simple stone structures, often risking their lives. These early churches were not built to impress but to endure. Remarkably, several of them are still standing today, continuing centuries-old traditions of worship. This article explores ten of the world’s oldest churches still standing, spread across the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and India. Together, they tell the story of how Christianity took physical form long before it became a global religion. 1. Dura-Europos Church, Syria Dating back to around…

As Christmas approaches, cities across the world glow with lights, carols echo through historic streets, and churches become the heart of festive celebrations. Beyond their religious importance, many of these sacred spaces stand as extraordinary achievements of architecture, art, and human devotion. From Gothic cathedrals that took centuries to complete to modern masterpieces still under construction, these churches transform Christmas into an experience of awe and reflection. Sagrada Família – Barcelona, Spain Antoni Gaudí’s unfinished masterpiece is unlike any other church on Earth. Construction began in 1882, and even today it continues to evolve. The basilica’s towering spires dominate Barcelona’s…

मुंबई उपनगरीय रेल नेटवर्क की सबसे बड़ी चुनौतियों में से एक है कल्याण-ठाणे रेल मार्ग। यह मार्ग न केवल यात्रियों की संख्या के लिहाज़ से अत्यधिक व्यस्त है, बल्कि यहां हर दिन भीड़, देरी और प्लेटफॉर्म पर दबाव आम समस्या बन चुकी है। लाखों यात्रियों की रोज़मर्रा की आवाजाही इस एक सेक्शन पर निर्भर है, जिससे यह मार्ग लंबे समय से सुधार की मांग कर रहा था। अब रेलवे इस दबाव को कम करने के लिए एक बड़े और दूरगामी समाधान पर काम कर रहा है। रेलवे प्रशासन कल्याण-ठाणे सेक्शन पर नई अतिरिक्त रेल लाइनों के निर्माण की योजना पर…

साल 2026 में यात्रा का मतलब सिर्फ घूमना-फिरना नहीं रहेगा, बल्कि यह आत्म-खोज, मानसिक संतुलन और व्यक्तिगत स्वतंत्रता का माध्यम बनती नजर आएगी। आने वाले समय में पर्यटक तय समय-सारिणी और पारंपरिक पर्यटन से हटकर ऐसे अनुभवों की ओर बढ़ रहे हैं, जो उन्हें भावनात्मक रूप से जोड़ें, सुकून दें और रोज़मर्रा की जिंदगी से अलग एक नई पहचान गढ़ने का मौका दें। 2026 के प्रमुख ट्रैवल ट्रेंड्स में सबसे अलग है “क्रोनोकेशन्स” यानी समय से मुक्त यात्राएं। इसमें लोग घड़ी और तय शेड्यूल को पीछे छोड़कर अपने शरीर की प्राकृतिक लय के अनुसार छुट्टियां बिताना पसंद कर रहे हैं।…

भारत के युवा यात्रियों की पसंद में तेजी से बदलाव आ रहा है, और नए आंकड़ों के अनुसार थाईलैंड, सिंगापुर और जापान जेन–ज़ी ट्रैवलर्स के टॉप विदेशी डेस्टिनेशन बन गए हैं। आसान वीज़ा प्रक्रिया, सस्ती उड़ानें, बेहतर कनेक्टिविटी और डिजिटल-फ्रेंडली सुविधाएँ इन देशों को युवाओं के लिए और भी आकर्षक बना रही हैं। एक हालिया ट्रैवल सर्वे में सामने आया है कि भारतीय यात्रियों का एक बड़ा हिस्सा एशियाई देशों को ही अपनी अगली विदेश यात्रा के लिए चुन रहा है। कुल यात्रियों में लगभग आधे ने बताया कि वे अपनी अगली ट्रिप के लिए एशिया ही पसंद करेंगे, जबकि…

Turkish Airlines, known for flying to the highest number of countries worldwide, has further expanded its global network by launching direct services to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. The move aligns with the airline’s long-term strategy to strengthen its presence across key international markets. With Phnom Penh added to its map, Cambodia becomes the seventh Southeast Asian country served by the carrier, and the city becomes its eleventh destination in the region. The new route deepens commercial links between Türkiye and Cambodia and supports the economic momentum of Cambodia’s growing market. It also takes Turkish Airlines’ Far East reach…

So imagine this. You step onto a plane expecting a premium flight, and instead you walk into something that feels unreal. The entire first-class cabin is empty. Every suite is yours. No other passengers. No quiet competition for attention. No silent pressure to look composed. Just you. That is exactly what happened on a Singapore Airlines 777 flying from Jakarta to Singapore. And because the cabin had only one traveller, the experience turned into something far more interesting than a luxury seat. It became a rare look at how service transforms when ‘Ultrapersonalised Service on Empty First Class’ becomes a…