Magellan Travel Services Pvt Ltd

12/01/2016

Only a Professional can give you that edge which would change your Holiday from just good to extraordinary. Our 18 years of finely earned experience will surely help in making that difference. Stay with us when we take you to some exotic locations of the world in 2016

07/01/2016

15/12/2015

The time tested holiday destinations, which satisfies every member of the family. It is wonderful the way in which the City State reinvents itself offering a different attraction ever so often. A shopper’s paradise, Singapore exudes in its confidence as the Numero Uno City of Asia. Kuala Lumpur is a perfect mixture of the new and the old. The River Gombak and the River Klang criss cross through Kuala Lumpur before emptying into the sea at Malacca. Malacca is home to the adventurous A’Fomosa theme parks. A trip to the Batu Caves where the magnificent statue of Lord Muruga humbles you, could be included for the pious among us.

30/11/2015

This would be an exotic experience of Sun, Sand and Water. It will be hard to choose between the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea. The azureness of the waters is sure to bring forth the aquaphile in anyone. The three destinations of Phuket, Krabi and Koi Samui vie with each other for the numero uno spot. End the holiday in the city that never sleeps, Bangkok, and bag in all the goodies for which the city is famous. A definite must on any shopaholics list

25/11/2015

This tour offers a perfect mixed bag and comes through centuries with utmost ease. We start with Shirdi, a place that needs no introduction. A three hour road journey from Pune takes us to this holy town revered as the home to Sai Baba the Saint of the 20th Century. A two hours ride takes us to Aurangabad made famous by Emperor Aurangazeb the last of the famous Mughals. This 17th Century City preserves relics and buildings from that era and is home to Bibi Ka Maqbara and Aurangazeb’s Mausoleum. Aurangabad has the privilege of being the gateway to the magnificent and mind boggling caves of Ellora and Ajanta. The Kailashnath Temple at Ellora is a standing example of the superior and meticulous craftsmanship of that bygone era. India is truly Incredible!!!

24/11/2015

A Dream Come True
The first question our friend had for the local guide on arriving at Beijing was to know whether we would be seeing the Tiananmen Square on the very same day. Well Tiananmen Square was on our itinerary and it was scheduled for the third day of our short stay at Beijing. I could understand his anxiety as I felt the same way but did not want to repeat the question. What is it about this particular square that peaks our curiosity? We have visited so many beautiful squares all over the world and have never felt this kind of urgency. Some of the squares are more beautiful and some others are sacred. I would call the Grand Place right in the heart of Brussels as one of the most beautiful squares and following this would be St. Marks square in Venice. As for the most sacred square none would be more than the St. Peter’s Square in Vatican. With all the Saints looking down on you and the massive St. Peter’s Basilica in front of you, you had to feel pious and only the thought of the Almighty would come to your mind. Times Square being in the heart of New York is a place to be in when events unraveled the world over or may be in the US. Tiananmen Square did not fit into any of these groups. Sure it is the largest square in the world and from pictures we have gathered that it has the Forbidden City on one side and the Great Hall of the People on the other. Then there is the mausoleum to Chairman Mao Zedong situated on the third side. Although all these great structures could be a reason for the square’s greatness, I think the main reason could only be the fact that it lay behind the “Bamboo Curtain” and hence was inaccessible to the outsider. Had China been an open country like those in the western world, Tiananmen Square would have only received a mention in the passing.

During the drive from the airport to the hotel, we passed by the fringes of the great square and the guide remembering our enthusiasm did not fail to point it out to us. Again the next day during the course of our sightseeing, we did get to drive through the vicinity of the square and again our guide Lilly, made sure that she mentioned its presence. On the second day evening, she made sure to tell us to wear comfortable shoes for our visit to the Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. She said that both these places involved a lot of walking and hence our feet had to be pampered. We set out from the hotel at 8.30 a.m and our first visit was to the Tiananmen square and the Forbidden City. We were dropped off at a point not very close to the square and from then on it was only walking and more walking. On reaching the square we had to go through a metal detector and as we entered I was amazed to see thousands of people on the square under the scotching sun. The crowd consisted of almost 90% Chinese and the rest were made up of tourists like us. From this I realized the Square was a place deeply embedded in the minds of the local people and in more ways than one it was sacred to them. It had to be because in the 20th century, one of the most important events that were to change their lives happened right on the square. It was from the balcony of the Forbidden City, facing the Square that Chairman Mao Zedong declared The People’s Republic of China as a communist nation in the year 1949. This declaration and what followed brought about a turmoil in the lives of many and although most of have got over it, there are still a few who were at the receiving end and have more than a tale of woe to relate.

It goes without saying that the square really impresses one with its size. It seems to extend on all sides as far as the eye can see and that is but natural as it covers over 100 acres. The huge portrait of Chairman Mao seems to overlook and protect the square as it cannot be missed from any angle. The portrait seemed to draw the crowd towards it as everyone there was keen on taking a picture with the portrait as a back drop. Me being a photo buff made sure I had pictures of myself taken at all the designated spots. There were groups of soldiers going about their morning duty and I even got to take a picture with them. I had hoped to see seasoned army personnel who meant only business to be stationed at the square but was surprised to see young boys who were just adolescents. This was a bit of disappointed as far as I was concerned. To me the People’s Army was an invincible power and to think that these green horns also formed a part of it left me a bit low. Here I was all dressed in red as I thought that colour stood for anything China only to find that the army was in shades of green. Thus the army betrayed my thinking in more ways than one. On hindsight I self affirmed that the veterans must be busy guarding the huge borders that China has with innumerable countries including ours.

With the walk on the square coming to an end, we approached the Forbidden City. The name is very suggestive. Yes it was forbidden to the common man as it was a palace built in 1420 by an emperor of the Ming Dynasty. The Forbidden City is a huge complex comprising of 980 buildings with 8707 rooms. It encompasses an area of 720,000 square metres. The Forbidden City was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987,[2] and is listed by UNESCO as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world. The pavilions and the courtyards were out of this world and the architecture was in perfect harmony with the surroundings. The craftsmen ship was wonderful and worthy of more than a mention. The magnitude and concept of the whole city was mind boggling. To think that people could think so big and also get to put it down to ex*****on was very very inspiring. In my mind these ancient emperors became heroes and not just historical figures. The great expanse which we had walked started taking its toll on our feet and all that we wanted was to rest. Since cool drinks and ice creams were available in plenty all of us treated ourselves to an ice lolly and in the shade of one of the pavilions enjoyed it as if it was the nectar from the Gods. It was while I was finishing my ice stick that I came across a site that had missed me in the 10 days I was in the People’s Republic of China. I saw a woman in her final trimester of pregnancy. It seemed such a rare sight. With the strict one child per family policy, people just did not dare to go ahead with a second pregnancy and from our guide I gathered that there was zero growth in many of the big cities. With the cost of living including education and health being on par with the western world, people were thinking well before starting a family. I deemed it ominous that in the Palace of the Emperors who had dozens of wives and more dozens of children, I saw a pregnant woman. I took a picture of her as I could only think of it as the rarest of sights. Thus the visit to the Forbidden City was fulfilling in more ways than one. The moment we walked out of the last thresh hold, we felt that we could not keep another foot forward, but that was not how it was, because we had to walk another half a kilometer before our car came to pick us up. Of one thing I became clear, and that is the secret behind the longevity and good health that the Chinese enjoy. To me this could only be possible because of the distances they walk and cover on a daily basis and the second the food including their special cabbage and green tea which they consume in large quantities.
The opening of the Forbidden City to the common man is of course the result of communism; however this communism has developed another Forbidden City which is taboo to the very same man on the street. The locals call the compound were the top brass of the Communist Party live in the heart of Beijing as the Forbidden City and like in the days of yore; millions can only view its high walls from the streets.
China seemed an enigma in so many ways. Yes I was aware of it ancient civilization and all the discoveries that went with it. But somehow I had belittled what is due them as a result of the negative impact of the communist revolution and I am thankful that this trip made me open my eyes. I came back seeing the positive impact of Capitalism on a country that swore by Communism. Both the Cs seemed in my naïve eyes to live in perfect harmony.
Usha Kumar

12/11/2015

THE FLY ON THE WALL

It goes without saying that I am a history buff. My trip to any place remains incomplete, if I have not seen sights that pertain to its history. This being the case, most of my holidays are planned to include places of historical importance. Of all the places I have visited, the one that has made me gawk and look up in awe is definitely Rome – The Eternal City. Almost every building had a story to tell and most of them have stood the test of time. The Roman Forum, Coliseum, Pantheon and of course the Vatican, were mind boggling. As for the catacombs which have been in existence for more than two thousand years, the feel was one of being spell bound. It was during that trip that I first felt as to how nice it would be if I could go back in time. Rome made me want to go back in time by two thousand years whereas each time I read the history of the city of my birth; it brings in me the urge to go back by a few hundred years. Chennai or Madras is a city founded by the British in the year 1639. Prior to the arrival of the British, Madras was a group of villages which were ruled by the kings of the Vijayanagar Kingdoms. I have never passed Fort St. George and the stretch of beach in front of it, without wondering as to how it must have been on August 22nd 1639 when Francis Day landed at that spot. The Luz Church which has been in existence from the year 1516 is another monument that always excites me. I have read and re read the tombstones which date back to that time frame. I have wondered as to how it must have been to those Portuguese sailors who landed at Mylapore on a stormy night and who were led by a divine light to the spot and where they deemed it fit to build a church. The latest in a long list of instances when I wanted to ride the time machine was on a holiday to the south of Tamilnadu namely Tranquebar or Tharangambadi in local lingo.
The name Tranquebar does have in it a sense of tranquility. Definitely the name must have been derived from the local name Tharangambadi which means the “singing waves”. It must be these singing waves that would have lured the Danes to lay anchor there. Tranquebar situated on the East Coast of India about 300kms south of Chennai was a Danish Settlement from the year 1620-1845. It was one among the half a dozen Danish settlements in India but it was also the most prominent. When India was the treasure trove and all the nations were plundering it, the Danes did not want to be left behind and thus Captain Ove Gjedde along with his men set foot on our soil at this very place. The King of Thanjavur was magnanimous and thus handed over the land for the settlement. The Captain set out on the first task which was to build a fort and thus Fort Dansborg was built as the Governor’s residence. The fort still stands good and can be seen from far. In fact the yellow colour of the fort shines like a golden structure on a bright sunny day and cannot be missed. Being away from the British and the French colonies on the East Coast, the Danes were not involved in the bickering that always took place between the English and the French. Tharangambadi has the distinction of being the centre for the Lutheran Movement in India. The first Protestant missionaries to set foot in India were two Lutherans from Germany, Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg and Heinrich Pluetschau, who began work in 1705 in this settlement. They translated the Bible into the local Tamil language, and afterwards into Hindustani. Tranquebar also has the distinction of having one of the earliest printing presses in India. It was from here that the Bibles were printed and sent to the rest of the country. Thus this miniscule place on the map of the country has played a very significant role in its history.
Most of this I had read prior to my visit to Tranquebar. I was keen to remember as to when I first heard about Tranquebar and realized that it was in the early 80’s when we had bought the plot of land to build our present house. Two houses down the road was a Boys’ Home and this was run by the Danish Lutheran Mission. I was curious to see the name Danish and on reading the board, I came to know that the mission was head quartered in Tranquebar. This came as a real revelation for me. The only colony to my knowledge which the Danes possessed was Greenland. I had not known of them as sea farers who came as far as the East Coast of India to colonize. The information was immediately stored in my grey matter. Recently, I met a gentleman who works for the Lutheran Church and is in India to oversee the fund distribution to their various projects. He told me in detail the importance of Tranquebar as far as the Lutheran church went. He also mentioned that most of the help provided by the mission was for work in and around Tranquebar. This information helped to resurface the little I knew about the place and thus when an opportunity came my way, I decided to include Tranquebar as part of the trip.
Tharangambadi cannot boast of a European design or architecture. It is a small town with a reasonably broad road which is flanked by buildings most of which are churches or other religious buildings. Some of the old buildings that have survived have an imprint of the colonial era. The main attraction is the fort. It is considerably smaller than the various other forts that I have come across. However it is very well preserved and is definitely a beauty. Sitting on its rampart and looking at the sea would turn anyone into a litterateur. I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed the walk of the fort and of the storehouses on the ground floor. The fort also houses a small museum which showcased coins and other articles of that period. We had our lunch at the restaurant called Bungalow on the Beach, which I learnt was the living quarters of the British Governor. In 1845 after the Napoleanic War in Europe, the Danes sold all their holdings in India to the British and thus from 1845 – 1947, the place was ruled by the British. The Bungalow has been tastefully restored to its old glory. The Danish governor’s Bungalow which is older is being renovated now.
I enjoyed the couple of hours I spent there and I relished the exotic sea food that I had for lunch. However I had a hundred questions which I wanted answered. First and foremost I was keen to know as to why the Danes did not expand their territorial hold. Since they had a lead over the British in terms of their arrival to India, why did they not utilize this advantage? Were they keen on respecting the agreement with the local rulers? Were their intentions only to get a foothold in the country for purposes of trade or was there a religious connotation to it? At that moment, I really wished I could go back in time and thus get the answers to all my queries. Oh how I wish I could have in these insta least been the FLY ON THE WALL.
USHA KUMAR