Mar 5th, 2009 at 9:00AM: Built in 1648 by Shah Jahan as a monument to his third wife, who died giving birth to their 14th child, the Taj Mahal still stands as one of the greatest man made structures anywhere in the world. Attracting upwards of 4 million visitors per year, the Taj is India's top tourist spot, with many foreigners now being inspired to make the journey thanks to the success of Slumdog Millionaire. Recently ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
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Touring the Taj
Mar 5th, 2009 at 9:00AM: Built in 1648 by Shah Jahan as a monument to his third wife, who died giving birth to their 14th child, the Taj Mahal still stands as one of the greatest man made structures anywhere in the world. Attracting upwards of 4 million visitors per year, the Taj is India's top tourist spot, with many foreigners now being inspired to make the journey thanks to the success of Slumdog Millionaire. Recently ...Heathrow annoying, Americans rude according to some social network
Feb 22nd, 2009 at 5:00PM: The members of social network Where Are you Now? have spoken! Heathrow is the worst airport in the world, according to voters, thanks to passport control lines and baggage problems. The Brits don't get all the glory, though. JFK in New York and Los Angeles picked up spots #2 and #3, respectively. The good news, for Heathrow and JFK, at least, is that both were at the top of the list for security. ...Slumdog Millionaire: Not too crazy about it
Feb 21st, 2009 at 9:30AM: Spoiler alert. Oscar season is here. I've seen all the movies in the major categories and some. At the risk of sounding crabby and uncool--not with it, I wasn't enamored with Slumdog Millionaire. Yes, yes, yes, I know the movie is considered mighty fine, and a shoo in to bring home Oscar on Sunday, but at times when asked what I thought about it, I've declared, "I hated it."
That's not true. I ...Where To Go To Truly Get Away From It All
Feb 16th, 2009 at 10:00AM: Everyone has different reasons for why they like to travel, and their destinations of choice vary just as much. Some love to visit noisy, bustling foreign cities, others prefer the quiet tranquility of a secluded beach. Then of course, there are the travelers who truly like to get away from it all. They prefer to visit remote wilderness places, far off the beaten path, with few, if any, amenities. ...United Airlines bringing 165 call center jobs back home
Feb 11th, 2009 at 10:00AM: Here is a bit of feel good news from the travel world - hidden between all the bad news was an announcement from United Airlines that they were going to move 165 call center positions from their International Call Center back to the USA. The new jobs will be added to their existing centers in Chicago and Honolulu. This news is great for several reasons - it creates new (and badly needed) jobs ...IBM to laid-off employees: "Want to work in India?"
Feb 5th, 2009 at 10:30AM: With the national unemployment rate now over 7%, many out-of-work Americans are wondering how they're ever going to find another job in this sagging economy. But for some of the 4,000 workers who were recently laid off from IBM, their former employer is offering to hire them back-- with one small catch. They have to promise to move to India.
IBM is launching an initiative called Project Match ...Your guide to luxury rail travel
Jan 30th, 2009 at 3:00PM: Trade a plane for a train, and experience genuine luxury. Hitting the rails in style has been gaining steam around the world, according to the Wall Street Journal, in Asia, Europe, Russia and Africa. In a sense, this is becoming the new "cruise," without the worry of being pinned on a boat by that insurance salesman who's intent on saving your financial life. Many of the luxury train excursions ...Royal Rajasthan on Wheels
Jan 23rd, 2009 at 1:00PM: Back in 2007, Willy wrote about the luxurious Rajasthan Palace on Wheels, which takes passengers on a 7 day tour of India on an upscale train. Another Indian tour company took that concept, added far more luxury, and named it Royal Rajasthan on Wheels". You really have to see the photo gallery to get a feeling of the experience offered on this train, it makes the famous Orient Express look like ...Expect to wait, but not in Japan or Korea
Jan 19th, 2009 at 3:00PM: The worst airport delays in the world, of course, are those that affect you. If I'm stranded at LaGuardia's Marine Air terminal for a short hop to Boston, I really don't care what's going on over at JFK, O'Hare or anywhere else. However, some airports are more likely to inspire your anger than others, so it's a pretty good idea to know which are the worst. If you are headed to India or Europe, it ...Indian pilot forgets to load enough fuel for his flight
Jan 7th, 2009 at 4:30PM: Let me open by saying that the details of the incident I'm about to write about are sketchy at best. The report comes from an Indian news site, and appears to be translated quite poorly, it's still interesting enough to write about, but I highly recommend reading the source article for a real chuckle. Apparently, the captain of Kingfisher flight IT335 was preparing for his Mumbai to Delhi flight, ...Air India fires 10 employees for being fat
Jan 6th, 2009 at 5:05PM: State-run Air India gave 10 air hostesses the boot last week for being "exceptionally overweight." According to Reuters, a medical board in India had declared them "unfit for duty," and they had been grounded for two to three years each. Air India finally decided to cut them off -- and while several of the air hostesses apparently approached the New Delhi High Court about challenging the firings, ...The State of American Tourism: Thailand, India, and Cuba
Nov 27th, 2008 at 5:00PM: The internet is abuzz with news from abroad right now. Thailand's Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok remains closed; India is reeling from a devastating terrorist attack aimed at British and American tourists in Mumbai; Raúl Castro is open to ending Cuba's 40-year feud with Washington, thereby allowing Americans to travel there more "freely." The last thing most Americans want to ...Photo of the Day (11.21.08)
Nov 21st, 2008 at 2:00PM:
This surreal shot from flickr user arunchs was taken at Tsomoriri Lake in Ladakh, India. I love the rich, earthy colors and the sense of otherworldliness this photo brings to mind. Take a look at the Google Images of this lake, and it really looks like it's hard to take a bad photograph there.
Got a pic you want considered for Gadling's Photo of the Day? Submit it here. ...What the financial meltdown means for the future of globalization
Nov 20th, 2008 at 10:00PM: There's been a lot of chatter recently over what the global financial crisis and impending recession means for the future of globalization. You see, critics have latched onto the recent failures of markets as the perfect argument for why we need to curb international economic integration. Although many economists strongly argued for the impending dominance of emerging economies, I think the ...Mumbai's Party Scene Takes a Hit
Nov 20th, 2008 at 1:00PM: Mumbai's rave scene has grown exponentially over the past few years. The influx of new money and the city's urban flare make it a ripe place for a party. But don't be confused, it ain't Goa. The plentiful drugs and thumping bass of the former Portuguese colony and hippy hangout will never be duplicated in India's largest city. That is, as long as the authorities have something to say about it. ...Naive Travelers Pay $200 for Snack in India
Nov 17th, 2008 at 11:30AM: It's one of those tricks you learn in "How to Rip off Travelers 101": act friendly, provide food or a service and then reveal that you are charging an exorbitant price. The traveler is at a disadvantage because they have already used the service or eaten the food. In general, they will pay all, or at least a major portion, of the price you are asking. This is what happened to a Dutch couple ...Cathay Pacific Freezes Recruiting Because of Low Demand
Nov 11th, 2008 at 12:00PM: Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific has always been one of the world's top airlines. But the ever-lower demand for air travel has touched them as it has every other airline. An article in an internal publication distributed to Cathay's employees two weeks ago announced that there will be a company-wide recruiting freeze. No layoffs yet, but the hiring stoppage will include Cathay's subsidiary, ..."Fertility Clinic Tourism" on the Rise in India
Oct 24th, 2008 at 12:00PM: Relaxed regulations and cheap costs have made India a hotbed for in vitro fertilization (IVF). Couples looking to conceive through artificial means are coming from all over the globe to take advantage of these fertility services. The Indian Society for Assisted Reproduction (ISAR) claims that there are nearly 400 fertility clinics in the country. These were visited by 30,000 patients in the past ...Airline Celebrates 5th Anniversary with Free Flights for All
Oct 22nd, 2008 at 1:00PM: United Arab Emirates-based Air Arabia will be celebrating its 5th birthday with a special treat for its customers. Everyone flying on the Persian Gulf's original low-cost carrier on October 28th will fly for free. Passengers are still expected to pay any applicable airport taxes and fees. The free flights are for one day only and only include one-way service. Before you get excited, you should ...Vahrehvah.com: A superb resource for Indian cooking
Oct 16th, 2008 at 12:00PM: Finding this Indian cooking website has changed my world. I can cook basic Indian food, thanks to my mum, but when it comes to anything a little complicated, I get a lazy -- especially because (from experience) -- after a hours of work, the end result has not been worth the effort. I would also blame the disaster dish on me living in Spain: "All the spices are not available and what are available ...
