Best Adventure Holidays in India

Adventure travel in India is growing at a rapid pace. There are several destinations in every state offer different adventure sports activities in summer or/and winter. So, you can enjoy the thrill and excitement of adventure sports right in India. Whether you have just a weekend or a two-week leisure holiday to plan and enjoy, domestic travel destinations would not disappoint you. The natural beauty of Indian mountains, valleys, plateaus, beaches and rivers create burst of breathtaking experiences for adventurers and thrill seekers.

Winter sports:

Domestic travel destinations are not as well known as the international destinations as they have better awareness, infrastructure, training and support for the winter sports like ice skating, snowboarding and skiing. Yet, Himalayan charm of snow clad mountains is exhilarating for amateurs and professionals. Gulmarg and Ladakh are winter treks, skiing and snowboarding. The popularity of ice hockey and ice skating in Ladakh is rising with all the international attention coming its way.

Water sports:

White River Rafting is very popular in several states. Yet, the most popular destinations are Lidder River in Pahalgam, Ganges river in Rishikesh, Sind River in Ladakh, Brahmaputra River in Arunachal Pradesh and River Barapole in Karnataka. If you are into parasailing, paragliding, motorboat riding, snorkeling, canoeing and kayaking, then the most popular beaches are in Goa, Kerala and Maharashtra. But, the best scuba diving destination in India is Andaman Islands.

Land sports:

Though, there is zorbing, bungee jumping and mountain biking available India, most thrill seekers enjoy a trekking, rappelling, hiking and rock climbing. There are several group tour packages for trekking in Himalayas and Western Ghats. These mountains touch almost most all states in India, where trekking and rappelling is enjoyed as a great weekend activity. As a country blessed with forts, mountains and summits, India has several group tour packages for week long trekking excursions in Himalayas, camping in forests, wild life safaris in national parks and sand dune safaris in Rajasthan.

Though, sky diving is relatively popular, the heart of adventure in India is enjoying the natural beauty in spite of obvious lack of adventure infrastructure. Ice rinks in Shimla and Dehradun are not enough for all the true passion we have for ice skating. The homestays in North East Indian villages are not enough for true travellers seeking the simplicity and harmony of village life. But, the youth and adventure travel industry is getting better with each passing day. So, let’s make it happen.

Credence Independent Advisors: Will Interest Rate Rise? As Inflation Touches Five Months High

July 16, 2014 – The expectation of an increase in the interest rate, following the increase in inflation has also raised the pound to a record six year high against the US dollar at $1.7192.

Due to the warmer climate this year, the high street clothes retailers have delayed their sales promotions. This has resulted in a price increase between May and June, compared to the same period last year, where prices saw a decline. Food prices have also risen in the same period compared to the last year, where they saw a decline. Furniture and airfare prices also saw a comparatively higher increase than the last year. All these factors have led to inflation rates reaching a five month high in the month of June, well above forecasts; however, the inflation rise is still below the Bank of England’s 2% target and has been so for the last six months. At the same time, wage increases are expected to still lag behind inflation.

According to Chris Williamson, Chief Economist at data specialists Markit; the increase in inflation has further raised expectations that the Bank of England will raise the interest rates sooner rather than later. This has also pressurized the Bank of England to decide when to increase interest rates.

However, the economists remain divided as to when the increase in interest rate will come about. There is a speculation that there might be an increase in November or early 2015. However, investors are betting on an interest rate rise before the end of 2014. At the same time, markets have priced a rate increase from 0.5% by the end of the year. Markets becoming more confident that the Bank of England may raise interest rates before the end of the year, has led to the British Government’s bond prices tumbling following the rise in data and sterling.

Given the positive economic outlook of UK, Rob Wood, the chief UK economist at Berenberg, predicts a 60% chance that the Bank of England will begin increasing interest rates in November this year.

Important to note is that since last year, the consumer price index had been falling, which has helped the Bank of England to hold off on raising interest rates, despite UK’s strong economic recovery. However, now the stage is completely set for an increase in interest rates, as the UK economy along with an increase in inflation is growing strongly, there is also a boom in the housing market with house prices increasing and unemployment is also going down.

According to former Bank of England Policy maker, Andrew Sentence, this raise in inflation also points to the fact that the economy is strong enough to withstand a rise in interest rates. He further said that the rate rise should take place later this year rather than in 2015, because in 2015, MPC could be “tempted to postpone a rise beyond the general election, which would be too late”.

On the other hand, Mark Carney (Governor of the Bank of England) has rebuffed the Bank for International Settlements’ call to raise interest rates faster, commenting that the recommendation was “outside political and economic reality”. According to Carney, the timing of the first rise in interest rates would be “driven by data”. He further added: “The only guidance that the new Monetary Policy Committee is now giving is around the expected medium-term path of interest rates, not the timing of the first rate rise.”

According to Mark Carney, the biggest risk to the economic recovery is over-heating in the housing market. Particularly, the high levels of mortgage debt taken on by households. This is because when debt levels get too high, British people “economize” everything else in order to pay their mortgages. This leads to a major macroeconomic impact, if many people are highly indebted. Thus, leading the economy back in to recession.

Since the recent rise in inflation was due to retailers’ decision of postponing sales, according to Samuel Tombs of Capital Economics, the inflation will ease again by the end of this year, which shall remove the pressure to raise interest rates immediately.

Luxury Rhine River Cruise: A Romantic glimpse of the Roman Empire

For the river cruise enthusiasts, the thought of cruising through the serene blue waters of the legendary Rhine Rivergives great pleasure. Walking around the green plains, exploring the breath-taking landscapes and viewing the splendid mountain slopes are all great experiences while sailing on a Rhine river cruise. One of the most important and longest rivers of Europe, the Rhineoriginates from the Swiss Alps and empties in to the North Sea coast of the Netherlands and flows through six countries with a stretch of 766 miles.
The Rhine River Snap Shot
The rich ancient culture and history of Europe that the Rhine River takes you through is spell binding. The Rhine and the Danube are the silent testimonies of the Great Roman Empire. On a Rhine river cruise you can get a splendid view of the steeples, towers, churches, cathedrals, and castles on every street corner. Amazing buildings, both ancient and new, can be seen while you are cruising through the river. The tour takes you through the beautiful city of Zurich. It also passes through some other beautiful cities like Basel, Cologne, Dusseldorf, and covers some incredible places like the Black Forest of Germany &the French city of Strasbourg .The Rhine River is extremely important from a business aspect as it is a major route to transport raw materials and goods.
One of the most significant parts of the Rhine River is the Rhine gorge that falls between the German city of Bonn and Bingen. The gorge is quite deep and is classed as a world heritage site and is also called the ‘romantic Rhine’. There are many castles, historic fortifications and vineyards surrounding the gorge.
A river cruise through Rhine will allow you to view scenic beauty and to visit the rich history of Europe.
July and August are the time when normally people travel, although it can be a little hot. May and September are desirable.During the month of December; however, they have special cruises for the Christmas markets. The Rhine river cruise is usually a 14 – night cruise which starts from Basel and terminates at Amsterdam. Besides the 14-night cruise, many tour operators also offer some short duration cruise plans, spanning 4 to 5 days. The highlights of the cruise are:
• Historic towns and vineyards on the Rhine banks that can be explored in summer
• Enjoy the fabulous fireworks in the Rhine valley to celebrate the annual wine harvest
• During Christmas you can try some local delicious delicacies as well as enjoy the Christmas markets
• Be enthralled by historic castles at every turn of the river
• Stunning views, beautiful landscapes and a fabulous ambience in the wine and beer taverns
Some of the important tour operators who offer river cruise through the Rhine-Danube stretch include APT River Cruises, AMA Waterway, Viking River cruise, Avalon Waterways and Uniworld.