At the World Travel Market 2016 in London, the leading event for the global travel industry, euronews spoke to Priyank Kharge, Minister of State IT, BT, and Tourism Karnataka (India), about an outstanding tourist offer his Indian state has to offer: the “Golden Chariot” train.

One of the best-curated tours of Karnataka is the “Golden Chariot”, which is a luxury train. It travels right through the heritage of Karnataka, which is a two thousand years old heritage and then it passes on to Goa. You get a rich tour of history and then one of the best beaches. And the other track goes through the temple town of Tamil Nadu and then comes back to Karnataka. So we not only promote Karnataka but also other states of India through the “Golden Chariot”. So these are the most well curated train tours.

Source:http://www.euronews.com/

If destination weddings are too passe for you, and you have Rs 5.5 crore to spare, get ready for a `travel-to-a-destination' wedding aboard the Maharajas' Express.

Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation is planning to start a Wedding on Wheels package, a week-long extravaganza aboard the luxury train, which will merge both wedding festivities with the experience of traversing through Incredible India. 

Aimed at the uber rich, who want to give their guests a unique taste of India along with all the glitz and glamour of a desi wedding, an officer from IRCTC said, "There will be the best of everything, managed by experts to make it one of the most memorable events for the bride, groom and their families. We are finalising the finer details and will launch these packages on demand.We are hoping it's a huge success." Of course, this weddingcum-tour package comes at a jaw-dropping price. Booking the entire train for 88 passengers for a luxury eight-day wedding package will cost approximately Rs 5.5 crore for the Heritage of India tour, which travels from Mumbai to Delhi through Ajanta, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Jaipur, Ranthambore and Agra. There are other locations covered in other packages like the Indian Panorama tour that starts and ends in the Capital, taking passengers through Jaipur, Agra, Gwalior, Khajuraho, Varanasi and Lucknow.

The train has 24 coaches fitted with 43 guest cabins - 20 deluxe, 18 junior suites, four suites and one presiden tial suite. The general fare per person for the eight-day Heritage of India tour starts at $6,840 (approx Rs 4.5 lakh) and goes up to $23,700 (Rs 15.8 lakh) for the presidential suite.

Apart from hosting weddings, IRCTC is also planning to rope in corporates and Bollywood to make their plan a success. "We are open to the idea of not only hosting grand weddings but also top-of-theline corporate events, movie shoots, fashion events, etc in one of the most luxurious trains of the country," said Pinakin Morawala, spokesperson of IRCTC, west zone.

Sky's the limit in glass-top coaches

Come December, passengers can stare into the skies in the new glass-ceiling coaches being introduced by IRCTC.

These coaches have been jointly designed by IRCTC, Research, Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO), and Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Perambur.

Three such coaches, each costing Rs 4 crore, will roll out from ICF in December this year. The first coach will be tagged in a regular train in the Kashmir Valley while the other two will be part of a train travelling through the picturesque Araku Valley on the SouthEastern Railway, said A K Manocha, chairman and managing director of IRCTC. Which specific trains will have these special coaches has not been decided yet.

The main aim objective behind this project is to promote tourism and woo upscale tourists from both India and abroad, said Manocha, adding, "We believe such coaches would also give a fillip to rail tourism in India." 

Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/

Among the many luxurious trains in the world, Deccan Odyssey stands out owing to its quality of service.

The legacy of princely sojourns across the wilderness, mountains and deserts of India is continued by the Deccan Odyssey.

Its captivating journeys beautifully cover the exotic landscapes of India.

An experience, in transit, that is hard to forget!

The Deccan Odyssey has 6 meticulously designed journeys to offer to its guests that traverses through the diverse landscape of India- lush landscapes, valleys, bustling cities and wide farm fields.

Take a sneak peak into the luxurious train...

Arrival

Upon arrival at each station, every guest is welcomed with the demonstration of the local art and tradition either through the form of lively dance or song.

These demonstrations are presented by the local talent who are dressed in ethnic attire with bands playing traditional music.

Deluxe Cabin

Echoing the penchant of the erstwhile royals, the Deluxe coaches of Deccan Odyssey are outfitted with cozy furniture and personalized guest amenities.

Presidential Suite

The train oozes sophistication with exquisite decor and all modern comforts - en suite facilities with hot and cold water on demand, Wi-Fi, cell phones with all emergency numbers fed in, television for entertainment purposes with famous classic, thoughtful and modern movies.

Royal Restaurant

One of the two gourmet restaurants, Waavar has been designed to keep the element of Indian royalty intact.

The chefs create local specialties of the very state that the train travels through.

The brilliantly decorated interiors of the second restaurant add on more flavours to each gourmet, a large selection of Indian, oriental and continental delicacies.

Conference Room and Dance Floor

The well-equipped conference room fitted with all one might need for meetings and discussions or simply lounge around.

It can be converted into a dance floor at night.

Gym

The luxury train also boasts of a small gym designed for the guests who do not want to miss out on their fitness sessions during the week long journey

The in-house salon, Ayush, boasts of well-trained masseurs who incorporate ancient Indian techniques to help you relax your body and rejuvenate your mind.

Route

Each sojourn has been planned well to include some of the most exotic locations of western India.

The train travels time through its path covering UNESCO world heritage sites, thrilling wildlife, bustling bazaars and the wondrous caves.

Source:http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/slideshows/infrastructure/ride-in-the-lap-of-luxury-with-the-deccan-odyssey/slideshow/54625019.cms

The stations in Rajasthan now are a place to be. Moving away from the dull, drab, pan-stained walls the stations are transformed into art hubs.

The Sawai Madhopur railway station that pioneered this entire trend has now bagged the National Tourism Award for the "Best Tourism Friendly Station" for 2014-15 by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan. Sawai Madhopur that had become a reflection of Ranthambhore's diverse wildlife has become a living art museum of wildlife with its junglescape. The artwork from the Ranthambhore School of Art was led by two master painters, Gajanand Singh and Narayan Singh, who were the original members of the school. Over 5,000 feet of the station's walls are painted with the flora and fauna that the reserve hosts of from tigers to darters, tree-pies, hyenas, bears, leopards and of course the Banyan tree.

Besides, 'Best heritage hotel awards' in three different categories were given to Fateh Prakash Palace in Udaipur, Coconut Lagoon at Kumarakom in Kottayam and Gajner Palace in Bikaner.

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Railway buffs may soon get the opportunity to unwind and enjoy their meals in thematic vintage hotels the public sector behemoth has proposed to construct on original coaches of the ‘Palace on Wheels‘.

According to the proposal by the heritage wing of the railways, the vintage hotels-cum-restaurants would be built in the coaches of the train set amid the ambience of an old station to serve the dual aim of preserving the transporter’s heritage and harnessing its potential to earn revenue.

“We have sent the vintage hotel proposal to the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) for consideration. Each vintage hotel will have two to three coaches and would cost an estimated Rs 16 crore,” a senior Railway Ministry official said.

Currently the National Rail Museum houses seven of the original nine Palace on Wheels coaches that remind one of the luxury in which the Maharajas of the yore travelled.

These coaches can be refurbished and transformed into vintage hotel-cum-restaurants and placed at suitable locations, the official said. The locations could be a prominent in-bound tourist destination or a place easily accessible by road from a prominent destination point.

The plan envisages such hotels near Rewari Steam Care Centre, which attracts steam locomotive buffs. Such a hotel can also be built away from the hustle and bustle of city life like the Brar Square Station near the Delhi cantonment. Cities like Jaipur with great cultural heritage also could be ideal for such hotels, the official said.

Such vintage hotels can become a favourite getaway for the domestic tourist, he said.

Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com