GUJARAT, the land of rich Culture and Heritage! The mystic experience as it unfolds its magic in abundance. With the largest Coastline in the Country, Gujarat has much to offer to its people. Tourists flock in to explore its unique development, join in the festive seasons, enjoy the originalities of the performing genius of the folk art, music and dances. The land of Gandhi & Morarji, a place where the roots of the nation were deep rooted to make it a democratic nation. Gujarat, the land with thriving cities, progressing Industries, a land of free was formed on May 1, 1960 with it’s capital Ahmadabad, later shifted to Gandhinagar. Ranked next to Maharashtra, Gujarat has Entrepreneurship skills of gujaratis which has given birth to big companies like Reliance, Arvind, etc. As Free souls explores the Glorious Gujarat, experience the towns and cities, fairs and festivals, places of pilgrimage, cottage Industries and so on.

Wild Life Sanctuaries: Sasan Gir, the abode the Lion, the only place in world except Africa. Animals like Deer, Cheetah, antelopes, etc. are also seen here. Nal Sarova is a bird sanctuary where the birds from across the seas take recluse during bitter winters. Birds flock here around November to February. The wild Ass Sactuary in Kachchh have made thousands of animals their homes free to roam without fear of extinction.

Honourable Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel's Message on

1st May - Gujarat Day

click here

FAIRS

click here

Travel & Thrills

RIDE THE WIND – PARA PASSION

Wanna have some fun? Exploration, excitement and Adventure this summer? Zoom off to freaky places to Goa or Manali to soar like an eagle up in the skies or just plunge into waters for river rafting. Recreating the adventure spirit is the most exciting time off from busy schedules. Boarding an airplane and feeling the heights is no adventure but zooming off where eagles dare and make flying an obsession Para gliding is no way, a silken rainbow to become a bird with of course, you behind the scene. Paragliding is a recreational sport, spread like wildfire all through the world. Paragliding is a self manned free flight where you are harnessed on to a parachute kind of a thing. Its not a parachute but a glider that helps you to stay in the air, riding the wind or to be more accurate, thermal. Its just a spaces around, 360 degrees view, no runway, crew or a plane. All needed is a glider, a harness, a slope, a strong thermal and you are on.

There are other ways like Parasailing and hang gliding. Parasailing is where the parasail is attached to a jeep by a rope and jeep pulls you along. Slower the speed of the jeep, slow swaying up in the air and a bit faster the speed, you are floating in the skies with thrill panics in the air with vision of space, skies, tree tops and horizons especially if you are the Goa Beach ‘Splash’ Adventures. When the jeep stops, you are down touching the sands! Parasailing is fun floating in air in the middle of the sea and down splashing the waters to rise up again, totally navigated by a boat!

Hang gliding is much faster than paragliding. Positioned like a bird, the speed is faster. The hang glider is heavy which weights around 55 kgs and takes two hours to assemble which means, its tedious sport. Its risky too as taking off and landing has to be accurate.

Paragliding is a just thrilling, a piece of cake to enjoy. One needs to go to the location like Manali, Solan valley and see if the wind is right, assemble the paraglider which takes few minutes before the leap from a high slope. A good paraglider can circle upward in a rising column of warm air called thermal, for several thousands of feet to cloud base, powered by the natural forces of wind and sun. If you want to train yourself, it’s a week long instruction course with brief orientation and basic practical training. Learning is intensive, leaping edge, trailing edge, the cells, cross pores inside, how the line is attached and how to take off the slopes and acquire the skills to balance it. You can learn how a glider flies, why it turns and twists and finally how it comes down. After a ground orientation, the basic practicals begin with junior slopes 30-40 feet and take off for the first eagle soaring flight later to 70-80 feet. Joyrides are fun paragliding your way to the freaky hill stations like Manali where the instructors help you and you got to run the slope like they say and soon zoom off with him to the skies as he takes control and navigates while you can have the time of your life.

Internationally, Paragliding is a big sport and thousands of schools flourished with lots of feedback on the Internet too.France, Australia and New Zealand followed by Japan and US are coming up in thrilling line to this sport. The Himalayan Institute of Adventure Sports, Manali run by Roshan Lal Thakur offers various courses with basics, Intermediates and Advance. The best season would be April to mid June and September to November. Free souls dips into memories of Adventure thrills to soar like an eagle in the skies ‘Paragliding joy ride’ at Manali & Parasailing sea beach Goa – Don’t you think Life is an Adventure? Feel the thrill, feel the spirits, soar high and keep the balance to survive lest you don’t fall down.

THE ROYAL ORIENT - GUJARAT'S PRESTIGIOUS TRAIN

As you surf down the Internet, you come across http://www.gujarattourism.com   to experience the thrills of travelling, trailing you to the mystic land of Gujarat, its rich culture and heritage with the traditional flavours blend with a unique experience of really travelling through your own land which is within your reach and yet, you have not explored! (for those who live in Gujarat) Probably because one do not know the real treasure Gujarat has to offer or as it says "Ghar ki murghi dal barabar" or maybe, one cannot afford it! Well, we take you for a free ticket ride on board the oriental tour of the State's most Luxurious Train "ROYAL ORIENT" - a unique train that is the pride of a joint venture of Gujarat Tourism and Indian Railways. It offers a delightful experience journeying through the two States of Rajasthan and Gujarat. It trips you down the memory lane transporting you to palaces and forts with the legends of heroism and Chivalry of Chittorgarh, city of lakes to Udaipur, the Ashokan triumphs of Junagadh, rituals of Somnath, beaches of Mandvi, steep climbing experience and grandeur of Palitana temples and so on. It promises seven memorable days and nights starting from Delhi to Chittorgarh, Udaipur, Junagadh, Veraval, Sasan Gir, Delwada, Palitana, Sarkhej, Ahmedabad, Jaipur and back to Delhi. Started in February 1995, the Royal Orient runs on the tracks in the months from October to March and April to September. Quite Interesting, the train do not run between May to August. It promotes tourism with 13 exquisitely furnished Coaches and Saloons with a total capacity for 104 passengers. Most of the travelling is night journey with day time schedules set in for sight seeing and shopping. The train offers choicest drinks in its "Watering Hole Bar" to the tourists followed by exotic Indian and continental Cuisine, truly fit for the Kings and queens, as they say! Food Ratings are "Excellent" with Fish, fresh from the ocean of Diu with Fish delicacies like Fish Colbert, Fish Florentine, Grilled Fish, Prawn Masala etc. For the Lamb Lovers, the Royal Chef offers Lamb Cutlets, Lamb Spinach curry, Lamb Methi Masala, etc. And for the Indian Tourists, the usual Deshi Khana not to forget Baigan Bharta! (Gujarat observes Dry days & announces Meatless days too!)  A Library to while away your bed time reading in quite, cosy comforts is one important facility which is not lacked out. The Royal Orient offers a 5 Star luxury with hot and cold water, spacious baths and clean, comfortable cabins. So much to say that the Royal experience would make the tourist feel on top of the world with its Royal style, the courteous staff at your attendance to make the trip most memorable. The exciting Sunrise and sunsets are pleasurable to watch through the horizons on board the Royal Orient. It’s trips by coach for sight seeing to many a places, leaves imprints on the of an unforgettable experience journeying through the world - the land of mystic heaven on earth. Royal Orient can also be surfed on the CD Rom made by an efficient Team of Moving Pixels Ltd. It’s Director Mr. Vinod Ramani with his co-team of Development supporters Manish Jain, Rishit Sheth, Mehemosh and Nishit with the Scripts prepared by Jehangir H. has effortlessly strived to present the CD which is windows based with 65 K Colour support. It’s Overview briefs you of the coverages like the Royal Decor, Royal Service, Mystic East, Living Museums etc. The CD provides Tips like Camera flash prohibited in Adalaj step wells, chewing gum/tobacco prohibited at Palitana temple and so on. Unfortunately, the CD is not available in open market and one can only hope that if the promotional CD was put up in CD ROM Library like Interactive Technologies Ltd., people from the home land too can journey through the Royal Orient via CD and feel pride to thrill with the travel experience in their own motherland! Maybe, the CD review might make them plan their tour too but then, they really need to be rich. Afterall, even though the prices are slight lower that the Palace on Wheels, Royal Orient’s 2 Berth Cabin Sharing occupancy comes grand with US $ 200 per day in October to March and US $ 150 per day from April to September. The 3 Berth Cabin would cost grand too! Though children between 5 to 12 years are charged 50%, the Royal Orient has a class apart to travel on Board and Free Souls can only dream to experience the exotic mystic Royal journey by the Royal Orient through the CD ROMS and the Internet or of course, through your own Free Souls Page!

Click here for Route of the train

GERMANS BOOK ROYAL ORIENT FOR MILLENNIUM

The Royal Orient Train has been charted by the German Travel company for the millennium as reported in Express Travel & Tourism. The deal was struck in an international travel fair in Berlin when the German Travel company requested TCGL to grant the charter. The Royal Orient has been booked from December 29, 1999 to January 6, 2000 as confirmed by Mr. Jayant Parimal, MD of TCGL adding that the package was sold with a lot of attraction offered specially for the millennium.  

Boarding at Delhi, the passengers will receive a red carpet welcome followed by a horse and camel ride at Udaipur and Chittorgarh respectively. The highlights will be special evening at Nilambagh Palace in Bhavnagar where Rajmata Nandini Devi who is also the MD of the Heritage Hotel has organized a royal evening with a cultural programme. For this evening, the train will provide the passengers with complimentary Indian dresses. In keeping with Orient mystic, there will be Fortune Tellers, Mehendi applying, folk dances, etc. At midnight the sky will lit with fireworks.

Entering the new century, the Germans will enjoy the Barbeque evening on the beaches of Diu and an afternoon Lunch at Taj Sasangir and an exclusive look at Pranlal Bhogilal's personal collection of Vintage cars in Ahmedabad.

* Free Souls pens down information on Travel themes to the best of knowledge. For exact Fares, we held no responsibility

For Latest Royal Orient Packages, contact Swagat Holidays

click here for Homepage