India on the RailsWritten by Roozbeh Gazdar
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And then there are numerous wayside stations, bustling centers of busy activity. Often no more than small shacks, these centers of village activity can be refreshingly beautiful, shaded by trees and with small well-tended gardens around them. But even more poignant are isolated rail cabins or outposts that occur, seemingly in midst of wind swept desolation, as a lone railway official holds out a green flag to give each train an all-clear sign as it hurtles by. It’s then that it strikes you how this gigantic organization, Indian Railways, world’s biggest public sector employer, is so critically dependent for its smooth everyday functioning on all various little cogs that keep its wheels turning, right down to guy who covers an allocated distance on foot daily, manually checking screws in fish plates to see that everything is right. A humbling thought really…
Content writer working with www.traveljini.com, a travel portal in India. Keenly interested in wildlife and eco tourism.
| | Things you need to know before you book a hotel onlineWritten by Chloe Lim
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•Are there any extra inclusions such as breakfast, and, if so, is it a cooked or continental breakfast? •Do you understand what room type and bedding configuration you will be getting? •Is your reservation guaranteed? Will it be held for late arrival? •What is change, cancellation and refund policy if you need to change or cancel your booking? •Did credit card number you gave to internet booking service merely guarantee your room, or did they charge a deposit (or even full stay) at time you made your booking to credit card? •You may contact hotel directly 24 hours after you’ve made your online booking, to confirm that booking has appeared in their local computer system. You may also check with them to see if booking is same as you have made in terms of room type, room rate, dates, etc. •If you have any special needs or requirements or expectations, you should double check with hotel directly that these special service requests have been received by them and are understood and will be provided. •Most importantly, if you prepaid any amounts to internet website, confirm that you won't be billed again by hotel directly. Remember that most internet websites are completely independent of hotels they service, and could be located anywhere in world; once they get your money; there is no guarantee that they will pass it on to hotel in time for your stay. www.ratestogo.com (http://www.ratestogo.com) is a website that has answers to all these questions. Visit http://www.ratestogo.com/Hotels-Last-Minute/EN for last minute deals for over 5,500 global properties through a real time booking engine.
Chloe Lim is a photographer and avid traveler. She travels extensively for work and family vacations. She is always on the lookout for bargain travel deals and discount luxury vacations. This article is courtesy of http://www.ratestogo.com, you may freely reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice and the author name and URL remain intact.
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