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Matusadona National Park

Matusadona National Park is situated on the southern shores of the magnificent Lake Kariba and has got to be one of Zimbabwe’s best kept secrets. Being relatively unknown and undiscovered makes this park a true safari wilderness highlight. Within the boundaries of this national park, on the vast lush plains of this incredibly diverse area, is a mountain range called the Matuzviadonha Hills – meaning ‘falling dung’ – which is believed to be named so unglamorously because it looks like Elephant droppings.

Matusadona National Park is ideal for superb game viewing with over 1 400 sq km of unspoiled wilderness, offering both walking safaris and game drives. It can also be explored by houseboat or canoe from the lake, making it a versatile and excellent safari location. The park is easily accessible by boat from the town of Kariba but it is also possible to enter from the gravel Karoi-Kamativi road, south of the escarpment. A 4×4 is a definite requirement as roads can prove to be harsh in some places. Both Lake Kariba and Matusadona can be visited at any time as weather conditions are surprisingly pleasant all year round.

This national park is one of the last remaining sanctuaries to home the black rhino, one of the Big Five as well as one of the largest concentrations of wild lions in Africa. Wildlife is abundant in Matusadona from small creatures like the scrub hare, vervet monkey, caracal, bush squirrels, dassies and mongooses to larger and possibly more impressive mammals like Leopard, Buffalo, Zebra, Warthogs, Hyenas, Cheetah and Hippopotami. Vast numbers of antelope roam the park, among them Duikers, Waterbuck, Bushbuck, Kudu, Sable and Eland – not to mention the luxuriant birdlife with over 240 species being recorded. From time to time, Elephants can be seen swimming between the shore and islands of Lake Kariba, a sight which is perhaps unique to the area.
Matusadona National Park combines the beauty of a lake-setting, with a rising wall of mountains that serves as the backdrop to a picture perfect place where one can observe magnificent wildlife under the African sky.

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Enjoy Winter Carnival Staying In Luxury Cottages In Manali

Every year Manali draws a huge influx of tourists from all over the world and the winter carnival time is the best time to come to Manali.

What can one look forward to being in Manali during Winter Carnival?

The first Winter Carnival dates back to 1977 and was a thoughtful product of the then founder of Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports, Harnam Singh. The institute was looking for growing prospects then. It was a tourism initiative with water and snow sports as a main attraction with these resources ample during winter in Manali.

Solang slopes get ready for open skiing contests and these draw young and enthusiastic skiers, professional and amateurs. Not just skiing, Manali hosts a variety of cultural events. However, it is in recent times that culture and winter sporting events have gone hand in hand at the Winter Carnival of Manali. Events such as carnival parade which show parade of participants dressed colorfully reflecting the ethnicity of the state of Himachal Pradesh is a sheer delight to the eyes. The cultural extravaganza has many contests that reflect Indian culture while not removing the fun element from it.

These include folk dance contest, winter queen contest, personality contest, film dance contest, fancy dress, classical dance, western dance, street play, talent show, so on and all of these draw huge crowds. The contests are open to youth clubs across India for a small entry fee. While the state derives benefit through the carnival in terms of tourism revenue, it’s a great opportunity for youth clubs to showcase their talent at the country’s national level foreign visitors get a sneak peek into the culture of the state and India in general. The first National Manali Winter Carnival is scheduled to be held from January 9th through 13th 2013 and the hill station town is gearing up for the big show in the coming month.

If you have plans to visit Manali, Winter Carnival is the time to visit. There are many staying options to suit everyone’s taste and if you are not on budget constraints then luxury hotels in Manali that epitomize luxury and comfort are waiting to treat you to your delight. Known to be the resplendent staying options these are known for providing par excellent hospitality. There are many luxury cottages in Manali that record one of the highest occupancy rates of the country; they can be good option to stay and enjoy the carnival.

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Neemrana – A New Metropolitan City in Making

Neemrana located on the NH8 which is near to the other sub-industrial hubs like Bhiwadi, Bawal, khushkhera and Tapukara. This town is also just 122 km away from Delhi and also is a part of the NCR region. Moreover it is also in very close proximity to the Delhi International Airport and a stone’s throw from the DMIC zone. For being very strategically located this region has attracted industrial investments from many renowned Japanese firms. Thus creating a bright future for people planning Neemrana investment.The Rajasthan State Industrial Development and Investment Corporation (RIICO) developed industrial zones Neemrana region in various phases. Export Promotion Industrial Park and Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) have also led to the development of the Japanese zone in Neemrana that is spread over 1200 acres. Popular Japanese companies like Nissin, Daikin, Mitsui, NIPPON, and DAINI have set up their firms in this region. Apart from the Japanese firms many renowned companies from India and abroad are setting up their units in this growing industrial hub.As Neemrana is growing into an industrial region it has also opened employment opportunities for the people. Many people are migrating to the region due to this reason and this has increased the demand for homes. Taking advantage of this situation many developers have acquired land parcels in the region. Big developer firms have also launched residential projects in the region. Even many integrated townships and affordable housing projects are coming up in this region. It is predicted that people will get good returns on the real estate investment in the coming years.The government of Rajasthan has planned to develop a 40,000 acre ‘Global City’ in the Neemrana-Behror region which will be able to house nearly one million people. The Global City would include Cyber City, Medi-City, Knowledge City, Entertainment City, Education Hub, SEZs World Trade City and Bio Diversity Park. Realising that this region would grow immensely in the coming years industrial companies from Korea and Taiwan have planned to set up their firms here. Even many educational institutions have come up in the area. There also plans to build a cargo airport between Ajarka and Kotkasim to facilitate cargo transportation for the industries of the area.With so much happening in the region developers in Neemrana-Behror are coming up with projects on the lines of ‘affordable luxury. Not only are the workers of the industrial firms but other people are showing keen interest in these projects to get better returns in the future.With the industrial growth and the global city coming up this once sleepy town would never be the same. Developers say that this region would be known as the new sub-metropolitan city soon.

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