WORLD AND ASIAN TOURISM: October 2008

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

SAVE PANTAI KUNDUR (PANTAI PUTERI) BEACHES

Serious erosion has occurred along the Pantai Kundur (Pantai Puteri) beaches at Klebang. If nothing or remedial works are carried out immediately, a portion of the road facing the beach front will collapse into the sea. This observation and fears have been highlighted by kampung folks who live at Pantai Kundur.

Authorities must act immediately to prevent this from happening. With the land reclaimation works at Klebang, there is no beautiful beach other than Pantai Kundur. With casuarina trees grown on the beaches, they give ample shade to visitors to relax and enjoy the sea breezes especially in the evenings.

If I correctly recall, Pantai Kundur beach was beset with erosion in late 1980s and beach rehabilitation works were done to rectify the erosion. Now, after 20 years, this problem has surfaced again.

Can this be due to the reclaimation works at Klebang Besar which is being undertaken now? By changing the coastline by reclaiming land from the sea, it will definitely change the wave patterns, strength and velocity of the waves. Maybe, we are seeing the results now at Pantai Kundur.

Here is a news report published recently:-

October 14, 2008 14:06 PM

Pantai Puteri Faces Coastal Erosion

MELAKA, Oct 14 (Bernama)

Pantai Puteri in Tanjung Keling, near here, is facing serious coastal erosion which could destroy the beauty of the beach.The effects of the erosion along the approximately four-kilometre stretch of beach could be seen where many of the casuarina trees had been uprooted while many more are in danger of being uprooted.

A check by Bernama reveals that in some places, only a few metres separate the road from the sea.The residents claimed that about 50 metres of the beach had been eroded within the last 10 years, bringing down the casuarina trees which had been planted to provide shade to visitors to the beach.

A resident, Abdullah Yahya, said the coastal erosion had resulted in a large chunk of the beach being 'swallowed' by the Straits of Melaka.

"The erosion becomes more serious especially during the season of the westerly winds as well as the possibility of the effects from the ongoing reclamation works at Pantai Klebang," he told Bernama, here today.

Abdullah, who is also chairman of the Melaka Fishermen's Association, said the erosion also seemed to threaten several structures built at the beach.He feared that the coastal erosion could also destroy the road beside the beach if nothing was done to check the erosion.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the State Committee on Tourism, Culture and Heritage, Datuk Seet Har Cheow said the Melaka government had asked the Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) to take action to resolve the eroson problem along the beach.

He said Pantai Puteri, located 11 kilometres from the Melaka city centre, was a tourist destination and the DID should act immediately to save the beach.-- BERNAMA

Gir Santuary reopens - Tourist Season 2008-09

Gir National park is the only natural ebode left for Asiatic Lions. It is situated in a western-most state of India - Gujarat & is just 65 kms away in south-east of the district headquarters - Junagadh. Gir has achieved first position among National Parks & Sanctuaries all over India this year. It gets most of the tourist flow from foreign countries, being on top priorities on anyone's list who visit India.

Every year Gir National Park gets closed for tourists during four month long monsoon period, being it the breeding period for the very few left of the Asiatic Lions. Thus, this gives optimum time for the wildlife to flourish during monsoon & thus, tourists can savour the beauty of the only habitat of Asiatic Lions all over the world, as its gates are reopened.

This year Gir National Park (incl. Devalia Park for Safari) getting opened as per schedule on 16th October 2008, Thursday. However, the issues with roads affected by heavy showers lately this monsoon season is also been under consideration by authorities. Though, these areas are not on the main routes for Safari or forest trips, but still, authorities assured the issues would be settled before the tourist season for year 2008-09 takes pace. They are also aware of the rise in number of tourists right after the festival of Mount Girnar Parikrama (a sacred trek of 35 kms around the mountain) & thus, taking the event as their deadline.

For more on Asiatic Lions, pl visit : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asiatic_Lions

For more on Gir Sanctuary, pl visit : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gir_Forest_National_Park

For more on these in local language, pl read : http://www.sandesh.com/sandesh_article.aspx?newsid=20261

Monday, October 13, 2008

Preparations started for Girnar Parikrama

To know what it Girnar Parikrama, pl refer :

http://junagadhtourism.blogspot.com/2008/09/girnar-parikrama.html

Preparations have been started at big scale for parikrama this year. It used to have much of tourists attraction and thus traffic, so authorities need to be prepared to serve all at their best. This year it is going to be held during 9-15 November.

The collector had called a meeting to prepare action plan for the parikrama, which aimed to facilities and security as well. The basic facility includes logistics, electricity, water & health. Also, they aimed on regularisation of auto-fare, traffic & about maintaining law & order. Like every year, it was also decided to keep watch on pressure point for the comfort of visitors. Notabely this year, tobacco & plastic pouches of water are totally banned.

Some 7 km (1/5 of the total route) of the parikrama route is more or less damaged due to heavy rains in late monsoon this year. That is also to be repaired by 5th as per decided.

Yesterday, on 13th October 2008, school-students helped authorities to collect plastic waste along the route during a cleanup. They collected more than 1000 kgs of plastic waste leaving the trek better than before. Same excercise used to be held before & after Parikrama every year.

So, Junagadh is getting prepared for one of its exclusive (& big!) celebrations, which is going to increase the population of city (0.5 million) to three-fold, of course for a week of 9-15 November!

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Educational Tourism at Junagadh : JAU

Junagadh Agricultural University (formerly, Agriculture college under GAU - Gujarat Agricultural University) was set up in the year 1972, at Junagadh in the state of Gujarat, India.

JAU is known to offer knowledge, instructions and education in the field of agriculture and allied sciences viz. agriculture, agricultural engineering and fisheries. The Institute recognized by the University Grants Commission, and the courses conducted are also UGC funded.

Teaching infrastructure of the University comprises of four faculties -
Agriculture, Agricultural Engineering, Fisheries and Post Graduate Studies.

Other Info:-
Graduate programs of JAU enroll 75 students in agriculture, 50 in agricultural engineering and 30 in fisheries faculty.
Post Graduate courses in agriculture science, agricultural engineering & now even in fisheries, are also conducted by the University.
There are 5 Research and 11 Testing Centers within the University for the Development of new varieties/hybrids of crops, vegetables, fruits & marine products like pearl-culture.

JAU motto :- “Education, Research, Extension”

Educational Programs :-
The Junagadh Agricultural University has three colleges under it - Agriculture, Agricultural Engineering and Fisheries.
Each of these colleges offers graduate and post graduate programs in concerned discipline.
The Institute offers B.Sc and M.Sc in Agriculture, B.Tech and M.Tech in Agriculture Engineering and Fisheries.

Facilities :
The University has a central library serving the students of agriculture with textbooks, referrals and documentation facilities.
The library is connected to the campus LAN for networking, internet browsing and e-mail facilities.

The ideal location of Junagadh in terms of high-quality production of groundnut & Kesar mango helps students to do further research.

Also, the the presence of National level institute like NRCG (National Research Centre for Groundnut) (ICAR) & CBF (Cattle Breeding Farm) gives much more practical exposure & hands-on then any other place.

The University has got its own Research station around Saurashtra peninsula, active for marine project with various research interest from pearl-culture to bio-diversity studies.

The University also has Fisheries college at one of the most active fishing harbors of India, Veraval; which has recently commenced Master's course also.

Kind of University :– State University.

Contact Details:
Address : Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh - 362001, Gujarat, India.
Web Site : http://www.jau.in
Phone Number : +91-285-2671018

Gir prooves itself king of Tourism in Gujarat

The following information is originally an article by the leading newspaper Times of India.

(Article link (courtesy) : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Ahmedabad/Gir_is_lion_of_all_sanctuaries/articleshow/3561630.cms)

"...Of four national parks and 22 sanctuaries in Gujarat, Gir in Junagadh and Nal Sarovar in Ahmedabad district top the popularity charts among visitors. The state tourism department seems to have failed to market sanctuaries in other parts.

According to official data, Gir Asiatic lion forest reserve alone has attracted 66 per cent of tourists in Gujarat and over 80 per cent of total foreign tourists visiting the state. Officials said that if the data of Nal Sarovar and Thol bird sanctuaries and Gir are put together, other sanctuaries in the state have just attracted seven per cent of the domestic tourists visiting Gujarat for wildlife tourism.

Forest officials say that the only reason why there are not many visitors at other sanctuaries is lack of infrastructure and not many people are aware that these exist.

Besides, the Devalia interpretation zone for Asiatic Lions and Sasan Gir fall in the pilgrim circuit of Somnath and Diu, for those wishing a boozing break. Officials also say that Sasan Gir is a hot favourite among Amdavadis. "Rest of the sanctuaries are isolated and it is only nature lovers from the state who visit these sanctuaries."

Bharat Pathak, conservator of forests (Junagadh) says, "A detailed analysis is required. But the immediate reasons are the popularity and good infrastructure in Sasan Gir. The other attractions are also the large variety of birds found here."

It is notable that the number of tourists to Gir is increasing every year. Which was stupendous 15% hike last year!

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Hotel Information for Tourist Season 2008-09

Junagadh has been a very popular place to those who visit Gujarat. In fact, the variety of interesting places has made it one of the must visit city for travellers of all kinds, from adventurers to pilgrimage.
You can keep visiting this blog for the famous and newly developing interesting tourists sites in & around Junagadh.

Budget-making and tour-plannings are main part of pereparations for any tourist. & Junagadh is dotted with Hotels, Resorts & Guest-houses to accomodate you as per your budget!

In this post, we would like to present you a teriff-summery for some of the hotels in Junagadh, pl benefit & keep commenting...

Notes:
- All the information is given for tourist season 2007-08 (December-April)
- All the teriff is given approx, yet we tried to keep it most accurate
- It is always advisable to check information, by contacting personally
- This is just for referrence & we take no responsibility behalf of anyone
- The names are given alphabatically- All the fare are in Indian Rupees (INR), exclusive of tax, for 24 hrs, with chekout time 10am/12pm in general

Hotel Anand
Bus Station Road
Ph: +91 285 2630657

Categories> Fare
2-Bed (non AC)> 400
2-Bed (AC)> 500

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Hotel Leo Resorts
Girnar Taleti Road
Ph: +91 285 2652844

Categories> Fare
Delux> 2080

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Hotel National
Kalwa Chowk (cross-roads)
Ph: +91 285 2620736

Categories> Fare
2-Bed> 300
4-Bed> 450
AC> 725

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Hotel New Somnath
Railway Station road
Ph: +91 285 2627574
Fax: +91 285 2650919

Categories> Fare (Single Bed/Double Bed)
Non AC(regular)> 300/350
Non AC(Delux)> 400/450
AC Delux> 650/700
AC suit> 750/600
- charges per extra person: non AC 150, AC 200

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Hotel Paramount
Kalwa Chowk (cross-roads)
Ph: +91 285 2650582

Categories> Fare (Single Bed/Double Bed)
Non AC(regular)> 300/400
Non AC(Delux)> 350/500
AC Delux> 550/700
Super Delux> 700/900
Presidential Suit> 800/1100
- charges per extra person: non AC 100, AC 200

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Hotel President
Railway Station road
Ph: +91 285 2625661

Categories> Fare (Single Bed/Double Bed)
Non AC(Delux)> -/400
AC(Delux)> 700/750
AC Delux 101> 900/950
- charges per extra person: non AC 100, AC 200

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Hotel Shikhar Palace
Jayshree Cinema Road
Ph: +91 285 2626596

Categories> Fare
Non AC(Delux)> 500
AC Delux> 800
Super Delux> 1100

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Hotel Somnath
Railway Station road
Ph: +91 285 2625655/2624645

Categories> Fare (Single Bed/Double Bed)
Non AC(regular)> 300-350/450-500
AC (regular)> 550/650
AC Delux> 650-700/750-900
AC Suit> 900/1200
- charges per extra person: non AC 100, AC 150

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Hotel Vishala
In front of GSRTC Central Bus Station
Ph: +91 285 2631599/2633106
Web: http://www.hotelvishala.com/
email: hotelvishala@gmail.com

Categories> Fare (Off season/Tourist season)
Non AC> 500/750
AC (delux)> 700/1000
AC (standard)> 1000/1500
AC Suit> 1500/2000
- Off season: Feb-Sep / Tourist season: Oct-Jan

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The Lotus Hotel
Railway Station road
Ph: +91 285 2658500/1/2
Fax: +91 285 2658503
web: http://www.thelotushotel.com/
email: info@thelotushotel.com

Categories> Fare (Single Bed/Double Bed)
Standard> 800/1050
Delux> 1000/1250
Super Delux> 1200/1550
Luxury> -/1750
- charges per extra person: 250

WORLD AND ASIAN TOURISM