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Mobissimo wishes you a Happy and Prosperous New Year 2007.

Hope year 2007 is filled with joy, hope, peace, happiness, love, opportunities, and adventures for all of you.

For last year's words belong to last year's language
And next year's words await another voice.
And to make an end is to make a beginning.
~ T.S. Eliot

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow;
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.
~ Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Then sing, young hearts that are full of cheer,
With never a thought of sorrow;
The old goes out, but the glad young year
Comes merrily in tomorrow.
~ Emily Miller

Wish you a Happy New Year.

We will open a book. Its pages are blank.
We are going to put words on them ourselves.
The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.
Happy New Year.

Image courtesy: WebShots India photos.

If you're wondering what new year resolution to keep Mobissimo India has one ready for you.

Make a new year resolution to visit at least a few of these One Hundred Wonders of the World.

If you plan to visit some of these wonders of the world in year 2007 your friendly travel search engine Mobissimo India is at hand to help you in choosing and comparing airfares to these destinations.

So we've given you guys a resolution to make for year 2007. How many of these wonders of the world do you plan to visit next year? Let us know.

Happy travelling in 2007.

Cheers
India Traveller

Related reading for the weekend and holidays:
- WorldHum travel notes from a shrinking planet. It's a small world.
- SeatGuru your guide to airplane seating arrangements, in-flight amenities, and airplane facilities.
- Travel book: Rory Stewart recounts his walk across Afghanistan in The Places in Between
- A list of must read travel books.

Happy reading, enjoy your holidays, have a great weekend, compliments of the season, and wish you a happy and prosperous new year—2007.

Learn how the world's leading Online Travel Agencies are building customer loyalty and positioning themselves using their Customer Relationship Management (CRM) strategy.

If you are related to the Travel, Tourism, Hospitality, or Aviation industry in the U.S. then you should attend EyeForTravel's CRM in Travel USA conference on 23-24 Jan. 2007 at Crowne Plaza, Union Square, San Francisco, CA.

See a list of speakers and attendees at the CRM in Travel USA conference.

- Read more about the CRM in Travel USA conference on 23-24 Jan. 2007.

- Request for a brochure.

- Register for CRM in Travel USA 2007 conference.

Find street level (road) maps of major Indian cities on Google Maps.

See links below to view street level maps of major Indian cities. So the next time you're online and looking for roadmaps, street level maps, and directions in India; you know which Web site to visit to find the information.

Street Level Maps of Major Indian Cities on Google Maps.

- Mumbai (Bombay)

- Kolkata (Calcutta)

- Delhi

- Chennai (Madras)

- Pune (Poona), Maharashtra

- Bangalore, Karnataka

- Ahmedabad, Gujarat

- Navi Mumbai (New Bombay)

- Panaji, Goa

- Madgaon (Margao), Goa

- Kochi (Cochin), Kerala

- Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh

- Bhubaneshwar, Orissa

- Guwahati, Assam

- Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), Kerala

- Hyderabad, Secunderabad, and Cyberabad (Madhapur, Hi-Tech City), Andhra Pradesh

- Chandigarh

- Jaipur, Rajasthan

- Agra, Uttar Pradesh

- Nagpur, Maharashtra and many more on Google Maps India.

Bookmark link below and add it to your favourites.
View Street Level Road Maps of Indian Cities

Find and compare domestic airfares and local flights on Mobissimo India.

Street level map of South Mumbai/ South Bombay (Town) as seen on Google Maps India.

Qatar Airways plans to start Doha (DOH)-Chennai (MAA) and Doha (DOH)-Ahmedabad (AMD) Airbus A-321 flights from the last week of March/ first week of April next year.

The airline also raised frequencies on some existing Indian routes by almost 60 per cent after the governments of India and Qatar reviewed and expanded the provisions of bilateral air services agreement. During the temporary open sky policy offered by India between December 15, 2006 and January 31, 2007 Qatar Airways would operate 42 flights a week.

Read more about Qatar Airways' plans to fly to Chennai and Ahmedabad from next year.

Search flights and find airfares to Chennai (MAA), Ahmedabad (AMD), and Doha (DOH) on Mobissimo India.

FutureBrand Worldwide looks at countries as Tourism brands in its second annual Country Brand Index survey.

India is the Best Country Brand for Authenticity according to the Country Brand Index 2006 survey by FutureBrand Worldwide.

Download FutureBrand's 56-page Country Brand Index 2006 (PDF, filesize: 3.7MB) report.

Find and compare airfares to India on Mobissimo.

FutureBrand sees Nations as Tourism Brands. India ranks first in Authenticity with its ability to present travellers with distinctive and unique cultures.

Image from FutureBrand's Country Brand Index 2006 report.

Low cost airline Air Deccan activated a 24*7 Fog Helpline Number (98181-77008) and informed passengers of possibilities of flights being delayed, re-scheduled, diverted to other destinations, or cancelled due to fog and poor visibility at Delhi and Kolkata airports in Dec. '06 and Jan. 2007.

Call Air Deccan's 24*7 Fog Helpline Number 98181-77008 for the latest position of its flight schedules.

Search Air Deccan and other local low cost airline flights on Mobissimo India.

Related News:
- Fog disrupts flight schedules at London Heathrow.

The World Economic Forum will launch the first-ever Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index covering 124 countries across the globe.

The annual report is set to be released on March 01, 2007 and preliminary data will be presented at the World Economic Forum annual meeting from 24-28 Jan. 2007 in Davos, Switzerland.

According to Jennifer Blanke, senior economist of the World Economic Forum, "The index measures factors that make it attractive to develop the travel and tourism industry of individual countries."

Travel and Tourism is a sector that impacts economic growth in many countries, and an analysis of the drivers of competitiveness in travel and tourism will provide useful comparative information for making business decisions.

The global travel and tourism competitiveness index uses data from International Air Transport Association (IATA), United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), World Trade Organization (WTO), and World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC). It also includes survey data from World Economic Forum's Executive Opinion Survey, which provides information on qualitative, institutional, and business environment issues.

The competitiveness report is funded and supported by Booz Allen Hamilton, IATA, UNWTO, WTTC, Bombardier, Carlson Group, Emirates Group, Qatar Airways, Royal Jordanian, Swiss International Airlines, and Visa International.

Search and compare airfares to Doha (DOH) in Qatar and Amman (AMM) in Jordan from Mobissimo airfare search.

Find flights to Zurich (ZRH), Geneva (GVA), and Basel (BSL) in Switzerland on Mobissimo. Use Mobissimo airfare search to compare International airfares.

Did you know Mobissimo compares domestic airfares from most Indian low-cost airlines? Book an airline ticket from Mobissimo India.

There's a meal for each pocket in Mumbai. From the ever-present Vada Pav and tea at a roadside eating joint to dinner at The Oberoi at Nariman Point. Mumbai offers a variety of cuisines and eating options.

Have you tasted an unlimited Gujarati Thali in Mumbai?
A wholesome (eat as much as you can until you've had enough and once you've over-eaten about five times above your normal capacity you say please stop I can't eat a morsel more) authentic Gujarati meal.

Here are a few places that you may visit to taste Gujarati food during your next visit to Mumbai.

Gujarati Thali in Mumbai.

- Rajdhani, opposite Mangaldas Market, (Crawford Market).

Rajdhani Restaurant—The Thali Place
Opp. Mangaldas Market, Masjid Gulli, Crawford Market,
CST (VT), Mumbai - 400002.
Phone: 022-2342-6919/ 2344-9014/ 2344-9016
Serves Gujarati, Rajasthani, and Marwadi food
Timings: 11.00am to 3.15pm and 7.00pm to 11.30pm

- Samrat at Churchgate.

Samrat Veg Restaurant
Prem Court 119, J. Tata RoAd, Churchgate,
Mumbai - 400020.
Phone: 022-2282-0022/2282-0942
Serves Gujarati thali and Punjabi dishes
Timings: 12:00 noon to 10:30pm

- Golden Star Thali near Charni Road station.

Golden Star Thali
330, Raja Ram Mohan Roy Road,
Opp Charni Road Station,
Mumbai.
Phone: 022-2363-1983/ 2367-1952
Serves pure vegetarian Gujarati and Marwadi cuisine.
Timings: 11.00am to 3.00pm and 7.00pm to 10.30pm

- Panchavati Gaurav near Bombay Hospital.

Panchvati Gaurav
7, Barak Road, Near Bombay Hospital,
Mumbai - 400020.
Phone: 022-2208-4877
Serves Gujarati thali
Timings: 11:00am to 3:00pm and 7:00pm to 10:30pm

- Thackers at Birla Krida Kendra, Chowpatty.

Thackers
Birla Krida Kendra, Chowpatty,
Mumbai
Phone: 022-2364-9300/2364-9301
Timings: 11:30am - 2:30pm and 5:30pm - 10:30pm

- Thackers at Marine Lines.

Thackers Veg. Restaurant
116/118, Marine Street, Marine Lines,
Mumbai -400002.
Phone: 022-2205-3623/ 2205-3641/ 2205-3587
Serves Gujarati and Punjabi cuisine.
Timings: 12:30pm - 3:00pm and 7:30pm - 11:00pm

- Chetana at Kala Ghoda. Serves Rajasthani thali.

Chetana
34 K. Dubash Marg,
Kala Ghoda, Mumbai.
Phone: 022 - 2495-5075/ 2495-5055/ 2285-6316/ 2202-3592
Serves vegetarian cuisine.

- Aaram opposite St. Michael's Church in Mahim.

Aaram Restaurant
Opp St. Michael's Church,
Mori Road,
Inside Mahim Bus Depot ,
Mahim, Mumbai - 400016.
Phone: 022-2444-1358.

- Friends Union Joshi Club in Narottam Wadi on Kalbadevi Road.
Turn left from Princess Street junction. The place is located on the first floor in an old building in Narottam Wadi—a 10-minute walk on Kalbadevi Road.

- Shree Thakker Bhojanalaya in Dadiseth Agiary (fire temple) Lane at Kalbadevi.

Shree Thakker Bhojanalaya
31 Dadi Seth Agiary Lane,
Kalbadevi,
Mumbai - 400002.
Phone: 022-2201-1232/ 2203-1490.

- Rajdhani at Nirmal Lifestyle Mall, Mulund (West).

Rajdhani
Lal Bahadur Shastri (L.B.S.) Marg,
1st floor, Nirmal Lifestyle Mall,
Mulund (West),
Mumbai - 400080.
Phone: 022-5688-8088/ 5643-2601.

- Rasoi near Mulund (West) suburban station on Central Railway.

Tip: Eat an unlimited (you may eat until you say Enough, please stop serving) Gujarati Thali late in the afternoon. The heavy food takes care of lunch and dinner . So you need not have another meal until late at night, and that too, if required.

Take care to see that you don't indulge in gastronomic delights of Gujarati Thali on a working day, else see to it that there's not much work to do in the afternoon, as a siesta goes hand-in-hand with an unlimited (bottomless, never-ending, keeps on getting re-filled again and again) Gujarati Thali.

Never eat fast at a Thali restaurant, else your Thali would keep on getting filled even faster and before you know it you would be tired of eating .

No matter how hard one tries, one always ends up over-eating an unlimited Thali.

How many of these places have you visited in Mumbai? What's your favourite place for a Gujarati Thali in Mumbai? Let us know through the 'Comments' link on this page.

Search and compare airfares to Mumbai on Mobissimo India.

Related:
- What is an 'Unlimited' Thali?

Low cost carriers (LCCs) such as Air Deccan, SpiceJet, and GoAir expect package and document shipments to make up at least 10 per cent of their revenue in their first full year of cargo operations.

GoAir recently launched cargo operations while SpiceJet hopes to start cargo operations in the second half of 2007 and Air Deccan plans to lift on-board courier from February next year. Air Deccan has the largest network in India covering 61 airports and this would help them in providing courier service to destinations were cargo wasn't transported by air until now. At present, air cargo within India is carried by Jet Airways, Indian (Indian Airlines), and express delivery firm Blue Dart Express Ltd.

Read more on low cost airlines' plans to decrease difference between cost and revenue by carrying express cargo.

Find flights from India's low cost airlines, compare local airfares, and book hotels on Mobissimo India.

Have you been to Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir?
Ever heard of the saying, Simple is beautiful? The mountainous region of Ladakh in Himalayas is a perfect example of Simple is Beautiful.

Ladakh is India's most remote and least populated tourist destination. It is an exotic, high-altitude region with lofty snow-capped peaks, rocky ridges, deep valleys, dry plains, mountainous landscapes, crystal clear lakes, unpolluted rivers, Buddhist monastries and palaces, and the highest motorable roads in the world.

It is a calm, silent, pristine, quiet, and peaceful place nestled in the mighty Himalayas. Its mountainous landscape makes it a popular destination for adventure tours and trekking expeditions.

The region is also known as 'Mini Tibet' (Little Tibet) because of its geographical, religious (Buddhism), and cultural closeness to Tibet. It is a must visit destination for travellers interested in exploring Buddhist culture and tradition. Ladakh's high-altitude roads offer breathtaking views of scenic flora and fauna, lovely valleys, seasonal orchards, colourful Buddhist monastries (gompas), and palaces.

Experience an off the beaten track holiday in a remote part of India. Visit Ladakh in the Himalayas. Photo courtesy: HimalayanKingdoms.com

The people of Ladakh are courteous, cheerful, religious, hard-working, helpful inspite of the challenges of nature and inclement weather, which makes communication difficult in the months from October to April when the harsh winter covers lakes with ice, freezes rivers, cuts off road travel because of snowfall, and delays and cancels flights. The best time to visit Ladakh is in the months from May to September.

Leh is the capital of Ladakh in Jammu & Kashmir. There are daily flights from Delhi to Leh, which is one of the highest-altitude airports in the world. It takes about an hour and 15 minutes to reach Leh by air from Delhi. There are daily flights from Delhi to Leh and vice versa. The flight over the mountainous landscape of Ladakh is a sight to behold. You may search for flights from Delhi (DEL) to Leh (IXL) on Mobissimo India.

National Geographic Traveler explores Leh and other tourist destinations like Likir, Alchi, Numbra Valley, Khardungla Pass, 39-km from Leh, which is the highest motorable road in the world at 5604 metres—18380 feet; and Zanskar in Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir.

Find flights from Delhi (DEL) to Leh (IXL), Ladakh on Mobissimo India.
Search flights from Leh (IXL) to Delhi (DEL) on Mobissimo India travel search engine.

Related:
- Images of Ladakh
- See photos of Ladakh from the National Geographic Traveler.
- Learn about the history, culture, tradition, geography, and demographics of Ladakh
- See photos of Ladakh.
- Plan a trip to Ladakh. Information for tourists visiting Ladakh.
- Beautiful desktop backgrounds for your computer from the National Geographic Photo of the Day Archive.
- Read the National Geographic magazine.

Find Hotels in India with Mobissimo's Hotel Search.

1. Visit www.mobissimo.in

2. Click the 'hotels' tab on the search box that appears on the homepage.

3. Enter city name in the 'Destination' text box.

4. Select Checkin and Checkout dates from the dropdown boxes.

5. Select Guests and Rooms from the dropdown boxes.

6. Click the 'Search' button. See Fig. 1 below.

Fig. 1. Mobissimo India Hotel Search Box. Find hotels in India.

7. Wait for a few seconds for the hotel search results page to be displayed.

8. See a list of hotels for your requested search on the hotel search results page.

9. Choose your preferred hotel from the ones shown on the hotel search results page and follow the 'Select' link to book the hotel. See Fig. 2 below.

Fig. 2. Mobissimo India 'hotel search results' page. Click the 'Select' link to book a hotel.

Hope you find a hotel from Mobissimo India that fits your budget and matches your choice. Happy travelling! Find local and international airfares on Mobissimo India airfare search.

Add Mobissimo to your Favorites in Internet Explorer. Press Ctrl+D to Bookmark Mobissimo India in Firefox browser.

- Mobissimo India
http://www.mobissimo.in/

- Mobissimo India Airfare Search
http://in.mobissimo.com/search_airfare.php

- Mobissimo India Hotel Search
http://in.mobissimo.com/search_hotels.php

Mobissimo India is your friendly travel search engine for finding flights and hotels. Make it a part of your itinerary planning and take advantage of its meta search technology that shows results from multiple airline Web sites with a single click. Try Mobissimo airfare search and find flights and airfares in India from most airline operators, including low cost airlines like Air Deccan, SpiceJet, GoAir, and others.

The Forbes Traveler 400—a colourful visual journey of the world's hospitality industry. The world's most amazing hotels and resorts of 2006 according to the Forbes Traveler. A selection of absolute best places to stay in different parts of the world.

Get a cup or two of cappuccino and spend a Friday afternoon soaking in some visual splendour viewing a magical slideshow of the world's best hotels and resorts. Don't you feel like changing yourself to a bird and flying to these places? Well, thoughts on a Friday afternoon would turn true when you find that there are hotels and resorts in India that have been ranked among the best in the world. Find these hotels and resorts with Mobissimo India Hotel Search.

Find hotels in Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Ajmer, Mount Abu, Pushkar, Alwar, Ranthambore, Bikaner, Bharatpur, Chittorgarh, and other cities of Rajasthan with Mobissimo India Hotel search. Read a country-wise list of hotels and resorts mentioned in Forbes Traveler 400.

Find flights and hotels in Rajasthan on Mobissimo India.

Related:
- Methodology of choosing hotels and resorts in Forbes Traveler 400.
- Travel + Leisure's top 100 hotels of 2006.

Taj Lake Palace, Udaipur, Rajasthan:

Imagine a 250-year old white marble palace that floats on water, and turn that to reality with Taj Lake Palace floating in the still waters of Lake Pichola, as if by magic! Isn't it time for a romantic rendezvous in Udaipur, India?

Image courtesy: Forbes Traveler.

Watch a beautiful slideshow of India's most fabulous hotels and resorts of 2006.

Southern Railways will operate special trains from Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) to Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) to New Tinsukia in Assam to facilitate travel during Christmas.

Southern Railways will run Trivandrum-Chennai Central-Trivandrum and New Tinsukia-Trivandrum-NewTinsukia Special trains during Christmas.

1. Trivandrum–Chennai Central–Trivandrum Special Train:

Train No. 0632: Trivandrum–Chennai Central Special will leave Trivandrum at 8pm on December 22, 24, 26, and 28 and arrive at Chennai Central at 12.15pm the next day.

Train No. 0631: Chennai Central–Trivandrum Special will leave Chennai Central at 4pm on December 23, 25, 27 and 29 and arrive at Trivandrum at 7am the next day.

2. New Tinsukia–Trivandrum-New Tinsukia Special Train (via Chennai Egmore):

Train No. 0207: New Tinsukia-Trivandrum Special will leave New Tinsukia at 11:45pm on December 18 and arrive at Trivandrum at 01.15pm on December 22. Train No. 0207 will leave Chennai Egmore at 08.20pm on December 21, 2006.

Train No. 0208: Trivandrum-New Tinsukia Special will leave Trivandrum at 10.30am on January 2, 2007 and arrive New Tinsukia at 11.30pm on January 5, 2007. Train No. 0208 will leave Chennai Egmore at 04.25am on January 3, 2007.

Know more about South Railway's special trains during Christmas.

Save time, fly from Chennai to Trivandrum. Search flights from Chennai (MAA) on Mobissimo.