Goa's carnival fiesta begins March 5

Goa is famous for its carnival. Goa carnival is a grand celebration which lasts for three days and nights. Goa carnival scheduled to be held from March 5. It is organised every year by the state tourism department, local municipal councils and Goa's sole municipal corporation. The entire state glitters with lights, colorful ribbons and glittering papers. The streets are vibrant with the colorful possession that pass through the length and breadth of the state entertaining the tourists.

You can find exciting padres to the exotic Goa cuisine. There are hundred of stalls selling the strange Goan super delicacies food. The famous shakuti, vindaloo, saurpatel. Popular liquor drink feni, in cashew and palm variants supplemented with the plum puddings.

  Some Goa Carnival Photos (2006-2009)

All Goans celebrate the carnival as a feasting and merry making time. The carnival is absolutely colorful and lively and the whole of Goa comes alive with this festival. Goa Carnival is the most eagerly awaited event among the many and various colourful feasts and festivals celebrated in Goa. Goa Carnival is now inseparable from the heritage of the state.

Kerala Tourism sweeps PATA Awards 2011

Kerala Tourism got four of the top honours at the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Awards 2011 announced in Bangkok for outstanding achievement.  Kerala is  the only Indian state to figure in the PATA awards this year, and also picked up one of the four PATA Grand awards in the environment category for its "responsible tourism" efforts in Kumarakom. Kerala Tourism's new global campaign film "Your Moment is Waiting" bagged three PATA Gold awards, signify the creative edge, which our marketing campaigns have been acclaimed for.  Kerala Tourism's international campaign, Your Moment Is Waiting is a film that goes far beyond the realm of a commercial, to capture the soul of Kerala like no destination hitherto has. Kerala Tourism won three Gold awards making it the largest haul ever by a state government in the history of the PATA awards.

This video shot at Thekkady, Munnar, Thalassery and Kannur in 11 days, this video is directed by Prakash Varma and is produced by Stark Communications.

Your Moment is Waiting

Kerala Tourism Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said: "The Grand award puts an even greater responsibility on us to ensure that the achievements of responsible tourism in Kumarakom are sustained and taken to the next level to create a replicable model in tourism practices.

The "responsible tourism" program was the first such initiative by a tourism board in India.  As the best way to maximize the positive impacts of tourism and minimize the negative ones, Responsible Tourism is gaining wide acceptance across the world today. Under the project, ordinary people of Kumarakom worked with industry representatives like hotels and resorts, tour operators, travel agents, home-stay operators and souvenir shop owners, NGOs and government agencies to protect the environment in the high-profile destination. Kumarakom, in the State, has the pride of being the first place on the country to have successfully implemented "responsible tourism". "Responsible tourism" is today being implemented in other tourist destinations across the State.

Never miss Athirapally when you visit Kerala.

The attractiveness of the Athirapally cannot be described by words. Athirapally water falls situated on the Chalakudy river, 78 kms from Kochi (Cochin), Kerala. It originates in the upper reaches of the Western Ghats. Athirapaly starting calmly from the high ranges, these waterfall is one of the best places in India to re-capture a real sense of the classical idea of something wild and natural.

Vazhachal Waterfalls, Charpa Falls, Malakapara Tea Gardens, Thumpurmuzhi Gardens, Peringalkuthu & Sholayar Dams, Valparai and Vazhachal Forest Gardens are the nearest attractions.

Some of my recent tour photos of Athirapally:

The best time to visit Athirapally is just after the monsoon season, when the waterfalls would still be in full force. September to February is the ideal period to visit.

There are some restriction on Athirapally:

Visiting is between 8 am and 6 pm only, consumption of alcohol and smoking is strictly prohibited here. swimming in the falls is prohibited, visitors are advised to refrain from feeding animals as the waterfalls are plastic-free zones.