It is raining travel portals in India and more and more Indian consumers are booking their flights, hotels and holidays online than ever before. There are about a dozen travel sites that are in fierce competition with one another to increase market share cashing on the huge consumer boom triggered by salary hikes and more disposable income of Indian middle class. Some of the leading names catering the Indian market are makemytrip, cleartrip, yatra, ezeego1, travelguru, arzoo, travelchacha, travelmasti and indiatimes travel.

As more choices are present before the Indian consumers it is becoming increasingly difficult for them to pick up the right one where they will not only get a good deal but good services as well. My personal experience is that most of these portals have very little price differentiation but the customer service, usability and transparency makes them different from one another.

Regarding airfares I think cleartrip scores above the rest as they have a no nonsense intuitive interface and also give the real fare unlike makemytrip and others who try to hide the airport tax part till the last checkout page. So when you are comparing the fares don’t be lured by the low list prices because you have to shell out much more than what you see as fare.

Another important advice is that unless you are very much sure about your itineraries look out for cancellation and modification charges which could take a toll on your budget. Cheap tickets always come with some inflexibility and there may be some cases where the journey date is not at all changeable. So read the fine print before committing as otherwise your good deal could turn out to be a costly affair.

It is not only the charges that hurts but sometimes a poor customer service can give you a lot of pain specially when you try to make a last minute change. I experienced once such nightmare with makemytrip about 6 months back when their servers failed to send the e-ticket and I had to try for almost 2 hours to get to speak to a customer service representative to get my PNR number. I have left makemytrip since then and I am not sure whether their customer help desk have improved by this time but this could be a major area for worry for any customer who needs help.

So do your own research if you are trying out a new travel portal for the first time and don’t just get swayed by advertisements. There are reviews in product review websites which are the best sources of unbiased information about service and overall experience and they are usually written by real customers. Blogs are also sources for such information which can actually provide insights about the deals or raw deals that a customer gets from the ever growing online travel booking business.

For hotel prices I will tell you a trick that has worked for me many a times. I have always booked hotels and even 4 star and heritage hotels well below the lowest prices as published in these portals. What a smart consumer can do is get the reference price from the travel portals and then directly negotiate with the hotel for an even better price or some freebies (like free airport transfer) and I will tell you that it can save you up to 25%.

Another common mistake that many travelers do is that they forget about the airlines that fly them and think only about the travel portals. Don’t forget to look into the airlines website especially if you are planning to take a low cost carrier. There is a chance that you can get a better deal there and then why not grab it.

If you can afford to fly last minute chances are that you get killer deals directly from the airlines and so if you have the time don’t be in a hurry to book in advance. Instead wait for weekdays or weekend deals offered last moment and be ready to grab them as it comes. If you are flying main routes like Delhi Mumbai or Mumbai Calcutta chances are they you get discount prices in full service carriers in last minute as the airlines would be desperate to sell off the available seats.

Lastly for flight and hotel deals airlines sites are a must visit as they regularly have good deals. Indian which may be not so fashionable like Jet or Kingfisher always have great pan India holiday deals thought out the seasons and many people don’t actually know about them. Nowadays budget airlines like Spice Jet are also offering flight and hotel deals but you need to compare with other offers before buying.

So it is not only the portals that you offer you the best deal and there is no compelling reason to be loyal to only one portal. Spend some time on research and pick up the best deal whoever offers it to you.

But don’t fall into the cash back trap which is offered by most portals with some credit card or the other. Take them only when you are sure that you can pay off the full bill as otherwise you will end up paying more in interest than what you save. As the portals themselves are finding it hard to strike good deals with airlines and hotels the cash back is the only easy option for them to make their prices appear attractive to consumers.

If you are like most people who travel for pleasure, you may have to sacrifice in order to save money you need to make your next vacation everything you wanted to be.  If, for example, you have decided that you cannot live another year without treating yourself to a vacation in India, one of the expenses you will have to factor into your travel budget is India travel insurance.  This may take a little more skimping on your part, but given today’s uncertain political climate, having India travel insurance will give you the peace of mind you need to completely relax and enjoy your vacation.

 

While thousands of travelers are able to talk themselves out of having travel insurance, thinking it an unnecessary expense, traveling in a foreign country is always a little riskier than staying at home.  Of course you hope that everything will go as planned, adventure vacation in India will bring you nothing but happy memories.  But there is no way to be completely certain that you won’t become ill, injured, or find yourself in another sort of emergency. 

 

Your problem could be something as simple as lost luggage, or it could be something as serious as being stuck in a foreign country because of a natural disaster.  Having India travel insurance will give you the peace of mind of knowing that you are prepared for any negative situation so that you can relax and enjoy yourself.

 

Before you purchase India travel insurance, you should go over the terms of the policy are considering with a fine-toothed comb.  Examine the clauses concerning medical situations and deductibles; find out if pre-existing conditions are covered; and learn if the medical coverage will protect you in case of both illness and injury.  By seeing what is not covered in each policy you look at, you’ll be able to decide which policy most closely meets your needs.

 

Most India travel insurance policies are quite affordable.  But before you can choose yours, you should have a definite idea of your itinerary while in India, and the sorts of activities in which you will be engaged.  Your India travel insurance can be written to cover one or several trips; cruises; or outdoor activities like backpacking.  You’ll only be compensated if you become ill or injured during an activity specifically covered by the policy, and only up to the amount stated.

 

Almost all India insurance policies will compensate you for lost luggage, a cancel or delay in trip, and accidental death, or medical treatment.  You can find policies which cover emergency evacuation in case of a natural disaster, and some which will protect you if you have an accident while driving a rented car.  But you will have to ask for those options specifically.

 

You should arrange for your India travel insurance directly through an insurance company, and not through your travel agent.  Doing so will enable you to get the amount of coverage you want, and choose which portions of your vacation in India you want covered.  Do not settle on an India travel insurance policy until you have talked to several insurance agencies, and received a number of quotes so that you can compare the coverage offered by each.  You can do this most efficiently by searching for your India travel insurance on the Internet.  When you have done your comparison-shopping, simply choose the policy which is best for your needs and budget.

Most expect that to be able to see a true Hindu temple you would have to travel to . . . well . . . India, or at least a country in which Hinduism is a more dominant religion. But that’s not necessarily true. Throughout the years, as immigration has become more common, Hindu temples have been erected wherever believers have settled, including in America, including in Texas.

The Barsana Dham is located just south of Austin in the hill country. It was built in 1990 and today is the main U.S. center of Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat, a holy man in Hinduism born in 1922 in Mangarh village. It is said that all who saw his sweet smile and serene look loved Jagadguru Kripaul Parishat from the start. His virtues and intelligence were lauded from a young age, particularly when, at age 14, he traveled to Indore to study Sanskrit literature and mastered every topic he chose to tackle. At age 16, Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat finished school and took up his Divine nature. He spent the rest of his life, which continues on today, teaching the people of India and all who would listen about his beliefs and ideals as a divine and devout Hindu man.

In 1990, Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat gave his blessing for the creation of Barsana Dham. It was designed on a 200-acre property to be a representation of the holy land of Braj, where Shree Radha Rani and Shree Krishn appeared more than 5,000 years ago. Those who visit it are meant to take from the Temple and its surroundings a sense of serenity and calm that often cannot be found in the outside world. It is also hoped that visitors will walk away having learned of the knowledge of the Vedas, the Gita and the Bhagwatam, as well as the process of divine love consciousness, the energy Hindus believe unites one man’s soul with the Supreme God.

Every year, all the major Hindu festivals are celebrated at Barsana Dham in the traditional style. For example, in September, Radha Ashtmi is celebrated. This is a day commemorating when Shree Raseshwari Radha Rani descended into Barsana. The celebration begins with chanting of the leelas and virtues of the goddess, followed by more chanting and praying and a prepared lunch. It is a day in which many in the United States come to celebrate, just as all of the other Hindu festivals are from Mela Fair to Maha Shivrati to Jhulan Leela.

Truly, Barsana Dham is not a place to be missed when you are in Austin, regardless of whether you are there for religious or simply tourist purposes. But do be aware that the visiting hours are compact; general visiting is only permitted between 8:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., daily. At those times, all may visit the holy places, view the temple architecture and take in the beautiful culture living within the site. At other times of the day, holy services are taking place and it is requested that general visitors not roam the grounds.