TRAVEL SPECIAL.................... Be Bold, Be Wild

Be Bold, Be Wild 
 

This summer, take adventure to the next level and indulge in a family sport, you’ve never tried before

    The way we vacation these days has changed, it’s no longer about a stamp on your passport. It’s the experience you had during your stay, the people you met, the photographs (and selfies) you clicked and the retweets you had. Most adventure sports enthusiasts take up a sport in order to tick it off their bucket list items. But the sport doesn’t leave them. Like an ambition, it grows on them till travelling the whole world in search of the best sporting experience conquers all their travel plans. At ET-Travel, while we salute the purists who stay loyal to one adventure sport, we nudge and ask, ‘When fun can be experienced at various levels, why restrict yourself?’ This summer, consume adventure in bigger doses. In our issue, we suggest destinations that are full of fun for the entire family. Plan a vacation to Australia, introduce your kids to snorkelling and marine life, while you cycle through the mountains of Bosnia and Herzegovina, let your kids visit the cultural centres of Southeast Europe, Bungee Jump from the Bloukrans Bridge in South Africa, while your family tastes some Heck fish. When you team an adventure sport with your annual holiday, you’re sure to return rejuvenated!

SNORKELLING
REGIONS: Australia & Bahamas

Australia has two very popular hotspots for snorkelling enthusiasts. The Great Barrier Reef located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland and Ningaloo Reef located on north west coast of Western Australia. Ningaloo Reef and Marine Park houses more than 460 species of fish and 200 species of coral. The Great Barrier Reef is known for its diversity, the island is home to a lot of marine life from manta rays to sea turtles to nudibranchs. During low tide, snorkellers can literally walk to the island without having to swim. Whales,clownfish, and several species of snapper and coral trout, sea snakes and more live on the Great Barrier Reef.
Bahamas boasts of the world’s deepest known ocean blue hole, the Dean Blue Hole is 663 ft deep and it’s a place of curiosity for snorkellers. It is said, you can take a look at the dolphins, porpoises, small reef fish and more. The hole also provides access to submerged caves.
VISA REQUIREMENTS:
Apply for the Australian visa through one of the VFS Global Australian Visa Application Centres or visit www.immi.gov.au and get all the necessary information. Also, now Australian visa is label free, which means that a visa label will no longer be affixed to your passport, instead you get a visa grant letter that will explain the conditions of the visa including period of validity and entry requirements.

For a Bahamas visa, Indians need to visit the Bahamas Embassy or send an email to bahamas@sarafmail.com for more information.

MOUNTAIN BIKING
REGION: Bosnia and Herzegovina This Southeast European country has a rich countryside, mountain areas with ample forests, rivers and lakes offer endless and extraordinary opportunities for adventure junkies. The popular routes for mountain biking start from the Bosnian capital Sarajevo includes a ride up to the Olympic mountains of Igman and Bjelasnica to Lukomir, the highest village in the country, situated at some 1,500 meters. Apart from this route, there are other much-adorned destinations, including the region of Prenj mountain, is a mountain range in the Dinaric Alps located in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina, this bike route often include mountain lakes and rivers.
    www.bhtourism.ba
    VISA REQUIREMENTS:
    For Bosnia and Herzegovina, Indian citizens
    need to apply to get a visa. You can write to
    abhind@gmail.com 

SCUBA DIVING
REGION: Thailand & Bali The deepest dive point in Thailand near Hin Daeng is a huge underwater formation protruding only 3 meters above the surface. The eastern and northern sides are relatively shallow, and the western and southern sides feature a long sandy slope with coral patches. The picturesque Similan Islands are the most popular because of its excellent visibility and huge deep water boulder formations as well as dramatic back-drops to its vibrant reef slopes. The famous Richelieu Rock is located about 200 kms from Phuket and is part of the Mu Koh Surin marine park.The horseshoe-shaped reef is known for its purple corals as well as diverse marine life ranging from small fish and harlequin shrimp to large pelagics like whale shark and manta ray.
    Ranked as one of the best scuba diving sites in Bali, the USAT Liberty is rich in history and also marine life. The ship was a United States Army cargo ship torpedoed by a Japanese submarine during World War II in January 1942 and beached near the Tulamben village on the north-east coast of the island of Bali. In 1963 Mount Agung erupted and the magma flow pressed the ship back into the sea where it presently rests at a depth of 3 to 29 meters. Since then, coral has coated the wreckage and number of fish, invertebrates, bump-head parrotfish, napoleon wrasse and barracuda have called it home. are regularly spotted around the wreck. Surprise your kids, by taking them on a night dive to spot smaller marine life such as the frog fish, leaf scorpion fish, and the pigmy sea horse. The nudibranchs also known as the Spanish Dancer is the favourite of many amongst the other marine life spotted near the wreck. The best conditions for diving are during May to July, when the weather is generally calm as it is also the start of southeast monsoon.
    www.tourismthailand.org, www.indonesia.travel 

VISA REQUIREMENTS:
For Thailand and Indonesia, Indian citizens have the privilege of Visaon-Arrival. Visa on Arrival can be extended beyond 15 days in Thailand and 30 days in Indonesia after seeking official permissions from local immigration offices.

Compiled by Rashmi Henriques ETTR 140403