Safety on Mumbai-Pune Expressway gets a boost

The budget of Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) indicates that groundwork for augmenting Mumbai-Pune Expressway’s capacity will not happen this year. But, installation of safety and security systems will not wait for next year. According to the capital expenditure prepared by the corporation for the 2013-14 fiscal, only Rs1 crore has been marked for augmentation proposal. The plan includes widening the Expressway and Old Mumbai-Pune Highway, segregate both highways, extend the expressway towards Pune, construction of two tunnels (one below Bhushi Dam) and building 15-20 flyovers.But, the frequency of accidents is a cause for concern, thus installation of surveillance and safety systems will begin this year. “A sum of Rs40 crore has been kept aside for surveillance project on the expressway,” said an official from MSRDC. Another Rs16.35 crore will be used to install Brifen Rope Wires on the median of the entire 95-km stretch of the road connecting the two cities. On Sunday, two vehicles collided near Kamshet, killing two people and injuring three.Motorists will not have any new roads for at least a year. There are plans to have a theme park and Formula 1 track adjoining the expressway, but it is in the nascent stage. A sum of Rs15 lakh has been allocated for the theme park and and Rs5 crore for developing the racing track. A cricket stadium has already come up at the Pune-end of the road.

Safari in jungle

2) Malaysia



Gorgeous beaches, exotic tropical islands, tropical rainforests, scuba diving, snorkeling and mouth watery street food describes Malaysia at its best. In Malaysia, places like Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi, Kota Kinabalu, Sipadan, and Kuching are best to try range of entertaining activities.

Besides, the capital city of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur has emerged as one of the most popular tourist destination in the world. The city is famous for the Petronas Twin Towers, the tallest tower in the world. Kuala Lumpur offers attractive options to stay and eat at low costs. Adding to it, the place is well known for retail and fashion hub.
3) Argentina



The football crazy nation, Argentina is one of the most sought after destination among travelers due to its budget friendly nature coupled with supreme culture. Buenos Aires, San Carlos de Bariloche, Puerto Iguazu, Mendoza and El Calafate, to name a few, are the popular destinations to visit in Argentina.

Besides, the capital of Argentina, Buenos Aires is the center of healthy tourism, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council. Also, Buenos Aires often called as the "Paris of South America" is the most visited city in South America. The attraction of this place are graceful architecture, exquisite cuisine, fun filled nightlife and trendy shopping. However, traveling to Argentina may not be inexpensive but compared to other countries it is worth visiting.
4) Brazil



Amazon rainforest, exotic beaches, Atlantic forest, waterfalls, elegant architecture, samba and football, is the best way to portray Brazil. Some of the attractive places to visit in Brazil are Rio de Janeiro, Florianopolis, Sao Paulo, Buzios and Bonito are among others. However, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo are the prime destinations which tourists visit the most for leisure trips.
5) Costa Rica



Dazzling coral reefs, magnificent islands, tropical beaches and volcanoes are the beauty of Costa Rica. There are adventurous activities to try in Costa Rica, such as scuba diving, surfing, horse riding, bungee jumping, sport fishing and hikes to mangroves. Interestingly, most of the beaches have warm water all over the year. Hence, you can visit and enjoy the beauty of this place in any season. Also, Costa Rica is one of the popular nature travel destinations from the late 1980s.
6) Indonesia



Indonesia is also on the list of cheapest destination and it is a tourist's heaven. Indonesia is one of the most sought after destination among travelers. There are many attractive places to visit in Indonesia including Jakarta-the capital city, beach resorts of Bali, beautiful islands of Java and so on. It is one of the best places to spot flora and fauna and is a delightful place for nature lovers.

Besides, Bali is an important island in Indonesia and is often known as "Island of the Gods" or "Island of a Thousand Puras." Pristine beaches, rugged coastlines, impressive volcanoes, picturesque hills and mountains make Bali a paradise on earth. In the year 2010, Travel and Leisure awarded the 'Best Island award' to Bali due to its gorgeous landscape, diverse tourist attractions, excellent food and the friendly behavior of the local people.

7) Morocco



The country Morocco is situated in North Africa. Most of the tourists visit Morocco because of its location, attractions and low price. The inexpensive nature of Morocco is mainly due to the depreciation of the dirham. Some of the exotic locations to visit in Morocco are Marrakech, Tangier and Fes. Also, you can experience the beauty of Sahara, gorgeous beaches and trek to the Atlas Mountains. And, if you are a shopaholic, Morocco is the best place to visit.

8) Portugal



Since Portugal is one of the cheapest euro-zone countries, it is one of the best places to travel. This country offers beautiful diversity of landscape coupled with green mountains in the North, outstanding slopes and falls, amazing beaches and many more.

Some of the hottest destinations in Portugal are Lisbon, Algarve and Madeira. But, the government of Portugal is promoting some other destinations as well to develop the tourism and such destinations are Douro Valley, the island of Porto Santo and Alentejo.

2) Necker Island
Location: British Virgin Islands



No list of private islands is complete without including British Virgin Islands' Necker Island owned by Sir Richard Branson, founder and chairman of Virgin Group. In the year 1978 Branson bought United Kingdom's Necker Island that spans over 74 acre of outstanding landscape. Although this is his private island, there is also a small private resort. This private island is an ideal place for relax and rejuvenate as the island is surrounded by coral reefs and scenic beaches. Spending one night at this resort will cost you a cool amount of around $50,000.

But this Island caught media attention after the resort on the island caught fire caused by lightning. At the point there were 20 high profile guests staying at the resort including Branson's 90 year old mother who was rescued from the flames by the famous Hollywood actress Kate Winslet.
3) Musha Cay
Location: Bahamas



Musha Cay is a privately owned island in Exuma Chain, in the southern Bahamas which is located 85 miles southeast of Nassau. This amazing island which is located amidst three smaller islands is owned by David Copperfield, a famous magician. Spread over 150 acres of beautiful landscape. Copperfield has converted Musha Cay into an exclusive getaway with staff strength of 30. This island has included 12 bedroom resorts which are given to one person at a time and it ensures a soothing atmosphere coupled with complete privacy to the visitors. The architect behind this marvelous island is Howard Holtzman. Staying at this island you can call celebrities like Nicolas Cage and Eddie Murphy your neighbors who stay in islands close by.
4) Palm Jumeirah
Location: Dubai



Built for a tremendous expenditure of $12 Billion this palm shaped group of islands is one of the most beautiful artificial structures in the world. The Island built on 94 Million cubic meters of sand and 7 million tons of rock has an internal mono rail and an eight lane highway. The most amazing parts of the structure are, the two jet shaped reefs towards the coast which are built upon actual fighter jets sunk into the bay. The island also has 28 dolphins in its dolphin bay to attract guests.

5) Amwaj Islands
Location: Bahrain


Completed in 2006 for a sum of $1.5 Billion, the Amwaj Islands in Bahrain is an exclusive retreat for the rich. Being the only place in the whole kingdom where foreigners can own a property the Islands see a lot of visitors every time of the year. The greatest features of the islands are water boat housing and boat docking.
6) Harbor Island
Location: Seattle



Harbor Islands in Seattle is one of the largest artificial islands in the world. Built in 1909 the island is built over a base of 24 million cubic yards of earth dredged from the Duwamish River. Stretching over 395 Acres of land, the island mostly consists of industries, ports, train stations and some sports stadiums.






7) Floating Island
Location: Mexico


The small island built in the eastern coast of Mexico on top of heaps of plastic bottles and boxes is designed by British Artist Richard Sowa. Richard says, "Floating islands can be all over the globe, on rivers, lakes and in protected oceans. They can provide sustainable habitats for plants, animals and humans, and can even be made on dry ground in potential flood areas such as Bangladesh."
8) Matangi
Location: Fiji



Matangi is one of the most exotic islands located in the northern Fiji Islands. This beautiful horseshoe-shaped island has a resort named Matangi Island Resort, which is the only tree house resort in Fiji that is nestled in the jungle. Matangi Private Island Resort includes around 12 luxury villas along with seaside spa. Pristine white sand beaches surrounded with a lagoon of pure aquamarine makes Matangi an ideal place to spend your holiday. This outstanding tree house resort offer thrill and adventure at its best, which can make your romance ablaze. Matangi Island Resort is a privately owned resort in Fiji that offers unique experiences of nature, blend with water-based activities. Moreover, the major highlight of this scenic island is the Horseshoe Bay.

Jobs in Kesari Travels

‘1962 war: Kennedy wanted to nuke China’

New book claims the then US prez wanted to avoid communist state attacking India again

Washington: Six months after the 1962 Chinese aggression on India, the US had contemplated using nuclear weapons in the event of another attack from Beijing as it was determined to prevent an Indian defeat at the hands of the Communists. The then president John F Kennedy, at a meeting with his top military aides on May 9, 1963, had expressed clear determination not to let Beijing defeat New Delhi, with his defence secretary even talking about using nuclear weapons against China if it launched another attack against India. These disclosures have come in a just released book Listening In: The Secret White House Recordings of John F Kennedy co-authored by Ted Widmer and Caroline Kennedy. “I gather we’re coming to the defence of Israel and Saudi Arabia. What I think we ought to think about is, (unclear) it’s desirable (?) for us, to give India a guarantee which actually we would carry out. I don’t think there’s any doubt that this country is determined that we couldn’t permit the Chinese to defeat the Indians,” Kennedy said. “If we would, we might as well get out of South Korea and South Vietnam. So I think that’s what we’ll decide at the time. Now, therefore, I don’t mind making, seeing us make some commitments. Now, if it is politically important,” he said. Kennedy was quoted by the book as making these remarks in the White House meeting with his Defence Secretary Robert McNamara and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Maxwell Davenport “Max” Taylor. Kennedy was US President from 1961 until his death in 1963. The book is a selection of audio recordings of Kennedy’s conversations at the White House. The recordings have been selected from the hidden recording systems in the Oval Office and in the Cabinet Room installed by Kennedy in July 1962, in an effort to preserve an accurate record of Presidential decision-making. —PTI

A musical fiesta

The Windsong festival that will be held in Goa next week will bring together some of the best Indian artistes

For those who swear by pop and rock, and can make little or no sense of EDM (electronic dance music) here is a newly crafted festival — Windsong. A two-day long gala to be held at Baga beach, Goa on December 24 and 25, it includes only indigenous acts from across a plethora of musical genres such as folk, jazz, rock, funk and soul music. A total of 22 acts and artistes will be performing live at the festival. The highlights for day one, include performances by soul singer Shefali Alvares (of Tu Mera Hero fame), Soulmate, Shkabang (Anushka Manchanda and band), Strings, Agnee (Mohan and Koko), and Remo Fernandes amongst others. Day two, will be marked by eminent names like Shantanu Pandit, Ankur Tewari, Sid Coutto, Menwhopause, Shaa’ir Func, Papon & The East India Co, Remo & The Microwave, Rabbi Shergill, Lucky Ali and others. “We hope it is a great success,” says Shailendra Singh, Joint MD, Percept Ltd. “We are delighted to support the live space with this new festival that has a stellar line-up of renowned artists like Remo, Lucky Ali, Rabbi Strings,” he adds, emphasising that this will be a one of its kind Christmas gala.