Paddles Up: Race into Hong Kong's Dragon Boat Festival Join the Weeklong Festivities Against Victoria Harbour's Iconic Skyline
Hong Kong (NewsVoir) The boats are fierce, the drums are loud and the energy is electric – Hong Kong's Dragon Boat Festival is back in spectacular style, open for many Indian travellers planning their summer vacations in June! Each year, this high-adrenaline celebration draws elite paddlers from around the world, to compete in one of … Continue reading "Paddles Up: Race into Hong Kong's Dragon Boat Festival Join the Weeklong Festivities Against Victoria Harbour's Iconic Skyline"
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
31 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Thinking of going to Africa for an animal safari? Here's why you should plan one soon
The thrill of the chase, the anticipation of seeing a big cat in their natural habitat, the bumpy jeep rides & the satisfaction of finally getting what you came for - a safari, be it in Africa or India, is an exciting break away from the work-life hustle. Far removed from the luxuries that a city can offer, swapping a relaxing vacation to live in the jungle means roughing it, but this trend has become increasingly popular among people of all ages. A recent Thomas Cook report notes that, for around 75% of Indians, experiential travel is taking centre stage. And one such experience that's seeing an uptick is Wildlife Safaris (around 32%). They are all-inclusive, adventurous and allow travellers to come face-to-face with Nature. With safari season in Africa from May to August and Indian Safari season best done between October to June, this is the perfect time to plan your next trip. A post shared by Sydney Sweeney (@sydney_sweeney) Rajeev Kale, President & Country Head, Leisure Travel & M.I.C.E, Thomas Cook India Limited, says, 'Africa has emerged as a highly sought-after destination for leisure travel for multigenerational families, young working professionals, and friend groups seeking one-of-a-kind outdoor and luxury experiences. There is also a lot of demand for wildlife safaris retreats from corporate MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) groups.' Botswana and Rwanda offer eco-conscious lodges, while other prefer to combine 'beach-and-bush' itineraries as travelers combine safaris in Kenya or Tanzania with a luxury retreat in Zanzibar, Seychelles, or South Africa's Cape Town. With the Indian passport ranked at 85 (Henley Passport Index 2025) and some 50 destinations allowing visa-free/visa-on-arrival, the travel preference leans to locations that make entry easy. Its also no secret that countries which make the visa process a breeze have seen Indians flock to those locales. A post shared by Ananya 🌙 (@ananyapanday) Africa wants to get in on the action. In January, South Africa introduced a new visa regime - the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS). "This allows approved tour operators to register with the department and submit group visa applications for their travellers, streamlining the process and cutting through red tape," read a press note by South Africa's Department of Home Affairs. Another reason that African safaris are gaining popularity? An increasing number of celebrities are vacationing there. Recently, actors Sydney Sweeney and Luke Evans, and Olympic gymnast Simone Biles shared snips from their jungle safaris. Even actors like Kareena Kapoor Khan and Ananya Panday have visited the continent and enjoyed an adventurous trip. A post shared by SIMONE BILES (@simonebiles) For travel blogger Mahek Desai, travelling to Africa's Masai Mara is a dream come true. 'I am doing a solo safari trip. It's my birthday gift to myself. I find myself happier with animals and I just know it is going to be amazing,' she says. On the other hand, retiree Rajnikant Mirkar and his wife Trupti have just got back form an 'unforgettable experience' with a jeep-load of memories. He says, 'We are nature lovers and we have visited most of India's wildlife sanctuaries. So we decided to head to Africa to experience it as well. We visited Kenya and Tanzania, along with the Masai Mara, the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro National Park. We're lucky to spot the big 5 - the lion, leopard, rhinoceros, African elephant, and African buffalo.' Engineering student Nile Lopes has grown up watching wildlife documentaries on television. He says, 'Visiting Africa and going on a safari has been a childhood dream. We were followed by African buffalo, spotted a herd of elephant and zebras, and even saw a pride of lions resting in the shades of acacia trees.' If you are making plans to travel to Africa for the safari season, Manoj Adlakha, Founder & CEO, RedBeryl, shares a few tips that will help: Back home in India, jungle safaris are also gaining traction with celebrities like actor-couple Akshay Kumar and Twinkle Khanna, and former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar spending time in Jhalana Leopard Reserve in Jaipur and Kaziranga National Park, Assam. In May, giving further impetus to the tourism trend of safaris, the Maharashtra government approved a ₹286 crore tiger safari project in Chandrapur. On the other hand, in the Botanical Garden in Kondapur in Hyderabad, one can hop on a bus, don a VR headset and let nature come alive across a 2-kilometre safari ride, where you are transported to the dense forests of the Western and Eastern Ghats or Antarctica's icy slopes. You can also have digital encounters with big cats, penguins, and other exotic creatures. However, if you've been under the impression that safaris only happen in the summer or winter months in India, think again. Several Indian national parks are open to tourists during the monsoons. Wildlife photographer Priyansha Singh tells us, 'While the core zones in northern and central parts of India are closed in the rainy months (usually July to September), the southern parks, like Periyar (in Kerala), Nagarhole, Kabini, Bandipur (in Karnataka), and Ranthambore (in Rajasthan), etc, and the buffer zones are open." And publicist Priyanka Deepak Joshi couldn't agree more. During her recent trip ot Gir National Park (Gujarat) with her family, she spotted several big cats and has 'amazing experience'. 'I saw a lioness walk by our jeep and it was so thrilling. While the rains have made a difference, it actually makes spotting animals like lions more visually striking against the green background,' she tells us. Even resorts and hotels present in and around sanctuaries are seeing a higher number of requests for monsoon safaris. Rajat Gera, Commercial Director of Six Senses Fort Barwara, which is located in Ranthambore National Park, says, 'We've observed a notable evolution in the profile of luxury travelers visiting us during the rainy season." If you ask him what makes this type of safari an interesting travel time, he shares, "The Monsoon Safari reveals the forest in its most vibrant form — lush and teeming with new life. Following the dry summer, the rains breathe life back into the landscape and wildlife sightings take on an unexpected character. With fewer safari gates open, the experience becomes is exclusive and personal, as animals roam, play, and hunt once again.'
New Indian Express
37 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
The King's speech: Magnus Carlsen has the final say
It's kind of why the five-time world champion said that the kids aren't ready to take over. "At the very least, it's nice to see I can still play," he after his seventh crown in Norway's southwest. "And it's nice to see that at least in parts of the game, I can still be quite a lot better than the guys who are trying to take over." Carlsen's views on the Indian kids Two of those — Gukesh and Arjun Erigaisi — featured in the event. Both players actually did beat the Norwegian (the former in Classical and the latter in Armageddon). "There is no one," the World No. 1, who abdicated his throne in 2023, added. "No one at the moment. That's the honest answer. There could be, but at the moment it's not likely. I think Gukesh showed in this tournament that he's on track, he's doing fantastic, but he's maybe not way ahead of track as we may have thought. I think he's kind of a little bit where I was 2008. You can do extremely well, but you can still see that there are that great results, like they come not only with the quality of the positional play, but it's a lot of fighting qualities. But that is what kids are supposed to do. "You're not supposed to master everything at that age. As for the others, yes, they are good, but the likelihood of one of them becoming like a very clear number one. I don't see it very clearly at the moment." Carlsen also reminded the world that once-in-a-generation players are once in the generation for a reason. Gukesh, who flat out refused to speak to the media in Stavanger, can see the 10-round tournament through two ways. One, would be to look at through the positive lens of finally beating Carlsen and Erigaisi in Classical, something he had never managed to. Two, and a more negative way to look, would be wonder why he allowed himself to fall behind out of the opening in a lot of matches. At this level, it's a bit like trying to stop a car without working brakes. He did it a few times but when you are so fall behind the eight ball, the pressure of having to defend in almost every game will tell. Carlsen's views on Norway Chess While the local favourite did mention that the strongest emotion he felt during the event was his loss to Gukesh, he said he was 'relieved' that he had won it in the end. "It definitely was a very memorable tournament," he said. Considering this is now the only Classical meet he plays on a year on year basis, why does he keep coming back? The answer lies in the pacier time controls. He has long held that four hours is more than enough time to play a good game of chess in this format. "It's rare to see so many twists and turns and of course... the quality wasn't perfect but there was still a lot of good chess. In terms of the format, the reduced time control helps a lot. It's not supposed to be easy to defend. You are not supposed to be helped by increments." In the short term, he remains the world boss across formats. What should concern the others is that he won this event while playing golf for pretty much three-to-four hours on an almost daily basis while some of the others prepped for games. "At the very least, it's nice to see I can still play. And it's nice to see that at least in parts of the game, I can still be quite a lot better than the guys who are trying to take over." Final standings: Open: Magnus Carlsen 16, Fabiano Caruana 15.5, D Gukesh 14.5, Hikaru Nakamura 14, Arjun Erigaisi 13, Wei Yi 9.5; Women: Anna Muzychuk 16.5, Lei Tingjie 16, Koneru Humpy 15, Ju Wenjun 13.5, R Vaishali 11, Sara Khadem 9.
India Gazette
an hour ago
- India Gazette
21st Delhi International Open Grandmasters Chess Tournament inaugurated; Minister Parvesh Verma lauds young talent
New Delhi [India], June 7 (ANI): The 21st edition of the Delhi International Open Grandmasters Chess Tournament was officially inaugurated in the national capital, marking a significant occasion in the Indian chess calendar. Delhi Minister Parvesh Verma praised India's up-and-coming chess players at the event and offered his best wishes to the young players. Minister Verma said at the inauguration, 'The first Grandmaster Delhi Chess Tournament has been inaugurated. I convey my best wishes to all the children. India is very proud of the achievements of all our children, whether it is our Gukesh (Dommaraju) or Vaishali (Rameshbabu).' He further praised the organisers' and the chess fraternity's efforts in nurturing young talent and bringing the game to such a prominent stage. 'Many congratulations to all, and I convey my best wishes to the Federation and the Association for organising such a good tournament here at such a good level,' he added. With a record prize pool of Rs 1.21 crore, the Delhi International Open Grandmasters chess tournament is all set for its 21st edition from June 7 to 14 at Tivoli Gardens, Chattarpur, New Delhi. A marquee calendar event on the FIDE World Championship Circuit, the tournament has played a pivotal role in shaping the rise of India's chess stars, including past winners Arjun Erigaisi and Aravindh Chithambaram, R Praggnanandhaa, and World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju, who earned his final GM norm here to become a Grandmaster. Organised under the aegis of the All India Chess Federation, the Delhi GM Open has grown into the largest classical-format chess tournament in Asia by participation. This year, the Delhi GM Open will host over 2,500 players from over 15 countries, including 20 Grandmasters, competing across three rating-based categories. The prize pool marks a 168 per cent increase from last year's edition. Category A has a Rs 51 lakh prize pool and is open to internationally rated players. Categories B and C, for players rated below 1900 and 1700, respectively, will offer Rs 35 lakh each. All matches will follow FIDE rules and the FIDE Swiss System format, with 10 rounds in every section. Category A games will follow a classical time control of 90 minutes plus a 30-second increment from move one, with the top three prizes set at Rs7,00,000, Rs6,00,000, and Rs5,00,000 respectively. The top ten finishers in this category will each receive Rs 1,00,000 or more, while special prizes of Rs 1,00,000 each will be awarded to the Best Female Player and Best Foreign Player. Category B and C games will follow a 60-minute-plus-30-second time limit and 30-minute-plus-30-second formats, respectively. Entry is free for Grandmasters, International Masters, Women Grandmasters, and Women International Masters. (ANI)
