I WANT TO GO TO THE CAMEL FAIR IN PUSHKAR, INDIA, AND STAY ABOUT A WEEK IN MODERATE ACCOMMODATION. I'D ALSO LIKE TO INCLUDE SOME FURTHER TRAVEL IN RAJASTHAN. CAN YOU SUGGEST A TOUR COMPANY OR ADVISE HOW TO DO THIS ON MY OWN? I AM A SEASONED FEMALE TRAVELLER AND HAVE BEEN TO OTHER PARTS OF INDIA. N. GOVE, BONDI
Pushkar Fair is not a trip you can organise on your own, and that is no reflection on your competence as a traveller. Pushkar is a tiny town and every year it is inundated with many thousands of visitors who come to celebrate the return of Brahma, Lord of Creation, to the town's sacred lake at the time of the November full moon. Any accommodation is booked out months or years before, however, several adventure travel operators set up tented camps around the town and this is the only practical option. Intrepid Travel (intrepidtravel.com) is one of these operators and this year three of their trips – Delhi to Mumbai, Classic Rajasthan and North India Unplugged – all visit Pushkar during the fair. Since you plan to travel more widely in the state, Classic Rajasthan might be the best choice. As well as pilgrims and villagers from one of the most colourful corners of the subcontinent, the fair also attracts thieves. I speak from bitter experience. Guard your valuables well, especially when you're caught up in the crowds.
CONVERSATION OVER TO YOU ...
The question was "Have you ever used a pay-for-use airport lounge during your travels? How was it, and was it worth the money?"
G. Symons writes "In June 2015, with a five-hour layover flying Cathay Pacific through Hong Kong. I welcomed the idea of a comfortable relaxing lounger and a shower, so I parted with more than $110. What I got was a packed lounge where seats of any kind were hard to find, with an endless procession of people passing. When the time-slot came for my shower, humidity in the small cubicle meant that I was sweating freely before I got my clothes back on. I parted with extra money for a massage, but never heard my name called. The only possible benefits were theoretically unlimited finger food nibbles and drinks, but there is only so much any one traveller can absorb. I became so uncomfortable that I eventually escaped into the comparative airiness and space of the general airport waiting areas and roamed until departure. Definitely not worth $110."
From S. Moss, "Three of us used the Bidvest Premier Lounge at Johannesburg's O. R. Tambo International last week after a three-week safari. We had an eight-hour wait for our connecting flight to Perth and pre-booked before we left home. The cost was $45 each for three hours but we stayed for almost five without getting ejected. The lounge was spacious, chairs comfy, plenty of food and drink, TV and all electronic outlets etc. Worth every penny."
From K. Shanahan, "I have used a pay-for-use airport room/cabin called Yotel inside terminal 4 at London's Heathrow. Cabins are compact but smart with a bathroom, monsoon shower, comfortable bed with soft sheets, fluffy towels, flat-screen TV, desk, free Wi-Fi plus complementary hot drinks 24/7. A standard cabin (sleeps a couple) starts at $75 for four hours, depending on the time of day and choice of cabin."
Next question: Ever been bumped from a flight because of overbooking, and did the airline do anything to compensate?
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