TRIPADVISOR HONOURS THE CROWN JEWELS AMONG INDIA’S HERITAGE HOTELS

Top 25 Heritage Hotels
Rank	Heritage Hotels	City
1	Taj Lake Palace Udaipur	Rajasthan
2	Umaid Bhawan Palace Jodhpur	Rajasthan
3	Taj Rambagh Hotel	Rajasthan
4	The Taj Mahal Palace	Maharashtra
5	Ratan Vilas	Rajasthan
6	The Oberoi Grand	West Bengal
7	Chapslee	Himachal Pradesh
8	Samode Palace	Rajasthan
9	Vivanta by Taj – Kumarakom	Kerala
10	Netuk House Hotel	Sikkim
11	The Imperial Hotel	National Capital Territory of Delhi
12	Emerald Isle - The Heritage Villa	Kerala
13	The Raj Palace Grand Heritage Hotel	Rajasthan
14	KTDC Lake Palace Thekkady	Kerala
15	The Naini Retreat	Uttarakhand
16	Rawla Narlai	Rajasthan
17	Hotel Castle Naggar	Himachal Pradesh
18	Brunton Boatyard	Kerala
19	SamodeBagh	Rajasthan
20	Samode Haveli	Rajasthan
21	Kalmatia Sangam Himalaya Resort	Uttarakhand
22	The Bangala	Tamil Nadu
23	Jai Mahal Palace	Rajasthan
24	Prospect Hotel	Rajasthan
25	Hotel Jaswant Bhawan	Maharashtra

 TripAdvisor^®, the world’s largest travel site*, today announced the winners of its 2013 Travellers’ Choice^® Awards for Heritage Hotels. The list includes top 25 heritage properties in India, based on millions of reviews and opinions of TripAdvisor travellers.

Speaking about the importance of these awards, Nikhil Ganju, Country Manager, TripAdvisor India said, “TripAdvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Awards for Heritage Hotels are conferred to the most popular heritage properties in the country. These awards are very special since they honour hotels that not only have preserved the architectural legacy but are an embodiment of Indian tradition and ethos.”

While Rajasthan retains its position as the undisputed heritage state with 12 out of the 25 best heritage properties from the state, this year also marks the entry of Sikkim and West Bengal in the coveted list.

India's rich cultural heritage is a big draw for avid travellers from across the world. The top 25 heritage properties, some of which are over 100 years old and have been carefully restored to former glory, play an important role in providing the experience of distinctive cultural milieu of various regions across India.

Oldest 5 Indian heritage properties in the list include (below):

1.       Samode Palace, Rajasthan (over 475 years’ old, Rank 8) – A splendid example of regal Indo-Saracenic architecture, the palace combines the best of Indian and Mughal styles. 

2.       Jai Mahal Palace, Rajasthan (over 250 years’ old, Rank 23) – Set amidst 18 acres of beautifully landscaped Moghul Gardens, this incomparable palace dates back to 1745 A.D. A masterpiece in the Indo-Saracenic style of architecture, it blends spotlight-grabbing opulence with tantalising comforts that transport guests to a world of Rajasthan magnificence.

3.       Samode Haveli, Rajasthan (over 175 years' old, Rank 20) – Built by Rawal Sheo Singhji as a manor house for the royal family. It reflects the style and elegance of the family, and the art and architecture of the times and culture, all of which have been impressively restored today. 

4.       Oberoi Grand, West Bengal (over 125 years’ old, Rank 6) – Fondly referred as the ‘Grande Dame of Chowringhee’, it offers the ultimate classical residence in the City of Joy. This heritage hotel’s neo-classical facade and grand-pillared entrance mark a successful fusion of classical Victorian and traditional Indian style, and reflect the city’s colonial history. Standing stately for over 125 years, the Oberoi Grand combines classic architecture and charm with state of the art amenities and facilities.

5.       Taj Mahal Hotel, Maharashtra (over 110 years’ old, Rank 4) – It reflects the perfect blend of Moorish, Oriental and Florentine architectural styles. With its classic grandeur and elegance, it also gives the guests panoramic views of the Arabian Sea and the Gateway of India.

For the complete 2013 Travellers’ Choice Awards for Heritage Hotels winners and more reviews, opinions and candid holiday photographs, go to http://www.tripadvisor.in/TravelersChoice-Hotels-cHeritage

Check out some amazing photographs of these places taken by TripAdvisor travellers at http://we.tl/PqI2yatTi8

BE IT ON STREETS OR IN A BOAT, IN BRIGHT DAY LIGHT OR UNDER THE DAZZLING NIGHT SKY, ASIA IS A SHOPPER’S PARADISE HOUSING A WIDE VARIETY OF MARKETS

A TripAdvisor guide to the Top 20 Asian Markets for the global traveller

 TripAdvisor^®, the world’s largest travel site*, today released its guide to Asia’s top street markets for shopping, based on the reviews and opinions of TripAdvisor travellers.

TripAdvisor list of Top 20 Asian Markets
Rank	Market Name	City	Country
1	Sunday Night Market Walking Street - ThaPae Gate	Chiang Mai Province	Thailand
2	Old Quarter	Hanoi	Vietnam
3	Chatuchak Weekend Market	Bangkok	Thailand
4	Maeklong Railway Market (Talad Rom Hub)	SamutSongkhram	Thailand
5	Bophut Walking Street	Bophut	Thailand
6	Nishiki Market	Kyoto	Japan
7	Phuket Town Night Market	Phuket Town	Thailand
8	Saturday Night Market  Walking Street - Wua Lai Road	Chiang Mai	Thailand
9	TsukijiJogaii Market	Chuo	Japan
10	Stanley, Hong Kong	Hong Kong	China
11	Raohe Street Tourist Night Market Committee	Taipei	Taiwan
12	Bac Ha Market	Bac Ha	Vietnam
13	DilliHaat	New Delhi	India
14	Salcedo Saturday Market	Makati	Philippines
15	Saturday Night Market	Arpora	India
16	Cai Rang Floating Market	Can Tho	Vietnam
17	ChandniChowk	New Delhi	India
18	LuangPrabang Night Market	LuangPrabang	Laos
19	Night Market	Kuala Lumpur	Malaysia
20	Pak KhlongTalat (Flower Market)	Bangkok	Thailand

Asia, the world's largest and most populous continent is home to diverse regions and people. It differs widely among and within its regions with regard to ethnic groups, cultures, traditions, environment and history. Its cities offer unique experiences in terms of food, handicrafts, apparel and similar such items that people shop. As offerings differ from country to country, so does the style and format of promoting the creations. One will find markets ranging from night to street; from weekend to unusual ones such as floating and railway. Here is a look at the varied markets across Asia that are a must visit for the quintessential traveller.

Thailand tops the list with the largest number of diverse street markets among the favourites followed by India and Vietnam with 3 markets each.  Other Asian countries represented on the list included Japan with 2 markets and Taiwan, Phillipines, Laos, Malaysia and China with 1 market each.

Indian markets which made it to the list:

·         Dilli Haat (Rank 13) which houses Indian arts & handicrafts created by local artists and craftsmen from various parts of the country in their traditional techniques, designs and colors.

·         Arpora Night Market (Rank 15) near North Goa beach belt is a sprawling market where one finds everything from spices, teas, mouth-watering delicacies, Kashmiri carpets and silver jewellery to unique creations of international designers, many of which may be found only here.

·         Chandni Chowk (Rank 17) with its rich cultural heritage is one of the oldest and busiest markets in Old Delhi. Originally meaning moonlit square or market it is one of the major attractions for international shoppers.

Mumbai’s Choicest**

Although they did not make it to the TripAdvisor list of Top 20 Asian Markets, Mumbai’s very own markets rated highly by foreign travellers are:

1.        Linking Road in posh Bandra (West) is the place to go whether you are a brands’ or a bargain shopper. While street vendors have an array of items like shoes, scarves, costume jewellery, bags, etc to sell, the showrooms offer almost all the major brands known in India.
2.      Crawford Market is one of the oldest markets in Mumbai where one can buy all kinds of food items, especially spices and tea. The highlight of the market, now known as Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Market, is the pet mart with its array of song birds, puppies, kittens, fish and parrots on display for sale.
3.         Chor Bazaar has emerged from an original Thieves’ Market to a place where a good

bargainer can buy anything under the sun for a song. For the happy shutterbug, the Minara Masjid, Mumbai's oldest Bene Israeli synagogue, and the Jain Temple, are of special interests here.

*The ranking was determined based on the highest average review rating of all the Asian attractions listed as markets on TripAdvisor.

**The ranking was determined basis the average review rating of reviews only by international travellers of Mumbai street markets. 

To check out photographs of these markets taken by TripAdvisor travellers please visit: Top Asian Markets