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Viking Launches Revolutionary River Cruises In India : Explore The Heart Of Assam On The Brahmaputra

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Friday, July 11, 2025

Viking has now officially revealed its massive expansion in India by introducing river cruises along the fabled Brahmaputra River. Slated for launch in late 2027, the Viking Brahmaputra is the latest cutting-edge ship specifically tailored to provide unmatched comfort and luxury to travelers venturing on one of the most culturally and geographically diverse areas of India. The new cruise will cruise along the northeastern Indian state of Assam, covering the cities of Guwahati and Nimati Ghat. The announcement represents a historic first for Viking as it enters the Indian river cruising market, providing travelers with a different way to experience this energetic and diversified country.

North-east India, and the Indian state of Assam in particular, is famous for its natural beauty, cultural heritage, and history, and has been fast emerging as a destination choice for adventurous tourists. Viking’s Brahmaputra river cruises now offer a thrilling new dimension to India’s tourism scene by enabling tourists to experience the core of India in the perfect blend of adventure and luxury.

The Viking Brahmaputra: Setting the Benchmark for River Cruising in India
Viking has a well-established reputation for offering high-quality river cruises across Europe and Asia, and with the introduction of the Viking Brahmaputra, it is set to bring its signature Scandinavian design and comfort to India’s river cruising market. The vessel, which is still under construction, will accommodate 80 guests in 40 outside staterooms. Designed with luxury in mind, every stateroom will feature floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors, offering guests stunning views of the river and its surrounding landscapes. The ship will also include spacious suites and a variety of amenities such as a Spa & Fitness Center and an open-air Sky Bar on the Upper Deck, providing travelers with plenty of opportunities for relaxation and enjoyment.

What makes the Viking Brahmaputra special is how it delivers the ultimate blend of luxury and exploration, providing guests with an experience they will never forget on one of the world’s most legendary rivers. The ultra-modern amenities, combined with extremely individualized service, make sure guests enjoy a peaceful, stress-free trip as they indulge in the beauty and allure of India’s north-east.

The Wonders of India Itinerary: 15-Day Cultural and Scenic Adventure
Viking’s 15-day Wonders of India cruise-tour will offer travelers an in-depth experience of India’s cultural riches and UNESCO World Heritage sites. The cruise-tour, round-trip from Delhi, pairs an eight-day river cruise along the Brahmaputra River with overnights in three legendary cities—Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur—in an inclusive land component. The meticulously planned cruise-tour lets guests experience India’s most important sights, including the Taj Mahal, the Palace of Winds, and the venerable temples of Old Delhi, yet experience them from the river in a different way.

The Wonders of India tour is created to provide greater insight into India’s cultural heritage, beginning in the nation’s capital, Delhi, where tourists will be able to experience its busy streets, colorful markets, and heritage sites. Travelers in Agra will be able to experience the majestic beauty of the Taj Mahal, one of the world’s most famous structures. The tour will also transport guests to Jaipur, where tourists will be able to walk along the Pink City and experience the magnificent Palace of Winds, before enjoying the memorable Brahmaputra River cruise.

Assam’s Natural Wonders and Brahmaputra River Expedition

The Viking Brahmaputra river cruise is the crowning glory of the Wonders of India tour. While the ship navigates the picturesque landscape of Assam, the tourists will have magnificent views of the countryside villages, ancient temples, and pristine natural beauty. The Brahmaputra River, one of the longest rivers in the world, has a rich ecosystem, and tourists will marvel at its abundant wildlife, including the mythical one-horned rhinoceros and wild buffalo of the Kaziranga National Park.

Kaziranga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of India’s premier wildlife reserves and provides tourists with the opportunity to see rare creatures in the wild. The park is especially famous for its one-horned rhinoceroses, and those on the Viking Brahmaputra will be able to participate in a guided safari in the park to give the river cruise an adventurous touch.

Apart from its natural beauty, Assam has Majuli, the largest river island in the world. Majuli has its own distinguished culture, with its ancient monasteries, colourful festivals, and Assamese folk arts. The guests will get to visit this beautiful island, giving them first-hand insight into the cultural heritage of the area and life by the Brahmaputra River.

The Ultimate Combination of Adventure and Luxury

Viking’s novel river cruises on the Brahmaputra provide a completely different kind of India experience. The pairing of an eight-day river cruise and full-guided ground program, along with overnight stops in cities steeped in culture, makes this trip an immersive one. Travelers will experience India’s Golden Triangle marvels, see rural Indian villages, behold exotic wildlife, and learn the fascinating cultural heritage of the nation—all from the pampering and luxury of the Viking Brahmaputra. This new river journey marks the next breakthrough in Indian tourism, offering travelers the opportunity for high-end, hassle-free exploration of India’s inaccessible northeast.
Viking’s dedication to delivering authentic, in-depth journeys means the Wonders of India tour will be the trip of a lifetime for those who get to take it. As the Viking Brahmaputra approaches its first sailing in late 2027, travelers will be treated to a once-in-a-lifetime experience traveling through one of India’s most culturally diverse and naturally spectacular areas. The latest addition to Viking’s repertoire is the perfect reflection of the company’s commitment to providing world-class river cruising opportunities to the kind of places that inspire the imagination and create memories to last a lifetime. The Brahmaputra River, deeply rooted in culture, history, and stunning landscapes, is now ready to be one of the must-do places for river cruise travelers in search of the next experience.

(Source: Viking, German Federal Statistical Office)



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Find Sunflowers In Full Bloom At These Places In India This Month – Travel and Leisure Asia

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Find Sunflowers In Full Bloom At These Places In India This Month  Travel and Leisure Asia



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Wego India Innovates with Technology to Streamline Travel Search, Address Trends, and Drive Post-Pandemic Growth

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Friday, July 11, 2025

Wego India, a prominent metasearch engine in the travel industry, is revolutionizing the way Indian travelers plan and book their journeys by leveraging cutting-edge technology. According to Bernard Corraya, General Manager of Wego India, the company’s focus on technology and customer experience has been pivotal in enhancing travel search and expanding options for Indian users.

In an exclusive interview with TTW, Bernard Corraya, GM of Wego India, discussed the company’s innovative approach to revolutionizing the travel experience for Indian users. He highlighted Wego India’s integration of real-time APIs, offering seamless flight, hotel, and train bookings. The platform now features flexible fares, multi-carrier itineraries, and a growing focus on experiential accommodations. Corraya also emphasized Wego’s efforts to deliver personalized travel recommendations using machine learning. As India’s travel industry recovers post-pandemic, Wego is contributing to both domestic and outbound tourism by offering flexible, competitive options and a streamlined travel ecosystem.

Wego’s platform aggregates real-time data from airlines, hotels, rail operators, and OTAs through API integrations, ensuring users have access to the most up-to-date and comprehensive options available. This enables the search for flights, hotels, and trains to be smooth and seamless. A significant addition in early 2024 was the integration of a train-booking service, which directly pulls IRCTC availability, allowing users to search for train tickets alongside flights and hotels. The service is designed to allow users to filter by various preferences, such as class, departure time, and fare type, and even complete payments without leaving the platform. Underpinning this service is a robust infrastructure that ensures that search results are up-to-date, reducing booking friction and improving the user experience for Indian travelers.

Looking ahead to 2025, Wego India has observed key trends in travelers’ preferences. Indian users are increasingly opting for flexible fares, which offer refund and rescheduling options, as well as multi-carrier itineraries for better convenience. Additionally, premium-economy seating is gaining popularity for medium-haul flights as travelers seek more comfort. On the hotel front, there is a growing demand for experiential and long-stay accommodations, particularly in tier-II and tier-III cities. The preference for boutique properties and serviced apartments—combining home-style amenities with hotel services—reflects a shift in how Indian travelers want to experience their stays.

To ensure competitive pricing and a wide array of options, Wego India utilizes a dynamic pricing engine that aggregates fares from multiple sources, including direct airline APIs, global distribution systems, and third-party OTAs. This ensures that Wego India users have access to the most competitive prices, along with the flexibility to explore both standard and exclusive package deals.

The company has also embraced the demand for personalized travel recommendations. Wego employs machine-learning algorithms that analyze a user’s past searches, bookings, and travel preferences to present more tailored options. This creates a more personalized experience, allowing users to discover flights, hotels, and destinations that match their individual needs. Additionally, the homepage features “inspiration modules,” offering curated destination guides based on collective trend data.

As India’s travel industry recovers post-pandemic, Wego India is playing a crucial role in facilitating both outbound and domestic travel. With the rise in domestic tourism and outbound travel, Wego India has integrated self-drive rental services through a partnership with Zoomcar, further enhancing the convenience of travel. The company has also worked to make the booking process contactless, ensuring safety and flexibility for travelers. By aggregating multiple travel services—flights, hotels, trains, and self-drive rentals—into a seamless ecosystem, Wego India is paving the way for future growth in both leisure and business travel.

1. How is Wego India leveraging technology to enhance the travel search experience for Indian users?

Wego India operates a robust metasearch engine that aggregates live inventory from hundreds of airlines, hotels, rail operators and OTAs via real‐time API integrations. In early 2024, Wego introduced an integrated train-booking service—pulling IRCTC availability directly into its app and website—to complement flight and hotel search, allowing users to filter by class, departure time and fare type, then complete payment without leaving the Wego platform.

Under the hood, a combination of low-latency caching, incremental data polling, and predictive algorithms for ticket-confirmation probabilities ensures that search results remain both comprehensive and up-to-date, significantly reducing booking friction for Indian travelers.

2. What trends are you seeing in Indian travelers’ preferences for flights and hotels in 2025?

Users increasingly prioritize refundable or “flex” fares, multi-carrier itineraries and premium-economy seating for greater comfort on medium-haul routes. Meanwhile, hotel searches reflect a clear shift toward experiential and long-stay accommodations: demand for boutique properties in tier-II and tier-III cities is rising, and extended-stay travelers are booking serviced apartments that blend home-style amenities with hotel-class services.

3. How does Wego India ensure competitive pricing and comprehensive options in a highly dynamic market?

Wego’s dynamic pricing engine continuously polls multiple fare sources, direct airline APIs, global distribution systems and third-party OTAs, refreshing rates every few minutes to capture flash sales and limited-time bundles.

By presenting these aggregated deals side-by-side with standard fares and surfacing exclusive package rates, Wego India guarantees that every search surfaces the broadest choice at the most competitive price.

4. Can you share how Wego is addressing the growing demand for personalized travel recommendations in India?

To move beyond generic search results, Wego deploys machine-learning models that analyze each user’s past searches, bookings, trip durations and demographic signals. These algorithms rank flight and hotel options in order of likely affinity considering preferred cabin classes, budget bands and even seasonal travel habits, while “inspiration modules” on the homepage deliver hand-curated destination guides based on collective trend data. The result is a bespoke planning experience: rather than wading through hundreds of options, users are presented with personalized suggestions that align closely with their unique preferences and travel histories.

5. How is Wego India contributing to the recovery and growth of India’s outbound and domestic travel markets post-pandemic?

As India’s travel industry rebounds, with outbound trips climbing sharply throughout the year and domestic tourism leading the recovery, Wego has expanded its rail-booking service to capture intra-India travel demand and partnered with Zoomcar to integrate self-drive rentals directly into its platform.

By aggregating flights, hotels, trains and self-drive vehicles into one seamless ecosystem and by championing contactless booking pathways and flexible cancellation policies. Wego is empowering both leisure and business travellers to plan safe, autonomous journeys across India and beyond.

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Do not travel to Iran: US issues dire warning as detention, terrorism risks grow

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In its starkest advisory, the US State Department has urged American citizens not to travel to Iran “for any reason,” citing an escalating pattern of wrongful detentions, threats to civil aviation, terrorism, and misleading surrogacy services.

The updated Level 4: Do Not Travel advisory comes amid growing tensions and a string of high-profile detentions involving US nationals. “US citizens in Iran face serious dangers,” the department warned. “They have been kidnapped and wrongfully arrested. Some have been held for years on false charges, subjected to psychological torture, and even sentenced to death.”

American citizens — especially dual US-Iranian nationals, journalists, students, and business travelers — are being targeted without warning or evidence of any crime, the government said. The advisory emphasized that “having a US passport or connections to the United States can be reason enough for Iranian authorities to detain someone.”

There are currently no formal diplomatic or consular relations between Washington and Tehran. In the event of arrest or detention, the US cannot directly intervene; instead, the Swiss government acts as the “protecting power” for US interests. However, consular access is often denied, especially to dual nationals.

TERROR THREATS AND AVIATION RISK

The advisory also highlights the increasing danger from violent extremist groups. “ISIS and related groups have taken responsibility for bombings and other attacks in the country. The risk of terrorism and deadly harm to bystanders continues,” it noted.

Due to escalating threats in Iranian airspace, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has banned US flights to, from, or through Iran. The department urged Americans to consult the FAA’s NOTAM and SFAR alerts for updates on civil aviation risks.

Adding to the list of concerns is Iran’s unregulated surrogacy industry, which, according to the advisory, has grossly misrepresented security risks and US citizenship law.

“Iranian surrogacy providers have also been known to misrepresent US citizenship law,” the State Department warned. “If a child born overseas to a surrogate is not genetically or gestationally related to a US citizen parent or their spouse, the child will not automatically acquire US citizenship at birth and will not be able to obtain a US passport to leave Iran.”

The tone of the advisory is unusually grave, urging would-be travellers to prepare for the worst. Among the recommendations:

– Drafting a will

– Leaving DNA samples with a medical provider

– Establishing a proof-of-life protocol

– Sharing sensitive login and personal documents with family

– Ends

Published By:

Aashish Vashistha

Published On:

Jul 11, 2025



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