28 34 Picture Perfect Magic Happens SWITZERLAND ORLANDO JAN/JUN 2017 PLAY | EAT | SHOP | RELAX | EXPLORE MATCHLESS MUNNAR Summer 2017 CONTENTS REWARD YOURSELF 07 Corbett WITH RCI PLATINUM® Wild Encounters 10 Goa RCI Platinum® is the highest level of membership offered by RCI®, which provides you with a range The One and Only of valuable benefits, in addition to those which 14 Matchless Munnar you already receive as a RCI® member. A Hill Station Unlike Any Other 17 Coorg Top 10 Places to See 20 China A Journey to the Mysterious Land With RCI Platinum®, you will enjoy: 22 Southeast Asia GUARANTEED DISCOUNTS: Save up to r3,000 on FREE DINING PLUS MEMBERSHIP: Save up to Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines exchange holidays, r1,000 on exchange split week 30% at over 2,500 hotels/restaurants across holidays and 10% off on extra vacations GetAways*. India, and Southeast Asia. 24 Pennsylvania FREE UNIT UPGRADES*: Complimentary last LOUNGE ACCESS: Get an exclusive 35%* off In Pursuit of Happiness on services at elite Plaza Premium Lounge at minute upgrades when you take an exchange 28 Switzerland holiday. Bengaluru, Hyderabad and New Delhi airports. FOREX SAVINGS: Get exclusive benefits on the Picture Pertfect DEPOSIT RESTORE#: Deposit a week up to 6 purchase of foreign exchange from Centrum Forex. months and receive full Deposit Trading Power. 31 Las Vegas SPECIAL GRILL OFFER: Save r4,000 on the Venture Forth GUEST CERTIFICATE*: Save up to 50% when you purchase of Weber One-Touch Premium Charcoal gift a RCI® holiday. Grill or Weber Q 100 Gas Grill. 34 Orlando PRIORITY ACCESS: Get priority access^ to 50% OFF: Get a 1-year subscription to Travel + Where Magic Happens inventory available at high-demand destinations. Leisure Magazine at 50% lesser. 42 Spain PLATINUM MEMBERSHIP FEE PENNSYLVANIA: Land of Fiesta In Pursuit of Also in this Issue Year Year Year Year Year Happiness PG. 24 Letters from Members r4,699 r7,999 r11,199 r14,199 r16,499 05 26 Your RCI Holidays at a Glance 1 2 3 4 5 38 Fee Reckoner *RCI Platinum® membership and benefits are subject to terms and conditions. Please call the RCI member helpline for details. RCI reserves the right to modify/withdraw Platinum membership/Platinum benefits without prior notice. All fees mentioned are subject to change without prior notice. 40 Cruise Holidays Certain benefits are not available online. Fees mentioned are inclusive of 14% service tax, 0.5% Swachh Bharat cess and 0.5% Krishi cess, taxes are subject to change as per government regulations. #RCI Deposit Restore product is not made available to all members. ^Available on long–haul international destinations only. Please contact the RCI member helpline for more details and for other terms and conditions. 45 New Affiliations RCI Member Helpline Toll-Free (all India): 1.800.419.2131 Website: www.RCI.com ENDLESS VACATION | 3 Editor’s note Life refreshed—Bali Happiness is a place—Ooty Little by little, one travels far and set out to explore new lands where the great American nation The sight of the high Due to sickness of my wife, — J.R.R. Tolkien ourselves. Little by little, one was born. ceilinged entrance to the property Mrs. Sonita, I had to go alone on destination at a time. in Candidasa, Bali has the power vacation. In spite of being alone, The desire to know the unknown, Looking for shorter hauls? We to rejuvenate even the weariest of the location of the resort on a to see the unseen and to experi- This brings to mind the number have, featuring for the first time, travellers. Throughout the course hilltop overlooking the valley, its ence that which has never been of countries I have holidayed China (pg.20) and Southeast of our stay, the staff left no wish of ambience and aesthetics etc. did attempted before; these are so far. Out of the 100 countries Asia for you (pg.22). Sweet memories—Poovar ours unfulfilled. From organizing not let me feel lonely. The room programmed into our DNA. It is where RCI has resorts, I have Closer home we have evergreen wonderful snorkelling trips to was very spacious and well- this very urge that made early been to 26 of them—it’s still Club Mahindra Poovar is a Munnar (pg.14), Coorg (pg.17), MEMBERS the delicious food waiting for us equipped. The buffet dinner and explorers to set sail and discover a long way to go. beautiful property right on the One and Only Goa (pg.10) and on our return, no stone was left breakfast menu was exhaustive. new land. For us, fortunately, lake with stunning views. We In this issue of Endless Vacation Corbett (pg.7). unturned in their service. The The chef was very thoughtful that meant more countries to thoroughly enjoyed our stay with we bring you a mix of Indian and island served us up a wide range about timely serving of dishes visit. To help you get acquainted with our children and grandchildren. International destinations. Get RCI better, we have Your RCI of touristy pleasure. A regular day The staff was very caring, helpful and the staff was very efficient But somewhere along the way, awestruck by the majestic Alps Holidays at a Glance (pg.26) started off with an early morning and accommodating. We loved too. The ambience and interior of this spirit of adventure and our in Picture Perfect Switzerland and it is always a joy for us to swim in the company of some the meals, especially all the the restaurant and other seating desire for new sights, tastes and (pg.28), marvel at Antoni introduce our new affiliates: beautifully coloured fish, followed breakfast. Our children enjoyed areas were very appealing. It experiences became dormant. Gaudi’s creations in Spain JC Residency Madurai and by visits to temples rounded off the seafood dinner – "Malabar prompted me to indulge into Blame it on back-to-back (pg.42), be young and free in Kodaikanal (pg.49, 50), Nest 'N by seafood dinner on the beach. Shake" organized outdoors, on the photography in a professional meetings, tight schedules and Orlando (pg.34), venture forth Mist in Wayanad (pg.47), Club Nowhere else in the world would lawn. During the stay, the icing on manner. On the visiting cards deadlines. It’s about time we into Las Vegas (pg.31) and Mahindra Hatgad (pg.45) and you be able to pack such an the cake was the upgrade to the of all resort personnel it was rekindled the wonder of travel explore Pennsylvania (pg.24) Anaikatti – By the Siruvani, a eclectic mix of activities into a villas for a night. It offered a very mentioned, “ Creator of Happy Sterling Holidays resort (pg.46). single day. Bali was therapeutic in unique and serene stay. Overall Holidays”. While this may be so many ways. And the property the environment was superb. We one of the core values of Sterling In other words, you have a lot at Rama Candidasa and its staff would highly recommend this Holidays, I experienced that more destinations to explore made it one that we’ll never resort to all families and couples. everyone actually lived up to it in 2017. And I hope this issue forget. We are grateful to RCI We would love to spend our time and demonstrated it to make serves as an appetizer to plan Bangalore for suggesting this again over there. guests happy. I returned happy your next trip. resort. Our trip was possible only and fully satiated and give cent- — Kirit Dalal because of the RCI team. percent marks to all who made Sterling Holidays my holidays memorable. Happy holidaying to you! — Prosenjit Purkayastha Club Mahindra Holidays — Hemant Kataria The Resort Country Club Pali Badwal, Want your story to be featured in Endless Vacation? Write to us! Send in your story, with lots of exciting Managing Director pictures, and your exciting holiday stories will be shared with the RCI community! Email us at [email protected] LETTERS FROM 4 | JAN - JUN 2017 ENDLESS VACATION | 5 Corbett | Destination Why should your holiday be ordinary, when you can make it extraordinary? Well, now at our newly refurbished resort in Goa, you can. Check out our swanky new restaurant, reception, spa and kid’s area. We have also added new pots and pans, crockery, furniture, curtains, and whatnot; just to ensure your holiday is nothing less than royal. While you'll notice many changes out here, our legendary hospitality however remains the same. Karma Royal Benaulim WILD ENCOUNTERS KARMA CHAKRA KARMA ROYAL MONTERIO KARMA ROYAL PALMS KARMA ROYAL HAATHI MAHAL KARMA HAVELI CORBETT 'A tiger doesn’t lose sleep over the opinion of (if you are lucky) to spot the Royal Bengal sheep'. We have seen this quote floating around Tigers. There’s nothing quite like watching these To book your holiday, call your RCI Guide now at 1.800.419.2131 Facebook or as a friend’s status update. But majestic creatures in their natural habitat. Then when you really spot a tiger, going about its of course, there are the Asiatic elephants and business, you’ll realize that tigers don’t give a other large variety of flora and fauna to explore hoot about anyone’s opinion. At Corbett, located at this world-famous National Park. Welcome to in Ramnagar, you have the opportunity the wild! GOA | KUMARAKOM | JAIPUR ENDLESS VACATION | 7 Destination | Corbett Corbett | Destination HOW TO REACH THE GATEWAY TO ADVENTURE Corbett National Park is easy to reach. The nearest airports are Delhi and Pantnagar, Ramnagar, located in the foothills of Himalayas about 250 km and 121 km away from is your gateway to Jim Corbett National Park.