Travel & Spice

Shopping is probably one of the most unavoidable eventualities of any travel plan, especially overseas travel. Being a compulsive shopper myself, I tend to identify with the poor souls who very often fall unwitting prey to the lure of the super-quick and painfully convenient duty-free shopping that gets ever more attractive at airports around the world. Of course, personal favourites are bound to exist - Dubai and Singapore are mine - but almost every airport today is arming itself with a range of duty-free offerings. Even ITDC is revamping its duty-free strategy and is keen to consolidate its presence at the Indian airports. While Indian travellers are amongst the highest spenders in the world, shopping forms a sizeable chunk of this spend. ‘Travel shopping’ is however just one avenue for entertainment, and Express Business Traveller throws up some more possibilities in this issue. We have Red Light and Roses in Amsterdam as we take a tour around the ‘Flower City’ - also known to some as the ‘Sin City’ - which is never short on options for fun ‘n’ frolic, whether it be day or night. And if it’s the Indian monsoon that you’re looking to escape, take a peak at our photo gallery section and visualise what the famous Swiss mountains have in store for you. What could be better than a week-end getaway in the Swiss Alps? Though if you are afraid of heights, I’m sure you’ll find the serene Lonar crater a very good option in our very own Maharashtra. Whatever be your choice, I’m sure you will enjoy exploring the various offerings in this entertainment special, designed to add that little bit of spice to your routine business travel...

Sheldon Santwan
(ehc@vsnl.com)