JANUARY/JUNE 2011

The new world of RCI Holidays

More flexibility, more transparency, more choice

5 whole years of RCI Holidays...

from just T6.00 a day!

Avail RCIs Special 2011 Renewal Offer today!

Renew your RCI Membership more than 12 months in advance, and you pay only N10,950 for a 5-year extension. So, for just N6.00 per day, you and your family can enjoy the best of holidays for 5 whole years: Exchange Holidays in over 4,000 RCI-afliated resorts around the world Fabulous RCI Rental deals in the worlds great cities and other sought after destinations And much more! Plus, you save N1,950 on the regular 5-year renewal fee. Surely you dont want to miss out on this great opportunity! So avail RCIs Special 2011 Renewal Offer, and renew your Membership today. 5-Year Renewal
Regular Renewal Fee More than 12 months before expiry 6 to 12 months before expiry 3 to 6 months before expiry 15% 10% 5%

Discount

You pay* You save*

N12,900 N10,950 N11,600 N12,250 N1,950 N1,300 N650

3-Year Renewal
Regular Renewal Fee More than 12 months before expiry 6 to 12 months before expiry 3 to 6 months before expiry
*Calculated to the nearest multiple of N50

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15% 10% 5%

N8,250 N8,750 N9,200

N1,450 N950 N500

RCI Member Helpline Toll Free (All India): 1800 419 2131 Bangalore: +9180-41849100/66915555 Email: indiarci@rci.com Website: www.rci.com

January June 2011

contents
A GOOD THING GETS EVEN BETTER

RCI WEEKS ENHANCEMENTS

features
8 EUROPES HIDDEN GEMS

15

From thermal spas to Alpine splendour, there was never a dull moment for Venkata Subramanian on his holiday in Central Europe

12 A JOURNEY INTO HISTORY

A week is too short to savour Rajasthans treasures, discovers Daisy Ardeshir

15 THE NEW WORLD OF RCI HOLIDAYS

8 12 36

A good thing gets even better with the new enhancements to your RCI Weeks membership

27 GREEK TRAGEDY AT THE ACROPOLIS

Anushka Ravishankar nds unexpected drama on her day in Athens, as she tackles the rain with dry humour

36 ENCHANTING NEW ZEALAND

in each issue
4 6 10 23 24 30 32 34 Operational Resorts Letters from our Members Magic Memories Rate Reckoner Member Benets Inside View Resort News Snappy Holiday Recipes

Neeta Nair and her family are captivated by New Zealands magnetic charm

27
is the ofcial travel publication of RCI

Operational Resorts: India & Sri Lanka

Manali 6753 Club Mahindra Snowpeaks 4807 Manali Resorts 5892 Royal Banon Resorts 4896 Snowcrest Manor-Manali 4087 Sterling White Mist Dharamshala A298 Club Mahindra Kangra Valley Shimla 3823 Toshali Royal View C084 East Bourne Resort C348 Club Mahindra Whispering Pines Parwanoo 5195 Timber Trail Heights Ramnagar 5859 The Leisure Club A962 The Riverview Retreat C182 The Solluna Resort C347 Club Mahindra Safari Resort Gurgaon 4438 Resort Country Club Jodhpur 6191 Ajit Bhawan 6282 Fort Chanwa Luni C345 Prescon Desertscape Jaipur A960 Cambay Spa & Resort C261 Cambay Golf Resort, Jamdoli Udaipur C262 Cambay Spa & Resort
15

Mussoorie 4175 Avalon Mussoorie 6755 Hilltop at Avalon (Club Mahindra Associate) 7492 Hotel Green Castle Auli 4276 Clifftop Club Nainital A961 The Naini Retreat C083 Club Mahindra Dancing Waters, Naukuchiatal Almora 6692 Club Mahindra Binsar Valley Resort

Manali Dharamshala Shimla Parwanoo

Chandigarh
1

Kullu

Mussoorie Auli Nainital Ramnagar

New Delhi

Bhimtal 4431 Country Inn-Bhimtal 7695 Mountain Club Gangtok C346 Club Mahindra Royal Demazong

Almora

Bhimtal Gangtok

Bikaner

Gurgaon

Agra Jodhpur Udaipur

8

Kanpur
11 31

32 39

Jaipur

Kumbhalgarh
7 2

Agra 5681 Jaypee Palace Hotels

Gandhinagar Ahmedabad
8

Indore
3

Jabalpur

Kumbhalgarh A486 Club Mahindra Fort Kumbhalgarh Ahmedabad 6474 The Luxury Club at Le Meridien Gandhinagar A472 Cambay Spa & Resort Silvassa 3090 Ras Resorts Silvassa

Kolkata

INDIA
6

6 5

Raichak

Nagpur

Kolkata 6691 Vedic Village Raichak 5490 The Ffort Holiday Klub Puri 4279 The Chariot 2955 Toshali Sands

Bhubaneshwar

Silvassa Mumbai Lonavala Pune

9

Puri

Hyderabad

Mumbai 6475 The Luxury Club at Le Royal Meridien 4889 VITS Mumbai Lonavala 3935 Treasure Island C364 The Lagoona Resort Pune C264 The Waterfront Shaw, Lavasa C363 Le Royale Residency Coorg 3452 Orange County Resort 7703 Club Mahindra Kodagu Valley Kannur 7636 Kairali Heritage Munnar 4800 Club Mahindra Lake View 3720 Sterling Green Vistas 3470 The Tall Trees Thekkady A963 Club Mahindra Tusker Trails Kottayam 4962 Golden Waters C263 Gold Field Lake Resort - Kumarakom Alleppey C260 Panoramic Sea Resorts Kollam C090 Club Mahindra Backwater Retreat C091 Cambay Palm Lagoon Thiruvananthapuram 8666 Poovar Island Resort 4 JANUARY/JUNE (Club Mahindra Associate) Kovalam C138 The Country Club Treasure Cove

4 17

Hyderabad 4256 Amrutha Castle 8773 The Country Club International Goa 5890 Averina Beach 4883 Club Mahindra Varca Beach 5677 Phoenix Park Inn 5743 Lotus Suites Goa 3726 Royal Goan Beach Club at Benaulim 3820 Royal Goan Beach Club at Monterio 4129 Royal Goan Beach Club-Haathi Mahal 3594 Royal Goan Beach Club-Royal Palms 4891 Sun Village 5324 Vista do Rio 8872 The Country Clube de Goa Hampi/Hospet C475 Vijayshree Heritage Village Yercaud 4881 Sterling Rock Perch C082 Lake Forest Yercaud (Club Mahindra Associate) Ooty 5192 Hill Country Resorts-Ooty 3721 Sterling Elk Hill 2969 Sterling Fern Hill Kodaikanal 5193 Hill Country Resorts-Kodaikanal 3719 Sterling Lake View Hambantota 5258 The Oasis

Goa

Hampi/ Hospet

5 7

Mangalore

Coorg

Ooty Kodaikanal Munnar Madurai Thekkady Kottayam 9 7 Alleppey SRI Kollam LANKA Thiruvananthapuram 6
Kochi Colombo
2

Kannur

Bangalore Yercaud

Chennai

6 4

Hambantota

100

200 Miles

100 200 Kilometres

2011

Check out your 2011 holiday opportunities!

Take a look at the 2011 Holiday Calendar in the enclosed Plan Your 2011 Holidays pullout. There are plenty of long weekends to look forward to: start planning right away, and you could end the year with a bagful of new holiday memories. Whether its a spot of adventure you crave or just a laid back week of fun and relaxation, we have plenty to oer you!

news from RCI

Its unusual for Endless Vacation, a magazine about travel and holidaying, to have a cover feature thats centred on technology; but when technology impacts the way you plan and book your RCI Holidays to the extent that the recent enhancements to your RCI Weeks membership have, an exception is surely called for. These changes have not happened overnight. From the January-June 2009 issue of Endless Vacation, we have been telling you about the amazing new features that have been incorporated in RCI.comthe new user-friendly interfaces, the improved functionality. We have also been urging you to register at RCI.com to get the most out of your RCI membership: when you turn the pages and nd out about all the great things you can now do online, with tools such as the Exchange Planner and the Deposit Calculator to help you, youll understand why. Its not just online that youll nd the improved experience. When you contact our Call Centre, youll nd that your RCI Guides use the new transparency about trading power and the new tools to help you fully leverage the exibility that Deposit Credits and Combined Deposits bring to your holiday planning. The launch of these new enhancements in November 2010 is arguably the most momentous event in RCIs 35 year history: the culmination of a global eort that took its cues from what members told us they wanted, and then married the benets of the latest technological developments to the RCI Exchange System to deliver a revolutionary new experience. In the larger context, however, momentous though these enhanced benets denitely are, they are not an end in themselves: they are but a major milestone in our never ending quest to be responsive to the ever changing world around us as we make a good thingholiday exchange and all the benets it brings to your timeshare ownershipeven better! In the Plan Your 2011 Holidays pullout this year, you will not only nd the 2011 Holiday Calendar, but also useful tips on how you can go about transacting on RCI.com once you have registered. I am sure you will nd the pullout and the enclosed Availability Grid invaluable as you go about using your new membership benets to bring back incredible holiday memories in the New Year. Happy holidayingand have a great 2011!

For Your Eyes Only

Theres plenty that you can do once you log on to RCI.com, and go to the members-only section of the Web site. The Online Ease guide on the reverse of the Plan Your 2011 Holidays pullout tells you how to use the tabs and links to navigate through the member pages at RCI.com, whether you want to transact or just get information.

New Rate Reckoner

Of special interest in the 2011 Rate Reckoner is the fee for Combining Deposits: A2,500 is all that it will cost you to avail this great new feature of your RCI membership! Go to Page 23 for full details of the fees that will apply for all your RCI transactions this year.

Radhika Shastry Managing Director Indian Subcontinent

Endless Vacation Magazine is published twice a year by RCI India Pvt. Ltd. Designed by DIREM Marketing Services (Bangalore) Pvt. Ltd. Original articles and contributions may be reproduced or transmitted only with written permission from the publisher. No responsibility is accepted by RCI India for any losses or other consequences resulting from advertisements or other material in this publication. All offers appearing in the publication are subject to terms and conditions, and availability. RCI 2011.

JANUARY/JUNE 2011

letters
Scandinavian Heaven
My idea of a vacation has gained a new meaning. At the age of sixty four, I am rediscovering the world and visiting new destinations with my wife. It is like embracing life one more time, and making the most of my time o from work. This summer, we escaped from the sweat and scorching heat of Mumbai and went straight to Sweden. I have a great friend in Sweden, and, having looked up the RCI directory, we found a great resort in re.

from our members

An entertaining incident or a cultural insight. Or even how RCI has enhanced your holiday experience. Just write in to Editor Endless Vacation, RCI India Pvt Ltd, Pine Valley, First Level, Embassy Golf Links Business Park, Off Intermediate Ring Road, Bangalore 560071, India, or email editor.ev@rci.com, and share your memories with other RCI members. Selected letters will be published in the next issue of Endless Vacation.

Different Worlds
It was a hot, clammy summer night when my husband, Mario, my son, Niketh, and I left Mumbai on 1 May 2010 to begin our holiday in Turkey. We arrived at our rst destination, Bodrum, at 4 pm. The cool breeze that greeted us when we exited the airport was a welcome change from the heat back home. RCI had booked our accommodation at Club Dedemen. It was a short, scenic drive from the airport to the resort. The view of the unending Blue Ocean and the tiny houses dotting the skyline was simply breathtaking. The resort had apartments located at dierent levels. From our apartment, we could get a view of the bay, with yachts of the rich and famous anchored there.

From re, we hopped across to Norway, and made our way to Trondheim. Though there is a direct train to Trondheim that runs twice daily, we drove there, and it took us only two hours. The drive was amazing. I lost count of the lakes we saw on the way. I wouldnt be exaggerating if I said we saw more lakes than people! Trondheim was intriguing. I was told that it served as the capital for many years under Viking rule. But this is debatable, as many believe that Trondheim was founded only towards the end of the Viking era. What is more established is that the city was a religious centre during the Middle Ages. The Nidaros Cathedral was an important destination for pilgrims from Northern Europe, and its grandeur is self-evident. Now, the city is mostly a centre for students, as it is the home of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. A word for those who want to explore Europe with the Eurail Pass: this is the ideal place to use it, because you can travel from any popular European gatewayCopenhagen, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Zurich, or any other and take a dream journey to your destination. Needless to say, Malm and Stockholm are also very well connected to Are. Prakash Latkar Member from Club Mahindra

re is a haven for ski lovers. It is what Auli is for Indians. Almost 30,000 people from all over the world come and enjoy skiing in re. From here, it is also easy to go to reskutan, which is the highest mountain in the area, and which was the host for the 2007 FIS Alpine World Ski Championship. When we reached re, we were initially overwhelmed with all the snow. But it did not take us more than a day to get back to being kids. We had snow ghts and made wasted attempts to create a snowman. The place was thoroughly entertaining. Out of curiosity, I looked up the register in the resort, and I was a little shocked to nd that my wife and I were the only Indian visitors who had visited the place in the new millennium. The last Indian visitor they had was in 1983!
6 JANUARY/JUNE 2011

There was a huge, inviting swimming pool, which was a wonderful place to end our evenings. The resort also had a dedicated animation group, so there was always something for us to do. They even arranged for us to take one of the traditional Turkish hamams (baths), which turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip. Buses from the terminus at the foot of the resort took us to Bodrum city, where we explored its castles, museums,

shopping, and other attractions. If, by chance, we were late for the bus, the resort sta was more than happy to drop us o at the city centre. The sta was very friendly and helpful, and went out of their way to try and help us in whatever way they could, in spite of the language barrier. After our week in Bodrum, we caught a ferry to Rhodes in Greece. We took a cab from the ferry terminal, and got to Sun Beach Holiday Club. Words cannot do justice to this fabulous resort, which is located right on the Lalyssos beach. The resort was split into several buildings,

Our nal destination was Athens, which was a ferry ride away from Rhodes. Our only mistake here was not taking RCI accommodation; because we felt the dierence, now that we were staying in a regular hotel room again. From Athens, we caught our plane back to Mumbai, with a heavy heart, but with wonderful memories to last us a lifetime. Thank you, RCI! You made our trip truly special, with excellent accommodation. Each resort was absolutely fabulous. We are looking forward to years of wonderful vacationingand you being a big part of that. Anne Desouza Member from Sterling Holidays

Beijing
Our visit to Beijing from 2-7 July 2010 was very enjoyable, and our stay was comfortable. The level of development of the Chinese capital was far beyond our expectations. Present day Beijing is the equal of downtown New York or Chicago, with its wonderful network of clean and beautiful roads, with grade separators facilitating easy movement of trac, without any trac snarls.

A Perfect Gift
My wife, Rajvi, and I visited Orange County from 11-18 July this year. The holiday was a gift from my father, Anil Shah, who is an RCI member from Sterling Holidays. The resort was excellent, and we cannot describe how much fun we had... Going on nature walks and plantation tours was an experience that was out of this world. It was so quiet and green there that it set a perfect atmosphere for our vacation. The resorts sta was the best, and accommodating of all our needs. Food in all the three restaurants was excellent. We are looking forward to visiting the resort again every three or four years! Sahil Shah

each bearing the name of a Greek god or goddessours was Athena. It had two swimming pools, two childrens pools, and a private beach. The apartment itself was fabulous. It had two large rooms and a huge terrace overlooking the sea. There was also a DVD player, to our pleasant surprise, and the resort sta was more than happy to lend us a couple of DVDs! Rhodes is an old town, with cobbled streets and old buildings that have been converted into shops and restaurants without disturbing their old world charm. But, for us, the main attraction was the beach, where we spent most of our evenings just lazing around, watching the beautiful ocean while reading a book. The resort was located next to numerous restaurants and fast food joints. We chanced upon a nice little diner called Mikes Tasty while visiting a nearby tourist information kiosk, and we began to go there religiouslynot just for the lip smacking food, but also due to the warm and friendly owners.

All the roads are neatly lined with trees and owering plants. They are spic and clean, without dust and litter. Above all, what impressed us most was the absence of noise pollution, with no blaring of horns or loud noise from engines. This itself is a wonderful tourist experience! Beijing has been transformed so totally that it was unrecognisable from the old photographs of the city that we had seen. Instead of monotonous rows of buildings that we expected to see in a Communist country, we found that the tall buildings, both residential and commercial, each had its own distinct identity. At the same time, they have retained historic monuments in all their glory, and their maintenance is to be appreciated. Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, Maos mausoleum, and the Olympic Stadium were all fascinating. Outside the city, the Ming tombs and the Great Wall of China are a must for visitors. No visitor should miss the visit to the Silk Market either. Our seven day stay in Beijing will be in our hearts always. Mohanakrishnan Member from Royal Goan Beach Club
JANUARY/JUNE 2011 7

been there
From thermal spas to Alpine splendour, there was never a dull moment for Venkata Subramanian on his holiday in Central Europe

ince 2003, when we became members of Club Mahindra and RCI, we have had many opportunities to use the glorious and excellent facilities at RCI-aliated resorts around the worldin New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Germany, England, France and Switzerland. Wemy wife Meenakshi, son Kartik and Ihave just got back from a two-week holiday in Hungary and Austria, where we had a wonderful time at Club Dobogomajor near Heviz in Hungary, and Ferienclub Bellevue (Mondi) in Bad Gastein, in Austria.

Europes Hidden Gems

JANUARY/JUNE 2011

Hungary comes across as a lovely, green, serene and laid back country with very warm, aectionate people who are always willing to help foreigners visiting their country. The place where we stayed, Heviz, is a small, beautiful town in the southern part of Hungary, which is well known for its thermal lakes. Club Dobogomajor is located in Cserszegtomaj, and is very close to some of the largest thermal spas, where one can spend a full day lazing in the various water streams and open lakes that have natural thermal water. Kehidakustany is one such thermal resort which you must not miss if you visit Club Dobogomajor. Situated only 14 km away, this is a perfect place for a thermal dip and hot water massage. The place is huge and full of people, especially over the weekends. Lake Balaton is the largest lake in Central Europe and is situated not very far from Heviz. Driving across the countryside is the best way to get around. There are various tourist spots along Lake Balaton like Szigliget, the remains of a small old castle, Balatonfured, and Siofok. Kesztheley is a small town near Club Dogobomajor which has two important places for touristsa McDonalds restaurant and a Tesco supermarket. Tesco came in handy for us, as we got all that we required for a short stay. Budapest was a surprise packet; Buda (the hillside) and the Pest (the plains) were a brilliant combination, buzzing with activity. The Liberty Statue, facing the main city centre from a hill, the third largest Parliamentthe brilliant 22 carat gold plated ornamental carvings, and the wood and glass work make it a must seeand a War Memorial built 300 years back, all made the drive from Heviz worthwhile. The city is a mix of old history and new age technology. The seven bridges, built across centuries on the River Danube, make a lovely sight from the Liberty Statue atop a hill. Coming as we were from the plains and lakes of Hungary, we found Austria to be a contrast in itself. It is so scenic, you could choose any part of the country for a photo shoot, and it would look brilliant! When we had visited New Zealand, we had thought that there could be no better place on earth; Austria runs New Zealand very close, I must say.

With the Alps in the background across most of the country, and plenty of Experience the contrasting small rivers, lakes and snow pleasures that Austria and clad mountains, it is dicult Hungary offer with RCI. to distinguish Austria from Switzerland. The motorways are extensions of the German Austria autobahns, and we could RCI has 17 afliated resorts do the drive from Heviz to in Austria. Bad Gastein, a distance of about 630 km, in six hours Hungary with a break. We wondered RCI has 14 afliated resorts why India cant import road in Hungary. construction technology Also, check for RCI rentals in from Austriawe never Vienna, Graz, Budapest and encountered a single pothole other urban destinations. anywhere across the whole country, even though we traversed so many roads built over rocky mountains. Bad Gastein in itself is a beautiful place. It is a 22 km drive from the motorway up to the Ferienclub Bellevue (Mondi) resort, with mountains on both sides. Among the places that you must not miss is Zel am See, a beautiful small town about a 48 km drive from Bad Gastein. Right next to it is Kaprun, from where you can take a long ride up the ropeway to the snow clad Alps It is one of the largest ski centres in the country, and, during winter, the place is overcrowded with skiers. Innsbruck and a visit to the Swarovski Museum (with some cash or plastic on hand!) was also on our list. The drive from Bad Gastein to Innsbruck is picturesque, and, though we covered nearly 278 km, it did not give us the feeling of having driven 1 times the distance from Mumbai to Nashik! We had a once-in-a-lifetime experience when we visited the Liechtenstein Gorge near St Johann. The walk up the gorge on a carefully laid out wooden platform, cutting through the mountain and terminating at a huge waterfall, was quite amazing! This rare gorge is well charted for people to visit and experience, rather than just click pictures. Another must-see is an experience totally out-of-this-world. Ever heard of the Eisriesenwelt Ice Caves? They are the largest ice cave system on Earth, more than 48 sq km in size, with some of the largest stalactites and stalagmites! The guided tour, with expert guides, takes you on a 700-step walk up dark stairs, and the same number to come down its like a one hour journey through some dream. The approach to the caves in itself is quite something, with a 20 minute walk to the ropeway, and another 20 minute walk to the entrance of the cave, up the mountain in Werfen. The motorway and the speeding cars look like miniature toys from that height. It was truly one of the best experiences and memories we carried from Austria. What we covered must be just one half of Austria given the six day vacation we had; and I think we will return soon to explore more of this country, the natural beauty of which is just superb.
Venkata Subramanian is an RCI member from Club Mahindra.

stay

JANUARY/JUNE 2011

magic memories

Your priceless holiday memories could win you a prize.

Once again, we bring you some priceless memories captured by RCI Members on holiday. Like we said before, it is the quality of the moment youve captured that really matters. All that it takes is a fun-lled RCI holiday. And, of course, for you to enter the photographs in the RCI Magic Memories contest.

1
Prize

st

Camera
Akalp Gupta Member from Royal Goan Beach Club [South Africa]

2
Prize iPod

nd

S Krishnamurthy Member from The Village [Kollam]

Pranav Chaturvedi
Member from Club Mahindra [London]

3
Prize
1 2

rd

Hardev Singh
Member from Avalon Mussoorie [Bali]

Binoculars
Ravi Sodhani Member from VITS, Mumbai [Munnar]

Avinash B Dahima
Member from VITS, Mumbai [Las Vegas]

Akshay M Vani
Member from Sterling Holidays [South Africa]

Dr Jayashri S Pandya
Member from VITS, Mumbai [Malaysia]

Komath Sivadasan
Member from Royalty Club [Coorg]

Zenobia M Framroze
Member from Club Mahindra [Miami]

10

JANUARY/JUNE 2011

st

Prize

2
Prize

nd

3
Prize

rd

Please write RCI Magic Memories on the envelope and mail your entries before 15 April 2011 to Editor Endless Vacation, RCI India Pvt Ltd, Pine Valley, First Level, Embassy Golf Links Business Park, Off Intermediate Ring Road, Bangalore 560071, India, or email editor.ev@rci.com. All entries must have the members name, RCI membership number and holiday destination behind the photograph. Please do not staple the prints. All prints will be considered the property of RCI India and will not be returned. RCI reserves the right to publish these photographs in any of its publications in India or abroad.

JANUARY/JUNE 2011

11

been there
A week is too short to savour Rajasthans treasures, discovers Daisy Ardeshir

and had wondered what it would be like. Driving through it satised our curiosity. After lunch at a multi-cuisine restaurant, we drove to Amber Fort, passing Jal Mahal en route, making a note to spend some time there later, as we had to reach Amber Fort before it closed at 4.30 pm. This fort is setin rugged hills, and made in red sandstone and white marble. The Shish Mahal was undergoing renovation so we could only click pictures of the external walls. There are many touts around posing as guides, so it is advisable to take a licensed one to get a good understanding of the fort. We did not wait for the sound and light show which takes place every evening. The last halt of our day was at Moti Dungri, meaning Pearl Hill. Atop the hill is a Scottish-type castle, which is open to the public only once a year, and hence we could not visit it. But we visited the Ganesh Temple and the Lakshmi Narayan Temple, built completely in white marble, which are at the foot of the hill. Day 3: We started the day with a visit to Sisodia Rani ka Baug (Ghat ni Guni) situated on the Jaipur-Agra road. It consists of tiered multilevel gardens with fountains, which are illuminated after sunset. Our next stop was the Jaigarh Fort, which we found the most spectacular of the three hill-top forts. It took us nearly two hours to cover the area, which has palaces, a granary, a cannon foundry, a tall tower, and a giant mounted cannon called Jai Baan, which is the largest cannon on wheels in the world. Nahargarh Fort was a let-down in comparison, except that it oered a birds eye view of Jaipur city. On our return, we spent some time at the promenade of Man Sagar Lake, and had a good view of Jal Mahal or the Island Palace situated in the middle of it.

or our RCI holiday this year, my husband Marzban and I put our nger on Royal Rajasthan. But how could we plan a holiday for only one week to this land of contrasts, with its rich culture and heritage, imposing monuments, colourful arts and crafts, and amazing topography? Again, we wanted this holiday to be a blend of leisure and travel, to see as many places as possible, without overdoing it. It was not an easy task, but we took up the challenge, and decided to go ahead. So we started our research from various sources, chalked out our weeks itinerary covering three places only, and made the relevant bookings.

Day 1: We took a 1-hour direct Go Air ight to Jaipur on 17 September afternoon, and headed straight to Cambay Golf Resort at Jamdoli, on the outskirts of Jaipur, o the JaipurAgra highway. We arranged for a tourist vehicle to take us around Jaipur for the next two days, went through our notes, and made a list of places to visit each day. The rest of the evening was spent relaxing and soaking in the atmosphere. Day 2: The rst thing our driver told us was that we were very lucky with the weather, as there has been abundant rain this yearthe best in the last 14 years. (In fact, during our ight descent the previous day, we noticed greenery down below, and wondered how a land known for its dry and hot climate could display such greenery!) We showed him the list of places we would like to visit, and invited his opinion and suggestions on them. He was impressed, and became quite enthusiastic as well. Our rst halt was Ram Niwas Bagh which is a spacious garden with four sentry doors, and houses a zoo, aviary, greenhouse, auditorium, small pools and fountains. But the most striking feature is the Albert Hall situated in the middle of the garden. There we bought a 2-day pass for B50, which covers entry to ve dierent attractionsAlbert Hall, Jantar Mantar, Hawa Mahal, Amber Fort and Nahargarh Fort. To go around Albert Hall, we bought an audio guide, which provided each of us one headset to listen to the commentary on the exhibit halls displaying a rich collection of artefacts. We proceeded to Jantar Mantar, the stone observatory with complex, scientically designed instruments, which represents the high point of medieval Indian astronomy. Just a stones throw away is the City Palace, with a blend of Rajput and Mughal architecture. The erstwhile royal family still lives in one part of this palace, which also houses a museum with a collection of costumes, an armoury and an art gallery. We drove past Hawa Mahal, with its 953 delicately honeycombed pink sandstone windows; it is best viewed from the road outside. We had heard Jaipur being called the Pink City,
Daisy Ardeshir is an RCI member from Royal Goan Beach Club.

A JOURNEY INTO HISTORY

12

JANUARY/JUNE 2011

Thanks to the good rainfall this year, all the water bodies were full, much to the delight of the locals. We had a few hours to while away before we headed to Chowki Dani at 7 pm. You guessed right! Our wallets got lighter, as we went shopping!!! Chowki Dani is a large open air complex, depicting the village life of Rajasthan. You have a magician, dancers, camel and elephant rides, and palm reading at various spots. The highlight of the evening was a typical Rajasthani dinner, sitting on the oor, and served in village ware. Day 4: In keeping with our original plan, this day was spent at leisure in the comfort of the resort, as we had to take an overnight train to Udaipur. The train came in two hours late. Day 5: At Udaipur station, the pre-booked vehicle awaited us, and took us around the city. Udaipur has been fondly called the Venice of India. But scanty rainfall and drying up of the lakes in recent years belied this notion. This year, the abundant rainfall has reinstated it. Our rst stop was at the overowing Fateh Sagar lake. Viewed from a higher altitude, this lake resembles a rough outline map of India. We spent

some time breathing in the fresh morning air on its banks.

stay
RCI has 7 afliated resorts in Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kumbhalgarh and Udaipur.

Our next halt was Saheliyon ki Take your trip into historic Bari, the garden of the maidens, Rajasthan with RCI. with its fountain pools, the main one being the lotus pool. Moti Magari (Pearl Mount) has an impressive bronze statue of Maharana Pratap on his horse Chetak, and it overlooks Fateh Sagar lake.

We drove to the City Palace. It towers over Pichhola lake on a hill, oering a spectacular view of two island palaces: Jag Mandir and Lake Palace. It took us about two hours to go round the City Palace. Driving along Pichhola lake , we reached Dudhia Talai, from where we took a ropeway to the sunset point and the temple. The view from this height was simply breathtaking... a clear sky, with the sun shining over the city and overowing lakes. We spent some relaxed moments at Gulab Baug and Rajiv Gandhi Garden. Towards the evening, we headed to Sajjangarh Palace, also known as the Monsoon Palace, which is built at a height of 691 m on top of the Bansdara hill. It oers a panoramic view of the city and the surrounding countryside. From the terrace, you can see the sun setting behind the Aravalli Hills. But, for us, it was marred by clouds. We browsed around a few shops before returning to the station, to catch the overnight train back to Jaipur. Day 6: We arrived early in the morning at Jaipur, headed straight to our resort, switched to leisure mode, and spent the rest of the day relaxing and planning our excursion next day to Ajmer. Day 7: We left the resort at 7.30 am, and drove straight to Ajmer to pay homage at the Dargah Sharif. The place was crowded with pilgrims, and a volunteer guided us through the shrine. A short walk from there led us to Adhai Din ka Jhonpra. It is so named because a legend says that this masterpiece of architecture was constructed in just 2 days! After worshipping at a Muslim holy place, we proceeded to do the same at a Hindu holy sitethe Pushkar temple and lake. There, we were hounded by touts and others who wanted to make a quick buck out of us. We donated to the fund to feed the poor (the same amount we gave at the Dargah), but refused to be drawn into any other schemes. We returned to the resort, tired after a long drive on a hot day. We did not want to think of our vacation coming to an end, so we just relaxed and left the winding up process for the next morning. On our return, our Go Air ight to Mumbai was delayed by half an hour. Our Journey into History is not yet complete, as there is still lots to cover in Royal Rajasthanand we look forward to taking another RCI Holiday to other exotic destinations!!!
JANUARY/JUNE 2011 13

Spirit of the land

Providing exquisite holiday experiences, while preserving the purity of nature and culture of the land.

Coorg - Coffee, Spice & Plantation Life: A 300 acre working plantation resort tucked deep within the cool green hills of Coorg at a height of 800 m. Bordered by the legendary river Cauvery. Surrounded by virgin forests. Enveloped by the heady aroma of coffee and spice. Shrouded in myths and legends. Welcome to Orange County, Coorg, a Gold Crown resort.

Kabini - Wildlife, the Tribal Way: A resort inspired by a tribal village. Designed around a pristine river. Bordered by a legendary forest. Welcome to Orange County, Kabini, tucked within the Nilgiri Biosphere. A journey that takes you closer to the heart of a rustic land. One that opens up the wild side of nature.

Special Offers available for RCI members

luxury resorts
14 JANUARY/JUNE 2011 For details contact Bangalore, India: Tel: +91 (0)80 4191 1021 / 22 / 23 E-mail: members@orangecounty.in www.orangecounty.in

cover story

the

new

world of

RCI

A GOOD THING GETS EVEN BETTER

holidays

years ago, RCI invented holiday exchange to add exibility to your holiday ownership, by enabling you to exchange the Holiday Week you own at your home resort for a week at another RCI-aliated resort anywhere in the world. Over the years, we have helped our members enjoy more than 50 million memorable holidays to over 4,000 RCI-aliated resorts in destinations around the globe. Even as many of you have shared your wonderful RCI holiday experiencesand the joy they have brought you!with us, you have also given us suggestions on the ways that we can make your RCI experience even better. Today, RCI is REINVENTING holiday exchange by building and expanding your RCI membership benetsand giving you what youve asked for. As you can see below, over the past 2 years, weve been delivering new tools and Web features that make holiday planning fun and easy all in preparation for these exciting new enhancements to your RCI membership! RCI now oers more choice and innitely greater exibility to add value to your RCI membership, and help you maximise the use of your holiday ownership. And weve made your membership benets so much easier to understand and use that all you have to do is work out where you want to go!

35

DECEMBER 2008 Enhanced Search: Customise your search and see all your options

JULY 2009 Faster online registration and email updates More resort photos and videos

JULY 2010 Advanced Search Favourite Searches Redeem special offers and quickly modify your reservation online

2011 & BEYOND Even more coming soon!

FEBRUARY 2009 RCI TV with videos, information and member reviews

DECEMBER 2009 E-mail notications for Ongoing Searches Even more resort information Expanded destination information

NOVEMBER 2010 Trading power transparency More exibility with Deposit Credits and Combined Deposits More planning tools at RCI.com

JANUARY/JUNE 2011

15

ALL ABOUT YOUR RCI WEEKS ENHANCEMENTS

So what exactly are the new enhancements we have made to your RCI Weeks membership? And how do they benet you? Heres what we bring you:

More Transparency
Ever since you became an RCI member, the trading power of the Holiday Weeks you deposit with us has been the key to determining what Exchange Holidays you can take. The great news is that your trading power is no longer a secret. Now you can SEE the exact trading power of your deposited Week, and directly compare it to the trading power of resorts where you wish to take an Exchange Holiday. You can search for holidays of equal or lesser trading power than your Deposit or search for ALL available holidays, regardless of trading power.
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More Value
In the past, when you took an Exchange Holiday, your Deposited Week was utilised in full, even if the holiday you booked had a trading power lower than your own. Thats no longer the case. When you trade down for an Exchange Holiday with lower trading power than your Deposit, you will receive a Deposit Credit back into your account! You may use that Deposit Credit for a second Exchange or save it for future use.

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More Flexibility
Ever asked for a dream holiday only to nd that the trading power of your Deposit was not enough to book it? Well, that need no longer be the case.

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Now, not only can you split your Deposit Trading Power and get a Deposit Credit, you can add up the trading power of more than one deposited Week or Deposit Credit to access holidays that require a higher trading power.

This is a great opportunity for me to avail holidays in Bangkok and Pattaya by clubbing the 2008 Week I have already deposited with my Week from 2011. The system of accumulating trading power is a great advantage for us. Asoke Bose Member from The Chariot

More Choice
What all this adds up to is more choice. Now you know the trading power you have, and the trading power you need to book the holidays you want. And you are no longer restricted by the Deposit Trading Power of a single Week. So, with proper planning, you can take moreand more fabulous! holidays than you ever could before. You can decide which Weeks to deposit and when. You can utilise Deposit Credits to get more Exchange Holidays than you could earlier. You can add up your trading power across multiple Deposits and Deposit Credits to access Exchanges that you earlier could not, even in the best resorts in sought after destinations, in peak season!
Choose to use your Deposit in multiple ways. Book an Exchange Holiday equal to what you already own, split your Deposits Trading Power to book multiple Exchanges, or combine it with other Deposits to book an Exchange Holiday you didnt have access to before.
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UNDERSTANDING YOUR TRADING POWER

In the Holiday Advisor section of the last issue of Endless Vacation, we had explained all about trading power, and the factors that determine it. Heres a quick recap. As you are aware, every Holiday Week deposited with RCI is assigned a trading power at the time of deposit: this is the Deposit Trading Power. When you request an Exchange Holiday, your Deposit Trading Power is compared against the trading power of all available exchanges, referred to as the Exchange Trading Power, to determine which Exchange Holidays are available to you.

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What Determines Trading Power?

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As soon as you make your Deposit, RCI assigns trading power to your Week, based on the following criteria: Demand, Supply, and Utilisation: This has the biggest inuence on your Deposit Trading Power. Demand: The more subscribing members there are who want your deposit, the higher its trading power. Supply: How many similar deposits have been made? Utilisation: How many deposits like yours have been conrmed by other members in the past? Unit Type and Size Timing of Your Deposit Resort Ratings: Comment card scores that members like you ll out after going on holiday are a component of resort ratings. Season: Depending on location, some times of the year are worth more than others.

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WHATS NEW Learn the exact Deposit Trading Power of your Week. Receive a Deposit Credit when you exchange for a holiday that requires less trading power than that of your deposited Week. Combine multiple Deposits to use towards one or more Exchange Holidays. See ALL available holidays, and the Exchange Trading Power required to book each of them.

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JANUARY/JUNE 2011

17

As you can see, the timing of your Deposit is the one factor you can control. If you deposit your Week 2 years to 9 months in advance of its start date, you will get 100% of the available Deposit Trading Power when you exchange. Deposit late, and you could lose up to 55% of your trading power. Heres how it works:
Deposit Trading Power Adjustment Schedule* 2 years to 9 months (276 days or more) 6 to 9 months (181 to 275 days) 3 to 6 months (91 to 180 days) 1 to 3 months (31 to 90 days) 15-30 days 14 days or less % of Trading Power Retained 100% 95% 90% 80% 60% 45%

When I booked my holiday to Portugal, I used just 15 from the Deposit Trading Power of 17 that I had. Now I have a Deposit Credit with a trading power of 2 that I can use for my next holiday. Viren Patwari Member from Sterling Holidays

DEPOSIT CREDITS: FOR ADDED VALUE

If the Exchange Trading Power of the holiday you book is less than the trading power of the Week you have deposited, you will receive a Deposit Credit that can be used towards a future Exchange Holiday. The Deposit Credit will appear in your account as a new Deposit with a trading power equal to the dierence between the Deposit Trading Power of your original week and the Exchange Trading Power of your conrmed Exchange Holiday.
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*Lead time before the start date of the Holiday Week you are depositing. In case an Exchange is cancelled, the trading power will be revised, with the cancellation date taken as the new deposit date.

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Has the Deposit Trading Power of your Week changed? The answer is: No, it hasnt. What has changed is that, for the very rst time, you can now see the trading power of every Week you own! Thats where the new Deposit Calculator on RCI.com comes in: It calculates the trading power of the Holiday Week you intend to deposit. It helps you see the impact of timing on your Deposit Trading Power. It allows you to enter the start date and unit conguration of your Holiday Week to see what its trading power will be, before depositing. Go to RCI.com now, and try it for yourself!

You can use your Deposit Credits towards Exchanges up to the expiry date of your original Deposit, giving you more value than ever before. The travel through date of your Deposit Credit will be the same as the travel through date of the original deposit.

COMBINING DEPOSITS: FOR GREATER FLEXIBILITY

When you have a Deposit Credit, or multiple Deposits in your account, you can help maximise your exchange options by combining them. How does that help? The trading power of your Combined Deposit will be the sum of the trading power values of all the Deposits or Deposit Credits you combined.

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Thus, with a Combined Deposit, you could book a holiday with an Exchange Trading Power thats greater than the trading power of any single Deposit you have! Whats more, you can conrm an Exchange Holiday against the Combined Deposit for 2 years from the date of combination, irrespective of the travel windows of each of the deposits being combined.

GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR NEW RCI WEEKS ENHANCEMENTS

A few simple steps and a little care can go a long way in ensuring that you get full value out of the newly enhanced benets of your RCI membership.
Now that you are no longer in the dark about the trading power of your Holiday Week, and how to maximise it, lets see how you can combine this knowledge with the new online tools available to you to make sure you derive the full value of your Holiday Week.

Why is timing so important ?

Because it is the only component used to determine Deposit Trading Power that you control. To get the most trading power, it is essential that you deposit your Week as soon as you decide not to return to your home resort for that ownership year.

SMART DEPOSITING
How, and when, should you deposit your Holiday Week? To get the most from your new membership enhancements, its important to understand why the timing of your Deposit is so critical, and how the new online tools can help you make appropriate Deposits for the Exchanges you want to book.

Using Online Tools

The Exchange Planner and the Deposit Calculator make it easy to be smart about depositing your Week. If you are targeting a specic Exchange Holiday, you can go online to RCI.com, and use the Exchange Planner to determine the Exchange Trading Power that is required to book that holiday.

Depositing Your Weeks

As you are aware, the rst step towards your holidays with RCI is depositing your Week. This opens up Exchange Holiday opportunities for you and other subscribing members, and lets you exchange into one of more than 4,000 RCI-aliated resorts. As before, you can deposit your eligible Week from 2 years to 14 days before its start date. However, to guarantee you receive 100% of your available Deposit Trading Power when you Exchange, you should deposit a minimum of 9 months before. Against your Deposit, you can book an Exchange Holiday beginning 12 months before your Weeks start date to 24 months after the start date. YOUR WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY

It is important to remember that once you deposit your Week, its trading power will not go down, except in the case of a cancellation.
START DATE: MAY 2011 OWNERSHIP

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

DEPOSIT WINDOW: 2 YEARS - 14 DAYS 2 Years to 9 Months Before TRAVEL WINDOW: 3 YEARS 1 Year Before 2 Years After

DEPOSIT WINDOW The window of time you have to deposit your Holiday Week with RCI is called the Deposit Window. You can deposit your Week any time from 2 years to 14 days before its start date to be able to use it for an Exchange Holiday. Depositing at least 9 months prior to the start date guarantees 100% of your available trading power.

TRAVEL WINDOW The window of time you have to exchange your Holiday Week and travel is called the Travel Window. The RCI Weeks Exchange System gives you a 3 year Travel Window: from 1 year before the start date of your Deposit to 2 years after. In this example, a member who deposits a Week starting in May 2011 can take an Exchange Holiday from May 2010 through May 2013.

JANUARY/JUNE 2011

19

Compare this to the trading power of the Depositsor Deposit Creditsyou already have in your account, and see which Deposit or Deposit Credit, or a combination of them, will get you your desired holiday. Not enough Deposit Trading Power in your account? Use the Deposit Calculator to check the trading power of the Weeks that you are yet to deposit with us, and choose which of them will make up the shortfall. Make your new Deposit, and you are ready to conrm your dream holiday! Remember, even if you only own one Holiday Week, you can borrow next years Week and deposit it now.

4. Visit RCI.com
After you have considered the type of holiday you would like, visit RCI.com to explore your options. The easy-touse Exchange Planner will give you an idea of how much Exchange Trading Power you may need for the destination you want to travel to, at dierent times of the year.

BOOKING YOUR RCI EXCHANGE

With the new options of combining multiple deposits and using your remaining Deposit Credits towards a future Exchange, you can now enjoy a greater choice of holidays. But its important to have a good understanding of the exchange process. Lets go through it one step at a time:

GLOSSARY OF TERMS AND TOOLS

ADVANCED SEARCH: If you know exactly what you want for your next holiday, use the new Advanced Search option to enter all of your holiday criteria at one time before searching. AUTO-CONFIRM: If you know the exact resorts and travel dates that you want to book, set your Ongoing Search to Auto-Conrm, and if there is a match, RCI will conrm it automatically for you. COMBINED DEPOSIT: The combination of two or more Deposits and/or Deposit Credits. DEPOSIT CREDIT: A Week placed in a members account after the member exchanges using a Deposit which has a trading power that is greater than the Exchange Trading Power. The Deposit Credit Trading Power is the difference between the applicable Deposit Trading Power and the applicable Exchange Trading Power. DEPOSIT TRADING POWER: The trading power assigned to a Deposit. DEPOSIT CALCULATOR: A tool members can use to see the trading power value that would be assigned to a Week on any particular day. EXCHANGE PLANNER: A tool members can use to see the trading power previously required to book a holiday in a specic region and the historic Exchange Holiday availability. EXCHANGE TRADING POWER: The trading power assigned to an available Exchange Holiday. FAVORITE SEARCHES: Save search criteria like dates, destinations and holiday activities, to make future searches faster and easier. ONGOING SEARCH: If a suitable match isnt immediately available you can start an Ongoing Search. RCI will look for your holiday request 24/7 until a match is found or your travel date passes. Members with open Ongoing Searches have prioritised access to Weeks newly deposited by members. TRADING POWER ADJUSTMENT SCHEDULE: A schedule used to determine trading power based on the timing of the Deposit, or what is received by a member if an Exchange is cancelled.

1. Deposit Early
We have said this before, and well say it again. The more trading power you have, the better your holidays options. So deposit early! The magic number is 9 months: thats the minimum time before its start date that you need to deposit your Holiday Week to get 100% of your available Deposit Trading Power when you exchange.

2. Understand Your Window of Opportunity

Once your Deposit is received, you may request an Exchange for an available Week up to 1 year before the start date of your Deposited Week, and until 2 years after the start date.

3. Plan Your Holiday

Decide what you would like to do for your holiday. Some useful tips: Plan your holidays as much in advance as you can. Focus on an experience rather than a specic destination. For example, do you prefer to holiday at the beach or in the city? Searching by experience yields holiday options that suit your holiday style. Be exible with dates and locations.

Deposit Credits that can be used for future exchanges make your holiday ownerships go further than ever before. Combining Deposits to increase your Deposit Trading Power will help increase your choice of holidays.
20 JANUARY/JUNE 2011

To start your holiday search at RCI.com, click the Search for a Holiday tab. If you select Exchange Only, you will see a summary of your available Deposits against which you can book Exchange Holidays. You can personalise your search using a menu of 15 customised search options, including region, checkin month, resort amenities and holiday type. Using the Advanced Search feature saves you time as you browse through only the resorts that meet criteria that you specify. Once you decide on the holiday you want, go to the Manage Your Deposits tab, and check out the Deposit Trading Power available to you against each of your Deposited Weeks or Deposit Credits. Choose the most optimal combination that will get you the holiday you want. If necessary, use the Deposit Calculator to gure out which additional Weeks you need to deposit to match the required Exchange Trading Power for the holiday you desire. If you cant nd the exact holiday youre looking for, open an Ongoing Search, and well look for your holiday 24/7, and send you e-mail updates about its progress. When a holiday that meets your criteria becomes available, RCI will hold it on your behalf for up to 24 hours. Every month, 37,000 Exchange Holidays are conrmed through matches made using Ongoing Searches. Ongoing Search requests get priority when Weeks are newly deposited by members. If you still cant nd what youre looking for, save your search criteria in Favorite Searches, so you dont need to re-enter them each time you search.

5. Complete the Exchange

Whether you complete your Exchange online or with the assistance of an RCI Guide, you will receive a conrmation, via e-mail or standard mail, verifying your Exchange Holiday details. Remember, you can save up to 10% on the Exchange Fees charged at the Call Centre if you transact online.

RCI.COM: AT YOUR SERVICE 24/7

RCI.com is the key to maximising your membership benets. Check the latest Deposit Trading Power of your holiday ownerships with the new Deposit Calculator. Use the Exchange Planner to search for your next great Exchange Holiday. Browse resort listings with more photographs, new resort videos and more detailed resort information, including member reviews, weather and helpful local travel information. Its all there! Planning your holiday online is fast, fun, and easier than ever. RCI.com gives you immediate access to the full range of all available holidays, along with tools that let you customise your search by selecting nearby activities, resort amenities and more. At RCI.com. you can even make last-minute plans, booking a holiday up to 3 days before your desired check-in date. So, if you havent already done so, register at RCI.com right away, and experience its incredible ease-of-use and roundthe-clock convenience. ONLINE CONVENIENCE
The Deposit Calculator allows you to check the latest trading power of all your holiday ownerships in one simple view. The Exchange Planner allows you to check the Exchange Trading Power required to exchange into destinations around the world. You can modify your future reservation details with just a few clicks. Use the various search tools to help nd the Exchange you want quickly and easily.

BEHIND THE SCENES

The new enhancements to your RCI membership have made planning and booking your holidays simple and easybut behind the seamless transition to the new system lies many thousands of hours of hard work and painstaking eort by cross-disciplinary teams of RCI sta across the globe. From a complete overhaul of technology systems to the re-training of every single employee in every oce of RCI, the entire process was planned in minute detail. Amazingly, in spite of all the complexity, we met every deadline we set ourselves. Finally, with just three days of downtime for the changeover, the new world of RCI was before you on 15 November 2010, as scheduled. For us, it was time to celebrate!
Radhika Shastry, Managing Director, at the RCI Weeks Enhancements launch party at RCIs Bangalore ofce

JANUARY/JUNE 2011

21

One simple secret to more holiday fun.

Deposit your Holiday Week at least 9 months before its start date.
There is a simple rule that underlies the RCI Exchange System: the more your trading power, the better the holiday options you have. And theres an equally simple secret to maximising your trading power: Deposit Early! If you deposit your Holiday Week with RCI at least 9 months before its start date, you can get 100% of its available Deposit Trading Power. Deposit later, and you could lose as much as 55% of its trading power and have less than half the holiday fun. It is quite as simple as that.

Call 1800 419 2131 to deposit early and maximise the Deposit Trading Power of your Holiday Week*.
*If you own a Floating Week, please contact your resort developer to deposit a Holiday Week with us on your behalf.

RCI Member Helpline Toll Free (All JANUARY/JUNE 2011 Bangalore: +9180-41849100/66915555 22 India): 1800 419 2131 Email: indiarci@rci.com Website: www.rci.com

rate reckoner
Standard Exchange
Domestic Online International Short Haul Online International Long Haul Online

January 2011 - December 2011

A6,500 A5,850 A9,200 A8,300 A14,600 A13,150

Cancellation Policy
Standard Exchange If you cancel a conrmed Standard Exchange at least 30 days before your check-in* date, the Exchange Fee you paid will be refunded after deducting a Cancellation Fee of A2,500. There will be no refund if the cancellation is made less than 30 days before the check-in* date. However, you will get your deposited Week back to utilise at a later date (before your deposited week expires), if you cancel at least 2 working days before the check-in* date. GetAway Special (Bonus Holiday) If you cancel a GetAway Special (Bonus Holiday) at least 61 days prior to the check-in* date, you will be entitled to a refund of 70% of the fee paid. Cancellations made from 31 to 60 days before the check-in* will be entitled to a refund of 50% of the fee paid. There will be no refund in the case of cancellations made less than 31 days before the check-in* date.

Visit www.rci.com to avail our special online rates.

GetAway Special
GetAway Special (Bonus Holiday) rates vary according to destination, season, occupancy of the unit, and the resorts RCI rating. To qualify and avail a GetAway Special (Bonus Holiday), please ensure that a current or future week is banked with RCI. Check out www.rci.com for GetAway Special deals.

Cancellation policy on Rentals and Special Promotions may vary. Please call RCI Member Helpline for details. *Check-in date as mentioned in your RCI Conrmation Voucher

Guest Certificate
Each transaction
A3,500

Renewal of RCI Membership

3 years 5 years 10 years
A9,700 A12,900 A19,500

Deposit Extension
For 3 months For 6 months
A1,250 A2,550

Deposit Combination
Each transaction
A2,500

For bookings, renewal, and the latest information on availability, call RCI Member Helpline: Toll Free (All India): 1800 419 2131 Bangalore: +9180-41849100 +9180-66915555 Email: indiarci@rci.com Website: www.rci.com

Additional RCI Membership Pack

You can have an additional RCI Membership Pack, consisting of a Membership Card, the RCI Directory of Resorts and the Endless Vacation magazine, for your co-member, for a fee of A600. Email Ms Rukmini Ramesh at Rukmini.Ramesh@rci.com.

20081 8618068 02

8754 12345301 t67

All rates mentioned above and in this Endless Vacation, are subject to change without prior notice. Taxes as applicable. Call RCI Member Helpline for details.

member benefits
CLUB MAHINDRA LAKE VIEW, MUNNAR
20% discount on food and soft beverages Fun Dining: check with the resort for more details Spa: 20% discount on regular Svaastha offers Companion discount: 50% discount for the second person on couple bookings at Svaastha. Cannot be clubbed with any other discount 15% discount on the room tariff for additional rooms

CLUB MAHINDRA FORT KUMBHALGARH

20% discount on food ( la carte) and soft beverages Special dining packages Rejoice and Double Delight: check with the resort for more details 20% discount on health club and Svaastha facilities 20% discount on laundry services, and special economical laundry package Complimentary use of the gymnasium

COUNTRY INN, BHIMTAL

20% discount on buffet meals (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner) 20% discount on health club facilities 25% discount on la carte dining 30% discount on the room tariff for additional units of the same type, with upgradation subject to availability

MANALI RESORTS
20% discount on food 20% discount on health club facilities 20% discount on the room tariff for additional rooms

ORANGE COUNTY RESORT, COORG CLUB MAHINDRA BACKWATER RETREAT, ASHTAMUDI CLUB MAHINDRA TUSKER TRAILS, THEKKADY
20% discount on food and beverages Fun Dining: All 3 meals at S770 (adult)/S460 (child: 5-12 years), plus VAT 2-meal package, including Breakfast and Lunch or Dinner, at S575 (adult)/ S350 (child: 5-12 years), plus VAT 20% discount on Ayurveda facilities at Svaastha 15% discount on the room tariff for additional rooms Complimentary Plantation Tour and Guided Nature Walk 10% discount on the room tariff for additional rooms Check with the resort for details of exclusive RCI member benets: Special food package Special package for upgradation to Orange County Resort, Kabini Special discounts at Orange County Resort, Kabini

AVALON MUSSOORIE
10% discount on food and beverages 10% discount on services availed at the Ayurveda Centre 20% discount on the room tariff for extension nights or on additional rooms

CLIFFTOP CLUB, AULI CAMBAY GROUP (ALL RESORTS)

10% discount on spa facilities 10% discount on food and beverages 15% discount on the room tariff for additional rooms 10% discount on the MRP for membership of Cambay Family Holidays Club and Cambay Club S1,000 food voucher on investment of S25,000 or more in Neesa Leisure Ltd Fixed Deposit 20% discount on food and beverages 15% discount on the room tariff for additional rooms

MOUNTAIN CLUB, BHIMTAL

20% discount on food and beverages 15% discount on the room tariff for additional rooms

CLUB MAHINDRA BINSAR VALLEY RESORT, BINSAR

15% discount on the room tariff for additional rooms 10% discount on adventure activities: check with the resort for more details

HOTEL GREEN CASTLE, MUSSOORIE

10% discount on food and beverages 10% discount on spa facilities 10% discount on the room tariff for additional rooms Complimentary use of pool table for 30 minutes on rst day of stay

AJIT BHAWAN, JODHPUR

All oers are valid till 30 June 2011, unless otherwise specied
All offers are subject to change. Please check with the resort for any changes in the above-mentioned offers.

30% discount on food 20% discount on beverages Complimentary use of health club and swimming pool 20% discount on the room tariff for additional rooms

24

JANUARY/JUNE 2011

THE FFORT HOLIDAY KLUB, RAICHAK

25% discount on spa facilities 10% additional discount for ladies 20% discount on food and soft beverages Limited complimentary soft beverages and mocktails for ladies during meals at the restaurant Complimentary use of gymnasium, swimming pool, carrom, table tennis, childrens play area, and large chess 10% discount on football, cricket, mini golf, croquet, cycling, pool table, electronic games, roller skating, skateboarding, archery, balloon shooting, paddle boating, volleyball, badminton, and airconditioned cruise on the Ganga (8 am to 6 pm) 20% discount on the room tariff for additional rooms (not applicable on premium or event dates)

ROYAL GOAN BEACH CLUB ROYAL PALMS, GOA

Special Meal Packages All 3 meals at S750 per person, plus VAT 2 meals at S600 per person, plus VAT 10% discount on meal packages, if booked for 4 days or more 10% discount on the room tariff for additional rooms Birdwatching facilities, with the complimentary use of telescope

RESORT COUNTRY CLUB, GURGAON

20% discount on food and beverages 20% discount at the coffee shop 20% discount on the room tariff for additional rooms 10% discount on the Village Safari guided tour 20% discount on the Hot Air Ballooning Safari 20% discount on helicopter joyrides

ROYAL GOAN BEACH CLUB AT BENAULIM, GOA

10% discount on food and beverages ( la carte) 10% discount on K Spa treatments Complimentary Ayurvedic consultation with certied physician, on prior appointment Complimentary use of gymnasium Complimentary Yoga lessons once a week Complimentary cooking lessons by the chef once a week Complimentary vegetable carving lessons once a week

THE COUNTRY CLUBE DE GOA

20% discount on food and beverages 20% discount on Ayurvedic massages 25% discount on the room tariff for additional rooms

CLUB MAHINDRA VARCA BEACH, GOA

25% discount on all spa treatments 25% discount on shufe board, dance and swimming classes 25% discount on Ladies Club activities (sari draping, bindi designing, hair styling, nail art, etc) at Fun Zone

Show your RCI Membership Card at the time of check-in to avail these benefits
MORE MEMBER BENEFITS OVERLEAF

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member benefits
CLUB MAHINDRA DANCING WATERS, NAUKUCHIATAL
Special room tariff for additional rooms: S5,000, inclusive of taxes, buffet breakfast, and complimentary in-room tea/coffee making facilities Fun Dining: Double Delight: Breakfast plus Lunch or Dinner, at S550 (adult)/S330 (child), plus VAT Rejoice: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, at S735 (adult)/S440 (child), plus VAT Trio: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner for two adults and one child, at S1,800, plus VAT Full House: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner for two adults and two children at S2,250, plus VAT

THE COUNTRY CLUB INTERNATIONAL, MEDCHAL

20% discount on the room tariff for additional rooms No extra bed charges 15% discount on food and beverages 25% discount on health club and spa packages 10% discount on travel packages

GOLD FIELD LAKE RESORT, KUMARAKOM

15% discount on food and beverages 15% discount on spa facilities 20% discount on the room tariff for additional rooms (not applicable from 15 December 2010 to 15 January 2011)

VITS MUMBAI
15% discount on food at the poolside restaurant and 24-hour coffee shop 15% discount on the room tariff for additional rooms Special buffet meal packages (Breakfast and Dinner) at the poolside restaurant MP1 (One day): S525 per person, inclusive of tax MP3 (Three days): S1,400 per person, inclusive of tax MP7 (Seven days): S3,000 per person, inclusive of tax

PANORAMIC SEA RESORTS, ALLEPPEY

15% discount on food 25% discount on the room tariff for additional rooms

CLUB MAHINDRA KANGRA VALLEY, DHARAMSHALA

10% discount on the room tariff for additional rooms Fun Dining: Double Delight: Breakfast plus Lunch or Dinner, at S550 (adult)/S330 (child), plus VAT Rejoice: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, at S735 (adult)/S440 (child), plus VAT Trio: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner for two adults and one child, at S1,800, plus VAT Full House: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner for two adults and two children at S2,250, plus VAT 20% discount on food Special economical packages for laundry services

STERLING HOLIDAYS (ALL RESORTS)

25% discount on Food Masti packages and la carte dining, excluding in-room dining 20% discount on laundry Buy one and get another treatment free on spa therapies (wherever applicable)

TREASURE ISLAND, LONAVALA

20% discount on food and beverages ( la carte) Discounts on the room tariff for additional rooms 30% on European Plan (EP) 20% on Modied American Plan (MAP)

STERLING GREEN VISTAS, MUNNAR

20% discount on health club and spa facilities 20% discount on the room tariff for additional rooms

CLUB MAHINDRA KODAGU VALLEY, COORG

20% discount on the room tariff for additional rooms 20% discount on food and soft beverages 15% discount on hard liquor at the Planters Club bar 20% discount on massages at the Svaastha Spa Complimentary use of gymnasium and Yoga facilities 15% discount on all trekking activities

THE COUNTRY CLUB TREASURE COVE, KOVALAM

25% discount on Ayurvedic treatment (individual/package) 10% discount on food and beverages 25% discount on the room tariff for additional rooms 10% discount on laundry services Complimentary use of hydrotherapy pool Complimentary yoga sessions (individual and group)

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wish you were here

Greek Tragedy at the Acropolis

Anushka Ravishankar nds unexpected drama on her day in Athens, as she tackles the rain with dry humour
One look at those wacky shoes and the enemy would die laughing. As it was, one of the guards, who really looked like he was just out of school, could barely suppress his giggles. He must have caught a glimpse of his feet. When the change of guard arrived, things got even more comical. With those impossible bobbles on their feet, the guards who had come to relieve their beleaguered comrades came marching. They looked like kindergarten children doing a slow motion spoof of a military march. Everything was done with dead seriousness, and with bobbles quivering and tassels swinging. Its not easy; these boys must train for hours. And they have to keep a straight face, poor things. Having had our comic interlude we headed towards the National Gardens, and went past the ruins of Roman Baths beside the road, past Hadrians Gate and past the Temple of Zeus, where we could see majestic columns in beautiful green grounds. We should have stopped there for a closer look, but our walk was to take us along the Plaka to, we thought, the Acropolis. So we decided not to linger. By the time we reached the Plaka, we were hungry. The Plaka used to be the old working-class quarter of Athens. Its a lovely, picturesque maze of winding motor-free streets lined with colourful shops, cafs and tavernas. We stopped for lunch: feta cheese and pork dominated most of our meals. What I remember of this meal is the grilled feta cheese oozing with sin. By this time, ominous clouds had begun to gather over our sunshiny Athens day. We started up the hill, along the route plotted for us by the Lonely Planet guide. As we climbed, we suddenly found we were moving away from the Acropolis, which we could see receding above us. We looked more closely at the map of our walking tour, and realised suddenly that it completely skirted the Acropolis! It was a walk around the city, so it went around the Temple of Zeus and the Acropolis and the
JANUARY/JUNE 2011 27

reece. The image that goes with the word is that of the Acropolis, with the columns of the Parthenon in all its geometric perfection. So on our very rst trip into Athens, the Acropolis was predictably on the agenda. But what we did not expect was to be singled out by the Greek gods. We got treated to a proper Greek tragedy. Our ascent to the Acropolis had all the elements of Aristotelian drama: Exposition, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action and Denouement.

Exposition
It was a sunny day as we set out from the Golden Coast Holiday Club, the RCI-aliated resort in Marathon, an hour by road from Athens. Using our sacred book, the Lonely Planet guide, we decided to do a walking tour they had mapped through Athens. We followed the guide book faithfully, and started the tour at the festive Syntagma Square, where we had coee in a caf clearly meant for those with no agenda for the day. Much later than we had intended, we headed for the Parliament House, where we laughed at the Greek guards (Evzones). In spite of their impressive Greek noses, its impossible to take these Greek guards seriously. They look like young schoolchildren togged up for a masquerade in natty black smocks, white tights with black bands at the knees that have black tassels swinging at the back, and red caps. But its the shoes that defy solemnity. They wear red moccasins with black bobbles at the tip, bigger than cricket balls. You cannot wear bobbled shoes like those and expect to be dignied. Is this really how Greek soldiers look? I guess its a good idea.

Ancient Agora without going to any of these places. No wonder we had spent the morning walking past monuments. We abandoned the walk and headed for the Acropolis instead. It had begun to drizzle.

Above the theatre was the Acropolis itself: the temple of Athena Nike, the Propylaea, which is the monumental entrance to the Acropolis, the Erectheion, and then, at the very peak, the Parthenon. The rain was a steady downpour as we climbed the slippery steps of the temple and stood under the dubious shelter of an arch in the Propylaea, looking at the Parthenon and wondering whether we should be satised with seeing it from afar. By now, the two of us with rainproof jackets were soaked to the skin. Our jackets were clearly no proof against the Greek god of rain. On our way up, we had seen some South Asian-looking lads hawking umbrellas, but we had ignored them in a superior manner, trusting to our two jackets, two umbrellas, and our completely unfounded conviction that the rain would soon ease o.

Rising Action
At the Acropolis, we bought tickets for the tour of the monuments. The Acropolis plus six other ancient sites, at 12 euros per head. The ticket was valid for four days. We had entered from the South Slope of the Acropolis where the theatre of Dionysus is situated. The drizzle had become determined. We had two umbrellas and two rainproof jackets between the four of us. We felt suciently protected. We looked with suitable awe at one of the most ancient theatres of the world, where the works of Sophocles, Aeschylus and Euripides had been performed. We imagined Oedipus Rex and Antigone being performed here, to audiences who later strolled in the stoa (a colonnade, whose ruins we could see slightly up the slope), discussing the ner points of the tragedies they had just seen.

The Climax
We stood there awhile, looking at the rain and the Parthenon. Should we make a dash for it? Or should we turn back, since we had, after all, ocially seen the Parthenon? As we stood

Meanwhile, as if in a play scripted by these classical dramatists, the rain began to gather force. When we passed the stoa, we took refuge under a canopy sheltering some archaeological nds dug up from the slopes of the Acropolis. But the rain showed no signs of abating, so we soldiered on until we stood breathless at the fabulous theatre, the Odeon of Herodus Atticus. A more modern (well, relatively: 161 AD, as opposed to 325 BC) theatre, this has been rebuilt, with the ruins of the ancient Odeon forming a backdrop for the plays that are now performed there, during the Athens festival. To see a play at this impressive new theatre at the Acropolis must be a treat: we had to satisfy ourselves with imagining it, as the rain poured on us.
Anushka Ravishankar is an RCI member from Club Mahindra.

there, wondering which plot line to follow, the rain seemed to slacken. Very slightly, but it gave us hope. We dashed towards the Parthenon. We saw a child splashing happily through the puddles, oblivious of the water squelching into his shoes and the mud splashing his trousers. We envied him, but didnt dare emulate him. We stepped gingerly around the puddles, achieving almost the same degree of squelchiness and muddiness as the child did, but with much less fun. And at last, we stood before the Parthenon. The heavens opened up. There was thunder, lightning, rain. It was a proper climax for our Greek Tragedy at the Acropolis.

Falling Action
We could get no wetter. So we circled the grand structure which was rendered sadly banal by the cranes and rigs and scaoldings

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surrounding it. We paused before the Erechtheion, with its famous porch adorned with sculptures of the Carytids hand-maidens, and made tasteless and predictable jokes, trying to ignore the fact that we were wet and cold and that, as historical monuments go, the Parthenon was rather disappointing. This was a quandary we were to come back to again and again. Is it better to let ruins be ruins? Or is it better to rebuild and reconstruct? It destroys the sense of antiquity which gives the ruins of the Parthenon greater signicance than those of the Purana Qila of Delhi, for instance. But, on the other

reconstructed, and gave one a sense of how it must have been in the days when it was populated. But, on the other hand, its very newness was a bit Delve into the enthralling of a turno. After all, an ancient world of Ancient Greece Agora should look ancient. with RCI.

stay

With a sense of having been picked by the gods for a greater Greece purpose which was entirely RCI has 46 afliated resorts incomprehensible to us, we in Greece. made our way down the now deserted slopes, choosing to Also, check for RCI rentals in Athens and other urban descend from the other side, destinations. where there were no ruins to punctuate our descent. The rains, as betted this phase of a well-constructed tragedy, had begun to abate.

Denouement
As we reached the bottom of the slope, we saw our South Asian umbrella-sellers again. This time we were more humble. We stopped, examined their wares, and reluctantly bought a bright red polka-dotted umbrella. The moment the thing changed hands, it stopped raining!

hand, it probably gives it longevity and restores its aesthetic and grandeur, which wed otherwise have to struggle to imagine. The stoa at the ancient Agora only deepened this quandary for me. On the one hand, it is beautifully

RCI Member Anushka Ravishankar has won the Wish You Were Here award of a free Exchange Holiday for this issue.
To win yourself a full waiver of the applicable fee for an Exchange Holiday, send in your entries, in 1,000 to 1,500 words, before 15 April 2011, along with at least 3 photographs, to Editor Endless Vacation, RCI India Pvt Ltd, Pine Valley, First Level, Embassy Golf Links Business Park, Off Intermediate Ring Road, Bangalore 560071, India, or email editor.ev@rci.com.

staff page

Its Time to Celebrate!

All dressed up for Diwali

t RCIs Bangalore oce, the air has been quite festive the last few months. From ethnic wear to patriotic fervour, weve seen it all! All of us look forward to these special occasions: not only are they great fun and a welcome break from work, they also provide a chance for everyone to come together, and share and rejoice in each others happiness.

Id Mubarak, and smiles all around

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Saluting our heroes on Independence Day

Saying it with flowers for Onam

resort news
THE LAGOONA RESORT
he Lagoona Resort is Indias rst resort to be certied environment friendly. Spread over acres of serenity in Lonavala, it oers a perfect retreat, with picturesque landscaping, and panoramic views of hills all around. Located close to the Pune-Mumbai Expressway, the resort is an easy drive from both cities. Sterling Rock Perch, Yercaud, has introduced new activities like guide conducted tours, treks, and picnics. These are conducted by the Events Department, and charged extra. Other recent additions at the resort include in-house recreational facilities, and new therapies at the Ayurvedic Wellness Centre. Club Mahindra Dancing Waters, Naukuchiatal, now oers water sports facilities, including canoeing and kayaking.

QUICK TAKES

The resort, an Ecotel Hotel that has been awarded Five Globe Certication, features environment friendly products and practices, even as it provides value added services that exceed guest expectations. It oers an array of well-appointed rooms, each equipped with modern amenities.

RESORT NEWS

VIJAYSHREE HERITAGE VILLAGE

ampi was the capital of the Hindu empire of Vijayanagar. The ruins at Hampi, which were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Centre in 1986, are a vast open museum of history, architecture, and religion. Standing witness to this historic site, on the banks of River Tungabhadra, is Vijayshree Heritage Village.

The Royal Makeover Continues

This years incredibly heavy monsoon notwithstanding, the refurbishment of the Royal Goan Beach Club properties in Goa has continued apace. At the Royal Goan Beach Club at Monterio, work on 22 apartments and the upper swimming pool has been completed. The new units have lovely bathrooms with state of the art ttings, new oor tiles, and lamps, and are already the subject of a torrent of compliments. Refurbishment of the lower half of the resort will be taken up next monsoon. The seven residential blocks will soon be named after North Goan beaches: Anjuna, Baga, Candolim, Dona Paula, Arambol, Miramar, and Chapora. Poco Loco, the Mexican restaurant at the resort, will be further enhanced

Located half way to Hampi from Hospet (which is overnight by train, or about a seven hour drive, from Bangalore), amid serene valleys and Nature in all its tranquility, the resort beckons you to travel back in time and experience the grandeur of the days when the Vijayanagar kingdom ourished. A perfect blend of tradition and culture, the resort will make you feel at home, even as it promotes health consciousness, abjuring alcohol, smoking and non-vegetarian food.

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All apartments at Treasure Island, Lonavala, have been refurbished. They have been painted in attractive new colours, and each apartment is now equipped with a tea/ coee maker and LCD TV. Articial indoor plants and new wall frames have also been put in. Changes have also been made in the common areas, with the addition of deck chairs and poolside seating, and new furniture in the restaurant.

A REFRESHING NEW VISION

Two and a half decades after it was founded in 1986, with the dream of enabling fun-lled, comfortable and aordable annual vacations, Sterling Resorts has renamed itself Sterling Holidays, and is in the process of refreshing its vision, with a promise that is encapsulated in its new brand name, identity and tag line, Its a wonderful world! To deliver on this new promise, Sterling Holidays is investing in refurbishing its existing resortsfrom freshly painted exteriors and interiors and upgraded furnishings, to well-tended landscaping that will enhance the natural beauty of the resorts; as well as in the introduction of an enhanced service experience, which will include a welcome at check-in, and a sit-down check-in facility that will make you feel comfortable and cherished. The resorts have also expanded their range of holiday activities. Now, when holidaying with Sterling, you can experience the thrill of the ying fox in Mussoorie, rock climbing and rappelling in Yercaud, jeep safaris in Kodaikanal, picnics and boating in Munnar and Ooty, and many other such activities across locations. On the days when you feel like simply relaxing and taking time out from the chaos of everyday life, the indoor recreation facilities will keep you entertained with a choice of games and pastimes, including painting and craft workshops. the spas at some of the resorts will help you enhance your physiological and psychological well being, with specially tailored treatments. A range of therapies, including Ayurveda, combine the ve elements of earth, water, re, air and space to restore the bodys natural balance. Just walk in to any of the spas, and place yourself in experienced hands to be soothed and pampered. To give you a feel of this enhanced holiday experience, Sterling Holidays is oering RCI members a host of special deals across all their resorts (see details on Page 26, in the Member Benets section). The year ahead will see many more developments, as Sterling Holidays continually makes improvements to ensure that their members and guests truly feel that Its a wonderful world!

RESORT NEWS If you prefer something more passive,

There has been an eort to upgrade the menus and dining facilities as well. You can now enjoy theme night dinners that will be hosted at the resorts from time to time, with the goal of promoting local and pan-Indian culture and cuisine. Whats more, since the focus is on delivering aordable, fun-lled holidays, Sterling Holidays has introduced Food Masti, a programme that propagates the concept of More yummy. Less money., and allows you to enjoy all three meals at attractive prices.

in the next few weeks with a live BBQ area, soft seating around the bar and an extension behind. The lounge area will have a large wide-screen TV to screen major live sporting events. The Friday jazz night, which was a huge success last year, has commenced once again from November. Meanwhile, the K Spa is coming up at the site of the old restaurant, just behind the reception. ! Page 35

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Snappy Holiday
RECIPES
nd Prize
Rachna Jaiswal
Member from Club Mahindra

More great recipes for you to try out on your next holiday
These three winners will each receive a special gift from RCI. If youd like to win too, send us your favourite holiday recipes before 15 April 2011 to Editor Endless Vacation, RCI India Pvt Ltd, Pine Valley, First Level, Embassy Golf Links Business Park, Off Intermediate Ring Road, Bangalore 560071, India, or email editor.ev@rci.com.

st Prize
Seema Dutta
Member from Mountain Club

rd Prize
Bhavna Saxena
Member from Club Mahindra

Seema Dutta

Tandoori Khumb
Ingredients
200 g mushrooms 50 g corn kernels 50 g spring onions, nely chopped 1 medium size onion 50 g grated cheese 50 g fresh coriander leaves tsp black pepper powder Juice of half a lemon 1 beaten egg (optional) Chaat masala 2 tbsp oil Sugar Salt

Now ll the mushrooms with the lling, and put some grated cheese on each mushroom. If you like, dip the mushrooms in the beaten egg. Brush a baking tray, and place the stued mushrooms on it. Bake for a minute. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and a pinch of chaat masala. Serve hot.

st
Prize

Method
Scoop out the mushroom stems and make space for the lling. Chop the mushroom stems, and steam the corn kernels. Take the oil in a pan, and heat. Once the pan is heated, saute the nely chopped spring onions, steamed corn kernels, and chopped mushroom stems. Add the pepper powder, and sugar and salt to taste. Once the extra water gets absorbed, pour in the lemon juice, and let the mixture cool down. Meanwhile, blanch the scooped out mushrooms in salty water for a minute.

Seema Dutta wins a Weber Smokey Joe Gold Charcoal Grill worth A7,995!
The Weber Smokey Joe Gold charcoal grill is engineered to make a lot of fun out of a little space... Barbecue for two or ten with this portable charcoal grill in your balcony, terrace or garden or at your holiday resort! Porcelain-enameled bowl and lid, no-rust aluminum vent, glass-reinforced nylon handle, heavy-duty plated steel cooking grate and a lid lock for carrying which lowers to double as a lid holder. Take it with you wherever you go!

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Rachna Jaiswal

Paneer Paturi

2
Method

" Page 33

nd

Weber Apron

Prize

The Royal Makeover Continues

The Royal Goan Beach Club at Haathi Mahal, too, has seen dramatic changes. The apartments have quite literally been transformed. They have been fully repainted, and melamine polish has been applied on all wooden furniture and ttings.

Ingredients
2 tbsp curd 2 tbsp mustard paste Ginger paste Garlic paste Kala jeera 4 thick cubes of paneer Mustard oil 2 tbsp grated coconut 4 squares banana leaf Green chilli, slit Salt Toothpicks

Marinate the paneer with curd, ginger, garlic and salt. Then make a paste of the mustard paste, oil, kala jeera and grated coconut. Apply on the paneer cubes. Now, wrap each of the paneer pieces in a banana leaf square. Close the mouth of the leaf with a toothpick. Put in a steamer for 10 minutes, or microwave for 5 to 7 minutes. Serve hot with naan or rice.

Bhavna Saxena

Dal Bar
Ingredients
100 g Bengal gram fresh coconut, grated and toasted 500 ml milk 125 g sugar Green cardamom seeds of 4 pods, crushed 3 tbsp ghee 2 leaves edible silver

3
Method

rd
Prize

All bathrooms have been given a complete makeover, with the best of contemporary ttings and sanitaryware, anti-skid oor tiles, premium wall tiles, and toughened glass frosted shower screens. Kitchen cabinets now have stainless steel trolleys for cutlery, crockery, and utensils. Many steps have been taken to conserve energy: new energy saving key tags, LED lighting in the kitchen and bathrooms, and 5-star rated split air conditioners in living rooms and bedrooms. The resorts restaurant, Casa Lisboa, has been renovated as well, with its tan colour scheme and new ooring emphasising the Portuguese colonial feel. High quality cutlery and crockery and brand new buet counters now complement its cosmopolitan food oerings. For added convenience, there is now a lift. The gym has a rubberised oor and new, state of the art equipment. The main pool and canal deck have been repaved, giving an attractive look to the pool veranda. And guests can indulge in Ayurveda-inspired treatments at the newly created K-Spa.

Weber

Soak the Bengal gram Mitt in a large bowl of water for four hours. Parboil. Drain and grind. Mix with the milk in a kadai. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Add sugar. Continue stirring. When the mixture thickens, add ghee. Cook to a deeper color, till the mixture leaves the sides and bottom of the kadai. Continue stirring till a solid mass gathers around the spoon. Spread it on a greased platter to a thickness of 1 cm. Sprinkle the crushed cardamom. Decorate with silver leaves. Cool, cut into squares, and serve.

Weber is all about great food, family, friends, leisure and fun. Weber is the worlds leading manufacturer of charcoal and gas barbecue grills. A concept that was started ve decades ago in the US by a visionary has revolutionised the art of cooking wholesome and healthy food and redened fun times around the world. The grills are user-friendly and come with a range of accessories to help make the barbecue grilling experience fun.

For further information:1800-102-3102 (Toll free) Email: support@grillco.in Website: www.weberindia.com

JANUARY/JUNE 2011

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been there
Neeta Nair and her family are captivated by New Zealands magnetic charm
ur holiday to New Zealand was a much deserved one, according to me. I had planned it well in advance, taking the familys consent, but when the dates were conrmed, my husband Anil and my two sons made a hue and cry about such a long holidayand that, too, in a place like New Zealand. I was adamant that there would be no change in the schedule. Reluctantly, they agreed. D-day arrived; we landed at Auckland airport. My school friend Pamela was there to welcome us. After happy reunions, we drove back to her house. The drive was scenicit set the mood for the entire trip. We relaxed the whole day, gearing up for the fun-lled plans she had in store for us. The next morning, we set out early to explore the northern part of New Zealand. We visited the Maori Cultural Centre at Waitangi. The Maori tribe are the natives of New Zealand. They entertained us with their native dance and song and we shook a leg with them. We moved on from there to the Western Springs Lakeside Park; we were surrounded by birds, and the geese ate out of our hands and followed us all along. The Park is a beautiful place to relax for hours together. Our next halt was the Motat Transport and Technology Museum, where vintage cars were the attraction. We took a tram ride to visit the Aeronautical Museum, where we got to see planes of all shapes and sizes. By the time we nished looking around, we were tired and wanted to head home.

Enchanti New Zeal

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ng and

On Day 2, we set out early to Cape Reinga. This place is known for its Hole in the Wall. The weather gods were kind to us, and it was nice and bright. We visited the Lighthousethe view of the mountains and the sea greeted us. After taking in that breathtaking view, we drove to the sand dunes at Cape Reinga and enjoyed the toboggan rides. It was sheer fun to slide down the sand dunes. After two fun-lled days, on Day 3, we decided to take it easy and visited the Sky City in Auckland. Later, we went for dinner to an authentic Japanese restaurant, where they had a live wok they cooked our meal at our table! That

Geyser is the main attractionwhen it erupts, it can reach heights of up to 20 m. We had a quick bite, and moved on to Rotorua for the funlled luge rides down the slopes. After lunch, and a short drive on, we reached the Rainbow Springs Nature Park. It had an array of exotic birds; and we saw kiwis, geckos and skunks at close quarters. Here, in the evenings, it gets dark very soon, and we did not want to lose our way, so we headed back to the resort. Our second day at Taupo was something everybody was looking forward to. We drove to Sky Dive Taupo near the Taupo Airport. We were nervous and excited, all set to venture into a new adventure sport: sky diving from 3,650 m above sea level! We got into our gear and boarded the ight; once we reached the target altitude, the door slowly opened and, before we knew it, we had jumped and were freefalling for about 20 to 30 seconds. I cannot describe the feeling... it was awesome to be so high up and look down at the world down below. It was unbelievablethe experience of a lifetime for all of us. We had hardly landed when it started raining. It rains in New Zealand quite often, but let that not be a deterrent. On the third day at Taupo, we set out to see the much talked about Waitomo Glowworm Caves. The ceiling of the caves was like a starlit sky. We later visited the Taupo supermarket and decided to cook up a meal for a change.

night was the last day with our friends, as we were leaving the next day for the RCI-aliated resort, Taupo-Ika Nui, at Taupo, a 4-5 hour drive away, where we had booked a 1-bedroom apartment. The rst thing we did the next day, when we reached the resort, was to make arrangements for a vehicle so that we could go around at our own convenience. Driving in a new country where the road rules are very strict was fun and challenging. The best part is that, in New Zealand, you can hire a 4-wheeler if you have an international licenceyou will feel at home as they have right-hand drive. We drove to the Craters of the Moon Geothermal Walk. Around us were hot geysers that were emitting fumes. We walked further to the Waikato Falls. Then we moved on to our next destinationthe Wai-o-Tapu Thermal Wonderland. Its New Zealands most colourful and diverse volcanic area. You have colours of every tint and hue displayed in the pools, lakes, craters, steam vents, mineral terraces... even on the tracks you walk on! There are huge volcanic craters, mud pools and champagne pools. The Lady Knox

On Day 4, our destination was Napier, the Art Deco city. It had been devastated by a massive earthquakeof magnitude 7.8 on the Richter scaleon 3 February 1931. By early 1933, the town was rebuilt, making it one of the worlds newest and most modern cities. Napier represents the most complete and signicant group of Art Deco buildings in the world. Each structure is a work of art. From there we went to Hawkes Bay Winery, where we tasted dierent varieties of wines. The ice wine was my personal favourite. We got back to the resort, as we had to catch a bus to Auckland that night to reach our next destination Queenstown.
Neeta Nair is an RCI member from Lotus Suites, Goa.

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At Queenstown airport, we were welcomed by the person from the car rental agency. We took a 40-minute drive from Queenstown to reach our wonderful destinationthe Wyndham Resort at Wanaka. We had a 2-bedroom apartment, against the backdrop of the mountains. Relaxed and rejuvenated, we visited the nearby Puzzling World the next day. This is a must see in Wanaka. The structure is as beautiful as the name... you step into a dierent, topsy-turvy world. Then we moved on to Hawea Lake. Sheer blisswe were one with nature. On our third day there, we left for Dunedin. It was a long drive from Queenstown. We stopped to see the artillery used by warriors from New Zealand during the British era. We went further up from there to see the albatross, a huge white bird which lives in the snow, and drove towards ancient

the road had a white carpet of snow. We suddenly became kids, and made snowballs and threw them at one another. We got back home and warmed ourselves with a hot cup of coee. We had our last dinner at the restaurant at Wyndham, as it was time to say goodbye to Wanaka and Queenstown. We were to catch the early morning ight to Christchurch, but due to heavy snow, ights were cancelled. It was a blessing in disguise, as we took a bus to Christchurch, and got a good

stay
Experience the exquisite beauty of New Zealand with RCI.

New Zealand
RCI has 56 afliated resorts in New Zealand. Also, check for RCI rentals in Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington and other urban destinations.

Larnach Castle. Our next halt was much anticipated by my boys, Nikhil and Nihar: the Cadbury Factory. The major attraction was the Chocolate Fountain that overowed from a height of 10 ma chocolate lovers delight! We stepped out, and it started raining; we were worried about driving back home, but with the road maps we had picked up at the Information Centre and the street signs along the road, we couldnt go wrong. The next day, we went to Kawaru Bridge, which is the worlds rst bungee jumping spot. The jump is 43 m high. You have to try it if ever you go to New Zealand! The boys were in awe, they couldnt believe that they had actually jumped from that height! We left there for Queenstown to do some shopping, and pick up souvenirs for our dear ones back home. We bought some jewellery made of paua shells, the speciality of New Zealand. Jade artefacts are also available. We had lunch at Fergs, famous for their hamburgers. Then we moved on to Arrowtown, and visited the ancient Chinese villages. On our return journey to Wanaka, it started snowing, so we pulled over. The snow-capped mountains looked beautiful and
38 JANUARY/JUNE 2011

scenic view of South New Zealandthe mountains and the r trees all covered with snow made it look like it was Christmas! We reached Christchurch late in the evening, and checked into a nearby hotel as we had to catch our ight to Mumbai via Singapore. It was time to say goodbye to New Zealandthats when the boys and Anil felt the holiday was so short, and wished that we could stay back longer! It indeed was a very relaxing and memorable holiday, one that we will always cherish.

Open the door to a world of savings

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SAVE K900 on the regular price of K1,800 for a 1-year subscription. You have two options: Pay K1,440 and get a FREE Electric Kettle worth K1,500; or pay K900

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To make your RCI Membership experience even more special, we have developed a fantastic upgrade option which complements the holiday and travel opportunities you already enjoy as an RCI Member. RCI Platinum rewards you with 6 key member enhancements combining traditional RCI products and attractive lifestyle benets. These benets are available for 12 months from purchase, and selected items can be used over and over againgiving you great, ongoing savings!

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*You can obtain only one Guest Certicate for each transaction. All benets, offers, rates and savings shown above are valid as on 1 January 2011, and are subject to change without notice.

RCI Member Helpline Toll Free (All India): 1800 419 2131 Bangalore: +9180-41849100/66915555 Email: indiarci@rci.com Website: www.rci.com

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Refreshing Choice
If you are yet to start planning your 2011 summer holiday, then it is time to do so... especially with the plethora of options available to you this summer. Just take your pick from any of the cool destinations belowand be off on your dream summer holiday.

Domestic Exchange Holidays at L233* per person per day Ahmedabad/ Gandhinagar Auli Coorg Corbett/ Kumaon Goa Jaipur Jodhpur International Short Haul Exchanges at L329* per person per day Bali/Indonesia China Malaysia Philippines Thailand Kodaikanal Manali Munnar Mussoorie Ooty Puri Raichak Shimla Yercaud

International Long Haul Exchanges at L522* per person per day Middle East/Africa Egypt Israel Lebanon Kenya South Africa United Arab Emirates Europe Alps France Germany Greece Hungary Italy Malta Netherlands Portugal Scandinavia Spain Turkey United Kingdom USA/Canada Atlantic City Florida Great Lakes Gulf States Hawaii Las Vegas New England San Francisco West Coast British Columbia Ontario Quebec Pacic Australia New Zealand Central/Latin America Argentina Brazil Caribbean Mexico

Of course, you could opt to book a GetAway Special (Bonus Holiday), where you dont have to exchange your Holiday Week. Or add on an RCI Rental to your Holiday.

Call 1800 419 2131 today to book your 2011 Summer Holiday.
*Based on the applicablle fee for an Exchange Holiday against a deposited Holiday Week, with 4 persons sharing a 1-Bedroom unit. Rounded off to the next higher rupee. Accommodation only. Subject to availability. Terms and conditions apply.

RCI Member Helpline Toll Free (All India): 1800 419 2131 Bangalore: +9180-41849100/66915555 Email: indiarci@rci.com Website: www.rci.com