This December, I had a chance to fly Air Costa, one of the newer airlines to operate in India. I travelled from Jaipur to Bangalore and my first impressions are fairly positive. A year before, in December 2013, I had chosen a larger airline to fly on the same route although Air Costa’s prices were the lowest when I booked. But I was unsure about travelling with a small and new airline and decided to play safe. This time, when a flight search showed up low-fares on Air Costa again, I decided to take it.
It has been more than a year since Air Costa is operating. They are currently connecting nine cities across India, mostly in the south except Ahmedabad and Jaipur. Here is a quick look at my first impressions of the airline.
Comfort
This is one area where Air Costa scores very high. With their smaller Brazilian made Embraer Aircraft, none of their flights have middle seats. The 2+2 seating relieves the pain of getting sandwiched between two other passengers in a cramped fuselage. The interiors feel lot less claustrophobic and lot more comfortable than most long haul flights.
A version of this story was published in a travel magazine four years ago.
No one warned me that the hills can be an addiction impossible to get rid of.
Many years ago, over a long walk in search of grassy meadows and windy peaks high on the hills of the Brahmagiri Ranges, I sweated profusely and dragged my tired legs through the steep slopes that took me past thickly wooded surroundings. With a shoulder tired of a heavy backpack and legs worn out by the trying slopes, I wasn’t exactly in an ebullient mood half way up the journey. I coaxed my uncooperative body to keep going, cursing the hills at the same time for being so steep and testing to its visitors.
Emerging out of the treeline hours later, I was suddenly standing at the edge of a vast stretch of lush grass hugging the undulating slopes, which slowly faded and merged into the hazy sky. The addiction to the hills kicked in that precise moment and has refused to subside ever since. In the years that followed, I tramped up and down these hills as if overpowered by an enchantment that demands me to pay a homage to the slopes at intervals growing more regular every year.
Do participate in this event and associated photography competition with in intent towards conservation of elephants in wild. Please share with your friends as well!
Click on the image for full details and also see event information.
Event 1: A photography contest for all on the theme of Elephants, their habitats which include other wildlife, vegetation, interaction of people and elephants in the wild where people live in close proximity to elephants.
Event 2: Biodiversity wall – Walk in with post card sized photographs of different species of wildlife (both plants and animals) and display on the wall dedicated for the same, and at the end of the day let us see how rich elephant habitats in India are.
Special event:
- Talks on Science of Elephants through Photography
- Documentaries on elephant’s life in forests; photographers’ experience
- Panel discussion – photographing elephants and other species by renowned wildlife photographers
