History & Culture in Russia

Russian history is very intriguing and interesting to learn. During A.D. 500, the first human crowd started to settle in Russia, and the people from Scandinavia moved towards the southern areas near the upper Volga River. These human settlers within a period mixed with settlers of Slavs from the west and together started to build a fortress. Today, this fortress is known as the Ukrainian city of Kiev.

For more than 200 years, the European Russian was ruled by the empire evolved by the Kiev, which later broke into Belarus, Muscovy, and Ukraine. Until the 13th century, Moscow- the capital city of Muscovy served as a trading post, later the Mongol invasions in the south lead people to move to Moscow.

Ivan IV became the first Russian emperor in the year 1550, he was a Muscovite ruler. He was the one who forced the Mongols to leave Kiev and united the region. Later in the year 1682, Peter became the Russian emperor and at that time his age was only 10 years. He stretched his emperorship till the next 42 years and is the one who worked day and night to develop a modern Russia.

The Russians slowly started being unhappy with the present government, and then in the year 1917, they forced the emperor to withdraw his leadership and formed a new election committee. But Bolsheviks- a communist group seized the power of the committee after a few months. And a new committee named- the Union of Soviet Socialists Republics (U.S.S.R) from Russia and 11 different countries was formed by their leader Vladimir Lenin.

In World War II, the U.S.S.R. fought on the side of the USA. But soon after 1945, the relation between Russia and the United States got strained and gave birth to the Cold War between the two powers. In 1991, the Cold War finally came to an end with an end to the Soviet Union.

Culture of Russia

In Russia, more than 120 ethnic groups are speaking around 100 different languages. 80% of the Russians have their ancestors settled here 1,500 years ago and are majorly Slavs. Other ethnic groups found here are Tatars- settled with the Mongol invaders and Ukrainians.

Today, Russia is known for its artists and thinkers such as famous writers Fyodor Dostoevsky and Leo Tolstoy, ballet dancers like Rudolf Nureyev, and composers like PyotrIlyich Tchaikovsky.

One of the famous symbols of the country is the Russian nesting dolls, also known asmatrioshka dolls, and are made out of wood. Mostly six or more dolls are nested into each other, as you keep removing one doll, the size of the other doll keeps on becoming smaller. The painting of the dolls symbolizes the traditional costume of a Russian peasant girl.

The traditional Russian food may seem awkward to the tourists but can be extremely delicious. The must-try traditional Russian food is borshch (a beetroot soup prepared with vegetables and meat, served with sour cream, Caviar (made up of eggs of sturgeon served with crusty bread or blini), blini similar to crepes or pancakes, Pirozhkis- baked buns smaller in size and filled with meat, cabbage, potatoes, or cheese, and Vodka- the famous alcoholic drink of Russia.

Happy Travellers

We had the pleasure of visiting Bali

Ms. Beena Shah & Mr. Pravin Shah

We had the pleasure of visiting Bali on a tour organized by Flamingo Transworld Pvt Ltd, and I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation for the truly memorable experience. The entire tour was extremely well organized from beginning to end, ensuring a smooth and enjoyable journey without any inconvenience. Every aspect of the trip was thoughtfully planned, which made our overall experience absolutely excellent.

The tour manager, Sangitaben, was truly the best of the best. professionalism, dedication, and friendly approach made us feel comfortable and well cared for throughout the tour. They were always available to assist, guide, and ensure that every traveler had a pleasant experience. The food and accommodation arrangements were also outstanding. We were provided with excellent meals and comfortable stays that exceeded our expectations, adding great value to the overall trip.

The sightseeing schedule was very well organized, allowing us to explore beautiful locations at a relaxed pace without feeling rushed. Each destination was carefully selected, and the arrangements ensured that we could fully enjoy the natural beauty and cultural richness of Bali. Safety was given topmost priority throughout the tour, which gave us complete peace of mind while traveling.

One of the highlights of the trip was the wonderful celebration of Valentine’s Day, which was organized in a very special and memorable way. The thoughtful arrangements and joyful atmosphere made the occasion truly delightful for everyone.

Overall, this tour was an exceptional experience filled with comfort, enjoyment, and unforgettable memories. I would love to travel again in the future with Flamingo and experience more such wonderful journeys. I highly recommend this tour company to my friends and family for their excellent service, careful planning, and commitment to providing an outstanding travel experience.

Beena and I (Pravin Shah) would personally like to acknowledge Sangitaben’s efforts and her kindness. We sincerely wish her continued success and all the very best in the future. We also hope her dedication and hard work receive the recognition she truly deserves from senior management.

THANK YOU!!!

Asia

Group Tour

Feb

Group Tour

Highly Recommended Tour Experience with Flamingo

Mr. Neel Patel

Me and my husband recently traveled to Paris and Switzerland with Flamingo Travel and had a truly great experience. The trip was very well-organized, hotels were comfortable, and the sightseeing itinerary covered all the highlights. Everything went smoothly, and we came back with beautiful memories.

A special thanks to Mrs. Unnati Jariwala, our tour manager, for her professional guidance and friendly support throughout the journey.

Overall, it was a fantastic experience. We would highly recommend Flamingo to anyone looking for a comfortable, enjoyable, and well-managed tour!

Central Europe

Group Tour

Aug

Group Tour

Highlights of South Asia journey

Ms. Bharti Patel

Under stress of Corona virus I started my journey to South Asia but by grace of god all went well. As soon as I landed ai Singapore air port I forget about all and enjoying my time

1. Itinerary of trip was design very well .All most covered all sightseeing.

2. Hotels in overall so good and bed was comfortable that after long day I got

comfortable sleep. Very good morning breakfast sp.enjoy South Indian.

3. About food , I do-not have word to say . Very nice Indian food . Baverchi and some local food was good like papaya salad at center marina at Pattaya,food at Kanchanaburi resort was good too.

4. About sightseeing

I like to know History and Culture of different country.I like Thai culture,saw

Somewhere connection of Hindu culture,saw different form of Rama ,Vishnu

Hanuman. Enjoy all sightseeing.

Highlights of my tour is

1. Luge and skyride .Gentng highlands, beautiful place.

2. At BukitMelawait peak got opportunity to feed Silverleaf Monkey.

3. Railway market ,floating market .beautiful experience, how hard people work for their living .

4. Doi Inthan National Park. Beautiful at higher elevations,loved Angkha trail Unfortunately did not saw some flowers.

5. Last enjoy Elephant Jungle Sanctuary place . In my whole life ever got chance to so close to elephant . Searching for food and feeding them .people are nice and putting lots of love taking care.

6. Doing painting on umbrella.

Above all you never get chance to do it in very fast life. Thanks for opportunities.

Last I never forget to acknowledge flamingo team who are working hard for making

trip so enjoyable and successful .

Working behind hotels reservations making my stay comfortable.

Working behind national flight reservations making travel so comfortable.

Working behind restaurants reservations and local food arrangement .

Working behind airport pick up Amitbhai good job . Thanks.

I really appreciate your time and hard work behind the scene making everything so

Comfortable and enjoyable.😊.

Thanks to JAYRAJ for taking care, giving us surprises, posting next day schedule,

Thinking of us on valentine day and making special for all . Thanks 🙏 again ,and

Saying good bye to you all ,hoping to see you sometime and somewhere down the road .

Asia

Individual Tour

Jan

Individual Tour

31st Jan Southeast Asia Tour

Mr. Yayati Patel

31st January Southeast Asia tour was our first experience with Flamingo. You exceeded our expectations from professionalism to accommodations, food, transportations and of course carefully chosen sightseeing places from modern Singapore to acient Thailand.

Jayraj is an outstanding and very knowledgeable tour guide. His passion to explore the world is impressive. His proffesional attitude towards all of us was remarkable.

Also thanks to all working behind the scene who made this trip memorable.

Sales team and accounting team including your agent Sangitaben in US were very cooperative.

For family oriented people like our group, some recommendations from local tour guide for nightlife shows could have been avoided and less shopping time can allow more places to cover.

We will not hesitate to refer Flamingo to our families and friends for their vacation experience.

Asia

Group Tour

Jan

Group Tour

Singapore Malaysia Tour-21st Dec to 31st Dec

Mr. Chetan Gandhi

I thank you for arranging the subject trip on time even though it was finalized in last two weeks of the travel day. Special thanks to Jayarajbhai, Amitbhai and Vidhimam. I gathered my experience of the trip which is narrated below along with recommendations. Few photographs are attached of the trip as requested.

Overall trip was exiting with adventures and filled with unforgettable sightseeing.

Trip: Singapore and Malaysia Tour (21st Dec to 31st Dec 2019)

Overall Summary: We (Family-Four members) enjoyed 6 days stay in Singapore and 5 days in Malaysia including travelling days. We booked our itinerary through Flamingo Transworld in Ahmedabad, India. The trip was with amazing rides, full of enjoyment, wonderful sightseeing, delicious Asian vegetarian food and lot of unforgettable activities and memories. We stayed in hotel apartment (2 bed rooms) in both countries and were very convenient. In Singapore; Sentosa, Universal studio, Singapore Zoo were amazing. In Malaysia, Twin & KL tower, Sunway lagoon and Genting highland cable car were exiting experience. Flamingo staff were very supportive. I get timely support whenever required even at very early morning in India (4-5 am)-Special thanks to Amitbhai. Pretrip briefing by Flamingo was very useful.

Visa and Flights: We took evisa. We get Malaysia visa in two days and Singapore in 3 days even during Dec holidays pick time. The only hurdle is to attach photo in online application for Malaysia visa during which one may need to do many trials as I did before website accept the photo according to their norms. We booked Oman Air from Qatar to Singapore via Muscat and Malaysia as transits. There is enough time for transit in Muscat but only an hour in Malaysia. In Malaysia Airport the terminals are far of arrival and departure through transit. We reached through aero train to departure terminal. At the embarkation from Flight in Malaysia; Oman air staff was available at the outlet of air bridge or you can say standing for guiding to reach to gate of other terminal to catch flight in a short time of an hour. We could catch Malaysia to Singapore flight without any delay but could not get enough time to get refreshed however, our check-in baggage could not reach to Singapore with our flight from Malaysia. What we heard from the Singapore airport authorities is that it is frequently happening but not to worry as you would have your baggage available within same day via next couple of flights as there are many flights between ML to Singapore. They were correct, my luggage reached in next flight and airport authority has delivered in night to my Hotel without any damage to baggage. I could wait 2-3 hours at Changi airport to get my baggage but prefer to checkin to hotel to get some rest. Singapore airport authority deliver baggage in night time only (8 pm to 11 pm) if you need them early you can go to airport to collect.

From Singapore to Malaysia we traveled through Airasia flight-very convenient flight. But at Malaysia airport it took about 3 hours to clear Immigration (due to several flights arrived same time and renovation work at airport). The airport authority has not managed efficiently the immigration, the crowd and queues-very inconvenient. From Singapore to Doha via Muscat was very convenient experience in flight.

Overall there is not much hurdle for immigration accepts the long waiting time in Malaysia where the queue was very long and no refreshment. In case of small kids, it would be exhausting. Singapore is easy for immigration even departure time, we preferred e-gate without standing in queue-very easy.

Sightseeing in Singapore:

1) On reaching hotel in Singapore, I purchased Simcard (12 SGD and valid for 7 days)which is must to communicate with travel agents, home and to start Whatsup, facebook etc…it gives certain GB 4G/5G connection and enough talk time including somewhat 100 minutes international call. This SIMCARD is must and first to purchase in Singapore as well in Malaysia.

2) Marina Bay Bicycle tour (2-3 hours in evening) was very informative during which we get overall view of the city. The guide was very humble and we did 15 km cycling with family. As the climate was supporting, the cycling was not exhausting but enriching experience. I recommend this cycling over the experiential city tour with guide during which the guide took us or can say has shown us through almost same sights as the city/country is very small.

3) Santosa (timing 10:00 to 18:00), It is best experience in Singapore where we enjoyed Cable car (Oneway), Luge and Skyline, all 5 shows of 4D, Wings of time Laser show in the night (not to miss this), Sea Aquarium (near Univeral studio), Typhoon theater and veg Asian food near the Wings of time area (only one restaurant) , Madame tusaads Museum. We could not complete Santosa in a day and nor had time to go again. I recommend to go at least 11/2 - 2 days as this is the best place to visit in Singapore and Malysia.

4) Universal Studio (timings 09:00to 18:00): best place for rides, On entering the studio, we took first both the rollercoaster (not Egypt one) one red colour and a hanging one white one – this is best experience- don’t miss them. In early morning we found very short queues – take this opportunity and you can ride more than one time if you wish- We did total three times., Take locker inside available for 45 minutes for free, push in boats-a good ride, Galacticca roller coaster is another good one but not compared to above both roller coasters, Jurrasic park screen, push in boats and the old vantage car ride. The queue was very long after 11:00 hours even with express pass. All the rides could not be completed in a day. If wish to cover entire universal studio, need at least 11/2 to 2 days.

5) Singapore zoo(09:00 to 18:00): Little far from city, Best natural zoo where you don’t feel like you are visiting zoo but you feel like you are walking through jungle and meeting many animals. This is the only zoo so far I visited found without any pungent smell and covered with so many trees and kept in clean condition. A fantastic place to visit. Especially, in winter time (less humidity) one enjoys walking through the jungle.

6) Garden by the bay (Flower dome and Cloud forest) and Marina bay hotel: Garden by the bay is very good indoor plants and flowers where we enjoyed taking photographs with flowers and plants. In Marina bay hotel we were allowed to visit limited area of the 56 open floor deck where the other part is only for the hotel guests which is real skypark-a nice place for photography.

7) River cruise (45 minutes), a nice tour but night bicycle tour was comparatively good for those who can ride bicycle for 15 km.

Hotel Apartment Experience in Singapore: Fraser Robertson walk hotel apartment (11 unity street), Location was nice, hotel apartment was very convenient with all amenities like dish washer, washing machine and washing power, two TVs (one in living room and master bed room), iron and all other needs. However, the room service was very stingy in giving tea bags and sugar etc….After I complained after 3 days, the last two days it was slightly improved. The reception staff was very humble and treating customer amiably.

Transport in Singapore: All the transports to sightseeing were on private base; a largest tour operator Nam Ho in Singapore-All drivers were nice and explained properly how to reach to inside each sightseeing after dropping point as well clear guidance or pick up point. They use van of their own company normally but sometimes they send private vehicles of their partners but all vehicles were very convenient. This tour operator is very disciplined one and they expect from customer also same- They were never late by even 1 minute and expect from customer also the same (they do not wait for more than 5 minutes of the defined time).

I also tried other transportation like (metro, and private taxi) for my night time dinner. I used to go to Mustafa every day for my veg food (very delicious food in Saravana bhavan, ananda bhavan, Komoli, kailash prabhat etc….)

Last day in Singapore: from hotel to Airport drop, Nam Ho has blocked my call to their hotline number so I found little difficulty in finding driver for airport drop facility as she was waiting in another waiting area of the hotel. Nam Ho has neither conveyed my mobile (Singapore number) to driver nor her number to me. This area is required to be improved. Fortunately, I had 2-3 earlier drivers’ number who helped me on time. Special thanks to Rajesh driver who managed my transport even it was not his call of duty to arrange my airport transport

Airport to Hotel in Malaysia: Although there was delay in immigration as explained above, Luxury tour (private booked tour travel for Malaysia as Nam Ho in Singapore) has managed my transport to hotel as all their other customer also delayed in coming out of airport although few flights were on time. First we bought Simcard as did Singapore valid for 30 days with 3G/4G 500 Mb data and enogh free talk time.

Sightseeing in Malaysia:

1) Sunway Lagoon(09:00 to 18:00): Nice place for water rides and few other rides but the place was not as hygiene as Singapore. Scream park was exiting ride. Overall good experience. Driver came on time in morning as well he picked up us at right time in evening even though it was raining.

2) City tour half day (09:00 t0 14:00): Drive reached late by 45 minutes in morning due to which there was a long queue built up at KL tower so it took about 2 hours to visit the deck. Twin tower was very organized and not much waiting time as the tickets shows visit timing which was respected by the tower management. Both the KL and Twintower are recommended for visit as it gives very thrilling view of the city and one can get 360 city view. However, KL tower we visited only observation deck.

3) We went to Putrayjaya in afternoon- A very beautiful boat ride compared to Singapore, this ride is better.

4) Genting Highland: Best Cable car experience-it is much better than the Singapore Sentosa cable car-Although it was one way, I recommend return trip- very nominal price to buy a return ticket from Genting Highland. There were few rides in which my kids enjoyed- we didn’t went to visit Casino as that was not of our choice to visit. However, outside climate was very beautiful, we walked under cloud and enjoyed a lot- Best Asian veg food at Spice Garden-recommend to dine.

On route to Genting we visited Batu cave – A hindu holy place which I recommend not to miss. The given time of 45 minutes was less (we recommend 1 to 11/2 hour) as the place is nice you definitely feel to sit for a while in cave in a very calm and holy environment.

Drive on this tour also reached 30 minutes late due to the mistake of Luxury tour management-The driver was very good person in nature (Shivam actual name Namhoshivam). Flamingo transworld supported to time and return time was delayed by 30 minutes as start was late. Special thanks to Amit who has responded on time in early about 4:00 morning.

5) Airport drop: Luxury tour has arranged on time vehicle with gentle nature driver

The city tour was not exiting as the driver did not take much interest to show the city- For me it was waste of time and money.

Food: Delicious food available at Indian street (Asian veg- Saravana bhavan, Sangeeta etc…) it tooks only 15 MR from hotel to restaurant in taxi.

Hotel Apartment in Malaysia: Ascott hotel is very nice at prime location in city- no issue with room service. A very exiting swimming pool at 22nd floor with sauna bath, gym etc…All rooms were very big and TVs in all the rooms. The hotel is close to twin tower where there is a nice shopping mall as well biggest mall Pavilion is also very close to hotel – a bridge to walk for about 10 minutes to reach so avoid traffic.

Advice/Caution: Be careful in Malaysia to cross the road even Zebra crossing with green light to pedestrian as some vehicle driver do not pay respect to traffic light -they drove through red light as experienced, I observed a near miss to one of the family in Malaysia. Singapore even with green light to vehicle they pay respect to pedestrian.

Asia

Individual Tour

May

Individual Tour

Hotel Food And Staff Services Was Very Nice

Mr. Shambahadur Thakur

Hotel in Boracay ( Astoria Boracay) was excellent. Hotel food and staff services was very nice. More over hotel is located on beach and whole day it’s happening place. Island trip was interesting and we enjoyed lot.

Reaching Manila, even we been straight for city tour didn’t felt tired . Hotel IM manila also very good . Food was good. Overall it was an excellent trip.

Asia

Individual Tour

Feb

Individual Tour

We Love Partnering With You On Our Travels!

Priyanka Desai

Thank you for reaching out to us! The trip was fantastic. Our driver was a very nice guy, spoke fluent English and kept his car sparkling clean! He was a very good guide as well... Highly recommend him ! Also our resorts and the services provided there were out of the world. Thank you so much for arranging the candle light dinner and anniversary celebrations for my parents. They were blown away and really happy ! All in all, we love partnering with you on our travels!

Also special thanks to your team for making my cousin Nishad's honeymoon to Mauritius super enjoyable as well.

One more thing. I have cc'd my very good friend Ashutosh in the email. Ashutosh got married this year but hasnt had time for a honeymoon yet so he is thinking to do a trip later this year. He is also thinking of a similar to Kerala trip (that we did) for his parents and is looking for ideas on what fits his budget. I am sure you will take care of him in the best possible way

Thank you once again! And Cheers and Kudos to the Flamingo team..

Ratna, extremely sorry for not finding time to come meet you in person but I owe you one for making my family super happy!

India

Individual Tour

Nov

Individual Tour

We Have Enjoyed Our Dubai Trip!

Mr. Rahul Bhasin

We have enjoyed our Dubai trip, it was well planned by Flamingo team. They were available round the clock to assist us when ever required and resolving in our queries. We would definitely we recommending Kamil and entire Flamingo team to our friends and family members for booking Dubai trip."

Middle East

Individual Tour

Nov

Individual Tour

We Couldn’t Dream Of A Better Vacation Than This!

Mr. Neeraj Amin

It was a memorable trip. Right from the land arrangements to the Hotels everything was perfect; we couldn’t dream of a better vacation than this. The up gradation of room in Sofitel at Siem Reap was pleasant surprise to us! All the services were up to the mark with no lapse in the services.

Asia

Individual Tour

Sep

Individual Tour

Thanks Flamingo Team To Make Our Dream Come True

Mr. & Mrs. Nehal Gandhi

Exploring Europe with our two teenage kids was our dream for a long time. Thanks to the Flamingo team to make that dream come true and giving us the memories of a lifetime!!! We really enjoyed the places, sightseeing, food and hotels. We were impressed by our tour leader, Kushal Shah, with his time management, attention to detail, leadership and communication style. His knowledge about European history and culture was excellent. We had an amazing time and we are looking forward to having many more memorable trips with Flamingo Tour.

Central Europe,East Europe

Group Tour

May

Group Tour

History & Culture in Russia

Happy Travellers

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