With beautiful paved roads and trees shading the whole area, I walked across the road only to be met by a fellow pulling a rickshaw. He came up to me and asked where I wanted to go. Seated in the rickshaw I tried to bask in the glory of this fascinating city I had come to – Pondicherry . Earlier a French colony, Pondicherry today is Union Territory in India. Pondicherry literally means new village. The entire city is based on the pattern of French construction with a grid pattern. The whole city is divided into sectors which are perpendicular to each other. There is a French region here and an Indian region. The French portion of the city is known as the Ville Blanche which in French means the White Town. The Indian portion is known as the Ville Noire or the Black Town. The French influence is still seen here in the form of the names of the roads and the villas here. French villas are very common in the city and the buildings built in the colonial style still are seen in the beautiful city of Pondicherry. The large doors and windows and the verandahs outside the house are typically French and people in Pondicherry still speak a lot of French. Even today there are a lot of people here living with French passports. The French Consulate is a major French monument existing even today besides the French Institute of Pondicherry, the Alliance Francaise and the Lycee Francais de Pondicherry.

The locals here speak a variety of languages ranging from Malayalam to Tamil and from Telugu to French. French is the official language in the Union Territory, Tamil in the Government. Pondicherry has a lot of Tamil influence as it is near the state of Tamil Nadur. Koel, Squirrel, cannonball’s tree flower and Bael fruit tree occupy special position as the state bird, animal, flower and tree respectively.

» Read more: Pondicherry – The Land of Tomorrow

Whenever you feel you have to see stars during day, then just wait for the one Indian festival Diwali. This festival is so important for all the religions in India that come October and November the whole of the country gets ready to celebrate one of the grandest festivals ever in this part of the world. For the Hindus, the festival signifies a lot of activities that are done together traditionally. For the Jains, the festival of Diwali is the time of getting salvation. It is believed that the Jain guru Mahavira attained enlightenment at this time. The Sikhs celebrate Diwali as the freedom day of Guru Hargobind who saved around 52 kings from the captivity of the Mughal Emperor.

Across the world, the festival is celebrated in the countries of Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Guyana, Mauritius, Trinidad and Tobago and Malaysia besides, Suriname and Singapore. Diwali is actually “Deepavali” which in Sanskrit means the row of lamps.

» Read more: When stars twinkle during the day – Diwali

The Italian city of Venice is still rated among the most alluring travel destinations of the world. The basic setup of this city has remained the same as what it was 600 years ago. Are you planning to tour this romantic city? Then this article will be extremely handy for you as it will offer you information about the climatic conditions of Venice.

The summer is probably the worst time for visiting Venice. During the summer months, the weather of this city remains extremely hot and humid. You will come across irritating things like smelly canals, mosquitoes, flies etc. However, if you come to Venice in spring or falls, you will never feel like going back. During these times the average temperature of the city ranges in between 5 and 15° Celsius. The tourist population in Venice is maximum during these parts of the year. If you want to avoid the rush, you may also plan the tour to Venice between November and January. Traveling through Venice during the winter months will surely be an extremely thrilling experience. However to tackle the extreme cold of Venice during winter months, you must carry a lot of woolens with you. In this time the weather of this city stays damp, windy and cold.

Another feature of Venice, you must be aware of before landing in the city is ‘aqua alta’ or high water. During an aqua alta, the water level of the lagoon rises above levels of streets and squares; it is almost like a mini flood and persist for only for some hours. Such incidents may take place suddenly for several times in a year. There’s no definite time for an ‘aqua alta’, however, it is more frequent during colder months.

Kiawah Island near Charleston, South Carolina offers fun for the whole family. The kids will enjoy Night Heron Park or biking on the many trails. Dad will be in golfer’s heaven with five world-class courses. Mom’s going to love splurging at The Sanctuary Spa. And the entire family will spend hours on the ten-mile swath of hard-packed beach that fronts the Atlantic Ocean. What’s not to like? The price tag. The resorts at Kiawah are wonderful, but they aren’t cheap.

How do you save money on a family spring break to Kiawah Island? Book a vacation rental.

To begin planning your family’s spring break on Kiawah, start by researching online listings. I’ve had good luck with Vacation Rentals by Owner. How do you know your choice is a good one? Follow this list:

• Study the map. Google the unit’s address to confirm the location. Is it close enough to the beach for you? How far is the bike ride to Night Heron Park?
• Look for clues in the photos. What are the owners not showing? Why doesn’t the listing show an outside shot of the building? Where’s the photo of the patio? Did you notice a picture of a bathtub in the master bathroom? Maybe there isn’t one.
• Does the rental include the use of resort facilities? You don’t want to arrive only to find out that the unit does not come with permission to frolic at the pool or exercise in the gym.
• Pay attention to the details. Does the rental provide linens, cleaning supplies or free wifi? Is their a housekeeping charge?
• Are extras like bicycles or beach equipment included? This will save you money.
• Read the comments and recommendations. What did former renters like about the property? Did any remarks complement the owners? A word of caution: use your judgment when reading reviews, they can be manipulated.

Bonus tip: cooking your own meals is one of the biggest money-savers when renting a vacation unit. But come on, mom deserves a spring break too. Plan a dinner or two around the prepared meals at the upscale grocery store, Newton Farms, located in Freshfields Village, just outside Kiawah’s gated entrance. Now everybody’s happy.