Sneak preview of cities where World’s best New Year Celebrations take place each year

Here is a sneak preview of cities where World’s best New Year Celebrations take place each year. People from around the workd travel at this time of the year to enjoy the new year festivities.

1. New York City, New York

Times Square’s iconic 109-year-old tradition of watching the iconic ball drop continues to attract millions of people, whether it is in person or through the television. The ball weighs close to 12,000 pounds and is covered thousands of Waterford crystals, attracting lines of people from 10am onwards.

2. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Réveillon, is one of the world’s largest New Year’s celebrations. Millions of locals and tourists dress in white and fill the city’s beaches, throwing flowers into the waves at midnight for the African sea goddess Yemanjá. After this ceremony, the night is packed with music and dancing.

3. London, England

From the Thames Waterfront to the London Eye, London is buzzing with eager Londoners waiting for the city to be painted with sparks and colors. At midnight, the tower Big Ben chimes to the New Year.

4. Sydney, Australia

The iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge is known for the world’s most spectacular fireworks productions watched at the waterfront.

5. Madrid, Spain

This New Year celebration begins by swallowing 12 grapes—one for each stroke of the clock at midnight. Finishing them on time is considered to be a sign of good luck in the upcoming year.

And of course, our beautiful Pakistan! Where fireworks start before midnight and keep going all night long. We can always trust Pakistani’s to celebrate all occasions!

Know all about Abbottabad – the city of Pines

Abbottabad city is a part of the Hazara region in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and is the capital of the Abbottabad district. The city is almost equidistant from Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Peshawar. It is a hill station with lovely weather, high-standard educational institutes and is popular because of the Pakistan Military Academy-Kakul.

The city was founded in 1853 by Major James Abbott, and the city was named after its founder. Abbottabad is known to be home to well-educated people and has the highest literacy rate in Pakistan. The main language spoken by about 95% of the population is Hindko, which is similar to Punjabi, along with Urdu and Pashto. The city is modernizing by the day.

Jovago’s top 3

Shimla Peak

Abbottabad is surrounded by hills, Shimla Peak is towards the north and Sarban Peak towards the south. Shimla’s cool, pine-clad pinnacle is plaited with paths and adds to the scenic outlook of the town and its environment. You can either trek or take a passenger jeep from upper Pine View Road to Shimla Peak, commonly known as Shimla Pahari in the local language.

Ilyasi Masjid

Ilyasi Masjid is an old and famous mosque built over a stream of water based in Nawanshehr. Adjacent to the mosque is a pond-like area where people can ride on the paddle-driven boats. There is also a hill close to the mosque which is a famous picnic spot in the city. This beautiful mosque includes a composite of spring-fed bathhouses and pools.

Haripur

Haripur is a city which is located on towards the sounth of Abbottabad. Haripur was built as a fortress  in 1822 by Hari Singh, a general of Ranjit Singh’s army who became the Governor of Hazara in the early 19^th century. The fort is now used as a police station and for government offices. There is also a British cemetery present there.

Tips

Restaurants

The people in Abbottabad love eating maize, wheat and rice. In Rural areas, desi ghee and lassi are largely consumed. People of Abbottabad are very fond of eating out. Some of the popular restaurants are Red Onion and Kaghan Café. Popular cuisines include chicken Karahi, Korma, Sajji and chapliKabab.

Shopping

Abbottabad is a cultural city with customary things to purchase like Turban, Kraquli, Patti caps and traditional chaddars. Shopping malls and arcades include Roshan Shopping Mall, Deemas Shopping Center, City Center shopping mall and many more.

Hotels

You will find the best range of top hotels like Pearl Continental to inexpensive guest houses. For a variety of options with discounted rates and deals, check Jovago’s website and book right away.

Cameras Through The Ages

In today’s day and age cameras are no longer the luxury that they used to be. From taking screenshots, selfies or normal pictures, cameras have been made more accessible. Let’s explore the timeline of these devices!

Camera Obscura

Created in 1500, it has been monumental in the development of photography.
Daguerreotype Camera

Announced in 1839, to be the first publically used photographing process.
The Megaskop

In 1844, the first device created to take a panoramic image.
Kodak Brownie

Created in 1900 for the purpose of lower-cost photography, and led to the snapshot.
The Raise Camera

Discovered in 1900, the first lightweight and portable camera.
The Leica 1

Created in 1925, the first portable camera to use 35mm film.
The Duaflex

In 1947, the first compact SLR with adapted eye level viewfinder.
Polaroid Model 95

In 1947, led to the invention of Polaroid photography.
The Kodak Digital Camera

Created in 1975, it recorded black and white images on a cassette tape.
The Quicksnap

Invented in 1986 by Fuji, the first disposable camera.
Kodak DCS SLR

In 1991, it was the first professional digital camera on sale.
Sharp J-Sho4

The first camera phone. Making travelling easier than ever!

Travel Essentials For The Winter

Handmade Kashmiri Shawls
Not only will they keep you warm and protected from the cold, but will also be the perfect accessory for your winter wardrobe!
Moisturizer
During the winter, are skin becomes dehydrated causing dry patches to appear. To avoid this, moisturize your body and your face to make the external layers of your skin softer!
Gloves
Invest in a pair of gloves to keep your fingers and your hands warm. This is recommended especially if you explore the northern areas of Pakistan. Gloves help to prevent frostbite!
Sunscreen
Even if it is for a shorter time everyday, the suns rays can still harm your skin. Apply sunscreen to your face and any exposed skin for harmful Ultra-Violet rays protection.
Socks
When travelling socks are the perfect accessories to carry with you. Slip your shoes off on the plane and wear your socks, keeping your feet warm and comfortable!
Lozenges
Always carry a packet of throat lozenges in your bag. The chances of you having a sore throat during the winters increases, and lozenges will soothe the pain away!

The Capital Of The Kohat District

Kohat is a city located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and is the capital of the Kohat district. The city is home to many different villages with diverse cultures. Kohat consisted of three tribes mainly Afridi, Khattak and Bangash and later on, more tribes started settling here, expanding the population.
Kohat city is named after a Buddhist king who, along with King Adh, settled beside the northern border of the district. Its history dates back to Emperor Babar’s era. Kohat has got great military importance as the ISSB Centre is located in the city for recruitment purposes. This city has shown immense developments and the people here are very keen towards development.

Jovago’s Top 3
Tanda Wildlife Park
Tanda Wildlife Park is the largest park in the province with a total area of 2800 acres. It consists of Tanda reservoir as well. Its magnificently rich and speckled landscape supports a range of mammals and birds, as well as a few reptiles. If you have affection with wildlife and animals, this is the place to be at.
Kohat fort
This ancient Kohat Fort was named as Adh fort after King Adh. Its significance is huge due to its location and tourist persistence. Much of the fort has tarnished into walls, but it still stands as a photographic destination for tourists. Having a walk around the fort to enjoy the beauty of its remains, and indulge in its historic memories should be a visitor’s next thing to do.
Kohat Tunnel
Also known as the Pak-Japan Tunnel, it is 1.9 km long that connects Kohat city with Darra Adam Khel. This is a development that was made in response to skip the dangerous route in this area. This tunnel is very helpful for trade purpose. Of course, it is an important site for tourists as well.
TIPS
Restaurants
The two most famous restaurants, according to customer reviews are Shelton restaurant and Green Hill restaurant. As Kohat belongs to KPK, chaplikababs are the most popular and loved dish of the city. You will also find some delicious seafood in restaurants in Kohat.
Shopping
The top 3 markets in Kohat are Anarkali Bazaar, Fortress stadium and Al Falah square. The city is famous for handicrafts, mud crafts, Peshawari chapals and more. Apart from the specialty products, there is nothing that you cannot find and shop for easily in Kohat city.
Hotels
You can easily find a range of economical guest houses and hotels on Jovago.com and book them online, paying on arrival. Some of them include Royal Green guest house and City Lodge.

Spread joy this holiday season with Careem

Holiday season is all about spreading happiness and sharing love, so Careem is back with another amazing idea this holiday season. Careem, the leading app based chauffer driven car booking service in MENA Region, is giving away the opportunity for you and your friends to earn Rs.100,000 with them!

It’s pretty simple, go to your App Store or Play Store and download the Careem App. Once you sign up with your email and phone number you will be given a referral link. Share that link on your Facebook and Twitter and get your friends to sign up. Once they sign up and take a ride with Careem, you and your friend both get Rs.1000 Careem credit in your accounts. Refer 100 friends and earn 100,000!

Refer as many friends as you like and you will never have to pay for your rides, so download, signup, and take a ride!

The procedure is super simple for acquiring your referral link!

1.       After downloading the app, tap on the top right corner.

2.       Tap “Invite Friends” from the menu that slides up.

 

 

3.       You can share your link by tapping on the Facebook and Twitter or copy your personalised code and share it manually.

7 Tips for Smart Packing

Here are 7 Tips for Smart Packing, so when travelling next must look at these:-

– Pack a versatile wardrobe that is appropriate for the country you’re visiting, and pieces that you can wear multiple times .

– Plan ahead so you know what activities you will be engaging in, which can help you create a list for everything you will need .

– Roll your clothes to maximize space in your suitcase. This method helps you fit more outfits and accessories into a smaller area .

– Lock your suitcase to secure your luggage until you reach yourdestination. This is crucial since suitcases can get lost or stolen, and losing your belongings in a new country is not ideal .

– Protect valuables that can easily break such as glass fragrance bottles by slipping them into socks before packing them .

– When packing your shoes, keep the dirty soles away from your clean clothes by packing them in shower caps .

– Clothes that tend to wrinkle easily should be first placed inside a dry cleaning bag. The plastic helps to prevent them from creasing .

Follow these simple steps and have a safe journey!

Know all about The historic city of Taxila

The city of Taxila is a part of the Rawalpindi district of Punjab. The name Taxila means ‘City of Cut Stone’, being one of the richest South Asia archeologist sites. The city is known as a testament to Buddhism and it is said that the Buddha spent 40 years of his life preaching in this particular part of Pakistan. The city was also ruled by the Greeks under emperor Alexander the great.

Taxila is a blend of wealthy urban and pastoral neighborhoods. Urban residential areas are in the form of small,immaculate and clean colonies. Taxila is also known for its industrial significance, some of the major industries in Taxila include heavy machine factory, cement factory, cottage industry, pottery and footwear industries.

Jovago’s Top 3

Taxila Museum
This Greek style museum is located on the Grand Trunk road and has many momentous discoveries from the Taxila site. Taxila museum is home to objects that date back to 600 B.C having Buddhist and Hindu origins. It is a perfect depiction of the ‘Gandharan Art’ exhibiting silver, gold and other semi precious stones. Its visiting time ends by 5 p.m. so it is preferable to plan your visit to the museum in the morning.

Bhir Mound
Bhir Mound is the oldest site of ancient Taxila that has been exhumed numerous times over the last century. It contains of several layers of ruins – the earliest dating back to the 5th century. It had its importance as being the center of administration, education and trade.

Jain Temple
When the city of Taxila was excavated, sculptures of Buddha and Hindu temples were found. This spot is full of different temples and statues that were worshipped by people back then. The main statue of Julian, mahatma statue is known as statue of health and around this, there are 21 more stupas that were built by monks. These places will interest those who are fond of archeology.

Tips

Restaurants
Famous restaurants in Taxila are Gandhara restaurant, Dreamland restaurant and Food city. Some of the famous foods of Taxila are chaplikabab and freshwater Rohu that are a must try.

Shopping
The bazaars of the old city offer exciting bargains. You can leisurely surf in the quaint old shops in Saddar bazaar, Moti bazaar and Raja bazaar. Other famous markets include Shahmir shopping center, MandiMaweshiyan and Jhelum plywood Markaz timber market.

Hotels
Jovago.com has hotels from Taxila on its portal. You may get prices as low as 1200 and as high as 12000 PKR. These hotels also provide free cancellation and payment at the hotel.

Jovago Launches Hospitality Report

Karachi, 17th December2015: Jovago.com, Pakistan’s No.1 online hotel booking website, has organized a press conference to launch the first ever hospitality report, and discuss Jovago’s achievements during 2015.

The purpose of this event is to strengthen the tourism sector and share insights regarding the tourism industry in Pakistan, to encourage people to traveland discover our home country. At the event, Nadine Malik the Managing Director of Jovago Pakistan also talked about Jovago’s work accomplishments of 2015 and highlighted Jovago’s aims and plans to boost the tourism industry of Pakistan in the coming years. Renowned individuals credit Jovago.com with excellent performance this year because of positive feedback of their customers and increased interest of people towards tourism.

Commenting on this informative session, Nadine Malik, Managing Director of Jovago Pakistan said; “Jovago.com is an enterprise that aspires to support and encourage tourism industry of Pakistan and we are proud to be a part of this platform which is playing an influential role to promote the beauty, culture and expansion of Pakistan tourism industry on the whole.”

The event saw many prominent bloggers, print and online media in attendance.

About JovagoJovago.com is an online hotel booking service with offices in Lagos (Nigeria), Nairobi (Kenya), Dakar (Senegal) founded by Africa Internet Group and has MTN and Millicom as investors. Jovago.com, Africa’s No.1 booking portal, facilitates the booking process for its users to provide them with the best hotel booking experience with fast, transparent and easy-to-use services. Jovago.com has over 20,000 local hotel listings across Africa and over 200,000 hotels around the world.

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SSC & PTCL Join Hands

 Mr. Kamal Ahmed (CDSO - PTCL) & Mr. Jalal Ahmed (CIO - SSC) Signing Contract In Back ground: Mr. Waqar - GM Corporate Sales Center & Mr. Shahid Hussain SSC - CEO On Left: Mr. Syed Farhan (Sr. Manager PTCL) On Right: Mr. Daniyal Hassan (Manager IT Projects) & Mr. Raja Haroon (Manager IT Operations)

 

Service Sales Corporation being Pakistan’s leading retailer & Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited being a technology giant joins forces to form a partnership for SSC Network Expansion by availing state of art redundant EDN Services & Nationwide Digital Connectivity Solution.

SSC, being the market leader in footwear retail, strongly believes in working technically sound partners in their respective fields. SSC has laid down very stringent criteria to select its business partners as at SSC,. Service Sales Corporation has partnered with the leading names in business for staying at the forefront of the latest technology in terms of hardware, software and information technology.

On this occasion Mr. Jalal Ahmed, SSC Chief Information Officer said,
“Service Sales Corporation (Pvt.) Ltd has always been at the forefront of taking new initiatives to provide the best experience to its customers across Pakistan.

Operating through a network of more than 550+ retail stores and exceeding 2500 independent retailers in its wholesale network across Pakistan, SSC today has the largest retail presence in Pakistan. Specializing in the footwear category, it operates under the banners of Servis and Shoe Planet.

Mr Jalal Ahmed has also reiterated Service sales corporation vision for project team, we remain a sustained market leader, setting higher standards in industry practice and have a meaningful impact on the lives of our customers, employee’s community and shareholders through innovation and the capability of our people”.

Commenting on the partnership at Contract signing ceremony at SSC Head Office, Mr. Kamal Ahmed, Chief Digital Services Officer PTCL said, 
“We believe this partnership with SSC will enable us to deliver higher level of data communication corporate user experience to retail customers and further consolidate PTCL’s leadership position in the ICT market.PTCL, as the ICT leader in Pakistan, is continuously striving to offer enhanced digital experience, raising the bar on performance expectations, and drive customer satisfaction through integration of cutting-edge ICT platforms
This new technology investment in SSC state-of-the-art EDN solutions & Nationwide Digital Connectivity is reflective of PTCL’s commitment to provide next-generation digital experience in Pakistan.”

SSC & PTCL Project Team Information:

The Contract was signed by Kamal Ahmed, Chief Digital & Corporate Services Officer PTCL and Mr. Jalal Ahmed, Chief Information Technology Officer at SSC Head Office Lahore. Senior officials from PTCL and SSC, Mr. Waqar Ahmed – GM Corporate Sales Central PTCL, Mr. Waheed Ahmed – GM Networks PTCL, Mr. Syed Farhan Ahmed – Sr. Manager Corporate Sales Central PTCL, Ms. Rabiya Tariq – Sr. Manager Corporate Services PTCL, Mr. M. Shahjahan – Sr. Manager Support & Deployment PTCL, Mr. Hamad Asim – Sr. Manager Corporate Sales PTCL, Ms. Qanita Chaudhry – Manager Support & Deployment, Mr. Syed Murad Ali – Manager Presales, Aqsa Malik – AM Corporate Services PTCL, Ms. Yusra Farooq – AM Corporate Services PTCL. Mr. Raja Haroon – Manager IT Opts SSC, Mr. Shabbir Ahmed – AM Networks SSC, Mr. Daniyal Hassan – Manager IT Projects SSC were also present at the occasion.

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Sneak Preview of Sialkot – The city of Iqbal

The city of Sialkot is located in Punjab under the Sialkot district. In terms of population, it ranks on the twelfth amongst other cities in Pakistan. It has an ancient history attached to it. Sialkot was founded by Raja Sul and was later rebuilt by Raja Salivahian who also constructed a fort in the city. This is how the city was coined its name, Sialkot which means ‘Fort of Sia’.

Sialkot is a very cultured city with diverse residents in terms of values and ethnicities. The overall city, however, represents the pure Punjabi culture. Sialkot is known for the manufacturing and export of items such as surgical and musical instruments, sports goods, leather goods and textile goods. The land is very fertile and rich in crops such as wheat, rice, barley and sugarcane.

Jovago’s top 3

IqbalManzil
Sialkot is the birth city of Pakistan’s one and only national poet, Allama Mohammad Iqbal, giving the city the perfect association with Pakistan’s history. Iqbal’s house (known as IqbalManzil) is located in Kashmiri Mohalla, Sialkot. It was bought by Iqbal’s grandfather in 1861 and is still present. It has been converted into a museum for tourists to visit. Thus, it is a must-go site in Sialkot.

Clock Tower
We have all heard about Sialkot’s famous clock tower.  It stands in the middle of Saddar Bazaar and holds the busy streets together. It is more than a hundred years old monument, that has its own significance. Though it has been renovated the real structure stands up to this date.

Tomb of Imam Ali-ul-Haq
Imam Ali-ul-Haq dates back to the 13thcentury, he successfully converted thousands of local population of Sialkot to Islam. He got martyred in a clash against Raja of Sialkot at that time and has a mausoleum built over his grave. Whoever visits Sialkot, definitely pays a visit to Imam Sahib’s shrine. His service to humanity will always keep him alive amongst Muslims and Pakistanis.

Tips

Restaurants
Some of the famous Sialkoti dishes include Tandoori Chicken, Bhuna Ghost, Nihari, KeemaNaan and SarsonkaSaag. You will easily find these dishes in almost every Pakistani restaurant. According to the visitors, the top restaurants that are a must-try are Malik restaurant and Frangoz café.

Shopping
Sialkot is an industrial city with an increasing population and therefore increasing needs. Sialkot has the best quality items that are exported throughout the world. Some famous markets include Duran shopping mall, V mall and Clover mall. Other famous stores are Ihsan sports and Multi trading house.

Hotels
Jovago Pakistan has a variety of lavish as well as affordable guesthouses and hotels in Sialkot such as Hotel One, Javson Hotel and Royal guest house. You will find the best prices and deals on Jovago’s website.

Reasons to Celebrate December

If you don’t have enough reasons to celebrate in December already, here are a few reasons this month is merrier than the rest!

For starters, Christmas is only a few days away! On the 25th of December, Christians from all over the world celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.The festivities carry on for Muslims also as they nationally rejoice and remember Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s birthday.

Mohammad Ali Jinnah is also known as Quaid-e-Azam that translates to ‘Great Leader’. He was the founder and first Governor General of Pakistan. Ever since 1957, Mohammad Ali Jinnah has been printed on the Pakistani currency, formally known as the Pakistani Rupee. Famous quotes of Mohammad Ali Jinnah that have remained an inspiration to all are, ‘No nation can rise to the height of glory unless your women are side by side with you.’

‘No struggle can ever succeed without women participating side by side with men.’

‘With faith, discipline and selfless devotion to duty, there is nothing worthwhile that you cannot achieve.’

As the year comes to an end, his words of wisdom are words to live by and cherish. End this year by celebrating your family, friends, loved ones and all that you are thankful for!

Daring Delicacies of the World

 

Fried Tarantula
This crawly crispy treat is a popular dish in Cambodia, seasoned with salt, pepper and chili.

Surstromming

A traditional Swedish cuisine that contains Baltic Sea herring that is fermented for at least six months.

Maghaz
Maghaz is also known as Brain Masala, and is a Pakistani savory dish consisting of cow or sheep brains.

CasuMarzu
A traditional Sardinian sheep milk cheese, notable for containing live insect larvae especially maggots.

Kiviak
This Greenland delicacy consists of whole auks being stuffed into a seal and secured. The Kiviak ferments over a course of seven months, and is then enjoyed.

Haggis
A famous Scottish dish cooked inside a sheep’s stomach, containing the sheep’s seasoned and minced heart, liver and lungs.

Travel and explore more delicacies that are even more daring!

Warid Launches an amazing 7-Day Offer

Warid Telecom has launched a new and exciting 7 Day Offer for all prepaid customers giving them the liberty to stay connected to their loved ones all week long in just Rs. 99 inclusive of tax. With the main highlight of this offer customers can make calls to other networks with 70 minutes. Not only this, but they will also be given 700 Warid minutes, 700 SMS and 700MBs of Lightning Tez LTE Internet which can be used for Whatsapp, Facebook and Twitter. All they need to do isdial *99*7# to avail this offer.

Warid Telecom has always excelled in providing its customers with an affordable package to suit their needs. With the launch of this new 7-Day Offer customers will be able to meet all their calling needs, access Warid’s high-speed LTE network and enjoy seamless texting. Warid has always ensured that consumers have the best options available and have the greatest customer experience possible.

Jovago Incorporated into Google’s Travel Platform

Pakistan’s N°1 Hotel Booking website, Jovago.com has been featured on the Google Travel Platform

December 2015: Jovago.com, the leading online hotel booking website, has now been incorporated into renowned Google Hotels Ads. This collaboration aims to make hotel searches and reservations easy for travelers across Pakistan. The new service will be beneficial for all Google users, as they can get access to all travel and reservation deals through the Jovago.com platform anywhere and at any time.

“Google is the world’s most renowned search engine and we are lucky to be a part of this platform. Our collaboration with this platform is a great chance to promote travel and tourism in Pakistan” said Nadine Malik, Managing Director of Jovago Pakistan.

Following the launch of its mobile application, Jovago’s incorporation on the Google platform will further improve the user experience for customers, enabling them to click on a wide range of hotel listings directly from the search engine and giving them access to Jovago platform. This effort will improve both the hotel and e-commerce industries in Pakistan.

About Jovago

Jovago.com is an online hotel booking service with offices in Lagos (Nigeria), Nairobi (Kenya), Dakar (Senegal) founded by Africa Internet Group and has MTN and Millicom as investors. Jovago.com, Africa’s No.1 booking portal, facilitates the booking process for its users to provide them with the best hotel booking experience with fast, transparent and easy-to-use services. Jovago.com has over 20,000 local hotel listings across Africa and over 200,000 hotels around the world.