Warid Launches New “Smart SMS” Bundle for both Postpaid & Prepaid Users

Warid Telecom, has launched a brand new, affordable bundle for subscribers who are looking for ease and convenience in texting.  This new “Smart SMS” bundle will allow both postpaid and prepaid users to avail service by sending SUB to 6601 or add 66 before the mobile number every time you need to send Smart SMS. For prepaid customers the charges are Rs.0.5+tax per day and postpaid charges are Rs. 15+tax per month.

“Smart SMS” is a new initiative that makes sure when their valued customer sends an SMS it gets delivered to the receiver even when their phone is switched off for a month. The moment the receiver switches their phone back on they can retrieve each and every SMS without a hitch. This offer, unmatched by any other network, will give all Warid message delivered on time through Smart SMS reliable texting.

Warid has long been a pioneer in customer service in Pakistan. The new bundle follows in the footsteps on many accessible and affordable plans that have been offered in the past by the company. With the latest technology and best offers, it is no surprise Warid has topped in customer satisfaction in the country.

Safety Travel Tips for Women

Being a Pakistani girl, you must have experienced times when you had to shun down your travel plans just because your parents think ‘it is unsafe for females’ to travel alone! Be assured, you are not the only one who have been talked down on how dangerous it is for girls to travel alone, especially in a country like Pakistan! However, gone are the days when females gave up their opportunities for unseen dilemmas! Thanks to the advent of e-commerce and wireless technologies, things are now more transparent and manageable than were ever before. All you need to do is act smart and plan ahead to overcome any unforeseen events during your travel! Have a look at the checklist that Jovago Pakistan has compiled to ensure your safe and secure travel!

1. Do a thorough research on your destination!

Remember, most of the times girls fail to get permission for their travel not because it is unsafe but because they fail to provide specificities of their plan. Just having a destination in mind without any complementarities planned is simply not enough! Think of it as your college research project, you might have to start researching for it weeks or probably months in advance.

2. Make your travel insurance handy!

It is always a better idea to be safe than to be sorry! It is ok to spend some extra bucks on your safety  and that of your belongings to avoid any mishaps during your travel. Having an assurance that your belongings are secure gives you a sense of confidence which makes your travel smooth, swift and hassle free.

3. Meet a lot of people but trust just a few!

The old saying that you recognize your friends and foes during travel holds as true today as it did years ago. Travel is indeed the best time to judge a person but don’t forget that even you are under watch by people around you. Never accept any eatery or drinks by people you don’t know or you don’t trust. It is always a better idea to shed some extra bucks to purchase your own food no matter how pocket friendly it might seem to share your food!

4. Never put all your cash in one place!

The golden rule of ‘never put all your eggs in one basket’ is most applicable during your travel! Spreading out your cash is like spreading out your risk. It is always a good idea to put some of your cash in different pockets of every bag that you are carrying so that losing any of your bag doesn’t mean that your left penny less. In addition to this, further secure your travel by carrying some plastic money. Call your hotels and trip planners in advance to ensure that they do accept the cards that you are carrying.

It is better to book your travel essentials earlier. For example book hotels online before you start your trip. Such proactive measures will enable you to carry/spend less cash than usual and most importantly, enjoy a safe and successful trip.

See How Tourism Industry Support the Small and Medium Enterprises

Globalization has opened rooms of opportunities for even the most neglected sectors of the country. Pakistan is gifted with perfecttourist attractions, favorable weather conditions and an ideal strategic location for traveling. However, despite all these conducive factors, we still haven’t exploited the potential of our domestic and international tourism industry.

The beauty of this industry is such that it works in conjunction with other industries in the country. For example, an increase in the tourist footfall in the country also leads to an increase in the hospitality and local travel industries. This greatly increases the business opportunities for all the young and passionate entrepreneurs who are constantly on the lookout for emerging and lucrative markets.

Consider the example of Pakistan’s leading online hotel booking service Jovago here. Starting off its operations in March 2015 with just 30 bookings, it has now shown phenomenal growth by securing more than 30,000 bookings in just a year’s time. Such is the promising nature of this industry! The stats show there is huge potential in travel and tourism industry of Pakistan.

Expansion of tourism in any country opens markets for its small and medium enterprises by exposing its domestic products to the national, as well as the international travelers. This plays a vital role in exposing national products to international markets. A strong country brand then leads to the strengthening of small national brands striving hard to get relevant exposure in national and international markets.

With the advent of wireless technologies in the country, like most other industries, even the tourism industry is undergoing some significant structural changes. Adaptation to change and responsiveness to market insights have become the key factors to survive and thrive in this industry. This particularly increases the importance of SMEs in the sector. Due to their size, these enterprises can quickly embrace and respond to market changes in a much more economical and faster manner. Hence, the existence of SMEs in the industry ensures the long-term relevance of the sector, making it one of most dynamic and fast paced industries.

As Pakistanis, we should take the responsibility individually to support and promote domestic tourism as well as highlight the positive image of our country.

Top 5 Tourist Places to Visit in Summer 2016

It was just a few months ago we were relishing the chilly weather heading to some of the spectacular places in Pakistan that are only enjoyable in winters. We are now already halfway down 2016 and summer is approaching, which means now is the best time to plan for your vacations.

Speaking of summers, it is hard to get our minds off planning for summer vacations. Of course, what more fun can be done in more than two months long vacation than to travel! Before you start making plans of which country to travel to this summer, have a look at the list of top tourist places in our very own country, Pakistan.

Rama Meadows

Rama meadow is a peaceful plain found near the Rama village in Gilgit. Green fields, snow-capped mountains, white water lakes and streams and nibbling cattle are what collectively define Rama Meadows. The best part about visiting these plains is the view of Nanga Parbat from the Rama Lake that purely embellishes your vacation.

Deosai Plains

Located between Skardu and Gilgit, on the boundary of Karakoram and The Himalayas, Deosai Plains lie 4000 meters above sea level and covered in snow for 8 months. Thus, summer season is the best time to visit these beautiful plains that host various types of flowers that give color to it. One of the highest lakes in the world, Sheosar Lake flows along them with mountains and greenery in the background, making a perfect scenery.

White Palace Swat

Swat valley always tops the list of the most beautiful valleys with breathtaking sites. The historic White Palace Marghazar was built in 1941 when the Swat state was founded. It is the top tourist attraction in the Valley that becomes even more enchanting in winters with snow covering it.

Ganche District, Gilgit

The Ganche District in Gilgit-Baltistan is home to captivating valleys, river irrigated lands and some of the most welcoming residents. Going a little ahead from Khaplu, the curvy road takes one to the delta of River Shyok, where it splits up, flowing through the gravel filled river plain.

Ayun and Bamburet Valley

The Ayun Valley is situated in Chitral and converges with the Bamburet River. This valley is surrounded by mountains and villages, a scenery that any tourist would want to visit. Beyond Ayun Valley lies the Bamburet Valley that is a picturesque valley with lush greenery and mountains that give you a sense of calm and solitude.

ACCA PRESENTS GROUND-BREAKING PRE-BUDGET PROPOSAL TO FBR

Lahore, 25th May 2016: the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) presented a pre-budget proposal to Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). The pre-budget proposal was initially presented to Head of ACCA Pakistan, Mr. Sajeed Aslam and Head of Members Affairs’ Haroon Jan by Chairman of ACCA Taxation Committee, Mr. Omar Zaheer.

The Pre-Budget Proposal focuses on the Broadening of Tax Base, Structural Reforms, Direct Taxes, and Indirect Taxes. In line with the overall impact on economy, treasury, and the principles of Fairness and Justice, the measures targeted a reduction in reliance on indirect taxes, utilization of NADRA and Withholding Tax databases, declaration of formalized asset valuations with fair market values, and lowering Corporate Tax Rate.

Amendment of Section 111 (4) foreign exchange remitted from outside Pakistan should be amended to any amount of foreign exchange remitted from outside Pakistan through normal banking channels that is cashed into rupees by a scheduled bank and a certificate bank should be produced with a declaration and evidence of the source of funds. This will continue to promote the inflow of foreign exchange remittances towards the country while stopping the misuse of the provision to whiten/launder black monies and de-incentivizing genuine taxpaying businesses.

Section 153(4) empowers the Commissioner Inland Revenue for issuing Exemption Certificates in cases where the underlying payment is not chargeable to tax due to various reasons, however, This provision should also be inserted in Section 152 to facilitate the business with non-residents companies/businesses where the underlying payments are not chargeable to taxes as the current backlog of refunds creates undue stresses on businesses.

The current rate of Minimum Tax in Section 113 of 1% should be brought down to 0.4%. The minimum tax is irrespective of the net profit or loss with the exception of gross loss. This affects businesses adversely as they end up paying double taxes on their revenues and businesses that are in loss face additional pressure in their cash-flow.

While in Sales Tax and Federal Tax, the existing rate of Sales Tax at 17% which is one of the highest in the region with 12.36% in India, and 10% in Indonesia should be brought down to single digit. Sales Tax should be used to broaden the tax base and to avoid the net negative costs for economy.

For cottage industry, existing defined limits of turnover (Rs. 5 million) and utility consumption (Rs. 0.8 million) were said to be outdated and should be revised to Rs. 10 million and Rs. 1.5 million respectively. A 0% rate on 5 export oriented sectors (SRO 1125/2011) was proposed to avoid refund issues along with a 2-3 % rate for non- filers.

Amendments in several other reforms from sections 170,177,214A etc were also proposed. Synchronizing different tax and identity databases in conjunction with Integration of Federal and Provincial Revenue Authorities’ systems will make an immense difference in broadening the tax base and efficiently collecting tax revenues. The reforms were suggested keeping in mind the low current tax to GDP Ratio (9%) and increased inflation in the economy. The main aim is to boost Real GDP growth which in turn will increase Foreign Investment and make our local businesses globally competitive.

List of travel essentials for Summers

Summers have already hit us in most part of the world. As summers are approaching, so are summer vacations. This super long vacationcomes with a lot of planning on how to spend it. There are so many fun ways to spend it like going on a summer camp, learning how to cook, develop a new hobby or the most common, traveling.

While we have visions of our fantasy travel wardrobes, the reality of an overstuffed suitcase can wreak havoc on our adventures. If you are traveling this summer, vow to packing light and head out with only the essentials in tow. Even if you’re not packing light and probably traveling for a longer period, don’t forget to stuff your bag with summer travel essentials. We have prepared a list for you that will help you while you do the toughest and tiring task of packing.

Sunglasses and a hat

The sun will follow you no matter where you go. Even if you love the sun and bathing in it, it is always better to protect your eyes and skin from extra sun exposure. Sunglasses and a summery hat are the best and must items to carry with you on your trip.

Sunscreen and skincare products

When we say protect yourself from the scorching heat and the intense sunlight, it is not always about saving yourself from getting tanned. The sun rays can also affect your skin negatively which is why it is crucial to take care of it. Sunscreens and other skincare products are a rescuer. These also include any cosmetics that you might need to use on your face or body.

Flip flops

Whether you are a male or a female traveler, remember to keep yourself away from socks and tight shoes that block air from touching your feet. Even your feet need to breathe and relax in hot weather, and this is only possible if you carry flowery flip flops that give you the sense of vacation and summers.

Lip balm

Speaking about breathing fresh air, your lips are made up of soft tissues and they need to stay hydrated be it any time of the year. Use them at night before bedtime and in the morning when you wake up. It will moisturize your lips in dry and hot environment and consequently make you feel fresh.

5 ways to improve hotel guests’ satisfaction

As a hotel booking facility, our first priority is our customers and to provide them with the best service and a memorable traveling experience. Our customers book a hotel room online based on whatever information is available on our website along with genuine customer reviews about them. Whenever consulted, we always recommend the best hotels according to their preference and feasibility. The most difficult task is to justify a hotel’s credibility when people have not reviewed it any good.

As an intermediate portal, it is our duty to bring both the parties, hotels and customers, together and provide what’s best. We will give some really helpful tips and guide hotels and guesthouses to improve their services in order to increase customer’s satisfaction. It will make them happy and they will leave a good review for your hotel.

A hotel should provide what it promises, given the same amount of money they charge. Sometimes, even a 5 star hotel can lose its guests due to inconvenience experienced by them. On the contrary, a small hotel/guesthouse can be as effective in retaining the current and attracting new customers. Let’s have a look at some of the ways to do so.

“Do Not Disturb”                                                     

Understand that when guests mark their doors with “do not disturb” sign, don’t disturb them. It is the hotel staff’s duty to make the rooms or clean the toilets and other mess, however, consider the fact that the guests do not welcome room service at that moment. A good hotel staff is one

that respects their guest’s privacy. When they need you, they will ask for it.

Provide extra toiletries

Be it towels, toilet paper, skincare products or toothpaste, make sure that you stock them up generously in every room. It would really frustrate a guest if they are standing under the shower and are out of shampoo. Don’t worry, no one really takes back the extra toiletries with them, and even if they do, it wouldn’t cost you much, given that they are happy with your service and are likely to come back again.

Adopt fast “check-in” process

After a long ride from their homes to your hotel, do you really think the guests would feel comfortable waiting for hours to check-in to their rooms? Well, definitely not. This is the first impression that you can create for yourself. Fast and easy check-in process will help improve the guests’ satisfaction.

Good Wi-Fi service

You can’t imagine how much your hotel can loose on having bad or slow WiFi. Invest in good Internet and it will pay off. Nowadays, people are highly dependent on Wi-fi, be it to conduct some business or connecting with family and friends back home.  Plus it is equally important for you as a hotel to stay updated with the hi-tech world.

Give more, get more

Guide the guests about restaurants and other facilities in the hotel at the time of check-in, before they ask. Provide fresh water every day, clean the room every day, maintain a pleasant fragrance all around the hotel and rooms, put extra pillows and blanket/sheets, and advance your room service. All or some of these combined together will give you remarkable results. It wouldn’t cost you much, but it’s about how well you deliver.

Where to find the best desserts in Karachi

Do you crave for dessert after every meal and think it’s incomplete without the sweet touch? Well, you know you have a sweet tooth.Pakistanis enjoy, celebrate and live for food. Apart from all the flavorful savory foods we see at several restaurants, we have a list of places that offer some decadent desserts.

If you live in Karachi, you can eat out at a restaurant every day and still won’t get over with the long list of dishes that are a must try. Karachi has no shortage of good desserts, but how many have you really tried? Check out the list below to make it easy to decide for your next dessert voyage.

Chocolate Malt Cake at Nandos

Although Nando’s is famous for its flame grilled chicken, its desserts deserve a special mention. It could be quite impossible for sugar lovers to have not yet tried the scrumptious Chocolate Milk Cake at none other than Nandos. The gooey goodness of this cake slice seals the appetizing dinner you have there.

Okra’s Crème Brulèe

Okra is one of the most famous dine in places situated in the midst of the busiest Zamzama Market. It is comparatively a small restaurant that cannot accommodate a lot of people at once and you have to wait for hours to get you a table. However, the artistic Crème Brulèe from their menu is worth the wait. If you have a thing for this traditional French pudding, look nowhere else.

Burger O Clock’s Nutella Burger

Nutella in a burger? Sounds eccentric, doesn’t it? But if you question a nutella lover, they would be least bothered eating it with a “naan.” It is not the way it sounds. This burger is actually a donut cut open and stuffed with nutella patty, strawberries as tomatoes, kiwi as cucumbers and pineapple as cheese. This sugary grace is topped with sweet cream acting as mayonnaise.

Freshly baked Chocolate Chip Cookie at Bella Vita

Bella Vita, the café that gave meaning to sweets and desserts in Karachi with its decadent extra-large chocolate chip cookie, can’t be left behind. They bake it fresh and top it with your choice of ice cream scoop to indulge in right away. Trust me, you would not be able to share one bit of it with anyone, yes it’s that good!

Not to forget, cupcakes from Pane & Amor, macaroons at Lal’s Chocolate and Ferrero Rocher Cake at Red Riding Hood Bakery are a blissful treat on the go. This is a small glimpse from the wide and delicious cuisines of Karachi. Keep exploring for more!

JOVAGO HOLDS WORKSHOPS TO FACILITATE HOTEL INDUSTRY IN PAKISTAN

Karachi, 10^th May 2016: Jovago.com, Pakistan’s leading Online Hotel Booking website, in its aim to promote tourism and create awareness about its services, arranged workshops in Naran, Murree and Muzaffarabad. The workshops were intended to serve as a platform to support the Pakistani tourism and hotel industry by sharing useful insights about the accessible hotel booking services in Pakistan.

The agenda of this workshop was to educate the hotel management about the importance of online hotel bookings, rise of e commerce and highly effective solutions to their problems observed by hotels. Jovago’s senior management and team also highlighted the impending pocket friendly offers for the upcoming travel season. The offers will ease the hassle of bookings and payments.

Talking about this event, the Country Manager of Jovago Nadine Malik said “Jovago.com is an entity that aspires to support tourism with its constant and endless efforts. Jovago believes in improving its services by focusing on the feedback from hotels and customers. We value our customers’ opinions and concerns and resolve them at our earliest”

Commenting on this, Shabila Maqbool, Marketing Head of Chinar Family Resorts said, “Jovago is playing an exceptional role to promote tourism and has made our lives much easier with their Extranet application as we now have full control of our property,”

The event was well attended by renowned hoteliers from the respective regions.

About APACIG

The Asia Pacific Internet Group (www.apacig.com) is a joint venture of Rocket Internet and Ooredoo. The group’s network consists of 14 e-commerce and online marketplace companies, operating across 15 countries. Since it was founded in 2014, APACIG has become the leading online platform in Asia, building top internet companies in the region.

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.

Complexities of unplanned traveling

A holiday trip takes lots of brainstorming and planning for it to be successful. This is usually because you have to stick to a specific timeframe, budget and other technicalities. However, there are several people who love to travel spontaneously without having to think of a suitable plan. These people are the ones who live for the sake of traveling the world and all the rest are the last priority.

No matter how interesting and amusing it sounds, spontaneous travel plans don’t always work out the way you think. If you do not do proper research before traveling, you might not know what you are in for. Not every country is a viable option for an unplanned trip. There can be visa problems, unsuitable weather conditions, peak season at hotels, etc.

Another drawback of not researching and planning beforehand is that you might miss out on the top tourist places. This can happen when you let your heart decide a particular place out of nowhere. Or on the other hand, you might find a place not worth visiting only because someone gave their personal review on it. One thing you must remember is that sometimes low expectations give the best experiences.

Another point to note is that many cheap budget hotels in small towns are usually not yet listed properly on major online hotel booking portals. So if you try to book online you will probably find only few expensive options. Even when listed, sometimes the photos of their luxury room with the rent of least expensive room are displayed aiming to mislead. Visiting in person gets you clear idea of what’s on offer and if it is worth. When we say that reviews are not the only aspect to rely on, here they can come handy too.

Jovago.com is the leading online hotel booking website in Pakistan with the widest range of hotel andguest house options, appropriate pictures, amenities filter option and customer reviews. Be it planned or unplanned, traveling is always an adventure in itself. What do you think about this, let us know with your comments.

About The Gujrat City

A part of Punjab, the Gujrat city lies between the two famous rivers of Pakistan, river Chenab and Jhelum. The city is rich in crops like sugarcane due to its close proximity to the rivers. The city has an ancient history that dates back to 326 B.C. It was ruled by different conquerors in different eras including Alexander the Great, Mughals and the British. This district has moderate climate, being hot in summer and cold in winter.

There are more than 5 languages spoken in the city like Majhi, Potohari and Urdu. It is popular in handmade pottery and ceramic items that are prepared in low temperature. Other famous things include handicrafts, flower pots, “Changairian” made by leaves of palm and date trees, cotton mates, “Dhusse” and woolen shawls. Gujrat, situated beside the grand trunk road and main Railway track is directly connected with the major cities.

JOVAGO’S TOP 3

Four Main Gates of Old Gujrat

When the city was constructed, it was bounded by four gates that are used in order to enter the city. The four main gates are Shah Daula, Dhakki, Sheeshiyan and Shah Faisal gate. These are very old and weary so it would be better to visit them soon.

Gujrat Fort

Situated in the heart of the city, the Gujrat Fort was built on orders of Mughal emperor Jalal ud din Akbar. It is a perfect depiction of Mughal art and architecture. It will surely fascinate those who admire Mughal art.

AkbariHammam (Akbar’s bath)

This bath was built to treat a special disease of Akbar’s wife. This special bath is still used by many people to get rid of many types of diseases. If you are a health conscious traveler, you might want to pay this place a visit.

TIPS

Restaurants

Flavors and Al-Khaleej restaurants are few of the popular eateries in the Gujrat city. Some of the must try Gujrati foods include Dhokla, Handva and Thepla. The popular Pakistani dish “Kadhi” originates from Gujrat.

Shopping

All the local things are widely available and very popular amongst tourists. Visiting Gujrat means buying lots of handicrafts and pottery for yourself and closed ones to take back home.

Hotels

You can easily log on to Jovago.com and search for several accommodation options and hotels in Gujratcity for a desirable stay.  Dewan-e-Khas and Midway Hotel provide comfort and are affordable.