Enter SOTC Pure Veg Tours and the joy seems to be returning. It's not just any vegetarian fare. It is designer vegetarian and Jain cuisine from none other than the renowned Tarla Dalal. An Indian chef is on hand all through the tour. The 19-day Grand Tour of Europe includes four days in scenic Switzerland and also three days in duty free Dubai. You get to see the best of Europe in air-conditioned coaches equipped with emergency washroom facilities. The coaches are non-smoking, but smokers need not lose heart as there are plenty of opportunities to smoke during the comfort stops, which are quite frequent in view of the comparatively long travelling distances. Local guides and the tour manager make sightseeing easy and informative.

The tour takes you around England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Austria, Italy and Switzerland. Among the sights are Piccadilly Circus, Big Ben, Trafalgar Square, Tower Bridge and Buckingham Palace in London, Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysees and the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, Mannekin Pis Statue, Grand Palace and Atomium in Brussels, Madurodam, windmills and a canal cruise in Amsterdam, a Rhine cruise and the Cologne Cathedral in Germany, the Golden Dachl in Austria, St Marks Square and Bridge of Sighs in Venice, the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain and St Peter's Cathedral in Rome, the Leaning Tower in Pisa, and the Duomo, Santa Maria Church, Galleria Vittirio Emmanuel in Milan.

There's time for bargain shopping at Selfridges, C&A and Marks & Spencer's in London, Parislook for French perfumes and cosmetics, the Coster diamond factory in Amsterdam, Swarovski for crystals in Austria, the Murano Showroom for Venetian glass in Venice and Lucerne and Interlaken for Swiss chocolates and watches. The Dubai leg, which starts on the 16th day of the tour, comprises visits to the old Dubai Museum, souks of gold and spices, a dhow cruise, desert safari, traditional belly dance entertainment and, yes, a vegetarian dinner under the starlit sky.

The tariff for an adult sharing a twin room (when boarding from Mumbai or Delhi) is $1,999 and the special rate for a child under 12 years sharing the parents' room is $1,099.

Contact SOTC, 1st Floor, Alps Building, 56, Janpath, New Delhi-110 001; Tel: (011) 371 7814-7, 371 5314-5; Fax: (011) 371 7818, 371 3130.

Tiger tracking
IF US President Bill Clinton managed a tryst with the Indian tiger, there is no reason why you should shy from a darshan of the king of the jungle. In fact, this is the best time for tiger tracking. With the mercury rising, tigers and other wildlife are likely to visit water holes more often, providing easy opportunities to wildlife watchers. Tiger Camp is offering, among others, a two-night package at Corbett National Park in district Nainital. There are a host of activities lined up. You may drive to Bijrani (a part of the Corbett Park) in an open jeep and then go tiger-tracking on elephant back (on a first come first served basis), drive to the jungle of Lohachaur for elephant-tracking and bird-watching, drive to Jhirna where you may see a sloth bear, a tiger or a lone tusker or drive to Marchula by jeep where you can spend time along the river or try your luck with Mahseer angling (prior permission required).

The package rates on the two-night package includes meals, accommodation and taxes only. For children below 12 years, you pay only 30 per cent of the package cost. The tariff for a large cottage is Rs 3,500 (single occupancy) and Rs 4,900 (double occupancy). The tariff for a standard cottage is Rs 2,725 and Rs 4,075, respectively. Activities like wildlife viewing by jeeps, elephant rides, treks, mountain biking and angling cost extra. Tiger Camp is 260 kms from Delhi. There is an overnight train from Delhi to Ramnagar, the nearest railhead.

Contact Tiger Camp, B-9, Sector 27, Noida (UP)-201 301; Tel: (011) 91-455 1963, 91-452 4874; Fax: 91-452 4878; E-mail: wildindiatours@vsnl.com and tigercamp@indianwildlife. com; Website: www.indianwildlife.com.tigercamp.html.

Alaska's cool
If you have imagined gliding past mountains that seem close enough to touch or dreamed about towering blue-ice glaciers and breathtaking seascapes, here is your chance to see this land of natural wonders, Alaska. Alaska, the latest hot spot for summer travel, is best experienced on a cruise. Royal Caribbean International has announced a special offer for the forthcoming season. (The first cruise starts on May 13). The rates for a standard inside cabin begin at $135 (Rs 6,000) per person per night approximately, with port charges and taxes extra. These rates are more than 60 per cent off the brochure price and are available on select sailings on select dates. These seven-night cruises into Alaska begin from Vancouver, British Columbia and Canada.

Offering a choice of itineraries, the voyages into Alaska include the magnificent coast of Canada and Alaska (known as the Inside Passage), which is about 1,000 miles of spectacular scenery and wildlife. This region is an environmentally restricted area and boasts of some of the world's largest glaciers.

It is also home to a diverse species of animals of which the grizzly bear is the most famous. Killer whales can sometimes be spotted as well. During the course of the passage, the ships even anchor just half a mile away from the glacier with a guide giving passengers a live commentary.

Ideal for families as well as perfect for honeymooners, all Royal Caribbean cruise liners offer a range of cabin category options, a variety of dining and cuisine choices, excellent live entertainment featuring professional performers every evening as well as a host of activities such as a a recreation centre, fitness centre, spas and swimming pool.

British Airways, Singapore International Airlines and several other major airlines operate flights to Vancouver.

Contact Discover the World Marketing -- India, New Delhi; Tel: (011) 331 1362, 335 0960; Fax: (011) 372 2878; E-mail dscvrdel@vsnl.com.

Yatra Americana
Now if you have decided to head for that part of the world, then you might as well consider the USA packages being offered by Cox & Kings in their `Duniya Dekho' campaign. When you book on the Duniya Dekho tour to USA, you automatically qualify for free membership of The Travel Club, a division of Cox & Kings (I) Ltd, which offers the following benefits: (a) a free holiday to Australia (five days in Sydney), which includes international flights and accommodation in Sydney or a gift voucher of $500, which can be redeemed against your USA holiday taken between April and June 2000, (b) free membership of The Travel Club in 2001, 2002 and 2003, under which you will be given a free loyalty voucher of $150 per year, every year for the next three years, which can be redeemed against any Duniya Dekho or Bharat Dekho holiday that you may wish to take during this period, and (c) exclusive Travel Club offers throughout the year for holidays in India and abroad.

You can book on any of the following five tours to avail of the above benefits: 13 days/12 nights `Splendours of America' covering New York, the Niagara Falls, Washington DC, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Francisco and Orlando; 4 days/3 nights `Eastern Explorer' covering Niagara and Washington DC; 6 days/5 nights `Wild West Adventure' covering Los Angeles, Las Vegas and San Francisco; 8 days/7 nights `Coast to Coast' covering New York, Niagara, Washington DC, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and San Francisco; and the 16 days/15 nights `Discover USA & Canada' tour covering New York, Niagara, Toronto, Washington DC, Orlando, Seattle, Vancouver, Las Vegas, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

For details, contact Cox & Kings, Indra Palace, H Block, Connaught Circus, New Delhi; Tel: (011) 373 6031-4, 373 8811; Fax: (011) 331 2849.