The Hindu Business Line : Sinclairs Hotels offers special tours for student groups

THE Sinclairs Hotels & Transportation Ltd, a member of the Sinclairs Group has launched a specially designed package of customised educational tour packages for school students.

The company has deluxe category hotels at Siliguri, Darjeeling, Ooty and Port Blair, besides a luxury resort at Chalsa in the Dooars region of North Bengal,

Sinclairs has firmed up arrangements with tea gardens and the State forest department for arranging the visits of students, who will also be exposed to various aspects of flora and sauna besides gaining knowledge about agro industries such as tea.

Students will be treated to lectures on tea manufacturing and wildlife protection by the specialists concerned. According to the company, as part of the educational tour, trekking, white water rafting, rock climbing, etc can be arranged on required basis.

Talking to Business Line here on the specially designed packages, Mr S. Bhatia, Vice-President, Hotels, Sinclairs Group, said the minimum group has to be of 16 students (age group up to 15 years) from respective schools, and up to two teachers in a group are extended complimentary stay, while the others are charged at the same rates as students. He said the package includes rail/coach, accommodation on three/four students sharing a room, with all meals, recreation facilities at hotels and educational & sightseeing tours.

Mr Bhatia informed that tours are oriented towards educational topics such as forests, tea, flora & fauna in Darjeeling, Monasteries, Corals in Andamans, study on tribals and bird watching tours to Ooty/Port Blair. Mr Bhatia said students from American International School, Chennai, Campion Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School from Tiruchy, Tamil Nadu, and Cambridge School from Kolkata have recently been to Dooars, Darjeeling, Ooty and Port Blair under these packages.

The rate per student per day, applicable for the off-season period, on basis of three/four students to a room, to Darjeeling is Rs 850, Dooars — Rs 900, Ooty — Rs 550 and Port Blair — Rs 900. In case of season periods, special discount on standard tariff, based on size and age spectrum of the group is offered.

Mr Bhatia said in respect of students of higher classes, rates are worked out based on size and age spectrum. He said even groups of six up to 100 students could be accepted. The off-season periods are: Darjeeling - June 16 to September 14, and November 16 to March 31. Ooty - June 16 to September 14 and January 16 to April 14. Port Blair - April 1 to September 30, and Dooars - April 1 to September 30.