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  About Chicago

Located on the West coast of Gujarat is the quaint little city of Porbandar. The city is highly regarded for its pilgrimage as it has a strong mythological relevance. Many pivotal incidences from the tales of Mahabharat and Ramayana have taken place in the city, or so says the folklore. As the city is on the Saurashtra's coastal side, the city is blessed with a brilliant climate and geography. There are hills, coasts, rivers, lakes and more such geographical benefits that make Porbandar a beautiful city. Historically, the city adds another feather to its illustrious cap by being the birthplace of freedom fighter Mahatma Gandhi. With such intriguing stories that the city has to tell, it easily becomes one of the most visited places in Gujarat.

The flight connectivity to Porbandar from other major cities is also excellent. The coastal town connects with the rest of India through popular routes, making travel easy and convenient. Booking hotels in Porbandar are also useful as the city comes with exciting accommodations.

Best time to visit

Porbandar enjoys fair weather throughout the year. The temperature is mostly at a pleasant range between 23 degree Celsius to 36 degree Celsius. Depending on the year and the humidity, the temperatures do see some changes, but mostly, it's sunny positive. The winters in Porbandar are quite enchanting as the cold breezy air adds quite a romantic charm to the place. The temperatures usually range from 10 degree Celsius to 36 degree Celsius. When you do plan for your Porbandar trip, try to choose this season. The pleasant weather will make sightseeing more comfortable. Not to mention how the flight tickets to Porbandar are also cheap and affordable, irrespective of the peak season. December and January are considered as best months to visit Porbandar.

The monsoon months in Porbandar are just as enjoyable as the winters. Between July to September, the monsoon drenches the city with a cool but humid atmosphere. While the humidity does increase during monsoon, the strong winds that pass through the city during the season help normalise the temperature to a pleasant level. You can book a hotel in Porbandar during this time and take in all the monsoon magic. You certainly wouldn't regret it.

Summers, though, could be a little hot. In comparison to the pleasant weather the city experiences throughout the year, the summer winds come with high temperatures that sometimes reach 40 degree Celsius. While it is not ideal for visiting Porbandar during summers, if you are already used to such temperatures and climate, you wouldn't have much trouble. Not to mention how the flight tickets to Porbandar during summers see a drop in prices.

Places to visit

Porbandar does not have many tourist attractions as such. The place is a pilgrimage with many temples and shrines. During your trip, you can visit some of the temples, namely, Sri Hari temple, Krishna-Sudama temple, Kirti temple, to name a few. These temples have strong connections with the Hindu mythology tale Mahabharat. The city also has some relics from the Harappan civilisation which could add to a good historical venture.

One of the big highlights of Porbandar's tourism is the Huzoor Palace, built in the early 20th century by Rana Natwarsinhji, the last Maharaja of Porbandar. The structure has derived architectural inspiration from European styles and is quite beautiful. The vicinity also has fancy fountains and well-maintained gardens.

Things to do

The city might have only pilgrimage as the most prominent tourist attraction, but you can tweak your itinerary and add some personal excursions of your own. Located a little away from the city are the Jambuvan Caves, known to be the resting place of the famous warrior Jambuvan, who has played an essential role in the mythological tales of Mahabharat. The caves are also known to have Ramayana relevance with Hanuman spending time in the caves. You can also visit the Porbandar Bird Sanctuary and indulge in some photography. The sanctuary has a scenic setting which adds to the charm and beauty of the place. The biggest attraction of the bird sanctuary is how it inhabits migratory birds such as jacanas, little cormorants, whistling teals, avocets, coots, grebes, pelicans, terns, to name a few.

Food and restaurants

Porbandar is famous for its Gujarati cuisine. The city, much like the rest of the state, is rich in vegetarian Gujarati delicacies. From lip-smacking dhokla with green chutney to divine khandwas, one can never get tired of these dishes. Porbandar also follows the Jain-style cuisine by eliminating potatoes, onions, etc. from their dishes. They substitute potatoes with bananas which manage to do the job perfectly well. In fact, Jain cuisine is just as tasty as a regular vegetarian cuisine. You should probably give Jain food a try when in Porbander.

Travellers with a taste for vegan and vegetarian food can head to Flavours. The restaurant is famous for its take on vegan-friendly dishes as well as a slew of global cuisine. You will definitely be happy and satiated with their take on international cuisine. The place is extremely healthy and something worth considering. If exquisite fine dine is in your itinerary then you should head to Blue Coriander and book a table. The place with its classy interiors has great food reviews. You can get some lovely Gujarati thalis here or even the sweet daal that they're fans of. The food is known to be fresh and tasty with a plethora of choices for vegetarians. You can also get a spicy vada pav at Goli Vada Pav. Mumbaikars know their vada pavs well, and they sure love Goli Vada Pav.

Finding a non-vegetarian restaurant in Porbandar might be challenging as the city primarily has a vegetarian population. However, there is one place where you can get some lovely Indian spin on dishes, including seafood. SaltWater, located on the Dwarka Porbandar highway, has the best seafood that you should certainly try. As for those who are tired of all the spices and want something savoury, you should check out Shiva Baker's Point and Midday Munchies.

How to reach Porbandar (Transportation)

By Air

Porbandar Airport is located along the coast of the state of Gujarat. The airport is open for commercial use but also has a military presence. The city's airport is well-connected with some of the big cities in India such as Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Chennai, June, Jaipur and Bangalore, to name a few. Thanks to the consistent infrastructural development, the city has managed to find great connectivity with other cities in India. The flight connectivity to Porbandar is excellent as many flights from big cities have direct flights. SpiceJet and TruJet are the two airlines with dedicated flights flying to Porbandar. Even though it is a domestic airport, there are provisions of duty-free shops within the airport that one can avail goods from at a reasonable cost.

The airport also provisions a slew of restaurant chains and fast food shops to keep the passengers entertained. The most popular route to Porbandar is from Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Delhi as these three cities have regular flights flying in and out. The location of the airport is also convenient, enabling easy access to the city centre. You can hire a taxi cab from outside the airport, or if you have booked a hotel in Porbandar, they will probably send the airport shuttle, if you request it.

By Rail

Porbandar Railway Station is perfectly connected with major cities within Gujarat. There are dedicated daily trains to and from Porbandar to Rajkot, Ahmedabad, Somnath and more. The railway also connects well with other domestic routes from Porbandar to big cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Jaipur. Weekly trains to cities in the South such as Hyderabad and Kochi are also available. It is essential to know the train schedule before booking the tickets. Specific express trains are not reserved for Porbandar so you might end up spending a lot of your time in transit. The station is around 5 km from the city centre.

As frequent trains are entering and leaving the city regularly, transport via train is also considered to be a good and affordable option. Flight tickets to Porbandar could be expensive sometimes depending on the season in which you are booking your flights.

By Road

Major cities are connected to Porbandar through the domestic route of NH 8B. The national highway brings cities such as Ahmedabad and Rajkot closer to Porbandar. Public buses are also available to connect Porbandar to the rest of the cities in Gujarat. You can find them at the bus station where buses to Vadodara, Jamnagar, Surat and even Mumbai are available. Many travellers opt for roadways to reach Porbandar, especially if they are travelling from the coastal areas of Maharashtra. Tourists even drive down to Porbandar from Jaipur and other cities in Rajasthan as it is a good drive. From the bus station, rickshaws and buses are also available that can take you to the hotel you have booked in Porbandar. Taxi cabs are also present in the city, so transportation in the city is extremely convenient for travellers.

  About Virgin Atlantic

Virgin Atlantic which follows a trading name of Virgin Atlantic Airways Limited and Virgin Atlantic International Limited, is a British-owned airline that has its headquarters in Crawley, England. The airline was founded in 1984 under the name British Atlantic Airways, by Randolph Fields and Alan Hellary with flight connectivity between London and the Falkland Islands. However, the name was changed to Virgin Atlantic Airways as Fields sold his shares in the company. A disagreement between Fields and Sir Richard Branson regarding the management of the company resulted in Fields walking out of the airline. In the same year since its establishment, the airline had its first flight from Gatwick Airport in London to Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey. Virgin Atlantic is owned and operated under the holding company Virgin Atlantic Limited. The same holding company also controls Virgin Holidays. The holding company has 51 percent ownership of the Virgin Group while the remaining 49 per cent is owned by Delta Air Lines, a major airline of the United States of America.

Virgin Atlantic Airways Limited and Virgin Atlantic International Limited have both received the Civil Aviation Authority Type A Operating Licenses. The said licence permits both the airlines to accommodate passengers, cargo and mail on aircraft that comprises 20 seats or more. Virgin Atlantic's fleet is mixed with wide-body aircraft of Airbus and Boeing. The airline majorly has its operations in North American, Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and the Middle East. Its main base is at London-Heathrow Airport while its secondary hub is at Manchester in the United Kingdom. Virgin Atlantic also has seasonal flight operations from Glasgow and Belfast. The airline consists of three types of cabin, namely Economy, Premium (premium economy) and Upper Class (business class). In 2017, Virgin Atlantic expressed its intention to form a joint venture with Europe's Air France - KLM. However, in 2019, it was announced that the venture would not involve a stake in the British airline. Virgin Atlantic has witnessed tremendous losses over the years and has had to cut down operations to various international destinations, owing to the growing debts and losses.

In 2019, as part of its expansion plans, Virgin Atlantic announced that it had plans to go all out and hopefully create a second flag carrier in the United Kingdom, provided slot reforms were being considered in the airline's favour at the Heathrow Airport. With this, the airline planned to serve about 103 destinations in total with many domestic routes and international routes. They wished to add about 84 new destinations to their list of services, of which 12 catered to the domestic route while 37 are European and the remaining 35 being international routes. The 35 international destinations in Virgin Atlantic's list include Austin, Buenos Aires, Addis Ababa, Karachi, Tokyo, Cape Town, Beijing, Singapore, Bogota, Mexico City and Sydney. While the airline has already functioned in international routes catering to Cape Town, Vancouver, Sydney, Karachi and Tokyo, the remaining long-haul destinations that the airline plans to add would be completely new for them. It was reported that Flybe, UK's largest low-cost carrier regional airline, was supposed to join hands with Virgin Atlantic. However, the plans fell through as Flybe ceased operations in 2020.

Fleet size of Virgin Atlantic

As of 2020, Virgin Atlantic's fleet size stands at 35 aircraft. 22 aircraft are expected to join the fleet. The fleet comprises 17 Boeing 787-9s, 10 Airbus A330-300s and four Airbus A330-200 and Airbus A350-1000s respectively. All the aircraft operated by Virgin Atlantic are wide-body type. The airline accommodates a mixed fleet that comprises Airbus and Boeing wide-body aircraft. The Airbus A330-200s of the airline operate from London's Gatwick International Airport as well as Manchester Airport and connect to international routes of the United States and the Caribbean. There are seasonal routes connecting to Orlando International Airport in Florida, which is offered from Glasgow and Belfast International Airport. Much recently, the airline retired its Boeing 747s which catered to the seasonal flight operations to Florida. Virgin Atlantic's aircraft Airbus A330-300s, A350-1000s and Boeing 787-9s are used interchangeably on routes that fly from London's Heathrow Airport. In 2002, the airline became the first in the world to operate the Airbus A340-600.

Virgin Atlantic was supposed to add six Airbus A380-800s to its fleet, which they had ordered for in 2001. However, the order had to be cancelled for good. Instead, in 2019, at the Paris Air Show, the airline signed a deal to accommodate 20 Airbus A330-900neos to its fleet. With this move, the airline became the first United Kingdom customer for the aircraft. The airline does plan to replace its older Airbus A330-200s and -300s from the fleet with deliveries of newer models that will be joining the fleet between 2021 to 2024. Much recently, the airline retired its long-running A340-600 with its last service taking place between Lagos to London Heathrow. Simultaneously, the airline has also retired seven of its Boeing 747-400 aircraft from the fleet.

Baggage Allowance

Baggage allowance on Virgin Atlantic depends on the destination the passenger is travelling to and from as well as the ticket type. Economy class tickets allow one checked bag which should not weigh more than 23 kg and should be within the dimension of 90 x 75 x 43cm. Premium cabin class tickets' baggage allowance on Virgin Atlantic enables two pieces of baggage which cannot exceed 23 kg and should be within the dimension as mentioned in the economy class. The Upper class or business class tickets have a baggage allowance of up to three pieces of bags that should not weigh more than 32 kg. The dimensions of all the baggage should be 90 x 75 x 43cm and not more than the stated measurement. Interestingly, the airline recently made some changes to its baggage allowance policy for passengers travelling to and from Indian cities such as Mumbai and Delhi. They have allowed a free bag allowance which means passengers can carry two bags weighing 32 kg each for Upper Class. However, two pieces of bags are allowed for passengers travelling from premium class with a weight allocation of 23 kg. As for the economy class tickets, the airline has enabled two pieces of bags allowed with a weight permit of not more than 23 kg. These new rules are as opposed to the earlier ones which allowed more baggage allocation by Virgin Atlantic.

In-flight services

In-flight services experienced on Virgin Atlantic are quite exceptional. The airline brings forth some of the best seating accommodation. They have enhanced the seats with better leather and equipment such as a personal lamp, entertainment system, better overhead bin space and seats that recline with better legroom too. Depending on the cabin class chosen by the passenger, the facilities do change. However, the comfort measure remains constant in all the cabins. Virgin Atlantic's in-flight services also include in-flight meals which are inspired by global cuisine.

Popular routes and top cities for Virgin Atlantic

Virgin Atlantic caters to a handful of domestic routes and international routes. In fact, in terms of domestic routes, the airline doesn't have a strong game as it only caters to London and Manchester. Barring these two hubs, the airline doesn't have any destination flying within the United Kingdom. As for international routes, it is well-connected with North America and parts of Asian destinations. The airline doesn't have a magnanimous presence in a lot of destinations internationally. They have also terminated services with a slew of cities owing to the loss-making management structure. As of 2020, the airline caters to cities such as Antigua, Shanghai, Havana, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Delhi, Tel Aviv, Lagos, Johannesburg, Tobago, London, Belfast, Manchester, Atlanta, Boston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Orlando, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington DC. While the airline did have hopes to acquire more recognition and presence in the domestic market by tying up with Flybe, the deal didn't take off, and neither did Virgin Atlantic's plans to make a bigger UK reach.

Why travel by Virgin Atlantic?

Virgin Atlantic has been facing significant losses and important issues over the years. However, the airline is known and recognised for offering quality service and hospitality. Virgin Atlantic has grown into a favourable airline for passengers who wish to travel to destinations in the United States of America from London and the United Kingdom. The airline has also worked on improving much of its in-flight services and facilities that further enhance the experience of travellers. On the airline's official website, they have enabled booking a Virgin Atlantic flight without any conundrums. Following the same, the airline has also made web check-ins possible with up to date details concerning the flight status of the passengers. Virgin Atlantic's flight schedules are also added on the website along with constant updates. These facilities actually help passengers make the airline a viable option. Virgin Atlantic's flyer clubs also have some of the best amenities in the airport lounge as well as while booking the flight tickets.