Order of the countries entering New Year 2015

Ever wondered how time zones work on earth? Not all the countries on earth enter the New Year together. When the country on the farthest time zone enters new year, the country at the beginning of the time zone is still waiting for the sun to come up on the 31st Dec.

I was just reading stuff online and so I thought of making a list of places which will enter the New Year 2015 in order. The list is below.

01. FIRST to enter New Year 2015 Samoa (Apia), Kiribati- Christmas Isl, Kiritimati Samoa (Apia) or Kiritimati, are the first places on earth to enter the new year.	UTC+14
02. SECOND to enter New Year 2015 Chatham Islands- New Zealand	UTC+13:45
03. THIRD to enter New Year 2015 New Zealand- Wellington, Tokelau, Fiji, Tonga, Antarctica-South Pole, McMurdo, Skott stations; Kiribati- Phoenix Islands; Russian ship Akademik Shokalskiy (UTC+13)	UTC+13
04. Russia- Chukotka, Kamchatka, Russia- Magadan ; Nauru, Tuvalu, Marshall Isl., Wallis and Futuna, Kiribati- Tarawa	UTC+12
05. Norfolk Island (Kingston)- Australia	UTC+11:30
06. Australia- Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Hobart; Solomon Isl., New Caledonia, Micronesia- Pohnpei, Vanuatu;Russia- Vladivostok , Khabarovsk, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Yuzhno-Kurilsk, Birobidzhan, Komsomolsk-na-Amure;	UTC+11
07. Australia- Adelaide	UTC+10:30
08. Guam; Russia- Chita , Yakutsk, Blagoveschensk, Mirnyi, Tiksi ; Australia- Brisbane; Papua New Guinea, Northern Mariana Isl.	UTC+10
09. Australia- Darwin, Alice Springs	UTC+09:30
10. Japan- Tokyo, South Korea, North Korea; Russia-Irkutsk , Bratsk, Ulan-Ude ; Palau, Indonesia- Jayapura, Ambon; East Timor	UTC+09
11. Eucla- Western Australia	UTC+08:45
12. China- Beijing, Shanghai, Macau, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia-Bali, Mongolia, Brunei Darussalam, Russia-Krasnoyarsk , Abakan, Kyzyl ; Australia- Perth, more ...	UTC+08
13. Thailand- Bangkok, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia- Java, Sumatra; Australia- Christmas Isl., Russia- Novosibirsk , Omsk, Tomsk, Barnaul, Kemerovo;	UTC+07
14. Myanmar (Burma)- Yangon, Cocos Island (Keeling Islands - Australia)	UTC+06:30
15. Russia- Yekaterinburg , Chelyabinsk, Perm, Ufa, Kurgan, Orengurg, Tyumen; Bangladesh- Dhaka; Bhutan; British Indian Ocean Territory- Chagos- Diego Garcia, Kazakhstan- Almaty, Astana, Kyrgystan	UTC+06
16. Nepal- Kathmandu	UTC+05:45
17. India- New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata; Sri Lanka	UTC+05:30
18. Pakistan- Islamabad, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan-Aqtau, Aqtobe, Maldives, Kerguelen Isl.(Fr.)	UTC+05
19. Afghanistan- Kabul, Kandahar	UTC+04:30
20. Russia- Moscow , St.Petersburg, Novgorod, Smolensk, Pskov, Vladimir, Penza, Volgograd, Samara, Izhevsk;United Arab Emirates- Dubai, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Seychelles, Reunion- France, Oman, Mauritius	UTC+04
21. Iran- Tehran, Isfahan	UTC+03:30
22. Iraq- Baghdad; Russia- Kaliningrad ; Belarus- Minsk ; Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Yemen, Qatar, Madagascar, Kenya, Tanzania, Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia, Comoros, Uganda, more ...	UTC+03
23. Ukraine- Kiev, Jordan , Greece, Moldova, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Bulgaria, Romania, Israel, Gaza Strip, Syria, Lebanon, Cyprus, Turkey, Libya , South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Rwanda, Namibia, Mozambique more ...	UTC+02
24. France-Paris, Germany, Serbia, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Malta, Monaco, Sweden, Switzerland, Gibraltar, Czech Republic, Denmark, Algeria, Angola, Austria, Belgium, Cameroon, Chad, Congo, Croatia, Hungary, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Nigeria, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tunisia, Vatican City, more ...	UTC+01
25. United Kingdom-London, Portugal, Ireland, Iceland, Canary Isl., Morocco, Cote d'Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Saint Helena, Western Sahara, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, more ...	UTC
26. Cape Verde- Praia, Azores (Port.), Greenland- Ittoqqortoormiit	UTC-01
27. Brazil- Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazilia; Fernando de Noronha; Uruguay, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands	UTC-02
28. Chile-Santiago, Argentina- Buenos Aires, Ushuaia; Brazil- Recife; Salvador-Brazil; Paraguay, Suriname, French Guiana, Greenland- Nuuk, U.K.- Falkland Isl.	UTC-03
29. Canada- Newfoundland and Labrador (St. John's)	UTC-03:30
30. Canada - Nova Scotia (Halifax), New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island; Barbados, Bermuda (U.K.), Netherlands Antilles, Saint Lucia, Grenada, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, Trinidad and Tobago, Puerto Rico, Manaus- Brazil, Bolivia, more ...	UTC-04
31. Venezuela - Caracas	UTC-04:30
32. USA- New York, Washington D.C., Miami, Boston, Atlanta, Detroit, Indianapolis, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Virginia Beach; Canada- Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec; Cuba-Havana, Peru; Acre-Brazil ; Colombia, Bahamas, Jamaica, Ecuador, Panama, more ...	UTC-05
33. USA- Chicago, New Orleans, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Oklahoma City, Houston, Dallas, Milwaukee; Canada- Winnipeg, Regina; Mexico- Mexico City, Acapulco, Veracruz; Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Belize, Costa Rica, more ...	UTC-06
34. USA- Denver, Albuquerque, El Paso, Salt Lake City, Santa Fe, Phoenix, Tucson; Canada- Calgary, Edmonton, Aklavik, Yellowknife; Mexico- Chihuahua, Mazatlan, more ...	UTC-07
35. USA- Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle, San Jose, Las Vegas, Portland-OR; Canada- Vancouver, Whitehorse; Mexico- Tijuana, Mexicali; U.K. - Pitcairn	UTC-08
36. USA- Anchorage, Fairbanks, Nome, Unalaska, Juneau; French Polynesia- Gambier Islands	UTC-09
37. French Polynesia- Marquesas Islands (Nuku Hiva, Hiva Oa)	UTC-09:30
38. USA- Hawaii (Honolulu), Adak-Aleutian Isl.; Cook Islands (Rarotonga), French Polynesia-Tahiti (Papeete)	UTC-10
39. LAST to enter New Year 2015 And the last places to enter the new year are - American Samoa- Pago Pago, Niue (Alofi), Midway Islands, Jarvis Isl., Kingman Reef, Palmyra Atoll	UTC-11

 

Hope you enjoyed and learned. Please share, if you liked it. And comments/suggestions are welcome.

Cheers !

Visa Free Countries for Indian Passport Holders

There are times, when I envy people who have British, American, Canadian, EU passports. They don’t have to think before traveling. Because most of the countries are visa free for them. They can just point a finger on the world map, book tickets and go. No visa applications with signed forms, financial documents and interviews to get that elusive visa stamp on the passport.

 

According to Visa Restrictions Index, India ranks 76th in terms of travel freedom. How bad is that? But, at this rank, Indian passport holders have visa free or visa on arrival access to 52 countries and territories. Doesn’t seem that bad now huh?

  

 

Lets see some of the well known destinations:

1. Thailand (Of course !)
2. Hong Kong
3. Indonesia
4. Bhutan
5. Nepal (No passport required !)

 

 

Apart from above, Indian passport holders can visit the following countries without a visa or with visa on arrival facility:

1. Bolivia (90 Days)
2. British Virgin Islands
3. Burundi (30 Days, obtainable at Bujumbura International Airport)
4. Cambodia (30 Days)
5. Cape Verde
6. Cook Islands
7. Comoros
8. Djibouti
9. Dominica
10. Ecuador
11. El Salvador
12. Ethiopia
13. Fiji
14. Grenada
15. Guinea-Bissau (90 Days)
16. Guyana (30 Days)
17. Haiti
18. Indonesia (30 Days)
19. Iran (15 Days prior e-visa pre-approval required from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
20. Jamaica 
21. Jordan (2 Weeks, must hold US$1000)
22. Kenya (3 months)
23. Laos (30 Days)
24. Macau 
25. Madagascar (90 Days)
26. Maldives (90 Days)
27. Mauritius
28. Montserrat
29. Mozambique (30 Days)
30. Nauru
31. Palau (30 Days)
32. Reunion Islands
33. Saint Lucia (6 Weeks)
34. Samoa (60 Days, Entry permit on arrival)
35. Seychelles (1 Month, Visitor’s permit on arrival)
36. Somalia (30 Days)
37. South Korea 
38. Tajikistan (45 Days)
39. Tanzania
40. Timor-Leste (30 Days)
41. Togo (7 Days)
42. Trinidad & Tobago
43. Tuvalu (1 Month)
44. Uganda
45. Somaliland (30 Days by paying 30US$ on arrival)

  

 

NOTE: 

Not all the countries are mentioned in the above list.

Also, Indians having a valid USA, UK or Schengen visa have more options for visa free / visa on arrival.

Visa requirements may change, so if any of the above becomes invalid, please understand that I am not misleading anybody.

 

  

10 Most beautiful secluded places on earth

 

Hello people,

I was just going through a couple of travel magazines and I came across a section ‘Most beautiful beaches of the world’, so I thought let’s make a list of the most secluded places on earth. Here the top 10 of them (according to me !)


1. St. Kilda (United Kingdom)
Situated in the Atlantic Ocean 160 kilometres from the Scottish mainland, this uninhabited island stretches on for 8.5 square kilometres. The entire archipelago is owned by the National Trust for Scotland. It became one of Scotland's five World Heritage Sites in 1986 and is one of the few in the world to hold joint status for its natural and cultural qualities. Parties of volunteers work on the islands in the summer to restore the many ruined buildings that the native St Kildans left behind. 

2. Mcquarie Island (Australia)
Macquarie Island lies in the southwest Pacific Ocean, about half-way between New Zealand and Antarctica, at 54° 30' S, 158° 57' E. Politically, it is part of Tasmania, Australia since 1900 and became a Tasmanian State Reserve in 1978, and a World Heritage Site in 1997. With between 20 and 40 residents, this island is home to the world’s entire royal penguin population during the species’ annual nesting season. 

3. Ascension Island (United Kingdom)
With only 1,100 residents and a volcano to keep you company, Ascension Island welcomes you. The main island has an area of approximately 91 km2. A volcanic peak rising from just west of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, much of the island is a wasteland of lava flows and cinder cones; no fewer than forty-four distinct dormant craters have been identified.

 4. Bouvet Island (Norway)
The island has an area of 49 square kilometres (19 sq mi), of which 93 percent is covered by a glacier. The centre of the island is an ice-filled crater of an inactive volcano. Some skerries and one smaller island, Larsøya, lie along the coast. Nyrøysa, created by a rock slide in the late 1950s, is the only easy place to land and is the location of a weather station. 

5. South Keeling Islands (Australia)
The Territory of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, also called Cocos Islands and Keeling Islands, is a territory of Australia, located in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Christmas Island and approximately midway between Australia and Sri Lanka. The territory consists of two atolls and 27 coral islands, of which two, West Island and Home Island, are inhabited with a total population of approximately 600.

6. Southern Thule (United Kingdom)
Southern Thule is a collection of the three southernmost islands in the South Sandwich Islands: Bellingshausen, Cook, and Thule (Morrell). The Southern Thule territory is claimed by Argentina and the United Kingdom. The island group is barren, windswept, bitterly cold, and uninhabited. It has an extensive exclusive economic zone rich in marine living resources managed as part of the SGSSI fisheries. The Admiralty's Antarctic Pilot says that Southern Thule is part of an old sunken volcano, and is covered with ash and penguinguano. There are seals, petrels, and a bank of kelp just offshore, especially around a small inlet on Morrell called Ferguson Bay.
 

7. Rapa Iti (French Polynesia)
Surrounded by a ring of relatively high mountains, Rapa Iti (also known as Rapa) is in the Pacific Ocean, and has 482 inhabitant, including the members of the Tahitian Choir.
 

8. Pingelap (Micronesia)
Made of three islands surrounding a central lagoon, this island is only 4 kilometers at its widest point.

9. Tikopia (Solomon Islands)
Tikopia has around 1,200 inhabitants and was created from the remnant of an extinct volcano. How cool is that? 

10. Peter I Island (Aantarctica)
Nearly all of Peter I island is covered by a glacier, and it’s surrounded by pack ice or most of the year, meaning it’s almost inaccessible. There are infrequent tourist landings though, so you might get lucky.

I hope you enjoyed the list !