Hot Winter Destinations

Ali On Content / 24 Nov 2008

Winter is here and with it come the beckoning snow-peaked mountains and enchanting woods and exciting beaches

The festival season is on and avid travellers are eagerly awaiting the onset of winter to celebrate the forthcoming Christmas and New Year vacation. Considering that the vacation would be typically for about a week’s duration, most of the travellers prefer to travel within India as international holidays require at least 10 days or more, except Mauritius and Maldives which are closer home and is among the top favourite destinations. Most important, it is absolutely essential to book your hotel accommodation or holiday package well in advance to avoid disappointment. “During peak season, ideally one should book a package at least a month in advance to ensure accommodation and other facilities,” says Karan Anand, Head-Relationships & Supplier Management, Cox & Kings India. Also, it is advisable to compare the rates for the pre-Christmas packages and rates for Christmas-New Year packages of various travel agencies/portals since rates for the latter will be higher. “A vacation in the last week of December is approximately 20 per cent higher cost than in the other weeks of November & December,” says Anand. Yogesh Selarka, Chief Operating Officer, Raj Travel World, too estimates the cost of Christmas and New Year to be “15-20 per cent higher than the Nov/Dec price.”

In India, the all-time favourites are Goa, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir. “Goa by far is the most popular destination during Christmas and New Year. The reason being the festive spirit that is all around. Other favourite destinations include Manali, Shimla, Darjeeling, Kerala and Karnataka, especially the hill stations. Each of these destinations are pleasant, relaxing and beautiful especially in this season. As the holidays are not of a longer duration, travellers do tend to visit places in and around their resident cities,” says Anand. Concurring with the view, Selarka says “Depending on the weather, people prefer Goa/Kerala/RajashthanCoorg/Kovalam. People do choose destinations depending on their budget and number of days they can spare. There are people who would take the trip to Simla/Kulu Manali/Auli to enjoy the thrilling winter with snow.”

So, let’s look at some of the ‘hot’ winter destinations in India and abroad and the various packages that are available from major travel agencies and travel portals and find out how to make the most of your money’s worth.[PAGE BREAK]

Indian Hotspots

Snow-Capped Mountain Peaks at Gulmarg (Himachal Pradesh)North India
In India, the Northern region can get extremely cold during winter season due to its proximity to the Himalayas. In fact, tourist destinations such as Gulmarg, Kufri, Sonmarg, etc. in Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir have snowfall during winter. Even some places in the Gangetic plains can have temperatures below 10 degree celsius. Hence, only those who can stand such sub-zero temperatures should think of going north. In fact, those who enjoy adventure sports such as snow skiing or river rafting, then the snow-capped mountain peaks beckon them to get into their elements. There are umpteen number of places such as Gulmarg, Sonmarg and Pahalgam in Kashmir and Simla, Kangra, Kufri, Kulu Manali and Naldehra in Himachal Pradesh.

South India
If you cannot stand extreme cold temperatures, then north is certainly not for you. It is better that you head south where Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh offer innumerable choices of destinations.

In Kerala, Munnar offers refreshing view of the hills carpeted with tea plantations and Kovalam is a popular beach destination where one can feast on the scenic beauty and celebrate and enjoy while ushering in the New Year. One can take a leisurely ride on a luxury houseboat through the peaceful backwaters of Kumarakom and Alappuzha.

Tamil Nadu too offers host of popular destinations such as Ooty, Kanyakumari, Kodaikanal, among others. The enchanting green vistas of Ooty, the Queen of Hill Stations, and the placid environs of Kodai would relax your frayed nerves and leave you refreshed while the shores of Kanyakumari, would perhaps be the best place in India to bid adieu to the year gone by and also ushering in the new year.

Western India
Goa’s beaches are the ultimate destinations for New Year revellers and there are hosts of packages offered by hotels, travel agencies and travel portals for Goa. It’s the best place to celebrate Christmas and eat, drink and make marry on the new year’s eve. Calangute, the Queen of Beaches in Goa, is the ideal hotspot for Christmas and New Year celebrations, while Miramar, Anjuna and Dona Paula beaches are also tourist favourites.

In Maharashtra, new year’s revellers favourite destinations include Matheran, Khandala, Lonavla and Mahabaleshwar. The first two are hot favourites because of their close proximity to Mumbai (about 2-3  hours drive) and their cool climes as well as the breathtaking views they provide from various ‘points’. Mahabaleshwar is much less crowded and better, but it is far off from Mumbai. Those who love outdoors can go out trekking at Matheran, Khandala and Mahabaleshwar.[PAGE BREAK]
North-East India
In the east, Kalimpong, Darjeeling and Gangtok are the favourite destinations. At Kalimpong, you go for adventure activities like trekking, camping or rafting in the raging waters of the Teesta river. Darjeeling is known for its endless acres of aromatic tea estates. One can go for high-altitude trekking and get a closer peek at the magnificent Kanchenjunga peak. Gangtok is an exotic hill station nestled among the snow-clad Himalayas where one can enjoy the natural beauty of the picturesque views and take in the spectacular vistas of the majestic Kanchenjunga.

Andaman & Nicobar islands
Andaman & Nicobar Islands offers pristine beaches, exotic marine life and lush greenery. The North Bay Coral Island is teeming with coral reefs, beautiful fishes and other marine life, while Havelock Island, situated about 54 kms North-East of Port Blair, offers excellent sandy beaches, lush green forest and abundant coral life.


Foreign Shores

Mauritius
Mauritius is a leisure paradise for tourists and party animals.  The Grand Bay at the capital city Port Louis is the place to be on the New year’s eve for fun-filled night out with plethora of restaurants, bars and discotheques to choose from. One can also visit the Caudan waterfront and Pamplemousses Royal Botanical Gardens and experience the thrill of Blue Safari or Sub-Scooter. One can visit Ile Aux Cerfs, which is a paradise for water sports having excellent beaches for swimming, snorkeling and shallow lagoons and experience the thrill of the “Under Sea Walk”.

Maldives
Maldives is yet another popular destination for New Year celebrations. Its beaches provide plentiful opportunities to indulge in water sports such as snorkeling, windsurfing, catamaran sailing, parasailing, kayaking, kite-surfing, water-skiing and jet skiing. One can also enjoy the view of beautiful coral reefs and magnificent tropical fishes from the comfort of an air-conditioned submarine. So, pack your bags and get going to the most exotic of places to make the most of your Christmas and new year holidays.

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