Travel planner - Off-the-grid getaways
Snorkelling on
secluded reefs, farming on a private vegan farm or pitching a tent by a
high-altitude lake... the desire to go off the beaten path on holidays is
getting bigger...
It could be actually going off the
electricity grid and liv ing on solar or hydro power or simply driving to an
un explored hideout with no screens or wi-fi to interfere with your idyllic
vacation. Here's where all you could holiday off the grid in India...
MARITIME ADVENTURE
Sunbathe on pristine-white sand
beaches, hunt for seashells and swim in the warm sea. Aquatic enthusiasts
could take a dip and get `up close and personal' with some of the world's
rarest underwater marine life, including schools of dolphins, sharks and
manta rays in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. For an out-of-the-ordinary
experience, one could head to either Little Andaman Island in a helicopter,
hike through tropical wilderness to cool waterfalls or visit the very remote
Long Island, a tiny speck in the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago, about a
1,000 km off the Indian coast in the Bay of Bengal. It is a six-hour boat
ride from the capital, Port Blair. The jetty ride to the island offers a view
of thick groves of mangroves. Another place called Baratang Island, located
100 km away from Port Blair, also offers a boat safari through a tunnel of
mesmerising mangroves.
UNPLUGGED IN VEGAN
FOREST
A genuine detour from the
day-to-day existence, life on Sadhana Forest in Auroville, Puducherry, is
truly fulfilling! Members of the forest, an international volunteer
community, live in eco-huts and rely entirely on solar and windmill for
energy needs. Their eco-friendly way of life also includes veganism,
alternative construction, biodegradable toiletries, recycling, food
composting, riding bicycles, compost toilets, and purchasing local, organic
foods whenever possible. They have been working on restoring indigenous
topical pines to the land to help curb erosion, anchor soil and save water.
Stay here for free, simply in exchange for some volunteer work on the organic
farm or chip in cooking meals or maintaining solar panels.
HUSHED HOMESTAY IN THE
GHATS
Solar-powered LED lights, natural
ventilation and homegrown supplies define this little gem tucked away in the
Western Ghats on the border of Goa and Karnataka. Off The Grid, as it's
called, is not connected to any supplied utilities like electricity, water,
internet or phones. Run by whitewa ter specialist John Pollard and his wife
Sylvia Kerkar, a pottery artist, the place is eco-friendly, small, organic,
rustic and ultra low impact. Be it trekking, waterfall day drips or night
safaris, this is a perfect noise-free vacation. A Bengaluru-based travel
company Getoffurass has organised `Living off the Grid' vacations in the past
in nearby North Kanara in Karnataka. “The region is not connected to the
grid, forcing travellers to live off the land exploring various local
technologies on the farm like cook ing over fire, build ing structures using
mud, hay and more,“ says organiser Santosh.
CARBON POSITIVE BREAK
Anyone who has been to Spiti knows
how off the grid it can get. High-altitude monasteries and nunneries and
elusive wildlife, flora and fauna in an untouched land! “I have camped at
Batal, the nearest habitation point near Chandratal, a high-altitude lake in
Spiti. There is nothing else for miles around. Camping in Spiti can be a
genuinely offthe-map experience with only a starry sky for lighting and river
water for cooking and drinking,“ recalls Mridula Dwivedi, a passionate
trekker and blogger. Another way to see Spiti off the grid is to travel with
Ecosphere, a volunteer organisation that's running entire villages on wind
solar hybrid power in the area! Go on yak safaris and rejoice in traditional
theatre of the wandering lamas.
AROUND THE WORLD
It's hard to imagine crowd-free
beaches in Thailand when Phuket and Pattaya attract legions of partygoers and
backpackers every year. But if you are ready to renounce the buzz, there are
islands that are anything but noisy. Try Koh Phayam on your next Thai
escapade for a true “off-the-beaten path“ island vacation with pristine and
almost deserted beaches.
The surreal landscape of the
Mongolian hinterland is hard to come by. A landlocked nation between Russia
and China, it is a great silent escape rich in nomadic traditions. Treat
yourself to folklore and falconry in this country of extreme weather that is
as off the grid as it can get.
supriya sharma
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TL4JAN15
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