Explore experimental experience
This holiday season, try
something different.
One thing that everybody
will agree with is that this time of the year, with the sun scorching, is the
the least favourite time of the year. Unless of course you are still in the age
group of summer vacations or are getting married in the hot months. But if you
plan properly, you can actually have a lot of fun. Here's a lowdown for both
the holidaymakers and the honeymooners to look out for this summer.
EXPERIMENTAL JOURNEYS ARE IN
As the term implies,
experimental tours refer to a slow-paced and more immersive approach, where the
traveller seeks to sample real-life, hyper local experiences, instead of the
canned services that include visits to must-see places, and being treated to
luxurious amenities.Instead of high-end hotels, travellers are opting for
homestays and soaking in the indigenous culture, history and culinary
traditions.
These days travellers are
looking to spend a much longer period of time at a destination, ranging from
two weeks to 30 days. It's quality versus quantity now. Says Hanneli Slabber,
Country Head, South African Tourism, India, “Today's honeymooners are
increasingly travelling on longer, activitydriven trips and seeking new
experiences, rather than travelling to conventional honeymoon destinations.“
When it comes to choosing the right place, islands continue to top the
popularity list. “I see off-beat destinations with easier accessibility
becoming popular over a period of time.Keeping the same need in mind, we have
launched charter flight inclusive holiday packages for exotic yet in accessible
destinations like Ladakh, Maldives, Andamans, etc,“ informs Keyur Joshi, COO
& CO founder of MakeMyTrip.com.
For Shriya Kapoor and her
husband, the week-long stay at a far off island was no less than a dream come
true. “The experience was totally out of this world. There was no mobile
connectivity, no markets, no television and we could feel ourselves so close to
nature. I still remember and can feel each and every day spent on that island
during our honeymoon.“
The ultimate objective of a
honeymoon package is to have an unforgettable experience. For this, couples are
increasingly choosing destinations that have a different language, culture,
food and a unique travel experience. There is an increased demand for adventure
and wildlife options, too, like honeymoon safaris in luxury game reserve lodges
along with some thrilling activities, including bungee jumping, canoeing, shark
cage diving, hiking to the top of the tallest nearby peak, etc.
“Adventure sports are
generating considerable interest.
Scuba diving and white
water river rafting are preferred by adventure seekers. We also put together
the most memorable experiences for couples, including underwater cruise in a
submarine in Mauritius, a hot air balloon ride over the Australian plains,
snorkelling in the Red Sea, sunbathing on the French Riviera,“ says a
spokesperson from Kuoni India.
INSTA-TRAVEL IS THE BUZZ WORD
Insta-travel, driven by the
advent of smartphones and information availability on your finger-tips, is
another emerging popular trend. Travellers are using Internet as their first
point of research for their plan travels and are active participants on social
media networks like Facebook and Twitter.
Yatin Shukla, who is
currecntly on a visit to Dubai and Abu Dhabi, shares, “We planned the whole
trip by ourselves and saved around 10 per cent of the total cost.
We pre-booked our tickets
for major places and also the air tickets and got some real good deals.“
Nevertheless, they value the expertise of the seasoned travel agents. Anjali
Gupta, director, Y Not Travel says, “From underwater tourism to event-based
holidays, travellers are more open to experimenting now. They are well
researched and know what they want. The increase in single women travellers,
double income and no kids (DINKS) couples, luxury travellers or “closet
customers“, bespoke trousseau shopping trips, extralarge destination weddings
where cost is no bar, unusual honeymoon destinations, exotic locations for big
budget Bollywood films, overseas experiences for the “been there & done
that“ travellers, those who pay for being cosseted and pampered, health &
well-being indulgence, spa holidays, exclusive golf, whisky & wine trails,
luxury cruises & trains, out of the boxes luxury experiences travellers
today want all these and more!“
WHERE WELLNESS IS THE KEY
The wellness revolution
seems to be getting bigger by the day among globetrotters. With resorts,
holiday homes, boutique hotels and even airlines dedicating a major chunk of
the itinerary to destressing, detoxing and other health-related activities, the
wellness quotient is definitely a norm this year. Some properties are also
incorporating walking and hiking tours, with food and beverage menus being
given a complete overhaul.
Even the spas today
expertly integrate the components of physical fitness, alternative healing,
hair and beauty therapy, healthy spa cuisine and specialised wellness
programmes to ensure that the customers get a truly holistic retreat. Tracey
Poole, director of Spa, Six Senses Resorts and Spas, shares, “Yes, globally
there is a growing trend towards wellness and preventive health and India is no
exception to this.Although India has been initially slow in the uptake of
integrating health and wellness into their lifestyles, it is fast becoming a
growing trend as Indian tourists become more aware of their personal wellbeing
and health.“
|
Neha
Bhatia
|
ETTR30MAY16
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