TRAVEL SPECIAL ,,,,,,PLANNING THE IDEAL WEEKEND GETAWAY

TRAVEL SPECIAL PLANNING THE IDEAL WEEKEND GETAWAY



With Christmas and New Year's Eve around the corner, here's a handy guide

Decide on a theme

Whether you are a beach person or a hill person, a festival junkie or a clubber-at-40, choose a theme that suits your personality. Chanak Doshi, founder of Simply Offbeat Holidays, recommends, “Decide what profile you would like to have during the weekend. Are you a sightseer or a bohemian traveller, who wants to feel the culture of the place, eat at local street joints and do what residents do? A luxury seeker or an adventure junkie, who wants to paraglide, climb mountains and basically stay active outdoors most of the time?“ Choose a different profile for different weekend getaways to give your wanderlust that extra edge.

Plan in advance

Most people don't plan for weekends more than a week in advance, whether they are traveling with a partner, friends or family. However, it's a different story when it comes to festive weekends. Tejas Parulekar, co-founder of Saffronstays, explains, “In our business of heritage bungalows and luxury villas, which is largely a weekend business, we often find that guests book Super Peak Weekends almost 3-4 months in advance. These weekends include New Year's Eve or Independence Day. The Peak Season Diwali, Christmas, summer holidays is usually booked 3-4 weeks in advance. All other weekends are almost like an impulse purchase. We notice bookings coming in, even as little as a day in advance, for our properties.The concept of season has vanished, with driving vacations being the norm.“

Look for deals

Sign up for a few travel websites' newsletters to stay updated on new destinations, tours, flights and other deals on offer. Popular websites like MakeMyTrip, Goibibo, Expedia, Cleartrip, etc. have deals going on all through the year. The same is applicable for flights and tour packages too.These websites also offer app-centric deals, bargains that only mobile app users are eligible to partake of. So, download these apps to find the best deals.

Check reviews

It's almost unthinkable to buy anything without reading reviews these days, and for good measure.Websites like Tripadvisor have lakhs of user submitted reviews on destinations, accommodation, sightseeing tours and even entire holiday packages. Pay attention to the overall rating of the place, but also focus on the more recent reviews. For example, a resort may have an overall rating of 4, but you may find that it has consistently been garnering poor reviews and ratings in the last six months. This happens often when there is a change in management or reshuffling of key staff to other properties. In such a case, it's a good idea to look for another resort. Another important thing when you're checking reviews is to identify whether they are genuine or fake. With competitors often leaving fake reviews, it's a good idea to give more weightage to the feedback given by reviewers who have written multiple reviews, preferably with a mix of good and bad reviews in their kitty.

How to get there cheap

If you are on a budget, though, try Bla Bla Car to see if you can pool in with somebody who is already heading there. Or use RedBus.in for an amazing array of public and private bus options.

Be unique

There are many new firms that are willing to give you a new perspective on travelling. For example, Doshi's Simply Offbeat and Parulekar's SaffronStays offer very unique experiences. The former focuses on the beaten path, fuelled by Doshi's love for budget travel and local culture.As an expert in digging for interesting places, he suggests, “Check for local food festivals, music festivals, village festivals, etc, and plan your journey accordingly.“ SaffronStays, on the other hand, provides plush bungalows, mainly aimed at families and large groups looking for solace.Reflecting on her core travel audience, Parulekar notes, “The captive audience and market for a heritage bungalow is usually the nearest urban centres, where the urban aspiring classes, wanting to escape the city bustle, retreat with their close friends and family to a quiet bungalow that offers them privacy and exclusivity.“

There are many other travel companies offering unique holidays and weekend getaways, such as The Wanderers, Grassroutes and Countryside India, to name a few.

Alpana Mandal



MM 10DEC16