Tuesday, January 9, 2018

TRAVEL SPECIAL ...Deeper connect

 Deeper connect

2018 will be all about diving headlong into immersive travel experiences

ADVENTURE ALL THE WAY
With health and fitness gaining prime importance around the globe, many Indian travellers are wanting to get active and really immerse themselves in a destination, and not just see it from inside a taxi or a hop-onhop-off bus. Mountain biking in Hampi, yoga classes in Bali, white water rafting in the Ganges, rock climbing in Thailand, hiking the famous Inca Trail to Machu Picchu and riding through tea plantations in Sri Lanka are activities that are high on the popularity quotient. Epic adventures, such as African safaris or exclusive experiences like a private tour of the Grand Canyon are the way to go! South Africa, the Galápagos Islands, Costa Rica and New Zealand are touted to be the hot spots of adventure travel in 2018.

SEEING YOUR OWN COUNTRY
While hunting for unexplored foreign lands, you often tend to disregard the hidden gems in your own country. The coming years are likely to see more Indian travellers making a commitment to see more of their own country. Domestic trips are not only affordable, convenient and easy to plan but also quite enriching. Have a long weekend coming your way?
Set off with your fourwheeler and feel free to take breaks as and when you desire. Also, travelling in your home country makes you appreciate its rich history and culture while helping you form deeper connections with your own people.

EUROPEAN SUMMER NO MORE
Sunny weather, long days and exuberant nightlife turn Europe into a magnet during the summer season. But too much crowd and stampede of travellers often kills the travel experience. 2018 is all about off-season holidays for having a destination to yourself. While November through March makes for the off-season for most of Europe, it offers great airfares and budget stays saving you thousands of rupees. From New Year in Krakow and a Northern Lights tour in Finland to wandering all alone through Leonardo da Vinci’s home, it’s time for a more European Europe. The only drawback of a winter in Europe? There are chances many popular tourist-oriented parks, shows, and tours are closed during this time of the year. But who wants to take the touristy route any way? It’s time to get high on culture!

CULTURAL PURISTS ON THE RISE
There is a substantial increase in the number of travellers wanting to immerse themselves in the local culture of a destination through art, concerts, theatre, local food and other lifestyle experiences. Hence, short cultural breaks are in vogue. These travellers seek to break away from tourist traps and look to places where they can eat what the locals eat and do what the locals do. In 2018, this trend will lead to a stronger desire to put up in homestays with a local family and engage in an unfamiliar culture.

LUXURIOUS NATURE LODGES
Nature lodges are resorts where you are happy to let your cellphone signal wane as you recharge your own battery and harness the power of mother nature to heal you from within. There are nature-centric resorts cropping up near mountains, rivers, and deserts to fulfill your urge to ditch cubicles, cars and living rooms and get closer to nature. And how about enjoying luxury alongside a healthy dose of nature and fresh air? Farm-to-table gourmet food experiences, yoga sessions in the middle of a jungle, relaxing in a bathtub while listening to the chirping of birds are likely to enhance nature travels by pairing opulence with nature.

Shikha.Shah
31DEC17


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