Affordable alternatives to popular holiday destinations
This holiday
season go off the beaten track to save on your travel expenses.
With the autumn and winter holiday season around the
corner, are you making holiday plans? As the popular destinations are expensive
and often overcrowded, why not try out some of the alternate holiday spots?
Sometimes, the best vacations come from exploring the
off-beaten path. Such vacation spots are just as stunning as their famous
counterparts, are less crowded and much more affordable. As these places are
low on demand, you can save a lot on accommodation and internal commute.
“Lesser known places have alternate options of homestays and hostels that turn
out to be pocket friendly,” says Sharat Dhall, COO (B2C),Yatra.com.
We have compiled a list of five popular holiday
destinations—Jaipur/ Udaipur, Goa, Puducherry, Andaman and Manali—and their
inexpensive alternatives. Choose between a beach city, a historical site and a
snowy adventure and have a great vacation in the coming holiday season!
Jodhpur is the economical
Udaipur
Jodhpur is filled with history, culture and art. And
the vibrant Pushkar, just like Udaipur, is engulfed by mountains and beds a
lake in its center. The quaint cities of Pushkar and Jodhpur offer the best of
Rajasthan without the high price. About 185 km apart, Pushkar offers a
spiritual experience in lakes and temples, whereas Jodpur is home to heritage
sites of Mehrangarh fort and Jaswant Thada.
HOW TO REACH
JODHPUR
Jodhpur has a domestic airport and railway station
connected to Delhi and Mumbai. Direct buses ply from Delhi to Jodhpur and
Pushkar.
UDAIPUR
Udaipur and Jaipur have an international airport.
Well connected via road and rail from Delhi. 390 km apart.
ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS
JODHPUR
Mid-range hotels cost between ₹1,100-1,800.
Price range of 3-star hotels is ₹2,000-3,500.
In Pushkar, budget and mid-range options cost ₹800-1,500. Cost of 3-star hotels
range from ₹1,800-2,500
and high-end resorts cost around ₹4,000.
UDAIPUR
Budget options range from ₹1,200-1,700. Midrange hotels
cost ₹2,000-3,000.
Cost of 3-star hotels is ₹3,000 onwards
and high-end hotels cost up to ₹9,000. In
Jaipur, mid-range hotels cost ₹1,500-2,100
whereas 3-star hotels range from ₹2,500-4,000.
SIGHTSEEING
Auto rides in Jodhpur cost ₹500. Whereas in Pushkar the cost
is between ₹100-200 per
day. Taxi fare from Jodhpur to Pushkar is ₹3,000 and AC bus will cost ₹400. Taxi rates start at ₹1,000 per day in both the cities. Auto rides cost about ₹700 per day. Jaipur to Udaipur
by taxi costs about ₹4,500 and an
AC bus will cost ₹600.
Cut price Goa in Gokarna
KNOWN AS the yore
of Goa, Gokarna is located on the same parallel of Arabian Sea as Goa. It has
beaches, forts and parties, but on a smaller scale. Here, you can have a
laidback seaside vacation with accommodations starting at ₹500, whereas Goa has nothing
below ₹3,000 near the
sea. To enjoy the full glory of the sea take a boat ride through the four main
beaches —Om, Kudle, Half Moon and Paradise beach. You can try water sports on
Om beach. Other major attractions include Mahabaleshwar temple and Mirjan fort.
HOW TO REACH
GOKARNA
Nearest airport is in Goa, 140 km away. By road, bus
ply from Goa and Bengaluru. Nearest railhead is Ankola, 20 km away.
GOA
Goa has an international airport. Margaon and
Vascoda-gama are main railheads. Accessible by road from Pune, Mumbai and
Bengaluru.
ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS
GOKARNA
Hostels and homestays offer budget stay below ₹800. Limited luxury resorts but
plenty of mid-range hotels available in the range of ₹1,300-2,000. Luxury resorts cost
₹3,500-5,500.
GOA
Budget hotels range from ₹1,000-1,500, but are located
away from the beaches. Mid-range hotels closer to the beach cost ₹2,000-2,500, whereas 3-star
hotels cost ₹2,500 upwards.
Beach front resorts and huts start at ₹5,000.
SIGHTSEEING
Boat ride across beaches cost ₹400 per person. For sightseeing,
you can hire a scooty for ₹200 or a taxi
for ₹600-900. Taxi
price starts at ₹2000 per day
for city tour. Or you can hire a scooty for ₹300 or a self-driven car for ₹800.
Budget Puducherry in Varkala
VARKALA boasts
of one of the best cliff beaches in India and is much easier on your wallet
compared to Puducherry. Nestled at the bottom of the red cliff, Varkala beach
is a heaven for water sport enthusiasts with activities like kayaking,
canoeing, surfing and paragliding. Post sunset, the cliff seen from the beach
gives an awe-inspiring sight of a jewel twinkling with countless lights.
ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS
VARKALA
Mid-range private rooms in homestay range from ₹500-1,000. 3/4 star resorts
start at ₹1,300 and go
up to ₹4,000.
PUDUCHERRY
Mid-range hotels cost ₹1,500-2,000. 3 star hotels cost ₹2,500-3,500. Closer to the beach rates go up to ₹4000.
SIGHTSEEING
All cafes are on the cliff and can be covered on
foot. For city tour, hire a scooty for ₹200 or an auto for ₹500. Cost of taxi starts from ₹1,500 per day. An auto will cost you ₹800-1,000. Hire a scooty at ₹300 per day.
HOW TO REACH
VARKALA
Nearest airport is Thiruvananthapuram. Varkala
Sivagiri is the city railway station.
Bus run from Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi.
PUDUCHERRY
Nearest airport is Chennai. Villupuram is the nearest
rail head. Buses ply from Bengaluru and Chennai.
Lakshadweep is the affordable
Andaman
LAKSHADWEEP HAS equally
charming and less commercialised islands as Andamans, which come at a much
cheaper price. Being an ecotourism destination, Lakshadweep needs permit for
entry. As part of the conservation drive, the Society for Promotion of Nature
Tourism and Sports (SPORTS) offers several budget packages which take care of
major expenses of accommodation, sightseeing, meals and selective water sports.
They can be booked from www.lakshadweeptourism.com.
HOW TO REACH
LAKSHADWEEP ANDAMAN
Take a flight or ship Reach Port Blaire via flight
from Kochi to Agatti or cruise from Chennai, island. Kolkata and Visakhapatnam.
PACKAGES
A 5-day cruise package from Kochi covering three main
islands range from ₹18,000-30,000
per person. Yatra offers a 6-day package for ₹49,999 per person. This includes two-way flight to Port Blaire,
accommodation, sightseeing and two meals per day.
Manali at discount in Bir
Billing
THE PICTURESQUE villages
of Bir Billing rival Manali in terms of paragliding terrain, but the experience
comes at a low price. Paragliding package costs ₹2,500, which includes transport to Billing. You can try other
adventures like hang gliding, mountain biking, camping and trekking and also
visit monasteries.
HOW TO REACH
BIR MANALI
Nearest airport Nearest is Dharamshala, airport is 67
km away. Bhuntar, 52 km Nearest railhead away. Nearest is Pathankot. By railway
station road, take a bus to is Chandigarh. Baijnath and then a Bus ply from
taxi to Bir. Delhi.
ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS
Budget options start at ₹800. Mid-range hotels cost ₹1,500-2,500. Trekking+camping+
paragliding package start at ₹4,000, which
also includes two meals. Budget options start at ₹1,300. Mid-range options range from ₹2,000-3,500 and cost of 3/4 star
hotels is ₹3,500 onwards.
SIGHTSEEING
It’s a small village best covered on foot. Or, you
can hire a bicycle at ₹150 per day.
Taxi ride to Billing is for ₹250. Taxi fare
for local tour is ₹800-1,000.
Taxi fares for Rohtang valley start at ₹2,500.
by Shipra Singh
ETW 13AUG18
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