Get away this Year-End

Live near Delhi and don’t have time to go far away? A quick getaway is Manesar. Noise, fun and games is promised at the year end in mud huts that take you back in time. Low on scenic beauty, Manesar promises to be a night out for the busy executive who needs to get back to work the next day. Another quick and cheap getaway from Mumbai could be Lonar in Buldhana district in Maharashtra. Not many Indians know that the world’s third largest crater is actually at their backyard. Believed to be around 40,000 years old according to Maharashtra Tourist Development Board (MTDC), the depression houses a beautiful saline lake. Says, Ramanatha Pai K, “Whenever I want to get out of the hectic life of Mumbai, I come here. Can you believe this place was the reason why an entire civilisation was just wiped out?” The nearest airport would be Aurangabad, and the railways would take one till Malkapur, the nearest to the crater. “I just throw my watch when I come here. Here I need not to catch any fast train. Life is so slow,” he adds.

What to follow the beaten path but yet get away for a quick weekend? Peripatetic writer C Kurrien, who believes in readymade getaways, recommends the regular holiday chartbuster Khandala. And his reasoning: “Mumbai is so polluted that you never get to see the stars. Khandala, with its clear skies, and higher altitude allows one to enjoy star gazing,” feels Kurrien. “The Karla caves – around 2,300 years old – with its intricate, majestic carvings and grand pillars is a must visit.” His getaway seems justified as Khandala takes, not more than two hours by train from Mumbai. By road a Volvo bus can take you for as less as Rs 180. Bookings should not be a problem as the place is dotted with guest houses and resorts which start from as low as Rs 250 per person per day.

Ganpatipule, is another destination, which comes packed with a lot of history and sand. Vidya Parkar, a native of Ganpatipule, swears by the Ratnagiri hospitality, excellent seafood and the finger licking pickles made from home-grown Ratnagiri mangoes. According to a popular legend, Lord Ganpati, moved to Pule from his original abode at Gule (a village few kms ahead of Ganpatipule) after he was offended by a remark made by a native lady. Since then the village is known in his name. The seaface is lined with a number of low budget hotels and resorts. Some of them are famous due to the local sea cuisine. S K Chowdhury, who recently stayed at the MTDC resort, feels that one needs to go to Ganpathipule if the idea is to get a ‘cheap getaway.’ “The MTDC row bungalows face the sea and come in tabs of Rs 550 and above. The perfect thing to do there is just walk on the pristine beach,” he adds. Malgad, a quiet village a km away from Ganpathipule, is another stopover in the historic trail. Home to the famous Maharashtrian poet Keshavsoot, the village has a special museum with a treasure trove of information on his literary works.

Have a bit more time to spend, try the Pench National Park in Seoni district Madhya Pradesh, a must visit for nature-lovers. Spread over 300-square kms of dense forest, the Park will make you forget the stressful city life. Says Ratan Sharma, a regular to Pench national park: “Usually I stay in the forest guest house for Rs 500 a night just outside the park gate at Karmajiri. Barring the 30 kilometer approach road which is very bad, the place is full of wonderful surprises.” Elaborating, Sharma says one morning he woke up to find a group of deer eating grass right inside his rest house compound. “This was pure magic, nothing can beat this experience.”

Those who prefer heights and the picturesque hills, need to travel a bit more. Eight hours from Delhi is the belt of hill stations, with Nainital being the traditional holdiay home. Leave the Nainital parikrama around the lake to the crowd and drive on for quieter and cheaper locations that are filled with birds and the occasional leopard. Says travel expert Shibani Ahuja Kapoor: “Pangot is an ideal getaway, unspoilt and very quiet”. 15 kms after Nainital, the tiny hill station offers rooms beginning Rs 1,000 for a couple, with meals, walks and other events included. But check for family packages, these come cheaper.

Regular traveller Mohan Hari swears by the no-noise zone that is Sitlakhet. Under 30 kms from Ranikhet (that is three hours by car from the nearest railhead Kathgodam) you won’t find the mandatory tambola night at the resorts there to keep the crowds entertained. You can instead peel your ears to hear the rasp of the leopard’s call. For the traveller near Mumbai, Sahayadri should do the trick. Jaidev Chatterjee, a frequent traveller, bets on Bhandardhara in Ahmednagar district. “Places in Maharashtra are the most underestimated. People keep raving about neighbouring Goa without realising that far more beautiful places exist in Maharashtra,” says Chatterjee. But why Bhandardhara? “You have a waterfall, hill station, and a dam, all in the same place. Further, you can party, shout and enjoy to the fullest as it is not crowded. It is also near to the highest peak of Sahayadhri range hence the atmosphere is also serene,” offers the man who has visited every travel destination worth a visit in Maharashtra. But Dahanu in Thane district is where Chatterjee will catch the new year sun this time. “It is a quiet place with some beaches and hills thrown in. Just hit the road and you will reach in less than two hours from Bombay.”

Still undecided? Zero in on your holiday soon, each day’s delay leads to fewer chances of getting a booking.