Take a Break: Long Weekend Getaways from Cities. No, we do have nobody but ourselves to blame for the brutal summer heat and the erratic monsoons. We absolutely must change our ways to make sure that our planet is even habitable in a century or so. But while we change our ways, we need long weekend getaways to deal with the heat as we wait and wait and wait some more for monsoons to hit. So here you go – our picks for long weekend getaways from our Tier-1 cities. A long weekend away from Delhi – Almora Yes, you lucky people are surrounded by the most awesome options for weekend getaways or even whole vacations. The Himalayas aren’t too far away, which means that cool choices abound. But even if you’re spoilt for choice, you’ve got to spare the time for a weekend in Almora before monsoons hit and the thought of a soothing, cool breeze doesn’t make you weak at the knees with longing. Almora is in the Kumaon mountains, part of the Himalayas, and is situated in eastern Uttarakhand. It’s a hill station, so the scenic beauty part of the programme is covered. There are temples to steep in, a bazaar to browse, a wild life sanctuary to loiter at and sweets to slurp up (try choklate, and bring loads back for the silly people who didn’t go with you). There are budget accommodations as well as the more splurge kind, like the Binsar resort. The best part as far as practicalities are concerned that it makes a great road trip from Delhi for a group. It’ll take a day to get there if you drive steadily and most of the route is through highways – NH 24 and NH 87. There are nice pit stop options on the way, too, so the drive will be more than enjoyable. It’s a great long weekend getaway option for people who think that getting there is at least half the fun. Flying, while possible, is not a very practical one unless your schedule is very flexible. Flights are few and far between. A long weekend away from Chennai – Yelagiri Yes, you’re the folks with Kodaikanal and Ooty right next to you, and if you haven’t been there yet this summer, unless it’s because you cannot afford both a trip there and taxes, please let us ask what on earth is wrong with you! But those are not the only options for folks who want a long weekend away from the Chennai heat and humidity. Either drive down all the way or hop on a train to Salem/Jolarpettai, and then go on to Yelagiri for a couple of days. First things first: unlike the national highways to Almora, please note that you will be hard pressed to find fuel stations for your vehicle if you decide on a road trip. Take fuel along, and make sure that your spare tires are in good shape. Driving there is half the fun, though, with 14 hairpin turns for a hair-raising adventure. Once you get there, there’s Punganur Lake for boating. If you decide to go after the monsoons have started, having worked very hard throughout summer, Jalagamparai Waterfalls might make you happy. If you want to stay on land, there are hiking and trekking options, but make sure that you pack plenty of water with you. Even if it’s not nearly as hot as it is in Chennai, it’s still going to be fairly humid. There isn’t too much to see, which is a blessing in disguise when all you have is a long weekend, but for a couple of days of relaxation away from the mad rush of the city and the sweltering heat of Chennai without having to wade through tourists, Yelagiri is a splendid option. A long weekend away from Kolkata – Darjeeling As you might have noticed earlier, we really like Sikkim, to the extent that we were an inch away from begging for a dishwashing job at Mintokling. So even if we had to extend the long weekend to a looonnnggg weekend, if we were in Kolkata, we’d probably be strapping in to go to Sikkim and beg for a job. But for the more sensible people there who want a weekend destination from Kolkata, the problem is being spoilt for choice. You’re close to the Northeastern states and they could give Kerala a really good run for its money as far as beauty is concerned. So we decided we’d advise you to stay in West Bengal for now. Do the obvious. Go to Darjeeling. Getting to Darjeeling from Kolkata is simplicity itself. Take a flight to Bagdogra, resist the temptation to get in a shared taxi to Gangtok and ask to go to Darjeeling instead. If you’d rather go by train, take one to New Jalpaiguri and then take a cab. You could even drive the entire way and make it a road trip, again, but the state of roads can be quite uncertain. Be very, very sure of your prowess behind the wheel because you need confidence to navigate the route. Once you are in Darjeeling, of course, there’s the beauty – you’d have to bump your head really hard to miss that part of the programme. There are also the tea estates where you can pretend to be all posh, taste teas and lie through your teeth that you can tell the difference between different ones. You can take the toy train to Ghoom, if it is definitely running, which is by no means guaranteed. You could go to the monasteries or the Japanese Peace Pagoda to seek some inner peace. There is also mountain biking if you want some added stress instead of peace, and plenty of trails to hike. Stay tuned for part 2 – we will come to the rescue of those being broiled in Mumbai and Hyderabad, and even the ungrateful ones in Bangalore who think they’re being broiled and complain despite the comparatively pleasant Bangalore summer. - See more at: adventureclicknblog/viewGataways.php
Posted on: Sat, 26 Jul 2014 05:24:48 +0000
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