After a lifetime of hard work, you’ve finally settled down to enjoy life. You aren’t working anymore, so there’s no need to scrounge up a weekend or two to go on a vacation. Imagine the freedom this offers you to choose your perfect vacation - without the impending back-to-work dread hanging over you! Here are our suggestions for beautiful places with wonderful weather where you could simply sink in without a care in the world.

1. Mangalore

A great city to get away to if you still want to be close to city life or are planning an extended vacation. Mangalore is famous for its beaches, temples, and coconut tree-dotted landscape. This is a great place to shop, even though the locals do not bargain, and has a plethora of different architectural styles and cultural heritage. Discover its rolling landscape as you travel from Panambur Beach to Kudroli Sri Gokarnanatheshwara Temple and everything in between. You could even travel to the nearby cities including Manipal and Udipi, since Mangalore is well connected by three major national highways, extensive rail network and airways.

2. Lavasa

Situated between Mumbai and Pune, this 12,500 acre hill station is India’s newest and only hill station to come up post-independence. It is a beautifully designed and self-sufficient town and is situated on the backwaters of Warasgaon dam on the Western Ghats. It can be conveniently reached and not only has brilliant facilities but also has lovely weather throughout the year. In fact, we would go so far as to say that this would not just be an excellent holiday destination but also a great place to settle down! When here, enjoy some of the great food available as well as the tours to get you better acquainted with this upcoming retreat. For the more adventurous or if youngsters are along, there are a host of adventure and fun activities.

3. Dehradun

Imagesource: Flickr@indiawaterportalorg

A gateway to the hill station of Mussoorie and pilgrimage spots like Rishikesh and Haridwar, Dehradun is located between the Ganges and the Yamuna, the two most sacred rivers in India. It recently started offering good healthcare facilities and connectivity and has a fascinating landscape of rice fields, tea plantations and lychee gardens. The serene environs of Dehradun are a tourist’s favorite, thanks to the moderate climate and affordable cost of living. It offers several places to visit, including temples like the Sai Darbar Temple to natural beauty such as the Robber’s Cave and Tiger Falls.

4. Goa

A former Portuguese colony, it is located on India’s west coast and welcomes people of all ages with its laid back charm and cosmopolitan restaurants. Despite its growing popularity with foreigners and youngsters, it maintains its image as an ideal destination for a person in need of rejuvenation. Visit some of the many beaches here; though try to avoid the more popular beaches as they tend to get crowded. Sit at one of the many sea side shacks or dive into the wide ocean and feel the waves lap around you.

5. Rishikesh and Haridwar

A magnet for spiritual seekers and the world’s capital of Yoga, Rishikesh promises a whole gamut of activities that will keep you busy for ages and provide some personal enlightenment while you are at it. With the crystal clear waters of the Ganges and the Himalayan ranges as a backdrop, this tourist destination scores high on low cost of living and affordable housing while providing you with the opportunity to go on long hikes with many sights taken straight from a travel booklet. It is a quiet and peaceful place with no nightlife to speak of but an abundance of cafés and eateries. Be sure to visit the riverside communities as Rishikesh is often crowded with tourists.

6. Ooty

If you love cool climates this is the place for you with highs of 21 degrees and lows of 5 degrees centigrade. The highlight of this place is its unique bio-diversity and promises calming visual landscapes and peace to the soul. While there, visit the rose garden in Ooty town laid over 10 acres of land to make a truly breathtaking sight. There are also several places of natural beauty that you can go to from peaks to lakes.

7. Coorg

Home to sprawling acres of coffee plantations and splendid plantation homes, it is a haven for anyone who would like to stay away from the frantic pace of city life. Thanks to good residential developments and connectivity options, Coorg makes a great place to stay away for extended periods, simultaneously keeping away from the outside world while being a part of it. While there, be sure to check out the amazing views like Raja’s Seat, explore the whispering forests and waterfalls and visit the many temples.

Nicole

A poet with a penchant for prose and the itch to travel, Nicole Reed is an assistant editor and features writer for a daily newspaper, struggling to find a way out of the concrete mess by dreaming of one day living and breathing off words in an idyllic country setting somewhere. Having been editor of her college magazine, written for a number of publications including Shamiana’s short film newsletter and as a current student of Literature from the University of London, Nicole sees writing like travel - an adventure – a journey to find her place, to define and redefine who she is over and over again and to live and learn through the process.

Comments

comments