(From top): A typical Jamaican seascape; Sabina Park Stadium in Kingston; sunny Antigua; a glimpse of Grenada

Are you the type who spends hour upon nail-biting hour glued to your television set, watching your favourite (or not-so-favourite) teams battling it out on the cricket pitch? Do you let out a whopping cheer (or an inconsolable groan, as the case may be) every time the batsman hits a six.

Well, if you are so crazy about the nation’s favourite game that you eat, breathe and live cricket, perhaps you deserve to witness in person (yes!) all the cricketing action set to unfold in West Indies in a couple of months time.

Start planning now, as very soon all roads will lead to the Caribbean, what with the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 kicking off from March 11. And right up to the final, scheduled for April 28, you can follow the matches contested by 16 nations divided into four groups of four teams each.

The tournament will be held across eight venues in the West Indies — Jamaica, Barbados, Antigua, Grenada, Guyana, St Kitts and Nevis, Trinidad and Tobago, St Lucia and Jamaica. The opening ceremony in Jamaica on March 11 will be followed by the first match of the series (West Indies Vs Pakistan) on March 13 at Sabina Park in Kingston. On April 28, the tournament will culminate with the final match at Kensington Oval in Barbados. The top two teams from each group will compete in a ‘Super 8’ format, from which the semi-finalists will be selected. The fans are in for a treat of 51 matches in all.

And if it’s only team India you will be rooting for, India will play its first match against the Netherlands on March 6 at Trelawny Stadium in Jamaica, and it will start its Group Stage matches against Bangladesh on March 17 in Trinidad and Tobago. India will play three matches in the Group Stage, and if it qualifies for the Second Stage, Super 8, it will contest in six matches to enter semi-finals.

So, if you want to be in the midst of all the action, now is the time to make bookings. With cricket fever spreading like wild fire, tour operators all over India are busy planning trips for the sports traveller.

For instance, SOTC is offering three packages catering only to World Cup tourism. First up, there’s the 20 Cruise Nights The Great Caribbean Experience package (April 9-30) at a neat Rs 5,31,999 per person on twin-sharing basis.

The tour takes off at London from where travellers are flown to Barbados, and set sailing on board the cruise ship Carnival Destiny. The deal includes tickets for Super 8 matches at Barbados, second semi-final at St Lucia and the final at Barbados.

It also takes in sightseeing between matches, return airfare to Barbados from Mumbai via London, accommodation, airport taxes, port taxes, medical insurance, transfers and cost of the CARICOM Visa for the West Indies.

Then there’s SOTC’s 12 Cruise Nights Encounter in Barbados package which includes match tickets for Super 8 games at Barbados, meals and cricket matches on big screen aboard the ship at Rs 3,87,999 per person on twin-sharing basis.

SOTC has also launched a Seven Hotel Nights in Antigua package from March 29 to April 8, which costs Rs 3,49,999. It offers accommodation at luxury Resort Sandals in Antigua, meals, cricket match tickets for two Super 8 India games and entertainment at the resort.

Other travel companies like Cox and Kings are offering dedicated cricket packages as well. There’s the Cox and Kings 12 Nights Barbados package that allows travellers to cheer Team India in three Super 8 matches, versus England, Pakistan and Indies, between April 10-22.

One has to shell out Rs 3,78,000 per person on twin-sharing basis for this package that offers travel on cruise liner Carnival Destiny, airfare Mumbai/Delhi to Barbados, 12 nights accommodation, meals and entertainment on board the cruise, port charges, insurance and visa charges, airport transfers and match tickets.

Cricket fans travelling to the Caribbean for the Cricket World Cup 2007 need not worry about safety concerns. One of the cornerstones of this is the CARICOM Special Visa which fans from most countries will need for travel to the CWC 2007 venue. The visa is required for travel to the countries between January 15-May 15, 2007.

So pack your bags and make your bookings pronto.

Route map

If you want to let your hair down on Saturday night, and still wake up robust on Sunday morning ready to take the new week by its horns, then a weekend retreat to Digha is just what the doctor would order. Spread over nearly two acres of land, The Palm Resort, Digha, is probably the best place to stay in the coastal town. While Digha has it’s own obvious attraction — the sea — the Palm Resort has special offers to leave the weary traveller bubbling with energy once again.

According to Sadhan Dey, managing director of the Palm Resort, the resort is packed with three lawns, a multi-cuisine restaurant and a gym and massage facility to tone you up. Kids can have their share of fun, too. There’s a small kiddie lake inside the resort, with boating facilities to spice up the fun. And the best thing about Digha is that you can go on a short afternoon trip to so many interesting places! While Shankarpur, with its fishing harbour and pristine beach, is just about half-an-hour’s drive away from Digha; you may also head for Talsari in neighbouring Orissa, where the Subarnarekha river ends its journey in the sea. Talsari is the place to enjoy a quiet sunset, while fishermen’s boats, looking for the day’s catch, gently melt into the horizon. There are quite a few interesting options if you want to while away time in Digha itself. The local science museum is a fun place to be for kids, while the seaside bazaar takes care of your wife’s thirst for trinkets!

To book your room and for further details, log on to www.thepalmresortdigha.com or call (033) 5534 3254/ 98300 52736. The rates for rooms range
between Rs 1,500 to Rs 3,000 including breakfast, lunch, high tea and dinner.

If you resolved to scale Himalayan heights in 2006, but couldn’t move up beyond the flyovers in Calcutta, then a trip to good old Darjeeling may be the best way to boost your drooping ego!

The Mayfair Hill Resort in Darjeeling is one of the best places to chill out in style in the hill station, with 31 deluxe and premium cottages, surrounded by fir and pine trees, waiting to wrap you up with a rich and luxurious lifestyle. The erstwhile summerhouse of the maharaja of Nazargunj, the place has been redesigned to provide modern facilities without stripping off its colonial charm. Mayfair also boasts of a multi-cuisine restaurant, a spa and a library bar, serving the choicest spirits along with an interesting compilation of books and periodicals. The resort also has a tie-up with the prestigious Darjeeling Gymkhana club, to help you shed those extra calories. Add to that an impressive array of facilities for indoor and outdoor games, like, billiards, table tennis, roller-skating, squash and badminton and you’ll know why time flies at the Mayfair.

For details, log on to www.mayfairhotels.com or call (033) 2229 9315/ 8384. The charges range between Rs 6,000 and Rs 10,000, plus taxes, including meals.