(From top) A view of Pokhara in Nepal with the Annapurna mountains in the background; the River Thames in London and the serene backwaters of Kerala

The year-end holidays are looming large and are you still undecided where to go? The fact is that choosing a holiday destination has become tougher than ever before, because the world is quite literally your oyster. Whether your idea of paradise is lolling around on golden sands or whizzing down ski slopes, there are endless possibilities ? in many cases, cheaper than ever before.

So, where is everyone going this season? One thing’s for sure ? it’s time to start looking out for end-of-year breaks, because the packages are being snapped up faster than you can say get, set, go...

According to Manoj Saraf, managing director, Gainwell and managing committee member, TAAI (Travel Agents Association of India), “Traditionally, the period from December 16 to the first week of January is peak season for tourism worldwide since virtually the entire world is on holiday. In India this year, we’ve seen the highest number of bookings for Goa and Kerala with Rajasthan running a close third.”

But Indians are also looking at foreign destinations. Says Saraf, “There’s also been a huge jump in the number of people travelling to South-East Asia or clubbing it with a Star Cruise. In fact, we have bookings for over 3,000 people for the Star Cruises in December alone.”

Nepal, says Saraf, has also made a big comeback, with a holiday there now up for grabs at practically the rates that were applicable a decade ago. Gainwell offers a 4 day-3 night Kathmandu package on Cosmic Air, which starts at a mere Rs 6,999 per person. This includes return airfare, stay at a four-star hotel, two half-day sightseeing and airport transfers.

What’s more, with six non-stop flights from Calcutta to London now available weekly, Europe too is far more accessible. The airfare has never been lower, with a return trip now pegged at Rs 20,000 plus taxes. With London as base, tourists travel to Switzerland, France and Italy while destinations like Greece, Turkey and Egypt are also gaining in popularity by leaps and bounds.

Thomas Cook, for instance, has an exciting ? if expensive ? 7 day-6 night package to exotic Egypt where for Rs 62,000 per head, the agency throws in three nights in Cairo and another three aboard a Nile cruise. The price includes four-star accommodation, breakfast, dinner and sightseeing, as well as return airfare ex-Mumbai.

Another package with plenty of takers is the 19 day-18 night Australia-New Zealand one, which covers tourist hotspots like the Gold Coast, Auckland, Cairns, Queenstown and more at a whopping Rs 2.2 lakh per person. This includes a 4-star hotel, American breakfast, dinner, airfare (ex-Mumbai or Delhi via Qantas Airways), sightseeing, transfers and visa charges.

The Australia card is also being played heavily by Vensimal Travels, which is promoting a 13 day-12 night tour with four nights in the Gold Coast, four nights in Cairns and another four in Sydney. Says B.K. Ramnani, MD, Vensimal, “We call this the Australia Fully Loaded package for it takes in a beach, theme parks and even a mega-city. What’s more, we provide all major sightseeing, which happens to be extremely expensive in Australia, as compared to accommodation, which is relatively cheap.” At Rs 52,999, it includes the accommodation, meals, transfers though not the return airfare.

Speaking of Singapore and Malaysian Airlines, as everyone knows, South-East Asia is hotter than ever before. Which explains why just about every travel agent worth his commissions is promoting every hotspot from Bangkok to Malaysia to Hong Kong. Thus, Gainwell is offering a 4 day-3 night trip to Malaysia for Rs 11,500 plus taxes (inclusive of half-day sightseeing, breakfast and airport transfers) while a 7 day-6 night tour of Singapore and Malaysia being promoted by Thomas Cook is pegged at Rs 41,000 per person (all inclusive). Or how about a trip to Hong Kong Disneyland to give the tiny tots the ultimate Christmas treat?

Vensimal has that as well, with an exciting package that includes two nights in Hong Kong, one in Disneyland and another three in Kuala Lumpur (last, free of cost). Opting for three-star accommodation would cost about Rs 12,000. Breakfast in KL is included but return airfare, meals, and transfers are not. The silver lining? A free half-day tour and a Disneyland full-day theme park ticket, which would cost you about Rs 3,500.

If hobnobbing with Mickey or Minnie isn’t exactly your idea of holiday thrills, and you’d much rather celebrate the New Year with some fun and feni, Goa should be just your cup of tea. Sample the packages from Vensimal, where you can take your pick from three, four or five-star hotels at prices ranging from Rs 15,000 to Rs 40,000 per couple for a 4 day-3 night stay (some hotels even add on a supplement charge, it being peak season).

Fancy a romantic getaway in colourful Rajasthan? Once again, there are loads of packages on offer with the ones at Vensimal generally being customised according to the travellers’ requirements. An 8 day-7 night package touching down at Jodhpur, Jaipur, Jaisalmer and Mt. Abu comes for a hefty Rs 50,000 per couple with airfare, stay, breakfast and dinner included.

Closer home, you could opt for a trip to Shantiniketan where Hotel Mark and Meadows has an inaugural family package for Rs 6,999 or a couple package for Rs 5,999 during the colourful Poush Mela. Otherwise of course, there are always the good old standbys like Puri, Darjeeling and Gangtok to fall back on.

The great Christmas getaway is soon to hit the roads. Make sure you book yourself a ticket.

My favourite holiday

Bratati Bandopadhyay,
elocutionist

My all-time favourite getaway is Shantiniketan and whenever I get an opportunity to steal away there, I never pass it by. Shantiniketan is just about four hours away by car and we always drive down, listening to baul music on the way, just to get into the mood. In fact, just a couple of days ago, over the Kali Puja and Diwali holidays, I headed there with my mother and brother, and we had a great time.

I have a house in Shantiniketan — a baagan-bari called Poddyo, which means ‘poem’. It’s a great place and running alongside the house is a river. So, it’s almost like we’re in the lap of Mother Nature whenever we’re there. We also cook ourselves while staying there, which is always great fun or sometimes, when we’re feeling slightly lazy, we order in from a nearby restaurant.

Route map

• Treats and privileges come your way this festive season if you transit Singapore any time starting now to September 2006. Singapore Airlines has teamed up with Changi Airport to offer passersby some swell discounts. Now as a transit passenger you can avail of upto 50 per cent discounts on practically every service and facility that this world-class airport offers. Just present your boarding pass (valid for the same day of travel) at restaurants, stores, entertainment hubs and get a chunk of the bill knocked off. There’s more: the boarding pass also gets you free entry to the movie theatre, as well as free use of the 200 Internet kiosks and long minutes at chair massages at The Oasis lounge (Terminal 2). So, here’s to making the best of the few hours you have in Changi.

• Travel Corporation (India) Pvt Ltd. (TCI), India’s premier travel and tour organisation has launched attractive packages for Diwali. While deals to Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Sri Lanka are among those up for grabs, Mauritius, with its spectacular scenery, beautiful beaches and sugarcane plantations is one of the most popular destinations on offer. TCI’s 5 day package from $200 and 7 day package from $265 includes breakfast and dinner, airport transfers and sightseeing — it’s a real steal!

TCI also offers the option of gifting a TCI gift cheque, available in denominations of Rs 1,000. These can be used towards the purchase of a holiday in India or overseas, hotel stay, air tickets, travel insurance etc. The gift cheque is available at any TCI office across India, and is valid for one year from the date of issue. For more, call (toll-free) 1600-22-8687.