Away from the crowd

Close to nature

The last days of the year are almost here! And the bubble of excitement is only growing bigger. Planning for parties, catching up with friends and shopping are on the top of the list for many Bengalureans. 

  The others are making travel plans — with a twist! Some are hoping to make the year-end special by either going into the wild or getting kissed by the sun or rain.

Jatin, a professional who is heading to Kuntibetta with  friends, says, “I don’t want to spend my holidays with the same people in the same noisy City. I’d rather spend my time in peace.”

According to Pranav, an entrepreneur, Bengalureans are looking forward to spending their holidays in scenic spots rather than partying.

    His trekking group, ‘Madventures’, has decided to spend Christmas in Coorg, and is planning a surprise New Year trip.

He explains, “We decided to take Christmas to Coorg, one of the most easily accessible areas with a number of unexplored trails. We have a small trek planned out at ‘Nishani Betta’ after which we have organised a Christmas party at a homestay. Rock band ‘Mahesh And The Mix’ will belt out a few tunes and there will be a barbecue spread for dinner.”

Ishan Sharma, one of the founders of the popular trekking group ‘Get Beyond Limits’, recalls their New Year trek last year with pride. “We trekked to Savandurga, lit candles there and made our resolutions on the largest monolith of Asia which was a big hit. This year too, we have decided to gift ourselves the beauty of nature rather than waiting for Santa Claus to come and cheer us up.”

   ‘Get Beyond Limits’ has a variety of events planned for the season. They will be exploring the beaches of Gokarna and rendering festive tunes on its shores.

  For the adventure-seekers, the group is heading off to ‘Kodachadri’ and ‘Savandurga’. To start the New Year on the right foot and on a fresh ground, they have planned trips ranging from night treks at ‘Kunti Betta’ and ‘Makalidurga’, a weekend tour to ‘Sharavati Backwaters’ and a ‘Coorg’ wildlife trek. He explains, “We hope to reach Kunti Betta and Makalidurga before the first rays of 2016 hit the sky. As a bonus, we have surprise gifts planned for all our treks.” 

However, it’s not just these weekend getaways that have grabbed eyeballs. The Himalayan ranges, which have always been a preferred destination on any traveller’s bucketlist, are most popular especially during New Year.

Anto from ‘Nirvana Nomads’ says, “People always love to start their year with a challenge and what better way than a trip to Leh! Three editions of the ‘Chadar’ trek and a frozen river trek in ‘Zanskar’ are on the list throughout January and February. There is a shorter trip for corporates who would like a small holiday in the Himalayas and longer treks for those with more time on their hands. One of the editions is full and the other two are filling up really fast. It’s nice to see that most people are making a New Year resolution to
live freely and marking heir 2016 as an epic beginning.”