Don’t want to deal with hostile
immigration officers in foreign countries? Take a break in your own instead!
Late last year, we had planned to visit
America, home to our extended family, with New York as the first stop. But that
was before Donald Trump’s infamous ‘travel ban’ and the news that immigration
officers in the US now had the right to scroll through your phone and laptop
before letting you into the country. (And if they asked you for the passwords
to your social media accounts to check that you were not an undesirable alien,
you were supposed to hand them over or risk being flown right back to your
point of origin.)
Not my idea of fun. And I suspect, not
your idea of fun either. After all, who in their right minds would want to
vacation in a country in which even valid visa-holders are treated as potential
criminals/terrorists who must prove their innocence before being let in?
But while America presents its own
peculiar challenges, the rest of the world isn’t a much better bet at this
moment. Turkey (another destination we had been toying with) seems a bit dicey
after a spate of terrorist attacks. Paris has seen terror wreak havoc on its
streets. And we keep being told that London is next on the jihadi hit list.
So, if you are a scaredy-cat like me, and
don’t fancy the idea of taking your life into your hands every time you venture
out on holiday, then here’s a plan for you. This year, stick to vacationing in
India. There’s so much to see and do in this vast sub-continent of ours that
you won’t miss going abroad at all. And what you save on airfare, you can spend
on experiences.
If the idea appeals to you, then here’s a
handy (though far from comprehensive) list of all the things that you can do
and the places you can visit without ever leaving our borders.
*
Go temple-hopping:
No, I don’t mean a pilgrimage
necessarily, though I always find a trip to, say, Vaishnoo Devi or Tirupati,
very invigorating. You can always do the religious thing, if that floats your
boat. But even if you are a non-believer, a trip to such destinations as
Khajuraho, Varanasi, the sun temple at Konark, the ancient Martand temple in
Kashmir, is an amazing experience in and of itself. The sculptures, the
magnificent architecture, the patina of the ages, all of it makes for stunning
visual beauty and a sense of how far back our civilization extends.
Such ancient cities as Mahabalipurum in
Tamil Nadu with its rock reliefs that date back to the 7th century and
Hampi in Karnataka which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site are well
worth a visit. And if you are up to climbing around 700 steps, then head up the
hill at Shravanabelagola to get a close look at the Gommattesvara Bahubali statue,
which dates back to the 10th century, the biggest sculpture ever to
be hewn from a single piece of rock.
* Be
a beach bum:
Speaking for myself, I find Goa to be a
crashing bore, with overcrowded beaches and murky water. If you want a beach
holiday in India, the best place to go is the Andaman Islands, where the white
sand beaches are pristine and bordered with the clearest blue water. Head out
there before the hordes discover it.
*
Hit the mountain trails:
No matter which part of India you live
in, a hill station is never too far away. From Calcutta, it is easy to access
Sikkim and Bhutan. If you are in Delhi, then the ski slopes of Gulmarg are a
short plane ride away, as are the picturesque peaks of Uttarakhand. In the
South, you can head to Ooty, Munnar, Kodaikanal or Coorg. And those who live in
the West of India, can visit Mount Abu, which has an added attraction in the
shape of the Jain Dilwara temples built between the 11th and 13th
centuries.
*
Go healthy and holistic:
If you are feeling a bit rundown and in
need of some rejuvenation, take a spa break. In India, you are spoilt for
choice when it comes to this category. You can go all fancy and spend a fortune
at such upmarket resorts as Ananda in the Himalayas. Or you could go in for a
more earthy and intense experience at such Kerala spas as Kairali, which bills
itself as an Ayurvedic healing village and offers treatment for such diverse
conditions as arthritis, bronchitis and hypertension. Or you can simply drive
to a ‘spa resort’ near your city for a weekend break, involving lots of
massages and heaps of indolence.
* Answer
the call of the wild:
When it comes to wildlife, India has a
virtual embarrassment of riches. Want to catch a glimpse of a tiger in the
wild? You can visit Ranthambore in Rajasthan, Bandhavgarh and Kanha in Madhya
Pradesh. If you live down south, then the Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve in
Tamil Nadu and Periyar National Park in Kerala are good options. Kaziranga
National Park in Assam also has enough tigers to qualify as a tiger reserve even
though its main claim to fame is as a rhinoceros sanctuary – it houses
two-thirds of the world’s great one-horned rhinoceros (along with a large
population of elephants) and is classed as World Heritage Site. If
bird-watching is your thing, then you can’t go wrong with the Bharatpur Bird
Sanctuary, now restyled as the Keoladeo National Park.
So, put away that passport for now. And
go the Swadeshi way when it comes to travel. I promise you won’t regret it.
No comments:
Post a Comment