The monsoon season can be a harrowing experience, especially when you are commuting to office. But if you are taking a break, rains can be quite delightful. And Bakul Joshi, a travel enthusiast, knows this. She has been searching for exotic destinations this monsoon. She needn’t try very hard.
Those who are planning a break now have many options, both in domestic and international circuits. The best part: Rates are a good 15-20 per cent lower. Several travel companies, including Cox and Kings, Thomas Cook, SOTC, Mercury Travels and Kesari Tours & Travel, have many short-stay packages for various locations.
Mandar Mandke, manager, Strawberi Holidays, a division of Kesari Tours & Travels, says: “Monsoon is typically an off-season period for travel. We try to promote some offbeat or not-so-popular destinations during the season at competitive prices.” So, prices are quite tempting.
For instance, Cox and Kings’ three-day, two-night package to Gangtok, Sikkim, costs Rs 8,829 a person. This includes accommodation with daily breakfast and dinner. “The accommodation cost may vary slightly, depending on the packages available with different hotels at destinations,” says a Cox & Kings spokesperson. Sightseeing, though, is not included in the package. On individual request, cars can be rented for Rs 500-2,000.
Similarly, Thomas Cook has a six-day, five-night package for a trip to Himachal Pradesh for Rs 15,300 a person. During peak season — October to January — a similar package could cost around Rs 18,000. In this package, you travel to Nalagarh, Manali and Chandigarh. There are added freebies like a small car, which can be upgraded to a larger one, if there are more passengers. However, the travel cost up to Delhi is not included in the package.
Then there are packages from Strawberi Holidays to religious places. Its Pawan Yatra Char Dham (Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri) for 12 days and 11 nights is priced upwards of Rs 47,990 a person — after a discount of 10 per cent. The package includes accommodation in tents or dharamshalas, all meals, transfers and sightseeing in an air-conditioned vehicle.
Other destinations on the chart are Ladakh, Goa, the North-East, Kerala, Konkan, Rajasthan, Kashmir, Allepey and Corbett. Some travel operators like Mercury Travels even offer rates that are discounted up to 25 per cent for Kerala and up to 50 per cent for Goa (against rates offered in December). These packages, meant for travel before mid-September, are tax inclusive, except for a 2.58 per cent goods and services tax.
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If you want to go abroad, there are numerous options like Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, Macau, Norway, Kenya, Toronto and Montreal. SOTC’s six-day, five-night tour package for Malaysia and Singapore costs Rs 49,990, down from Rs 56,990. This includes travel to Kuala Lumpur, Genting Highlands and Singapore. Return air fare, airline taxes, visas, accommodation, extensive sightseeing, meals, transfers, travel insurance and the services of an SOTC tour manager are part of the package.
For investment banker Gautam Kumar, who is looking for a special vacation, customised or tailor-made packages can be availed. “I want to celebrate my father’s sixtieth birthday with my extended family and I am willing to pay for the extra costs,” says an excited Kumar.
In this case, the tour operators will assist you with two-way air or rail tickets, accommodation and sightseeing, with the usual complimentary breakfast. In such a scenario, for domestic travel, your costs can increase by up to five per cent. And for international travel, the cost may go up by at least 10-15 per cent for such tailor-made packages, according to travel experts. But if there are a large number of people, say 15-20, the rates can be negotiated. Five-star hotels, too, have monsoon packages for their clients at different properties, where they offer spa therapies and special Yoga packages.
So, go ahead and take your pick for this monsoon.
