Where to Travel During the Puja Holidays 2018?

Durga Puja in Bengal is synonymous with merriment and revelry. While the city gets decked up for the grand fiesta, some dwellers prefer to stay back to be a part of the carnival while some find solace travelling to distant lands. Since schools, colleges and even offices are closed during the festive days, it definitely offers travel enthusiasts the opportunity to plan vacations. Ideally, holiday plans are made two to three months ahead of the Puja holidays but choosing the destination, planning the itinerary, making necessary arrangements for the trip (including visas and passports in the case of international holidays), hotel and flight bookings, shortlisting tours for sightseeing and so on can be quite tiresome and time-consuming. Hence, opting for a reliable travel and tour operator specializing in customized holiday trips can definitely be given a thought.

Though most tour operators in Kolkata offers pre-set itineraries and packages, there are only a handful of international travel agents in the city who adhere to offering absolutely customized holidays. So all you need to do is shortlist the ones who serve your purpose in the best possible way and you’re all set to make the most of your Puja holidays. If you are wondering where to travel during the Puja holidays 2018, here are some popular international and Indian destinations to explore this season:

Greece:

During a 6-nights trip to the Aegean wonderland, Greece, you can explore attractions in Athens, Santorini and Mykonos. At Athens, explore the Parthenon, The Agora-Athens Central Market, Mount Lycabettus, The Plaka, Psiri, The Temple Of Poseidon at Sounion and the ebullient Monastiraki Flea Market.

At Santorini, plan your stay at one of the stunning cave hotels the island is renowned for. Enjoy the illustrious Santorini volcano tour. Book the Santorini Caldera Cruise or Sunset Sailing Catamaran Cruise.

Popular as a party destination, Mykonos, the Cyclades island has some interesting beaches and restaurants and clubs. Spend a day or two before you travel back to Athens to catch your flight back home.

Italy:

Be it Venice, Milan, Florence, Rome or Naples or even Tuscany, Italy’s culture, art, history and cuisine make it a dream holiday destination.

In Rome, you can go for the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica tour. From Florence, you can visit the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the freestanding bell tower in Pisa. In Venice, day one calls for the Gondola tour while on day two, you can tour the Islands of Burano, Murano and Torcello.

Italy may be explored by different travellers, in different ways, we just love the idea of helping you with a custom-built itinerary. All you need to do for that is get in touch with our team of enthusiastic holiday specialists. You name it, we make sure you visit it!

Turkey:

In your 7-night-8-day trip to Turkey, all you need to cover are the cities of Istanbul and Kusa Dasi to enjoy the quintessential flavours of Turkey.

Begin your trip to Turkey in Istanbul. Set out for the Istanbul City tour, Bosphorus cruise and the Grand Bazaar, keeping Princess Island cruise for the next day.

Popular attractions in Istanbul include Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, Dolmabahce Palace, Basilica Cistern, Istanbul Archaeological Museum, Galata Tower and more.

Spend the first day in Kusa Dasi relishing the charm of the city. Take time out the day after to tour Pamukkale and its mineral-rich thermal baths.

Kenya:

While in Kenya, begin your journey from Nairobi. Visit the Aberdare National Park where you can book your stay in the cosy quarters of Ark Lodge in the Aberdare Mountains and enjoy nocturnal visits from the wild. Aberdare National Park offers a unique safari experience where you will have the chance to spot lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos, buffaloes and more.

Next, you can head towards the stunning Lake Elementaita followed by Lake Nakuru where the flamboyance of pink flamingos is, indeed, a sight to behold. Your final destination in Kenya is the game drive at Masai Mara before you come back to Nairobi to board your flight back home.

Vietnam:

Begin your Vietnam trip with the Ho Chi Minh city tour. You can go on to explore the Mekong Delta, Saigon Opera House, Pham Ngu Lao Street, Jade Emperor Pagoda, Cai Rang Floating Market, and of course the local delicacies in the street markets. Set aside Cu Chi Tunnel tour for the following day.

After Ho Chi Minh city, take a flight to Nha Trang, a coastal resort city in southern Vietnam. Spend a couple of days at Nha Trang checking out its assorted attractions before catching a flight to Hanoi. At Hanoi, visit the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, walk or take a bike ride around the Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son, watch a water puppet theatre performance, shop at the Dong Xuan Market, indulge in a plate of Bun Cha Hanoi and so on.

Hong Kong & Macau:

Hong Kong and Macau, two vibrant destinations in the east, are full of vivacity and merriment. A trip to these glamorous cities can be refreshing for the entire family this Puja. During a 5-night-and-6-day trip to Hong Kong, take a day and opt for the Ocean Park Tour and another one to explore the Disneyland, where you will relive your childhood memories. Renowned as one of the largest aquariums in the world, the Ocean Park Hong Kong, tops the must-see list in the land. Your Hong Kong holiday will be incomplete without visits to Wetland Park, Victoria’s Peak and Lantau Island.

At Macau, take your pick from the Ruins of St. Paul’s, The Senate and Senado Square, A-Ma Temple, Fortaleza do Monte: Home of the Macau Museum, Macau Tower, Coloane Island and Hac Sa Beach, The Maritime Museum and Fisherman’s Wharf, Portas do Cerco (Border Gate), Taipa Island and Taipa House and Kun Iam: The Temple of the Goddess of Mercy, to explore.

Sri Lanka:

The tropical island nation of Sri Lanka has an unspoilt beauty and offers a great combination of stunning landscapes, pristine beaches, captivating cultural heritage and unique experiences With eight Unesco World Heritage Sites, 1,330 kilometres of coastline, 15 national parks, nearly 500,000 acres of lush tea estates, 250 acres of botanical gardens, 350 waterfalls, this is an island of magical proportions.

You can start you Sri Lanka trip with Bentota City Tour and Turtle Hatchery visit. Bentota offers a wide array of water sports at the River Bentara and its lagoon. Spend your days in Nuwara Eliya, Kandy and Colombo. Go for the city tours in each destination. Visit the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. So, the options are aplenty, you need to plan it accordingly.

Kerala:

So, this puja, if you are wondering to visit an Indian state that not just has an exceptionally picturesque landscape but also a rich culture, Kerala can definitely be on the list.

While you arrive in Cochin, you can right away travel to Munnar begin your Kerala tour. You can spend the rest of the day visiting Cheeyappara and Valara waterfalls, Blossom Park,
Pothemedu viewpoint and more. Spend the night in the town while you go on a customized city tour of Munnar the next day. The next destination in your itinerary could be Thekkady where you can go for boating in the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, take an elephant ride, visit the spice plantations, enjoy shopping Kerala spices, followed by a local tour of the region and watching a Kathakali and Kalaripayattu show and so on.

While you step at Alleppey, check in to a houseboat and spend the day enjoying your stay on a houseboat. At Cochin, you can enjoy a day visiting the Fort Cochin Mattancherry, marine drive, boating in Cochin Lake and so on.

If you have a week’s time, Kerala is a great option in India.

Rajasthan:

Let Jaipur be the starting point of your journey gradually moving towards Udaipur and Jodhpur. You can spend the first day in Jaipur with a tour to the Hawa Mahal and City Palace. At Udaipur, go for a city tour of Udaipur comprising of a visit to its City Palace, Lake Pichola and more.

En voyage to Jodhpur, check out the Kumbalgarh Fort on the way, take a city tour embracing Mehrangar Fort while you finish off the trip. Of course, relish sumptuous Rajasthani platters and heart-warming music and dance during the entire trip.

Shillong & Kaziranga:

Shillong, often referred to as the Scotland of the East, offers travellers a stunning landscape to admire and ample outdoor activities to experience. Visit the Kaziranga National Park famous for the Indian one-horned rhino and you can choose to go on an elephant safari to see these animals.

The following day take a city tour including a visit to the sunset point, elephant falls, the Shillong Peak, the Borapani Lake and more. Don’t miss out on a visit to Mawlynnong, the cleanest village in Asia. The next day you can opt for Cherrapunji day tour. Visit the Mawsmai Cave and the Thangkharang Park, the Seven Sisters Falls and more. It’s one of the most budget-friendly trips you can opt for this Puja Holidays 2018.

If you are seeking a tailor-made itinerary, we at Flying Squirrel Holidays would love to hear from you. We focus on individual traveller’s requirements and preferences while curating a completely personalized tour itinerary. So, if you are looking forward to a tour this Puja Holidays 2018, get in touch with us now! Call us at +91-33-4052-5777.