Updated: Mar 17, 2021 04:47:15 PM IST
Image Courtesy - The Bison Lodge
For a big part of 2020, we were cooped up inside our houses and all our travel plans stood cancelled, thanks to the Covid-19-induced lockdown. In 2021, it’s time to make up for the lost opportunities, starting with some unique experiences closer home. Forbes India picks 10 offbeat destinations in India that you could put on your calendar this year.
Stay on a tea estate in Darjeeling
Image courtesy - Taj Chia Kutir Resort & Spa
Opened in December 2020, the Taj Chia Kutir Resort & Spa in Darjeeling is inside the Makaibari Tea Estate, founded in 1859, and home to the world’s first tea factory. Spread across 22 acres, the 72-room property offers an elaborate high tea and tea tasting session with an expert tea sommelier at the Makaibari Tea Lounge, an all-glass bar that offers panoramic views of the tea gardens.
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Spiriting away to an isolated location for an opportunity to surrender to nature can be the ultimate salve for stressful lives. The beauty of a habitat, the clean air, the soothing sounds of chirping birds is both, mentally stimulating and incredibly relaxing. And you don’t need to rough it out to enjoy the great outdoors. Imagine this: Go biking, strolling or on a safari, then return ‘home’ to a plush bed, en suite bath and gourmet meals. It’s probably why the enthusiasm for glamping, where glamour meets camping, is sweeping the globe. The popularity makes sense, especially in the COVID-19 era. The allure of high-end camping also brings a wave of accommodations that aren’t always in the wild, from a tree house in a hill station to a yurt on a desert. If you’re planning a socially-distanced getaway, we looked up the most luxurious properties in India to catch a break at.
The 2021 holiday dream-list: Unusual luxury journeys into India’s hinterland
International travel is unlikely to open anytime soon and Goa is packed to the gills with tourists, a situation likely to spill over into 2021. Eschew the crowds and the banal with our guide to rediscover India through these destinations and experiences. You may never want to leave. January 02, 2021 / 07:09 AM IST
Assam river cruises: Assam Bengal Navigation, India’s long-distance river cruises, is designed to champion the local. For every cabin or room booked, the cruise company contributes 5 percent to environmental, education and local community development efforts in Assam and Bengal. A private cruise aboard Assam Bengal Navigation’s M.V. Rudra Singha is an ode to luxury: premium accommodation in an air-conditioned wooden houseboat that navigates the mighty Brahmaputra River. There is a private butler onboard and a guide or naturalist on hand. Expect to enjoy sundowners with an alluring su