SURPRISE ME!

Stop Postponing Your Holiday!

Sapna Kaushik

Last updated: Apr 3, 2017

How difficult is it to plan a holiday? Pick a destination, schedule it right, make your bookings, pack your bags and say goodbye. Easy, isn’t it? But try telling this to my friend. “Unexpected workload, stuck up with family, uninvited guests, expenditure, safety, climate, headache, who will stay back at home...” I haven’t heard the end of it. Recently she started lamenting about how despite being a culture aficionado, she would not be able to make it to the Rajgir Dance Festival in Bihar. “Plain lazy” I thought to myself.

Dedicated to such lazy friends who keep themselves from the pleasures of travel, here are a few tips on how you can actually GO on a holiday and NOT cancel it.

Pick Your Destination

The best way to travel is to convince yourself about the destination. Friends and magazines have a lot to say about happening destinations for every season and mood. But if nothing beats the joy of relishing sevpuri at Chowpatty for you, what fun will mountain climbing or skiing be?

My friend is a great lover of art and culture. A classical dancer herself, I knew she meant it when she said she wanted to go to Bihar for the Rajgir Dance Festival. High on culture, the festival will showcase myriad music and dance performances like classical, ballet, folk, contemporary, instrumental and devotional music. I can almost picture her gaping wide-eyed at the dancers, trying to sneak backstage for a picture or an autograph.

[button path="top-5-unique-indian-festivals/?utm_source=Blog&utm_medium=Inlink&utm_campaign=Button" color="orange" size="large" target="_blank"]Top 5 Unique Indian Festivals[/button]

Set Your Budget

Budget blues are often the strongest reason for cancelling a holiday. Luckily, you don’t have to spend fortunes on a nice vacation. My advice to my friend is to stop buying overpriced handicrafts from malls and save that money for a holiday destination where she can buy much cheaper souvenirs.  In any case, check-out cheap air tickets here.

Schedule Your Holiday Smartly

This is when you take into account factors like climate and duration of travel. Those who want to attend an event do not have much discretion here. My friend will have to plan her holiday in the last week of October if she wants to attend the Rajgir Dance Festival.

Dispel Your Irrational Fears

[button path="10-signs-you-need-holiday/?utm_source=Blog&utm_medium=Inlink&utm_campaign=Button" color="orange" size="large" target="_blank"]10 Signs You Need A Holiday[/button]

In the 21st century when you can find information about the weirdest place in less than .22 seconds on Google, fearing which exotic land you might land on, is quite irrational. Brush up your knowledge about your holiday destination. Coming back to my friend’s destination, Rajgir is a beautiful and peaceful town in Bihar, about 100 kilometres from Patna. It was the capital of the Magadh Empire and is famous for its water springs or Brahmkund and meditation centres like Vishwashanti Stupa. Some other attractions include Vulture’s Peak, remains of several monasteries and ancient buildings.

Book In Advance

The best way to avoid changing travel plans is to make your bookings well in advance. That way, you won’t have to postpone your trip and will also be able to plan other things accordingly. In the end, a rented taxi along with hotel reservations, and options for holiday packages to Patna, is all that is needed. So while I go surprise my friend with this holiday, and finally convince her to take that long overdue break, you start planning yours and do not cancel it.