Travel Calendar: Where to Travel - Month by Month!

New year, new beginning ... More travel, more memories ... Truly said by Ibn Battuta, the famous traveller: Travelling – it leaves you speechless and then turns you into a story teller.

2016 is just few days away; why not plan our months according to the best travel time of our favourite destination! The holiday calendar is out, plan your leaves well and start ticking your bucket list.

January:

Northern lights

Kerala: Perfect for winter sun

Andaman: For Diving

Gulmarg/Auli: For Skiing

Sri Lanka: South-western side will offer a pleasant weather but avoid North-eastern side as its monsoon time there

Dubai: Shopping time at the Shopping festival

South East Asia: The weather is dry and warm but not too hot.

Swden/Norway/Finland: The once in a lifetime experience gets completed here – The Northern Lights can be viewed at its full glory

Australia: It’s summer time there, when almost everywhere it’s cold and gloomy

February:

Penguins@Antarctica

Goa: Time for colourful carnival! Enjoy the city as its vibrant best

Jaisalmer: Ragasthan – India’s craziest music festival

Rann of Kutch: The Rann festival is on until end of this month, if you still haven’t experienced it, do visit the glittering white desert.

Europe: Peak rush over, plenty of snow for winter activities and options of going to milder coastal areas.

Antarctica: Warm with longer days, penguin & seals out on the ice and whales are at their most abundant.

March:

Tulips@Netherlands

Rishikesh: For Rafting and International Yoga Festival

Kasol: Experience the festival of Holi like never before

Mathura-Vrindavan: Known for its week-long celebration of Holi festival

Coorg: Watch the beautiful white coffee flower bloom

Mahabaleshwar: Mapro Strawberry festival

Morocco: One of the most sought destinations for 2016. The weather in Southern Morocco is perfect for travel during this time

Cuba: No summer storms, no winter chill. Enjoy the white sandy beaches

Netherlands: Beautiful multi-coloured tulips blossoming

April

Hot air ballooning@Cappadocia

Jim Corbett/Ranthambore: Best chances to spot the tiger

Shillong/Pahalgam: Best the summer heat

Srinagar: Tulips bloom and the weather is neither too hot nor too cold

Phuket: For bike lovers – Phuket Bike Week

Turkey: No summer rush and very pleasant weather. Try hot air ballooning at Cappadocia.

Tokyo: Gorgeous Cherry blossoms

May

Cheetah@Namibia

Gangtok: Beat the chill and enjoy the International Flower Festival

Leh-Ladakh: The snow can be found in the upper parts

Borneo: Best season to visit the rainforest and Mt.Kinabalu

Madagascar: – At its greenest best after the rains

Namibia: Though the nights are cold especially the deserts, wildlife can be found in abundance

June

Tea Estate@Munnar

Munnar: Enjoy the lush green landscapes during the monsoon

Tawang: Unexplored and beautiful, this is the place to go in 2016

Spiti: Adventurous treks, exquisite lake and rugged territories

Singapore: Explore with kids during their summer break

Italy/ Greece/Portugal: Great weather for cycling/hiking and water activities

Arctic Cruise: 24 hour daylight around the summer solstice

July

Great Wildebeest Migration@Kenya

Orchha: Walk around the rustic charm of the city

Dalhousie: Lesser rainfall, ideal weather and perfect time to beat the heat and summer rush

Mount Abu: Rich in history, diverse flora and majestic mountains never fails to pull the crowd

Kenya: Don’t miss the great wildebeest migration

Iceland: Virtually 24 hour daylight and best time to spot migrating whales

Bali: Lots of sun, no rainfall and warm sea water for a lot of water activities

August

Valley of flowers by Alosh Bennett

Kovalam: Monsoon about to get over, unwind yourself with ayurvedic massage

Valley of flowers: The hill station in Uttrakhand looks like a paradise with a variety of flowers at full blossom

Udaipur: Venice of East – no piercing heat of Rajasthan

Lonavala: The Sahyadri monsoon brings the place alive with greenery and it’s an enchanting experience

Seychelles: Excellent time for diving

Austria: Salzburg Festival

Rio: Golden beaches, lush mountains and samba night-life. Host for Olympics 2016

South Africa: Best time for safaris

September

Ganesh Chaturthi by Wikipedia

Coonoor: Cheese making at Acres Wild

Mumbai/Pune: Get immersed in the spirit of devotion during the grand celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi

Shillong: Fresh look post monsoon

Ziro: The music festival of Arunachal Pradesh is the most enjoyable outdoor festival. No better reason to visit the beautiful hidden gem of north-east India.

Oman: For Turtle spotting

Bhutan: For trekking

London: Open house London – visit 700+ landmarks for free

Botswana: Fantastic wildlife viewing

October

Kids@Halloween

Bir Billing: Paraglide in the splendid Himalayas

Mysore: Celebrate Dussehra like never before

Kabini: Spot the wildlife in the lesser explored terrain

Tarkarli: Dive in the sea or go dolphin spotting

Hampi: Good weather to explore one of the 32 UNESCO’s world heritage sites in India

Munich: Ocktoberfest is the time to be at this place

New York/Hongkong: Enjoy Halloween with the kids

Vietnam: Dry and warm but not too hot to explore the northern side

November

Aarti@Varanasi Bank of River Ganges

Varanasi: Do attend the festival of Indian Classical Music & Dance or the aarti on Dev Deepawali on the bank of River Ganges

Sundarbans: Most pleasing temperature to visit the richest and most balanced eco system of the country

Pushkar: Rajasthan’s most spectacular event – Pushkar fair

Kohima: The festivals of festival – Hornbill festival in Nagaland

Gir: The place is shut during monsoon hence better chances to spot Asiatic Lion

Canada/USA: The lovely autumn time

Antarctica: See the pristine snows capes and large icebergs before the summer kicks off

Taiwan: Stellar month for sports enthusiast as the place hosts number of outdoor events

December

Geminids Meteor Shower by whotalking

Kochi: For Biennale – an international exhibition of contemporary art

Konark: Annual dance festival in Orissa

Ranthambore: As the winter sets in, the tigers come out to bask in the sun.

Kaziranga: The national park is the habitat for one horn rhinoceros

Goa: The EDM party is at full throttle and it is one the best places in India to be on the New Year Eve

Auli: The largest skiing destination of India

Maldives: For a luxurious escape

Bangkok: Shopping sans the sweat

New Zealand: For the pretty much the first sunrise of the New Year

Chile: At the Atacama Desert, get spellbound witnessing the celestial storm in the skies – The Geminids Meteor Shower

Holiday Mode on: Bollywood Stars and their X-mas & New Year Plans

Image Source: tripzmate

Image Source: bollywoodpresents

It’s the time of year when people are planning to enjoy the last break of 2015. Bags are packed, tickets booked and now is the time to head to the beaches, mountains or just another city to welcome Santa Claus and ring in the New Year.

Our Bollywood celebrities are not too far behind ... While few have decided to spend it with friends or family, others are taking a break from their frenzied schedule to get soaked into the holiday spirit and get ready for the madness to continue in 2016.

Let’s look at some of the stars and their holiday sojourn.

(New Year Eve Celebrations in the World)

Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif will be taking off to London for both Xmas and New Year. London has one of the biggest celebrations at midnight with host of festivities, fireworks and fun! Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra too will be in London from Xmas until New Year. London is one of the favourite destinations of the entrepreneur couple.

Image Source: mtvindia

Bipasha Basu’s will be flying away to Thailand with her love interest Karan Grover. Thailand is known for its incredible night life and exotic beaches. Neil Nitin Mukesh has grand plans to celebrate the holiday season. He will be in Dubai for Christmas and South Africa for New Year! Wow!! Now that's some travel plan.

Image Source: rediff

Hritik Roshan, who is a doting father to his two sons – Hrehaan and Hridhan, will be in Switzerland for Christmas. The gleaming snow-capped mountains will look stunning when the town will be painted red for Xmas. It’s family time for Deepika Padukone too but she will be away from Ranveer Singh as she will be celebrating it with her parents in Bengaluru while Ranveer will be looking for a shore to laze around.

Image Source: uthtime

The pristine beach of Maldives is Sonam Kapoor’s choice. Home to some of the most luxurious hotels in the world, Maldives is a perfect choice in any season and is a favourite choice of many Bollywood celebrities. Sidharth Malhotra, who is the brand ambassador for New Zealand, will be there only with his friends. Definitely a good time to boast about the country you are associated with. 

Image Source: itimes

Madhuri Dixit Nene will be flying off to her second home – the USA, with her husband and kids. And, guess who will be coming home for the New Year?? Priyanka Chopra who has been busy shuttling between the continents because of work commitments, will be in India to give a goodbye kiss to 2015!

Image Source: dainikbhaskar

Image Source: dailymail

Image Source: express.co.uk

Image Source: instabollywood

Image Source: santabanta

Source: HT

12 Most Magnificent New Year Eve Celebrations in the World

On 31^st December, as the clock will strike 12, we will be ready to welcome the new year with open arms. New Year Eve is celebrated worldwide by all individuals regardless of their religion or nationality. Raucous, Ribald or Relaxing - whatever you are in mood for, you will find the apt celebrations across the globe. So, be prepared to drink, dine, dance and crash this New Year’s Eve. We can find celebrations happening in all the places in the world in some way or the other but there are many countries who believe in greeting the first day of the year in a truly extravagant style!

The NYE celebrations in these 12 countries will make you book your tickets right now!!

Sydney, Australia

Be among the firsts to ring in the New Year along with thousands of people who gather around the Sydney Harbour for one of the most spectacular fireworks at midnight. You can expect to see indigenous smoking ceremonies, aerial flyovers with messages in the sky, light shows and a lighted boat parade. You can join the dance party at Bondi beach or being summer time in Australia, you can dance your night away in your favourite shorts!

Image Source: Wikipedia

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Always a party town, millions of people gather to celebrate the New Year’s Eve. The party starts from 6pm on the famous 4-mile long strip that is closed for vehicles and is open for those who want to walk around, drink, club hop, dance and enjoy various fireworks being shot from many hotels. So for the people who are in a mood for a little debauchery, the sin city – Las Vegas is for you.

Image Source: Wikipedia

New York City, USA

New Year in the New York’s Times Square is what millions of people around the globe wish to be a part of, especially those who are watching it live on TV, where another millions of people are already counting down the seconds to midnight to witness the huge ball being dropped from a flagpole atop the former New York Times Building, for which the iconic square is named. This is a 100 years old American tradition. You will witness star studded entertainment, pyrotechnic lightshow, world class fireworks display and people streaming between lively clubs.

Image Source: Flickr

Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

You will be swept away by the carnival atmosphere on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Millions of visitors are dressed in white, which is a tradition called Reveillion, lined up near the beaches and throwing flowers in the waves at midnight for the African sea goddess Yemanja. Afterwards, the beaches, streets, bars and roads are filled with people enjoying drinks and music & dance. The fireworks in the sky above the far-fetched sea are truly a spectacular watch.

Image Source: Wikipedia

Dubai, UAE

Dubai is home to many of the worlds’ iconic structures – Burj Khalifa, Burj-Al-Arab, Atlantis the Palm and to witness the extravagant celebrations at these places is a lifetime experience. The parties hosted by Dubai stands out from the rest of the world. The Dazzle, the midnight fireworks, the shows the performances by superstars bring such an unparallel dimension to the parties that it is difficult for others to match it especially in terms of its grandeur. Dubai has so much to offer that once you are here on 31^st December, you will be compelled to come year after year.

Image Source: forbes

London, England

Over a million visitors gather around the bank of Thames River and start the countdown as they wait for the Big Ben to strike 12! The magnificent show of lights & fireworks start subsequently, the highlight being the swirl firework from the London Eye and the city getting echoed by British rock music. The celebration continues until wee hours of the morning with activities planned for the next day including the three-hour parade of marching bands, colourful floats, costumed dancers and a procession of queen’s horses.

Image Source: visitlondon

Paris, France

The City of Love turns into The City of Fireworks with hoards of people waiting to ring in the New Year with a bottle of champagne in hand and the view of Eiffel tower in front of them. The glittering Eiffel tower showcases one the most beautiful display anywhere when fireworks burst from the entire length of its iron structure. The streets of Paris come alive with people celebrating, making rounds of bars & clubs with their family and friends.

Image Source: Wikipedia/citywonders

Madrid, Spain

The tradition of eating twelve grapes one by one for each stroke of the clock at midnight on 31^st December is considered a sign of good luck in the coming year. Whether you believe it or not the experience is a lot of fun when millions of people are doing it together in front of the clock in Puerta del Sol Plaza. The atmosphere is amazing: confetti, music and streamers everywhere, people in wigs, hats and masks watching the Gran Via for fireworks.

Image Source: passportpacked

Tokyo, Japan

The Japanese title for New Year is Shogatsu and it is said that Japan was one of the first countries to make use of excitement of fireworks to celebrate special occasions so we shouldn't be surprised at how seriously they commemorate the New Year - setting fireworks that can be viewed for miles across the Tokyo Bay. The tradition of ‘Hatsumode’ is completed by visiting the temple where the temple bell rings 108 times at midnight. If you stay through 2^nd January, you can access the palace ground, that is one of the two days when it is opened for public.

Image Source: traveljapanblog

Hawaii, USA

The attractive beaches of Hawaii are filled with people enjoying at the beachside bars and clubs where special activities are planned for the celebrations including theme nights and contests. New Year in Hawaii means gorgeous weather, breathtaking views and lively galas. Outdoor music concerts and boat cruises are special attractions as the beautiful water gets lit up by the midnight fireworks.

Image Source: hawaii-nye

Moscow, Russia

In Russia, during the winter season, the day becomes very short giving way to an extremely long party night. The celebration takes place at the Red Square that looks amazing with vibrant lights and splendid fireworks. The clubs and bars in Moscow offer lavish, louder, bigger and extravagant parties that will definitely amaze you. Watch out for the fireworks display that is set off behind the gleaming domes of St.Basil’s Cathedral.

Image Source: pursuitist

Goa, India

India’s coastal “party state” Goa regularly tops the travel lists as one of the best places to celebrate New Year Eve. The party starts 4-5 days before 31^st December with the famous SUNBURN and VH1 Supersonic events which are fairly similar – dancing on the sand, big main stage pyrotechnic shows and performances by the superstars of EDM and trance. The beachside bars explode foot tapping music and people dance all night long. The striking firework above the ocean is a great show.

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