Category: Weekend Getaways

Chennai is a coastal area and welcome visitors with its glory. Chennai contains many traditional old cultures of India blended with the modern era.

You will get a chance to enjoy the colors of both, old and new culture. Chennai is one of the ideal spots for the tourists due to a variety of places to visit, few of the places are given as under.

1. Pondicherry

Distance from Chennai – 169 km

Time Taken – It will take 4 hours to reach there

Pondicherry, commonly known as Pondy, is divided into two areas. French quarters are displaying the colonial and old white building. The other quarter is for Tamil that represents the culture of Tamil people displaying mogra flowers. The place will give you a glimpse of the culture of the area, its language, and food specialties.

Places To See – Ousteri Lake, Seaside Promenade

How to reach the place – It is better to travel by road to enjoy the East coast road. You can use a bus or can hire a taxi.

Where You Can Stay

Luxurious Places to Stay – Hotel Annamalai International

Budget-Friendly Places – Hotel Green Palace

2.  Yercaud

Distance from Chennai – 366 km

Time Taken – It is 7-hour drive

Yercaud, means Lake Forest, is a beautiful hill station. The place is full of natural treasures along with the mesmerizing lake. Yercaud is also famous for its spices, fruits, coffee, and wood.

Places To See – Yercaud Lake, Shevaroy Hills, and Temple

How To Reach The Place – You can either use private transport or public transport like buses.

Where You Can Stay

Luxurious Places to Stay – Wellington Hill Resort

Budget-Friendly Places – Grange resort

3.  Yelagiri

Distance From Chennai – 227 km

Time Taken – 5 hours

If you are a nature lover, then Yelagiri is the spot for you. The place is famous for its lush green lawns. You can enjoy the views from the hills and can get a chance to relax.

Places To See – Punganoor artificial lake-cum-park, Swami Malai Hills

How To Reach The Place – One can either use a bus or hire a private taxi

Where You Can Stay

Luxurious Places to Stay – O’Nila Resort

Budget-Friendly Places – ACE Friends Park Resort

4.  Kodaikanal

Distance From Chennai – 518 km

Time Taken – 9-10 hours

It is considered as one of the ideal honeymoon destinations for newlyweds. The place is cozy, and its extraordinary sights make you fall in love with the place. The beautiful waterfalls increase the beauty of the place.

Places To See – Coaker’s Walk, Green Valley view, Bear Shola Falls

How To Reach The Place – Bus or private transport

Where You Can Stay

Luxurious Places to Stay – Sterling Hotels Valley View

Budget-Friendly Places – United 21 Resort

5. Ooty

Distance from Chennai – 547 km

Time Taken – 9-10 hours

The green and quiet neighborhoods of the area will make your weekends relaxing. There are numerous temples, gardens, bungalows, and parks from the British period. Museums are also there to explore the history of the place.

Places To See – St. Stephen’s Church, Thread Garden, and Tribal Research Centre Museum

How To Reach The Place – Public Transport like a bus or private transport like taxi

Where You Can Stay

Luxurious Places to Stay – Club Mahindra Derby Green

Budget-Friendly Places – Danish Villa

6. Mahabalipuram

Distance from Chennai – 52 km

Time Taken – Less than an hour

It is considered as one of the best heritage sites in the world that is full of ancient wonders. The Shore Temple located on the edge of the water is also a worthy place to visit.

Places to See – Mamallapuram Dance Festival, Trimurti Cave Temple

How To Reach The Place – As the place is close, the bus is a cheap option

7. Kanchipuram

Distance from Chennai – 72 km

Time Taken – 1 hour

Kanchipuram, often named as Silk City, is a hub of culture and civilization of Chennai. The place has thousands of temples that hold religious importance. Vedanthangla Bird Sanctuary is another spot that makes it an ideal place for bird’s lovers.

Places To See – Kamakshi Amman, KanchiKudil, Vedanthangla Bird Sanctuary

How To Reach The Place – You can use a bus, car or a bike as well.

8. Tirupati

Distance from Chennai – 135 km

Time Taken – It takes 1 to 2 hours

If you are planning to visit any place near Chennai, then Tirupati is an ideal spot due to its historical importance. It is one of the major cultural cities, people from different religions and cultures visit this place.

Places to See – TirumalaTirupatiDevasthanam, TTD Gardens

How to reach the place – Many public and private buses take this route. Going by bus is a cheap option. However, if budget is not an issue, you can also hire a taxi.

9. Vellore

Distance from Chennai – 136 km

Time Taken – It takes more than 2 hours to reach Vellore from Chennai

Vellore that holds an important position in terms of cultural representation of the area. The place was a home for ancient Dravidian civilization. You can get to know about the culture of the area by visiting various places in Vellore.

Places To See – Vellore Fort, Srilakshmi Golden Temple, and State Government Museum.

How To Reach The Place – You can either take a bus from Chennai to Vellore. Well, hiring a private taxi is another available option for you.

10.  Pulicat

Distance from Chennai – 55 km

Time Taken – Less than an hour

Pulicat is a small town located on a seashore. The hypnotic sights of the place will force you to come again.

Places To See – The beach, the Dutch cemetery, church, Fort. It is recommended to visit nearby villages as well like Nelapattu and Vedurupattu. The period from October to March is ideal for visiting Pulicat due to pleasant weather.

How To Reach The Place – You can use buses for traveling or private taxi. The ship is another available option if you are planning to visit Pulicat city.

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Planning your weekends, it a tough job but you can complete this task effectively and easily if you are living in Ahmedabad. Ahmedabad is a city full of natural beauty and historical place.

Then why are you waiting for this article will provide a glimpse of places that you can add-on the list of your weekend gateways? Just go through the details and hit the road.

1. Vadodara

Distance from Ahmedabad – 113 km

Time took – It takes 4 hours to reach Vadodara from Ahmedabad

The place was known as Badora in the past. It is the best place to visit during Navratras. No place has the Earth celebrated the day with such zeal as Vadodara celebrates it. These nine days of the festival will be a memorable time of your life.

The legacy of the area makes it a part of your weekend spots list. It is a historical place; you will get a chance to visit legendary and architectural palaces like Laxmi Vilas Palace.

Places To See – Surya Mandir, Khanderao Market, Laxmi Vilas Palace, and Sayaji Mandir

How To Reach The Place – Regular buses are going to Vadodara from Ahmedabad at reasonable prices. You can also use the train and can hire a private taxi as well.

Where You Can Stay

Luxurious Places to Stay – WelcomHotel Vadodara

Budget-Friendly Places – Hotel Prudent and Shagun Hotel

2. Vijaynagar

Distance from Ahmedabad – 80 km

Time Taken – It takes less than 2 hours to reach Vijaynagar from Ahmedabad

The view and sound of the mystical flow of Harnav River, all the way through the mountains, is an ideal feeling that you need to enjoy during your weekends.

A place just a few hours’ drives from Ahmedabad, Vijaynagar is a beautiful full of lush green mountains and mesmerizing atmosphere.

The silence of the place has its language and make you feel close to nature. The Polo forest of the area is a favorite spot for visitors.

Places To See – Polo Forest

How To Reach The Place – One can easily visit Vijaynagar by taking a bus. Hiring a private taxi is another option one can avail.

Where You Can Stay

Luxurious Places to Stay – Sheraton Grande Bangalore Hotel

Budget-Friendly Places – Hotel Grand Suites

3. Mount Abu

Distance from Ahmedabad – It is 220 km away from Ahmedabad

Time Taken – It takes more than 5 hours to reach Mount Abu from Ahmedabad

In the long desert of Rajasthan, Mount Abu is the only hilly area. The place is perfect for visiting throughout the year. The place is perfect for getting rid of Ahmedabad sunny and hot weather.

The serene lakes and lush green belts of the place make it a perfect adventure spot. The place has plenty of famous boarding schools. Dilwara temple is a never-to-miss place in Mount Abu.

Places To See – Dilwana Temples and Nakki Lake

How to reach the place – You can visit Mount Abu by using a bus as organized bus services comprising of public and private both, are available. The train is another available option.

Where You Can Stay

Luxurious Places to Stay – Cama Rajputana Club Resort or Kesar Bhawan Palace

Budget-Friendly Places – Hotel Shree Vinayak or Hotel Vishram

4. Modhera

Distance from Ahmedabad – 97 km

Time Taken – You can travel from Ahmedabad to Modhera in less than two hours.

Modhera is the place which is famous from Sun temple. A temple which was made during Solanki dynasty. The place has four terraces along with two arches that are ornamented. If you want to enjoy the classical music of India, Modhera is the place to visit.

Places To See – Sun Temple

How To Reach The Place – As the place is nearby the main city, therefore it is easy to access the place. You can use bus services, train or can hire a private taxi.

Where You Can Stay

Luxurious Places to Stay – Hotel Bhagyoday or the Highness Hotel

Budget-Friendly Places – Hotel Vikram Palace

5. Dwarka

Distance from Ahmedabad – It is 436 km away from Ahmedabad

Time Taken – You can reach Dwarka in less than 8 hours

Dwarka is considered as one of the holy place and famous in India. The whole region is dedicated under the name of Lord Krishna.

There is a Dwarkadhish temple, a five-story temple which was built in 1400. Many other temples are dedicated to Lord Krishna and his wife along with other significant people among their family.

Places To See – Temples of the area

How To Reach The Place – You can take public transport as well as private transport for traveling to Dwarka. A bus is an inexpensive method of traveling to the place.

Where You Can Stay

Luxurious Places to Stay – Dwarka-Gayatri Shantivan Dharamshala

Budget-Friendly Places – Hotel Shiv Regency or Hotel Shree Dhara

6.  Somnath

Distance from Ahmedabad – 410 km

Time Taken – It will take more than 7 hours to reach Somnath

Somnath is one of the famous and oldest cities near Ahmedabad. The place holds religious importance due to the presence of the Somnath temple. This spot holds a sacred place in the heart of Hindus, and they love to offer prayer there. Due to a nearby coastal area, Somnath is considered as an ideal holiday spot. You can visit the place all over the year due to its pleasant weather.

Places To See – Somnath Temple

How To Reach The Place – To visit Somnath, you can use the bus or can avail train service.

Where You Can Stay

Luxurious Places to Stay – The Fern Residency

Budget-Friendly Places – Hotel Somnath Sagar or Hotel Sitara

There are numerous spots in Ahmedabad that you can visit during your weekends. The place holds a strong history and wonderful natural spots. Why stay at home if you are living in Ahmedabad, take your car or use the bus and make your weekends memorable.

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Sometimes long vacations can be exhausting, time-consuming and costly. So going for a small weekend trip can be adventurous, rejuvenating, memorable and economical as well.

Picking some friends or family members and going for a short trip can be a better option than digging a hole in your pocket for long vacations.

It seems to be an easy task to plan a weekend trip but it is not. Planning a short weekend trip also needs a lot of planning to make it successful and memorable for life.

You have to take care of budget, lodging, what to eat and where to eat and many more things. But it doesn’t mean that it is not doable. Below are some tips which can make your trip easy, enjoyable and memorable.

Choose a destination

This is the first and most difficult step, as many of us are not able to pick up a destination. You must keep in mind that it is your weekend trip, so you need to choose a place which suits you.

In case, you like water then plan for a trip in places like beaches and if you are in love with sightseeing, then choosing places near to you that have mesmerizing views would be the best option.

Always keep in mind, you are going for a short weekend trip and this means you need to choose your destination wisely. Never dwell for places which require a travel time of more than 5-6 hours.

A travel time of more than 5-6 hours will take over the time you are willing to spend at the location enjoy the beauty of the place.

Keep your luggage light

Most travelers don’t know how to keep their luggage light weighted even when the trip is very short. If you are among one of these, this is what you should focus on.

If you are going to hit the road by your personal vehicle, over-packed bags are not much of a problem as you can always put everything in the backseat of the car.

Over-packed bags start creating troubles when you have a flight or a train or any other public means of transport.

You have to first carry the highly weighted bags to the station, then you have to walk down the whole station carrying those bags and then there might be a situation when you have to lift those bags up to put them in a proper place.

So, always carry clothes that are sufficient for 2-3 days and try to avoid extra items which are not necessary as much as you can.

Book Accommodation In Advance

This is another very crucial thing as you are planning a trip only for 2-3 days. Choosing accommodation very close to your destination would be your best decision.

It is always advised you to pick up an accommodation that is in a walking distance to your destination. Moreover, it is better if you choose an accommodation prior to your journey.

It will be convenient for you and will also prevent you from last time headhunting of hotels. There are a plethora of options for how it can be done. It can be done by online hotel booking or directly contacting the hotel authority for bookings. One more important thing, make sure the place is economical and hygienic.

Choose a travel partner ( or a group )

You must always be fastidious about your travel partner as it is a major factor in the success of the plan. Good travel partner can either be your family members or friends or your colleagues.

A weekend getaway is a good opportunity to spend some quality time with family especially when you find yourself too busy at work during weekdays. A good company always brings happiness and makes your trip more memorable and enjoyable.

Budget Well

This is the most important thing of all. Though you are going just for a weekend, it can still be very expensive if you have not planned it properly.

So, it becomes really important to plan out a budget so that you can avoid extra expenses. Assigning a budget to the trip compels you to avoid extra unnecessary shopping and buying other luxury items that are of a little or no use to you.

Pack some snacks and medicines

It is good to carry some snacks like fruits, dry fruits, some biscuits with you as it will keep you energetic throughout the journey. You should keep you away from unhealthy and unhygienic food.

Keep basic medicines like paracetamol, antidiarrheal etc. with you as you might not find chemist nearby you when you need it the most. Keep an anti-allergic spray and insect-bite spray with you all the time.

Capture memories

Capture your memories in your camera and make your trip unforgettable. Put your phone on airplane mode as unwanted calls might disturb you during your pleasure time.

You are spending quality time with your loving ones so avoid such calls, email, messages, etc. Rejuvenate yourself during the trip so that you can focus on your office work with more energy than before.

Put your phone off or on Airplane mode

Make sure you are really enjoying the weekend trip. Make sure you put your phone off or on airplane mode. Tell your colleagues or business partners that you will be unable to receive business-related calls during the weekend trip. 

You can put the phone on during the night time or early morning to see if you have received an emergency message or call from your friends/family. In this way, you will soak up more in the environment and you will be able to enjoy your trip.

Have a rough plan for each day

If you really like to get the most out of your trip, we recommend you to come up with a rough plan for each day. Plan a rough itinerary that will help you utilize your trip better.  For example, you can make a list of things to do on Day 1 and then a list of things to do on Day 2.  

Read Best Weekend Getaways near Ahmedabad

 

Pune happens to be one of the vibrant young cities in India. With youth comes the zeal to work and party. In order to help it’s young crowd keep it’s work and fun intact, we have come up with a list of weekend getaways.

Here’s the list.

Lonavala

Courtesy: TravelAdvisor

Not exactly a hundred kilometers from Pune, Lonavala can be delighted in on the multi-day trip and in addition an end of the week trip. Valleys and slopes, cascades and rich greenery possess large amounts of Lonavala. An unquestionable requirement visit for any individual who adores nature, Lonavala is likewise well known for the chikki, a customary Indian sweet produced using jaggery and peanuts.10 Best things to do in Lonavla

Khandala

Three hours from Lonavala, the slope station of Khandala has been made well known by Bollywood motion pictures and tunes. As anyone might expect, Khandala is as prevalent as Lonavala, with numerous individuals wanting to cover both the spots in a solitary excursion. Other than the greenery and wonderful slopes, the place is made much more lovely by the downpours. The storms are the most mainstream time to visit both Khandala and Lonavala.

Wai

The city of Wai is arranged on the banks of the Krishna River and was known as ‘Virat Nagari’ amid the old ages. Wai is in the Satara area of Maharashtra, and scarcely 90 kilometers from Pune. There are open doors for a few donning exercises in Wai, including pontoon building, trekking, kayaking, and stargazing.

Lohagad Fort

Which means press post, Lohagad Fort was before the bastion of Shivaji and is currently a famous vacation spot. The fortress is situated on a slope, sitting above the Pavana River. The Bhaja and Karla Caves found near the post are another fascination for those meeting the Lohagad Fort. Trekking to the fortress and to the caverns are the absolute most prevalent exercises in the locale.

Lavasa

The man-made town of Lavasa is circumscribed by pleasant slopes and cultivates, and gets its name from the lake that the place covers. This slope city is near 25,000 feet, and an extremely mainstream home base spot for the more youthful populace. Lavasa appreciates picturesque perspectives and a surrounding atmosphere on account of the Western Ghats. A portion of the exercises to enjoy are trekking, outdoors, rappelling, climbing, and arrow based weaponry.

Kolad

An exceptionally well-known stream boating spot around Pune, Kolad is a minor town in the Raigad region that draws swarms of visitors whenever of the year. The Kundalika River offers waterway boating openings, as well as the street along the stream,  is a famous running trail. The picturesque perspectives and reviving blue waters are combined with an invigorating atmosphere lasting throughout the year.

Mahabaleswar

Mahabaleshwar is an end of the week escape and excursion spot in Maharashtra, encompassed by evergreen woodlands and valleys. This is additionally the place accepted to be the beginning of the River Krishna in the antiquated Mahadev sanctuary. The Pratapgarh Fort worked by Shivaji is scarcely 20 kilometers from here. A portion of alternate attractions in the area incorporates Kate’s Point, Arthur’s Seat, Wilson Point, Needle Hole Point, and the 3 Monkey Point.

Malshej Ghat

This mountain pass is home to a few distinct types of feathered creatures and an assortment of vegetation. There is a different scope of natural life in the backwoods of the district. The cascades are full amid the storms, making the magnificence of the place wake up. Various sanctuaries and hollows are likewise situated in the region. A portion of the exercises to enjoy are bird watching, trekking, and getting a charge out of the staggering perspectives of the cascades.

From outdoors and trekking to spending a tranquil end of the week restoring and unwinding, these excursions around Pune are impeccable to calm both personality and body.

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