I went home on this recent long weekend in March, on the occasion of Holi. And what a refreshing trip it was! Sadly, my colleague was not able to visit her hometown because she lives 2363 km away from Delhi. The prime reason why she couldn’t go was the absence of this blog, no, I am kidding (pssst…though it is a fact); TBH the reason was the lack of planning. Ah-No, my colleague isn’t a bad travel planner but it’s just that she didn’t realize the gravity of an extended weekend – the independence day/s of the corporate prisoners. To her misfortune, not only was she unable to find a cheap air ticket to Dibrugarh but she couldn’t even book bus tickets to any of the popular destinations near Delhi. Resultant, the poor thing had to spend four effin’ four days in her PG. Did I just hear you guys go awwww? Well, an awwww situation was it, indeed. This is why I chose to write this blog because never again would I want her or anyone else sit idle in their homes on a long weekend. Take this blog as your 2019 Travel Bible, and you homies are going to be all set for this year. Let’s get rolling then!
Sunday, 14 Apr: Dr Ambedkar Jayanti and Vaisakhi and Ram Navami
Monday, 15 Apr: Take leave/ Vishu (Restricted)
Tuesday, 16 Apr: Take leave
Wednesday, 17 Apr: Mahavir Jayanti
Friday, 19 Apr: Good Friday
Saturday, 20 Apr
Sunday, 21 Apr: Easter Sunday
Whoa! Do you see what an amazing holiday opportunity the month of April brings for you? I mean if you manage to take a day off here and there between April 13 and April 20, then you’re likely to have a whole week to yourself! And what’s brilliant, is the fact – this month is replete with fairs and festivals across the world for you to enjoy. No, not all of them are related to the Holy Week and Easter, there is a wide variety, ranging from the Cherry Blossom season in Japan to world’s largest music festivals in Coachella, California to International Comedy Festival in Melbourne, that will make your April holiday a helluva time! Check below the places to visit in April 2019:
Want to Splurge
Vatican City: for Holy Week
Japan: for Hanami, the Cherry Blossom Season
California,US: for The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
Seville, Spain: for the Holy Week and Festival of the Patios
Vienna, Austria: for a festival
Budapest: for Spring Fair
Prague: for Easter Markets
Crete: for Greek Orthodox Easter
Netherlands: for Tulip and Spring Beer Festival
Mayrhofen, Austria: for Snowbombing (one of the world’s most popular electronic music festivals)
Vancouver, Canada: for Cherry Blossom Festival
Antigua: for its Holy Week Processions
Havana, Cuba: for Ritmo Cuba
Buenos Aires, Argentina: for Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema
Aguascalientes, Mexico: San Marcos Fair (largest fair)
Thursday, 9 May: Guru Rabindranath Jayanti (Restricted)
Friday, 10 May: Take leave
Saturday, 11 May
Sunday, 12 May (Buddh Purnima)
The month of May also offers you 4 days break which you must make the most of, in case you didn’t travel on the long weekend in April. Yes like the previous month you might have to make a small adjustment with taking a leave or two (pssst… call sick in the office), and you can avail an exciting summer break. There is plenty of places to explore in India as well as at international destinations in May. Your options range from celebrating the 100th anniversary of Grand Canyon National Park in the US to attending Cannes Film Festival to sight Whale Sharks in Australia to paragliding in Bir Billing. Trust me, your May holiday is going to rock! Here are your best options of places to explore in May 2019:
If you want to Splurge
Portland, US: for Rose Festival
Monaco: for May’s Grand Prix
Cannes: for the Film Festival
Flagstaff, Arizona, US: for celebrating 50th anniversary of the moon landing and the 100th anniversary of Grand Canyon National Park
Lofoten, Norway: for a preview of the region’s Midnight Sun
Madeira, Portugal: for Flower Festival
Florence, Italy: for Festa del Grillo
Kelaa-des-Mgouna, Morocco: for Festival of the Roses
Ningaloo Reef and Exmouth, Australia: for Whale Shark Festival
Prague: for Prague Spring Music Festival and Czech Beer Festival
Madrid, Spain: for San Isidro Festival
Brighton, United Kingdom: for Great Escape new music festival
Thursday, 15 Aug: Independence Day / Raksha Bandhan
Friday, 16 Aug: Take leave
Saturday, 17 Aug: Parsi New Year
Sunday, 18 Aug
Did your pupils dilate just like mine by looking at this longggggg weekend in August? I don’t know about you, but I am going to make the most of this extended weekend because there can’t be a better opportunity to travel in this entire year. August is an excellent month to plan a trip if you are a wildlife enthusiast or in case whale watching is in your bucket list. This monsoon month in India is a perfect time to relish treks like Valley of Flowers in Uttarakhand. It is also a good time to explore the beauty of South India. Abroad, your options range from snorkelling with Whale Sharks in Mexico to witness the Great Migration in Kenya to Heli-Skiing in New Zealand. In short, August is an awesome month with even more awesome long weekend! Here’s what this amazing month have in store for you:
If You Want to Splurge
Isla Holbox, Mexico: for Whale Sharks Sighting
Newfoundland, US: for Whales and Dolphins Watching
Riviera Maya, Mexico: for Snorkelling and Swimming with Whale Sharks
Canadian Arctic Archipelago: for Beluga Whales Sighting
Brazil: for Literary, Gastronomic, and Jazz Festivals
Iceland: For exploring at cheaper rates
Salzburg, Austria: for Classical Music Festival
Botswana: for wildlife
Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya: for Great Migration
Great Barrier Reef: for Dwarf Minke Whales, Manta Rays, Humback Whales Sighting
New Zealand: for Skiing and Heli-Skiing
Affordable Holidays in August
Papua New Guinea: for Mount Hagen Cultural Show
Cambodia: for it is shoulder season
Ha Long Bay, Vietnam: for limestone islands and rainforests
September surely looks like a happy happy month! And planning a holiday in it could make it the happiest month of 2019. There are some lovely fairs and festivals around the world held in September that you should not miss out on, also, Kerala in India would celebrate its biggest festival, Onam in this month as well. You can also choose London, where you can be part of Camberwell Fair or Singapore where the Mid-Autumn Festival will bring to you the best of the country’s culture. You can also opt a tourist place in India like Tarkarli in Maharashtra for the best stargazing opportunity or maybe go to Kerala to witness the authentic celebration of Onam or what about choosing something different this year like Uzbekistan to challenge your travel perspective.
If You Want to Splurge
London, England: for Camberwell Fair and the London Fashion Week Festival
Huangshan, China: for Mid-Autumn Festival
Cape Town, South Africa: for Cape Town Street Food Festival
Let us be honest, most of us want to be home during festival season in India. But for all those who have decided to not go home in October 2019 or probably want to take their families out with them, I do have some great holiday ideas for you. Like other months, October is also packed with numerous festivals not only in India but abroad as well. The most obvious one is, the Oktoberfest in Germany. The fan of Breaking Bad can even visit Albuquerque, well, you won’t find Walter White (duh! I know he dies in the last episode) or Jesse Pinkman there, but you can surely enjoy Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. Back home in India, the wildlife sanctuaries open after the monsoon break. You can even plan a short trip to Bhutan if you think that you need to see other festivals this October.
If You Want to Splurge
Chicago, US: Chicago International Film Festival
Sardinia, Italy: Autumn Festival
Albuquerque, US: for Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta
Germany: for Oktoberfest
Mongolia: for Golden Eagle Festival
Affordable Holidays in October
Egypt: Abu Simbel Sun Festival
Bhutan: for Colourful Festivals
Holidays in India in October
Rishikesh, Uttarakhand
Bandhavgarh National Park, Madhya Pradesh: for Tiger Sighting
The last long weekend of 2019! You have to make this one a special one. November is a pleasant month, weather-wise in India, which opens the door for visiting almost any tourist place or offbeat destination in India. However, November also makes for a great time to explore many places in Southeast Asia as well as in the West. There are Thanksgiving and the annual Waikiki Holiday Parade in Hawaii that you can witness or you can also visit Chiang Mai for the annual Lantern Festival. An affordable and totally legit holiday idea for November 2019 would be to visit Myanmar, an underrated country with a lot of tourism potential. Back home in India, Pushkar and Kutch make for some must-visit places if you haven’t explored them already!
If You Want to Splurge
Hawaii: for Thanksgiving and the annual Waikiki Holiday Parade
Denver, US: for Annual Festival
Patagonia: for Trekking
San Antonio, US: for San Antonio’s Annual Free Contemporary Arts Festival
Abu Dhabi, UAE: for Taste of Abu Dhabi Food Festival
Lisbon, Portugal: Mexefest Music Festival
Reykjavik, Iceland: Iceland Airwaves Music Festival
San Diego, US: for San Diego Bay Wine and Food Festival
Buenos Aires, Argentina: for Gaucho festival
Affordable Holidays in November
Chiang Mai, Thailand: for Lantern Festival
Myanmar
Holidays in India in November
Sundarban National Park: for wildlife
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
Kutch, Gujarat: for Rann Utsav
Pushkar, Rajasthan: for Pushkar Camel Fair
Amritsar, Punjab: for Guru Nanak Jayanti Celebration
There you go! You have the best travel ideas for all your long weekends in 2019. So now, quit worrying, and start planning your trip.
In case, you want us at Tour My India to help you, give us a call at 91-9212553106/07 or drop an email at info@tourmyindia.com. We offer the best travel packages for both your international holiday and Indian vacation. For any queries or suggestion, leave a comment below. And yes, you shouldn’t miss out on liking and sharing this blog. Happy Travelling!
From the Lake District, Nainital, Nidhi Singh is a travel writer whose love for mountains can be seen in her write ups. Talk about solo travelling, indulging in adventure activities, binging on good food, planning budget trips or the Aurora Borealis and you will get all her attention. It is the wanderlust that keeps her going and if at all she could get one wish granted she would love to live a life less ordinary. Follow her on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram.