My recommendations based on my own travels over the last year

Are you planning your holidays for the coming year?

I know you have only just finished your winter vacation and the last thing you want to do is to spend more money on travelling.

 

But here’s my advice: plan early. We live in an age of dynamic pricing where there is no fixed price for anything. Air tickets, hotel rooms, tours and the like cost more when you book them nearer your date of travel. Book early and you will usually get the best deals. So no matter when you want to travel, start considering your options now.

 

   Indians have discovered many new destinations over the last few years. Eastern Europe is much in demand. So are the old Soviet republics which offer great value for money. Sadly in the decades since the Warsaw Pact collapsed and the Soviet Union disbanded I have not managed to visit that region much so you may be better off listening to the Editor of Brunch who is the second person I have heard of who feels nostalgia for the Soviet days. (The first is Vladimir Putin.)

 

   My recommendations here may seem a little boring and predictable but they are based on my own travels over the last year so they emerge out of personal experience.

 

Italy

 

For me: the ultimate destination. Yes the big cities (Milan in particular) can be absurdly expensive but the rest of Italy is more reasonably priced. And where you do have to spend money -Venice, for instance-it is for a destination like no other in the world.

 

   There are also ways around the expense. For example, you don’t have to stay in expensive Florence to enjoy Tuscany. I found that it was cheaper to stay in Sienna and take taxis all around the region.

 

   But ideally, you should try the less visited (by foreigners) destinations like Puglia, Umbria, Campania or Sicily. Much cheaper and more fun.

 

Spain

 

I went back to Barcelona last year after a gap of two years and it was as wonderful as it always had been. (Madrid is lovely too.)

 

   Where you go in Spain depends on what you want to do. I have had amazing foodie trips in San Sebastián and Bilbao. And I have loved the sights when I based myself in Sevilla and travelled in that region. Certainly, the Al Hamra is one of the most amazing palace complexes in the world.

 

The Netherlands

 

I honestly don’t know enough about all of Holland to recommend very much but if you love art then Amsterdam is the place to go. The museums are unmatched and The Hague which also has great art is a short train ride away.

 

Egypt

 

My wife called our only trip there the holiday of a lifetime. Cairo is not for everyone but you need to base yourself there if you want to see the Sphinx, the pyramids and the tombs of Saqqara. The new Egyptian Museum in Cairo is absolutely stunning.

 

"If you live in Bombay and want a place that’s familiar but hugely more sophisticated, then Dubai is the obvious choice."

   And you must take a Nile cruise (3 days or 5 days) and stop along the way to see the Valley of the Kings and the temples of Luxor.

 

   You will have seen pictures of all of these places but nothing prepares you for the real thing.

 

   Egypt is good value so don’t spend too much on a Cairo hotel. Save your money for the Nile cruise. We took the Oberoi cruiser which was wonderful and gloriously luxurious but there are cheaper options too.

 

Korea

 

I first went to Korea over two decades ago and it is astonishing to see how much the country has developed since then. It has beautiful resorts (in the island of Jeju for instance) but it’s all quite expensive now. So you may be better off sticking to Seoul (direct flights from Delhi) and enjoying the new Korea: delicious street and snack food; K-Beauty, K-Pop and of course the home of K-Drama. It’s where it’s all happening these days.

 

Dubai

 

If you live in Bombay and want a place that’s familiar but hugely more sophisticated, then Dubai is the obvious choice. It’s more expensive to get there from Delhi but it’s still near enough.

 

   I don’t think you can spend more than four or five days in Dubai unless you love malls and restaurants (which most of us do) but it is the perfect option for a short break. And if you have kids you can spend all four or five days at somewhere like Atlantis without needing to leave the hotel.

 

Japan

 

In 2001 when I first went, Japan seemed so completely different from anywhere else in the world that I thought it was an otherworldly destination.

 

   Japan has become more accessible and slightly more international now but it is still pretty incredible: the most civilised culture in the world. And one of the great barriers-how expensive it was- has now been removed. Tokyo is still expensive (so are hotels in Kyoto) but the rest of Japan is reasonably priced.

 

   That probably explains why so many Indians vacationed there last year. You should go.

 

Morocco

 

Morocco can be confusing. Both Casablanca and the capital city of Rabat are a waste of time. It’s not till you get to Marrakesh (where the Oberois run what must be the best Vilas in the world though they shy away from using the Vilas name outside India) that you realise what the fuss is about. It’s beautiful and charming at the same time. You can see why artists, designers and rock bands have all loved it. The coastal city of Tangier is also a great destination by itself.

 

   Morocco is not easy to get to and is far: it’s almost part of Europe (it’s as close to Madrid as Delhi is to Mumbai) but I reckon it’s worth the journey.

 

Malaysia

 

I have never understood why the Malaysian tourism guys don’t promote themselves better in India. Kuala Lumpur is a bustling city about the same distance from us as Singapore but hotels, restaurants and shopping are half the price of Singapore and the people are more welcoming.

 

   There are many resort destinations in Malaysia (of which Langkawi is the most famous) but I especially like the city of Penang which has the best street food in the region and lovely architecture. Malaysia is visa free for Indian tourists which is an added attraction.