There’s a reason sleepcation is the latest travel trend. Our 21st century lives have left us chasing careers, cooking food, looking for love and doing our own taxes. The only thing we can compromise on is sleep time. Weekdays are for building bank balance and weekends are for building dreams. Between personal projects and professional goals, relaxation goes out the window. So, can you blame us if we don’t want to spend our holidays in clubs? We instead need vacations which teach us what relaxing is. Doing nothing is a pleasure CEOs and interns don’t quite know. Where could you go so you could kiss anxiety goodbye? It’s not just beaches that make lounging fun. Relaxation comes in many forms and faces. You have to pick the right place for you and carry that Zen home.
1. Kalpa
Snow, apple orchards and ancient architecture welcome travellers to Kalpa. It’s the softer version of spiti at -15 degree Celsius in peak winters in Himachal Pradesh! This is a small town in Kinnaur district, nestled in the Sutlej river valley making it an ideal vacation spot. Unlike the loud and overcrowded lanes of Shimla or the emptiness of Spiti, Kalpa is the perfect balance. People who prefer offbeat locations in desi hills opt for this serene town. Here you will find the liberty of slipping into silence and search your soul. When you need a break from all the searching, there will be fellow travellers to keep you company. This is the golden way to inner peace and silence, where everything is an option, and nothing is forced.
Where: Himachal Pradesh
2. Solan
Shimla is a one stop shop for hills and holiday but, that’s exactly what it often feels like: a shop. Over commercialisation is the ultimate curse over any peaceful place and Shimla was among the first to take a hit. The good news is that Shimla took one for the team. People’s one-track mind takes them there over and over. We have a way you can avoid the traffic, the lines and the noise of Himachal Pradesh. Just don’t go to Shimla; go to Solan! Only 5 hours away from Delhi lies a secret paradise for true nature lovers at 1,500 meters in Himachal Pradesh. Jawahar Park is ideal for solo time. Just let it all go and let the beauty in.
Where: Himachal Pradesh
4. Siliguri
Do you like momos? In the foothills of the Himalayas, a secret haven sits quietly covered in the garb of commerce. Siliguri is at the edge of Bengal, surrounded by tea gardens. Acres and acres of land smelling like tea is every desi dream ever. The momos here are better than any we’ve had in all of India. They’re better than the most chalte momos and most expensive dim sums. We said it. The views of Kalimpong is a short 2 and a half hours away. Siliguri is not seen as a tourist destination and that’s precisely why you will be left alone. You can spend all your hours at tea garden, inhaling fresh oxygen flavoured with chai. Visit the surrounding towns or just drive up a hill with a 6-pack of beers and watch the sunset.
Where: West Bengal
5. Varkala
Did someone say beaches? Ditch the Goas and try something that is truly relaxing. Palm trees, golden beaches and clean shores, Varkala is all about that ‘let go and let it flow’ vibe. Here is where people find themselves watching sunsets turn into sunrise while sipping on an innocuous pina colada. Even the music adopted by restaurants here seems like it is designed to gently nudge you into a sweet lull. This lull will hold you close and keep you warm. Redefine beach vibes at Varkala with quiet lounging, mindful silence and sleep alive with dreams. This entire place is along a cliff lined with paved footpath. Down the cliff you see sparkling sea, the Arabian Sea. It’s more breathtaking in real life than in this article.
Where: Kerala
Also read: It’s Official! Kochi Ranks 7th On The List Of World’s Best Travel Cities 2020
6. Pondicherry
Pondy is the perfect place to walk around, watch great views, soak in some culture and just do nothing. The food is great which makes doing nothing a lot easier. A French colony that turned into an Indian city with traditions from both these cultures: are you kidding? ‘The White Town’ is all French architecture and desi warmth. Mustard-yellow colonial walls coloured pink with bougainvillaeas is a picture straight out of a book. Let’s not forget the Bay of Bengal at Rock beach. There’s nothing else anyone could need on vacation. Visit the bakeries and test your letting go limits. This is relaxing destination 101. If you really want to take it to the next level, spend some time in the cashless township of Auroville!
Where: Pondicherry
7. Almora
If its’s good enough for Bob Dylan and Swami Vivekananda, it’s good enough for us. Crank’s Ridge is just above Almora covered in pine trees and hippie vibes. It’s also called Hippe Hill. The Hippe Movement of 1960s and 70s brought healing charms to this place. Meditate and absorb the days gone by here. Feel the good vibes left behind by the likes of Timothy Leary, Allen Ginsberg and Cat Stevens. The Kumaon hills are a view beautiful enough to send any person to the stars and bring them back whole and nurtured. Relaxing destinations truly do their job when traces of love embrace the ground itself. Unwind, bask in the glory of greenery and traverse the alleys of spiritual tranquility. Fun fact: there’s a large geomagnetic field close by near the Kasar Devi Temple being analysed by NASA.
Where: Uttarakhand
8. Taj Mahal
When you see that one of the world’s wonders is wandering outside your window, perspective shifts a bit. We lay so much importance over leaving a legacy behind, becoming a legend. Sadly, not enough importance is laid upon being a living legend, someone who’s truly alive. When you see that even the great Taj Mahal needs upkeeping and restoring, your little relaxing vacation suddenly becomes extremely important. The Taj Mahal was made at the cost of the hands of its makers. Let that not be the cost to your success. Remind yourself how important it is to take a breather while sipping chai looking at the Taj Mahal from your balcony. Hotels in Agra are some of the best in the world. No place can beat India’s hospitality industry and no activity can beat the thrill of never having to lift a finger.
Where: Agra, Uttar Pradesh
Pushkar
Stay in vibrant hostels with blue walls and orange bonfires. The travellers in Pushkar can ease up the tensest of necks. One night sharing stories with the people here, every worry will appear silly because worrying means you suffer twice. The entire town is lit with Rajasthani jewellery and food. It has a unique magnetism of its own and Moustache Hostel captures it well. The special scenery here is home to Thar desert and Pushkar Lake. There are 52 ghats here! Isn’t that mind boggling? A desert city with colour everywhere and a whole lake to its name is something you might only find in India. That’s probably why people from all over the world look to Pushkar to forget the real world and merge into a nameless personification of relaxing destinations.
Where: Rajasthan
India’s most relaxing destinations will look into your soul and pull you out of stress heavy weekdays. It’s a feeling you’ll carry back with you until it just becomes a part of who you are. With regular sweet nothings on vacation, your life could turn into exactly that: sweet nothings, pregnant with possibility.
Also read: The Ultimate 2020 Travel Calendar: All The Events You Need To Book-Mark