7 Splendid Trips in 2019

The New Year has just begun and with it our string of resolutions too. Well, if you ask me they are meant to be broken the very next day, except for my resolution to travel, travel some more and again to travel a wee bit more.  As they say, “travel if something good happens; travel if something bad happens and travel if nothing happens”.  At least for me, that is the mantra to live by!

Luckily, for all the corporate slaves cum travel addicts out there, the year 2019 has a lot of long weekends. All we need to do is throw in a couple of extra days here and voila! You’ll be all set with a mini vacation almost every month. To save you all the hard work, we have curated a list of seven splendid trips to take in the year 2019. So fret not, for we got you covered for the most part of this year!

Scroll down and satiate your hunger for travel with this carefully curated list of seven splendid trips to take in 2019. We will make sure that we give you a lifetime experience on every trip.

1. Dreamy Dawki (Shillong)

The New Year has just set in and most of North India is still covered in blankets of snow. If you aren’t the one up for some winter fun, Dawki in Shillong tops the list for the seven splendid trips in 2019. Meghalaya is nurtured by the rain god himself. The state is sprinkled with beauty of nature right up to its very roots.

Dawki, a quaint little border town in Meghalaya shares its border with Bangladesh. Dawki still remains unheard of to the common folklore but is a trade hub between India and Bangladesh. This town is miles away from pollution and you would be filled with awe while crossing the crystal clear water of the Umngot River while you take a boat ride. The other places of interest in and around Shillong are Barapani, Cherrapunji, Elephant falls, Nohkalikai falls and Shillong peak. This one from the list of seven splendid trips in 2019 can easily be covered in the long weekend of January.

2. Captivating Coorg (Karnataka)

March has just begun to set in and with it, the cool spring breeze drifts in. It brings in with it a promise of colorful flowers, chirping birds, the playful squirrel and the high spirits of all of mankind. After all, March brings with it the festival of colors popularly known as Holi. What better place than the “Scotland of India” making it our second recommendation to the list of seven splendid trips in 2019.

Coorg, also known as the “Scotland of India” is a must-visit destination for nature lovers. Coorg offers a perfect climate with a gentle cool breeze, panoramic views, and lush green tea gardens. A fact is known to very few, this season also marks the best time to buy fresh spices, honey, and other natural products. The low humidity at this point is add on bonus and makes it perfect for camping and hiking.  The other attractions include plantation visits, Abbey falls, Nagarhole Wildlife Sanctuary, Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary, Mallalli Falls, Madikeri and Chelavara Falls.

3. Divine Dalhousie (Himachal Pradesh)

Time and tide wait for none. You might have merely bat an eye-lid and the pages of the calendar have already fluttered to April. April brings with it the notorious heat waves to most parts of India. This makes it a perfect season for a visit to the hilly terrains of Himachal Pradesh. Dalhousie was famed as a summer retreat even in the pre-Independence era.

The town of Dalhousie named after the Earl of Dalhousie is at an elevation of 2,700 meters above sea level. Being built on five hills, Kathalagh, Potreyn, Terah, Bakrota and Bhangora, is surrounded by snow-capped peaks on all sides. The pine clad valleys and mountain views with the picturesque cottages are surreal to the people from the urban jungles and is a perfect retreat with the onset of the harsh Indian summers.

4. Vantage Valley of Flowers

In the lap of the Western Himalayas, tucked in the state of Uttarakhand is a treasure trove of meadows overflowing with endemic alpine flowers and varied fauna, more commonly referred to as the ‘Valley of Flowers’. The Valley of Flowers is a high-altitude Himalayan valley and is at an altitude of approximately 3,500 meters above the sea level. The gentle landscape of the valley stands in stark contrast to the rugged mountain wilderness of the Nanda Devi National Park.

The valley has a plethora of flowers in every color imaginable and these flowers change colors as the season progresses. This richly diverse area is also home to rare and endangered animals. The Asiatic black bear, snow leopard, musk deer, brown bear, red fox, and blue sheep makes it to the list. The area is additionally a bird reserve and amongst a hoard of other high altitude birds, houses the Himalayan monal pheasant. The long weekend in August makes it a perfect spot to usher in the autumn season thus making it to our list of seven splendid trips to take in 2019.

5. Kaleidoscopic Keralan views

The month of September marks the festivities of Onam aka the Harvest season in Kerala. The air here is filled with vigor, bliss, and contentment as the southern part of India has just bid a farewell to the monsoons. The intricately decorated elephants, ornate Pulikali dancers, gargantuan snake boats lined up at the shore, extravagant floral decorations are a common sight. Kerela is surely a cacophony of colors and happiness at this point.

This narrow strip of coastal territory slopes down the Western Ghats in a chute of lush green vegetation. Other attractions include the backwaters, mountains, coconuts, spices and art forms like Kathakali and Mohini Attam. If nothing else, it is a perfect spot to relax, unwind and rejuvenate in the lap of nature. This trip surely will add surreal memories to your year and hence makes it to our list of splendid seven trips in 2019.

6. Harmonious Hampi

The month of October starts to usher in the winter winds and the place that makes it to our list of splendid seven trips in 2019 is Hampi. Even in its ruins is a harmonious blend and continues to be a backpacker’s paradise and a pilgrim’s delight. Located amid the remains of the ancient city of Vijayanagar, Hampi was one of the richest cities during its prime.

Among the attractions of Hampi are beautiful temples, ruins of palaces and remains of aquatic structures. If you are one of those forever chasing sunsets, Hampi will surely put you in a trance with the dreamlike sunset situation.

7. Surreal Sikkim

The last long weekend for the year 2019 falls in the month of November. This spot in the list of seven splendid trips in 2019 surely goes to the state of Sikkim. Sikkim is a small state in the North east of India and shares its borders with Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal, and West Bengal. It has made it to the newspapers many times (aha, of course for all the good reasons) with its cleanliness drive, women empowerment, and successfully being the first organic state in the world.

Sikkim is a place that makes you fall in love with it bit by bit and then all at once. The State is home to super warm and friendly people. No words can do justice to do the beauty of the majestic Kanchendzonga, third highest peak of India. What a feeling when the first rays of the sun hits the peak painting it in all shades of ocher. Sikkim is mostly a maze of serpentine, super-steep valleys thick with lush subtropical woodlands and rhododendron groves. Other attractions include Gurudongmar lake, Yumthang Valley, Tsango Lake, Char Dham replica and the Buddha park along with the local attractions.

The year has just started and hence I hope that this carefully curated list of the seven splendid trips to take in 2019 will entice you enough to plan those vacations well in advance. If you want to know of more places or need help with planning a trip to any of these places, feel free to reach out to us on Twitter/Facebook/Instagram(@ScoutMyTrip). We will surely help you with all we can and take you #AageSeRight.