While many New Year resolutions are made only to be broken before the first quarter of the year ends, those who have promised themselves shorter holidays during the year have the calendar on their side.
Republic Day falling on a Monday, Holi and Gandhi Jayanti on a Friday, Diwali and a host of other festivals on a Thursday or a Tuesday, strategic planners can easy cull out a four-five day holiday by taking only one day leave from school or work.
Devyani Singh, who works for a bank, says, “In 2014, on my Facebook page I used to see my friends holidaying at exotic locations and I wondered how they managed to create a work-leisure balance. This year, I am going to plan every long weekend in advance so that I can see many new places. There are many destinations close to Delhi that I have not explored that are relatively cheap and easy to plan.”
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Travel agents have already curated holiday experiences that are three to four days long, including travel time.
Sneha, who manages a boutique travel agency in South Delhi, says prices for airfare and hotel bookings have already risen for the January 26 weekend and has advised her clients to plan early instead of making a holiday a costly affair. Hotels have already raised their prices during long weekends and it is better to book early at a place that offers a refund than to end up at home because there was no space available at hotels or on flights, she adds.
Ravi, who is from Chennai, but works in Delhi, says last year he learnt his lesson the hard way by spending Rs.20,000 on a ticket back home to meet his family. “This year I have downloaded a mobile app that keeps me aware of ticket prices because the worst feeling according to me is not being with family when you have a couple of days off.”
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