Festive December

Source :Shreya Sethuraman, Hindustan Times:December 10, 2011


We’re just a few days away from ringing in another year, and the festivities are on full swing. With Christmas brunches, New Year parties and weekend getaways, there’s a lot to look forward to. Fortune Select Excalibur, Gurgaon, is organising a Christmas and New Year bash, which includes live music and unlimited beverage packages apart from the Christmas day brunch. 


The Fortune Deli at the hotel will showcase the quintessential ginger bread house and plum cake. The annual Christmas brunch at Royal China, Nehru Place, will also host a tattoo artist and a tarot card reader. There will be special prizes for the best dressed, so get your best whites out.


Back-packers can head to Jaipur, Shimla, Kullu-Manali to get away from the crowd. Or Corbett for a rendezvous with the wild. Look forward to bonfires and special barbecues for Christmas and New Year. 


“Corbett continues to be one of the top weekend destinations for Delhiites,” says Sabina Chopra, co-founder, Yatra.com. For other destinations, Goa and Srinagar emerge as hot picks.


 Abhiram Chowdhry, marketing director, Hotels.com, Asia Pacific, says, “The rupee may have depreciated against the dollar but this hasn’t dampened the natural growth in the market: special discounts, loyalty programmes and a variety of new booking technologies such as the mobile are helping Indian consumers find affordable deals to their desired locations.


” If long drives are up your street, try a five-hour jaunt to Nalagarh Fort Resort. This fort located on the foothills of the Himalayas has Mughal style architecture, and for couples opting for the New Year package, a complimentary massage awaits. “This year, the bookings have been well-planned. No last minute hassles,” says Chopra adding that group travel has increased with people booking up to seven rooms at a time.


Party hoppers have it going good too. Recently opened Club Ion in Gurgaon is planning a masquerade party on New Year’s Eve with masks and surprise gifts on the house. Then, a visit to Noida’s Reverb Club might win you tickets to this year’s Sunburn Festival in Goa. For groups of five or more, ladies dressed ‘sexy’, there are free vodka shots.


For bookings made before December 23 at TLR Café in Hauz Khas, there’s a complimentary glass of mulled wine. Good reason to indulge in turkey, mince pie and raise a toast to Santa. Out of town options


So, ditch those warm covers, get into your best party gear, whet yourself an appetite that will give Jughead competition, and if travelling be your leisurely pursuit, pack up your troubles in your old kitbag, and smile. 

Happy holidays!