Home to hundreds of art galleries, ancient forts, and famous independent designers, Jaipur is the ideal destination for art lovers. (Source: Getty/Thinkstock)Those who love to travel, can only think about new escapades and experiences. This pandemic has forced them to stay at home and cancel their many plans. But, it certainly has not stopped them from dreaming about travelling once more. In fact, it was recently found that people had been flagging places on Google Maps, and among them, the city of Paris in France topped the list of the most-saved place — suggesting that once the pandemic is over and it will be safe to travel again, they would like to visit the cultural bastion in Europe.
In India, meanwhile, people are looking forward to domestic travelling, too. As such, Booking.com — a digital travel company — has revealed the top-endorsed destinations by Indian travellers who want to bring their new hobbies to life. So, it has been found that while Bengaluru, New Delhi and Hyderabad are the top-endorsed destinations for food, Puducherry, Shimla and Rishikesh are among the top three destinations for people who enjoy walking. The cities of Jaipur, Udaipur and Kochi are recommended for art, and Rishikesh, Varkala and Goa are endorsed as best destinations for yoga. Additionally, Indian tourists endorsed Kasol, Manali and Munnar as the most-recommended destinations for hiking, and Jaipur, Ooty and Varanasi for scenic photography.
It is true that in lockdown, people have discovered and developed new hobbies, and Booking.com’s endorsement data reveals recommendations on destinations based on popular activities, to curate the top local destinations to bring favourite hobbies to life when it’s safe to do so again.
Food in Bengaluru, Karnataka
For anyone looking for a culinary adventure, the city of Bengaluru is making its mark on the food map, offering a range of delicacies including dosas, Bisi Bele Bath and Mysore Pak. Besides Bengaluru, the other endorsed destinations for food include New Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Amristsar.
Walk around Puducherry, Tamil Nadu
For those looking to stretch their legs, the sophisticated coastal town of Puducherry is the ideal escape. Home to many pristine beaches, it is perfect for those looking to gulp in fresh air. Puducherry is one of the top-endorsed destinations by travellers who love walking. With its French Quarter, its tree-lined streets, mustard-coloured villas and chic boutiques, the town is idyllic. Once in Puducherry, you can also embrace spirituality at Sri Aurobindo Ashram, enjoy South Indian and French cuisine, and learn scuba diving, when it is safe to do so.
A brush with creativity in Jaipur, Rajasthan
Jaipur is a must-visit for artsy travellers. Home to hundreds of art galleries, ancient forts, and famous independent designers, Jaipur is the ideal destination for art lovers. Must-sees include the famous Hawa Mahal, Albert Hall Museum and the Amber Fort. The Pink City will also let you try your hands at the traditional art forms like bandhani, block printing, stone carving and pottery making.
Yoga at Rishikesh, Uttarakhand
Yoga has been one of the many ways in which people have detoxed their mind in lockdown. They have dreamt of practising asanas in the serenity of Rishikesh. Home to the many yoga ashrams — and also hailed as the birthplace of yoga — Rishikesh attracts many travellers who come in search of peace. With mighty hills surrounding the destination, Rishikesh is the home of Hatha Yoga, Shivananda Yoga, and Vinyasa Yoga, It also has a rich Vedic spiritual history.
Hiking in Kasol, Himachal Pradesh
Travellers who have spent their lockdown doing fitness training and workouts can look forward to putting that training to great use in the Himalayas. Kasol is one of the most recommended destinations on the portal for hiking. Nestled in the Parvati Valley, Kasol is the base point for popular treks like the Kheerganga trek, the Sar Pass trek, Malana, Tosh and Rasol. When it’s safe to travel again, this beautiful city of Himachal Pradesh will leave you breathless and definitely test your stamina!
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“This lockdown has inspired many of us to look inward, and gave us the opportunity to try new hobbies or rediscover some old ones. With India being such a diverse country and restrictions slowly easing in places, travellers will eventually be able to live and explore these hobbies through their travel stories. And as always, we will be committed to making it easier for everyone to experience the world and turn these hobbies and personal passions into reality, as and when it’s safe to do so,” Ritu Mehrotra, Country Manager, India, Sri Lanka and Maldives at Booking.com, said.
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