My favourite Diwali getaway!

Diwali is just round the corner and chances are you're already making plans to make the most of the holidays. To help you discover new holiday spots to relax and rejuvenate, we asked readers to send in their favourite vacation desitinations. Here we present three of the responses we received:

Software professional Ria sends in her vacation destination:

Getaway: Udaipur

Description: Udaipur is one of the most romantic / best-rated tourist places in India. Also known as the Venice of the East, it is the city of lakes, palaces and gardens.
 
Sights: There are lot of palaces, lakes, gardens and temples to see in Udaipur. Here is the list of a few of them:

• City Palace
• The Lake Palace
• Saheliyon ki Bari
• Fateh Sagar lake
• Gulab Niwas Garden
• Maharana Pratap Memorial
• Jag Mandir palace

Other interesting places around Udaipur are Chittorgarh, the Jain temples of Ranakpur, Eklingli and Nathdwara.
 
Eats: Try out some local Rajasthani cuisine at:

• Berry's Restaurant, Chetak Circle
• Bawarchi, Delhi Gate
• Natraj, near railway station

Shopping: Rajasthani handicrafts, pottery, jewelry, wooden toys, antique items and paintings. Also traditional clothes colored in batik, hand prints, dyed saris.
 
How to get there: Udaipur is connected by air from Delhi, Mumbai, Jodhpur and Jaipur.

Connected by rail with Delhi, Jaipur, Ajmer and Jodhpur.
 
Accomodations: To get a true feel of Rajasthan you could stay at a heritage hotel. The first choice would be the Taj Lake Palace Hotel (www.tajhotels.com/Cities/UDAIPUR/)

Apart from that there are many other heritage hotels like Fateh Garh (+91-294-3290228; website: http://fatehgarh.in)

To share your favourite holiday destinations, click here!

Next up is IT professional Aadhan:

Getaway: Kumarakom Lake Resort

Sights: Enjoy the sunset from a houseboat, fishing and the quietness all around.

We spend two nights there -- one night in the middle of the backwaters of Lake Vembanad, and the other with the boat docked by the lake resort Kumarakom, which is an absolute delight. Cool, lush and green with great facilities like a relaxing massage or the infinity pool. You don't have to get out of the resort at all. Absolute relaxation. They have a bicycle that you can use to explore the nearby villages.

Eats: We had a chef on board, who cooked some great Kerala style seafood and vegetarian dishes for us. It was a full three-course meal, made specially for us on the houseboat. The food in the resort was buffet style, with a great spread.

Shopping: Head to Kottayam if you must absolutely shop. But the resort has a quaint store for souvenirs and other gifts.

How to get there: Kottayam is the nearest railway station; they have a free pick up /drop off service.

Cochin is the nearest airport, and you might have to fly in and rent a car or hire a cab to get to the resort.
 
Contact: Kumarakom Lake Resort, Kumarakom North Post - Kottayam 686 566, Kerala, India
Phone: +91481 2524900, 2524501
Fax: +91 481 2524987

Roomrates: Varies

To share your favourite holiday destinations, click here!

Up next is software professional Rupesh's submission:

Getaway: Kozhikode

Sights: Beaches, monuments, Mananchira (a natural fresh water pond), waterfalls (Thusharagiri), trekking (Vellari Malla), Kalipoika (boating and cultural shows), Kadalundi Bird Sanctury, temples (Lokanarkavu, Tali), Malabar house boats (Elathur, Korapuzha, Alapuzha)

Eats: Hotel Sagar, Topform, Bombay Hotel, Hotel Paragon, Hotel Rahmath (all famous for Kozhikodan biryani). Special milk sarbath, pathiri and mutton stew, appam and coconut milk.
 
Shopping: Kozhikode Halwa (banana, black, pista, coconut, pineapple, almond), Calicut chips (at SM Street, Mavoor Road)
 
How to get there: Calicut airport (20 km from the city). The Calicut railway station is a major rail head on the south west coast.
 
Accomodations:
Beach Road, Calicut
Kerala, India
Pin - 673 032
Phone: +91 495 365363
E-mail: info@beachheritage.com

The Gateway Hotel Beach Road Calicut
PT Usha Road
Calicut - 673 002,
Kerala, India
Phone: +91 495 6613000
Fax: +91 495 6613001
E-mail: gateway.calicut@tajhotels.com

Tariff: Rs 1,000-2,000