Diwali destinations: Strawberry fields and a palace on the lake

Diwali is here 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 two responses we received:

Here, Chirag Shah sends in this holiday spot:

Getaway: Vaigaon, Maharashtra 

Description: It's a beautiful cottage in the foothills of Mahabaleshwar. Far from urban noise and pollution.

Sights: Dhom Dam, Balkawdi Dam, strawberry farms, Raigad Fort and the REAL India

Eats: Sukh Sadhana

Shopping: There is nothing to shop for really. There are no marketsthere's not much on offer apart from strawberries.

How to get there: This place is 105 km from Pune, 16 km from Wai. When you get to Wai, don't go toward Panchgani, instead take Dhom Dam road and Vaigaon is the last village on the same road.
 
Accommodation: Sukh Sadhana, Vaigaon
Phone: 0-9766539821, 9763958811

Tariff: Rs 700 per person which includes complete boarding and lodging for a day and half.

To share your favourite holiday destinations, click here!

Next, Debasish Chaudhuri shares his vacation destination:

Getaway: Agartala, Tripura

Sights: Ujjanta Palace, Rajbari, Neermahal (Melaghar) is a palace on a lake, Pilak sculptures, Unakoti temple, Buddha temple, Temple of 14 Gods, Jampui Orange Garden, Akhaura International Border, Matabari Temple (Udaipur) and many famous lakes and waterfalls in Udaipur.

Eats: There are good restaurants in Agartala, Udaipur and other towns on way. In Agartala you have restaurants like - Abhisekh, Hotel Rajdhani, Rajarshi, Ashoka Restaurant, etc.
 
Shopping: In Agartala: Hawkers Corner, Kaman Chowmuhani, HG Basak Road, Shakuntala Road, etc have nice malls such as 'Bazar Kolkata' etc, and are great for clothes, accessories, electronics, fancy items, sweets, travel goods, cosmetics, medicines, toys etc. Purbasha has an outlet in Banamalipur for Tripura handcrafts, which have a lot to offer for home interiors.

How to get there: There are flights from Kolkata or Guwahati daily. There are trains from Guwahati, Silchar to Agartala. By flight is better and safer. Air India/Indian, Jet Airways, Indigo, Kingfisher, Paramount fly daily flights in and out of Agartala.

Accommodation:

Hotel Welcome Palace (3 star)
Hari Gnaga Basak Road, Agartala
Phone: 0381 2384940/ 2380219/ 2383380/ 2380864

Rajarshi (Badshah Hotel & Resorts)
Phone: 0381 2201034

Hotel Radha International
54,Central Road, Agartala
Phone: 0381 2224530/ 2615

Hotel Rajdhani
BK Road, Agartala
Phone: 0381 2223387/ 6312

Royal Guest House
Palace Compound, Agartala
Phone: 0381 2225652/ 5539

Tariff: Ranges from Rs 200 to Rs 2,000 per night

To share your favourite holiday destinations, click here!