Places to plan your trip during long weekends in 2018

Everyone is looking for holidays to travel and relax, but our work and budget always plays spoilsport. The places we want to go to, sadly remain unfulfilled dreams. We all end up travelling to the same places that we go to every year.

However, with proper planning, you can have a year full of exciting travel opportunities and adventures, and to help you with that, we have made a travel itinerary for you for all the long weekends in 2018.

June 15th - June 17th Holidays - Eid ul-Fitr Where to go - Kudremukh

Kudremukh in Karnataka has been a popular getaway from Bangalore for a while now and with some natural hotspots and a mountain range recognised as a UNESCO world heritage site, this one needs to be marked out in your calendar this June. It has got all you can ask from a hill station and some of the densest and green forests you might ever go trekking through.

April 28th - April 30th Holidays - Buddha Purnima Where to go - Kalimpong

With the summer just setting in, Kalimpong in West bengal is a brilliant place to head to to find cool climate and beautiful scenery. The hill station is home to many colonial-era buildings, churches, monasteries, and parks. This is one place where you can relax and steep yourself in different cultures. There is a lot of good food to be sampled here, so remember to put your stretchy pants in the bag.

August 15th - August 17th Holidays - Independence Day, Parsi New Year Where to go - Shillong

Shillong, known as the 'Scotland of the East,' is replete with remnants of its British legacy that can be seen in its architecture and the cuisine found on most menus. The beautiful Umiam is a manmade lake and locally known as Barapani, it’s one of Shillong’s most popular places to visit. The multitude of waterfalls in the city play a significant role in Shillong’s tourism.

August 24th - August 26th Holidays - Eid ul-Zuha, Onam, Rakshabandhan Where to go - Bikaner

These beautiful mid-monsoon days are best spent in Bikaner, the land of sands and sunsets. Take a camel ride, and pass the chilly night in front of bonfire, and immerse yourself in the cultural heritage of Rajasthan. Forts, cobblestone pavements, sand dunes; Bikaner has all of this and more.

September 13th - September 16th Holidays - Ganesh Chaturthi Where to go - Gokarna

When in Gokarna, you can chug some unique brew, or go out with your friends for a pub dance, go trekking, chill out at the Paradise beach, or pray at the Mahabaleshwar temple. Not as crowded as Goa and secluded enough, this area is full of scenic beaches where you can kick back and relax.

September 1st - September 3rd Holidays - Janmashtami Where to go - Kovalam

Kerala is not only about the backwaters, there are a lot of seaside cities to explore as well. While in Kovalam, you should try to visit all the open beaches, including the Lighthouse Beach, Kovalam Beach, and the Hawa Beach. Also, you can learn how to surf at a nominal rate at one of these places.

September 29th - October 2nd Holidays - Gandhi Jayanti Where to go - Matheran

A quiet, peaceful hill station tucked away in the Western Ghats, Matheran is known for its red soil, vehicle-free surroundings and, of course, its monkey population. Dotted with a wide variety of hotels and guesthouses, a bustling market street, and surrounded by lush hills and valleys, Matheran is a getaway in the true sense.