Patnaites heading for Goa on extended Holi weekend

PATNA: With a four-day long Holi weekend in the offing, many Patnaites are heading off to scenic destinations far away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Some had planned their vacays weeks ago and even packed their bags in advance.

Tricenarian Ravi Srivastava, who often stays back at home on weekends, is set to make Holi special with his pals in Goa. “Who does not want a short break from work after days of slogging? My friends and I will explore some offbeat locations, party, enjoy water sports and gorge on mouth-watering delicacies in Goa,”

Srivastava

told TOI on Saturday.

Raja Bazar resident Krishna Singh, who has never had the opportunity to visit the

Banke Bihari Temple

before, is leaving for Vrindavan with his wife on Sunday. Their son, who studies in Delhi, will join them and spend some time together.

An enthusiastic Singh said, “Bahut suna tha Vrindavan ki Holi ke baare mein... We are excited to smear different coloured gulaals on each other with Krishna bhajans playing in the background. If there’s time, we may even hire a car and head off to Barsana to witness the popular Lathmar Holi there.”

According to city travel agents, Goa, Gangtok and Vrindavan are the most sought after domestic destinations during this time of the year. With visa on arrival and low fares,

Thailand

continues being a tourist magnet as well.

“We have sold at least 15 customized holiday packages in a month, thanks to the extended Holi vacation this year. While young honeymooners are travelling to Gangtok and Goa next weekend, some families are heading for Vrindavan in a day or two,” Vikas, the manager of a city-based travel agency, said, adding solo travellers preferred “affordable” international destinations like Thailand to “the more expensive” domestic ones.

Asked if Patnaites were readily spending on short trips this Holi, Vikas nodded in the affirmative and said, “Many of my customers have spent anywhere between Rs 30,000 and Rs 50,000 (per person) on customized packages. When the next weekend rolls around, they will try to make the most of their four-day vacation.”

While many have a “planned” Holi weekend, there are some who had to change their schedule suddenly. “My uncle called me up from Delhi yesterday and invited me to my nephew’s first birthday a day after Holi. I quickly looked for cheap flight options on the internet, but ultimately had to shell out Rs 21,000 for two tickets,” Bandar Bagicha resident Ayushi Birla, who has started packing bags for her “unplanned” vacation, told this newspaper.


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