THE PRICE IS RIGHT
Remember those international holiday plans put into the deep freeze in the face of the economic slowdown?
Cheap treats: Plan a vacation to Istanbul now while airfares are low.
Now may be the time to thaw some of them as international airfares have dropped significantly, following a sharp fall in air fuel prices. International flight prices are seeing notable cuts of around 15-20%, though not the precipitous 65% fare drops that some domestic airlines are offering.
Most online booking sites, including MakeMyTrip.com, Yatra.com and Cleartrip.com, are offering special deals on international flights. Trips to South-East Asia are looking especially attractive, with Chennai to Singapore on Jet Airways or Air India now costing Rs16,628, while Delhi-Bangkok is Rs18,463 on Jet Airways. Bangalore to Kuala Lumpur will set you back a (relatively) light Rs18,611 on Thai Airways.
Carriers are also capitalizing on the Dubai Shopping Festival (on till 15 February), offering special fares to the UAE. Mumbai to Dubai is Rs12,155 on Air India.
European destinations also look within reach: Tickets from Mumbai to London on Air India are up for grabs at Rs24,505, while Delhi to London is similarly priced at Rs25,084. Mumbai to Paris is Rs29,383 on Turkish Airlines.
Other potential holiday destinations include Istanbul at Rs28,402, Cairo at Rs24,525—both on Egyptair, and Johannesburg at Rs30,862 on Ethiopian—all ex-Mumbai.
For the more adventurous, the far ends of the earth are also accessible: Mumbai to New York on Etihad via Dubai is Rs42,357 and Kolkata to Tokyo is Rs41,136, while a trip from Chennai to Sydney is Rs49,739 on Thai Airways.
All fares are per-person return trips inclusive of taxes, checked at the time of writing, for flights on 12 February.
Krish Raghav
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THE SONG OF THE ROAD
Scouting ahead: Panag braves the wilds and hits the road with friends in her trusty 4x4.
When she’s not acting in summer sleepers such as
Manorama Six Feet Under and
Dor (we’ll forgive her
Hello), Gul Panag likes burning up the rubber across the country’s highways. “Travel is very high on my list of priorities,” says the 30-something Panag, who credits her nomadic army upbringing for instilling in her a love for the outdoors. “And how long am I going to be physically able to travel anyway?”
So, while she can, Panag hits the road regularly in her customized 4x4 Mahindra Scorpio. “Though I have no issues repairing punctures or changing tyres, I make sure the vehicle is fully serviced before I leave. Also, I make it a point to have company always—solitary road trips in India can be highly unsafe—and ensure I’m travelling with at least one more car. With four-five people, we can explore off-roading options and can camp where we want to,” she says.
Panag lists her favourite drives:
Delhi-Leh