Every time you plan a trip, you go for it thinking you want the best experience. You want to make the most of it and you want to come back with unforgettable memories. We’re going to let you in on a secret here, a piece of advice that will guarantee that you’ll have the time of your lives on a trip. Go during the festive season of a destination you would like to visit. Before you argue about the cons of this idea like an excessive crowd, let’s first show you the pros that overweigh them. Don’t forget to check our tips toward the end to get rid of those cons too. :)
Witness the best version of the place and its people
During festivals, you’ll see the local communities in their best versions. Everyone forgets about their worries and comes together to celebrate. The place will always be lively and you’ll never have a dull moment in your entire trip. Even if you don’t have a fixed itinerary, the locals will guide you and you’ll find something to do and watch as the days will be filled with activities for all. You get to do all of this without having to travel far for a unique experience. Truly, festivals are the one-stop solution for interesting and different experiences!
Learn about their traditions live
This is also an excellent time to learn about the culture and traditions of the place. On a normal day, you might have to visit a specific historic museum or monument, but during the festive seasons, you will see all traditions and rituals come to life. If you’re interested, locals would be more than happy to tell you about the stories behind it. You’ll also see different communities having a slightly different approach to the same festival, broadening your perspective about them.
Experience the festival like the locals
When you celebrate their festival, what’s a better way than celebrating like them? Be open to tasting the food specially made during the season. Give your clothes a spin by dressing up in their traditional attire and be one with the occasion. If you’re up for it, we also suggest you participate in the events with them and truly immerse in the pulse of the place! Also, we think, this is the ideal way to break the ice with the locals, who will be extra warm and cheerful during festivals.
Befriend like-minded travellers like you
Just imagine - you’ll be living the moment and sharing a vibrant experience not only with the locals but also with the tourists across the globe. As an outsider, you’ll have someone who is equally curious about the events and you’ll have company to learn about the place together. On normal days, the chances of meeting people from varied backgrounds in an unknown location are quite less. So you get an opportunity to befriend interesting people and take back home friendships for a lifetime, the kind only travel offers you.
Now here are a few tips to get this right:
Based on your interest choose a place and the festive season. For example, if you like the adrenaline and would like to actually participate in the event or competition, choose a location that offers it. For example, Holi in Mathura or the Onam boat races in Kerala. If you would like to just watch a beautiful sight and see the community get together, Dev Deepawali in Varanasi would be a brilliant choice. The full moon is a sight to behold against the background of their festivities and rituals and light. We’re going soon, send a DM to us to know more!
Plan for places to see after the festival season gets over. If you go before the festival season, you can see the city preparing for it and get a feeler. If you go after the festival, it will be a nice way to unwind. But make some time since you’re already there and you would want to make the most of the experience.
Most importantly, for such events, plan in advance. Since it’s the festival period and if you keep your bookings for the end, prices are bound to increase. If you’re planning to visit Varanasi for Dev Deepawali, now is a good time to check our itinerary and get your tickets booked. Also, this is after 15 days of Diwali, when most people get their leaves. We always try to create such experiences so that you enjoy the festive season without the place being too crowded or the travel being too expensive. It might not be possible for all festivals, and hence we recommend you to plan and book at the earliest.
Only if you have visited a place during the festive and non-festive seasons, you’ll know what we’re talking about. So tell us, what has your experience been like? Let us know and since it’s the season of festivals in India now, which festival are you looking forward to celebrate and in which state?
Contributed by:
Freelance Content Writer & Copywriter
After a short stint as a software engineer at Capgemini, she decided to go back to her first love - writing. She started her journey as a content writer in 2019 and considers it one of the best decisions of her life. Today, she cannot imagine doing something else for a living than coming up with the right words that will justify and bring to life her clients’ ideas. While her agency experience gave her exposure to writing for multiple sectors, her heart lies in topics related to women, mental health, career counselling, employee wellbeing, travel, personal development, and lifestyle. If she's not staring at the blank Google doc waiting for inspiration to strike, you'll either find her lost in a book or practising for her next dance routine!