Unhotel®’s Winter Wonderland: Mishika’s Travel Picks for This Season
The waning year comes with an odd sense of serenity this year. In midnight hot chocolates and woven, handed down shawls we’re all finding a pocket of comfort. A pocket of hope that the new year will bring with it new beginnings and new chances.
2020 had its mega share of downs, but we try to focus on the few ups that kept us afloat. And it is the same focus we’re infusing our celebrations with as we get ready to welcome 2021.
A fresh start can sometimes mean a fresh place, too! We’ve all spent a good chunk of the year indoors. But Unhotel® has been working hard to find safe and secure places for you to smell some clean air and inhale some positivity.
Here are our Five Uncommon Staycations ideas for your winter vacation.
Hanging Boughs of Holly in Goa*
*Goa has multiple official Unhotels®. You can contact us if you’d like to book it for your winter vacation!
Goa is more than just the party capital of the country. Its rich amalgamated history has flourished into traditions and cultural practices that welcome one and all during this holiday season. After all, what better way to say Happy Christmas than lighting a candle at a midnight mass.
From our experience, the true flavour of a Goan Christmas lies in its villages and smaller towns. Have you heard of the river Zuari? It meanders through most of Goa and is the largest river there. Dotting its borders are small villages. Just sit and watch the kids frolic about in excitement as they share plum cake and well-wishes at the local cathedral — perhaps share a nod with the old lady making flower garlands. Or split a fenny with the guy running the oatmeal cookie shack by the beach.
We actually have the perfect spot for you! A little Portuguese home close to the river, overlooking a serene Corjim Lake (which often has seasonal birds visiting!). We call it Rainbow Villa — not just for its colourful rooms but because it truly is a magical, rare wonder. Surrounded with flowers, bushes, and lush lawns, tucked away in a quintessential Goan village!
But wait. Are you looking for a more rugged experience? Perhaps an adventurous, no-network, true reset before the new year? Then you ought to head closer to the Goa and Karnataka border, where the last stop is Castle Rock. These lush forests here are ideal in December — cool but free from the monsoon dampness. We have an ideal place for you! Forest Refuge! Trek, observe wildlife, and take a new Goan experience with you! Or perhaps sit around a bonfire and enjoy the silence only dotted by the crackle of wood and new beginnings.
Check out more UNcommon Destinations
A Tale of Christmas in Kerala*
*Kerala has multiple official Unhotels®. You can contact us if you’d like to book it for your winter vacation!
Hey — if we’re celebrating God’s son then no better way to do it than to visit God’s own country, right? Kerala is the epitome of rich, colourful celebration combined with holistic and positive energy for the new year.
Its backwaters through Alleppey give you a chance to rock yourself to sleep, far from the urban chaos. Meanwhile places like Kochi are going to be bursting with the sounds of caroling kids and Santa’s ho-ho-hos. But we know what you’re looking for. You want something quiet and safe. Something you can see from a distance, right?
Then why not rent your own island? It doesn’t get more secluded than that. All the beauty and fun of Kerala without exposing yourself to crowds. This little place we call Island Bliss gives you the opportunity to relish in Kerala’s seafood delicacies, go stargazing under the signature palm trees, and even visit the nearby village by boat. You can learn all about cashew picking and how coir is made — or visit the church in the town!
Want a moving holiday with an equal amount of exclusivity? Get your own houseboats. Kerala’s houseboats are unique in their make and style. Reminiscent of the fishing boats of the southern coast, they weave together old but strong values of seafaring and combine them with modern comfort. Now isn’t that just the kind of vibe you need to ring in 2021?
Santa’s Reindeers Need Their Forests*
*Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh has multiple official Unhotels®. You can contact us if you’d like to book it for your winter vacation!
Snow, brisk morning air, alpine trees — that’s the image Christmas brings to mind. And if you want your quintessential, Hallmark card Christmas, we’re here to make it happen for you. If there was ever a season to heed the call of the mountains, it was this one.
Snow-capped peaks greeting you in the morning over a cup of kadak chai? Perhaps opening gifts underneath the blanket of stars as you wriggle excited feet in thick socks? The true spirit of the new year is shining through, right? You don’t need to hole yourself in a corner of a crowded resort for it. You can have it all, with exclusive and safe homes in the middle of the forest — your own lodges in the forest.
Take Cedar House, for instance. This home is placed amidst deodar trees and has a stunning vista of the Himalayan peaks before it. There’s chances to split a game of chess with whiskey, or take hikes in the nearby woods. And when the cold sets in, curl up with a family tale or good book besides the burning wood of the bukhari.
But wait, wait. There’s more. If you want something a little more opportune and serene over rustic, we’ve got the hidden secret of our Barnhouse. You’ve heard us talk of Barnhouse, but on the same land, hidden amidst the trees, is a secret cabin. Floor to ceiling glass for the views, cosy bedding to lay in on January 1st, and time slowing by. Enjoy a little Uttarakhandi breakfast while greeting the birds that fly by.
And if you really want to have an active, Himalayan holiday. Head to our Mountain Retreat in Mukteshwar. This one is in the middle of a nature reserve, so you can enjoy hikes and treks on marked trails. Plus, with the beauty of the evergreen trees, you can also meditate amidst the leaves or have a barbeque dinner under the stars.
Travelling means responsibility. Read about Sustainable Travel Tips Post-COVID
Renew…Refresh…Royal…Rajasthan?*
*Rajasthan has multiple official Unhotels®. You can contact us if you’d like to book it for your winter vacation!
Do you associate Rajasthan with summer? Weird…because we love a Rajasthani winter. It’s when the sun shines down to bring some warmth and the cold night of the desert lets you dream in peace. Embodying new beginnings, the small town of Shekhawati is just one such spot.
And a little far from it is our Art House. This old haveli is what we fondly call our open air gallery. How can we not? Its aqua vista, the pearl-like carvings — it looks almost like a Christmas cake waiting for you to dig in. You don’t have to eat the walls though, don’t worry. The in-house cooks present to you mouthwatering dishes from Marwari cuisine. Combined with the folk music and dance in the evenings, it makes for great entertainment and festivity.
Bonus round? You can actually drive around and explore the region safely from your car. Visit the villages of Mandawa where renowned havelis and toymakers reside. See the dunes to have a little picnic near the sunset. Or, hey, drive further up to Jaisalmer or Bikaner for a castle-like retreat. The possibilities are endless when you’ve got your eyes on the Thar horizon.
Read: 5 Reasons You Need A Staycation
How are you spending your winter holiday?
Have you decided, then, how you’re spending your winter holidays? Tell us about it. Write to us, or drop us a DM on our socials. If you’ve got something in the woodworks and no idea how to execute it, that’s where we can jump in and help you out. See, at Unhotel®, we’re hoping for a peaceful and hopeful Christmas.
And we love feeling peace knowing you guys are enjoying the best holiday you can. So book with us, email us, call us — hit us up with the communication of your choice so we can swap ideas and truly make this 2020-end a very, Merry Christmas.
