Have a fun-filled New Year! Plan a quick getaway to MP's Orchha or Tamil Nadu's Yercaud

Upcoming Holidays in December 2014 & January 2015

Christmas: December 25, 2014 (Thursday).

New Year: January 1, 2015 (Thursday).

ET-Travel suggests you take a casual day off at work to make the most of an extended weekend in coming months. Here's where you can head to...

FROM MUMBAI: DAPOLI, MAHARASHTRA



BY THE SEA: Do visit the beach in the evening to www.maharashtratourism.gov.in witness fish being auctioned in Dapoli. Pic by Avadhut Mali.

The fishing town, Dapoli is famous for its magnificent temples, delicious food, pristine beaches and historic forts.

MUST VISIT: Harnai Beach near the old fort, is famous for its clean white sands and crystal clear waters. Visit the Goa Killa or Harnai fort which is built on different levels. Suvarnadurg Fort includes another land fort (small) called the Kanakadurga at the base of headland of Harnai.

It is said, this fort was later used by Shivaji to counter the Europeans and was a base for the Maratha navy's ship building facility. Do take a trip to the beach in the evenings to see how fish are being auctioned.

MUST DO: Swim in the Arabian Sea, spot dolphins and trek through the mountains. Tourists often spend time at the homes of locals, who are extremely warm and friendly.



FROM DELHI: ORCHHA, MADHYA PRADESH



HIGH WALLS: Visit the Ram Raja Temple in Orchha for a quick lesson in history. Pic by ET Travel reader Amit Bhandari.

Orchha is located 16 kms from Jhansi. This town boasts of ancient palaces, crenulated forts and rich historical past. Tourists visit this town to transport themselves to the bygone era. This town was built by Raja Rudra Pratap in 1501. Ringed by rising hills, Orchha is situated on River Betwa and is crammed with farms of custard apples.

LEGEND HAS IT: Once Lord Rama appeared in a dream to king Madhukar Shah and directed him to build a temple for him. The king followed the instructions given by Rama and brought his idol from Ayodhya, the birthplace of the lord. However, the construction of the temple was not complete when the idol arrived from Ayodhya. So it was kept in the palace for the time being.

Later, the king remembered that in the dream Lord Rama had specifically mentioned that his idol could not be removed from the place where it has been originally kept. This led the king to abandon the construction of the temple and instead the palace where the idol was kept was converted into a temple.



FROM BANGALORE: YERCAUD, TAMIL NADU

MISTY MORNINGS: Wake up early to spot locals walk to work in Yercaud. Pic by P BABURAJ

In Tamil, the name Yercaud means lake forest. It is also explained as Seven Forest. Yercaud is located in the Shevaroys range of hills in the Eastern Ghats. It is situated at an altitude of 4,970 ft above sea level. Apart from bananas, pears and jackfruit even oranges and coffee are grown in abundance here.

MUST VISIT: The surplus water from the Yercaud Lake and the other mountain peaks of the Shevaroys Hills fall deep into the Kiliyur Valley making it a breath taking 300 feet fall. Tourists often trek up to the waterfalls.

The Shevarayan Temple is situated at the top of this hill. It is dedicated to Lord Shervaroyan. The temple itself is a narrow and dark cave and seated inside are God Shervarayan and Goddess Kaveri representing the Shervaroyan Hills and the River Kaveri.

MUST DO: Tourists indulge in Dirt Biking around 4 kms from the lake. There are several tracks available for the Dirt Biking.