With the festive season round the corner, trade traditional sweets for memorable experiences in your gift hampers. From spa packages to scented, reusable candles, get innovative with you presents this Diwali.

Weekend Getaway
Madhuban resort and spa
Instead of trawling the malls for a present this Diwali, shop for a leisurely holiday instead. Gift a getaway, especially when you know that your loved ones could do with some downtime after all the hectic festivities. While there are several resorts at a short drive from the city, we suggest the Madhuban Resort and Spa, especially if a relaxed spa retreat is what's on your mind.

Spread over 25 acre of lush lawns, Madhuban is a popular venue for destination weddings, so pick a time when there are no wedding parties on if you want to soak in the tranquil surroundings here. Lush lawns, gazebos under fruit trees and water bodies make it a picture-perfect holiday spot.

There's a choice in the accommodation options-taking a leaf out of traditional Gujarati architecture are the Zamkudi Gom cottages that are inspired by the erstwhile architecture of Karamsad village. For a more luxurious experience, they have the Mandavdi Gom Cottages, the bridal suite and the presidential suite that comes with a private pool.

UnwindFrom relaxing spa experiences to a wide spread of culinary options, there's a lot to look out for at Madhuban. The spa, Rejou, sprawls over 13,000 square feet and offers a range of Ayurveda, naturotherapy and international holistic therapies for body and skin.

There are multiple offerings to whet the palate-a tapas bar, a chai cafe, Banyan Tree- the multi-cuisine restaurant and Kouzin that offers Mediterranean fare. They have a swimming pool and a host of indoor and outdoor activities to keep the children busy while you unwind at the spa.
Price Rs 7,500 onwards
At Anand-Sojitra Road, Vallabh Vidyanagar, at a two hours drive from Ahmedabad
Details madhubanresortandspa.com

Fashion First
Meeraya

Be a head-turner this Diwali with the latest fashion trends or gift a memorable outfit to someone special. Ahmedabad-based fashion brand Meeraya was born out of a "knowledge of fashion and a passion for entrepreneurship" in 2013. Friends Nisha Parikh, 28, and Niyati Gandhi, 29, put their creative and business skills to work when they launched the label that specialises in ethnic and Indo-western fusion wear for men and women.

The festive collection spans a vibrant palette of plum reds, teal green, blue, pastel shades, ivory and beige with embellishments of zari, marodi, gota-patti and bead work. "Different types of silks and Benarasi weaves are in vogue," says Parikh, a business graduate from Mumbai's Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies.

Splurge While Meeraya has ample options in heavy traditional wear, their Indo-western and evening wear stands out for its smart silhouettes, styles and colours. Crop tops with skirts, cape with gowns, off-shoulder tops, cowl dresses and floor-length Indo-western gowns that are ruling the fashion trends this season can be found at the Meeraya store.

If you're looking for a gift for someone who loves colour, ask the founder duo and they'll help customise the outfit with the right fabrics, embellishments and styles. There are options for men as well. Fitted jackets from menswear collection here make for a great gifting option.
Price Rs 7,000 onwards
Details facebook.com/meerayadesigns

Whiff a Gift
All good scents

Artistic design meets the science of perfumery in the latest collection by All Good Scents-Eternal Garden, a range of eau de parfum that's sure to spice up festive dressing and gifting. While perfumery professional and owner of All Good Scents, Rajiv Sheth, 44, brings his two decade-long stint in the world of French perfumes, noted artist and designer Krsna Mehta has created a vibrant packaging for this special range that's set to launch before the Diwali festivities kick in.

Notes of Love There are four varieties in this new collection-the distinctly Indian favourites of rose and jasmine for women and vetiver and musk for men. "These are eternal notes which are loved by Indian consumers," says Sheth, who launched his homegrown perfume brand in Ahmedabad last year. The fragrances, all eau de parfum, are made in France and packaged in Ahmedabad.

Mehta lends the design his artistic charm-the rose comes in a vibrant red, green and pink packaging palate while a calming sky blue and green dress up the vertiver fragrance.

"Eternal Garden has a twist of modernity with an Indian soul to it," says Sheth, who has 18 perfumes and other products such as scented candles and accessories as well under the brand. While every perfume from the Eternal Garden collection makes for a pretty present with its attractive packaging, All Good Scents also has gift sets in which you can mix and match products to create a customised hamper with perfumes, aftershaves and candles.
Price range Rs 750 to Rs 1,500
Details allgoodscents.com

Festival of Lights
Kaantha

How about a set of penne-shaped candles for your friends who love the Italian cuisine? Or a set of floating candles to light up every day of the Diwali festivities? Give the traditional diyas a miss in your hampers and bring in customised candles in different designs and fragrances to lend your gifts a thoughtful, personalised touch. Siddhi Shah, 32, who is a self-confessed "creative person who loves colours and designs" took to candle making as a hobby and now runs her brand, Kaantha, that specialises in customised candles, gifting ideas and home dcor products.

Pick from her range of pillar, votive or floating candles, or plan a theme with her. "People are conscious of their health and avoid sweets so candles are a popular gift. They bring positivity into people's lives with their golden yellow glow," says Shah.

Gift itKaantha's latest collection includes decorative boxes with potpourri and five candles which can be lit on every day of the festival. Shah focuses on creating eco-friendly and reusable products. A candle stand can be reused as a pen stand or a trinket holder.

The new trends at Kaantha this year are lanterns made of candles, a candle platter, trays and tea coasters. If the numbers are sizeable, Shah can customise it to pick a design, colour, fragrance and even branding of your choice.
Price Rs 750 onwards for hampers
Details kaantha.co.in

Sweet Escape
Shakti Travels

If it's summer, go north; in winter, go south' is a popular saying in Gujarat. So, if you're planning to gift a holiday this festive season, opt for a destination that has a warm tropical winter. Think Goa, Mysore or even Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Shakti Travels, a leading travel consultancy agency that's been in the business for the past 40 years, says that overseas destinations such as Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong Dubai and Singapore are also on the Gujarati traveller's wish list. "People prefer countries where you can get a visa easily or which are at a short flight from Ahmedabad. Connectivity is important," says Mahesh Dudakiya, 58, who launched Shakti Travels with his father in 1977.

The agency now specialises in designing customised travel itineraries. Four decades later, the business is now run by seven members of the family, including Dudakiya's two brothers, children, nephews and niece, ensuring a personal connect with three generations of customers. "Earlier people went off on long holidays; now people want shorter tours with more comforts. Also, unlike the older generation, that looks for Gujarati food on their trips, the younger generation doesn't care much about it and is ready to try new cuisines," says Dudakiya.

His first tour in 1977 was a six-day-long tour of Gujarat costing Rs 25 for a day. Family TimeHoliday with your grandparents and get a 25 per cent discount with Shakti Travels' Kutumb Vatsalya offer, which they launched in 2015. "Since we work as a big family unit, we encourage people to travel as a family," says Dudakiya. Dubai tops the international travel list along with Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.
Price range Rs 2,000 onwards for a person for a day
Details shaktitravels.com