7 Most Women Friendly Budget Destinations in India: Part 1

Ladies Out there!

Valentine’s over! If you couldn’t celebrate the day with your GFs, it’s a real shame. Remember, No matter what,  no one can replace a bunch of GFs in your life! They are the one who lends an ear to your midnight gossips, never stops you from hogging on Death by chocolate ice cream, and always help you to apply eyeliner perfectly. Isn’t it?

So, get ready & pack your bags for a budget leisure trip with your GFs. In this post, I’m going to share 7 most women friendly Budget Destinations in India, where you girls would never mind to spoil yourselves for a leisure trip!

1. Goa: For Fun & frolic & relaxing holiday!

Image Source: travelengine.in

Goa never seizes to surprise travellers! If you want to spend quality time with your girls while relaxing & sipping a Bloody Mary on the beach, this is the place you should zoom in.

Stay: To keep it a budget trip, you can either online book a room in a hotel or settle in a women’s hostel. To book a stay in the hostel, check out:  hostelworld.com & hostelbookers.com. An alternative option would be to book a shack through Trippadvisor. It would be advisable to save money by accommodating in a budget place & spend the saved money in trying out Goan cuisines.

Commutation: Hire a swanky Scooty or a car to roam around the town with the girls’ gang. The rental charge for the car depends on the car model, a hatchback costs from Rs 900- 1000 / day. While, a scooty would cost Rs 300 for a day.

Things to do: Goa is the place if you girls are really looking out for Street Shopping! Mark that you visit the Flea Market on Wednesday (8 am – late evening) at Anjuna Beach, followed by Saturday Night Bazaar (6 pm to midnight) at Arpora.

 

2. Puducherry: A beautiful small town of Fun, Vibrant, Serenity & Urbanism.

This is one unique destination which offers so much at a very low price. Things which brings one back to Puducherry again & again are its Promenade beach, enthralling sunrise, captivating cafes, tantalizing seafood, fine bakeries, meditation retreats, French Architecture & the Auroville.

Stay: Besides budget hotels, you girls can try out an option to stay in the Ashram’s guest house. All you need to do is, either do the advance booking of the room in the ashram or approach to Bureau Central & request for the accommodation. On availability, the bureau allots room to the tourists.

Commutation: Puducherry is a small, exquisite town. For a memorable girls’ fun ride, hire plush colourful bicycles from the Mission Street and, roam around the town like a bunch of chics! 🙂 The charges are minimal, Rs 75/ day.

Things to do: You can plan a day, where early morning you can watch the magnificent sunrise on the Promenade Beach, followed by a stroll to appreciate the grand French Architecture. Have a sumptuous breakfast at one of the wonderful cafes. Evening hours, hit the boulevards in your bicycles & feel the wind brushing your hair & face lavishly.  Nothing could be better than ending the day with a visit to the Aurobindo Samadhi Ground, sit & meditate for a while & enjoy the inner peace.

To know more about Puducherry, Read here.

 

3. Mumbai: A city oozing with life!

Image Source: travel.india.com

It has acquired the sobriquet of ‘Economic capital’ of India. The city is famous for busy lifestyle & racy nightlife, where it never seizes to flash a lifetime experience to the tourists.

Experience the ‘Life in Mumbai’; its distinct lifestyle, street shopping, local train journey, bar hopping with your GFs for a few days. Spend the lazy evening on Marie Drive, while sipping a cup of tea  & gazing over the radiating lights of the city. At late evening the sight is so blissful as if the sky is studded with the glowing stars & exhibiting life.

Take a local train ride to reach to the Juhu Beach, stay awake for the night & cheer up the togetherness. There are many pubs & bars in Mumbai, among them must visit would be AER, Toto’s Garage, Tot on the turf, Woodside Inn, & Amadeus.

Stay: The lodging in Mumbai is comparatively expensive than other cities. You may look for the options like dormitory or hostels to keep the excursion within the Budget. Try to finalize your stay prior to your trip .I always recommend to book through airbnb.co.in,  goibibo.com, tripadvisors,  cleartrip.com et cetra, as many deals are available on these sites.

Commutation: The best way to travel within Mumbai would be Local Train(Suburban rail). Generally, taxis, buses & autos take long hours & are exhausting because of excessive traffic in Mumbai. Don’t avoid the local train travel if you really want to experience a Mumbaikar’s life.

Things to do/ Places to visit: Mumbai, the city of dreams, offer multiple attraction points to tourists. Here’s a list of places to visit & activities you can do in Mumbai!

1. Gateway of India
2. Juhu Beach
3. Marine Drive
4. Chowpati Beach
5. Kanheri caves
6. Elephanta Caves
7. Sailing near the Gateway of India
8. Cycle Ride in South Mumbai
9. Siddhivinayak Temple
10. Haji Ali Dargah
11. Street Shopping at Linking Road, Chor Bazaar and Crawford Market

 

4. Bangalore: For an extraordinary Night Life!

Image Source: Burrp.com

Talk about extraordinary nightlife & Bangalore will be on your priority list. Isn’t it?

The ‘Garden City’ of Bangalore has recently turned into the ‘IT Hub’ of India, causing an influx of people from various parts of India.  If your girls gang is looking forward for some night time action, nothing could be a better choice than Bangalore! The city is lined up with many spectacular Breweries, Discs & Spas with exquisite interiors & cosmopolitan crowd. Keep a day or two to enjoy the city life of Bangalore and then, you can go to hill stations near to Bangalore for Hiking & Trekking such as Mulyangiri, Coorg, Savandurga Trek, Kunti Betta trek & etc.

Stay: The cosmopolitan city offers multiple options to its visitors. Hotels & resorts would be an expensive option. But nevertheless you can book your stay through Airbnb to get a stay at your budget. The other option would be staying in the guest house of the Aurobindo Ashram. If you’re a member of Aurobindo Society, you can make a prior booking. Besides this, you can’t go wrong with the stay option at the YMCA.

Note: Advance booking helps  to avail discounts and plan the trip in the budget!

Commutation: Bangalore has got effective Bus connectivity. I would suggest you to use BMTC buses for the local commutation, also you can hire an auto or a cab for the same. Go for a ZoomCar service if you plan out a drive outside Bangalore .

Things to do/ Places to see:

Bangalore, a city famous for its night life! Here’re a few activities you can indulge in to explore Bangalore in a different way.

1. Check out the Spas & yoga retreat centres.
2. Street shopping in commercial street, Malleshwaram, & Jayanagar.
3. Ayurveda Body Massage
4. A day visit to the Grover Vineyards.
5. Loose your control in some of the finest breweries like Toit, Arbor Brewing Company, Beer Club & Black Rabbit and more.
6. Pick some offbeat Silk sarees from famous stores like Kancheepuram varamahalakshmi silks, Angadi silks, & RMKV Silks.
7. Go on a peaceful drive to a hill station near Bangalore.
8. Flatter your taste buds with fine bakery items. Some of the best bakeries in Bangalore are Cakewalk (Indiranagar), Glenn Bakery (Indiranagar), Melt it down (Kanakapura), Caramel (Langford Town), Bite me Cupcakes (Indiranagar), Happy Ending (Whitefield) & Cup cute (Kormangala).

 

5. Pune: For a trip to meet Contemporary & Traditional Maharashtra!

Pune, also referred as the cultural capital of Maharashtra; located at 118 km from Mumbai. The city has a distinct charm as it denotes a unique amalgamation of historical importance  & contemporary lifestyle.

Visit to Pune for a solo trip or a group trip, and you would never regret your choice! The city has much to offer to its visitors in all the aspects. One can plan his/her trip to Pune any time of the year, except the hot & humid months of May, June & July.

I would always suggest you to keep 6-7 days in hand if you’re planning to visit Pune. You can’t afford to miss out a bunch of must-visit places near Pune such as Lavasa, Mahabaleshwar, Rajmachi, Khandala, Lonavala, Kashid, Alibaug, Matheran, & many more.

Stay: There is no dearth of budget hotels in Pune, one can easily find a stay at OYO Rooms, Zo Rooms, & Ginger Hotel. Also, you can check out for private flats which are available at an affordable rate, price ranging from Rs 2500 to Rs 5000 per day.

Commutation: Drive down your own car if possible as the route to reach Pune is quite scenic. Alternative options  for Local Commution would be Bus, Auto, & Cab. Go for a self drive car service through ZoomCar to explore Western Ghats.

Things to do/Places to visit: Dress up your best to discover the ‘Queen of the Deccan’ in style. If you’re an adventure junkie, nothing could be better than Pune as it offers a whole range of adventurous activities such as Camping, Paragliding, Trekking,  Jungle Trekking, Rapelling, Lake crossing, & Bunjee jumping.

A few of the must do things/ places to visit are-

1. A road trip to the western ghats
2. Relish local street food such as Misal Pav, Vada Pav, Bhajjis, & Bhel.
3. Go for an adventurous activity like Paragliding, Jungle trekking & etc.
4. Visit to ABC Farm for good food and drink.
5. A visit to National Defense Academy
6. Indulge in meditation retreat by spending some time in International Osho meditation resort.
7. A visit to places holding historical importance, such as Shaniwarwada, Aga Khan Palace, Sinhagad Fort & etc.

 

6. Aurangabad: Meet the Finest Indian Art.

Aurangabad is 230 km from Pune; the city catches immense tourist attention due to the presence of the World Heritage Sites,  Ajanta and Ellora Caves.

If you find interest in history & architecture, visit Aurangabad to travel back to 2^nd century BCE & get overwhelmed with the finest paintings  & sculptures. I would suggest you to basic research about Ajanta & Ellora caves before starting the trip & hire a guide to learn more about the mysterious caves of Ajanta & Ellora.

Ajanta: The world famous Ajanta  has 30 caves, out of which 9,10, 19, 26 and 29 are chaitya-grihas (Prayer Halls)  and the rest of them are monasteries. The World Famous paintings depict the life of the Buddha and his various reincarnations (the Jatakas).

Ellora:  Ellora caves illustrate the great Indian Rock Architecture. It has 34 caves containing 17  Hindu, 5 Jain and 12 Buddha Temples which were built from 600 AD to 1000 AD. The caves of Ellora were hand chiselled by thousands of laborers from top to bottom by keeping an eye on minute details on the sculptures and pillars.

Stay: Ajanta is located at 102 km far from Aurangabad city. While Ellora is 32 km from Aurangabad. It would be advisable to stay within the city. Many budget hotels are available in the Aurangabad. You can book stay online in advance as the city observes huge influx of foreign tourists throughout the year.

Commutation: Book a cab or commute through Bus to visit Ajanta & Ellora Caves. Autos are also available.

Places to see:

1. Caves of Ajanta & Ellora.
2. Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga Temple
3. Bibi ka Makbara
4. Tomb of Aurangzeb
5. Devgiri Fort
6. Chatrapati Shivaji Museum

7. Nainital: Wake up in the lap of Nature

Image Source: Rediff.com

A prominent tourist spot of Uttranchal nestles amidst the nature’s  bounty & lakes. Nainital, also referred as the lake district of Uttranchal, is located on the peak of the Kumaon hill has a different charm and beauty for tourists.

Nainital has earned mythological significance as it is believed that it is one of the 64 Shakti Peeths of India, where a part of the Goddess Sati’s body fell down while being carried by Lord Shiva. Nainital is famous for the Naini Lake where it is said that Lord Shiva had performed Tandava.

Stay: Nainital is quite popular as a honeymoon destination in India due to its picturesque surroundings and climate. Nainital is located at 300 km from Delhi. Once you reach to Nainital, you can book a hotel as a plethora of Hotels are available in Nainital where the prices ranges from Rs 500 to Rs 10000. You can also book a private cottage situated away from the tourist crowd amidst the nature beauty. The price of the cottage may vary from Rs 6000 per night to Rs 15000 per night. To Book a cottage, you can use guesthouser.com

Commutation: You can cover half of the places in Nainital through walk. For distance spots, you can look out for cab services. All you need to do is to ask to the reception in your hotel for a cab service.

Places to see/Things to do:

1. Nainital Zoo
2. Naina Devi Temple
3. Boating in Naini Lake
4. A walk to Guano Hills for the Bird watchers
5. Trek to Niana/China Peak
6. Camping in Saattal
7. Water Zorbing in Bheemtal Lake

Soon, I will come up with an another set of Women friendly destinations! Go Solo or in your group, make sure that you stay safe & handle unwanted situations well.

Happy Travelling!
Cheers