And now, quaint locales - News and views from Kolkata, India, and around the world

Fiji (8N+9D): Rs.37,414
Bora Bora, Tahiti (6N+7D): €853 (approx. Rs.50,000)
Lima (3D+2N): R.5,928
Phnom Penh (3D+2N): Rs.15,000
Seychelles (4D+3N): Rs.13,000

You may have by now guessed what these figures mean. These exotic destinations are now being increasingly promoted by travel agencies in Kolkata. With airfares becoming cheap and more travel loans being available, people are no longer constrained to confine themselves to yesteryears’ hot favorites, Singapore and Bangkok.

The icing on the cake for the exotic locales like Fiji, Lima (Peru’s capital) and even Kyrgyzstan is that they are reasonably cheap to visit (the above prices are without airfare). The extras are adventure sports at many of these places, like windsurfing, jet skiing and scuba diving, and of course opportunities to taste local cuisines and liquors.

One feels that once the lure of ‘shopping’ has diminished (many ‘foreign’ items and commensurate shopping experience are now readily available in India), Indian tourists are no longer attracted to big cities. Instead, why not try out the dream locale tucked away in a corner of south Pacific? Indeed, why not!