Craving some spontaneity on your next vacation, minus the daunting visa hassles? Raul Dias takes you through five exotic destinations across the globe that Indians can travel to without a visa.
Trinidad &Tobago
It’s carnival time! Image credit: Tourism Trinidad and Tobago
Lustily clutching each other in a sensuous embrace of joint statehood, these Caribbean islands are the very definition of exotic with a capital ‘E’! Where else can you feel the rhythm of the home-grown soca music reverberate through your every cell, as you let your body sway in wild abandon? Or encounter a verb for the act of doing nothing at all? Yes, “liming” is Trinidad and Tobago’s parlance for hanging out, watching the world go by and letting the salt-laced sea breeze lull you into a serene submission, as you sip on some rum punch. While Trinidad may be the more boisterous of the two, don’t let ‘gentle’ Tobago fool you. Both islands are known to put on a spectacular show during the annual Pre-Lenten Carnival—taking place this year on the 3rd and 4th of March—with raucous street parties and costumed parades that would put Las Vegas to shame!
Don’t leave without... a tryst with the winged wonders at the Tobago Main Ridge Forest Reserve which is an ornithologist’s fantasy come true.
Jamaica
Image credit: Tracy Bains
Those soft, sandy beaches, that lilting accent peppered every now and then with “respeckh maan” and scores of reggae-spewing dreadlocked Rastafarians. All tropes about Jamaica, are most certainly true; they are present in all their glory for you to see and experience in this diminutive island nation, and lie suspended like a jewel in the very heart of the Caribbean Sea. With stunning beaches like Boston Bay and port towns like the fashionable Port Antonio—the newest playground for the jet set comprising the likes of Jay-Z and Beyoncé, Jamaica is never short on places to stun you into silence. And for those who prefer a little more off-the-beach-track adventure–a hike up to Jamaica’s highest point, Blue Mountain Peak, or a day at the superbly preserved Bob Marley Museum in the beautiful capital Kingston are some of the ways to explore the ‘other’ Jamaica, as it were.
Don’t leave without... doing a rafting trip through the Rio Grande Valley, from Berridale to Rafter’s Rest at St Margaret’s Bay.
Grenada
Image credit: Grenada Tourism Authority
Made up of the main island of Grenada along with two other smaller islands—Carriacou and Petit Martinique—this independent Caribbean nation is often confused with the similar sounding Granada which is in the autonomous community of Andalusia in Spain. The islands are also often referred to as the spice islands of the Caribbean thanks to the abundance of cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and ginger that grow all over the mountainous islands. For beach bums, Grand Anse Beach on the main island–a smooth expanse stretching for two miles around the curve of a gentle bay–is THE place to be. But for a more chilled-out vibe, head to Carriacou that abounds with natural harbours besides offering excellent views over the Northern Grenadine islands and beyond.
Don’t leave without... paying a visit to a rum distillery like the River Antoine Estate (one of the country’s oldest, it still uses traditional methods to extract the nectar of the Caribbean) near Lake Antoine along the north east coast. And the underwater sculpture park off the west coast.
Cook Islands
Lapis-hued lagoons of Aitutaki. Image Credit: Alex Anderson www.abanderson.com
This archipelago of 15 small islands is one of the most popular of all Polynesian islands in the South Pacific. Wedged between the ‘Big Sisters’ aka New Zealand and Hawaii, the Cook Islands enjoy prime position with travellers making pit-stops to marvel at their natural beauty and abundant charm. Diving in the many lapis-hued lagoons of Aitutaki or simply meandering your way through the caves of Anatakitaki are just a few ways of enjoying these islands. While the islands might have tongue-twisters for names—like Te Ulu-o-Te-Watu and Tongareva of the Northern Group—an innate spirit of welcome that travellers experience there, links them all.
Don’t leave without... learning about the local people at the Sir Geoffrey Henry National Culture Centre in Rarotonga that provides you with fascinating insights into the islands’ socio-cultural ethos.
Vanuatu
Why not earn some bragging rights by going to a place like Vanuatu that few of us Indians have heard of... leave alone travelled to? Nestled in the South Pacific and surrounded by the equally unknown island nations of New Caledonia and the Solomon Islands, chic Vanuatu may very well wear the crown of the costliest country to visit on this list. But what it offers is unmatched. Start by spending a few days in Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu’s adventure capital where you can go rappelling down Mt Tabwemasana, and go deep sea diving around the wreck of SS President Coolidge. But if the hedonist in you protests, the tranquillity and luxury of Port Vila Golf and Country Club overlooking Mele Bay will placate you.
Don’t leave without... hard core retail therapy at the daily Vila Market in Port Vila; everything from souvenirs to diaphanous, hibiscus-print sarongs awaits you!
Note: Although the above information has been checked and verified at the time of going to press, visa regulations and requirements change from time to time. So, do check with the countries’ respective embassies for visa policy updates before you plan your trip.
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