If you were planning a trip to Delhi just for Elma's jam scones with clotted cream, we have a reason for you to feel less guilty. Beginning on Thursday, the Unbox Festival opens in Delhi, which unpacks a mix of super cool ticketed labs and free activities.

Movers And Packers

Start the festival off by going to the café at Zorba for opening night. Organised by B.L.O.T, this event is free entry and features B.L.O.T playing with Bandish Projekt founder, Nucleya. Then there’s a collaborative performance called Sounds of Bengal, described as “part film, part live music, part travelogue.” Also be sure to swing by on day four, where Indian Ocean will be performing.

We’d recommend buying a ticket actually, despite all the free stuff and the fact that the pass is somewhat expensive. Why? Because this will get you access to some awesome labs and workshops. There is for instance, a showcase called Long Live The Pool Table, which features Busride Design Studios and B.L.O.T work with audience participation to create the ultimate pool table using upcycled materials. Then, there’s the Absolut Infusion workshop, where you get to create yummy flavoured vodka. We’re also excited about the Rules to Dress seminar about sustainable fashion, and the very delicious sounding Food Labs with experiments and new ingredients (plus, we spy a Vino Picnic!)

Booking your ticket now? Yes, they accept card(board).

Getting there: View schedule here and buy tickets here, Rs 12,000 for a three day pass, Zorba, MG Road, Near Sultanpur Metro Station, call 7838804663.

 

Five days of wine, chatter, and probably someone coming up to you asking what you write. Grab a table at Flo, the café, so you can watch people table hop; drink the free tea; and when you get a moment, escape to Copper Chimney for some of the best laal maas you’ll find. And remember: you’ll have to bag a seat at the sessions super early, so we suggest getting one of these chairs. Just in case. bpb Delhi editor and author Meenakshi Reddy Madhavan on what to look out for at the Jaipur Lit Festival.

January 24

Notes On A Scandal: Zoe Heller In Conversation With Monisha Rajesh

We already like Monisha Rajesh, who did a list for us on train travel, which you can read here. Zoe Heller is the author of Booker nominated Notes On A Scandal, about a teacher who begins an affair with her student.  All books discussed are on sale at the venue, so get her to sign your copy—and one for us too, please.

11.15 am to 12.15 pm, Char Bagh

Kinships Of Faith: HH Dalai Lama In Conversation With Pico Iyer

We’ve had the supreme privilege of hearing the Dalai Lama speak before, and we can safely say you’ll love him. But his twinkling eyes and sudden laugh doesn’t take away from how much sense he makes during conversation. Pico Iyer has been one of our favourite travel writers for ages, so the two together should be delightful.

2.15 pm to 3.15 pm, Tata Steel Front Lawns

January 25

Laughing, Weeping, Writing: Manu Joseph, Mohammed Hanif, Gary Shteyngart and Deborah Moggach In Conversation With Ashok Ferrey

To be honest, we’re recommending this one primarily for Gary Schteyngart whose Super Sad True Love Story was one of the best books we read last year. But having heard Manu Joseph and Mohammed Hanif talk before, we know they’ll be charming and erudite on stage.

11.15 am to 12.15 am, Char Bagh

Sex And Sensibility: Women In Cinema – Shabana Azmi and Prasoon Joshi In Conversation With Sanjoy Roy

We’re going to listen to Shabana Azmi talk about her steamy roles and what she makes of it all.

3.30 pm to 4.30 pm, Tata Steel Front Lawns

January 26

Launch Of Arabic Version Of The Ramayana By Wadi Al Bustani

The late Lebanese poet was known for his translations of several major works into Arabic. We’re curious about this launch also because we’re fans of the sweeping epics and the Indian Council For Cultural Relations (ICCR) is organising it, and they usually do a good job.

1.30 pm to 2.15 pm, Tata Steel Front Lawns

Shimla, once the British Raj’s summer capital, has fallen somewhat out of fashion, ever since the cool kids decided to go to Landour for the same small town English charm. We went to Shimla last weekend to find no snow, but flying monkeys, gorgeous heritage homes and big no smoking signs. Can't you just smell the fresh air!

Getting There

By train: You know when they say that the journey is half the fun? We’re pretty sure they were talking about riding the toy train from Kalka to Shimla. These are usually fully booked—even our waitlisted ticket didn’t get us anywhere—but if you get to Kalka station, you can buy a general, non-reserved pass and then sweet talk the TC into upgrading you for the fare difference, like we did. It’s fully worth it, the pretty ride, the tiny stations and the long tunnels.  It’s even on the UNESCO World Heritage list. 

By bus: You can also take one of the Himachal Pradesh Tourism’s excellent Volvo buses from Delhi, with comfortable reclining seats and safe drivers. These ply on a daily basis between Delhi and Shimla, and can be caught at Himachal Bhawan. Bonus: they stop off at HPTDC guest houses along the way which are the only places you’re going to find traditional Himachali food. Go for the Himachal pulao with chunks of orange and apple, and the pomegranate chicken. Yum! (Book a bus here.)

Stay

Three Oberoi properties we heard recommended over and over again: Cecil, Wildflower Hall and Clarkes. We stayed at Clarkes ourselves, a small heritage property with delicious hot chocolate, well heated rooms and right on the Mall so you can walk to wherever you want to go. We negotiated for the off season price, but even during season time, it seems affordable and nice.  (Call 0177-2651010 or visit www.clarkesshimla.com, approximately Rs 7,000 for double room during  off season.)

Woodville Palace is a bit off the beaten track, but it’s also a gorgeous heritage property. Going through the guest book, however, we notice quite a few complaints regarding leaky bathrooms and whatnot, so maybe just do what we did and have some tea and pakodas on the lawn.  Call 0177-2623919, visit the website at www.woodvillepalacehotel.com.

Do

Go for a walk and get gloriously lost. If you need us to point you in a direction, try going towards Chotta Shimla from Mall Road. It’s a main road, but hardly anyone goes down it, and there are all these old houses you can look at and take pictures of, wonderful examples of the time that was.

Have a cheesy photograph taken in traditional pahari costumes. Hey, it’s Shimla, who’s going to recognise you.  Touts will come up to you on the Mall Road, just pick one!

Check out Gaiety Theatre which has conducted tours running all day. You’ll get to admire the lovely architecture and learn a bit about the history of the place. The Mall, call 0177-2650173.

Go ice skating. Unfortunately, the weather didn’t hold for us, and they had closed the rink, but we hear good things about this “all natural” ice rink. The best time to go is in the morning, but they’re also open for a few hours between 6 pm and 9 pm.  Circular Road, Shimla.

Eat

Wake and Bake café stands out for its gorgeous terrace views (beware of flying monkeys!) and good coffee. Also tasty, pizza by the slice—we ordered the bacon one and devoured it. The place is full of Shimla’s young hipsters so you might be in the right company.  (View the Facebook page here, Rs 80 for a coffee.)

We stumbled across perhaps the best momo chutney we’ve ever had in a tiny stall run by a Tibetan lady down the road from the sign leading to the ice skating rink, sandwiched by a number of jacket shops. Ask someone for the momo aunty, and get her plate of the vegetarian momos, with three different kinds of dipping sauces—hot, mild and white, delicious when mixed together. (Near ice skating rink, Circular Road, Rs 30 for veg momos.)

Know

All of Shimla is now a no-smoking city, and big threatening signs remind you of that fact every few feet. We spotted very few people smoking and even fewer cigarette shops, which means you might have to bring your own supply and smoke it in your room or go without.

Air bar!

Architect and bpb’s guest Scouter Ashiesh Shah sends a postcard from the Kochi Muziris Biennale contemporary art exhibit, on until March 13. Follow his trail for cool art picks, plus what to do around the Kochi venue – visit ruins, synagogues and eat the best slice of chocolate cake.

Stay

Tea Bungalow

This sunny yellow colonial bungalow is now a boutique resort renting out ten rooms with names like Zanzibar, Galle, Cambay, Goa and Mauritius. Read by the cinnamon trees in the lawn or lounge around the lush pool.

1901, Kunumpuram, Fortkochi, Ernakulam, Kerala, 09388719679, visit http://www.teabungalow.in.

Vaamika Island

Popped up on the private island of Vettila Thurutu, this super luxe resort features lake villas with their own infinity pools, massage pavilions and butler service. Check out High Noon, the 200 year-old restored home.

Vettila Thuruthu, Eramalloor, 45 minutes from Kochi, Kerala, visit www.vaamika.com

Marari Beach Hotel

Spice cooking lessons, cottages and rain showers at this eco-luxe hotel.

Near Alleppey, Kerala, 0484 3011711, visit http://www.cghearth.com/marari-beach

The Old Courtyard

For a cheaper bed, try The Old Courtyard, built around a mango tree. You'll want to take the colonial furniture home.

Princess Street, Fort Cochin, Kerala, 0484-2216302, visit http://www.oldcourtyard.com.

***

Eat

Kashi Art Café

For slices of freshly baked chocolate cake served with their delicious house chocolate sauce. Also a good place for 4 pm sprouts.

Burgher Street, Fort Kochi, Kochi, Kerala, 0484 2215769.

Oceanos

The stir fried okra is definitely a take home. Don't forget to inquire about their special morning culinary classes and sign up.

Pattalam Road, Amaravathy, Kochi, Kerala, http://oceanosfortkochi.in.

Temporary cafes at the Aspinwall House by the River and at Pepper House

Mostly for the view.

Seagull Deck by the River

Get the prawns and calamari.

Kalvathi Road, Fort Kochi, Kochi, Kerala.

So you just got back into town. Where are you off to next?

Try Mango Beach House, a new Alibaug property we found while visiting Kihim to ring in the New Year. A short ferry ride away from Mumbai, Mango Beach House has eight pretty rooms with sunny quilts and flowers by the bedside and two terrace suites with colonial furniture. And if you’re too lazy to take a five minute walk down to the beach, they also have a huge, lush swimming pool. Dive bar!

The room tariff here comes with three meals, conceptualised and supervised by Bombay’s lovely Bob Shetty, the man who sets up hip city restaurant kitchens, most recently for Jam Jar. While food requests are taken, the menu here uses local ingredients and changes according to the season.

So dog-ear this pool property for your next weekend off - a good book(ing) mark for 2013.

Getting there: Mango Beach House, Kihim, visit www.mangobeachhouse.com, Rs 8,500 for double occupancy with all three meals included.

What: New service villas in Mandwa, Alibaug, call 9820028145 to make a booking, Rs 10,000 per night.

Why: There are so many unruly travel plans on your shelf, they threaten to fall off the sides. How about some book(ing) ends? Two brand new Mandwa villas, a quick boat ride from Bombay, make for a lovely last-minute plan for the holidays. Each villa comes with two bedrooms, dining area, stocked kitchen, extra air mattresses and a common swimming pool with beach furniture and an open barbecue area. Drinking water, meat, seafood and alcohol can be delivered from nearby stores or picked up by the villa's caretaker. And the cook can make you authentic Malvani meals for just Rs 500 per day.

When: Now, because where there’s a villa there’s a way.

What: The Sanghvi Salons in Goa at Sunaparanta - Goa Centre For The Arts 63/C-8, near Lar de Estudantes Altinho, Panaji call 08322421311 or visit http://www.sgcfa.org.

Why: The lovely Siddharth Dhanvant Shanghvi, author of The Lost Flamingoes of Bombay, migrates to Goa for the winter to host a bunch of interesting salons at the cool Sunaparanta Centre for Arts. Flap through this: while you’ve missed his conversation with artist Sudarshan Shetty, upcoming guests include Booker Prize winning Irish author Anne Enright, photographer Sooni Taraporevala, and – yawn alert - actor Jaya Bachchan. If you’re in Goa between now and February (of course you will be, so see schedule here), try and catch one of these.

When: You need to find your Panaji spot.

What: Sundays Forever - Goa bungalow to rent, Village Calvim, Aldona, North Goa, 20 minutes from Anjuna, call 09811999014/09811999027 to make a reservation or visit http://www.sundaysforever.com, Rs 5,500 per night, sleeps six.

Why: Never mind that you have to ride your vehicle into a ferry to get here (how fun!), that you can order obscure cheese and kaju feni in advance or that one of the rooms has an attached study. The coolest part about this river island home is that its rates remain the same irrespective of the season – a rare thing in Goa! Owned by a Delhi couple who works in television, this Portuguese style villa is stocked with stuff personally picked by them including crockery from Ikea, futons, blenders and Rolling Stone magazines. Amenities include air conditioners, badminton court, TV sets, DVD player and a super efficient caretaker with a two-wheeler.

When: During peak season greetings.

You moved to Goa, didn't you? Right after we convinced you to three months ago with this story. Good for you! Now we're here to say something. GET YOUR A** OFF THE BEACH AND GET TO WORK!

If you've gotten the sand out of your system, it's time to put that freelancing fanny to work. Enter Coworkingoa. This is a shared workspace fifteen minutes from Baga that offers a view of the Chorao bird sanctuary and a nearby restaurant where serial killer Charles Sobhraj was reportedly arrested. Isn't it just what you imagined Goa work life to be like? Even if you're visiting for a long break, Coworkinggoa would take you in.

Run by Gurpreet Singh who has been living in the sunshine state for seven years, he found this bright and airy space when he was looking for a place to live. Gurpreet and a small team are part of a start-up, an e-commerce module for small business owners called browntape.com, which is launching soon.

Coworkingoa offers exactly what you need - a desk, Wi-fi, tea and coffee, all starting at Rs 150 per day. If they like what you do, there are discounts to be scored. They have a 300 square feet terrace that by the end of this month will serve as an organic kitchen with basil, rocket leaves, lettuce, cherry tomatoes and more. All phone calls and bird watching on the rooftop, please.

Yes, Miami supports spring break, but there's also a bunch of fun stuff –movies on the beach, art deco walks, nitrogen cocktails, biking with gators, kayaking under the moon–that doesn't involve hysterical college kids. It does however rain pretty randomly, so your experience may involve wet T-shirts after all. PS: Public transport here isn't great and cabs are super expensive, so we suggest you make your stay short (200 USD can get you a flight ticket from New York to Miami) or find a cousin with a car like this Scouter did.

Stay

If you can splurge, the Delano Hotel in Miami's art deco district is fancy, but with character. From mad arty chairs to a gorgeous pool and giant chess set, this place is beautiful and a stone's throw away from the beach. For cheaper places near South Beach, see hotels like Chelsea Hotel and The Anglers Boutique Resort at Washington Avenue. Air bnb has a list too. 

Delano Hotel, 1685 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach; Chelsea Hotel, 944 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach; The Anglers Boutique Resort, 660 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach

Eat & Drink

For Dinner

Barton G serves playful food like lobster pop tarts and Mouse Trap Mac And Cheese and also uber cool nitrogen cocktails; try the Sabrina-tini made with orange vodka, watermelon liqueur and served with a champagne popsicle and chocolate monkey hanging off the side of the glass. Yes, it can get pretty crazy. Tantra with its delightful dinginess and Indian accents will remind you of Veda back home, but with an indoor grass floor. The drinks here aren't super, but the aphrodisiac-influenced menu serves some yum dishes like Love Apples, lobster risotto and wild bassa. For Florida stone crabs—you can't leave without eating some—head to River Seafood and Oyster Bar that also does delicious cheese baked oysters. Situated in the work district, the place is buzzing during happy hours.

Barton G, 1427 West Avenue, Miami Beach; Tantra, 1445 Pennsylvania Avenue, Miami Beach; River Seafood and Oyster Bar, 650 South Miami Avenue, Miami Beach.

Local Watering Holes

Nick named 'Dirty Purdy' by the locals, Purdy Lounge is the grimy bar you should hit to escape the Ocean Drive tourist flock. There's also Chalk, with cheaper drinks, pool and ping pong tables. If you need some more action, there's always Lucky Strike, the bowling alley with a DJ and bar. And our personal favourite—check into Avenue D, a department store turned into a jazz club with improv acts and lots of whisky on the menu. 

Purdy Lounge, 1811 Purdy Avenue, Miami Beach; Chalk, 1234 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach; Avenue D, 691 Michigan Avenue, #115, Miami Beach