You brought in the New Year in Goa and spent part of your summer in Europe – how passé. The Secret Scouters turn travel agents today to save the rest of your 2011 from going down the same old route, with ten super events you should vacation at this year from Jodhpur to Kohima, Jalandhar to Bangalore. Ticket fans, rejoice!

Alappuza, Kerala – August 13: On the second Saturday of August this small, sleepy town in Kerala wakes up to a grand water festival, in the midst of which is the annual Nehru Trophy Boat Race. Sit back and watch the largest team sport in the world, and don’t forget to put your hands together for their astounding synchronization.

Jodhpur, Rajasthan – August 13-15: Using the 400-year-old Mehrangarh Fort as a backdrop, Music in the Hills is booking performers such as Parikrama, Advaita and Mohit Chauhan to serenade you in the desert. Remember to bring along sun block!

Kolkata, West Bengal – September 2: And you thought you would have to save up until 2014 to catch the Argentinean soccer team in action. For a measly Rs. 2000, you can watch Messi and his boys play against the Venezuelan team in the City of Joy. Also, see bpb’s food guide to Kolkata!

Bangalore, Karnataka – September 23-25: It’s called the The Big Mushroom Cloud Festival – need we say anymore!? Featuring bands that promise to ‘help you transcend into a state of altered consciousness’ and held in a cave resort outside of Bangalore, it is guaranteed to be a crazy trip!

Jodhpur, Rajasthan – October 12-15: Rated amongst the top music festivals in the world, the Rajasthan International Folk Festival is a must-try desert. The good weather, majestic palaces and awesome food are just the icing on the cake.

New Delhi – October 28-30: Zoom into the Capital to watch India’s first Formula 1 race, inaugurated by – wait for it – Metallica. The band performs on October 28, followed by a practice session and the race over the weekend. See bpb’s guide to Delhi for more stuff to do while you’re there.

What: Gypsy House service apartments, 11, Lane no 1, Koregaon Park, call 09850812711 / 020 26052299, start at Rs 5,000 (rates flexible depending on your time of visit) includes morning tea /coffee and toast.

Why: When in roam try the Gypsy House, service apartments that come with cute, clean rooms, Wi-fi, laundry service, patches of green and a jogging track. Besides the peaceful location – a two-minute walk from the Osho ashram – we love that they let you order in food from any Pune restaurant. One chocolate mousse from Dario’s, please.

When: You are wandering where to shack up.

What: Rainmaker’s Shack, a secret lodge, Hippie Hills, 24 kms from Lonavala, call McMathew on 09860388804 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , view the Facebook group here,  starts at Rs 3,000 a night and Rs 1,500 for three meals.

Why: When the Rainmaker’s Shack at Lonavala started gaining too much attention, owner McMathew shut shop and moved to a secret jungle location across Pawna lake. Prior registration and approval (recommendations and common Facebook friends help) will get you a map that leads to two deck rooms and a log cabin on a water-facing property. Here you can cycle, barbeque, swim, fish, trek. Also, knowing a certain “Jim Morrison” (listed as the manager on their Facebook group) is bound to open up a few Doors.

When: You want to figure out lodge-istics.

What: Bliss lifestyle store, second floor, Phoenix Market City Mall, Viman Nagar, Nagar Road, products start at Rs 50.

Why: Mumbai’s quirky lifestyle store comes to Pune, bringing with it boxer shorts and furniture, tees and upcycled creations from over 60 hip designers. bpb recommends you drop in for Haathi Chaap’s elephant poo paper products and fun designs by Tuesday Afternoon and Quirk Box.

When: Slated to open next week.

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What: Gypsy House service apartments, 11, Lane no 1, Koregaon Park, call 09850812711 / 020 26052299, start at Rs 5,000 (rates flexible depending on your time of visit) includes morning tea /coffee and toast.

Why: When in roam try the Gypsy House, service apartments that come with cute, clean rooms, Wi-fi, laundry service, patches of green and a jogging track. Besides the peaceful location – a two-minute walk from the Osho ashram – we love that they let you order in food from any Pune restaurant. One chocolate mousse from Dario’s, please.

When: You are wandering where to shack up.

What: Super trips (join theirs or get one customised) by White Collar Hippie, call Vikrant on 9820644720 or view the Facebook group here, price on request.

Why: White Collar Hippie is fresh off the boat, and we were on the docks waiting to receive it. Run by adventure junkies Sachin Parikh and Vikrant Chheda who want people to “travel, not vacation”, this company designs the coolest group trips: travelling to a music festival with a band, learning to build a boat and climb coconut trees while kayaking in Kerala, surfing on a secluded beach with sand sculpture classes and astronomy lessons in a Rajasthan dessert. Watch their Facebook page for trip dates.

When: You want world piece.

What: Trips Gone Crazy, call 42666651 / 9870000653 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , approximately Rs 1 lakh including airfare, accommodation, VIP club entry, airport transfers, visa, travel insurance.

Why: If you have to let someone bash you up, it should be these guys: Trips Gone Crazy is a new party tourism company whose travel agendas includes pub crawls, VIP clubs, carnivals, full moon parties, beach blowouts and beer fests around the world. And if you manage to wake up in the morning, there’ll be sightseeing too. Bookings now open for Ibiza trip and Spanish tomatino festival.

When: The time is ripe from August 31 to September 7. Bookings open on June 25.       

What: Fly to Bangkok or Dubai and back for under 10k, visit www.goindigo.in or call 09910383838, Rs 9,999 including taxes.

Why: Your dirty little weekend has never been cheaper – book a seat available through Indigo’s promotional launch fares and shell out less for your ticket to Bangkok than to Bhubhaneshwar. Chances are that you’ll spend your flight unfed and sitting knees to nose but remember, you’re paying a small price! Plus, find our Bangkok guide here.

When: Flights off-fancy begin October 3, 2011; bookings open now for limited seats.

What: Seafood home delivery by Pesca Fresh, call 020 26136666 or visit www.pescafresh.com, free home delivery.

Why: You want crabs? Okay that came out wrong. Let’s start over. How would you like prawns, pomfret, Bombay duck and the more exotic shark, Himalayan trout, oysters, octopus, sea bass sent to your doorstep? Call Pesca Fresh, a recently-launched seafood home delivery service that can also arrange for your catch to be cut, cleaned, peeled, filleted, sliced and chopped as per your requirement. Snapper to it!

When: You want to pump up the basa.

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What: Pretzel A’more, Lane 6, North Main Road, Koregaon Park, Rs 50 for a pretzel.

Why: bpb’s gets its knickers in a twist for Koregaon Park’s new pretzel place. This takeaway joint serves sweet and savoury versions of the snack, including flavours like Berrilicious, Hawaiin and Coffee on the Go. We recommend you try the lemon-chocolate and spicy jalapeno-cheese-garlic pretzels. Also available are hot dogs and burger patties in pretzel buns. Read the full review here.

When: It’s so knot happening, dude!

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What: Comedy to Go by The Comedy Store, call 4348 5010 / 9004603132 or book online here,  at Hyatt Regency, Weikfield IT Park, Nagar Road, Rs 600.

Why: Mumbai’s Comedy Store has started packing its stand up acts into takeaway boxes and transporting them to Pune. We’ve had a byte and we can tell you, they travel well. This week, you can spoon a trio of British men who promise to have your city in a fit of giggles.

When: June 29 at 8.30 pm. 

What: Hemis Festival Photography trip to Ladakh with Trip to Click, call +91 9769046941 or view the Facebook group here, Rs 13,600 (exclusive of flight) for stay, travel, internal transport, permits, breakfast and dinner.

Why: Want a byte off the satellite? Get your camera and run off to the Lunar Hemis Festival at Ladakh, where brand new travel boutique Trip to Click is planning its first photo tour. Founder and film school graduate Parthiva Nag promises a feast for your lens: monks performing masked dances at decked out monasteries under a glorious moon. These guys organise photo tours through Mumbai’s roads as well. Auto(rickshaw) focus! 

When: July 9 to 15. Meteor shower trip coming up in August.

Ah Bangkok, that superbly sordid city.
Where drinks can be posh, and the shopping gritty.
Hold hands and walk through Pat Pong’s sleaze,
Noodles and karaoke at the weekend market, please.
And then on to find that perfect sex toy.
Days are filled with luxury labels and fakes,
The nights with several second takes
To see if that lady is in fact, a boy.
Sailors, ahoy!

Why are we going all Byron on Bangkok, you ask? The sister of one of us Scouters just happens to be in the Thai city for the gazillionth time; she sends a postcard with love and things to do – old and new. “Some are not for the faint hearted,” she warns. And bpb’s other friends contribute too.

DINE

Eat Me

If you've lost your appetite after the sex shows at Pat Pong, you probably won’t want to eat at Eat Me. But you should. This all-white chic eatery with rotating art on the walls and artier global cuisine on the plates, will be your break from Bangkok’s frenetic pace. Get the grilled tiger prawns with tom yum spiced olive oil, or if you like coconut in your food (you should if you’re in Thailand!), get the pan seared Barramundi. Still can’t ignore the moniker?  Think of the Alice in Wonderland reference.

Current photo exhibit at Eat Me: Crave

Eat Me, off Convent Road, Silom, Bangkok, call +66 2 2380931, http://www.eatmerestaurant.com. 

Long Table
Really long tables (25 metres to be precise), awesome Asian fusion food and great views at this fancy resto-bar on the 25th floor. Cocktails are given local twists - see Bangkok Cosmopolitan, Salty-Soi Dog.

Long Table, 25th floor, 48 Column Building, Skhumvit Soi 16, call +66 2 3022557, www.longtablebangkok.com.