What: Away Without Leave (AWOL) travel fund, visit www.awaywithoutleave.com or find the Facebook group here; email entries to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Why: This new website wants to sponsor you and 23 other people on a three month journey around the country. The catch? You have to live on Rs 1,000 a day (including accommodation, travel, food, entertainment; and no, you can’t spend your own money); blog regularly about your travels; and maybe complete some tasks suggested by readers. All potential participants have to send in an entry describing why they want to change their current lives and be between 21 and 28 years old (be happy that you won’t have to compete with this Scouter, who NARROWLY misses the age criteria)!

When: You want to go siteseeing. Entries open.

These days it seems like everyone’s getting on the village bicycle, that poor Lady Gao Gao. With an increasing number of vacation designers planning quaint hamlet trips, stressed out city folk are getting lured into village home stays, signing up for everything from Warli painting classes and farming to dung-plastering activities. Folk it over!

Village, Belle!

The latest lure for the desi Simple Life comes from Culture Aangan, an organisation that offers home stays – in local cottages and bungalows cutely done-up with red brick walls, cane chairs and colourful cushions - in Maharashtra’s pretty Sindhudurg area. Now the Scouters haven’t been yet, but fun agendas that include butterfly sightings and herb trails, fresh fish auctions and picnicking in mango orchards, may change that soon. If you’re tempted too, go now during their ongoing mango harvest festival where you can go fruit picking and later, eat your loot.

Shilarna Vaze has her own cooking show (Firangi Tadka) and formerly ran a restaurant in Goa as well as a sushi delivery service in Mumbai. She is a flower child who takes her free spirit and stove wherever she travels. Email her at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

So I have to admit, I haven’t given much thought to our neighbours (countries, that is). Somehow, my mum being an artist always wanted to go to Italy or France and my dad being an erstwhile playwright was kinda obsessed with English theatre, so we never did make it across our borders into the countries that could almost be India (in fact, some were till not so long ago).

But then last month I finally planned Nepal. The trip happened because of three reasons: the chance to take a girlie trip, to attend a safe, electronic dance festival at a 5-star hotel (!) and the hope of discovering some yum food.

What: Pabbar Valley Trek, Geck & Co, call Archit on 09818834004 or visit the Facebook page here, Rs 19,500 per person, includes travel from Shimla, accommodation and food on the trek.

Why: Sick of Wall Street? Geck & Co, a new adventure travel outfit, will show you the way out and up some of the prettiest parts of Himachal Pradesh. Futures and options include ice trekking and summit climbing expeditions, as well as customised trips for those with the big numbers (for groups of eight and above).

When: You’re looking for a prize hike. May 13 to 21.

What: Ocean music at U-tan Seaside Resort, Chowk Dongri via Uttan, Bhayandar (W), District Thane, 1.5 hours from Mumbai, for passes call 9821424717 / 9821759882, Rs 600.

Why: The Mumbai m.a.f.i.a (Musicians, Artists, Filmmakers, Interesting-log Aajaoo) finds a perfect hideaway: U-tan waterside resort perched pretty atop a high hill. You should go too, hobnob with the mob over music (jazz and flute) and poetry and spill into the poolside area to chill, swim (Rs 100 per person) or watch fishing boats from the cliff. Sea attached.

When: February 27 from 2pm to 7 pm.

Fast, frenetic, fashionable and sometimes furiously loud, Hong Kong is one town this Scouter would cheat on her beloved Mumbai for. Here are details of her dirty weekend with the other city by the sea.

Eat

It seems like every nook and cranny of Hong Kong has a restaurant. They tuck themselves amongst office buildings and surround the signature “travelator” in Central, and can even be found buried under froths of tulle at Kimberly Street, a stretch of bridal stores that hawks dresses in bizarre colors and also delish Korean restaurants.

If you’re an herbivore looking for good Chinese food, Three Virtues in Kowloon is your best bet. This restaurant is exclusively vegetarian, offers a huge selection of dim sum for lunch (highly recommended) and also mock meat dishes that are astonishingly tasty.

Also super charming is ABC, a tiny restaurant in Sheung Wan cooked food market, located in what seems like a rundown food courtbut serving up authentic, home style Italian dishes. Try the pasta in red sauce. Finally a shout out to Pret A Manger, the British sandwich chain that we were ecstatic to find all over Hong Kong. Be sure to step in for an egg salad or sweet potato falafel sandwich if you spot a branch.

What: Ovalekar Wadi Butterfly Garden, Ghodbunder Road, Thane (W), call 9820779729, Rs 50 entry fee, addition Rs 25 for tea and breakfast.

Why: Hidden behind potholed streets and half-completed construction sites is two acres of lush garden where over 70 species of naturally-bred butterflies reside, including blue tigers, peacock pansies and orange tips. Get a two-hour guided tour by garden owner Mr Ovalekar, who is sweet and earnest enough to set off butterflies in your stomach. Read more here.

When: It’s that time of the mo(n)th. Guided tours every Sunday at 9.30 am, call ahead to confirm.

Two planes, one autorickshaw, a ferry and a Sumo: these are what it took for this Scouter to find paradise. Walk on the beach, hike through the forests and dive through the clear, clear seas, and you’ll discover that love came to live on Havelock Island, Andamans.

Eat

Black Beard’s Bistro sits amongst fallen trees on a wide beach, a spectacular setting for their seafood specials. We suggest you steer away from pastas and pick your way through Bengali dishes instead, paying special attention to the prawn masala. Fish you a happy meal!

Black Beard’s Bistro, Emerald Gecko Resort, Beach #5, Havelock Island, Rs 500 for a meal.

If you want a break from all that fresh seafood – really, why would you? – visit B3, a trendy, split-level restaurant that serves a mean burger, creamy hummus and fresh foccacia bread (ask for the Goan sausage version, which is not on the menu). They also do good white snapper, serve wine and beer, and live music on Friday nights.

B3, at the jetty, Havelock Island, Rs 350 for a meal.   

Havelock Island is not exactly party central – most places serve only beer and wine, and wind up by 10.30 pm. But if like us you need a Screwdriver to complete your vacation, the bamboo-lined (and fully stocked) bar at Barefoot Resort is your best bet. Foot the bill!

Barefoot Resort, Radhanagar Beach (#7), Rs 300 for a large vodka with orange juice.

Stay

The above-mentioned Barefoot Resort is a nice mix of luxury and Havelock’s untouched vibe, with airy (and air conditioned) cottages made exclusively from biodegradable materials like bamboo and palm leaves and furniture sourced directly from Bali. The bathrooms, however, are mercifully modern. Along with the bar, the resort also has a decent restaurant that serves Indian, Chinese and Italian fare and will happily cook up fish you catch at sea, as well as a massage center and a super efficient reception staff. Plus, the resort is situated just off Havelock’s prettiest beach, Radhanagar.

Barefoot Resort, Radhanagar Beach (#7), visit www.barefootindia.com, rooms start at Rs 4,500.

What: bpb’s Goa trail – Elsewhere, near Calangute, call 09870011500 or visit http://www.aseascape.com, start at Rs 32,000 a week; Cantare, Calangute, ask for Maurice; Cook in a Goan home, call Felix on 09822180904, pick up from Calangute, Baga and Candolim, Rs 1,500 per person.

Why: Avoid the tourist crowd that flocks to Goa this time of the year and follow bpb’s secret trail instead, living in a tent resort that doesn’t have an address, haunting a hidden new bar, and learning to cook authentic vindaloo in a Goan house.

Note: Also check out our list of over 90 recommendations on where to eat, shop and stay in Goa.

When: You want an epic sized Baga.

bpb’s guide to going gaga over Goa. Get comfortable, it’s an epic Baga.

A big shout out to our contributors: Deveshe Dutt, DJ Phase~Shift, Jehan Driver,  Manjari Verma and Avani Patel, Pratiti Basu-Chanard and Johanna Viande, Shaana Gwynne, Swaati Langeh, Vikrant Chheda, Vineeta Nair, Nachiket Shetye, Janit Gambhir, Akshai Sarin, Cyrus Aga, Miriam Strehlau.

What to Pack - Don’t Be A Duffle!

Beach bag: Big enough to fit your life in, psychedelically Goa-worthy and insanely practical – on these rewritable bags you can list errands, your sightseeing list or your hotel address, just in case you’re too inebriated later to remember where you live. Pylones @ Taabir, Grand Galleria Mall, Phoenix Mills, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel, call 66626704, Rs 800.

Beach towels: Big, comfy towels in bright colours that will perfectly offset your newly acquired tan. Surprise @2, Kohinoor, 29 Hughes Road, call 32972125, start at Rs 55o.

Feline sunglasses: With these, you’ll be the hottest cat under the sun. We especially love the silver-tipped, elongated version. Bungalow 8, 1st, 2nd and 3rd floor, Grants Building, Arthur Bunder Road, Colaba, call 22819880, Rs 3,500.

Flip-flops: Fun pairs by brands like Juicy Couture, and cheap enough that you won’t mind wearing them in the sand. Dark Waters, H20, Pali Naka, next to Totos Garage Pub, Bandra (W), call 9821445176, start at Rs 450.

Travel Designer: Put your Goa trip in the hands of adrenaline junkie Jehan Driver and he’ll organise everything from accommodation and adventure sports to local cuisine sampling. Call Quest Adventures at 9820367412, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit www.konkanexplorer.com, start at Rs 3,000 per person/per day.

Swimwear: This newly launched online lingerie store has a nice collection of bikinis and one-piece suits from international labels. Dive right in! Visit www.strapsandstrings.com, start at Rs 3,000.

Suitcase: Just packing up these happy trolleys, stamped with airplanes and bright star bursts, will make you feel like you’re on vacation. A good source of therapy for when you’re stuck in Bombay. Call Priya Bohra on 9820374284 or view the Facebook group here, start at Rs 2,000.

Stay: Shack Up

Alila Diwa: With its infinity pool, long (and well-stocked) bar, and chilled out vibe, this swanky boutique hotel on Majorda Beach is one of our favorite places to stay at in Goa. 48/10 Village Majorda, Adao Waddo, Salcette, visit www.alilahotels.com/diwagoa, start at Rs 36,000 per couple, for a four day and three night package.

Amarya Shamiana: Amarya’s four air-conditioned, wi-fi enabled tent suites – calm white pavilions with brightly hued, baroque-styled insides – are probably the prettiest in Goa. Ashwem Beach, next to La Plage restaurant, Mandrem, North Goa, call 0 (832) 6515136 or visit www.amaryagroup.com, start at Rs 5,500 per night.