If you are like me, it’s never too early to PLAN. Like generally, for ANYTHING. Along with that, if as a millennial you are also bound by the weekends off and look forward to holidays falling near the weekend, just so you can club them to go for trips; we have the best news for you! Plan a LITTLE ahead, this year as in 2020- we will be rewarded with Long Weekends, allowing you (and me) to finally act on (that GOA Plan) planning all those long-pending trips that you’ve been keeping on the back burner. We have listed down the long weekends (or potential long weekends) so that if you plan ahead and use your time judiciously, you can sneak more legit mini-vacations this year. Since we are halfway into Jan, we’ll skip January, ok? Plan your mini Vacations with These Long Weekends of 2020:
February:
February 21 is Maha Shivratri, which is falling on Friday and is an optional holiday or scheduled holiday for some. Following it we have Saturday and Sunday, so you can take Monday off, thereby giving you 5 days for a nice mini trip. Where to go? Well, we’d suggest Goa for its carnival (its carnival (22-25 Feb) or head to McLeodganj (Ladakh can be another option) to celebrate the Tibetan New Year (24th to 26th Feb).
March:
We have Holi on the 10th of March, which is a Tuesday. So, you can take an off on 9th (yes, on Monday) and combine Saturday-Sunday-Monday-Tuesday for a festive weekend trip. Where to go? We suggest the holy cities Vrindavan-Mathura for Holi or a peaceful gateway to Sikkim.
April:
So, there are a few potential long weekends in April. The first one would be if you have Ram Navami holiday (which falls on a 2nd April, Thursday). That way, you can take a leave on Friday and combine Saturday-Sunday. Or if you have 6th April off for Mahavir Jayanti, that can be your long weekend. If you have both of these well then, this will definitely be a LOONG weekend for you. The month of April also observes Good Friday. This year it falls on April 10th and as it is followed by Saturday and Sunday, combine the days for a short weekend gateway. Where to go? Welcome spring at hill-stations like Darjeeling, Auli or Srinagar and experience the beauty of springtime in the lap of the Himalayas.
May:
Another month with potential long weekends May brings us, Labour Day which falls on a Friday and combined with Saturday-Sunday for a weekend vacay. You can also take Monday off to add another day to that weekend getaway. Again, on May 7, is Buddha Purnima which is falling on Thursday. So you can take the Friday off, and then combine Saturday and Sunday. While the holidays mentioned above may be optional for many, we know that Eid ul Fitr will be a gazetted holiday for the entire country. This year, it is observed on May 25th May, Monday. You can take the previous Friday also off and go somewhere FAR. Where to go? As summer begins, head to the hills this May. Best options according to us would be: Spiti or Bir-Billing in Himachal; you can also try the backwaters in Kerala or Ooty for its flower show (May 17th to 21st 2020).
Also Read: 2020 Travel Guide To The Best Destinations For Every Month Of The Year
August:
After two months of HARD WORK (eye roll), we get two long weekends in the month of August. Raksha Bandhan is falling on 3rd August which is a Monday, allowing you to once again club Saturday- Sunday together for a three-day weekend getaway with family ( like a vacation with siblings) or friends. Next, we have is Onam, which will fall on 31st August, Monday and you can follow the same suit for this to make it a long weekend. Where to go? We’d suggest Kerala for Onam or Uttarakhand, for the Valley of Flowers or head to Meghalaya to experience the beauty of monsoon.
October:
Gandhi Jayanti (2nd October) this year is on a Friday, sanctioning yet another due long weekend for us by combining Saturday and Sunday for a short weekend getaway. Another potential long weekend can be at the end of this month. 29th October, Thursday is Id-e-Milad (which can be an optional holiday) so you can take the Friday off (30th October), club it with Saturday –Sunday for a long weekend. Where to go? Places to welcome autumn: Rishikesh, Nainital, Munnar or Varkala.
November:
Unfortunately, Diwali this year falls on 14th November which is a Saturday. But don’t worry, Bhai Dooj (optional holiday) falls on 16th November, Monday. So, you can take the previous Friday off for a fun and frolic weekend. Guru Nanak Jayanti is another optional holiday and is falling on 30th November, Monday, thereby giving you another long weekend. Where to go? Visit Amritsar for Golden Temple Diwali celebrations, or Lamahatta in West Bengal or Thekkady in Kerala.
December:
Christmas this year (25th December) is going to fall on Friday, once again giving you another long weekend by clubbing Saturday-Sunday together. Finally, end the year on a happy note with 1st Jan 2021 which is again going to be a Friday. So, take the previous Thursday off and welcome the new year in style and a rest day which is definitely needed. Where to go? Well, we would suggest Goa experience Christmas and New Year but if you’ve already done that, try Kerala for its Christmas decorated houseboats or spot tigers at Bandhavgarh National Park in Madhya Pradesh.
As these holidays fall on either side of the weekend making them all the more worthy, making 2020 be the year for all the travel lovers. Plan another great year of amazing travel experiences and let us know all about them in the comments below!
