Where do you go? This December...

The holiday season is upon us, and it is that time of the year (actually, a bit late this time around) that I plan for my annual vacation in December. Seeing as it is, what with greater affordability (all those real estate deals?), loads of people are booking holidays - some of them rather expensive ones - and I've had a small pile of requests for advice on where to go this year. My answer is, that well, there's a ton of places one could head to. That's the plain truth. Yes, its true that airfares for December can be quite high, and so can be hotel rates.

I tell friends (the ones that ask for advice!) to be careful about bookings that straddle Christmas Eve and/or New Year's Eve. Hotels usually have their own "do" going on those dates, and if you're staying at a hotel, particularly in the Far East, it is almost the norm to be automatically charged a reasonably hefty fee for that event - whether or not you want to attend.

But those are problems to address when you get there. A recurring question I get, is where exactly is "there"? For many people, last minute changes to schedules, or a delayed project, can mean having to reschedule your vacations. Indian work culture being what it is, a lot of organisations may not think twice before asking a person to defer their vacation plans, even if it is by a day or two. And if that happens, often, it may not even be worth one's while, or indeed practical, to undertake the entire trip as planned. So one suggestion that I give, is for people to select destinations that are within India. If it must be overseas, I recommend locations that don't have a visa requirement (preferable), or have a visa-on-arrival facility.

Truth be told, there's not a lot of them. There are close to 48-50 countries that are visa-free or visa on arrival to Indians. and there are some more that are conditional (transit only, or you have to have a valid UK/US/Schengen/etc visa, and the sort). But at least, they are options, and what are we if we aren't men of reason? Options are good! And here they are.

First - the ones without conditions, where you can get a visa on arrival or are visa-free for Indians:

Africa: 
Burundi, Cape Verde, Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda

Americas: 

Bolivia, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands

Asia: 

Bhutan, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Iran, Jordan, Laos, Macau, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Tajikistan, Thailand

Oceania: 

Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Niue, Palau, Pitcairn Islands, Samoa, Tuvalu, Vanuatu

Then, the conditional list:

This is not formal advice, but is only indicative information. I've compiled these lists from various sources, but you should always check for the official requirements from each country's foreign ministry/embassy/etc website or consult your travel agent.

In my researches, I also came across this online tool, which helps determine under various conditions, where an Indian passport can take you without visa. Do check it out!

There seem to be some differences between this and my list above, so all the more reason to do your detailed research. But I do hope this helps