As the festival of colours approaches, here is a curated list of affordable offbeat places you can visit for a quick vacation to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Make spontaneous travel plans this holiday season ahead of Holi. (Unsplash)
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1. Gudibande Fort: Located at just 100 kilometres (kms) away from Bengaluru, the Gudibande fort is the best place if you are a trek enthusiast. Enjoy a scenery desked with vast landscapes, hills, rivers and tiny villages.
The fort is atop a hill near Karnataka's Chikballapura.
2. Nandi Hills: Located at an ideal 60 kilometres away from Bengaluru city, Nandi Hills is perfect if you want to relax and watch low-lying clouds at the top of the hill, or go for a trekking and camping experience filled with adventure. You can even go paragliding at Nandi Hills.
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3. Shivanasamudra: Best known for its waterfalls - Barachukki and Gaganachukki - Shivanasamudra is located near Mandya district of Karnataka, and is a vibrant sight to watch.
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3. Shivanasamudra: Best known for its waterfalls - Barachukki and Gaganachukki - Shivanasamudra is located near Mandya district of Karnataka, and is a vibrant sight to watch.
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4. Gokarna: Not only does Gokarna offer you a chill beach vibe, but it is also known as a temple town in Uttara Kannada district. It is a perfect destination for some solo-traveling, with many backpacking hostels in the town. Do not miss visiting the spectacular Murudeshwar temple which is just an hour away from Gokarna.
5. Horsley Hills: A three-hour ride through highways and beautiful villages, Horsley Hills is situated around 150 kms away from Bengaluru in Andhra Pradesh.
A beautiful terrain of mountains dotted with green.
6. Gandikota: Also located in Andhra Pradesh, at a distance of about 280 kms from Bengaluru, this is a definite must visit for its serene views. Known for the Gandikota fort, it also houses the prettiest canyons and caves, which will make for one memorable trip.
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Do not miss the 'Grand Canyon Of India' Gandikota along with the winding and breath-taking Belum caves.
7. Bylakuppe: At around 220 kms from Bengaluru, Bylakuppe has the second largest Tibetan settlement in the world. An unmissable getaway for the several beautiful monasteries located here.
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.
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