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VOTE: India's most overrated New Year's travel destinations
Presenting the most overrated New Year's Eve destinations! Take a poll and tell us which one tops the list:
No one wants to be home on New Year's Eve right? But would you rather want to be at one of these places? Tell us!
Khandala-Lonavala
Few songs must've done as much for any destination as Aamir Khan's Aati kya Khandala did to the hill station in Maharashtra.
It's been years since the song hit the charts but say and it's very unlikely you'd not think of it every time someone says 'Khandala'!
Worse, much like its neighbour Lonavala, Khandala is today merely an extended suburb of Mumbai and is as crowded, noisy and the kind of place you want to get out of as soon as possible.
You'd happier at Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Borivali.
Move on to the next slide and register your votes on the last page of the slideshow!
Matheran and Mahabaleshwar
Even though the names of Matheran and Mahabaleshwar are taken in a single breath, the two hill stations are more than 200 km apart!
Surely both have their charms -- Matheran, more so because of its narrow gauge 'toy train' and its clean air since no motorised vehicles are permitted beyond a certain point -- but god help you if you hate loud Bollywood music playing late into the night because that's the other thing that comes complimentary with breakfast in most hotels.
Move on to the next slide and register your votes on the last page of the slideshow!
Goa
Talking of loud music, there's Goa.
The tiny beach state that aspires to be the ultimate party destination somehow tends to lose all its charm during the last few weeks of December.
Its quiet streets turn into something unrecognisable as everyone who's anyone descends upon Goa wanting either to drink or be seen drinking.
Even if you don't mind the overcrowded beaches and the loud electronic music, Goa tends to be prohibitively expensive during this time of the year.
If you really want to burn a hole in your pocket, spend a few thousand more and go on that international holiday you've been meaning to instead.
Move on to the next slide and register your votes on the last page of the slideshow!
Daman
Situated strategically along the border of Gujarat and Maharashtra, Daman is a popular tourist destination that primarily attracts tourists from Gujarat.
While Daman does have a bit of history to offer -- like Goa, it was under Portuguese rule -- the primary reason for its popularity is the free availability of booze that is banned in Gujarat.
If you're idea is to get drunk, Daman is probably the place for you. But think of it really, is that how you really want to bring in the New Year?
Move on to the next slide and register your votes on the last page of the slideshow!
Mount Abu
What holds true for Daman holds true for Mount Abu too. The popular hill station in Rajasthan is barely a couple of hundred kilometres from Ahmedabad and during this time of the year, frequented mostly by folks who like a drink or two. Reserve Abu for another time of the year... perhaps the summer.
Move on to the next slide and register your votes on the last page of the slideshow!
Mumbai
Whether you're a foreign traveller or a local tourist, Mumbai should most definitely be on your itinerary. But visiting it on New Year's Eve? Erm, we're not quite sure that's a great idea.
Mumbai has the typical trappings of a big city that's just exploded out of the blue -- traffic jams, overcrowded public transport, restaurants and discotheques where you can just about barely move.
How much ever the Mumbaikars romanticise the city, you can take our word when we tell you that it isn't the place you'd want to be on December 31.
Move on to the next slide and register your votes on the last page of the slideshow!
New Delhi
Many of us like the idea of being in a big city to bring in the New Year. So the capital, might seem like the ultimate place.
Of course, few sights can overwhelm you and make you feel patriotic like the architecture around Rajpath but chances are you will always have that niggling feeling that you aren't quite as safe as you'd like to be in New Delhi.
Move on to the next slide and register your votes on the last page of the slideshow!
Mussoorie
Mussoorie suffers from the same plight as most popular hill stations in India -- overcrowded roads, overpriced hotels and that feeling of being neither amidst the bustle of a big city nor the quiet of a small town.
Move on to the next slide and register your votes on the last page of the slideshow!
Manali
If it wasn't one of the most explored tourist destinations already, Manali tourism got an extra shot in the arm thanks to this year's blockbuster hit Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani in which it has been featured (though the most prominent and picturesque shots were canned in Gulmarg, Jammu & Kashmir)
Manali also ranks in the top ten of the places where most Indians are heading to this New Year's Eve. Are you sure you want to be one of them too?
Move on to the next slide and register your votes on the last page of the slideshow!
Bangalore
The city may be known for its nightlife but unless you plan to bring in New Year's Eve at 10.30 pm or whenever the authorities deem fit, we recommend you firmly stay away from the state capital.
Move on to the next slide and register your votes on the last page of the slideshow!
Darjeeling
We wind up this list with Darjeeling that Alison Roberts a Rough Guide travel editor counts among the overrated travel destinations.
Pollution is beginning to take its toll so if its clean air you were hoping to breathe on New Year's Eve, we suggest heading to Spiti and roughing it out a bit instead.
Move on to the last slide and register your votes!
VOTE: India's most overrated New Year's travel destinations
Vote for the most overrated New Year's Eve destination!