Here's an idea: Give foreign travel a miss, try Indian locales for your New Year holiday

It is the Christmas season and time soon to usher in the New Year. If you have India on your itinerary and a budget that is not wafer-thin, how about checking out some of these places listed here, which are popular destinations too, and enjoy a unique holiday in your backyard with chilly winter and snow. It will not singe your pocket,too. Hari Nair, Founder and CEO, HolidayIQ says domestic tourism is largely regional. People from a particular region prefer to visit places that are local. “There are places in India that are unique in the global context that people are not aware of.” Budget: Depending on the region from where you are travelling, the sites listed below can be booked at an average budget of as low as Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000 a day. If you are crossing states, you need to factor in that travel cost to the budget mentioned. Nair chalks out some destinations that have done domestic tourism proud. The Himalayas: The greatest mountain ranges in the world span 12 Indian states:  Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal. [caption id=“attachment_2560100” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] A group of devotees in Rishikesh. Pic: AFP[/caption] If you want to explore the Himalayas, you have the benefit of the weather this season. There a range of options combined with altitude. How about crafting a holiday to Rishikesh? Located at the foothills of the Himalayas with the Ganga flowing past, you could have an adventure tour with whitewater rafting, bungee jumping, trekking expeditions and throw in some yoga too, if you feel inclined to do it during a holiday. For those who’d like some spiritual fodder, pick out the places that go to make Char Dham — Gangotri, Yamunotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath. There is the entire North-East that is a good option to go to this winter. There is not much rush there this season, says Nair. So take your pick from among the states in the NE and indulge in a food, adventure and a know-your-country tour. Tiger Trails: India has 70 percent of the world tiger population which increased by 30 percent in the past three years, according to the tiger census released earlier this year. The number of tigers went up from 1,706 in 2011 to 2,226 in 2014, which resulted in a phenomenal increase of 230 percent in the number of holidays planned around tiger trails in 2015. How about a safari experience? Did you say that is better off in South Africa? But check out what India can offer.   [caption id=“attachment_2560098” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] Bandipur National Park, Karnataka. Pic: AFP[/caption] The most visited tiger reserves in India are Bandipur National Park, Karnataka; Sunderbans National Park, West Bengal; Mudumalai National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary, Tamil Nadu; and Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan. Take a trip to Ranthambore in the Indo-Gangetic plain. You can spot the tiger here easily during daytime too. At Ranthambore, you can visit ancient sites like temples, museum, forts, old Sawai Madhopur city, and watch the black buck (it is now famous for its name being synonymous with a Bollywood actor) antelope that roams freely in the rural village of Devpura. Combine Bandipur National Park with any of the places near by such as Wayanad, Ooty, Mysore, etc and you can have either a tour with history, adventure, or just sit back and relax at any of these places. Mudumulai National Park is located at the foothills of the Nilgiris. You can combine this trip with a temple tour of south India. Islands: India has two fantastic islands: Lakshadweep and Andamans and two oceans – Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal. It is rare to find one country which has two island and two oceans, says Nair. Andaman Island is closer to Thailand. It has a host of attractions besides its pristine beaches. For those interested in adventure, there is scuba diving, snorkelling, which says Nair, is among the best holidays India offers to adventure tourists. Besides, there are hills, the famous turtle nesting ground at Diglipur and museums, of course. And  is also home to the infamous cellular jail, a former British prison for freedom fighters. Lakshadweep Islands, off the coast of Kerala, has 39 islands. It is a place to go to for water sports. [caption id=“attachment_2560102” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] Buddha park - Tathagatatsal, in South SIkkim. Pic: AFP[/caption] Heritage: If you went to Europe, for instance, the oldest heritage there will be around 1000 years old. India has 3000 year-old ruins. Take a trip through history by visiting Indus Valley Civilisation sites at Lothal, Surkotda and Dholavira and . It is one of the world’s oldest and greatest civilisation. The best place to go to would be to north Gujarat which has had Harappans coming into Kutch around 2,500 BC. Around 60 settlement have been found her, of which 40 belong to the early phase of the civilisation and the remaining from the latter phase of the mature Harappan culture. [caption id=“attachment_2560106” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] Enjoy a ride aboard a houseboat in the backwaters of Alappuzha, Kerala. Pic: AFP[/caption] Natural Formations: From the Wular lake, the largest fresh water lake in Jammu and Kashmir to Gurudongmar Lake, one of the highest lakes in the world, in Kanchenjunga range in Sikkim to the backwaters in Kerala, you have splendid natural formations here in India that can leave you with happy memories.