Plan Your Trip Online

Traveling through cyberspace can be exciting, but it's no substitute for an adventure in the real world. That is where the Web can really help you research destinations, organise your itinerary and book reservations. Whether you want a weekend getaway or a month-long safari, consult the Internet to save you time (no more trekking to bookstores for guidebooks and maps) and money (discounts abound on airfares, hotels and ground transportation). Where do you start? Here's our step-by-step guide:

Where would you like to go? One option is to use a search engine to find information about choice spots. If you choose this route, use a directory like Yahoo! Why? Because it lists websites in categories, so you can easily find listings for Indian resorts, for example.

Or you can choose to browse the websites of travel publications. You can begin your journey at:

• Yatra.com
• Makemytrip.com
• Incredible India
• Fodors
• Lonely Planet
• Concierge.com

Another excellent resource is TripAdvisor, which features reader reviews of both popular and obscure destinations, accommodations and activities around the world.

For detailed data about international locales, you can not beat the CIA World Factbook. It's not just for spies!

For worldwide travel advisories, visit the websites of the U.S. State Department or the British Foreign Office.

For health advisories, try the World Health Organization (WHO).

Once you know where you want to go, it is time to get specific. What are the sights to see? Which events will be happening during your trip? Where are the best places to eat? Answers to these questions await you online.

Let us say you plan to spend a week in the backwaters of Kerala, India and want to sample the local cuisine. Some of the websites listed above may have recommendations for houseboats and local restaurants. But many newspapers have dining sections, so go to the website of the local paper (try OnlineNewpapers.com to locate them), and search its archive.

As you plan your trip, hopping from link to link, you are bound to stumble on all kinds of gems. Bookmark the pages so you can easily return to them.