We are no longer content with sight seeing and discovering a place like a quintessential tourist does. We want more, and we want it all tailor-made for us. It is no longer unimaginable to go to Paris and not see the Louvre but instead, spend all our time in the charming cafés that dot the sidewalks. A growing number of travellers are choosing to micro travel with a very specific agenda in mind. We set out to find the most appealing reasons to make you step out of that cubicle, and discover a life beyond deadlines and meetings. It could be a culinary trail or the idea of becoming fitter and finally fulfilling your New Year resolution; it could be to spend some time in nature, or just to balance out your inner rhythms. Apart from the travel industry insiders, we also quizzed those at the apex of their field, so that your ‘niche travel year’ can become a lot more wholesome. Don’t just read these pages. Get excited, make plans and find a little bit of yourself in 2013.

Travel to get fitter
Must go to: Ladakh
Says: Leena Mogre, fitness expert
The beauty of Ladakh — a celestial land that is delectably located in a place where access is limited — has been much described. Peacefully tucked away into the mountains of Kashmir, the rugged land poses a formidable but gorgeous challenge to those looking at the holiday that will make them return home not only with tales to tell but also with a fitter physique. “It’s when you go trekking in the hills around that you realise how awestruck you can get,” says Leena Mogre, director of Leena Mogre’s Fitness.