Spend the night in a sheep-skin tent beside Issyk-Kul Lake, bounded by mountains in Kyrgyzstan, or just chill on the exotic beaches of Peru. Calcuttans this season are heading out to unconventional, if not unheard of, destinations.

“Bangkok and Singapore seem to have lost their charm, with people being drawn to quaint locales,” said Anil Punjabi, chairman of the Travel Agents Federation of India (east). “Shopping, obviously, is not a priority for them any more. They would rather explore virgin places.”

Kyrgyzstan ambassador Irina A. Orolbaeva, who was in town recently to meet the chief minister and industry captains, said warm water lakes, valleys and mountain ranges are luring more and more Indians to her country. “It’s now a popular ski resort for many.”

Irina proposed that a “new tourism route be developed from India to central Asia, covering Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

Connectivity, however, remains a problem, with only a weekly flight linking New Delhi with Kyrgyzstan capital Bishkek. Irina assured the adventurous Calcuttan that plans are afoot to increase flight frequency. “Kyrgyzstan Airline has plans to start operations in India by the middle of this year,” she revealed.

Other unconventional destinations the Calcuttan on the move is headed for are Seychelles and Cambodian capital Phnom Penh. “These are exotic places with virgin beaches, temples and other places of interest. And they are also easy on the pocket,” said a tour operator.

Thomas Cook India is promoting “exotic honeymoon destinations” like Fiji, Tahiti and Peruvian capital Lima. “Fiji is a wonderful getaway, where one can just float in the quiet waters of a turquoise lagoon at sunset or simply walk through the lush rainforest,” a Thomas Cook official said.

In Tahiti, adventure sports like windsurfing, jet skiing and scuba diving are the main draws. “Lima, with its big white beaches, turned out to be a dream destination. We hope to discover one such unusual place every year,” said Manish and Sushma Agarwal, just back from their honeymoon.