Mumbai, Aug 14 - Not even swine flu can make the spirits of Mumbaikars sag. The grip of the disease in Maharashtra notwithstanding, they are making the best of a long weekend and are off to holiday resorts.

Despite official advisories against travelling to popular getaways like Lonavala and Khandala, city residents are planning to go to other destinations as they have holidays on account of Janmashtami Friday, Independence Day Saturday and then Sunday.

'You cannot keep Mumbaikars locked in their homes for any reason for so many days. If not cinema halls, they will explore other avenues for entertainment and outing. Let the authorities and swine flu do their jobs...!' joked marketing professional Venkat Iyer.

Bookings for travel as well as board and lodging to places like Mahabaleshwar, Panchgani, Matheran and beach resorts like Daman, Alibaug, Kashid, Murud-Janjira, Sindhudurg and Ganpatipule are full for three days, say tour operators.

'The weather is good to travel to the mountains or the seaside; so people are going to both, depending on individual choices,' Raju Bhatia, proprietor of Deepa Travels Private Ltd, told IANS.

When asked whether swine flu had dampened the enthusiasm of Mumbaikars, Bhatia said people were planning to take 'all precautions'. Some had booked at least a month in advance, so cancellations would mean losses for them, he said.

Besides, restrictions have been imposed in Mumbai on account of swine flu, with schools and colleges shut for a week and cinema halls and multiplexes shut for four days from Thursday.

Most people had marked their calendars for long weekends at the start of 2009, said Yogesh Lele of Sanjog Tours & Travels. 'Such opportunities are too precious for Mumbaikars to let go of, swine flu or not,' he smiled and said.

The mood is buoyant even at hill stations. 'We have full bookings and advance inquiries for Diwali and even Christmas,' Kobad Davierwalla, owner of Panchgani Hill Plaza, told IANS.

Panchgani falls in Satara district, one of the worst affected by swine flu.