#14places you should visit in #India

Most of the stuff on this blog until now has largely been about Europe centric travel and I’ve been thinking for sometime about writing about my travels in India, my homeland and the place where I first caught the travel bug. Think about travelling to India and you will usually end up drawing up a list of the usual favorites: the Taj Mahal, the sunny beaches of Goa, the backwaters of Kerala, the forts and palaces of Rajasthan, etcetera and etcetera. But that’s not all there is to travelling in India. There are numerous other fascinating places awaiting to be discovered and have not yet completely fallen prey to the hoards of tourists that you see otherwise. These places will leave you awestruck by the beauty of the landscape and the warmth of the people. So come onboard and travel!

 

 

Note: Many places on this list require special permissions and inner line permits for foreigners and also in some cases for Indian citizens. These can be obtained from the Indian embassies or the tourist departments of the states. Remember to apply in advance. Many tour guides and companies offer to arrange this as well.

 

#1 Lato, Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir

Because it is supposed to be the place where Gondwanaland collided with Laurasia giving rise to modern day Africa, Asia and Australia and also the leading to the birth of the Himalayas

The blue deer (Nilgai) on the rocky basalt slopes in Lato

The cold dessert in Nubra valley

#2 Nubra Valley, Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir

Because you don’t always find a cold dessert (pun intended)

#3 Khonoma, Nagaland

Because it has been accredited as being India’s only “Green village” and has its own animal sanctuary. Ream more here

#4 Eagles Nest National Park, Arunachal Pradesh

Because you will be amazed with the avifauna and natural beauty! North east India’s best kept secret

Birding in Eagles’ nest national park

Trees burnt by lightening strikes in Eagle’s nest National Park

#5 Pakke National Park, Arunachal Pradesh

Again, great avifauna and natural beauty and home of the Hornbills!

#6 Pangong Tso, Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir

Because you can see all the seven shades of blue on a bright and sunny day!

Pangong Lake

#7 Kohima War Memorial, Nagaland

Because it commemorates the lesser known heroics of Indian and British troops who thwarted the Japanese attack during World War 2

Kohima War Memorial

#8 Great Himachal National Park, Himachal Pradesh

Because it has mountains, lakes, rivers and everything you need to get back to nature

The Great Himalayan National Park

The river Beas flows through the Great Himalayan National Park

#9 Thikshey and Hemis Monasteries (Gompas), Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir

Thikshey monastery

The Buddha statue in Thikshey

Because you can get a glimpse into the buddhist way of life

#10 Kaziranga National Park, Assam

Because it is one of the last abodes of the majestic One horned rhinoceros

One horned rhinoceros and deer in the Kaziranga National Park

Kaziranga National Park

#11 National Highway 1A, Srinagar to Rohtang via Kargil, Leh and Keylong

Because it is one of the best national highways on the planet with a view!

NH1A towards Leh

The confluence of the silt laden Zanskar river with the Indus river next to NH1A

Chandrabagha river near Keylong

#12 Mansywmram and Cherrapunjee, Meghalaya

The wettest place on the planet and home to caves and eerie root bridges

Mawsynram: The wettest place on the planet

Living root bridges in Mawsynram

#13 Chang la Pass, Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir

Because at 17590 feet,  it is one of the highest motor-able roads on the planet

Chang la Pass in early spring

Yaks at Chang La Pass

Buddhist prayer flags mark the beginning of Chang la Pass

Chang la pass

#14 Tsomoriri, Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir

Because it is absolute bliss being here

Tsomoriri Lake

 

 

All pictures by the @nonresidentdesi

This post is for the #SundayTraveller Link up hosted by some awesome travel bloggers like @ASouthern_Gypsy, @packmeto and @frankaboutcro, @permafrosting, @chaseTHEdonkey. Do read their amazing travel blogs and posts!