1. LADAKH
I cannot think of any place on earth that can be more out of this world, demanding and charming than Ladakh. There is beauty in its sterility. The colours are stark. The Indus River beckons you, curving along the path, taking you to lands forgotten. Dressed in snow, the mountains surround you as you climb the steps to monasteries perched unsteadily on cliffs. Watch the lakes change colour every minute as you drive during the land of
2. DIRANG
A difficult to understand little hill station, Dirang is located in West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh in northeast India. Calm and sleepy, the town is my favorite stopover en route to Tawang. Walk around and you will find houses huddle along the banks of a small stream. You could drive up to see antique monasteries or visit the ruins of the 17th century fort.
3. NAINITAL
It may be crowded and filled with loud tourists but my vote goes for Nainital. The Himalayas circle you and, on a clear day, you can see the peaks of Nanda Devi and Trishul if you take the cable car up to the Snow View. The colonial ambiance takes you to the days of the Raj, but Nainital also has its bit of legendary pressures. Be it the grace of the Goddess Naini Devi who gives the town its name or the eye-shaped lake, Nainital is
4. MASHOBRA
Scarcely a few kilometres away from Shimla, Mashobra is an escape from the touristy capital. Wake up to a Himalayan sunrise, do a bit of birding, have a high regard for the contours of the mountains, drive up to Chail to see the fortress or just lose by hand in the green forests around – Mashobra is an ideal getaway to beat the heat.
5. SIKKIM
Visualize sitting outside your little homestay , sipping chai and bringing up the rear yourself in a foggy sky and then all of a unexpected, the mist parts ways just to give you that little peep , for a few seconds of the mighty Kanchenjunga. That is Sikkim for you. You will be walking up a knoll and unexpectedly you see an old monastery. I like better Pelling to Gangtok as it is quieter and offers enhanced views of the mountain. And while you are there, visit
6. KODAIKANAL
Call it the Gift of the Forests or the Princess of the Hill Stations, Kodaikanal is snuggled high up in the Western Ghats. Dense shola forests, grasslands, tall eucalyptus groves – Kodaikanal is soaked in fog and mist most of the time. Caves, hidden waterfalls, lakes insert away inside lush forests – Kodaikanal is indeed nature’s own end.
7. COORG
They don’t call it the Scotland of the East for nothing. The fabric of green is only episodic by waterfalls, rivers and streams. The haze come calling – be it at Talacauvery where the River Cauvery has its beginning or at Raja’s Seat in Madikeri, which offers some stunning views. The Western Ghats are covered with forests, while coffee and spice plantations fill their grades. If you haven’t been to Coorg, then you of course have no idea
8. MUNNAR
Situated at the coming together of the three rivers on the Western Ghats in Kerala is Munnar. Covered in a fabric of tea plantations, Munnar is a biodiversity hot spot bounded by wildlife sanctuaries, even though its environment is now disjointed. If you are a wildlife fan or a birder or just a pantheist, Munnar is the place for you.