Category Tourist Spots in India

               If one seeks relaxation and peace of mind. Amboli is the perfect answer. The scenic hills and the dense forests amidst the refreshing cool air make this place a paradise on Earth. Amboli, a pretty little hill station is situated at an altitude of about 690 metres in the state of Maharashtra. This tourist hotspot lies in the Sahyadri Ranges and comes under the Sindhudurg district.

               Amboli abounds in unusual flora and fauna. The source of the Hiranyakeshi River lies in the hills around Amboli village. Amboli is a haven for waterfalls. Shirgaonkar Point, Mahadevgad and the Nangarta Falls are some of the numerous waterfalls that can be found here. The Nagatta Falls provides for an excellent location for picnics and relaxing. The Hiranyakeshi Falls houses a small and archaic Shiva Temple near the mouth of its caves.

               Amboli has many viewpoints, like the Sea View Point, the Kavelsad Point, the Parikshit Point and the Mahadevgad Point. All these points offer panoramic views of the confluence of the Arabian Sea and the Konkan Coast.

               Apart of Bhutan until it was wrested by colonial Britain and joined to the Indian Territory, the hill station of Kalimpong boasts of ancient Buddhist monasteries, quaint old churches and popular temples. Situated on the lower ranges of the Himalayas, Kalimpong offers panoramic vistas of the Teesta Rangit Valley in Sikkim.

               Kalimpong is situated on the northern edge of West Bengal in eastern India and is about 53 km from the hill station of Darjeeling. The town was added to the district of Darjeeling in 1866.

                The Indian Army’s 27 Mountain Division is located on the outskirts of the town. Horticulture is important to Kalimpong – it has a flower market notable for its wide array of orchids. Nurseries, which export Himalayan grown flower bulbs, tubers and rhizomes, contribute to the economy of Kalimpong. There are numerous tourist places, attractions and activities in and around Kalimpong. There are so many lovely viewpoints offering sweeping views of Kanchenjunga and Chola range as well as of river Teesta.

               ‘What Bengal thinks today, India thinks tomorrow’, is a famous line associated with the city for having produced some of the greatest thinkers, artists, filmmakers, and writers.

               Kolkata’s recorded history began in 1690 with the arrival of the English East India Company.

               The first capital of the British in India, Kolkata has a history that’s different from that of any other city in India.

               The city was established when British moved to the small villages of Sutanati, Govindpur, and Kalikata from their trading port of Hooghly. It served as the capital of British India till 1911 and then was shifted to Delhi. The city was renamed, Kolkata in 2001. Located along the banks of river Hoogly, Kolkata is connected to Howrah by the iconic Howrah Bridge.

               The city’s colonial past is reflected in its architecture. Some famous places of attractions are Victoria Memorial Kumortuli, Mullik Ghat flower market, Botanical gardens, Magen David Synagogue etc.

               Daman and Diu have become synonymous with  blue sea, rustic beaches, picturesque villages and relics from its Portuguese past. Daman and Diu is a union territory of India and was under the rule of the Portuguese for more than 450 years. The territory comprises two distinct regions Daman and Diu, geographically separated by the Gulf of Khambhat. The state of Gujarat and Arabian Sea border the territory. The main settlement is the town of Diu.

               The influence of the Portuguese is evident in its architecture, way of life and food habits. People belonging to European, African and Indian origin have settled in Daman and Diu. Nani Daman Fort, Diu Fort, Fort of Moti Daman, Nadia Caves, Tower of Silence, Daman Freedom Memorial, Fortim do Mar, Portuguese Fort etc showcase Portuguese architecture. Besides this, Daman and Diu have many beautiful beaches too.

               The Keoladeo Ghana National Park or Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary is situated in the country’s north-western state of Rajasthan. The park is renowned as a birdwatcher’s paradise.

               The Keoladeo Ghana Park is famous as one of Asia’s finest birding areas, with over 380 resident and migrant species, including the demoiselle cranes and the rare Siberian cranes. It is also an excellent place to watch mammals like golden jackal, striped hyaena, fishing cat, jungle cat, nilgai, sambar, blackbuck and wild boar. The park derives its name from the temple of Keoladeo (Shiva) and ‘ghana’ which locally means dense, implying the nature of the vegetation. During the cool winter months, it is also possible to see large Indian pythons sunning themselves.

               The park occupies an area of roughly 29 sq km and features a range of man-made wetlands and micro-habitats including low lying lands completely submerged in water, grasslands and dense tree growth.

               The Belum caves in the Vishakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh are the second largest caves in India after the Meghalaya caves. They are created naturally by the action of flowing water on limestone deposits forming stalactites and stalagmites, siphons, water galleries etc.

               The relics found in the caves are from the Buddhist era proving that Buddhist monks were living in these caves. There are other relics from older times, which prove that these caves were inhabited around 4500 BC. These ancient caves were first discovered by an English inspector of land and property called Robert Bruce Foote in 1884.

               The entrance to the caves is from a pit which was much smaller, and has been made larger now. There is a metal stairway now to climb down into, and up from the pit. In 1988, the state government declared the site protected, and the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation developed the caves as a tourist attraction in February 2002.

               Situated in the Hassan district of Karnataka, Sakleshpur is a quaint hill station that boasts a scenic environment, pleasant climate, and lofty green hills that are full of cardamom, coffee, pepper and areca plantations.

               It’s a spectacular town tucked away in the Western Ghats on the Bangalore-Mangalore highway. Sakleshpur is known for its salubrious climate, and had earned the sobriquet ‘poor man’s Ooty’ during the British rule.

               Tourists can enjoy exploring the flora and fauna of the Bisle Reserve Forest, which is just 45 km away from the city. The view of the forest is really extravagant.

               Besides, trekking to Bisle Reserve Forest and Kumara Parvatha are also the best ways to explore the rich biodiversity of the place.

               Manjarabad Fort is another major attraction, which provides an aerial view of the Western Ghats.

               The Sela Pass is the high-altitude mountain pass located in the Tawang district of the Arunachal Pradesh. It has an elevation of 4170 metres. It connects the city of Tawang to Tezpur and Guwahati and is the main road connecting Tawang with the rest of India.

               The Sela Pass is situated at a distance of 78 km from Tawang town. The pass is open throughout the year. During landslide and heavy snow the pass is shut down temporarily. Tawang district lies in close proximity to Tibet.

               The pass has hardly any vegetation, and is usually snow-covered year around. During winter, the temperature in the pass can go down to minus ten degrees. This place is snowed in most of the year, and offers excellent and heavenly views all year round.

               This part of the eastern Himalayan range is a sacred site for the Buddhists as it is believed that about 101 lakes exist in and around the Sela Pass, and each of these lakes has a huge religious significance for the Buddhist community.

               Shimoga, meaning the ‘face of Shiva’ is situated at a distance of 275 km from Bangalore, and is also known as the bread basket of Karnataka, because of the rich fertility of this region. For every travel and adventure lover Shimoga is like heaven on Earth.

               Shimoga has been officially renamed Shivamogga. It is often called the cultural capital of Karnataka, and is a place brimming with nature and beautiful landscapes. This magnificent hill station, which is the gateway to India’s beautiful Western Ghats, is a perfect tourist attraction.

               Shimoga is a true nature’s gift, spread with waterfalls, and enchanting natural scenery of hills, dense forests, flora and fauna. Its forts, swaying palms and abundant paddy fields. All these make Shimoga a picturesque locale.

               This place has many tourist attractions. One among them is Shivappa Nayaka Palace, which is located in the heart of Shimoga city, on the banks of River Tunga. This palace was built in the 16th century by the Keladi ruler, Shivappa Nayaka. There are several waterfalls around Shimoga that attract the senses of every nature buff.

               The Maikal Hills are range of hills in the state of Chhattisgarh. The Maikal Hills are an eastern part of the Satpuras in Kawardha district of Chhattisgarh.

               The hills are filled with lush green forest and the atmosphere is serene. The hills have an altitude ranging from 340 metres to 941 metres above sea level. Many rivers are formed from the foot of the hills. Tributaries of Narmada and Wainganga rivers are formed from the hills. The hills are populated by local tribes called Baigas and Gonds.

               The Kanha National Park of Madhya Pradesh is located in the Maikal Hills of the Satpuras. The park’s landmark achievement is the preservation of the rare, hard ground swamp deer (Barasingha), saving it from near extinction. Stringent conservation programmes for the overall protection of the park’s fauna and flora, makes Kanha one of the most well maintained national parks in Asia.