Category Tourist Spots in India

               Ziro is a town in the Lower Subansiri district in Arunachal Pradesh. It is known for its pine-covered hilly slopes lowering towards the ground, its forests, beautiful paddy fields, and active cultural life.

               It has been a favourite town for World Heritage Site for a number of years now.

               Apatani Plateau, as Ziro is popularly known, is situated at an altitude of 1500 metres above sea level. It is the perfect place to connect with nature. It really is one of the most beautiful valleys in the country, with layered rice fields, and blue skies, surrounded by a ring of deep green forests and the towering jagged Eastern Himalayan range in the distance.

               There are many places of interest in Ziro. The Talley Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, Meghna Cave Temple, Kile Pakho, Ziro Puto, Dolo Mando, Dilopolyang Maniipolyang, Pine Grove, Bamboo Grove, Tipi Orchid Research Centre etc. are a few among them.

               The Great Rann of Kutch is a salt marsh located in the Thar Desert in the Kutch District of Gujarat. The Great Rann of Kutch spans an area of 7505.22 sq km and is reputed to be one of the largest salt deserts in the world. This area has been inhabited by the Kutchi people.

               It is home to a wide array of flora and fauna. The area is very famous for the Indian wild ass, found in the Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary there, which is the largest in India.

               The Government of Gujarat hosts an annual, three month long festival during winter called the ‘Rann Utsav’. Rann Utsav gives visitors not only a chance to experience full moon on salt deserts but also get a taste of the local culture, cuisine, and hospitality.

               The beauty of the Rann increases manifold when a riot of colours are splashed when people wearing colourful, ethnic wear perform folk dances and music during the ‘Rann Utsav’.

               Kamshet is a hill station in Maharashtra. It is 16 km away from the twin hill stations of Khandala and Lonavala.

               Luscious green cover, placid lakes and enticing hilly terrains make it a perfect holiday destination. Kamshet has many small houses that are built in the traditional style – with mud, thatch, and reeds. The hills in and around Kamshet are dotted with ancient cave temples and medieval fortresses. Nestled in the Western Ghats about 110 km from Mumbai, Kamshet straddles the ancient trade route between the Konkan region and Pune.

               The world-class paragliding facilities attract a large number of flying-sport aficionados to Kamshet. It is one of the two main paragliding spots in Maharashtra.

               It also has many beautiful lakes such as Vadivale Lake, Thokarwadi and Pawna. Other attractions are Caves of Karla, Bedsa and Bhaja, and Temples of Wadeshwar, Kondeshwar and Sangameshwar.

               Coorg, also known as Kodagu, is a hill station located in Karnataka famous for its coffee and tea plantations. Coorg is called the ‘Scotland of India’ and also the ‘Kashmir of the South’, because of its majestic beauty and cool climate.

               The rain-drenched forests and mountain ranges provide a unique ecosystem in which many species of birds, animals, and plants find sustenance.

               It also scores as a popular destination because of its culture and people. The Kodavas, a local clan specializing in martial arts, are especially notable for their keen hospitality. Some of the most popular tourist attractions in Kodagu include Talakaveri, Bhagamandala, Nisargadhama, Abbey Falls, Dubare, Nagar hole National Park, Iruppu Falls, and the Tibetan Buddhist Golden Temple.

               Located 18 km away from the state capital of Kerala, Kovalam is a haven of serenity. It’s a pleasant tourist spot in ‘God’s Own Country’. It’s a magnificent beach supported by sharply mounting headlands, enclosed by coconut palms.

               Kovalam is known to be home to a varied range of flora and fauna. It also has a bird sanctuary, which is famous for having migratory birds of different species. Kovalam is among the most prominent tourist spots in India. It is very popular among tourists, who arrive mostly from Europe and the US. There are a large number of beach resorts in and around Kovalam.

               Kovalam is blessed with a moderate climate all through the year. The climate of Kovalam is of a balanced tropical form. The main tourist attractions here are Karamana River, Vizhinjam Lighthouse, Samudra Beach, Vellayani Lake, Kovalam Art Gallery, Valiyathura Pier, Halcyon Castle, Neyyar Dam and Hawwah Beach.

               Popularly known as the ‘cultural capital of Karnataka’, Mysore is a place that beautifully blends the splendour of history with the living vibrancy of traditions and culture. It is located in the foothills of the Chamundi Hills.

                It was the lush green sandalwood forests that gave the city names like ‘city of palaces’, and ‘sandalwood city’. Recently the city was declared the ‘second cleanest city’ in India. The rich cultural heritage and historical significance of this glorious city attracts tourists from around the world.

                Mysore is a major tourist destination in its own right, and serves as a base for other tourist attractions in the vicinity.

               Other than the famous Mysore Palace, the Jaganmohan Palace, the Sand Sculpture Museum, the Jayalakshmi Vilas and the Lalitha Mahal are other palaces in the city.

               Chamundeshwari Temple, Chamundi Hills, St. Philomena’s Church are other places of tourist attractions. The Mysore Zoo also attracts tourists from around the world.

               The only hill station in Rajasthan, Mount Abu, is located 475 km from Jaipur, in the Sirohi district on the highest peak of the Aravalli range. It is known for its Dilwara Jain temples. With coniferous trees and flowering shrubs covering the hillside, the climate in Mount Abu remains quite cool, making it the summer capital of Rajasthan.

               The highest peak on the mountain is Guru Shikhar at 1,722 m above sea level. It is referred to as ‘an oasis in the desert’ as its heights are home to rivers, lakes and waterfalls.

               The Dilwara Jain temples are a complex of temples, carved out of white marble, that were built between the 11th and 13th centuries AD. The historical Achalgarh Fort, built in the 14th century by Rana Kumbha of Mewar, encloses several Jain temples, including the Achaleswar Mahadev Temple, and the Kantinath Temple.

               In the heart of the city is the Nakki Lake, another attraction for tourist to Mount Abu. It also constitutes ecotourism sites such as Arna Village. The setting sun scene on Mount Abu is famous among tourists.

               Puducherry, also known as Pondicherry, situated on the east coast of India, 135 km south of Chennai. The union territory of Puducherry was under French rule until 1954. Even years after the French left it, Pondicherry has managed to retain its French influence with Mediterranean style houses.

               One of the prominent attractions here is the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, founded in 1926 by Sri Aurobindo and a French woman called ‘Mother’. The Sri Aurobindo Ashram still operates from Puducherry.

               A major attraction in the area is Auroville, an experimental township where people from all countries, races, castes, creeds and political ideologies can live together in peace and progressive harmony.

               Made up of four small unconnected districts- Puducherry, Karaikal, Yanam and Mahe – the union territory of Puducherry is bordered by Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala.

               Other attractions in Puducherry are the Police museum, Manakula Vinayagar temple and the Immaculate Conception cathedral. The quiet beaches in Puducherry are really wonderful too.

Picture credit: google

               Gangtok is one of the prominent destinations for travel enthusiasts simply because of its Himalayan environment. Gangtok, capital of Sikkim, is located in the eastern Himalayan range, at an elevation of 1,650 metres.

               The state is bestowed with a great variety of vegetation and undisturbed valleys, total sanitation, peaceful environment, hospitable and humble people and a rich cultural heritage. It is known for its scenic beauty and striking views of Mount Kanchenjunga, the third highest peak in the world.

               Tourism, which peaks in spring and summer, is the main source of income in Gangtok.

               Gangtok is surrounded by dense forests which are full of poplar, oak and elm trees. From coniferous green trees of the wet alpine zone to rare orchids and bamboos, this region has it all.

              Kanchenjunga view point, Teesta River rafting, the Nathula Pass, and Buddhist monasteries, including the Enchey monastery, are the major attractions.

               Binsar, in Uttarakhand, nestled amidst the beautiful Himalayas every tourist’s dream destination. A few kilometres away from Nainital, Binsar is surrounded by Alpine forests.

               The summer capital of the erstwhile Chand kings of Kumaon, Binsar is one of the most scenic spots in the Himalayas. Perched at an elevation of 2420 metres, Binsar is known for offering spell-binding views of the majestic Himalayan peaks such as Chaukhamba, Nanda Devi, Nanda Kot, Panchchuli, and Kedarnath.

               Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary was established in 1988 for the conservation and protection of the shrinking broad leaf oak forests of the Central Himalayan region, and it has over 200 bird species.

               The main attraction of Binsar is the 300 kilometres of majestic and panoramic view of Himalayan peaks from Zero Point. Apart from this, the popular tourist attractions located in the vicinity of Binsar include the Bineshwar Mahadev Temple, Binsar Sanctuary Museum, and the Kasar Devi Temple.