When visiting India, most people just stick to the itineraries of common tourist guides, which often only present the most popular choices. To ensure you do not miss out on something that might interest you personally, here we show you five hidden pearls that often do not make it into a trip plan. Have a look at our list before checking the Air India express flight schedule to fix the details of your holiday.
Amritsar
Amritsar is known as the “jewel of Punjab” and is the second biggest city of the Indian state. It is the home of the famous 400-year-old Golden Temple. It is also a sacred place for the people of Sikh religion and it is a pilgrimage destination for millions of Sikhs from across India and abroad. To show respect to them, remember to cover your head and take off your shoes when you enter the temple.
Ellora and Ajanta
In Maharashtra, you can visit these beautiful caves that are honoured with the title of UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Ellora Caves contain 34 Buddhist, Jain and Hindu carvings. The most famous monument is the Kailasa Temple and its life-sized elephant sculptures.
Around 100 kilometres northeast, the Ajanta caves present around 30 Buddhist carvings and feature paintings and murals representing Buddhist stories. Both findings are older than 1,500 years, and the Ajanta caves are dated as back as 2 centuries BC.
Darjeeling
In West Bengal lies the municipality of Darjeeling, 2000 metres above sea level. The region is especially famous for its tea plantations and the hill station will give you one of the best panoramic views you can find in India.
This place is loved by hikers and mountain bike enthusiasts and there are many beautiful Buddhist temples in the most amazing locations. And of course, you can take a ride on the world-famous Darjeeling Himalayan Railway.
Kaziranga
In the Golaghat and Nagaon districts of the state of Assam, the Kaziranga National Park is a World Heritage Site that boasts the highest density population of tigers in the world,and hosts 70% of all Indian rhinoceros. This park is also famous for birdwatching trips, otherwise you can take wildlife tours on elephants or off-road vehicles.
Meghalaya
Meghalaya is one of the wettest places on earth and it is a place where you can see the real beauty of nature. Tourists’ favourite attractions are the living-root bridges, astonishing structures created by the inventiveness of the local tribes that teach us the true meaning of exploiting natural resources. You can find these in Mawlynnong and Cherrapunji.
In Jowai you can find the suggestive Krang Suri waterfall and in Nartiang you can find some fascinating monoliths whose existence many tourists ignore. This area is just perfect for nature lovers.
Did some destination catch your attention? Remember to always make your own trip plan and arrangements, you’ll have the best time.
