India, probably the world´s most diverse and exotic country.
India offers endless adventure opportunities, from skiing in Kashmir, world-class diving in the Andaman Islands and the possibility to visit hidden tribes around the country that rarely see tourists, to wildlife encounters like nowhere else in the world. India has it all.
10 off the beaten path destinations to visit in India
But for some reason seem most tourist only want to visit the same overcrowded and overrated destinations in this wonderful country.
I have been too big parts of India now, from Kashmir in the west to Arunachal Pradesh in the east, to Kanyakumari in the far south and I have even been lucky that I managed to dive with Raja the world´s last diving elephant on the Andaman Islands (before he sadly passed away in 2016).
The time I went diving with Raja the last of the ocean swimming elephants in India.
And to be honest, neither Goa, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Agra or even Varanasi would make it into my top 10 list in India now.
Top 10 places that rarely see foreign tourists in this Incredible and diverse country.
Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh.
It´s hard to get a proper photo of Tawang Monastery; there´s a steep valley between where you have to stand to take a photo and the monastery.
Arunachal Pradesh is the northeasternmost state of India which will surprise most people, the state name meaning the of dawn and mountains.
One of the least visited states in all of India, which is not a surprise since both Indians and foreign tourist will need a special permit just to enter the state.
Arunachal Pradesh is home to the largest Monastery in India and the second-largest in the world after Potala Palace in Lhasa Tibet.
Mamallapuram, Tamil Nadu.
Mahabalipuram
Mahabalipuram(also written Mamallapuram), a small city on the southeastern coast of India in state of Tamil Nadu, the land of the Tamils, is the ruins of what was an ancient port city.
Mahabalipuram is now one of India’s ancient crown jewels, a monument complex that’s been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Krishna’s Butterball one of the most popular sites in Mahabalipuram.
Floating Market, Srinagar Kashmir.
floating market Srinagar
Srinagar often gets into the news from the protests and military occupation that open occurs in the city. Still, Srinagar is, in fact, the most northern city in the whole of India.
The city is often referred to as “Heaven on earth” due to its rolling meadows, lakes and rivers, vast expanses of rocky wilderness, gardens.
Still, Srinagar is also home one of the most interesting markets in the whole of India, the floating Floating Vegetable Market of Srinagar.
But be aware that the market starts at 5.00 am, and you should be there at that time.
The floating market on Dal Lake
Visit The Last Real Headhunters In India, Nagaland.
one of the last headhunters in Nagaland
In far east India, right on the border of the neighbouring country, Myanmar is a small state called Nagaland, which is one of the last authentic places you can visit in Asia is the state of Nagaland which inhabited by 16 major tribes.
At the same time, most of the tribes lived in cities and got a “normal” life these days you also got some tribes that still try to live a more traditional way.
The best place is the village of Longwa in the Mon district; the village is literally on the Burma (Myanmar) border, the house of the King (yes they do have a real king) is located on the border, so half the house is in India the other half is in Burma (Myanmar).
Go on One-Horned Rhino Safari in Kaziranga National Park, Assam.
One-horned Rhinos in Kaziranga national park in northeast India.
Kaziranga national park in the state of Assam is home to 35 different species of mammals including the highest density of tigers in the world and two-thirds of the world’s great one-horned rhinoceroses; you are actually granted to see one-horned rhinos in Kaziranga.
Due to this, the park is now declared a Unesco World Heritage site.
The national park is easy to reach as a day trip from the state capital of Assam, Guwahati or you can stay on a guesthouse just outside the entrance of the National park.
Go Hiking in Sikkim.
Mountains can be seen from all over Sikkim.
Sikkim the second smallest state in India, located in the northeast part of the country on the foothills of Himalaya also bordering China, Nepal and Bhutan.
The tinny Buddhist state is home to some of the best hikes in the whole of India, with the 11day hike to the basecamp for Mount Kanchenjunga the 3rd highest peak in the world being one of the most popular hikes in Sikkim.
But if you are not ready for a long-distance hike, so are there tons of other shorter treks around Sikkim, from small hikes around sacred Buddhist lakes to beautiful Monastery.
A Short hike around a sacred Buddhist lake in Sikkim.
Go Skiing in Gulmarg home to the world´s highest Gondola (cable car), Kashmir.
Gulmarg home to world´s highest ski lift.
For a long time was Gulmarg a skiing destination only the most adventures skiers around the world did visit, when I was here for the first time in 2009, was there only a few tourists around and very basic facilities.
These days Gulmarg is a well-known skiing destination with world-class deep powder skiing destination, and with the world´s highest ski lift in the world, going all the way up to 3995 meters.
For people from western Europe is it actually cheaper to fly to India for a skiing holiday than to the Alps.
Look for The Royal Tiger in the Sundarbans, the World´s biggest Mangrove in west Bengal.
Travelling around the Mangroves in Sundarbans
The Sundarbans is the world’s largest mangrove forests, and also the most biologically productive natural ecosystem in the world; Tigers abound in the area with the last count pegged at over 200 tigers!
10,000 square kilometres between India and Bangladesh, Sundarbans National Park, lies mostly within the state of West Bengal. At the same time, the area that falls within Bangladesh is referred to as the Sundarban Reserve Forest.
Different from other types of safaris, so will you in Sundarbans travel around on boats around the Mangroves.
Unfurtuently for me didn’t I see any tigers during my safari trip around Sundarbans, but it was still a great trip.
Pink River Dolphin in Sundarbans
Visit The Far Southern Tip of India in Kanyakumari.
The far southern tip of India
Located at the southernmost tip of the country, Kanyakumari is a sheer delight to visit. With oodles of history, geographical significance, mythological references, culture, folklore, art, and architecture, Kanyakumari is beyond your average touristy city in India; and best experienced it with an open heart, and an open mind.
Kanyakumari is also home to one of Gandhi Mandapam most important memorials.
Mahatma Gandhi memorial in Kanyakumari
Kanyakumari is also the start/ending station on the longest train trip in India, the 4,273km/2,655 miles and 80 hrs 15 min (~3.5 days) long Vivek Ekspress from Kanyakumari to Dibrugarh in the far northeast on India in the state of Assam.
Visit Chand Baori The Stepwell From Batman: The Dark Knight Rises. Rajasthan
Chand Baori stepwell
Chand Baori is considered one of the best-kept, hidden gems of India. This one is not easy to find since it’s slightly removed from the usual travel circuit of Rajasthan.
You’ll find Chand Baori in a small town by the name of Abhaneri, about 93 kilometres from Jaipur, the capital city of Rajasthan.
While most people make it to Jaipur since it’s the gateway to Rajasthan, and has an abundance of history and architecture, seldom make it to the stepwell.
But if you want to witness something truly magnificent in terms of architecture, make that extra effort and get yourself to Chand Baori!
Chand Baori received a lot of fame for being featured in the ‘The Dark Knight Rises’, but it´s still rarely visited by western tourists.
The dark knight rises from Chand Baori