Top travel destinations in India

1. Jaisalmer

This far-flung town in western Rajasthan sees a dramatic spike in tourism during the much-awaited Desert Festival in February. Named for Maharawal Jaisal Singh, who founded the princely state, Jaisalmer is known for its stunning fort, Trikoot Garh. Better known as Sonar Kella (Golden Fort) after a Satyajit Ray film of that name, it is a living structure and shelters a quarter of the town’s population.

2. Bekal

Filmmakers discovered Bekal before tourists did. Who can forget the song-sequence Uyire from Mani Ratnam’s Bombay, set against its picturesque ramparts? Located between the northern towns of Kanhangad and Kasaragod, Bekal is Kerala’s largest fort. Shivappa Nayaka of Bednore is believed to have built the 40-acre fort in the 17th century for strategic defense rather than administrative reasons. Tipu Sultan used the fort as a military station during his 1789 advance on Malabar. Bekal Fort appears to rise from dark, moss-encrusted rocks fringing the Arabian Sea. During the monsoon, licked by salt spray and backlit by rolling sea clouds, it is a surreal presence. Tourism facilities were either absent or apologetic until recently, but that has changed with the opening of The Lalit Resort and Spa and the Vivanta by Taj at Bekal. An estuary and a beach nearby are added attractions.
Getting there: The nearest airport is Mangalore (60 km). Bekal Fort is on the Mangalore-Kozhikode railway line, midway between Kasaragod (18 km) and Kanhangad (8 km).
Best time to go: October-January

3. Wayanad

Wayanad, a spice hub well known for coffee and tea plantations, exudes a bucolic charm with verdant countryside, mist-ringed peaks, paddy fields and forest. Tourism here is hospitable but still on the rustic side. Besides tree houses and Ayurvedic spas, Wayanad draws trekkers to Chembra, wildlife buffs to Tholpetty and Muthanga, and birdwatchers to Pakshipathalam in the Brahmagiri-Tirunelly elephant corridor. Soochipara waterfalls and Edakkal Caves are on every tourist’s radar. Even if you’re not adventurous, Wayanad has enough to pamper you with – a leisurely boat-ride in Pookkot Lake or a lazy walk beside Banasura Sagar. Even better, put your feet up and chill on Kuruva Island in the swirling waters of the Kabini. Getting there: The nearest airport is Kozhikode (72 km) but better connections are available from Bangalore (250 km). Wayanad is well connected by roads from Mysore, Kozhikode, Kannur, Coorg and Ooty.
Best time to go: September to March
Best time to go: September to March

4. Coonoor

An hour’s drive from Ooty, Coonoor is buffered by the military base at Wellington and the cordite factory at Aruvankadu, which have ensured that prime real estate has not fallen in the hands of indiscriminate builders. Coonoor remains the haunt of pensioners, expatriates or those fortunate enough to be early retirees. Some estates have quaint homestays and boutique resorts while others offer a taste of fine local teas, gourmet cheeses and homemade chocolate. The viewpoints, which have names like Lamb’s Rock and Dolphin Nose, overlook misty valleys and tea plantations.

Sims Park offers escape if you want to spend the day with a book, a thermos of tea, or a special someone. Kotagiri, another sylvan borough of the Nilgiris, is only an hour’s drive.

Downhill, the scenery gives way to fragrant spice plantations bisected by streams and waterfalls. You can also enjoy Coonoor is by train. Drive down to Mettupalayam and hop on the historic Nilgiri Mountain Railway to chug up the slopes in style.

Best time to go: October to June

5. Tranquebar

At Tharangambadi, Tamil for ‘where the waves sing’, a Danish contingent led by Admiral Ove Gjedde established a trading outpost and built an imposing and stately fort, the Dansborg, in the 17th century. While the British, Dutch and French grew in military and naval strength, the Danish mostly remained traders in cotton and pepper. Their small settlement of orderly streets and colonnaded buildings, Tranquebar, inked the pages of history. Lutheran missionaries established a printing press to spread the faith. Yet, the Danes could not sustain their trade and eventually yielded their province to the British in 1845. Today’s Tranquebar is of restored buildings and heritage hotels operated by Neemrana Hotels, including the charming Bungalow on the Beach and the Gate House. Besides the Danish Zion Church and the New Jerusalem Church established by Lutheran missionary Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg, there are the 500-year-old mosque and the 700-year-old Masilamani Nathar Temple. History buffs will enjoy the walking tours of Goldsmith Street and the makeshift Maritime Museum. Else, just tuck into seafood, sun and sand.
Getting there: Chennai (290 km) and Trichy (128 km) are the nearest airports. Railheads are at Nagapattinam

6. Tawang

Tawang, at 3,048 m (10,000 feet) in northwestern Arunachal Pradesh, is known for the 400-year-old monastery of the Gelugpa Sect of Tibetan Buddhists. The largest Buddhist monastery outside of Lhasa, it is the birthplace of the 6th Dalai Lama. Visit Sela Pass at 13,700 feet and the beautiful Nuranang Falls. Sangetsar Lake offered a backdrop to some of Bollywood’s most glamorous. Tawang abounds in trekking trails of various levels of difficulty. Foodies will enjoy the Tibetan delicacies on offer. Accommodation is very basic at most hotels. Indians require a special Inner Line permit available at Kolkata, Guwahati, Tezpur and New Delhi. Foreign tourists must get a Restricted Area Permit, which takes about three weeks to process.
Getting there: The nearest airport and railway station are at Guwahati (553 km). Buses ply on a long, tiring journey of 11 hours via Bomdila (236 km).
Best time to go: June to October

7. Coorg, Karnataka

Sleepy and sylvan, Coorg thrives under a cloak of inertia, tempered with endless coffee breaks, family hockey matches and celebratory dinners of peppery pork curry. All of that makes it a perfect getaway for those ailed by the ills of urban life. Madikeri, the headquarters of Kodagu district, is the largest town. Stretching in every direction are rolling hills crowned by puffs of curling mist. Plantations of coffee, pepper and fruit trees stipple the landscape. Homestays offer an authentic Coorg experience, though resorts offer diversions from plantation walks to hiking, sport fishing, nature exploration and river rafting. Trekkers are drawn to Tadiyendamol, Coorg’s highest peak, and wildlife buffs to Nagarahole and Kabini. Talakaveri, the headspring of the Cauvery River, draws pilgrims. The Tibetan monastery at Bylakuppe and the Dubare Elephant Camp are attractions en route.
Getting there: The nearest airport is Mangalore (150 km) but Bangalore (240 km) has better connections. Coorg is well connected to Mysore (82 km) by road.
Best time to go: September to March

8. Andamans

Port Blair is the sole entry and exit point in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which number nearly 600. The most visited is Havelock, with reasonably decent hotels, beautiful beaches, and snorkeling and scuba diving. Wandoor, Neil Island and Rutland Island are equally popular, the last with eco-tourists. Wild-campers prefer Long Island while Baratang Island has limestone caves, mud volcanoes and mangrove creeks. Barren Island has the only active volcano on Indian soil. Ross Island, a half-day trip from Port Blair, houses the ruins of a British town. In Port Blair, visit the Cellular Jail National Memorial and the Indian Navy’s Samudrika Marine Museum. The Anthropological Museum offers insight into the indigenous people of the Andamans – the Great Andamanese, Jarawa, Onge, Sentinelese and the extinct Jangil.
Getting there: Flights to Port Blair leave from Chennai, Kolkata and Delhi. Tourist ferries are cheaper and take about four to five days from Chennai to Port Blair, but facilities onboard leave a lot to be desired. Local transport between the islands is by ferry or chartered boat.
Best time to go: October to April

9. Varkala, Kerala

Varkala’s relative isolation makes it quieter, safer and better managed than other Kerala beaches, and arguably the most scenic seafront in southern Kerala. Varkala’s seaside cliff, an unusual geological feature for this part of the world, shelters the Papanasam Beach. It is also a pilgrimage site where Hindus immerse the ashes of their forbears. Many tourists prefer Varkala to the more commercial Kovalam Beach south of Thiruvananthapuram. Though major hotel chains are absent, shacks, lodges, seafood restaurants and bars do brisk business. Water sports such as surfing, paragliding and swimming are popular, and the beach comes alive with yoga classes in the evenings. Ayurvedic massages are advertised everywhere. At dusk, cliffside restaurants lay out the fresh catch and evenings are abuzz with the contented sounds of alfresco dining, music, Kathakali performances and lively chatter.
Getting there: The nearest airport is Thiruvananthapuram (50 km). Papanasam Beach is about 5 km from Varkala Railway Station on the Thiruvananthapuram-Kollam line, where many major trains halt. Buses and autorickshaws ply regularly and taxi services are available.
Best time to go: November to February

10. Kashmir

Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, welcomes tourists who flock to its limpid lakes fringed by snow-capped mountains and green valleys. While western Kashmir is considered unsafe for travel, tourists frequent the eastern side. The Valley offers a wealth of tourism, and some of the most visited destinations are Sonmarg, Gulmarg, Leh, Pahalgam, Patnitop, Yusmarg and Katra. Enjoy the snow at Gulmarg and enjoy shikara rides in the scenic Dal Lake while shopping for crafts and enjoying the local cuisine. Pilgrims visit the shrine of Amarnath, 144 km east of Srinagar, and the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine near Katra. Adventure enthusiasts brave winter chills for the Chadar Trek across the frozen Zanskar River. Visits to Kashmir are advised to be cautious given the political situation. Getting there: Flights to Srinagar operate from Delhi. By train, Udhampur in Jammu is the last railhead, from where you can take buses and private 4-wheel drives into the Valley. Buses to Srinagar also operate from Manali in Himachal Pradesh.
Best time to go: March to October

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