Some Interesting And Beautiful Places For Trip In India  

Laitmawsiang, Meghalaya

Meghalaya is home to many tribes–Garo, Khasi, Jaintia and the likes. In the Khatarshnong
Laitkroh neighbourhood of East Khasi Hills, there’s a quaint village called Laitmawsiang. This place will instantly transport you to a fairy tale; think dazzling waterfalls, mystic ponds, secret caves and lush thickets everywhere.
Contoured by dense floral hedges and emerald green bushes, this village houses prehistoric fossils in ancient caves, gardens and waterfalls on the road to Cherrapunji. Garden of Caves or Ka Bri Synrang, a 2.5-hectare property with seven primary spots — Sum Syeim Falls, U Mawhdohnud (rock in a heart shape), Ka Synrang ryiem (cave of the king), Ki Stieh Maw, Arsdad Falls and Riat Umlwai Falls, offer a resting place to a multitude of caves and cascades, created mainly through seasonal rainfalls and scenic waterfalls.
If Meghalaya has never been on your travel bucket list, it’s time you should chart out a new itinerary that is conducive to caving expeditions to quell your desire for exploring hidden gems. The gardens and caves in this area have existed for more than 50 centuries. In the past, these caves were used as a hiding place by the Khasi tribes and local patriots from the British era. The place was inaccessible and surrounded by dense forests then. Since it came across as a foreboding hideout, barely anyone dared to enter through the curling vines.

Best Time To Visit:
   
You can visit the Garden of Caves at any time of the year. However, since waterfalls tend to freeze in winters, the best time to visit is during the monsoon months. The months of August and September are ideal.
The Garden of Caves is open seven days a week, and visitors can enter from 8:30 am in the morning. The cost is INR 30 per person with INR 20 extra for getting your hands on some medicinal water. To bring a mobile camera indoors you will have to shell out an additional 20 bucks.

The whole place today is illuminated with sun rays along with the reflection of sparkling ponds. While the stupendous waterfalls create a great view to savour, what adds to the beauty of this place is the bamboo trail that sets for a great entry to the garden caves. It leads you to the perennial underground water, great for drinking due to its healing and medicinal properties.

Chopta, Uttarakhand

Popularly referred to as the ‘mini Switzerland’ of Uttarakhand, Chopta (at an approximate altitude of 2,608 m) is a slice of paradise tucked away in the Garhwal Himalayas. Surrounded by bugyals or velvety meadows and pristine snow-capped peaks, Chopta is an all-year holiday destination: pleasant in summer, rain-fresh in monsoon and a snow-clad fairyland in winter. Chopta is at the epicentre of the Panch Kedar – the five most sacred Shiva temples in the state. On its left are located Kedarnath and Madmaheshwar shrines and on the right, Rudranath and Kalpeshwar, and just above it, the Tungnath temple. Chopta is a birding paradise and you can see over 240 species of birds here, including native and migratory species like Himalayan monal, Himalayan swiftlet, Himalayan griffon, scarlet finch, hill partridge, and so on. Nearby places like Dugalbitta, Mandal village, Makkumath and the Tungnath trek route are the best sites for watching our feathered friends. Chopta has been declared as an important bird-watching site by national and international conservation and biodiversity organisations.

When to visit:

Chopta is ideal for vacations all over the year but November to May are the best months to visit.

Gurez Valley, Kashmir

Surreal landscapes, cool air, breathtaking backdrops, and the sound of gushing river are commonplace in Gurez Valley. The regular sight of shepherds and fields feels like a scene out of Bambi. Its strategic location right below the ‘Line of Control’ makes the valley one of the most protected land in India. And yes, with continuous vigilance and constant patrolling, it is safe to go there.
May through September are the months when the weather and air are most pleasant and welcoming.

Attractions In Gurez Valley: Wular Lake, Razdan Pass, Peer Baba Shrine

Best Time To Visit:  May To September

How to reach:    

Now there are two ways to reach Gurez Valley. You can either take the road from Srinagar and reach Gurez via Razdan Pass. Or you can also use the Gurez Chopper service; for which you will board a Helicopter from either Srinagar or Bandipore. I have explained both these options in detail further in the article.
For both these choices, however, you will first have to reach Srinagar which is not really that difficult of a task. If you were traveling by your own vehicle, then you can just drive to Srinagar city by either the regular Jammu – Srinagar highway; or via Mughal road through Shopian. Of the two, the Jammu-Srinagar highway is the better maintained and most used road but is also the more crowded one.

 Thachi Valley, Himachal Pradesh

Thachi Valley is a little known valley in the unexplored parts of Himachal Pradesh. Situated at the heart of the state, Thachi is perched between the mountains that overlook the Great Himalayan National Park. The valley is a criss-cross of river streams and waterfalls that support lush grasslands and terraced farms. It’s replete with abundant forests in the summer and layered in snow during winter.

 This is a remotely located destination that is adorned by a wildly cascading blanket of thick forests and trees made up of pine and deodar trees. With its simplicity and charm, it also welcomes you to see the temples as well as treks all of whom call Thachi their home. For a walk into the slow life take a trek through its lands for a time with its green pastures and meadows, its mist that plays with you and its life that leaver's you reconnecting to yourself.

Best time to trek/visit:  June to July, mid-December to January

How to reach: 

Fly into Delhi or take a train till the city. From Delhi catch a bus till Aut. Specifically, get off after the Aut tunnel. From there you can catch a local bus till Barchad in Thachi Valley. These can be limited, so, you can alternatively ask your hotel or guesthouse to help you book a taxi from Aut till Barchad directly.