9 Lesser Known Places to Visit in India

Over the years it has become a widely accepted notion that if you want to get away from tourist crowds and all the cacophony associated with it then South Goa is your best bet. However, contrary to this popular belief, a little further from the tourist zones of North Goa are quaint villages such as Assagao that are much less explored but at the same time make for a great adventurous experience. With its boutique and eco stay options, Assagao is fast becoming a hub for offbeat tourism in Goa. Villages such as Assagao, Morjim and others around Bardez are the perfect example of Sussegad (an expression relating to the quiet life in Goa) and now is the best time to visit them before they too fall prey to commercialisation.

Just across the southern border between Goa and Karnataka is the surreal cultural centre of Karwar, a beach town that has long been overshadowed by its northern neighbour. From the glorious and nearly always empty beaches such as Karwar Beach and Rabindranath Tagore Beach to the beautiful banks and leisure boats of Kali River, Karwar scores top marks in natural beauty. To add to this, Karwar also boasts of a vibrant culture and is home to several well-known temples and forts. To put it simply, Karwar is Goa without the tourist crowds, a dream of almost every beach-lover.

Historical tourism in India is just picking up and at the centre of this trend are lesser-known destinations such as Dholavira in Gujarat’s Rann of Kutch that not only offer a great getaway but also provide an educational experience of India’s ancient and mysterious history. The Harappan site of Dholavira is situated right in the middle of the Rann of Kutch lake and is one of the oldest discovered sites of the Indus Valley Civilization that existed in India and Pakistan in the third and second millennium BC. While the site is of immense historical importance, in recent years, it has also attracted a fairly large number of tourists. This ancient city with proper fortified walls and dams is an architectural marvel of its age, making it one of the most wonderful tourist experiences in the country.

The largest high altitude national park in Jammu and Kashmir state of India has always played second fiddle to Ladakh, which is located in the vicinity, despite its magnificence and natural splendour. The Hemis National Park is famous all across the world for being home to the largest number of snow leopards and being the only place where you can see them in the wild. However, lack of infrastructure and the presence of almost no motorable roads has meant that this beautiful region is visited and explored much less than it could be. Apart from the snow leopard, the Hemis National Park is also popular for being home to endangered creatures such as the Tibetian wolf, Eurasian brown bear, and the red fox.

Nestled between Mumbai and Goa is the quaint coastal town of Parule in Maharashtra, which in recent years has become one of India’s top offbeat tourist destination. This is primarily because of the several new amazing homestays and farmstays that have come up in the region and offer a great cultural experience close to nature. Most famous among these is Maachli, which offers an exquisite nature-friendly experience and insight into the culture of this region’s Samant people. Parule is also popular for being an access point to several untouched and upcoming destinations in the region such as Tarkarli, which has water sports and scuba diving, and the pristine Bhogwe Beach, one of the best hidden beaches of Maharashtra.

This large island on the Brahmaputra river is best-known for its picture-perfect views and untouched tribal culture of the Mising, Deori, and Kachari tribes. One of the few such large wetland ecosystems in the country, Majuli’s fauna includes several native and migratory birds such as the greater adjutant stork, Siberian crane and pelicans. Tourism has picked up in recent decades, however, the island is facing severe environmental crisis and large swathes of it have disappeared over the years. This has also drawn attention to this region in terms of eco-tourism.

This sleepy and hilly district is the cultural centre of Nagaland‘s Ao people, who are particularly known for their exquisite tribal culture, handlooms and their popular Moatsu festival. Located at an altitude of 1,325 m, Makokchung boasts of a mild and favourable climate all through the year, making it a perennial destination.

Noted for being one of the most important Olive Ridley Sea Turtle nesting grounds in the world, the Rushikulya Beach on Chilka Lake is an untouched natural paradise unlike any other in the country. Located in Ganjam district of Orissa, the area around the beach has very little tourist infrastructure and consequently sees very few visitors, except for the sea turtles, who visit it annually in their thousands. Each year, during the hatching season in March-April, the beach is covered in turtle hatchlings and is also visited by several conservationists who help the hatchlings get to the sea.