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4 hotspots in India that promise a serene getaway

Trek down unpaved holiday destinations for a memorable trip

There are hundreds of holiday destinations in India, but tourists - both domestic and international - flock to a few dozen places that have become extremely popular over time. Think of India and what comes to the mind is the Taj Mahal in Agra, Jaipur and its palaces, the national capital Delhi (all three make the golden triangle for tourists); hill stations including Shimla, Mussoorie, Nainital, Darjeeling, Mahableshwar, Ooty and Kodaikanal in the Himalayas and the western ghats; traditional heritage towns across the country; and the beaches along western India.

While the crowds and chaos at these places are unimaginable, especially during the holidays, India, however, has many other quieter places that may not be as glamorous, but do have a lot to offer the relaxed traveller. We take a look at four of these:

Munnar | Great for relaxation
Driving up the winding roads of the Western ghats to Munnar from Kochi can be a fascinating experience. Munnar soars more than 1,500 metres above sea level, and sometimes even during the summer months you can see waterfalls along the route. Unlike the other two hill stations that are located nearby - Ooty, soaring 2,240 metres high, and Kodaikanal, 2,100 metres, both in Tamil Nadu - Munnar (1,600 metres) is far less crowded. Even though there may be a large number of vehicles crowding the narrow roads, it is still far better than the other two towns. It is about 150 kilometres from Kochi and the drive up to it can be quite interesting.
While Munnar is surrounded by tea estates and plantations, it also has several interesting places to visit in its neighbourhood. Munnar retains many protected areas including the Kurinjimala sanctuary, which has the endangered Neelakurinji plant; the Chinar wildlife sanctuary, where it is difficult to find many animals or birds; the Eravikulam national park; and the Anamalai tiger reserve near Coimbatore.     
You can enjoy your stay in Munnar during the monsoons when the turnout of visitors is quite less than in summer months.

Kasauli | Nestled cosily in the Shivaliks
When you drive up from Chandigarh to Shimla, it is easy to miss this lovely place called Kasauli, a slight diversion before you reach Solan. In fact, Kasauli - nestled cosily in the Shivalik range, which stretches nearly 2,500 km eastwards from the Indus river to the Brahmaputra in Assam - is a mere 30 kilometres from Solan, 65 kilometres from Chandigarh and 77 kilometres from Shimla.
Unlike the other three hotspots, it is serene, offers spectacular views of the mountains and lets you trek on winding hilly tracks without having to worry about passing trucks and bikes.
Established by the British in 1842, Kasauli is surrounded by the towering snow-clad Himalayas and dense forests. Unlike the mountains - or even places like Shimla - it does not suffer from extreme temperature drop during winter.
The town is surrounded by dense forests and has a multitude of rich flora and fauna. Nature walks and trekking, besides camping at few sites, are popular pastimes for visitors in this beautiful place.

Ratnagiri | Enjoy the monsoon rain
It is a place that has become synonymous with mangoes, or rather the unique variety known as Alphonsos (widely referred to as Appus or Happus) that are passionately raised by local folk in the district.
Part of coastal Konkan, it is a fascinating place and fortunately not overtaken by tourists. Despite its natural beauty and amazing places to explore, hotels and luxury resorts have not overtaken this city or other smaller towns in the district. Unlike Goa, which is just about 250 kilometres south of Ratnagiri, the beaches here are empty and devoid of tourists most of the time.
Ratnagiri boasts of lovely beaches such as the famous Ganapatipule, Guhagar, Ganeshghule and Bhatye, besides the famous and historic Jaigad lighthouse - built by a British army officer in 1832 - and the Tilak Ali museum, the original home of the Indian freedom-fighter and leader.
The best time to visit Ratnagiri is, of course, during the monsoon season, when heavy rains lash the coastal town. Nothing can be more enchanting than sitting near a beach and watching the rough waves wash ashore, as the rains and the breeze continue to pour over the region.
Ratnagiri gets about 3,000 millimetres of rainfall during the monsoons. Interestingly, though it is located in the southernmost tip of Maharashtra, summers are not extremely hot. The minimum and maximum temperature hovers between 20ºC and 30 to 32ºC.

Shillong | A wet holiday
Located nearly 5,000 feet above sea level, Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya (the abode of clouds) is an amazing hill station in the Northeast.
The temperature in this lovely town usually never exceeds the 25ºC mark - though there are days when it goes up to 28 or even 29ºC. During winters, the minimum dips to less than 5ºC. As in most tourist spots in the Northeast, it is not crowded with visitors most of the time. Make it a point to travel about 50 kilometres south to visit Cherrapunji (located 1,500 metres above sea level), one of the wettest spots on earth. This is a place that recorded the highest rainfall in a month, and in a year; it marked a mindboggling 9,300 millimetres in July 1861 and 26,461 millimetres from August 1860 to July 1861.
A not so well known, but the wettest spot on earth is Mawsynram, a village just 15 kilometres from Cherrapunji. However, to reach it from Cherrapunji you have to travel 80 kilometres via Shillong and it will take more than 90 minutes.
It rains virtually every day - mostly early mornings or late at nights - in both Cherrapunji and Mawsynram, and average rainfall figures for both places add up to almost 12,000 millimetres a year.
So pull out your raincoats and head to Meghalaya for a wet and pleasant holiday any time of the year.

- nithin@khaleejtimes.com