TITLE: TAKE A ROUND AROUND INDIA…..!
1. Kerala Backwaters
The backwaters of Kerala have its own charm
and life on it is unlike the other destinations in India. Amidst the paddy
fields and lush green palm grove these backwaters has its own gentle rhythm
hewed out from the rivers which flows down from the Western Ghats to the coast.
Enjoy a frolic cruise on the backwaters along the breathtaking vivid contrasts
of lush greens and deep blues on the houseboats, known as Kettuvallam which are
the cargo boats that once plied in the backwaters to carry heavy cargo such as
Rice, Coconut & Spices and also to provide living accommodation for the
boatman. These are now changed over to luxurious accommodation for eco friendly
travelers.
Where to stay: ATDC
Houseboats, Alleppey
Nearest Railhead: Ernakulam
Junction railway station, Cochin
Nearest Airport: Cochin
International Airport
2. Munnar, Kerala
Covered
with an extensive layer of forests, grasslands and tea orchards and dotted with
several species of exotic flora including the rare Neelakurinji flower, Munnar
at an elevation of 1,700 meters is a snug hideout for eco travellers. The small
but picture-book hill town in Idukki district in the Western Ghats is home to
several protected areas that houses many threatened and endemic species of
flora and fauna including the Nilgiri Tahr, Grizzled Giant Squirrel, Nilgiri
Wood-pigeon, Elephant, and Gaur amongst the mammals; and Nilgiri Wood Pigeon, Malabar
Whistling Thrush,
Orange-Crowned Warblers, Nilgiri Pipit, Scarlet Minivet, and Broad-tailed
Grassbird amongst the avifauna. If you are travelling to Munnar during the
spring and summer seasons you might chance upon the purple-blue hue patches
beautifully lying over the lush green bed… that would be a streak of luck
though. The gushing streams gutting through the whispering woods and winding
lanes cutting through mountains make Munnar one of the popular eco green
tourism destinations in India.
Where
to stay: Misty Mountain Resort
Nearest
Railhead: Ernakulam Junction railway station, Cochin
Nearest
Airport: Cochin International Airport
3. Thodupuzha, Kerala
The
gateway to the Thommankuthu Waterfalls in Idukki district, Thodupuzha is one of
the least explored destinations in India that snug knavishly in the Western
Ghats. The seven-step waterfall that was revealed to the world in 1920 by Mr.
Thommachen Kuruvinakunnel, a legendary hunter, is one of the major eco-tourism
destinations in Kerala. The pleasant surrounding dolled up with an evergreen
forest blanketed over the rolling hills and housing several species of avifauna
and mammals… squeeze gently in the frame of a perfect eco-tourism holiday.
Where
to stay: Vettoms Lakeview Resort
Nearest
Railhead: Ernakulam Junction railway station, Cochin
Nearest
Airport: Cochin International Airport
4. Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu
One
of the popular weekend getaways in South India, Kodaikanal is graciously set in
the Palani Hills, between the Parappar and Gundar Valleys, of the eastward spur
of Western Ghats at an approximate altitude of 2,130 meters. Kodaikanal was
dotted in the map of India as a summer retreat by the British in 1845 and later
due to its propitious location gifted by the forests and grasslands topping the
hillsides… it bloomed as one of the major eco-places in India. This mighty hill station in South India is endowed with a
nature’s basket comprising the montane rainforests that houses some of the
endemic flora and fauna, waterfalls, and perennial streams cutting through the
valleys. The Kodaikanal Lake, Bryant Park, Coaker’s Walk, Bear Shola Falls,
Silver Cascade, Guna Caves, Dolphin’s Nose, Pillar Rocks, and Berijam Lake are
some of the major natural attractions in Kodaikanal. Further, the Palani
Wildlife Sanctuary composing a mystical environment tuned up with several
waterfalls, namely the Fairy Falls, Neptune Falls, Pambar Falls, Thaliar Falls,
Alanthoni Falls, Poombarai Falls, Skamba Falls, and more… is no doubt a haven
for naturalists and worth exploring. The proposed Palani Hills Wildlife
Sanctuary and National Park, which will be an up gradation and expansion of the
Palani Wildlife Sanctuary, will cover an approximate area of 737 square
kilometers giving shelter to several threatened species and plant life. The
region is mostly inhabited by the Paliyan tribes who are the descendants of the
Dravidian people and are famed as traditional nomadic hunter-gatherers, honey
hunters and foragers.
Where
to stay: Black Band Cottages
Nearest
Railhead: Kodai Road
Nearest
Airport: Madurai Airport
5. Nagarhole National Park, Karnataka
Comprising
the districts of Coorg and Mysore and covering an approximate area of 644
square kilometers, the Nagahole National Park is home to some of the endemic
animal species like tiger, leopard, and dhole. Other common mammals and
reptiles that are spotted are chital, sambar, barking deer, jackal, sloth bear,
mongoose, hyena, wild boar, squirrels, vine snake, rat snake, bamboo pit viper,
Indian rock python, Indian monitor lizard, and common toad. Amongst the
avifauna… darters, oriental white ibis, greater grey headed fish eagle, and red
headed vulture are some of the ‘near threatened’ ones, whereas the blue winged
parakeet, Malabar grey hornbill, and the white bellied treepie remain the major
attractions being rare spotted for wildlife enthusiasts. The Nagarhole National
Park, which is a part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, is also one of the
Tiger Reserves in India and together it is under consideration by the UNESCO
World Heritage Committee for selection as a World Heritage Site due it is rich
biodiversity.
Where
to stay: Jungle Inn
Nearest
Railhead: Mysore
Nearest
Airport: Mandakalli Airport, Mysore
6. Galgibaga Beach, Goa
Despite
being located in one of the busiest tourist hubs in India, the Galgibaga Beach
in Goa still remains the cleanest beach in India and is well known for turtle
nestling. Being one of the secluded
beaches in India that is close to the
popular Palolem Beach resort, the Galgibaga beach is least affected by tourists
even during the peak season. Thus it offers you a pleasant getaway where you
can dream of an ideal walk over the solitary silver sand dotted with palm
trees. If you are travelling during the winter season then you might be lucky
to see some Olive Ridley turtle nests/eggs. Because of this ecological factor…
the Galgibaga Beach comes under the purview of the forest department.
Where
to stay: The Fern Gardenia Resort, Canacona
Nearest
Railhead: Madgaon
Nearest
Airport: Dabolim Airport
7. Tyda, Andhra Pradesh
The
bountiful nature surrounding this small village of Tyda is virtual and vestal
modesty that is secretly set in the Eastern Ghats at an elevation of 700 meters
(approximately). It is one of the unexplored places in India and thus springs up
as an eco-tourism getaway in India with a rich bed of exotic flora including
medicinal and aromatic plants. The region is also home to several endemic
animals and birds such as the chital, sambar, Panther, Wolf, Wild Dog, Hyena,
Sloth Bear, Gaur, Black Buck, Chinkara, Chowsingha, and Nilgai amongst the
mammals AND red-chested pod chards, pintails, herons, egrets, migratory ducks,
water birds, pelicans, teals, ibises and storks amongst the bird species. The
region also facilitates many activities like camping, forest trails and
trekking.
Where
to stay: Jungle Bells
Nearest
Railhead: Visakhapatnam
Nearest
Airport: Visakhapatnam International Airport
8. Chilika, Odisha
India’s
largest coastal
lagoon and the world’s second largest… the Chilika Lake and its surrounding
environment are home to a number of migratory birds and animal and plant
species. The area, covering over 3,500 square kilometers, houses the Irrawaddy
Dolphins, green sea turtle, dugong, blackbuck, Spoon billed sandpiper,
limbless skink and fishing cat amongst some of the endemic species; Milk fish,
Indo-Pacific tarpon, Ten pounder, Bream, Hilsa, and Mullet amongst some of the
aqua fauna; Greater and Lesser Flamingos, Goliath Heron, Grey and Purple
herons, Egrets, Spoonbills, Storks and Black-headed Ibis amongst some of the
migratory birds; and Asiatic Dowitchers, Dalmatian Pelican, Pallas’s
Fish-eagles, migrant Spoon-billed Sandpiper and Spot-billed pelican from some
of the rarest bird species. The ecosystem dotted with more than 700 species of
flowering plants is also a shelter to a large number of mammals, reptiles and
other amphibians. The region comprising a group of small islands was declared
as a wetland of international importance by the Ramsar Convention and is one of
the major eco-tourism destinations in India that encourages the wildlife
photographers, bird lovers, and naturalists.
Where
to stay: Panthanivas Barkul
Nearest
Railhead: Balugaon
Nearest
Airport: Biju Patnaik International Airport, Bhubaneshwar
9. Sunderbans National Park, West Bengal
Home
to the world’s largest mangrove forest, the Sunderbans National Park covers an
approximate area of 1,330 square kilometers. It is the royal residence of the
Bengal tiger and the region with 54 small deltaic islands is also a shelter to
a variety of bird, reptile, invertebrate species and amphibians. Some of the
endangered species, other than the Royal Bengal Tiger, which are found in the
Sunderbans National Park are the Saltwater Crocodile, River Terrapin, Olive
Ridley Turtle, Gangetic dolphin, Ground Turtle, Hawks Bill Turtle and Mangrove
horseshoe crab. Among the endemic marine mammals…the Bryde’s whale, Humpback
whale, Irrawaddy Dolphins, Ganges River Dolphins, and Humpback Dolphins are
sparsely found near the coastal area. Many conservational projects are being
undertaken by the government to protect the rich biodiversity of Sunderbans
National Park, which is one of the best national parks in West Bengal. The park being located
at the confluence of many distributaries of the Ganges and Bay of Bengal
receives some unique geographical features, mudfalts being one of those
features that is largely dependent on tidal currents. The Chargheri Char
mudflat in the Sunderbans is open for the tourists, and can be visited during
low tide.
Where to stay: Royal Bengal Resort
Nearest
Railhead: Howrah and Sealdah
Nearest
Airport: Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International
Airport, Kolkata
10. Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve, Sikkim
Covering
an approximate area of 1,784 square kilometers and ranging from an altitude of
about 1,800 meters to 8,500 meters… the Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve or
Khangchendzonga National Park is one of the high altitude national parks in India and the only national
park in Sikkim. It is home to a large variety of alpine vegetations including
medicinal plants, animals and birds at different altitude and thus representing
a rich ecosystem that also include many glaciers, waterfalls, lakes and
streams. Amongst the mammals the snow leopard, Himalayan Tahr, wild dog,
Himalayan black bear, red panda, Himalayan blue sheep, serow, goral and takin
are the major attractions for wildlife enthusiasts… and birds like Blood
Pheasant, Satyr Tragopan, Osprey, Himalayan Griffon, Lammergeier, Tragopan
Pheasant, Green Pigeon, Tibetan Snowcock, Snow Pigeon, Impeyan Pheasant, Asian
Emerald Cuckoo, Sunbird and Eagle make it a haven for bird lovers. The
Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve also offers lot of adventure activities like
trekking, hiking, and camping… which makes it easier for the travellers to
explore the rich biodiversity. The
Green Lake Trek and Dzongri Goechala Trek are some of the best alpine treks in
Sikkim that passes through the Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve.
Where
to stay: Red Palace Hotel and Resort, Yuksom
Nearest
Railhead: New Jalpaiguri
Nearest
Airport: Bagdogra Airport
