![]() ![]() The drive to Coonoor from Coimbatore takes about an hour and 45 minutes. GETTING THERE: Coimbatore International Airport offers international connectivity from cities such as Colombo, Sharjah, and Singapore, and is connected to major Indian cities. Go trekking in the mountains of the Hidden Valley, 20 kilometres from Coonoor, or take a stroll among exotic varieties of plants in Sim’s Park, a botanical park built in a ravine. ![]() Birdwatchers can find delight in spotting cormorants, pipits, thrushes, parakeets, skylarks, and Nilgiri flycatchers. Located in the Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu, approximately 1,850 metres above sea level, Coonoor is known for its thick foliage, myriad species of flora and fauna, tea plantations, and the toy train that connects it with Mettupalayam and Ooty. STAY: Base yourself in Srinagar, at Vivanta Dal View, which offers panoramic views of the valley and the Dal Lake (starts from INR 15,000/ USD204). You can also drive from Srinagar to Gurez via Razdan Pass (123 km). The chopper flight takes around half an hour. Tickets for this can be booked at the Sheikh Ul-Alam International Airport in Srinagar. GETTING THERE: A government helicopter service transports tourists from Srinagar to Gurez. Eventually, the path slopes down into Dawar village in Gurez, where Kashmiri traditions abound. Once it opens for visitors around May, the road to Gurez is dotted with tall pine trees and passes through endless meadows. About 125 kilometres away from Srinagar, Gurez is cut off from the rest of the world for around six winter months due to heavy snowfall. While Gurez Valley does justice to that reputation, it has received little attention in comparison to popular tourist areas such as Srinagar, Gulmarg, Sonamarg, and Pahalgam. STAY: Lakshman Sagar has 12 cottages made of sustainable, locally sourced materials, influenced by traditional Rajasthani architecture (starts from INR 19,000/USD257). It takes a little over an hour to reach Pali by road. GETTING THERE: Fly from the Jaipur International Airport to Jodhpur Airport, which is 73 km away from Pali. Drop by the Bangur Museum to catch glimpses of Rajasthan’s rich history in its displays, including a vast collection of coins from different periods, Rajasthani art, ornaments, armour, and traditional clothing. Visit the 15th-century Jain Temple of Ranakpur, regarded as one of the largest and most sacred places for Jains, and admire its architectural splendour or head to Nimbo Ka Nath temple, where the Pandavas are believed to have spent a portion of their exile. Pali offers its visitors the opportunity to learn about Rajasthan’s socio-economic history and its vibrant culture. Known as the industrial city of Rajasthan, Pali has been a centre for merchant activities for centuries, and is a famous exporter of textiles such as cotton and synthetic materials. STAY: The Windermere Estate in Munnar makes for a plush stay option, and offers tea trails, photo walks, birding sessions, and picnics (starts from INR 9,000/USD122). GETTING THERE: Kolukkumalai is roughly 100 km from Cochin International Airport, which serves international flights and is connected to major Indian cities. Get a hands-on experience with the ‘make your own tea’ programme at the estate. The tea is then rolled, oxidised, dried some more, and ultimately packaged for sale. ![]() Instead of the mechanised crush-tear-curl (CTC) method, tea leaves are handpicked, weighed, graded, and dried indoors to ensure that they don’t crumble. Thirty-five kilometres from Munnar, Kolukkumalai Tea Estate, set up by the British in the 1930s, continues to use its original equipment. The village of Kolukkumalai-bordering Kerala and Tamil Nadu-cultivates tea leaves at an altitude of over 2,400 metres. By Rashima Nagpal & Shrimayee Thakur KOLUKKUMALAI, KERALA From an offbeat hill town in the Nilgiris to a former Danish settlement by the sea, these 20 lesser-known Indian destinations will guarantee an idyllic and physically-distanced vacation in 2021. ![]()
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