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Attraction
Pavagadh Hill, Gujarat
A Mahakali shrine on the summit of Pavagadh, about forty-six kilometres from Vadodara and one of the most visited hill shrines in Gujarat. The records point to a Jain origin — the temple belonged to the Svetambara Achalgaccha sect, and the Mahakali image was installed in the twelfth century. The hill and the ruined city below it form the Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park, which UNESCO listed in 2004 as the only complete pre-Mughal Islamic city in India. A ropeway covers most of the climb; the last stretch is steps, and it is shoulder to shoulder at weekends.
Experience
Shimla, Himachal Pradesh
The UNESCO narrow-gauge railway winding through 100+ tunnels to Shimla.
Lonavala & Khandala, Maharashtra
Ancient 2nd-century BCE Buddhist caves housing a colossal rock chaitya prayer hall with masterfully preserved original timber rib arches.
Kasar Devi (Almora), Uttarakhand
An ancient hilltop temple set in a zone known locally for an unusual geomagnetic field.
Food
Kasol, Himachal Pradesh
The buzzing main-market strip famous for Israeli and global backpacker food, bakeries and bonfire lounges.
Kausani, Uttarakhand
A scenic organic tea garden where visitors can walk the rows and buy fresh Kumaon tea.
Mussoorie, Uttarakhand
Fifteen kilometres out, and the most crowded thing in the district — the fall now sits inside a ring of ropeways, stalls and concrete steps. Come very early or skip it.
Spiti Valley (Kaza), Himachal Pradesh
Spiti's largest monastery, a thousand-year-old fort-like complex perched at 4,166 m.
Khajjiar, Himachal Pradesh
A 12th-century traditional wooden temple featuring intricate wood carvings of the Pandavas and dedicated to serpent deities.
A small lake in the middle of the meadow with a floating mat of weed drifting across it. It is silting up and smaller than it was, so temper any expectation set by older photographs.
Viewpoint
A ledge off the old highway looking across at Duke's Nose, with the ghat railway climbing the far wall. Best in the monsoon when the falls opposite are running, and busy every weekend.
Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu
Man-made, dug in the 1860s, and star-shaped only from the air. The five-kilometre perimeter road is the good part, so hire a bicycle. Boats are rowed or pedalled and the queue at the boat club is long on weekends.
Auli, Uttarakhand
A higher, emptier meadow beyond Gorson, twelve kilometres out and a full day there and back. Nothing on the way, so carry water and food.
Wilson Hills, Gujarat
At Dharampur, the taluka at the base of the hill, with a large collection of international toys, industrial models, rare tribal musical instruments and local royal artefacts.
The highest point in Mussoorie, up in Landour, five kilometres from the Mall. A telescope on a platform, and on a clear morning a line of peaks. Afternoon haze usually closes it down.
Hidden Gem
Around 4,400 metres, with a gilded Buddha above the houses and marine fossils in the ground — this was seabed before the Himalaya rose. Children will bring you ammonites to buy. Taking fossils out of India is restricted, so think before you do.
Market
Leh, Leh & Ladakh
Pedestrianised, so it is the one street in Leh you can walk without watching for traffic. The row of Ladakhi women selling vegetables off the pavement is the real market; the pashmina shops behind need bargaining, and not all of them are selling pashmina.
Nine storeys, built in the early 1600s on the model of the Potala and abandoned in the 1840s. The inside is largely empty and dark, so carry a torch. It is the roof and the view down over the old town that earn the ticket.
Munnar, Kerala
A historic operational tea estate where visitors can view traditional processing methods and buy premium orthodox leaves.
Matheran, Maharashtra
Looks straight across at Prabal fort, with a seasonal waterfall on the far wall through the monsoon. A red laterite walk out from the market, and like everything in Matheran it has to be reached on foot or on horseback.
The medieval military fortification structures guarding the central hill plateau. It features stone walls, watchtowers, and ancient deep water harvesting cisterns carved directly out of the volcanic rock.
Gangtok, Sikkim
The immaculate, vehicle-free public square walkway lined with international multi-cuisine restaurants, local handicraft emporiums, and cafes.
No vehicles allowed, which is why Shimla still works as a walking town. The Gaiety Theatre from 1887 is still in use, and Scandal Point at the far end is where the Mall meets the Ridge.
A historic marble dome structure built on the edge of a deep cliff, serving as the prime location for watching sunrises and panoramic valley horizons.
