Hidden Gems

All destinations

The India beyond the guidebook — quiet, raw and unforgettable.

323places36statesOctober–March

Browse hidden gems

Things to do

Individual sights and experiences, rather than whole places to stay.

Alleppey (Backwaters)

Punnamada Lake Track

The historic backwater stretch that hosts the annual Nehru Trophy snake boat races, popular for evening walks.

Tirthan Valley

Jibhi Waterfall

A small fall a short walk through deodar from the village, on a path that gets slippery in the rain. Ten minutes each way, and busy through the afternoon.

Tsomgo Lake & Nathula Pass

Tsomgo (Changu) Lake

An oval lake at about 3,750 metres, held sacred locally and frozen over in winter. Yaks are brought down to the shore for photographs, at a price agreed before you sit on one. Permits are checked at the barrier below.

Saputara

Gira Waterfalls

About thirty metres, on the Ambika near Waghai, and worth the detour only during and just after the monsoon. By February it is a wet rock face.

Alleppey (Backwaters)

Vembanad Lake Basin

India's longest lake. The luxury houseboats run their circuits here, and the traditional resorts stand along its shores.

Khajjiar

Khajjiar Lake

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.

Arambol Beach

Sweet Water Lake

A freshwater lagoon just behind the beach, popular for a dip after the sea.

Kodachadri

Hidlumane Falls

A multi-tiered waterfall on the trekking route up to the peak.

Chopta (Tungnath)

Deoriatal Lake

A small lake that holds a reflection of Chaukhamba on a still morning, about two and a half kilometres up from Sari village. Camping on the far bank is permitted and is why most people come.

Chitrakote Falls (Bastar)

Chitrakote Falls Viewpoint

The horseshoe falls of the Indravati, widest in India.

Jibhi

Serolsar Lake

About five kilometres of level forest walking from Jalori Pass, through old oak. There is a small temple to Budhi Nagin at the water and a tea stall on the way. Snow shuts the pass in winter.

Great Himalayan National Park

Chhoie Waterfall

About three kilometres up from the road head, short but steep, through forest. Best during and just after the monsoon; a trickle by late spring.

Pushkar

Pushkar Lake Ghats

Fifty-two ghats ring the water, each attached to a different community or ruler, and the lake is old enough to appear on coins from the fourth century BC. Hindu tradition calls it tirtha-guru, the teacher of pilgrimage places, and a bath here is held to wash away sin; more than five hundred temples stand around the shore. The crowds peak at Kartik Poornima in October or November, when the Pushkar fair runs. Shoes off on every ghat, and photographing people bathing is not welcome. A priest will press a puja on you the moment you sit down — fix the amount first or say no plainly.