Traveling is inevitably the most desirable way to relax and take a cut out of the run-for-the-living. There was a time when families planned holidays I’m advance with travel tickets and hotel stays were booked well in advance. The regular destinations like Jaipur, Udaipur in Rajasthan, Shimla, Manali in Himachal, Delhi, Agra and Mathura in Uttar Pradesh, Tirupati, Trivandrum, Kochi in the south, Mumbai, Goa in the west always have attracted tourists from every part of India. Now, with the metros becoming crowded, millennial are now looking at Offbeat destinations to enjoy some serenity with peace and more importantly, to avoid the crowds. With the demands rising over the last few years, the inclination towards the wilds of Himalayas has increased multifold. The natural beauty experienced in places like Ladakh, Spiti, Uttarakhand, and Kashmir with the mix of both greenery and Rocky Mountains have witnessed the footfalls going up rapidly. For a traveler, below are the 5 destinations that will blow their minds away.

Chopta in Uttarakhand

If one has not much time to take leaves for holidays, Chopta is an ideal Out of the box destination to unwind your soul in 4 days. Around 450 kms from Delhi, Chopta is located at around 3500 mtrs altitude with a wild panoramic view of the wild ranges of the Himalayas. Whether going by bikes or four-wheelers, Chopta is around 14 hrs. drive from Delhi touching Rishikesh, Srinagar, Rudraprayag, and Ukhimath. From Chopta, one can trek up to the Tungnath that has the world’s highest Shiva Temple at an altitude of 3600 meters. From Tungnath, one can further trek up to the Chandrashila top and can enjoy a wild 360 degree view of the wild ranges of the Himalayas, standing right in front of their faces.

Pangi valley in Himachal

A 5 days trip from Delhi, Pangi valley is located in Northern Himachal. Around 1500 kms round trip, one can reach Pangi valley in 3 days, traveling through Pathankot, Chamba valley and Sach Pass which is one of the most dangerous passes in Asia. Pangi valley is yet not much commercialized and people have visited the region to research on herbs. But, the best part indeed is the ride from Bairagarh in Chamba valley to Kilar is Pangi through the Sach Pass. An 80 kms drive at an altitude of 4500 meters, one can surely experience what offroading truly means.

Spiti Valley

Studying about Himachal in geography, everyone has read about Lahaul-Spiti, but little anyone knew the about the wild beauty one can experience here. Himachal Pradesh, mostly having the wilds located in the northern part, Spiti is amust-do for a traveler to enjoy the wild rocky sculptures all around. Around 2000 kms roundtrip from the National capital, one can either enter via Manali or Shimla, depending on how they want to complete the circuit. Visiting Spiti, one must surely keep his stay in Dhankar, Komic, Langza, Chandrtaal, Key. Kaza being the most commercialized place in Spiti, one can surely have a stay as a base and visit to Langza and Komic which is Asia’s highest village connected by motorable road.

Narkanda

A night-drive from Delhi, Narkanda in Himachal is a must-tick in a traveler’s checklist if they can’t afford extended holidays. The road from Shimla to Narkanda is well maintained and the drive is really pleasing through the lush green mountains. Around 400 kms from Delhi and well-known for apples and cherry orchards, one can drive through Shimla, Theog enjoying the mesmerizing views while cruising through.

Zanskar

If you have the heart to drive through the river beds and waterfalls, this is the route for you. Take the challenge and drive from Kargil to Zanskar to enjoy serenity beyond explanation. Located in Ladakh, Zanskar is around 250 kms from Kargil. One needs to start by 6AM or before to reach Padum by evening as one can maintain hardly 20 kms/hr speed in this route. Reaching there, one can enjoy the perfect Buddhist culture for a day before heading back to Kargil and carrying on their journey in Ladakh.

Auli in Uttarakhand

Located around 500 meters from Delhi, Auli is the perfect destination if one is fond of skiing. One of the locations in Uttarakhand witnessing great footfall between December to March, Auli is surely a great plan for travelers who loves winter snowfall. One can drive through Rishikesh, Devprayag, Karnprayag, Srinagar and break the journey into 5 days for the 1000 kms round trip.

By Shalini Raj, Travel Curator and Founder, Journey Weavers