India is a land filled with marvels and exciting adventures. It is a country that has everything from ancient monuments, to the great Himalayas, from the dense forests of Sundarbans to the backwaters of Kerala.

There is no dearth of fascinating places in India. But, there are certainly few places that take the cake and must be visited at least once in your life time

1.Yumthang Valley – Sikkim

The sleepy valleys located in Sikkim is one of the most scenic places that you must visit once in India. Yumthang Valley located in North Sikkim is encased beautifully in the great Himalayan Range. The grass-covered meadows and the beautiful blue skies make the place a paradise. During spring, this green grass acquires a radiant colour due to the beautiful flowers that start blooming. The lovely valley starts to blush with different shades from the colour palette and everything looks serene and beautiful. It is situated at a height of 3,564 metres above sea level and the air itself touches your skin softly but manages to refresh you greatly.

2. Tea garden hill of Munnar

Munnar is a picturesque town located in the southwestern region of Kerala. The beautiful town is covered with acres and acres of tea plantations, some which are as high as 7000 feet above sea level. There is something truly magical about these tea plantations. The green colour comes off vibrantly, as tiny figures are visible sometimes silently picking up the best leaves that they can harvest. The air assumes a refreshing coolness and the whole place look straight out of a painting.  The aroma in the air fills your lungs with delight and the whole place is just a treat to your eyes. As you go to the higher located tea plantations, you can see the clouds getting lower, and the whole area gets covered with a pristine mist. This scene is resplendent and absolutely gorgeous.

3. Stok Range, Ladakh

This one is more for the adventure seekers and the mountaineers who want to sore higher and higher. The Stok Range is popular among the climbers and is located at 11,845 feet. It is a treat in itself. The experience of climbing a mountain is something that should be on everyone’s bucket list. The feeling the extremely exhilarating as you climb up to the Stok Range and begin your ascent. The place is covered with snow, and the whole ambience attains a beautiful refreshing feeling. The nature around it is so lovely, that at one point you feel that the wind, the trees, and even the snow is cheering for your climb to be successful.

4. Nubra Valley, Ladakh

The tremendous scenery that Nubra Valley offers is absolutely unbelievable. The entire valley is God’s gift to India. Everything in the Valley is pristine and beautiful. The best part about it is the scant vegetation and the less amount of population. The Valleys untouched by the corrupt fingers of human beings, and has managed to retain its natural beauty.

Nubra is actually a really high altitude cold dessert, but the clear blue skies, and the layers and layers of snow. The little green oasis of a town is delightful and perfectly fitting among the grand snow mountains that surround it.

5. Nohkalikai Falls, Cherrapunji

Cherrapunji is said to be the wettest places on earth. It receives a lot of rainfall, which is also instrumental in making this place as magnificent as it is. The Nohkalikai Falls in Cherrapunji, is probably what the fountain of youth looks like. The ferocious gush of the water and the surrounding trees and bushes, make the place feel ever so heavenly. You are bound to fall in love when you see it. Nohkalikai falls is said to be one of the tallest water falls in India, and is also a huge crowd puller.  The name is derived from a legend, which says that a woman named Likai, went absolutely insane and jumped off a cliff which is located next to this waterfall.

6. Nanda Devi

In India, Nanda Devi is honoured with the tag of being the second highest mountain. However, it is pretty difficult for ordinary folks to climb up to the peak and enjoy the undying beauty of this place. So, while this might be attainable for the usual tourists, the place that one can visit is the Nanda Devi National Park. This lively park is home to so many animals. The animals have found solace here and it is a pleasure to just walk around and spot these might and elegant animals from afar.

7. Mizoram

One of the seven sisters from the North East, Mizoram is a haven for nature and photography lovers. It is surrounded by hills, pastures, valleys, rivers, and lakes. The entire state is a photography point. There are about 21 major hill ranges and peaks that cover this state with green plain land located here and there in between. The culture of the place is also starkly different from other parts in India, and it is a treat to witness and experience the Mizo culture, which is often neglected from the mainstream narrative.

8. Lonar Sarovar, Maharashtra

One of the mystical mysterious in India is the Lunar Crater. This eerie lake was created after a meteor impact, however, there are many legends around the origin of this lake. The lake itself is magnificent to look at, and the radiant green colour gives it a spooky look. The surrounding area also is covered by large trees and that hides this lake, till you actually traverse and come right in front of it. This saline soda lake is located at Maharashtra in Buldana district, and it is definitely a place to visit at least once in your lifetime.

9. Matheran

Maharashtra is actually pretty well known for its monsoon retreats like Lonavala. Yet, one hidden gem that Maharashtra has is Matheran. This lovely little hill station is about 90 km from Mumbai and is absolutely serene. There is a lovely toy train to take you there, but if you choose you can also walk through the winding uphill path surrounded by trees, cooling winds, and horses that cobble their way up. Matheran offers amazing views of the sunset and the sunrise, and it is a must watch experience. The place itself is sweet and lovely and great for a day outing.

10. Leh

It is hard to describe the beauty of Leh since whatever words one can use to describe its elegance, is always less. The beautiful place is Ladakh commands huge traffic of tourists. From the large sloping mountains to the clear deep blue lakes, this place is sure to steal both your heart and your breath. The most wonderful way to travel to this paradise is through roads from New Delhi. The road journey is filled with winding roads, flowing streams and blue skies, it looks exactly how Bollywood describes it.