Weekend is here! If you are sitting and cribbing about your city life and going FOMO looking at your friend's travel posts, then we feel you. For those with wanderlust souls, nothing brings more happiness than the thought of packing our bags and setting off to explore the beautiful world. But then again, for today's conscious travellers, it's also about finding wholesome experiences when we visit a new place to soak in its culture. For them, travel is not just a means of escaping a busy lifestyle, but adding value to it. It's an essential part of life, not a break away from it.
So if you are up for a backpacking trip to rough it out a little yet have the best time, then we have put down five offbeat destinations that will surely enhance your travel experience. Take a look:
1. Aurangabad
An exquisite confluence of history and culture, Aurangabad is home to the renowned Ajanta and Ellora Caves, the 17th-century Bibi ka Maqbara shrine made with marble, old forts like Daulatabad Fort, art galleries and Shivaji Maharaj Museum. Besides this, this ancient city in Maharashtra is a bubbling, simmering pot of a range of dishes that no food lover can afford to miss.
(Also read: 7 Cool Rucksacks Under Rs 2,000 For Your Next Hiking Trip)
2. Mukteshwar
What could be better than mountains and peace? Mukteshwar is the stuff that a nature lover's dreams are made of. It is the perfect place to chill alongside nature within the folds of mighty mountains while enjoying the soul-soothing embrace of sunlight and the skin-tingling kiss of wintry waft. Mukteshwar is less than 8 hours drive from Delhi, making it one of the closest hill stations from the capital.
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3. Wayanad
Wayanad is another treat for nature lovers who also seek unique cultural experiences. Situated at a distance of 76 kilometers from the beaches of Kozhikode, the region is popular among backpackers on account of its near-perfect weather and scenic setting punctuated with dams, lakes and hiking trails. This town in Kerala paints a quaint and soothing picture with the lush green of mountainous plateaus, picturesque jungles and idyllic valleys. Squatting atop the Western Ghats and enclosing part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, Wayanad is considered the most beautiful district in Kerala.
(Also read: Before You Head To The Beach, Carry These 7 Towels With You)
4. Pokhara
Pokhara is often called the tourism capital of Nepal and it is not in vain that it has received this moniker. It serves as a gateway to the renowned Annapurna Circuit (a Himalayan trail), is among the most exciting paragliding destinations in the world and offers entrancing sight of the Phewa lake framed by sky-piercing mountains. What crystallises its reputation as the ultimate 'Adventure Land of Nepal' is that it cuts a less busy version of Kathmandu while holding on its own as a must-visit backpacker's paradise.
5. Alleppey
It is only when one has explored the intricate network of waterways which can only have been knitted by Mother Chaos that one realises that the tag 'Venice of the East' does Alleppey injustice. Perpetually carrying the fascinating look of a forest having just emerged from a spell of rain, the region is famous for its toddy shops, punted boats, coir industry, paddy fields, the floating villages and of course houseboats.
Time to travel? Choose from this list and take off for a good break.
With inputs from IANS
(Also read: 3 Stunning Beach Destinations In Kerala You Should Visit)
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