India always has been underrated when it comes to tourism considering the diversity and variety of places you can visit and activities you can do during your trip to India.
Talking about the reasons for this understating, some definitely are genuine but most of them are typically the over-exaggeration, pre-conceived notions, and prejudices of the people sitting a thousand miles away and don’t having, any first-hand experience of this country at all.
India surely has its own shortcomings but so does every other country on this planet and that should not prevent you from exploring something which is truly splendid.
Because, in the end, we all travel for the experiences and I can guarantee that this country always believes in over-delivery when it comes to authentic adventures.
While India is extremely good at wellness, hiking, and spiritual travel. But where does India actually stand when it comes to adventure travel? Anyone who is an adventure buff should consider traveling to India and will it be worth it if they do?
Let’s find out!
Wildlife Safari
Since India is a huge country, consequently, it has rich flora and fauna. That being the case, the experience of wildlife safari in India is unmatched.
It has plenty of national parks and sanctuary spread across hundreds of miles, accomodating a variety of species, which makes it a unique experience for adventure junkees, interested in wildlife.
Few exemplary national parks in India
- Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand
- Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh
- Kaziranga National Park in Assam
- Sunderban National Park in West Bengal
- Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan
Mountaineering
Mountaineering is an obsession. At least for the people who are interested in this. Once you do summit a peak. You always aim for the higher next time. And India being profoundly surrounded by the Himalayas has plenty of peaks to summit, ranging from a few hundred meters of altitude to really high ones.
The fact is if you have a keen interest in mountaineering, you have to visit the Indian part of the Himalayas, otherwise, you will miss some of the best peaks to climb on this planet.
Few exceptional treks in India
- Hampta Pass Trek, Himachal Pradesh
- Goechala Trek, Sikkim
- The great Kashmir lake trek, Srinagar
- Har Ki doon Valley Trek, Uttarakhand
- Kedarkantha Trek, Uttarakhand
River Rafting
Even heard of Rishikesh? the spiritual capital of Inda. There is a high chance that you must have. This place is quite eminent for meditation camps and for anyone who is interested in self-discovery or realization. There are various ashrams and Yoga centers ( some are paid, some are free too), where you can stay for a considerable period of time to learn the art of self-mastery and eventually become a better and happier version of yourself.
But this place is also the best river rafting destination in India. The holy river Ganga flows through the city, so do the adventurers along with it on paddle boats for like 21 km crossing plenty of rapids along the way.
And this is not the only place, I have quite a list where you can say goodbye to your water apprehensions and unleash your adventure-self.
Top river rafting spots in India
- Ganga River, Rishikesh in Uttarakhand
- Kundalika River, Kolad in Maharashtra
- Indus River, Ladakh
- Teesta River, Darjeeling
- Beas River, Kullu – Manali
High pass motor-riding
Love riding the bike? want to do something adventuresome in biking? Go on Leh-Ladakh bike trip.
It is a 500 km (one way) crazy bike ride, right through the humongous mountains of the Himalayas. You will get to ride and cross a few of the highest passes in the world. In fact, the highest motorable road, Umlingla pass at a whopping altitude of 19300 ft (5883 meters) is also reachable.
Even, the State of Uttarakhand has a 18406 ft (5310 meters) high motorable road called Mana pass at the border between India and Tibet, which is one of its kind for adventure fanatics.
Scuba Diving and Snorkeling
India, being surrounded by the Arabian Sea & Bay of Bengal has access to plenty of amazing water-laden spots where you can do activities like Scuba diving and Snorkeling. And trust me, it is no less than some of the best Southeast Asian destinations like Thailand, Maldives, or the Philippines.
If planned well in advance, you can pull off a trip with the same level of comfort and services at a very reasonable budget.
Places like Lakshadweep and Andaman are on a bit costlier side but you can definitely visit Grand Island in Goa and Netrani Island in Karnataka and Temple Reef in Pondicherry on a dirt-cheap budget.
Night Kayaking
India has quite many places for Kayaking in Goa, Kerela, Karnataka, Uttarakhand. But there is one particular place and experience which takes it to the next level, kayaking during the nighttime.
You can try it in Andaman & Nicobar Islands. You start when it is absolutely dark. And paddling right through the mangrove trees and glimpsing glowing bioluminescence everywhere in water if you happen to move your hand in the opposite direction of the water flow.
This is one of its kind and will satiate your adventure appetite profoundly and will surely change how you view adventure travel in India for good.
Wrapping up
Adventure travel in India is pretty much viable and could be a rewarding one, considering, traveling in India is not quite costly if planned and researched well in advance. There are a plethora of places of every kind you can explore on your trip to India, and you seemingly must try.
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