Exploring India’s Hidden Gems: Road Trips on Car

Planning to travel to some of the most unrecognised and hidden places, here are a few of the best places as per our reviews that you should visit. These places are unrecognised in terms of their potential for a weekend trip location,So uncover and explore the true beauty of landscapes, waterfalls and greenery with our list. 

Barot Valley

Barot Valley is synonymous with the Shanan Hydel project and has not yet gained the recognition it deserves in terms of being a travelling location that it deserves. Until the year 1975 even reaching the valley was a hard task; but after the Hydel project, special roads were built that opened the access of travellers to the valley. The valley is at a distance of about 40 km from Jogindernagar, and about 65 km from Mandi district. The road that leads to the valley is renowned for its beauty and scenic appearance the road includes terraced fields, and thick cedar forests that rise to Jhatinigri hilltop.

The road passes through the small village of Tikkan and continues to Barot Valley. While driving, you can visit the summer palace of the former rulers of Mandi, which is located here. You can also opt to stay at Tikkan and witness the culture of the quaint village or participate in outdoor activities such as Trout Breeding, as per the locals a section of about 30 km that is used for angling here while catching trouts.

For travellers who want to travel ahead of Barot, to places such as Nargu Wildlife Sanctuary, which lies in Uhl,  Barot forms a scenic gateway that leads to even more scenic places. If you plan to visit the large wildlife sanctuary, you can witness the Monal, Black Bear, and Ghoral. Within the sanctuary are forest houses at two distinct locations: Thaltuckhod and Sibhandwari. For trek lovers, there is also a trek route till Kullu that you can trek on. The temperature in Barot valley varies from 15*C to 30*C in the summers. And further Barot valley temperature in winter varies from 10*C to 25*C

On your road trip, you would have to drive 25 km off the National Highway 20 to reach Barot. The diversion that leads to Barot is from a village called Ghatasani, located on the Mandi Joginder Road. Further ahead on the route, the road runs along the Uhl River until Barot. A major portion of this road is single-lane, so beware, especially if you plan to visit during winter when there is a high possibility of fog. Barot Valley Distance from Chandigarh is around 207km, and about 66.3 km from Ghatasani Barot Road.

Bangus Valley

Located in the Trans Himalayan region, the Bangus Valley provides a unique ecological combination of mountainous landscapes such as grasslands, with Fona at lower altitudes and a different ecological setup in the higher altitudes. The valley lies at an altitude of about 10,000ft. above sea level and is considered to be located in the District part of Kupwara and Handwara sub-district.

The valley occupies a space of about 300 Sq Km's the main valley is locally renowned as the mighty Bada Bangus. The same valley is surrounded by Rajwar and Mawar in the east, and towards the west, it is eclipsed by the Shamasbury and Dajlungun mountains.  Towards the North, the valley faces towards Karnah Guli and Chowkibal. There is another smaller valley known as Lokut Bangus that lies on the Northeastern side of the valley. Travellers can witness the picturesque combination of dense forests with streams running amongst them. Such beautiful vistas would surely make your trip enjoyable and memorable. The distance between Bangus Valley and Sri Nagar is around 100 km, which would take about hours to cover.

The Best Time to Visit Bangus Valley

The best time to visit the Bangus Valley would be in the summer months; at this time, the weather is pleasant to travel, and showcases its resplendent beauty and lush greenery. If you miss the summer season, you can also plan to visit the valley during the Autumn season aswell from September to October, as you can witness the changes in the environment much more vividly.  The valley witnesses heavy snowfalls and winters so visiting it during that time would not be a good idea. 

Khirsu

A true hidden gem located in the Pauri Garhwal district, this valley offers a spectacular view of the Himalayas; the ranges have a myriad of peaks such as Panchcachuli, Nanda Devi, Nanda Kot and the Trishul Valley. Khirsu is situated at a height of about 1700m and is surrounded with thick pine and deodar forests. Thanks to the beautiful forests, the nature walks and hikes are pretty renowned here. The village is an agricultural hub; surrounding it are beautiful farms allocated in a terraced format.

The best time to visit is during Winter, as during that time, you can witness the place while it is enveloped in snow. The temperature in khirsu valley during the summer season varies from 15*C to 25*C. the temperature in Khirsu can drop as low as 4*C.

Travelling locations of the South. 

Araku Valley

A picturesque hill station in the Vishakapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh. The location is often known as the Ooty of Andhra. The valley is perched at an altitude of 900 to 1400 meters above sea level. If you want to witness the true culture of tribal folks, you can visit the tribal folk who live in the valley and witness their houses, traditions, and culture. Further, the Anantagiri Reserved Forest and Sunkarimetta Reserved Forest are also a part of the Araku valley.

While visiting the valley, you can also visit Barra Caves, Tyda, Katki Falls, and the tribal museum. If you are a coffee lover, you can also plan to visit the coffee plantations in the area. Since these plantations are an integral part of the overall supply of coffee beans throughout India, we would recommend that you buy a few packs if you are passionate about good coffee. If you plan to witness the tribal way of life, you can do that as well by visiting the Araku Tribal Museum Houses, which display several artefacts related to the Eastern Ghats Tribal Culture.

The best Time to Visit Araku Valley is from November to December. The valley has gained a lot of recognition for being particularly beautiful during the winters. As during that time mustard flowers flock the whole valley and bring forth a very beautiful vista for all.

Athirappilly Waterfall

One of Kerala's most famous and largest waterfalls, the overall height of the waterfall is around 80 ft high. Waterfalls are anyway exciting and amusing to witness, but when they are surrounded by beautiful landscapes like this one, their beauty rises to another level. The sight of falling water dropping onto the ground creates a profound cacophony of soothing sounds that would surprise you. The falls are located at a distance of about 63 km from Thrissur district. This is one of the most renowned picnic spots due to the beautiful waterfall and the glorious greenery that surrounds it.

The falls are only 5km away from Vazhachal Waterfalls, and Athirappilly Waterfalls are famous for the endemic species they host. Researchers have been able to spot Hornbills and several other near-extinction species here.

Pollachi.

Close to the western ghats of Tamil Nadu, at a distance of about 40 km from Coimbatore, Pollachi is often known as the Mini Kodambakkam. The place has gained a lot of recognition due to cinema shootings here and hence many people visit the place quite regularly. Due to its proximity to the Western Ghats, Pollachi has a pleasant climate throughout the year. Due to the place's location, it witnesses monsoon two times, once during the Northeast and then during the southwest monsoon movements of clouds. The temperature here never exceeds 35'c, even in the months of peak summers. Some of the most famous Pollachi Tourist Places would be the Anamalai Hills, Parambikulam Tiger Reserve and Aliyar Dam.

travelling with your own vehicle to all such places would be helpful as they require a fair bit off travelling away from the city highways and roads. But the unavailability of a vehicle should never stop you from having to explore all these places, so why not rent self-drive vehicles from RenTrip and enjoy your trip.