Autumn goals: Places you should not miss visiting when it’s autumn in India

TRAVEL TRENDS, INDIA Updated : Sep 13, 2018, 12:25 IST

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Autumn Vacation Ideas In India

My favourite time of the year, autumn is when you can dust off your backpacks, put on walking shoes, book some tickets and be off on a dream vacation in India. While India’s scorching summers are nothing less than stifling apart from its Himalayan states, monsoon too puts a halt to all vacation ideas if you are not the one to step out when it pours. Autumn is also the start of festive time in India, which translates to more vacation that the rest of the year. If you are hooked to the idea of a lifetime’s trip with some autumn wind in your hair, these places are waiting to be explored.

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Kashmir

Think of the best place to visit in autumn in India, and not naming Kashmir would be almost a sin. Autumn is when Kashmir looks radiant, under endless layers of Chinar leaves. You will not mind getting off the internet and all the social media buzz once you let the golden, orange magic of Kashmir in autumn wash over you. This is a treat for the senses, and also a great idea before winters leave the meadows all snowed up. So yes, GO NOW.

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Jaisalmer

Jaisalmer in autumn is bliss, because this is when the tourist inflow has still not picked pace and the typical heavy rains are gone too. An evening by Gadisar Lake, or some nights of camping in Thar Desert will set your heart soaring, especially if you are trying to get over monsoon blues that hit most of the country every year. A must if you crave for a place that offers stunning vistas, delicious food, a peek into state’s rich culture and folk arts.

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The Great Himalayan National Park

If not Kashmir, some days of solitude in the Great Himalayan National Park in autumn is enough of a lure. Not to be missed, this national park looks all perky and welcoming in the season. These are the most pleasant months to explore the park and the region around, for rains have washed over all the last year’s snow, treks are no longer slippery, and you still have a radiant Sun shining on the faraway, iced-up peaks. A must if you have a penchant for bonfire nights, and welcoming strangers.

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Pondicherry

Well, Pondicherry has been a forever love, little wonder that even the French loved it. This place sees tourists all year around, but autumn is when you can get away from the typical Chennai heat and have some fun time at the beaches here. Also, do not forget to visit Auroville; with some luck, you might even be able to volunteer at one of the many sustainable projects here.

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Kalimpong

If you wish to ward off the tourists that make for a typical day in Darjeeling, head off to Kalimpong, the quainter neighbour of Darjeeling. This place will appeal to you more if you are old-school, and can merrily spend days visiting ancient churches, mostly solitary city lanes, cosy cafes, and mist that often comes rolling in over the roads. Autumn is Kalimpong is more splendid than you can imagine, for it comes abuzz with fresh greens in the hills around after the monsoon showers.

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Binsar

It is quite tough to choose just one place when you have a state that is as well-endowed as Uttarakhand. But then, there is no forgetting Binsar, the quaint mountain hamlet in the Himalayas. Winters here might feel harsh to many, summers see more crowd, and monsoons are always a tricky time for a drive here. The months of October and November, along with mid-September onwards, make for the perfect time to settle down in these hills for a break. You might have nobody for company other than the freshly-washed Himalayan peaks, cups of Masala Chai, and your favourite books. This is also when you can go for short, day hikes in the forests around. Binsar is what I term as one of the best Get Off Internet vacations.

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Meghalaya

Meghalaya is where you need to be this autumn if you have been patiently waiting for the monsoon to end. Referred to as an Abode of Clouds, the state sees plenty of rainfall all year round, leaving only a few months to travellers, who do not like getting drenched. While a trip in the peak of winters is quite enjoyable as well, autumn is when you can soak in the balmy sunlight and explore this nature’s paradise to the hilt.

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Kinnaur

While Kinnaur stays heavenly all through the year, even when monsoons make it a waterfall-on-every-road-turn place, autumn here is simply gorgeous. By the time trees turn autumnal orange here, most of the tourist crowd has passed, rains have cleaned it anew, and it still is not the time for the really bone-chilling winters. If you ask me, a trip to Kinnaur in autumn might just be the most surreal trip of your life.