Looking For a Change This Christmas! Pick These 7 ‘Not So Famous’ Yet Awesome Indian Locations
Christmas is around the corner and everyone is waiting to meet their near and dear ones during this festive period. Winter vacation gives you a very good chance to plan a trip or something along with your family and friends.
For those who are planning to travel India but are bored of traveling to same places, again and again, here we have prepared a fresh new list of places that are perfect for Christmas celebration in India and to have an unforgettable experience to remember throughout your life.
No.1 KODAIKANAL: Tamil Nadu (South India)
Kodaikanal is a hill town in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The name ‘Kodaikanal’ is in the Tamil language which means: “The Gift of the Forest”. To have a mind-blowing experience, do celebrate Christmas in India.
Interesting facts about the place:
- In the year 2009 only, the number of tourists visiting this location increased from two million to 3.2 million as compared to 1999 statistics.
- On festive seasons, hotels are often fully booked and remain virtually empty during the off-season.
- Popular tourist souvenirs include handcrafts, home-made chocolates, postcards and Eucalyptus oil.
- The temperatures of this place remain cool throughout the year due to the high elevation of the city.
Popular Churches:
- La Saleth Church: Oldest church of Kodaikanal
- Lutheran church
- United Pentecostal church
Popular Places To Visit:
S.No. FAMOUS SITES LOCATIONS
1 Kodaikanal Lake Kodaikanal's most popular geographic landmark and tourist attraction
2
Bryant Park 500 meters from the bus stand
3 Coaker's Walk 500 meters from the bus stand
4 Green Valley View 5.5 kilometers from the bus-stand and near the golf course, formerly known as suicide point
5 Shembaganur Museum of Natural History 6 kilometers from the bus-stand
6 Kodaikanal Solar Observatory 6 kilometers from the bus-stand on Observatory Road
7 Dolphin's Nose 8 kilometers from the bus stand
8 Kurinji Andavar Murugan temple 4 kilometers from the bus-stand
9 Silver Cascade 8 kilometers from Kodaikanal
10 Located at a distance of around 20 km from Kodaikanal Located at a distance of around 20 km from Kodaikanal
11 Pillar Rocks 8 kilometers from the bus-stand
Nearby Airports:
- Madurai International Airport (115 kilometers)
- Coimbatore International Airport (170 kilometers)
- Tiruchirapalli International Airport (197 kilometers)
No. 2 MUNNAR: Kerala (South India)
Munnar is a town and hill station located in the Idukki district of the southwestern Indian state of Kerala. It is one of the best places to visit during December in India.
Interesting facts about the place:
- Munnar also supports the ‘neelakurinji’ that blossoms only once in twelve years.
- The cool breeze and beautiful views in Munnar provide an unbelievable trip for the visitors.
Popular Churches:
- Mary’s Orthodox
- Mount Carmel Roman Catholic Church
Popular Places To Visit:
S.No. FAMOUS SITES LOCATIONS
1 Marayoor Dolmens Around 48 km from Munnar
2 2 Eravikulam National Park Around 10 km from Munnar
3 Anamudi Peak Around 10 km from Munnar
4 Mattupetty Dam Around 11 km from Munnar
5 Pallivasal Around 23 km from Munnar
6 Munnar Tea Museum Around 1 km from Munnar
Nearby Airports:
- The nearest airport is Cochin International Airport, which is 110 kilometers away. The Coimbatore and Madurai airports are 165 km from Munnar.
No. 3 SONAMARG: Jammu and Kashmir (Northern India)
Sonamarg is a hill station which is located in Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir in India. The name Sonmarg means ‘meadow of gold’.
Interesting facts about the place:
- Sonamarg faces heavy snowfall and avalanches during winters.
- The Zojila pass lies 15 kilometers east and is one of the highest passes for road transport.
- Sonamarg also witnesses the highest amount of rainfall even in the driest month of the year.
Popular Churches:
- Holy Family Catholic Church
Popular Places To Visit:
S.No. FAMOUS SITES LOCATIONS
1 Vishansar Lake Situated in the vicinity of Sonamarg
2 Nilagrad River 6 km from Sonamarg
3 Zoji La Pass Around 9 km from Sonmarg
4 Thajiwas Glacier Around 2 km from Sonamarg
5 Krishnasar Lake Around 20 km from Sonamarg
6 Baltal Valley 15 km from Sonamarg
Nearby Airports:
The nearest International Airport available is Srinagar International Airport which is located 80 Km from Sonmarg. It is connected to the several important cities like Jammu, New Delhi, Mumbai, Leh, etc.
No.4 KHAJJIAR: Himachal Pradesh (Northern India)
Khajjiar is a hill station in Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh (India). It is also known as Mini Switzerland. It is the perfect location for the tourists to celebrate Christmas in India.
Interesting facts about the place:
- Khajjiar is among the 160 locations in the world that bear topographical resemblance with Switzerland.
- There are a hotel and some cottages run by HP Tourism at Khajjiar where the tourists can stay.
- Bus service to and from Khajjiar is limited and timing changes according to local demands.
- Khajjiar offers numerous trekking opportunities.
Popular Churches:
- Patrick’s Church
- John’s Church
- Francis’ Church
Popular Places To Visit:
S.No. FAMOUS SITES LOCATIONS
1 Dauladhar Mountains Around 25 km from Khajjiar
2 Khajjiar Lake Around 650 m from Khajjiar
3 Khajjinag temple 500 m from Khajjiar
4 Kalatop wildlife sanctuary Around 16 km from Khajjiar and 4.6 km from Khajjiar Lake
5 Lord Shiva Statue at Jagdambe Mata Temple Around 1 km from Khajjiar
6 Moti Tibba 0.5 km from Khajjiar Lake
7 Sach Pass 1 km from Khajjiar Lake
8 Chamera Dam 8 km from Khajjiar Lake
Nearby Airports:
- Dharamsala Airport
- Helipad Dainkund
No. 5 DARJEELING: West Bengal (Eastern India)
Being located at an elevation of 6,700 ft, Darjeeling is a town in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Interesting facts about the place:
- The official languages of Darjeeling are Nepali and English.
- The place is famous for its tea industry as well as is a popular tourist destination in India.
- It also delivers spectacular views of the Kanchenjunga (world’s third-highest mountain) as well as the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway.
- Currently, around 50,000 foreign and 500,000 domestic tourists visit Darjeeling each year.
- According to an India Today survey, Darjeeling is the third most googled travel destination among all the tourist spots in India.
Popular Churches:
- St Andrew Church
- Sacred Heart Church
Popular Places To Visit:
S.No. FAMOUS SITES LOCATIONS
1 Darjeeling Himalayan Railway 20 km from the City Center
2 Japanese Peace Pagoda Japanese Peace Pagoda
3 Batasia Loop 3 km from the City Center
4 Nightingale Park 2 km from the City Center
5 Padmaja Naidu Zoo 3 km from the City Center
6 Singalila National Park 20 km from the City Center
7 Monasteries in Darjeeling 3 km from the City Center
Nearby Airports:
You will find the nearest airport is Bagdogra Airport (near Siliguri) which is 96 km away from Darjeeling. It is just 50 minutes away from Kolkata by air. There are daily flights available here.
No.6 GREAT RANN OF KUTCH: Gujarat (Western India)
If you want to have a unique experience in this Christmas, then the Great Rann Of Kutch is the perfect to satisfy your traveling hunger. It is a salt marsh located in the Thar Desert which is located in the Gujarat, India
Interesting facts about the place:
- The most interesting fact related to this place is that this is one of the hottest areas in India but its temperatures reduce dramatically and can go below 0 °C in winters.
- The unique handicrafts of this are famous all around the world.
- Another strange thing linked to this place is a type of dancing light phenomena which are locally known as Chir Batti (ghost lights).
- For the sake of tourists, the Government of Gujarat hosts an annual 3-month long festival during winter known as the “Rann Utsav festival of the Rann”.
- The northern boundary of the Greater Rann of Kutch forms the International Border between India and Pakistan.
Popular Churches:
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese Church
Popular Places To Visit:
S.No FAMOUS SITES LOCATIONS
1 Gorgeous White Salt Desert Situated about 100kms from Bhuj city
2 Kala Dungar Located at a short distance from Great Rann White Desert (458 m above the Rann)
3 Kutch Museum Located in Kutch
4 Prag Mahal and Aina Mahal Located in Kutch
5 Vijay Vilas Palace 65 kms from Bhuj city
6 Mandvi Beach Located at the short distance from Vijay Vilas Palace
Nearby Airports:
Bhuj Airport is the nearest airport: Located 53 km from Kutch. Flights are available from and to all the famous cities in India like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Kolkata etc.
No. 7 LEH: Jammu and Kashmir (Northern India)
Interesting facts about the place:
- Leh is the second most expansive district in the country after Kutch in Gujarat.
- Roads in Leh are open only on a seasonal basis and are one of the unique places to visit in India.
- Leh is packed with thousands of tourists coming from all over India as well as foreign countries.
Popular Churches:
- Thomas Church
- Moravian Mission Church
Popular Places To Visit:
S.No. FAMOUS SITES LOCATIONS
1 Leh Palace Around 2.6 km from Leh
2 Namgyal Tsemo Gompa Around 1.5 km from Leh
3 Shanti Stupa About 4.9 km from Leh
4 Stakna Gompa 21 to 25 km from Leh
5 Thikse Monastery Approximately 19 kilometers east of Leh
6 Wet N Wild Explorations Fort Rd, Leh (Jammu and Kashmir)
Nearby Airports:
Leh Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport has flights to Delhi at least daily on Jet Airways & Air India airlines. You can connect in Delhi for other destinations.
OTHER POPULAR TOURIST SPOTS FOR CHRISTMAS GETAWAYS IN INDIA:
There are other popular destinations in India also which you can choose for this Christmas. All you need to know is to get aware of the cheapest days to fly in December and book the tickets accordingly.
- GOA, MUMBAI: Western India
- SHILLONG, KOLKATA: Eastern India
- PUDUCHERRY, KERALA, BANGALORE, DAMAN & DIU: Southern India
- DELHI, SHIMLA, MANALI: Northern India
Details in Regards to Booking of Tickets From the US To India:
You can pick the following options if you are eager to spend your winter vacation in the beautiful valleys of India. Here we have gathered the details of best and the cheapest flights from the US to India.
| S.No. | ROUTES | REQUIRED FARES |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | FOR NEW YORK TO INDIA ROUTE | Round Trip Starts From $750* |
| 2 | FOR LOS ANGELES TO INDIA ROUTE | Round Trip Starts From $699* |
| 3 | FOR CLEVELAND TO INDIA ROUTE | Round Trip Starts From $825* |
Terms and conditions may apply to the fares and these are available until 31st of October. So grab the best options according to your requirements. As the fare will get high and high from now until Christmas, so do book your tickets in advance to avail the Cheapest Christmas Flights.
You may have several questions like which is the best time to buy airline tickets for Christmas travel if you are traveling from the US to India, then here are all the details regarding that.
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