Darjeeling tea

Darjeeling tea is a tea from the Darjeeling district in West Bengal, India. It is available as black, white or oolong. When properly brewed, it yields a thin-bodied, light-colored infusion with a floral aroma. The flavor can include a tinge of astringent tannic characteristics, and a musky spiciness sometimes described as "muscatel". Although Darjeeling teas are marketed commercially as "black teas", almost all of them have incomplete oxidation (<90%), so they are technically more oolong than black.

Fresh bud on a tea plant

Darjeeling tea 

Darjeeling

A view of Darjeeling

 Darjeeling is a Himalayan city now in the Indian state of West Bengal. Darjeeling was a part of Nepal but British took it from Nepal while it was ruling India. It is internationally renowned as a tourist destination, along with its tea industry and the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is "hill town headquarters" of Darjeeling district with a partially autonomous status within the state of West Bengal. The town is located in the Mahabharat Range or Lesser Himalaya at an average elevation of 6,710 ft (2,050 m).

Darjeeling 

Nainital

Nainital is a popular hill station in the Indian state of Uttarakhand and headquarters of Nainital district in the Kumaon foothills of the outer Himalayas. Situated at an altitude of 2,084 metres (6,837 ft) above sea level, Nainital is set in a valley containing a pear-shaped lake, approximately two miles in circumference, and surrounded by mountains, of which the highest are Naina (2,615 m (8,579 ft)) on the north, Deopatha (2,438 m (7,999 ft)) on the west, and Ayarpatha (2,278 m (7,474 ft)) on the south. From the tops of the higher peaks, "magnificent views can be obtained of the vast plain to the south, or of the mass of tangled ridges lying north, bounded by the great snowy range which forms the central axis of the Himalayas."

View of Nainital Lake City

Nainital is located at

 WikiMiniAtlas

29°23′N 79°27′E / 29.38°N 79.45°E / 29.38; 79.45. The slopes of the nearby mountains are most populated, with an elevation ranging from 1940 mts to 2100 meters. The highest point nearby is Naina Peak or China Peak, with an elevation of 2619 mts.

Naini Lake, Nainital

Nainital has temperate summers, maximum temperature 27  (81); minimum temperature 7 °C (45 °F), during which its population increases more than fivefold with an annual influx of tourists predominantly from the plains of Northern India. In the winter, Nainital receives snowfall between December and February with the temperatures varying between a maximum of 15 °C (59 °F) and a minimum of −3 °C (27 °F).

Naina Devi Temple, after which Nainital, gets its name.

Nainital

Mussoorie

View of Mussoorie from the top of Gun Hill

Mussoorie is a hill station and a municipal board in the Dehradun District of the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is located about 35 km from the state capital of Dehradun and 290 km north from the national capital of New Delhi. This hill station, situated in the foothills of the Garhwal Himalayan ranges, is also known as the Queen of the Hills. The adjoining town of Landour, which includes a military cantonment, is considered part of 'greater Mussoorie', as are the townships of Barlowganj and Jharipani.

Ropeway/Cable Car is the tourist attraction in Mussoorie

Tourism is the most significant segment of the Mussoorie's economy. It has a nature walk known as "Camel's Back Road". This road takes its name from a rocky outcrop in the shape of a camel's hump. Along the road, a cemetery is located about mid-way on the loop. There is also "Gun Hill" where a cannon was used to sound out midday for many years. Gun Hill is accessible by the cable car on the Mall road. The oldest Christian church in the Himalayas, St Mary's, is situated above Mall Road, and is currently undergoing restoration. Kempty falls is a nice picnic spot. Company Garden is popular tourist destination. During season, the Company Garden has a vast collection of flowers and plants. Happy Valley has a small Tibetan temple. This was the first Tibetan temple built in India. The temple was constructed in 1960 by the Tibetan refugees. Lal Tibba is another tourist spot of Mussoorie. Picturesque Dhanaulti hill station is about 32 kilometres from Mussoorie. Mussoorie also had India's largest roller skating rink.

Mussoorie

Kedarnath

Kedarnath  is a Hindu holy town located in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is a nagar panchayat in Rudraprayag district. The most remote of the four Char Dham sites, Kedarnath is located in the Himalayas, about 3584m(11759 Ft.) above sea level near the head of river Mandakini, and is flanked by breathtaking snow-capped peaks. Kedarnath hosts one of the holiest Hindu temples, the Kedarnath Temple, and is a popular destination for Hindu pilgrims from all over the world, being one of the four major sites in India's Chota Char Dham pilgrimage.

Kedarnath Temple

Kedarnath is named in honor of King Kedar who ruled in the Satya Yuga. He had a daughter named Vrinda who was a partial incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi. She performed austerities for 60000 years. In honour of her, the land is named Vrindavan. However, Kedarnath and its temple exist from the Mahabharata Era when the Pandavas are supposed to have pleased Lord Shiva by doing penance there.

Kedarnath Temple Route

Kedarnath 

Badrinath

Badrinath is a Hindu holy town and a nagar panchayat in Chamoli district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is the most important of the four sites in India's Char Dham pilgrimage. The town gets its name from the Holy temple of Badrinath.

The Badrinath temple is the main attraction in the town. According to legend Shankara discovered a black stone image of Lord Badrinarayan made of Saligram stone in the Alaknanda River. He originally enshrined it in a cave near the Tapt Kund hot springs. In the sixteenth century, the King of Garhwal moved the murti to the present temple.

Badrinath is not only Land of Gods, but also Beauty. There are number of attractive Places in and around.

• Vasundhara Falls
• Brahma Kapal Ghat
• Badrinath Temple
• Neelkanth
• Charanpaduka
• Valley Of Flowers
• Sheshnetre
• Mata Murti Temple Mandir
• Panch Dharas
• Alka Puri

Badrinath 

Ooty

Ooty is a town, a municipality and the district capital of the Nilgiris district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Ootacamund is a popular hill station located in the Nilgiri Hills. Originally occupied by the Todas, the area came under the rule of the East India Company at the end of the 18th century.

Today the town's economy is based on tourism and agriculture, with manufacturing of medicines and photographic film also present. The town is connected to the rest of India by road and rail, and its historic sites and natural beauty attract tourists.

Nilgiri Tea

Ooty 

Kodaikanal

Kodaikanal is a city in the hills of the taluk division of the Dindigul district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Its name in the Tamil language means "The Gift of the Forest". Kodaikanal is referred to as the "Princess of Hill stations" and has a long history as a retreat and popular tourist destination.
Kodaikanal was established in 1845 as a refuge from the high temperatures and tropical diseases of the plains. Much of the local economy is based on the hospitality industry serving tourism.

Almost all distances from Kodaikanal are calculated with the lake as the central point of reference. The nearest airports are Madurai (135 kilometres / 84 miles), Coimbatore (170 kilometres / 110 miles) and Trichy (200 kilometres / 120 miles). The nearest Railway stations are Palani Railway Station (64 kilometres / 40 miles) north, Kodai Road Station (80 kilometres / 50 miles) south east and Dindigul Railway Junction (100 kilometres / 62 miles) east.

The 2 to 3 hours drive to Kodai via the steep and winding Ghat roads from Batlagundu or Palani is a memorable experience. Travelers may stop at turnouts on the road and enjoy the scenic beauty of the Palani hills. There is a 28 km shortcut from Periyakulam to Kodaikanal via Kumbakarai . Bicycle rentals, taxis, vans and limited city buses are available. Auto rickshaws are not available.

 Kodaikanal

Gangtok

Gangtok is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Sikkim. Gangtok is located in the eastern Himalayan range, at an altitude of 5,800 feet (1,800 m). The city, with a population of one 2,08,658 according to the 2011 census belonging to different ethnicities such as Indian-Nepalis, Lepchas and Bhutia, is administered by the "Gangtok Municipal Corporation". Nestled within higher peaks of the Himalaya and enjoying a year-round mild temperate climate, Gangtok is at the centre of Sikkim’s tourism industry.

Gangtok rose to prominence as a popular Buddhist pilgrimage site after the construction of the Enchey Monastery in 1840. In 1894, the ruling Sikkimese Chogyal, Thutob Namgyal, transferred the capital to Gangtok. In the early 20th century, Gangtok became a major stopover on the trade route between Lhasa in Tibet and cities such as Kolkata (then Calcutta) in British India. After India won its independence from Britain in 1947, Sikkim chose to remain an independent monarchy, with Gangtok as its capital. In 1975, after the integration with the union of India, Gangtok was made India's twenty-second state capital.

The precise meaning of the name Gangtok is unclear, though the most popular meaning is "hill top". Today, Gangtok is a centre of Tibetan Buddhist culture and learning, with the presence of several monasteries, religious educational institutions, and centres for Tibetology.

Gangtok

Mount Abu

Abu Parvat or Mount Abu is a popular hill station in the Aravalli Range of Rajasthan state in western India. It is located in Sirohi district. Mount Abu is 58 km from Palanpur (Gujarat). The mountain forms a distinct rocky plateau 22 km long by 9 km wide. The highest peak on the mountain is Guru Shikhar, at 1,722 metres (5,650 ft) above sea level. It is referred to as 'an oasis in the desert', as its heights are home to rivers, lakes, waterfalls and evergreen forests. The ancient name of Mount Abu is "Arbudaanchal"

To reach Mount Abu by Rail: The nearest railway station is at Abu Road, in the lowlands 27 km southeast of Mount Abu town. The station is on the main Indian Railways line between Delhi, Palanpur and Ahmedabad.

To reach Mount Abu by Air: The nearest airport is Udaipur at a distance of 185 km, But Ahmedabad is having better connectivity and daily flights with other parts of the country and is just 221 KM from Mount Abu, from Ahmedabad or Udaipur you can book Taxi in advance.

To reach Mount Abu by Road: Mount Abu is well connected by road with major cities of the country, nearest national highway no. 14 is just 24 KM's.Its is very well connected with daily travels bus service from Ahmedabad and other big cities of Gujarat. It has regular trains for Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Ajmer, Indore, Agra, Bhopal, Gwalior, Jabalpur, Ujjain, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Pune and weekly trains from Trivandrum(Kochu Veli).

Mount Abu

Shillong

Shillong is the capital of Meghalaya, one of the smallest states in India and home to the Khasis. It is the headquarters of the East Khasi Hills district and is situated at an average altitude of 4,908 feet (1,496 m) above sea level, with the highest point being Shillong Peak at 6,449 feet (1,966 m).

The city had a population of 314,610 according to the 2011 census. It is said that the rolling hills around the town reminded the European settlers of Scotland. Hence, Shillong is known as "Scotland of the East."

It has steadily grown in size and significance since it was made the civil station of the Khasi and Jaintia Hills in 1864 by the British. In 1874, on the formation of Assam as a Chief Commissioner's Province, it was chosen as the headquarters of the new administration because of its convenient location between the Brahmaputra and Surma valleys and more so because the climate of Shillong was much cooler than tropical India. Shillong remained the capital of undivided Assam until the creation of the new state of Meghalaya on 21 January 1972, when Shillong became the capital of Meghalaya and Assam moved its capital to Dispur in Guwahati.

Shillong 

Cherrapunji

Cherrapunji, is a subdivisional town in the East Khasi Hills district in the Indian state of Meghalaya. It is credited as being the second wettest place on Earth. However, nearby Mawsynram currently holds that record. Though, it still holds the world record for the most rainfall in a calendar month and in a year. It received 9,300 mm (366 in) in July 1861 and 26,461 mm (1,041.75 in) between 1 August 1860 and 31 July 1861.

Cherrapunji receives rains from the Bay of Bengal arm of the Indian summer monsoon. The monsoon clouds fly unhindered over the plains of Bangladesh for about 400 km. Thereafter, they hit the Khasi Hills which rise abruptly from the plains to a height of about 1370 m above mean sea level within 2 to 5 km. The geography of the hills with many deep valleys channels the low-flying (150–300 m) moisture-laden clouds from a wide area to converge over Cherrapunji. The winds push the rain clouds through these gorges and up the steep slopes. The rapid ascent of the clouds into the upper atmosphere hastens the cooling and helps vapours to condense. Most of Cherrapunji's rain is the result of air being lifted as a large body of water vapour. The extreme amount of rainfall at Cherrapunji is perhaps the best-known feature of orographic rain in northeast India.

 Cherrapunji

Panchgani

Panchgani  is a hill station and municipal council in Satara district in Maharashtra, India .

Panchgani is nestled at middle of five hills in the Sahyadri mountain ranges,also there are five villages around the Pachgani are Dandeghar,Khingar,Godwali, Amral & Taighat .The Krishna River flows nearby which made the lake of Dhom Dam on the Krishna 9 K.M. from Wai. BOUNDARIES:- Panchgani is situated about 285 km, 100 km 18 km,45 km & 10  respectively, from Mumbai, Pune Mahabaleshwar Satara & Wai.

The east of the Pachgani is Wai, Bavdhan & Nagewadi dam, at west there is Gureghar,at south is Khingar & Rajpuri,& on north is Dhom Dam.

Panchgani

Matheran

Matheran is a Hill Station and a municipal council in Raigad district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is a hill station in Karjat Tahsil and is also the smallest hill station in India. It is located on the Western Ghats range at an elevation of around 800 m (2,625 feet) above sea level.

It is located around 90 km from Mumbai, and 120 km from Pune. Matheran's proximity to the three Metros makes it a popular weekend getaway for urban residents. The name Matheran means "forest on the forehead" (of the mountains).

Matheran is located about 100 km from Mumbai, 120 km from Pune. and 320 km from Surat. It lies on the busy Mumbai-Pune rail link and the nearest train station is at Neral, approximately 11 km from Matheran. From Neral, one can either rent a taxi (60 rupees for a shared cab, 300 for the whole car) to the entrance of Matheran. From the taxi stop at Matheran, one can walk to the city center or rent a horse (150-200 rupees per horse).

Matheran

Mahabaleshwar

Mahabaleshwar is a city and a municipal council in Satara district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is a hill station located in the Western Ghats range. With one of the few evergreen forests of India, it served as the summer capital of Bombay province during the British Raj.

Mahabaleshwar is located about 32 km from Wai. It is around 270 km from Mumbai, the state capital. The nearest major city is Satara, around 55 km away, and is 120 km from Pune. Mahabaleshwar is connected by the National Highway 4. Bus services by state-run MSRTC and private organizations connect it by buses from Pune, Mumbai, Sangli and Satara.

Nearest railroad is Satara, around 58 km. Nearest major railway junctions include Pune (120 km), Miraj (170 km) and Sangli (165 km). Private cars and cabs, as well as state-run bus services are available in these locations to Mahabaleshwar.

The nearest airport is Pune International Airport, serving the city of Pune, about 120 km from Mahabaleshwar. Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport of Mumbai is 270 km away and is the only major international hub.

Mahabaleshwar 

Lonavla

Lonavla  is a town and a hill station Municipal Council in Pune district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is about 64 km away from the city of Pune, 96 km away from the city Mumbai. It is famous throughout India for the hard candy sweet known as chikki and is also a major stop on the rail line connecting Mumbai and Pune.For Mumbai suburbs local trains are available from Karjat It is also an important town on the Mumbai-Pune road link. Both the Mumbai-Pune Expressway as well as the Mumbai-Pune highway pass through Lonavla. Lonavla comes to life during the monsoon season as the countryside turns lush green with waterfalls and ponds.

Lonavla is on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and is well-connected to several other towns of Khopoli, Karjat, Talegaon Dabhade, etc. Lonavla is well-connected by train. Local trains run from Pune at 2 hour intervals. It takes 2.5 hours by train from Mumbai and 1.5 hour from Pune. All trains, whether travelling from Mumbai to Pune or Pune to Mumbai, will stop at Lonavla. The trains coming from Mumbai will stop at Karjat since an extra set of locomotives need to be added to each train before it starts its journey up the western ghats to reach Lonavala.

Lonavla does not have an airport, though the Indian Air Force station, Troppo is situated on the way to Aamby Valley City. The city of Aamby Valley has its own private airport. The nearest commercial airports are Pune International Airport at 64 km and Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport at 104 km.

^Lonavla

Lavasa

Lavasa  is a private, planned city being built near Pune.
A 25,000 acres (100 km²) or 8,000 acres (32 km²) project being developed by HCC, this as-yet-incomplete city has been controversial for multiple reasons including procurement of land, harm to the environment, and loans acquired through political corruption. 

In late 2010 the Indian Environment and Forests Ministry ordered that construction cease because the project violated environmental laws. As of late 2011, this order has been rescinded, but the project's scale may have been reduced and an IPO may not occur. 

^Lavasa 

Khandala

Khandala  is a hill station in the Western Ghats in the state of Maharashtra, India, about three kilometres from Lonavala and seven kilometers from Karjat.

Khandala is located at one (top) end the Bhor Ghat, a major ghat on the road link between the Deccan Plateau and the Konkan plain. The ghat carries an extensive amount of road and rail traffic. The Mumbai-Pune Expressway, the main link between the major cities of Mumbai and Pune, passes through Khandala.

Khandala 

Karjat

Karjat  is a city, a Municipal Council, a Tahsil and a sub-district in Raigad district, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Karjat railway station is a major rail terminus, connected via local trains to Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus Mumbai, Khopoli and Panvel.

The nearest airports are Mumbai Airport and the Navi Mumbai International Airport (under Construction). The Nhava Sheva JNPT Port is the nearest seaport.

Karjat

Amarkantak

Amarkantak  is a pilgrim town and a nagar panchayat in Anuppur District in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. Also called "Teerthraj" (the king of pilgrimages), Amarkantak region is a unique natural heritage area and is the meeting point of the Vindhyas and the Satpuras, with the Maikal Hills being the balkrum. This is where the Narmada River, the Sone River and Johila River emerge.

The nearest railway stations are Anuppur and Pendra Road (43 km)via keonchi and only 28 k.m. via Jwaleshwar. The nearest Airport is Dumna Jabalpur (Jabalpur Airport in the city of Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh (240 km).delhi and mumbai daily flght service

Amarkantak