India, as wonderful and vibrant as it is, is one the most popular tourist destination, globally speaking. From wonderful monuments to spectacular wildlife to the diverse food and culture, there are plenty one can see and should see. We also have the lesser-known but stunning nonetheless destinations in India. These places may not be as famous as the Taj or the snowy peaks of the Himalaya, but each one a stunner nonetheless. Take a look at these five lesser-known natural wonders in India.
Loktak Lake in Imphal, Manipur
The largest freshwater lake in Northeast India is as unique as they come. Loktak Lake is popular for the phumdis, the floating mass of vegetation, soil and organic matters, and is home to the endangered sangai or the brow-antlered deer.
Cherrapunjee in Meghalaya
If you are visiting the pretty but tiny city of Shillong, you should be making plans for Cherrapunjee too. The Shillong Plateau holds many stunning geaographical features, the raised flat-top hills of Cherrapunjee is one of them. As you drive away from Shillong, you will start to see these flat-top hills, the rich green hills a soothing sight after the traffic and the city. The rain-kissed Cherrapunjee is, most of the time, covered by a curtain of cloud.
Dzukuo Valley in Nagaland/ Manipur
Straddling the two states of Nagaland and Manipur is Dzukuo Valley, a well-known and an upcoming adventure destination. Ask any local and they will tell you about the natural beauty of the place, how it gets covered with wild flowers during spring and by frost during winter. The rest of the year, Dzukuo Valley is a pleasant sight to behold. Did you know that the Dzukuo Lily is found only in this valley and nowhere else Even though the valley is an absolute visual delight, it's not the most productive region mainly because of the unfavourable weather conditions. Hence the name Dzukuo, which when translated, means 'Soulless and Dull'.
Lonar Crater in Maharashtra
Sometime, back in the Pleistocene Epock, a meteor hit the Earth and thus formed a crater. The crater happened to be in Maharashtra, India. What makes this crater special apart from the fact that it was created by a meteor It is one of the four known, hyper-velocity impact craters in the world. Lonar Lake sits inside the crater.
St. Mary's Island in Udupi, Karnataka