By PEAKLIFE
27-Jun-2019
If you are an old soul in a young body forever aching for adventures; then you have struck the right chord. These journeys are sure to give you an adrenaline rush, catering to the need for adventure and thrill in every tiny cell in your body. Wanderlust – an irresistible desire to travel to understand one’s very existence. This term has seen much face-time in the recent past for the millennial have been back to the very quest of a search for a purpose in life. The hermits and sages back in the ancient times believed in this very mantra and wandered far and wide in search of peace and tranquility. Similarly, the generation of today has been struck by wanderlust fever. They have begun treading on the same path once again in search for their “haven”. Unlike the hermits, they find solace in chasing sunsets and waterfalls, climbing mountain tops or even retiring in a quaint little village far from the everyday hustle-bustle. If you are an old soul in a young body forever aching for adventures; then you have struck the right chord. If you dream of meandering roads, gushing streams, endless pastures of green or snow covered mountain peaks; then we present to you ten spellbinding roads in India. These journeys are sure to give you an adrenaline rush, catering to the need for adventure and thrill in every tiny cell in your body. If you find yourself reading the above with a hunger to know more and shaking your head vehemently agreeing to all of this, then go ahead to read this carefully curated list of ten spellbinding roads in India. 10 roads to roads that everyone needs to explore:
Credits: ManoharD
This highway surely calls for you to ditch everything else and hit the road. Let us paint a picture for you. Remember the quirky Kareena Kapoor Khan in “Jab We Met” dancing to the tunes of “Yeh Ishq Haye” while being fortified in a snow wall. There you go, now we have established the scenic beauty of that route, so let’s try and justify it in words. Truly, words would fall short to describe this captivating beauty, roughly 480 kms in length. The terrain of Manali is completely different from the rest of India. For people who believe that all mountains are the same, look at it closely and you would witness a different soul in each mountain. Running at an average elevation of 13,000 feet, this highway connects Manali to Zanskar valley, Lahaul and Spiti. This road is accessible in the summer months till October and is dotted with snow-capped mountains and trees all along. One journey on this road will never be enough, for every journey you take will leave you yearning for more.
Credits: Wikimedia Commons
“The desert is a capricious lady, and sometimes she drives men crazy”. The orangish-gold sand of the Thar Desert with hints of pink is a mesmerizing sight. The prickly cactus and the camels lumbering by slowly is all set to give you a rustic vibe. This kind of scenery is sure to appeal to your sense of sight and hence makes it second on our list of ten spellbinding roads in India. Imagine flying past a blue city in the middle of a desert merging into mammoth yellow sandstone architecture. This is the turn the landscape takes when one drives from Jodhpur to Jaisalmer. The desert caters to every mood by offering a quite bonfire under the starry sky to a fun-filled cultural Rajasthani night. For the adventure seekers, a jeep safari, quad biking or dune bashing could give you the perfect adrenaline rush. The desert will for sure fill you with a deep sense of self-introspection with its innate limitlessness and solitude.
Talk about the best scenic routes in India, one cannot leave Sikkim off the list. Hence, number four on our list of ten spellbinding roads in India is the road from Gangtok all the way up to Nathu-La Pass.
Serpentine roads, super steep valleys, rhododendron groves along with lush green subtropical woodlands are unique to the picture perfect landscape of the State of Sikkim. The hilly terrain with some rough patches might make it a challenging ride. The pristine view, however, makes it all worth the time and effort. Tsomgo Lake (completely frozen in winter), surrounded by snow-capped mountains on all sides is a treat for the “urban-struck” eyes.
At an elevation of about 18,000 feet above sea-level, the moment you set your eyes on the Indian Flag fluttering at the Indo-China border, your heart swells with a sense of pride and patriotism. The feeling of that place cannot be described but just felt. The quaint town of Gangtok with its super friendly local folks and scenic landscape will make you fall in love with it all at once.
The sickly heat and humidity of Chennai is sure to weigh you down sooner or later. The saving grace, this 10 hour journey of approximately 600 kms to Munnar. Fifth on our list of ten spellbinding roads in India, this journey is surely going to be worth every ounce of effort.
Almost the whole expanse is lined and dotted with tea gardens. Situated at a height of around 1,600 meters you can feel the instant drop in temperatures around you. This for sure is a welcome change from the sweltering coastal heat in Chennai. In addition, Munnar is a perfect hiking destination in South India. While in Munnar, chase the Lakkam Waterfalls and witness the surreal sunset from Anamudi Peak.
