Offbeat Places in India

If you want to have an adrenaline rush, if you do not like crowded tourist places, if you want to be in the lap of the nature, if you want to immerse yourself in local culture, if you want to have an enriching experience, then “Offbeat Places” is where you can get all this and more. Offbeat places are in abundance in India which offers you surreal beauty and fascinating experiences. A lot of times travelers are unaware of all the offbeat places options they can travel to, sometimes the travelers avoid these places because of certain stereotypes, preconceived notions and fears, but in our experience offbeat places are simply fascinating. Once you travel to one such place, you will fall in love with the experience and would want to travel to such places again and again.

However, we understand that these places are not for everyone and may not suit the travel style of some travelers. But if you enjoy challenges, plan to test your boundaries, are seeking thrilling experience, appreciate what nature had bestowed us with and are not looking for a luxury holiday, then we strongly suggest that your next holiday must be to an “Offbeat Place” and we will make sure that you are not be disappointed.

What do “Offbeat Places” have to offer a traveler:

A memorable driving experience
If you are self-driving to an offbeat place, there is no experience that can beat that. Driving on the roads to offbeat places challenges your driving skills, tests your patience and is an exhilarating experience which stays with you forever. It is an off roading experience but with incredible sights all around you. You drive on narrow roads, crossing high mountain passes, gravel roads, dirt roads and water crossings, there is never a dull moment. You need to be a skilled and very patient driver, you should always enjoy your drive and never be in a hurry to reach the next destination. Take as may pit stops you want, as there is abundant natural scenery available to click photos to your hearts content. Even if you have a driver along, it is still a very beautiful, enjoyable and fulfilling journey.
A dream come true for photography enthusiasts
God has bestowed so much natural beauty in offbeat places that one never gets tired of photographing everything around you. You would want to capture every moment of your trip; you would want to capture every landscape around you in the frame. The beauty all around you is actually surreal and nothing stands between you and the natures creations. Be it the place, the people, their homes, their lifestyle & traditions, you will love it all.
Star Gazing
Not only the days are beautiful, nights are even more beautiful. You would have never seen the skies so clear and stars so near. We, the city people, cannot even imagine in our dreams that sky can look like this at night, it is unreal. On a clear night you can see millions of stars and the Milky Way with your naked eye and sometimes from the window or balcony of your room.
Peace & quiet
Popular tourist places are generally overcrowded and you are never alone and can never enjoy the peace & quiet. Offbeat places give you that chance of being with yourself and in the lap of nature. It is so peaceful and quiet that you can hear your inner self and discover the new you. You get a lot more Down Time as you do not have to worry about crowds and you can enjoy some quality time with the family. There is a good chance that you may not hear a vehicle horn for days. The air is so fresh and healthy that you can really recharge yourself fully. There are no busy timetables to be followed.
Experiencing local culture Our cities & popular tourist destinations are so cosmopolitan that we cannot get real feel of culture and uniqueness of the place. However, at offbeat places you can understand, appreciate, feel and see the culture and traditions of locals. Home stays offer you a way of interacting with locals, understand their traditions, taste the local cuisine and contribute to the local economy. With Home Stays you get to interact with the locals in a much more personal way than otherwise.
Value for your money Generally, “Offbeat Places” are not very expensive. You have simple hotels, Guest Houses or Home stays for accommodation, which is not expensive. You do not have expensive entry tickets to monuments and expensive restaurants. You get simple food, mostly locally grown, fresh and healthy and at reasonable prices.
Activities Offbeat places may not offer much to see in terms of monuments, but they offer a lot of outdoor adventure activities, natural beauty and most importantly fresh air. Most places will offer you small hikes or short treks to explore places nearby which are not connected by motorable roads.

Himachal Pradesh has abundant offbeat destinations that offer something for all ages and interests. The Lahaul & Spiti Valley is one of the most popular destinations and is so remote that it has a population density of 2 persons per square kilometer. It offers off roading experience on motorbikes and SUV’s which is so thrilling that travelers come from all over the world to visit the valley. Then there is Kinnaur Valley which is not as remote, but still has a lot of offbeat places for thrill seekers. You can even travel to both valleys in one tour. Even Kullu Valley offers some great offbeat places, specially in the region of Great Himalayan National Park. All these places in Himachal offer many short hikes of one or 2 days duration and also trekking routes with all levels of difficulty. There are offbeat places in Himachal where, even today, you can find fossils of marine creatures which are millions of years old and prove that Himalayas, the highest mountain ranges in the world, were once under sea water.