Unexplored
Diphu
Diphu is a minor hill station in Assam which is known for its calm and peaceful picnic locations.
By Air: Dimapur Airport is the nearest airport from Diphu, which is located at a distance of around 54 km.
By Rail: There is a local railway station in Diphu which is served by North-East Frontier Railways. Trains are available from this railroad station till the city of Guwahati.
By Road: Diphu is situated at around 270 km from Guwahati. Buses are operational from the cities of Dimapur, Guwahati, Tezpur and Hojai to visit this town of Diphu.
Kathua
Kathua is the largest town of the district and is bounded by Pakistan in the south- west, Udhampur in the north- west, Jammu in the west, Doda in the north, Himachal Pradesh in the north- east and Punjab in the south- east. The most popular tourist destinations are Bani, Chandel, Bansal etc. River Sewa flows through the town of Bani which is known for its waterfalls, pastures and lush green forests. Kathua, due to its nearness to the border with Pakistan has a considerable presence of the Indian army.
It is believed that a famous Rajput, Jodh Singh of the Andotra clan migrated here about 2000 years ago from Hastinapur and settled down here. Later, his three sons established three hamlets known as Taraf Tajwal, Taraf Bhajwal and Taraf Manjali and the conglomeration of these hamlets were locally termed as Kathai.
By Rail: Kathua has a railway station that is located at a distance of around seven kilometres and trains are available from Delhi, Jalandhar, Karnal, Kanpur and Jammu.
By Road: Regular bus services are available from the towns of Srinagar, Katra, Udhampur, New Delhi, Shimla and even Chandigarh.
Rishop (Rishyap)
Rishyap is a small tourist village, located between the junctions of Sikkim, West Bengal and Bhutan. The place developed recently in 1998 and is rapidly becoming a popular tourist point. An excellent view of Kanchenjungha from 'Tiffin Dara' in Rishop attracts tourists to this place. The blue mountains of Sikkim by its side are also worth watching.
Forests in Rishyap
The forests in Rishyap are extremely beautiful which makes trekking more interesting.
Trekking
Trekking is the major activity in Rishyap; places like Tifindara and Lower Tifindara are visited for trekking and camping.
Lava
Lava is small hamlet town near Darjeeling and is one of the new hill resorts of West Bengal which is fast developing into a perfect holiday destination. In recent years, this almost virgin hill resort has attracted many tourists. During winters, Lava receives snowfall and tourist flock in large number to witness this galore of nature.
Lava is famous for its proximity to the Neora Valley National Park and the magnificent view of the Jelep La and Rechi La passes. The place is also considered to be the perfect place for trekkers and campers as it has several trekking routes in the nearby forests and these are worth exploring.
By Air: The nearest airport is Bagdogra airport at Siliguri, about 110 km from Lava.
By Rail: The nearest railhead is New Jalpaiguri Railway Station, at a distance of about 100 km from Lava.
By Road: Lava is well connected from Siliguri and Jalpaiguri by both private and shared vehicles and can be reached from Siliguri via Kalimpong (99 km) or via Gorubathan (105 km).
Some of the well known hotels of Lava providing a reasonably good staying options are:
Yankee Resorts: 03552-282345/234 or 9932869205, 9932561318
Hotel Paradise: 03552-282314
Hotel Rock View: 03324851959
Hotel Orchid: 03552-282213
Sherpa Lodge: 03552-282308
Hotel View Point: 03324761959)
Hotel Paljor: 9836489939)
Greenwood: 9830436274)
Trekking
The trek of 12 kilometers to Jelep La and Rechi La Pass, situated at the junction of Sikkim, Bengal and Bhutan is very exciting.
Loleygaon
A small offbeat destination in the northern part of West Bengal, 123 km from Siliguri, 24 km from Lava and 54 km from Kalimpong, Lolegaon lies at an altitude of 1850 m above sea level. Lolegaon is basically a tiny Lepcha village also known as Kafer and has recently been introduced as a tourism place in the state of West Bengal, offering views of the Eastern Himalayan snow ranges.
Lolegaon is ideal for travellers looking forward to spend a leisure holiday enjoying the views of Mt. Kanchenjungha, Mt. Pandim and others. Located on top of a flat hill, Lolegaon is famous for its panoramic views of the Himalayas. A very important spot to look out for in Lolegaon is Jhandidara which is a wooded top of a hill and it offers views of all the peaks of Mt. Kanchenjunga and Mt. Everest.
Malkangiri
Malkangiri is the new home of the Bangladeshi refugees, who were rehabilitated since 1965 under the Dandakaranya project.
Similipal
Similipal is situated the biotic province, Chhotanagpur Plateau in the heart of the erstwhile Mayurbhanj State and derives its name from the magnificent and enchanting Simul (Silk Cotton Tree).
In the ancient days, this reserve was the hunting ground of the Mayurbhanj Maharajas. Their excessive hunting endangered the wildlife, and in 1979 the government declared a small area as a sanctuary. In 1986, the area of the National Park was increased to prevent poaching.
Air: Jamshedpur airport is the nearest air terminal, which is nearly 140 km away. Jamshedpur has regular flights to Kolkata. Kolkata is the major international airport nearest to Simlipal. Kolkata is nearly 250 km away from Simlipal and taxi fare from Kolkata to Simlipal is about Rs 5000. Kolkata is well connected with all major cities in India by air and is connected to many cities abroad.
Rail: Balasore railway station at a distance of 76 km is the nearest rail head to Simlipal. It is connected to many major railheads in Orissa by passenger and express trains. Kolkata (250 km) and Bhubaneshwar (300 km) are connected by direct trains.
Road: Orissa state public transport buses connect Simlipal with many cities in and around. Regular bus services are available from Simlipal to Kolkata, Jamshedpur and Bhubaneshwar.
Local stone crafts can be found here but there''s not any more scope for shopping.
Within the park the accommodation and dining facilities are terribly inadequate. The best place to put up is Baripada, which has a choice of hotels to offer to the tourists. Forest reserve bungalows are available at Aranyanivas at Lulung (3 km from Pithabata . OTDC also offers dormitory accommodation for the budget traveler Private hotels are in Jashipur and Baripada. Barheipani has log cabins with a spectacular view of waterfalls and an abundance of orchids.
Trekking: Most enjoyable activity in Simlipal National park is trekking. The forests with undulating hilly terrains offer all levels of trekking challenges to the adventurous tourists. Natural walks, hiking and rough trekking are the attractions in this park. One can enjoy the natural splendors, the exquisite ambience, breathtaking landscapes and the cool pleasant climate during the trekking activities in this wonderful park.
The trekking trails in Simlipal are mostly unexplored, with not much well defined trails. The unpolluted and unspoiled environments add the rejuvenating power of this adventurous activity in Simlipal. The camping facility nearby allows the trekkers to make necessary arrangements for the adventurous treks. Experienced guides can provide factual information on the trails and the dangers in the trails.
Safari
Take a wildlife safari and view the various flora and fauna in the park. You may get lucky and spot a leopard or a tiger apart from other animals you can expect to see like deers and herds of elephants.
Koraput
Koraput is an hilly area, quite near the borders of neighbouring states Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Being at the heart of tribal belt in south orissa, it has also many hill station tourist attractions though they are not that famous as other hill stations of India. The aircraft engine plant of Hindustan Aeronatics Limited (HAL) is located at Sunabeda about 20 km from Koraput.
Air
Nearest air port is at Visakhapatnam
Rail
Train Well connected from Visakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar, Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata.
Road
Road Convenient road transport facilities available NH43 passes through the District.
Surguja
Surguja, located in the northern part of Chhatisgarh state, is famous for its beautiful natural landscapes and architectural richness. It has some of the most fascinating historical sites, ancient temples, caves, swift rivers and incredible waterfalls. According to legends, Lord Ram had visited Sarguja during his 14 years of exile in to the forests and a number of places here are named after him, his brother Lakshmana and wife Sita like- Ram garh, Laxman Garh and Sita Bhengra.
According to legend, Lord Rama had visited Surguja during his 14 years of exile in to the forests. There are many places in connection to epic of Ramayana, which are named after Lord Rama, Laxmana and Goddess Sita such as Ramgarh, Sita-Bhengra and Laxmangarh.
Prior to the arrival of the Mauryas, the area was ruled by the Nandas. In the third century BC the region was divided into tiny kingdoms. Later, a Rajput king belonging to the Rakshal clan, attacked from what is now Jharkhand, and took control of the area. In 1820, Amar Singh was crowned as Maharaja. During the British period, Surguja was a princely state.
Air
Nearest airport to Surguja is Raipur. Flights are available from Delhi, Mumbai, Bhopal, Nagpur and Khajuraho to Raipur.
Rail
Trains are available up to Ambikapur in Surguja district. It is 230 Km from Bilaspur, 1125 Kms from Delhi- via Anuppur-Bishrampur. 588 Kms from Kolkata to Raigarh which is 210 km road journey to Ambikapur.
Road
Private Taxi, Bus or Car service is available to travel to tourist spot in Surguja. Some major distances from - Raipur to Ambikapur - 358 Kms, Bilaspur to Ambikapur - 230 Kms, Raigarh to Ambikapur - 210 Kms, Jharsughuda(Orissa) to Ambikapur - 415 Kms, Anuppur(M.P.) to Ambikapur - 205 Km, Varansi(U.P.) to Ambikapur - 350 Km.
Mahasamund
Mahasamund is an upcoming mining town with plentiful granite, limestone, dolerite and quartz resources.
