Unexplored destinations that need to be visited this season

Planning a vacation this season? Try enexplored reagions in the country like Dindi, a lazy village nestled on the intersection between the mighty Godavari River and the Bay of Bengal and Anaikatti, a green haven in the lap of the Nilgiris, says an expert.

Rajeev Menon, Chief Destination Officer, Sterling Holidays, a vacation ownership and leisure hospitality company, has shared four unexplored holiday destinations, which one can explore this season.

* Dindi: A slice of tropical heaven, Dindi is a lazy village nestled on the intersection between the mighty Godavari River and the Bay of Bengal. The mixing of salt and fresh water provides an excellent habitat for mangroves, in turn giving rise to exquisite plant and animal life. It is a mere two hours from Conringa Wildlife sanctuary, home to many endangered animals and birds including the curious fishing cat -- a tiger-like feline which swims and fishes.

* Yercaud: As you travel up the mountain ranges to Yercaud, exchange your worries for cool hills and tranquility. Yercaud is a mere five hour drive from Bangalore and a seven hour drive from Chennai. The town was established by the British in the late 19th century as a coffee plantation, and its cool, pleasant climate attracted missionaries. Yercaud's hilly, cool terrain makes it an ideal destination for trekking and dirt biking; both of which can be organised locally at nominal rates.

* Yelagiri: Get away from the hustle of Bangalore or Chennai and rejuvenate yourself with an experiential holiday in Yelagiri. It is a trekker's paradise, and you can hike to most of the local attractions, instead of driving. For instance, one can trek to the Jalagamparai Falls and bathe in them. The falls have medicinal properties because of the herbs that grow near the site. Other interesting trails include Perumadu waterfalls and Swamimalai Hill. Some of the less known but more exciting things to do at Yelagiri are paragliding at Kottur, Muthanoor and Raneri and visiting the Forest Department's Herbal Farm which houses and harvests rare herbs and medicinal plants on the edge of the picturesque Punganoor Lake.

* Anaikatti: Anaikatti is a quaint, lost in time place so remote, so untouched, that it doesn't even have a Wikipedia page! It is a green haven in the lap of the Nilgiris. The town is on the Tamil Nadu, Kerala border, an hour's drive from the famous Silent Valley. The Anaikatti district hosts the Nilgiri Biosphere reserve, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2012, famous for elephants.

--IANS

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