India’s adventure destinations – A guide for the adventurous vagabond

Travelers making their way to India have a preconceived notion about the country – that it is the place to be to attain complete spiritual harmony. While this may be true, given that India is a very religion-centric nation, what they fail to see are windows of opportunities to accomplish much more than what they aim for; the cultural charm and breathtaking panoramas of picturesque landscapes are somewhat lost and forgotten.

And, however surprising it may sound at first, the hidden potential of achieving your adventurous goals that this country carries is admirable. Being a peninsula, India is a perfect spot to indulge in some water sports like Scuba Diving, Snorkeling and Jet skiing to name a few. Packed with numerous mountain and hill ranges, India also observes a lot of on-land activities like trekking, cycling, rock climbing, etc.

Naturally, there are bound to be some that are better than the rest. So here’s a look at some amazing adventure destinations, and what they have to offer:

Rishikesh in Uttarakhand proves to be an ideal location for some intense River Rafting, as the waters of the mighty Ganga River flowing through offer some challenging rapids. It is a very well known adventure destination, not only in India but across the globe.

The beaches of Goa are well known in the travel world, but what is also a common sight are the water sports that it has to offer. Thousands flock to the various beaches of Goa to indulge in some adventurous, thrill-seeking activities like jet skiing, kayaking, snorkeling, parasailing, and so on.

The unparalleled beauty of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands has always been a hot topic, but what is also known is that it is arguably the best sites for Scuba Diving and Snorkeling in India (if not the world). You can also train to become a certified diver through the various training programmes. Surfing is another sport that garners attention.

Owing to its location and climate, Kashmir is the breeding ground for extreme sports like snowboarding, ice-skating and skiing. Ice-skating on the frozen lakes of Kashmir is a very popular attraction, and so is skiing. Gulmarg is one of the better destinations to try your luck.

The Satpura ranges of Madhya Pradesh offer the ideal terrain for an adventurous outing of rock climbing, valley crossing, rappelling, and jumaaring. This is a very demanding sport as it requires your focused attention and also relies heavily on your decision making.

Bungee jumping is probably one of the most dreaded adventure sports. Jumping off a cliff, knowing that your safety solely depends on a single cord attached to your legs may not sound so positive. But the thrill and joyous rush that you get at the end is unparalleled! Head over to Karnataka (Mysore is a good place) to experience this crazy sport first hand!

This list is just the tip of the iceberg. A true vagabond will go to lengths to feel the adrenaline pumping through his body, and will discover and unravel new places to fulfill his adventurous wanderlust.

Well then, go ahead – push yourself to the extreme. Experience something new; you can also share your thoughts with us.