The mighty Himalayan range stretching from Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir to Sikkim in the north east is a magnet for trekkers and mountaineers as it offers some of the most challenging routes and peaks. The other favourite playground of a smaller scale for enthusiasts is the Western Ghats. Some of the major trekking destinations are:

Jammu and Kashmir: Leh, capital of Ladakh district in Jammu and Kashmir, is the main gateway for treks in the Indus Valley, Kargil and Suru Valley and Padum and Zanskar Valley. There are a few routes from Pahalgam, including the pilgrimage trek to Amarnath Caves.

Himachal Pradesh: The main regions for treks here are Manali and Kullu Valley, Lahaul and Spiti Valley, Dharamshala and Kangra Valley, Bhramaur and the Chamba Valley and Kinnaur and the Sangla Valley.

Uttaranchal: Garhwal and Kumaon region in this state offer a number of popular as well as less frequented trekking routes which includes treks to glaciers. There are also several challenging peaks in these two regions.

West Bengal: Darjeeling the famous hill station in this state is a starting point for some very interesting treks.

Sikkim: The tiny Himalayan state in north-east is relatively untouched by mass tourism and offers treks in areas which are still off limits to foreigners.

Maharashtra: The Sahyadri Range of the Western Ghats with its rugged topography, historic forts, extensive forest cover is unique as far as trekking is concerned. While in almost all the mountainous regions of the world rain means bad weather, in the Sahyadris monsoon is the most beautiful and best season to trek. Mumbai, Pune, Nasik and Kolhapur are some of the gateways for trekking in the Sahyadris.

Jammu and Kashmir: Described as paradise on earth, Jammu and Kashmir has a plethora of picturesque skiing locales, however the most famous destination is Gulmarg.

Himachal Pradesh: Adventure lovers’ haven, Himachal offers some of the best slopes for skiing for beginners and experts including heliskiing in Manali. Manali, Kufri and Narkanda are the skiing hot spots.

Uttaranchal: The mountainous Garhwal and Kumaon regions of this state offer skiing possibilities. The best known ski resort in Garhwal is Auli above Joshimath. Dayra, Bugyal and Mundali are other places where one can go skiing. Skiing can be done at Munsiyari, in Kumaon region.

There are a total of 571 big and small wildlife sanctuaries and national parks in India sustaining a rich and wide variety of flora and fauna. There are also 28 Project Tiger reserves aimed at protecting and maintaining the tiger population. Some of the major parks, sanctuaries and tiger reserves are:

Corbett Tiger Reserve: Located in Nainital and Pauri Garhwal districts of Uttaranchal, the closest town is Ramnagar, 19 kms away.

Gir National Park: The last stronghold of Asiatic lions is located in Saurashtra region of Gujarat. The closest town from Sasan Gir is Verawal 40 kms away.

Ranthambore Tiger Reserve: Located in Rajasthan it is a popular reserve for tiger sightings. The closest town Sawai Madhopur is 12 kms away.

Kanha Tiger Reserve: Setting of Rudyard Kipling’s famous novel, Jungle Book, this reserve in Madhya Pradesh is also famous for tiger sightings. The closest town is Mandla, 60 kms away.

Nagarhole National Park: Situated between the Western Ghats and the Nilgiris, the Park lies in the picturesque Coorg region of southern Karnataka. Wild elephants are among the major attractions here. The closest city, Mysore is 90 kms away.

Kaziranga National Park: It boasts of the largest population of one horned rhinoceros. Situated in Golaghat district in Assam on the southern banks of Brahmaputra River, the closest town is Jorhat 98 kms away.

Ganga is the most popular river for this adventure sport with Rishikesh in Uttaranchal as the mecca of commercial rafting. Runs are also done on Alaknanda and Bhagirathi in Uttaranchal. Other popular rivers in India for rafting runs are:

Zanskar and Indus in Ladakh: Runs down the Zanskar start from Padum and on the Indus from Upshi 47 kms from Leh.

Teesta and Rangit in Sikkim: A place called Malli in Sikkim is for rafting on Teesta and 13 miles on the confluence of Teesta and Rangit is for runs on Rangit river.

Beas in Himachal Pradesh: Put off point for rafting on this river is between Manali and Kullu.

Kali in Karnataka: It is the only river in South India opened for rafting. Runs on this river are done from a place near Dandeli.