Introduction
The diverse topography and the varied climate made Incredible India as one of the tourist hubs for adventure tourism. Indian Tourism offers the endless scope of adventure hotspots in the form of trekking, snorkeling, diving, river rafting, canoeing, kayaking, paragliding, mountaineering, rock climbing, trekking, skiing, skating, mount biking, backwaters, safaris, polo, Aero Sports , ballooning etc. The famous destinations for adventure tourism are Goa, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Kerala, Uttaranchal, North East,Rajasthan, Arunachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Jammu & Kashmir, Assam, Sikkim, Lakshadweep etc.
Adventure Water Sports in India
The vast coastlines, islands, beaches and various other water bodies of India offer plenty of opportunities for adventure water sports . The famous tourist destination of Goa enchanted the tourists for diving, windsurfing, yachting, scuba diving and snorkeling. Andaman is famous for Scuba diving where Open Water Diver Certificate course is offered by the Port Blair Underwater Diver Centre. Lakshadweep is known for the Poseidon Neptune School especially for Scuba diving along with windsurfing, parasailing, water-skiing, snorkeling and deep-sea fishing. The best spots for whitewater river rafting are the Ganges from Rishikesh, the Beas from Manali, the Indus in Ladakh, Zanskar in Zanskar, Teesta River in Sikkim etc.
Mountaineering in India
Mountaineering is the unmutilated adventure for the body and soul. Indian tourism offers a vital range of mountaineering opportunities in its mountain ranges of Ladakh a beautiful snow-capped peaks, lush green alpine vales; flower-strewn meadows; meandering tributaries and river streams and glacier-topped mountains; the Nun-Kun Massif in Jammu & Kashmir; in the hills of Manali in Himalayas and Uttaranchal; Lahaul‚ Spiti and the tribal belt of Kinnaur in the valley of Himachal Pradesh. The peaks of Kanchenjunga are another spot for mountaineering crossing the paths through green forests, waterfalls and the sacred monasteries. The seven sister states of north east India - Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh – and Sikkim are also regarded as the hotspots for mountaineering activities dotted with spurs, pine trees and crest of the higher peaks of Himalayas.
Paragliding in India
Paragliding is an activity of flying like a bird over a pristine countryside, soar over the hills, dip to get a better view of the Earth, glide and sail with no traffic jams, no noise pollution, no smoke, just an easy aero adventure. However, some of the best destinations of paragliding in India are Solang, Bijli Mahadev, Kullu, Bandla ridge, near Bilaspur, Lahaul & Spiti, Arhaul-Anu near Rohru and Garhalla Talab in Chopal in Shimal district all in Himachal Pradesh ; Naukutchiyatal in Nainital, Dayara Bugyal, Pratap Nagar, Dhanolti Ridge in Garhwal and Bedni Bugyal in Kumaon all in Uttaranchal; Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Bikaner and Kota in Rajasthan; Matheran, Deolali, Mahabaleshwar, Singhgad and Panchgani all in Maharashtra.
Dr. Minhaj Alam has completed his Ph.D from Centre For Nehru Studies, Department of Political Science, Aligarh Muslim University and has done extensive research works on Jawaharlal Nehru. He is Editor in the IT Department of Culture Holidays . For comment mail to Editor