New Year is on the cards and it is also a grand reason to travel. Adding some fun to your travel can make it even more joyous experience. Here are 18 outdoor activities to try in India that will add sparks to your New Year.

1. Night Hike at Sinhagad Fort, Pune:

Believe it or not, but night hike along the Sinhagad Fort is one of the most adventurous challenges you can undertake. Apart from the regular climb routes, there are few narrow tracks which lead to the top and to the entry of Sinhagad fort. For best experience, choose a moonlit night, especially full moon and this will add to the thrill of the climb!!

 

 

2. Sunrise photography at Konark Temple, Bhubaneshwar:

The Konark Sun Temple is among those few remarkable heritage structures that I have come across. The temple is called Sun temple because it is oriented in a manner that a particular phase of the sun during the day aligns with the mood of the Sun God sculpted on the four sides of the chariot. The click is to understand that orientation and what will manifest is magnifique`.

 

 

3. Day Hike to Pandavlena Caves, Nashik:

Another favourite hiking place to be. You can choose to climb upto the caves and if you are a pro, then take a step further to climb a little higher and beyond to the hilltop. And don’t worry, there’s a bench for those who make upto that height so that you can sit down, relax and rejoice the beauty around. Do not forget to view the Buddha Stupa down below. A view you cannot afford to miss out!!

 

 

 

4. Boat Ride at Alleppey Backwaters, Kerala:

If you are in Kerala, and you do not enjoy the backwaters on House boats, then you have missed out something real big! Take a day out on the Allepy backwaters with the house boat ride. It is little expensive, but who says you will live every day!!

 

 

 

 

 

5. The Blue City-Jodhpur: 

Photography lovers and camera geeks; get ready for your take, as this city offers a multitude of shades for some soothing and vibrant photography. Enjoy the hue of the blue at Jodhpur, as you move around the town, with dazzling bright colours and the buildings painted in blue colours gives you a breath-taking experience.

 

 

 

 

 

6. A day at Imagica, Mumbai:

Looking for some goose bumps!! Then try Imagica. More than 30 activities for all age groups are available at Imagica, Mumbai. Art, music, painting, pottery, calligraphy, you name it and you find it here. An exciting way to educate your kids this year.

 

7. Skydiving in Bangalore:

Call it insane, foolishness or whatever. Free fall is a ‘kick’ that will never let you leave it again. It’s an experience worth a try once!! Trust me!! Ask those who have done it, they can’t stop themselves from doing it again. The Skydiving India team in Bangalore are the right people to approach if you intend to take to the skies this year. Beware.. this sport will make you addicted to it forever!

 

 

 

 

 

8. Toy Train ride in Darjeeling:

Toy train ride of Darjeeling Himalayas Railway (DHR) still continues to be the most fascinating journeys to undertake. The Darjeeling Toy Train Ride is a proud beholder of the UNESCO World Heritage Status. Running on the narrow gauge railway tracks, the train with its mini steam engine inches slowly up the steep mountains and allows you to enjoy the beauty of the valleys and the tea gardens as you take your time to move through the lush green forests of Darjeeling.

 

9. Bungee Jumping Tour in Uttarakhand:

Feel the thrill in your spine and the adrenaline pumped to your head with this daredevil adventure sport. The Mohan chatti heights, 15 Kms away from Lakshman Jhula, Uttarakhand is the place where the Jumpin Heights team takes you through the highest Bungee Jump Site at 83 metres (273 ft) and Asia’s longest jump swing of 1 Km.

 

10. Walking on the beach floor, Alibaug:

Yes, you read it correct. The beaches along the Arabian Sea witness high tides during the night and low tide during the early morning hours. Hit for the beach at 4:00 in the morning and you will find that the water goes much beyond the fort. So much that you can actually walk down to the fort, explore around and come back. Be sure to start before 8:00 though, as the water starts filling up from behind. If you think you can swim back, even better.

 

11. Paragliding Tour in Manali:

The parachute in paragliding is specially designed for the pilots to stay for longer durations in the air. Easy to learn and addictive, this can be a sport for the novices who have little or no knowledge about gliding. The Dare Adventures and  Paragliding in Manali clubs offer short stints as well as courses in Paragliding that can be an exciting way to add fun and enjoyment to your New Year.

 

12. Strawberry Garden and Mapro Park Tour in Panchgani:

Panchgani is not only famous for its scenic viewpoints such as the ‘Monkey Top’ but also for its ‘Strawberry Gardens’ and the ‘Mapro Park’. If that is not all, witness how the ‘Strawberry Ice-cream’ is made with the strawberries plucked fresh from the garden.The ‘Mapro Fruit Park’ serves one of the best fruit cocktails and punches. Try one on the spot and I bet you will buy bags-full to take home. The park also showcases some really good fresh fruit based jams, jellies and mouth-watering confectioneries. Bang on the road, it is a spot difficult to miss out on.

 

13. Aerial Cable Car ride at Auli, Uttarakhand:

At 14500 feet and extending 4 Kms in length, this aerial cable car is  the longest cableway in Asia. Come December and Auli prepares for its ‘New Year’ in unique ways with travellers zeroing in from all directions. Starting from the View Point at Auli, this aerial cableway sets you afloat between the snow-covered Himalayan peaks as it shines with the pinkish hue of the Sun. Keep your cameras ready, as your fingers will keep clicking automatically.

 

 

14. Ice Skating on P Tso Lake Ladakh:

Looking for some interesting topping on the ice? P Tso Lake Ladakh offers its travelers seeking for some excitement and fun an opportunity to try and learn ice-skating. If that is not all, you can also try some ice-hockey here. By the way, just to let you know, the ice-hockey game is supposed to be the fastest game in sports, with its players moving as fast as upto 100-120 kms per hour.

In December, the P Tso lake freezes into a thick ice-sheet allowing a solid base for a footing and ice-skating. So, what are you waiting for? Get ready to skate through the New Year!!

 

15. Roulette Session at Mahjong Casino Gangtok, Sikkim: Gambling, huh? Do not worry. You can always try it out once, for beginners luck of course. What attracted me more though was the ambience. For those who don’t know, but Casino Mahjong this place sees rummy, roulette, poker, blackjack and flash professionals from all over India. What’s more, the food and drinks are on the house. And oh, they also drop you back to your hotel once you are done with playing, FREE! But the feeling is PRICELESS!!

 

 

 

16. Laser Lighting show in Hyderabad:

Located at the heart of the city, the Hyderabad Laser Lighting show is conducted almost every evening and it is flooded with visitors from within and outside the city. Staged in an open air amphitheatre, the show uses hi-tech 3D lasers and projection systems at the backdrop with synchronized water fountains as the medium. With enchanting audio to fill up the ears, the laser lighting show makes up for an ideal evening.

 

17. Road Trip to Magnetic Hill, Ladakh:

Are you that globe trotter on the road with your lean, mean machine? Then this year, test drive at the gravity defying Magnetic Hill Ladakh. Get surprised by watching your ride climbing uphill with the engine put off. Try it! It works with the loaded trucks and four wheelers too.

 

 

 

 

18. Go to the Chalkewadi Wind-mills on the Pune- Satara Highway:

 

About 30 kms from Mahabaleshwar, Chalkewadi windmills and Thoseghar waterfalls is the upcoming and happening tourist destinations of Maharashtra. Experience the cool wind breeze as the gigantic fan blades of the wind mills rotate in the vast open mainlands of this unexplored town of Satara.