The month of March brings with it the colours of spring and a promise of hope. The gloomy winters are behind us and the scorching summer is yet to begin, giving us a whole month of pleasant weather and spring blossoms!
It’s the perfect season for an adventure and we have just the right places for you! Here are 12 places in India you can visit in March for a great time:
1. Leh Ladakh for Matho Narang Festival :
A road trip to Leh Ladakh is on every traveler’s bucket list. While the landscape and scenic beauty make it one of the most popular places in India, the month of march offers visitors a rare peek into Ladakhi culture with the Matho Naranag festival.
The festival is a celebration with masks, rare Thangpa paintings and bright costumes of Ladakhi gods and goddesses. Monks perform acts to honour the two oracles who are believed to enter the bodies of ‘chosen monks’ and predict the future of the village and its occupants. The best way to experience Ladakh is to get your favourite self-drive car on rent and drive up for the festival.
2. Rishikesh For The International Yoga Festival :
While Rishikesh is the holy city for most months of the year, it metamorphoses into a traveler’s paradise for the month of March. From ancient temples and holy chants, Rishikesh becomes a hub of cafes, yoga ashrams and retreat paradise.
Yoga enthusiasts from all over the world visit this holy city in the month of March for the International Yoga Festival. You can rent car in rishikesh and head out for a spiritual journey in the Yoga Capital Of the World. So, pack your best yoga pants and drive out to Rishikesh this March for the perfect Yoga session.
3.Mathura & Vrindavan for Lathmar Holi :
These two cities are a must visit to experience Holi, the Indian Festival of Colours. Mathura and Vrindavan, the twin holy cities, deck their temples up to celebrate the onset of spring. In Vrindavan at the ISKCON temple, Holi is celebrated by showering flower petals and singing praises of Lord Krishna.
In the towns of Nandgaon and Barsana in Mathura, there is a custom of ‘Lathmar’ holi where a few days prior to Holi, women from Barsana step out with sticks and playfully beat up the men who visit from Nandgaon. This is a reenactment of a famous legend of Lord Krishna who was a resident of Nandgaon and visited Barsana, the village of his beloved Radha. He teased the other gopis and they in turn chased him out of Barsana by charging behind him with ‘laths’ or sticks. Every year, during Holi, this legend is reenacted in the two towns and people from all over visit to observe this tradition. Drive down in a self drive car to celebrate Holi with a ‘Lath’ this March!
4. Tiger Spotting in Ranthambore :
If nature and its many birds and beasts fascinate you, visit Ranthambore for a wonderful wildlife experience. Take a wildlife jeep safari to spot tigers, leopards, chital, sloth bear and other members of Kingdom Animalia! Get a sturdy self drive car on rent and drive down to this little wildlife haven.
The Ranthambore fort is a great hike and a World Heritage Site. You can also visit the Ranthambore School of Art for a taste of culture and art. Photography enthusiasts get a host of frames to work with in the beautiful landscape of Rajasthan.
5.The Velas Turtle Festival In Ratnagiri :
Velas is a tiny Konkan village on the Konkan coast and is one of the only nesting sites in the world of the vulnerable Olive Ridley Turtles. In March, the annual Velas Turtle Festival is celebrated to raise awareness for this beautiful, endangered creature.
The village is situated in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra and is becoming a popular place to visit in India for ecotourism and conservation. The Turtle festival in March revolves around culinary treats, local customs and beach activities like camping and water sports.
6. Beach It Out In Gokarna :
This ancient town of temples is now a hippie haven! With water sports, beach camping, beach yoga, surfing, dolphin spotting and other breathtaking activities, Gokarna is perfect for March Madness!
History buffs can geek it out by exploring ancient temples and architecture. March is an off-season time to grab the best deals. Get an online car booking and drive down for an adrenaline rush!
7. The Colonial Charm of Ooty :
The town popularly called ‘Queen of the Nilgiris’ is perfect for those attracted by old world English Charm. If Briderton and Downton Abbey reruns have you craving colonial, English sights, drive down to Ooty in a self drive car for a season of tea-tasting, scenic hills, old, British architecture, boating across the Pykara river and a toy train ride!
In March, the Nilgiri hills are in full bloom and tourists can see lush green forests and spring blossoms in this scenic, hill town.
8.Coffee Plantations at Coorg :
The ‘Scotland of India’ is a misty, surreal landscape dotted with coffee plantations. Book a self drive car and drive down to Coorg for a home stay in a cabin in the woods. Take a morning hike across coffee plantations and take a dip in clear, cool waterfalls surrounding the town.
Coorg is spectacular in March with perfect, misty weather and one can experience the warmth of cultural hospitality offered by the local Kolad tribe. You can take a jeep safari and visit Elephant Camp at Dubare and even indulge in river rafting. Coor is a one-stop destination for all!
9.Eco tourism at its best in Wayanad :
This hilly Malabar spot is perfect for those looking to adapt to a more sustainable lifestyle. Wayanad is home to one of the country’s most scenic hill ranges, waterfalls and natural caves.
The Edakkal caves and Idukki village are top spots on the tourism bucket list and one can easily drive down in a self-drive car via smooth, scenic roads. Trekking, hiking and camping spots are aplenty in this rural district of Kerala.
10.The Kaziranga Kaleidoscope :
Kaziranga is a popular place to visit in March for all the wildlife buffs out there. Home to the one-horned rhino and tigers, Kazirana is also called the ‘Serengeti of the East’.
Take an elephant safari to spot some rhinos and a boat safari to spot the endangered Gangetic dolphin. Visit the Kakochang waterfall and the Kaziranga Orchid National Park for a visual treat! Drive in a rental self-drive car of your choice and experience the verdant green forest lining the landscape in Assam.
11.Tantalizing Tawang :
Tawang, the beauty spot of the North East is best explored in March when there is less crowd and more of untouched, surreal beauty. A quaint town in Arunachal Pradesh, Tawang is the birthplace of His Holiness, The Dalai Lama and is sacred for Buddhists.
One can easily drive up to Tawang in a robust self-drive car and experience the breathtaking beauty of the surrounding hills. Connect with your higher self in the Taktsang Gompa and visit the snow-clad Sela Top Pass. Celebrate the annual Tibetan festival of Losar in March and experience Tibetan culture at its most vibrant in Tawang.
March Madness is upon us! Get an online car booking and take a road trip in your favourite self-drive car to these thrilling spots in India.
