Quick getaway destinations: Amboli, Chail, Bandipur National Park

FROM MUMBAI: AMBOLI, MAHARASHTRA

Amboli is a hill station in the Sindhudurg district and is situated at an altitude of 690 m. The hill station lies in the Sahayadri Hills of Western India and has variety of flora and fauna. It is said the hill station receives the highest rainfall in Maharashtra. The best season to visit Amboli is during the monsoon between June and August. Historically, Amboli village came into being as one of the staging posts along the road from Vengurla port to the city of Belgaum, which was extensively used by the British.

QUAINT HILLS: The hills of Amboli has an ancient Shiva temple called Hiranyakeshi that exists in a cave. The main attraction for tourists is the incredibly high rainfall and the numerous waterfalls during the monsoons. Legend has it that there are 108 Shiva temples in and around Amboli of which only a dozen have been discovered.The local residents are good natured and very helpful.

FROM DELHI: CHAIL, HIMACHAL PRADESH

Located 44kms from Shimla, Chail is away from the bustling life of the state capital.Chail was the summer capital of the former princely state of Patiala. Built over three hills, the Palace Hotel (the former palace) crowns Rajgarh Hill,a temple is situated atop the Sidh Hill, while the third is the Pandhewa Hill. The Chail Palace is well known for its architecture and also has a cricket and a polo ground at an altitude of 2,444 m.

MUST-DO: Visit the Chail Sanctuary as it has a variety of wildlife including large mammals Rhesus Macaque, Leopards, Indian Muntjac (also known as the Barking Deer) and Goral Crested Porcupine.

Fishing is possible on the Gaura river 29 km from Chail and there are several trek routes including the one to the Choor Chandni mountain which is visible from Chail.

FROM BANGALORE: BANDIPUR NATIONAL PARK, KARNATAKA

Bandipur National Park was established in 1974 and is a part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and is highly protected by the Indian government. It is home to 70 Royal Bengal Tigers and over 3,000 Indian elephants. The park was once the Mysore maharajas’ private wildlife reserve.

FAUNA & FLORA: Apart from chital, gray langurs, Indian giant squirrels and elephants, the park supports a good population of endangered and vulnerable species like Indian elephants, gaurs, tigers, sloth bears, muggers, Indian rock pythons, four-horned antelopes and dholes. Bandipur supports a wide range of timber trees including: Teak, Rosewood, Sandalwood, Giant Clumping Bamboo and more. There are also several flowering and fruiting trees and shrubs including: Kadam tree, Indian gooseberry amongst others.

BEST TIME TO VISIT: Due to fine weather conditions throughout the year, the Bandipur National Park can be visited anytime from April to October.

ETIQUETTE CHECK: Bandipur sees a lot of tourist traffic and there are a lot of wildlife fatalities caused by speeding vehicles that are reported each year. Thus there is a ban on traffic from the hours of dusk to dawn to help bring down deaths of wildlife. Trekking in the jungle is illegal and has been banned. Also be careful as monkeys do cause some menace here. Tourists are generally advised to close their cottage doors and windows when they go out.