COVER STORY

FROM AN OFFBEAT HILL TOWN IN THE NILGIRIS TO A FORMER DANISH SETTLEMENT BY THE SEA, THESE 20 LESSER-KNOWN INDIAN DESTINATIONS WILL GUARANTEE AN IDYLLIC AND PHYSICALLY DISTANCED VACATION IN 2021.

Bookmark these 20 lesser-known Indian destinations for a quiet and offbeat holiday.

KOLUKKUMALAI, KERALA

The village of Kolukkumalai—bordering Kerala and Tamil Nadu—cultivates tea leaves at an altitude of over 2,400 metres. Thirty-five kilometres from Munnar, Kolukkumalai Tea Estate, set up by the British in the 1930s, continues to use its original equipment. Instead of the mechanised crush-tear-curl (CTC) method, tea leaves are handpicked, weighed, graded, and dried indoors to ensure that they don’t crumble. The tea is then rolled, oxidised, dried some more, and ultimately packaged for sale. Get a hands-on experience with the ‘make your own tea’ programme at the estate.

GETTING THERE: Kolukkumalai is roughly 100 km from Cochin International Airport, which serves international flights and is connected to major Indian cities.

STAY: The Windermere Estate in Munnar makes for a plush stay option, and offers tea trails, photo walks, birding sessions, and picnics ( starts from ` 9,000/USD122; windermeremunnar.com).