By Himanshu and Arushi. Updated . We visited Kailasa temple at Ellora in September 2026.
A pink crater lake, a river so clear the boats look like they're flying, a red canyon, bridges grown from tree roots, and a temple cut out of one rock. All five are in India. Here's how to reach each one, counted down like the reel.
Tap a pin to jump to that place. Pins are approximate; the two Meghalaya places are about 35 km apart. Imagery: NASA Blue Marble.
The countdown
Same order as the reel. Two pairs sit close together, so the trips below group them.
5
Buldhana district, Maharashtra
Lonar Lake
A lake inside a crater left by a meteorite, about 1.2 km across, with salty, alkaline water. In June 2020 it turned pink almost overnight. Scientists linked it to salt-loving microbes as the water level dropped.
See
The view from the crater rim, best at sunrise
The trail down into the crater to the lake shore
Old stone temples around the lake, and the Daitya Sudan temple in Lonar town
Gomukh temple on the rim, with its natural spring
Get there
About 160 km (3.5–4 hours by road) from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad), which has the nearest airport. Jalna is the nearest big railway station.
Best time
October to February, when the crater is green and the heat is bearable
Time
Half a day to a day
Tip: the pink was a one-off, so go for the crater itself, not the colour. The trail down is steep and rocky: wear proper shoes and carry water.
4
West Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya
Dawki
In winter the Umngot river gets so clear that boats look like they're floating in the air. Dawki sits right on the India–Bangladesh border.
See
A boat ride on the Umngot at Dawki
Shnongpdeng, a little upstream: riverside camping, kayaking, snorkelling and a hanging bridge
The India–Bangladesh border crossing at Dawki
Mawlynnong village and the Riwai root bridge, on the same road
Get there
About 2.5–3 hours by road from Shillong. Fly into Shillong, or into Guwahati (about 3 hours from Shillong). Most people hire a taxi from Shillong for the day.
Best time
November to April; the water is usually clearest from December to March
Time
A day trip, or one night at Shnongpdeng
Tip: go in the late morning, when the sun is high and the water is still. That's when the "floating" look shows up. In the monsoon the river turns muddy and boating can stop.
3
YSR Kadapa district, Andhra Pradesh
Gandikota
The Pennar river cut a deep red gorge here that people call India's Grand Canyon. A medieval fort sits right on its edge.
See
The gorge viewpoint at sunrise and sunset
Gandikota Fort: the Madhavaraya temple, the old mosque and the granary inside its walls
A night camping on the rim
Belum Caves, about 1.5 hours away
Get there
About 15 km from Jammalamadugu. By road it's roughly 5–6 hours from Bengaluru and 6–7 hours from Hyderabad. The nearest railway stations are Muddanur and Kadapa.
Best time
October to February; April to June is very hot
Time
One night
Tip: stay overnight so you get both light shows. The APTDC Haritha resort and the campsites near the fort book up on weekends, so reserve ahead and carry some cash.
2
East Khasi Hills, Meghalaya
Living root bridges
They're grown, not built. Khasi families guide the roots of rubber fig trees across streams for years until they're strong enough to walk on. Some are said to be over 100 years old. In 2022 they were added to UNESCO's tentative World Heritage list.
See
The Double Decker root bridge at Nongriat, two bridges stacked on top of each other
Rainbow Falls, a further trek beyond Nongriat
The Riwai single root bridge near Mawlynnong, a short and easy walk
Around Sohra: Nohkalikai Falls, Seven Sisters Falls and Mawsmai Cave
Get there
Sohra (Cherrapunji) is about 1.5–2 hours from Shillong. The Double Decker trek starts at Tyrna village: roughly 3,000 steps down, and the same back up.
Best time
October to April, when the steps are dry. June to September is lush but slippery, and Sohra is one of the wettest places on earth.
Time
A full day for the Double Decker, or a night in a Nongriat homestay
Tip: start early and wear shoes with grip. These are working village paths, so pay the small local fees and don't climb on the roots.
1
Ellora Caves, Maharashtra
Kailasa temple
An entire temple carved out of one single rock, starting at the top and digging down, in the 8th century. That's around 1,200 years ago. It's Cave 16 of the Ellora Caves, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We filmed our #1 here ourselves.
See
Kailasa from the courtyard, then from the path up the cliff around it, for the top-down view
The rest of Ellora: Buddhist, Hindu and Jain caves side by side, including the three-storey Cave 12 and the Jain caves at the far end
Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga temple, a few minutes away
Daulatabad Fort, on the road from the city
Get there
About 30 km (under an hour) from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar airport and railway station
Best time
October to March is the most comfortable. July to September is green, with waterfalls over some caves.
Time
Half a day to a full day
Tip: Ellora is closed on Tuesdays. Get there at opening time to see Kailasa before the tour buses arrive.
Do them in three trips
The five places are spread across India, but four of them pair up.
Maharashtra
3 days from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
#1 Kailasa
#5 Lonar
Day 1Ellora and Kailasa, Grishneshwar, Daulatabad Fort
Day 2Lonar Lake, a long day trip or one night there
Day 3Ajanta Caves, about 100 km away (closed on Mondays)
Meghalaya
4–5 days from Shillong
#2 Root bridges
#4 Dawki
Day 1Shillong to Sohra, waterfalls and caves
Day 2Tyrna to the Double Decker, a night in Nongriat
Day 3Mawlynnong and the Riwai root bridge
Day 4Dawki and Shnongpdeng, then back to Shillong
Andhra Pradesh
A weekend from Bengaluru or Hyderabad
#3 Gandikota
Day 1Drive in, sunset over the gorge, camp on the rim
Day 2Sunrise, the fort, Belum Caves on the way back
When to go
One window works for all five
November to February.
Dawki's water is usually clearest from December to March. Meghalaya gets very heavy rain from June to September. Lonar and Gandikota get very hot from April to June.
Saving this for your next trip? There's more coming.
Follow @thecurryandpho on Instagram for places you didn't know were in India, and the rest of our travels from India to Southeast Asia.
Distances and travel times are approximate. Timings, entry fees, closing days and boating rules change, so check locally before you travel. Map imagery: NASA Blue Marble (public domain).
