Affordable vacations for students in North India

A carefree attitude, haversack on your back, earphones plugged into your ears, a pair of comfortable shoes and you are ready to take off on a holiday! That’s the beauty of a college trip. You don’t really care where you are headed as long as your friends are with you. You like the idea of uncertainty of where you are headed, the mystery and the enigma surrounding what you may discover and what adventures you may unfold. 

Most of you will agree that education is not just about being confined within the walls of your classroom or making high profile PPT’s. Successful business leaders and entrepreneurs will agree that culture and diversity play an important role in the way you dispense your jobs and responsibilities in the long run. The learning you derive from personal experiences can drive you to make involved decisions that most of the times, work in your business’s favour!

Now that the Independence Day weekend is here, we are sure that you already have or are planning a student trip somewhere. If not, then start planning! Like we said, the learning and experience that you gain from these trips are not measurable, but go a long way in shaping you up as a person, which will come handy later in life, at times when you least expect it. While there are a multitude of popular destinations all over India, some expensive, some cheap, some with a whole lot of things to do and some where you have nothing to do but just chill, it is your call on which place you wish to travel. But here we provide you with a bunch of travel options that will offer you with the perfect mix of activity and chill out time!

And by virtue of living in north India, I’d say you students are in for a treat! Not only are the north Indian states full of ethereal natural beauty, but it offers something for all types of students! A nature’s buddy? No problem. Art or history connoisseur? Even better! Sucker for adventure sports? You are in heaven!

So here’s our take on the places you can escape to with your friends when you are fed up with your monotonous life!

Almora & Binsar

Nestled cosily in the folds of the Himalayan foothills in east Uttarakhand, Almora is the main town that you need to traverse if you are seeking to go anywhere in Uttarakhand. It is the window to Binsar Forest Reserve and further on to Shoghi & Chopta. Almora is not your regular hill town. On the face of it, you will see that it is laced with small eateries and chai stalls and lots of hotels. But take any track leading away from the main road, and you will be in for a huge surprise. Off beat trails, stitched with lush green paddy fields and oh so healthy cattle grazing lazily without a care in the world; you may be forced to stop a while and soak in the gorgeousness that nature has on offer. Want to go deeper into nature? Head straight to Binsar, about 37 kms from Almora, to experience the Himalayan peaks in all its grandeur. It offers 300kms of unhindered view of the Himalayan peaks like Kedarnath, Chaukhamba, Trishul, Nanda Devi, Nanda Kot and Panchhuli. Get a  feel of the hills in the musky aroma Himalayan oaks and abundant rhododendrons. Or just donne your trekking shoes and continue your sojourn in the hills. At the Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary, be prepared to meet leopards, monkeys, black bear, ghoral, red fox, pine marten porcupine, along with over 200 species of birds! You may also visit Kasar Devi Temple, Binsar Museum & Mary Budden Estate & Khali Estate.

Ideal for: Photography students & Students studying Flora & Fauna.

Munsiyari 

If you love the hills and don’t mind going round in loops in the hills, then Munsiyari is the place for you. An excruciating 12 hours journey by road from Kathgodam Railway Station via Pitthoragarh will take you to the heaven named Munsiyari. Incidentally, Munsiyari is also one of the last villages of India before you hit the Indo-Tibetan border. Traditional attractions include Nanda Devi Temple and Balati Farm. If you are adventurous, go further away and you will come across quaint little villages, where the locals are far too excited to talk to you about their lifestyle and culture.

Ideal for: Students interested in Culture Studies & History.

Mukteshwar

Again a hill destination, Mukteshwar is a tad bit different from the rest of the hill stations in North India. For one, it is not commercial at all. Second, you will find nothing to do here. Like NOTHING. And that’s what makes this place so exciting. There are hills, there are small Maggi and tea shops all right, but there is something about this place that is surreal. Make sure you head to where the PWD & KMVN guest houses are, and then take the twining road into the woods. And watch the world unfurl in front of you.

Ideal for: Nature studies, photography students.

Rishikesh

This one does not need any introduction. Cradled in the folds of the Himalayas with the mighty Ganges flowing in all its furore, Rishikesh is for all... pilgrims, adventure seekers and nature lovers. Walk the ‘áfeem’ scented roads, chat up with the babas, take dip in the Ganga or make a trip to the famous Lakshman Jhula and the temples beyond, Rishikesh offers what probably only a few places can. And don’t forget to try the tasty local food, I bet it will be difficult to not binge! Rishikesh also headquarters many national institutes and organizations like ONGC, Survey Of India, Forest Research Institute, Indian Institute of Petroleum etc. Indian Military Academy, RIMC (Rashtriya Indian Military College), Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy (IGNFA), Lal Bahadur Shahstri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) etc are also located in close-by, in Dehradun.

Ideal for: Photography students, History and Ecology students and also Defence cadets, forest management etc. 

Naldhera & Mashobra

Serene, green and fascinating – Naldhera is everything that a bustling hill station is not. Away from the hustle and bustle of the Shimla, Naldhera and Mashobra are famous for its apple and pear orchards and quaint little treks into the valley. You may visit the golf course here and a few ancient temples hidden in its nook & corners. You may also try horse riding and white water rafting.

Ideal for: Students of Physical Education and History. 

Lansdowne

If you are studying history and are interested in the rich legacy left behind by the British rule in India, there is no other place you would rather be! The War Memorial on Parade Ground was unveiled by Lord Rawlinson of Trent on November 1923 and today is a major crowd puller. Garhwali Mess is one of the oldest buildings in Lansdowne and dates far back into the Victorian era and is now a heritage site. The Darwan Singh Regimental Museum is a motivational hall named after Darban Singh Negi and houses a rare collection of Garhwal Rifles. A trip to Lansdowne is not complete without a visit to the St. Mary’s Church built by Col. AHB Hume in 1896 and now houses pre-independence photographs, audio-visual history of the Garhwal Regiment.

Ideal for:  History students

Pushkar

Colour, food, culture – you will get all of this and many more in one place. Religion, history, diversity knows no barriers here as art enthusiasts, pilgrims and hippies alike have found comfort within the confines of this old-world hill town of Rajasthan. Like gorging on delicious food? You will find the traditional dal-bati-choorma seamlessly merge with Baba Ganoush and Ghevar and Baklava eaten with equal relish. It’s a shopper’s hub too, with bags, apparels, junk jewellery, sandals etc  mounted with pride on the streets. Do watch the sundown and if you are lucky, catch the cultural festivals that are dotted on the calendar. If you have time at hand, you may want to visit Ajmer Sharif on your way back before you hit the highway. And if you have still more time, then you may take a detour to Mount Abu as well.

Ideal for: Everybody.  You don’t need to come to Pushkar with an agenda in mind!!

Bir & Billing

Adventure enthusiasts – here’s something you have never heard before. Bir & Billing is located in the Palampur district (Kangra Valley) of Himachal Pradesh and is India’s professional paragliding destination. Every year, in the month of October, professional paragliders from all over the world get together for the International Paragliding Competition. If you are not into paragliding, then just you must visit this place for the Dhauladhar range view, the best view you will ever get to see! Or just visit for the numerous hiking & trekking trails here.

Ideal for: Everybody interested in adventure activities. Or if you love the hills.