This winter try some beautiful hill stations

Are you bored of going to the same hill stations again and again? Are you tired of choosing between the same options of Mahabaleshwar, Khandala and Matheran?

If you need more options, you need to have more knowledge about the other beautiful hill stations in India apart from these three.

Leaving aside the above mentioned hill stations, the Bhandardara hill station is also a very beautiful place to visit. It is a holiday resort village on the western ghat of India.

It is located somewhere among the Sahyadri Hills, where you can get to see some beautiful sky-high mountains, roaring waterfalls and lush greenery throughout the year. These are the reasons why this place manages to attract tourists throughout the year.

When it rains, and clouds appear to cover the earth and the sight is truly breathtaking. You can find serene, calm lake surrounded by hills, waterfalls, dam, forts, valley and much more in the Bhandardara hill station. The best time to visit this beautiful place is the mid-monsoon season, because in spite of being located in the hills, it is quite hot during the summer.

It is a small yet peaceful area. This hill station is popular amongst fun loving and picnic lovers. Some of the important destinations at Bhandarda that should not be missed out are the Radha Falls, a deep valley, a clean and large Arthur Lake which is very serene, a historical Ratangadh Fort for history lovers, an ancient temple - Amritheshwar Temple, a peaceful Agasti Rishi Ashram, Wilson Dam also known as Bhandardara Dam, and Viewpoints.

It also has a trekking destination - Mount Kalusubai. Here you will also get to witness the highest mountain peak in Maharashtra. By rail, the nearest station is Igatpuri which is about 45 kms from Bhandardara hill station.

Apart from this, another place to watch out for is the Chikhaldara hill station. It is located in the Amravati district of Maharashtra. This is the sole hill resort in the Vidarbha region, and is the only coffee-growing area in Maharashtra. Chikhaldara hill station offers you wildlife in abundance such as the panthers, sloth bears, sambar, wild boar and even the rarely seen wild dog. There is also a famous Melghat Tiger Project which has 82 tigers.

The scenic beauty of this place can be thoroughly enjoyed from Hurricane Point, Prospect Point, and Devi Point. This place is named after "Keechaka", because this is where Bheema killed the villainous Keechaka and threw him into the valley. It thus came to be known as "Keechakadara" - "Chikhaldara" is its corruption. Hence, this place is also mythological for the hindus.

Dhakana-Kolkaz National Park, Gavilgad and Narnala Fort, the Pandit Nehru Botanical Gardens, the Tribal Museum and the Semadoh Lake are also some of the places of interest. Chikhaldara Festival, held every year in December, showcases the best in culture, arts, and local arts and crafts. Adventure activities like paragliding and rock climbing, are also held as part of the festival. The temperature in Dec-Jan is below 10 degrees thus giving an amazing weather to winter lovers.