International Yoga Day has been celebrated every year by millions of people across the globe on 21st June since it's inception in 2015. Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual exercises or disciplines which originated and started in ancient India, helps to improve health happiness.

 Millions of people are joining the moment every year and continues to growth across the world. If you too have been inspired by the yoga and want to roll out yoga mats somewhere at the best places but not sure where to go then surely the list will help you a lot in your plan for yoga tourism. And here we bring you a quick list of yoga retreat places for you. You may have visited many places from the list or have planned to go.

1] Rishikesh : 

Rishikesh, a city nestled amidst beautiful mountains of Himalaya and on the bank of Ganga river, is at number one position in our list and should be on the first position as it is the capital of yoga practice of the world. There are a good number of yoga classes and ashrams where you can try your yoga practice 

2] Varanasi : 

Varanasi always been on yoga practioner's radar as it is one of the premier yoga places. It is also known as Kashi and Banaras situated on the bank of holy river Ganga in Uttar Pradesh state. It is the most ancient city in India. There are several Yoga schools where you can go and learn or practice yoga.

 Instead of this Varanasi is famous for numerous Hindu temples including Kashi Vishwanath Temple and many ghats and delicious food. 

3] Goa : 

Goa is not all about parties. In recent years, Goa has emerged as one of the most popular destinations for yoga practitioners. Goa's uniquely calm and soothing ambiance makes it one of a prime place for a yoga practice. If you want to have a vacation while practicing yoga in wonderful surroundings, Goa might be a good fit for you.

 Spend a blissful week in a gorgeous Goa, surrounded by amidst best beaches and magically aesthetic culture. You can easy find the yoga retreats center with a simple search in Google. Few of them Bamboo Yoga Retreat, SWAN yoga retreat, The beach house and many more.

4] Auroville : 

What could be a better place for your yoga tourism, if you are looking for a yoga retreat in south India.

Auroville is an experimental township in the state of Tamil Nadu. Silence and spiritual atmosphere of Auroville makes it a perfect destination for every yoga enthusiast. You could visit other places in and around Auroville, when you get time from yoga. 

Take a local ride in and around Auroville with a cab to visit some of the most beautiful sights like Matrimandir, Auroville Bakery and Boulangerie, Auroville Beach[ restricted for swimming due to high tide], Auroville Botanical Gardens. 

5] Dharamshala :

 Nestled amid dense forest of northern India, and surrounding stunning natural beauty makes Dharamshala a popular destination for Yoga retreat.

 Enthusiasts will have plenty of yoga school choices to choose from with this, you can also have the opportunity to participate in yoga teacher training programs. 

6] Manali : 

Manali does not have as much yoga centers as compared with other places from the list but misty and beautiful Himalayas and lush greenery around it offers the perfect yoga retreat.

7] Mysore : 

The list incomplete without including Mysuru. Mysore is famous for an excellent style of yoga to accommodate people of all levels. It's a home of Ashtanga yoga, Late yoga guru K. Pattabhi Jois’ founded the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute which is best known yoga schools in India and the world. 

8] Kerala:  

It will be the perfect destination for you if you are looking for an Ayurveda and yoga retreat. Kerala is known as the 'God's own abode' which has been blessed with dense palms, bushy trees and serenity. ideally, people looking for solace and peace opt Kerala as their yoga destination.

So let’s make Yoga an integral part of our daily lives and also inspire others to do the same, for a better and healthier future.

 Generally the month of March considered as a wonderful month of travel, with fresh mornings and evenings, and mostly warm sunny days. It would be best and recommended to go to a hill station or beach holidays which will be cooler. 

Here is the list of most popular tourist places to visit in March. 

Ooty :- 

Ooty
(image coutesy:Zigg-E- flicker)

Blessed with natural beauty, Ooty has endowed with scenic beauty and sprawling lush tea farms. It is located in Udhagai district in the state of Tamil Nadu. The temperature in Ooty in March dwells in the range of 15 to 22 degree celecious. There are many trasportation facilty to reach Ooty, you can have many buses and car rental from Coimbatore, Cochin, Mysore, Bangalore and Chennai.

Munnar
 (image coutesy:Raj-flicker) 

Second one of the best and most beautiful hill station situated in the Idukki district in the state of Kerala. Munnar is also blessed with the amazing natural beauty, misty hills and growing tea plantations. It could be the best choice for relax and have a great family getaway.

Kodaikanal 
(image coutesy:Thangaraj Kumaravel-flicker) 

This picture perfect hill town in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu also referred as the "Princess of Hill Stations". It will be the best place where you can relax and get lost in the lush green surroundings. Kodaikanal Lake, Berijam Lake, Palani Hills are few must visit places in Kodaikanal.

To reach here Madurai is the nearest airport at a distance of 120 km and Palani railway station at 65 km away.

 Yumthang Valley
  (image coutesy:Joginder Pathak -flicker) 

It's a small state in northwest India situated in the Himalayas. The best time to visit Sikkim is March to June. A fresh cloudy morning, beautiful view of hills,the amazing richness of greenery and the scenic landscape wins every visitors heart and make it a must visit place during month of March.

Solophok Chardham, Yumthang Valley, Changu Lake, Rumtek Monastery, Nathu La, Lake Tsomgo are few popular places to visit in Sikkim.

Auli
(image coutesy:Anuj Kumar Garg -flicker)

Located in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand State, it is one of the famous skiing and trekking destination in India and January to March are best time for skiing. Auli is bestowed with abundant natural beauty and the spectacular mountain ranges, tranquil panoramic natural view makes this place ideal for you to visit in this summer.

Manali
(image coutesy:Saad Faruque -flicker)

Nestled in the lap of the Himalayas and surrounded by snow covered peaks,  various beauties of Nature and pristine white snow attracts thousands of tourist around the world every year. Manali a beautiful town situated in the Kullu district of state of Himachal Pradesh state is famous for trekking, paragliding, rafting and mountain sports. Along with these there are many tourist places in Manali which are must visit. 

Shillong
(image coutesy:Hrishikesh Sharma -flicker)

Located at the amidst sky touching hills Shillong is the capital city of the  Meghalaya state. It is also know as the "Scotland of the East" The lush green landscape, waterfalls, forests, valleys and pleasant weather makes this place a must visit in the month of March to June.

Abby Waterfall

(image coutesy:Aditya Patawari -flicker)

Known as the "Scotland of India" is located in the western ghats of Karnataka state. It is popular tourist getaway because of unique idyllic atmosphere, variety of coffee and tea plantations. Abbay Falls,Irupu Falls, Nagarhole national park, Raja’s Seat, Omkareshwara Temple Nisargadhama and Pushagiri are few must visit places in coorg.

 Prem Mandir

(image coutesy:Bhavishya Goel -flicker)

Located in Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh is a important Hindu pilgrimage place. It is considered that here Lord Krushna have spent his childhood days. As Vrindavan is renowened for the festival of Holi, it's recommended to visit and immerse yourself into the festival of colurs.

Mount Abu
(image coutesy:wikipedia.org)

Mount Abu is the only hill station in the Rajasthan state and has been great retreat for summer vacations. No doubt the senic beauty and rich flora makes you relax and rejuvenate while enjoying scenic beauty and delicious dishes of Mount Abu.
Dilwara Jain Temples, Nakki lake, Peace Park, Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary, Sunset Point and Guru Shikhar are few important places to visit in Maunt Abu.
Mount Abu is well connected with the other cities of the country. The
nearest airport is Udaipur at a distance of 185 km. from there one can hire a taxi, cab to reach Mount Abu.

Also, if you feel any other place can be added to the list, please comment below.

 

 What comes to your mind when you hear of Goa? Beaches of course! Goa, being one of the popular destinations for holidaying on the sea shore, attracts millions of tourists every year. One will not get tired of visiting Goa, be it for a casual or a formal visit. Goa indeed is a tourist’s heaven by providing a true freak out time. Have fun, celebrate, be merry, relax and rejuvenate in Goa. It is that part of India which is the most explored one; yet, one will be surprised to know it is still left with unmarked corners. 

 This article makes an attempt to introduce some of the unexplored parts of Goa, focusing especially upon beaches. If you are on a family trip and want to spend some fun times with kids, then visit commercialized beaches in Goa. These beaches provide snacks stalls, water sports, and other entertainments like paragliding, scuba diving, kayaking etc. When we talked about the beaches in Goa, it hosts both commercialized and secluded beaches. Most of the commercialized beaches are situated in the North Goa whereas South Goa hosts most of the secluded ones.

 Goa, situated on the western coastline of India, is best known for white sand beaches, churches, temples, and fenny! It is well connected by air, road and railways. It may sound funny, if you search for a city named Goa anywhere in Goa you would not find. Goa is the name given to the entire region on the Arabian Sea coast comprising North and South Goa. So, where would you land up if you are an outsider? You may choose either Panjim in North Goa or Madgaon in the South Goa section as base destinations to travel around the region. 

Panjim is the headquarters of North Goa which is at about 550 km from Mumbai. Madgaon, headquarters of South Goa, is just 45 minutes drive from Panjim. However the airport is based at Dabolim in Vasco, 35 minutes drive from Panjim. Goa has two railway heads: one at Vasco, the other at Madagaon which is connected by Konkan Railway services.

If you are interested in exploring secluded beaches in Goa, let me tell you, go towards the south. Make Madagaon the base destination, and explore each beach a day if you are there for more than a week. Southern beaches are less travelled, least crowded, and most of them provide completely secluded private beach resorts.

Let us start with Colva Beach which is situated near Madgaon city. It is just 15 minutes drive from Madgaon (Margao). This was one of the secluded beaches of South Goa up until recently. Now, it is attracting more and more visitors and hence it has become a popular beach providing entertainment and luxury. It is stretched 20 km on the Western Coast.

Colva Beach Colva beach Image Courtesy:Prajna LS

If we move towards the south of Colva, we find the Benaulim Beach. You can locate the Church of St John the Baptist here on a hill top. This is basically a fishing village. You can buy wooden crafts and furniture here. 

Cavelossium Beach is just half an hour drive from Madgaon. This beach, along with Varca and Mobor beaches, is known to be the most non-commercialized beaches of Goa. A Less crowded beach of course. You may find huts converted as restaurants here and there.

Cavelossium Beach Image Courtesy:Prajna LS

 Goa is stretched up to Sadashivghad, but Sadashivghad belongs to Karwar district in Karnataka. Sadashivghad is the place where Kali River merges into Arabian Sea. As we move on to further southwards, we find two most important beaches on the western coast situated in Goa. One is Agonda Beach and other one is the Palolem Beach.

Agonda Beach Image Courtesy:Prajna LS

Palolem Beach Image Courtesy:Prajna LS

 Agonda is situated at about 35 km from Madgaon. This is for those who would love lonely beaches. Agonda beach is completely untouched by commercialization and less crowded compare to other beaches in South Goa. You would not find any snacks stalls or accommodation here. It is a lonely white sand beach good for photographers who would like to explore wild and raw nature.