Holi, one of India’s most popular cultural festivals, is enthusiastically celebrated by people all over the country. The festival heralds the arrival of spring and the end of winter, and it serves as a gathering place for loved ones. It is traditionally celebrated with colour and involves water play, following the Holashtak bonfire the night before. People have put a modern spin on the festival over the years by hosting parties full of songs, dance, and engaging activities.
Booking.com, has curated a list of unique flower-filled Indian destinations with a diverse colour palette. As you celebrate this festival of colours, soak in nature’s colours by visiting these beautiful flower destinations.
Dzukou Valley, Nagaland
Along the Nagaland-Manipur border is the hidden Dzukou Valley, which is home to the famous and endangered Dzuko Lilies as well as other rare flowers such as rhododendrons, aconitums, and euphorbias. You must trek from the villages of Viswema and Zakhama to experience the beauty of the area. The vast fields are covered in green, white, and yellow hues and are a great place for trekkers looking for solitude among nature. Because of the valley’s elevation, you can take panoramic photos of the colourful landscape.
Yumthang Valley, Sikkim
Yumthang Valley has an unusual mix of landscapes. The green and fertile valley filled with flowers, surrounded by snow-capped mountains with hot springs and a river running through the valley, can truly captivate your senses. Exotic flowers found in the valley include cinquefoils, primroses, and cobra lilies. If you want to see more of the area’s flora and fauna, you should go to Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary.
Apple orchard blossom farms Kotgarh, Himachal Pradesh
Kotgarh is known as the “Queen of the Hills” and has become well-known for its apple orchards over the years. Their apple orchard blossom farms, in particular, are a sight to behold, as they fill the fields with white hues. Each farm is up to 10 acres in size and is filled with short trees that produce 6-7 apples per branch. Since 1904, when Samuel Evan Stokes planted the saplings to help the local community get into trading and sustain a means of livelihood, this space has been blooming. The farms are a great place to get a taste of farm to table cooking.
Nishat Bagh, Jammu & Kashmir
Nishat Bagh, India’s second largest Mughal garden, was built on the eastern side of Dal Lake. The locals refer to it as the ‘Garden of Bliss.’ This lovely garden has views of the lake beneath the Pir Panjal mountain range in the background, as well as the Zabarwan Mountains. If you want to see a variety of colours, Nishat Bagh is the place to go because it has a wide range of flowers, from roses to lilies. Originally intended to be designed in the style of Persian gardens, it was redesigned due to the Valley’s topology and water resources. The garden has twelve terraces and a variety of water features such as fountains, water chutes, pools, and more.
Khasi Hills, (Shillong), Meghalaya
After the winter, the East and West Khasi Hills in Shillong, Meghalaya, begin to bloom with light-pink cherry blossoms. The cherry blossoms, also known as Prunus Cerasoides, are considered a prized possession by the tribes of the area because they attract tourists every year, particularly near the end of winter. Shillong also hosts the International Cherry Blossom Festival, which includes live music, pageants, dance recitals, and other cultural events, as well as stalls where you can sample local cuisine.
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